Shite in Miniature II

[Spottedlaurel]

Popped into a local Tesco this morning, was like going back in time - they had a fairly fresh HWs case, but it was the one with blue Nissan Patrol and orange Mazda Cosmo.

They also had Matchbox 5-packs at £5.50. The one that has tempted me several times is the wagon set, including a baby poo brown Mercedes, white Jeep Cherokee and Mini van. Will be going back that way later today if anyone 'needs' one. Had three of them on the shelf, I'd have got one if there was something Japanese in there.

[eddyramrod]

2 hours ago, AndyW201 said:

Fourth Protocol for Transit

Quantum of Solace for the Bronco?

2/3 again, so we're covered now.  

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Never Say Never? 

@sheffcortinacentre got that one earlier.  Good thing I wasn't offering prizes!  Oh and it's "...Again" (/pedant)

[sierraman]

Picked this up the other day, never seen another. A Matchbox Superkings Specials Lumina? 

[MiniMinorMk3]

It's interesting to read everyone's stories of the decline of model shops and the availability of 1/43rd models. I think I have mentioned before that my interest in 1/43rd started when I stumbled across St Martins Accessories, of St Martins Lane, whilst on my way to job on morning. I was already collecting old VW stuff at toy fairs, but these 1/43rds were something different. The first one I purchased was Brumm R120 Porsche 356...

and so started my collecting of these little cars that were not toys. Those old Brumms had stickers on the boxes.

 from all the 

From St. Martins I also started buying Model Auto Review (MAR) magazine. It was great to read on the train looking at all the latest models. From that I started getting Diecast Collector magazine mainly for the listings of toy fairs and teh shop adverts. As my job started to take me around the country I would try and visit the nearest model shop. There was a good on in Uxbridge that sold stuff from Brumm and Bang/Best/Box. Also the Matchbox Dinky Collection was popping up and soon my collection started to include more than just VWs and Porsches.

I must have visited around 50 different shops over the years, some great and some not so great. I went to visit the shop in Leeds were MAR was written, but the place was closed when I visited. I did go back a couple of days later to make some purchases. 

When I moved up north there were a few independent model shops locally. There was a good one in Newcastle, one in Whitley Bay and a diecast shop in Gosforth. Along with a Modelzone in the Metro Centre. All sadly gone now. Even the Gladston the hardware and model shop in North Shields closed after 150 years trading. 

One of the last shops I regularly visited was Motor Models in Boston Spa, which was just off the A1. I had regular work down near Liverpool so on a Friday I would leave around lunch time and pop in on the way home. It was a great shop that was busting at the seems with diecast cars of all scales and prices. The shop had everything from the little £3 HO scale stuff up to those superb CMC models and other large scale things. I would always come away with at least 5 of the latest Minchamps of Kyosho 1/43rds, and the owner would always give me a discount. I don't know when this place closed but it has now gone.

The internet changed everything, especially eBay. I was sitting in a site hut one morning at work in 2002 and discovered eBay whilst searching for 1/43rd Ferrari 250 GTO models. Wow, here was a place that I could find those old models that I had not been able to buy back in the 1990's.  I guess a lot of others also discovered it as it grew and grew. Then new stuff started appearing on there and I guess that was it for the shops. Why visit a shop were they might have the latest, but might not, when you can just click a bit and wait for the postman to arrive.

All those model shops have gone and even their online versions have gone. St. Martins went online but closed for good back in 2016. Their website is still live but not selling.

This link is not secure Homepage (stmartinsmodelcars.co.uk)

MAR is still going, but not in print. It has been online since 2013.

Model Auto Review Online (maronline.org.uk)

There is on small glimmer of hope up here in the North East, near Durham. We have the North East Model Centre...

Home - North East Model Centre

and teh people who organise the local toy fairs have a shop in the indoor market

Our Shop – Northern Toy Fair (northerntoyfairs.com).

 

By the way, when looking for teh picture of the first 1/43rd I purchased I discovered this online store

We sell diecast and resin model cars, trucks, planes buses, motorbikes – Little Wheels (little-wheels.net)

The sell pre-owned diecast and appear to have some nice items.

 

[sierraman]

Did anyone used to subscribe to Model Collector? Used to be some great articles in there about model variations. 

[bunglebus]

Entertainer apparently have new Hot Wheels premiums with the Escort RS1800 and Rotsun...

[andrew e]

24 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Did anyone used to subscribe to Model Collector? Used to be some great articles in there about model variations. 

Adding to this does anyone collect them? My ceiling joists would appreciate mine finding a new home 😆

[sierraman]

17 minutes ago, andrew e said:

Adding to this does anyone collect them? My ceiling joists would appreciate mine finding a new home 😆

Oh god that’s the worst thing you could tell me! Where are they located? 😂

[MiniMinorMk3]

53 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Did anyone used to subscribe to Model Collector? Used to be some great articles in there about model variations. 

 

28 minutes ago, andrew e said:

Adding to this does anyone collect them? My ceiling joists would appreciate mine finding a new home 😆

I used to go to WHS and buy it each month, along with Diecast Collector and sometimes Collectors Gazette. It used to be the only way to find out were all the toy fairs were happening before the interwebs got into full swing.

[andy18s]

I got sent a link to a Skoda only model supplier.

Not really my thing but there are a good few different models with various liveries.

Edit. They also have a few Jawa and Cz bikes for sale.

https://www.abrex.cz/

[MiniMinorMk3]

Here's my take on why we do not get much 1/43rd action on our little island.

In the 1990s when there was a sudden burst of 1/43rd action, with the likes of MiniChamps, Vitessse (Quartzo, Onyx), Brumm, Bang/Box/Best, Lledo Vanguards, Matchbox Dinky and the Corgi Classics stuff appearing, very quickly these were to be found gathering dust and discount on the selves of various shops. Back the the manufacturer's hadn't cottoned on to the Limited Edition, and just produced the models in their thousands. It's why most of that early 1990s stuff has little value now. I got most of my early collections by buying discounted stuff and quickly worked out which ones you could wait for and not buy as soon as they were issued.

This problem spooked a lot of shops and they stopped stocking the likes of Brumm, Bang/Box/Best, MiniChamps and Vitesse. The only things widely available were Vanguards and Corgi Classics. The Matchbox Dinky Collection fizzled out and Matchbox Collectables became more of a mail order type of thing. I do not think I ever saw a Matchbox Collectable model in a shop.

After the Millenium the only place to find import 1/43rds were specialist diecast model shops, very few regular all encompassing model shops had the shelf space for a few MiniChamps, IXOs or Kyoshos. Modelzone dabbled a bit with their glass cabinets of cars and trucks. But buying those that had been in those cabinets was risky. Either they had a good few months of dust on them, they had lost a wiper or mirror or the assistants could not find the box. If they found the box invariably it would be damaged due to clumsy hands opening it to put the model on display. I used to visit the Modelzone in the Metro centre regularly as they used to get batches of IXO, Top Models and other stuff that were being sold off at silly prices. I made a bit of profit on some that I resold, good times for me, but the beginning of the end for Modelzone.

1/43rds have never been that popular with UK collectors. Most serious collectors were into old Corgi/Dinky/Spot On stuff, very few wanting the modern "Collectables". I've never met up with anyone who has a big collection like I have had apart from when roaming the sports halls for toy fair bargains.

As for the magazine part works, well they are just dead in the water. I collected a Porsche collection about 20 years ago. As was usual back then you could by the first issue in any newsagent in the land. But come about issue 3 or 4 they were nowhere to be seen. The only way to keep the collection going was to place a regular order with your local agent or sign up for the subscription from the issuer. Atlas did an F1 collection which started with the Nigel Mansell 1992 Williams FW14. It wasn't until about 5 years later when they started to turn up at auctions did I realise how big the collection was. The lots had come direct from the wholesalers and were slowly moved out into the wild. There were some good gap fillers if you were an F1 collector, but most were models that had already been seen by other makers.

And that is the real problem with part works, They maybe cheap when compared to retail collectables, but for long time collectors they maty only want a few of the range to fill in gaps in their Vauxhall collection. The last part work that I made purchases from was teh Atlas Editions British Touring Car Champions set. I only have one, the Alex Poole Mini.

I did not get the Richard Longman car as Vanguards had already issued theirs and my completist Mini collecting tendencies had ebbed slightly by then.

I've seen plenty of old part work stuff at auction over the last 20 years with about 50% of it being still in the original shipping boxes. Those collections rarely sell well, the only one that does is the Bond one, as they did produce all the cars that have been forgotten by Corgi with their obsession with a certain Aston Martin.

These days the only part works you see now are those kit ones, but why would you pay almost £500 for a model of a car when you can get a ready built one for a lot less. 

Collecting 1/43rd scale models is just not that popular in the UK, it is a very small market that is shrinking by the day as the millennials are being brainwashed into thinking old cars are the work of the devil and should be scrapped. I have a fear that stuff to do with cars will become like tobacco stuff, it will be viewed as something nasty that should be just forgotten.

[flat4alfa]

10 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

As was usual back then you could by the first issue in any newsagent in the land. But come about issue 3 or 4 they were nowhere to be seen. The only way to keep the collection going was to place a regular order with your local agent or sign up for the subscription from the issuer.

Apart from customer apathy, I suspect sales are hindered due to shelf storage space being a problem for the agent.  There was partwork set of vinyl reissues of Beatles albums about ten years back.  Typically, the loss-leading 'issue one' was discounted heavily and came with extra 'gifts', was ubiquitous, but I really struggled to get hold of the next few.  The local newsagent had a limited amount, left sitting on the shelf, just one example at a time.  This repeated for the first few releases, then silence.  I only wanted a few from the set, not the whole set, so subscription was avoided.

Quote

These days the only part works you see now are those kit ones, but why would you pay almost £500 for a model of a car when you can get a ready built one for a lot less.

Yes, but I still don't understand why they keep being pushed anyway, as they seem to sell even less copies!

[quicksilver]

The big problem with partworks is that they're all or nothing and that's a major long-term commitment without knowing what's coming and how big the collection is. Once you cancel that's the end and you can't pick and choose, so getting the models you want, especially if they're later in the series, can entail buying a lot of unwanted models as well. Collectors don't want that level of commitment; they just want to buy the models they want when they want with no further risk, as Atlas Editions found out to their cost.

At least with diecasts, each issue was a self-contained displayable item in its own right. The kit partworks are pretty much useless if they're incomplete so you're tied in to finishing the subscription to avoid being left with an unfinished item of little value.

[bunglebus]

Having seen on FB that the Rotsun and Escort RS1800 might be hiding in Entertainer, I shot off to Basildon to have a look around (my local one had their delivery yesterday with nothing new)

BuM had a few of the usual suspects 

One Poundstretcher had full price offerings, but 20% off due to closing down

Entertainer had good stock levels including I think C case stuff

Asda looked like it had been ram-raided

A few stragglers in TKMAXXXXX

Other Poundstretcher has reduced prices on HW and MB

Sainsbury's had two boxes of stuff I'd already seen

And Mat Alan had quite a few, again C case but nothing I wanted

I didn't leave entirely empty handed though

[Zie]

My Mum collected the James Bond  DB5 as a surprise for me. 

Cost a fortune ,didn't fit together properly and was a few different shades of Silver. 

Now lives in the loft in shame. 

[danthecapriman]

I think you’ve probably hit the hammer with the nail head there @MiniMinorMk3 all good points and almost certainly true. 
Tbh, I think I must be one of the only people buying these 1:43 part work cars over here! In the last few months my collection of them has exploded! But, my reason for liking them is probably different to many. Yes, I like to collect the ones of cars I know and remember or just like, but being so keenly priced, they’re excellent for those of us that do customs and repaints. I’ve got no intention of completing sets or getting all of a particular collection. 

I think you’re right about people getting brainwashed into going against old cars, or even ICE cars in general. When I was 17 (and younger!) all I could think about was cars. All I wanted to do was get my license and drive. It’s becoming far less of a thing now though! 
My last apprentice at work was 16 when he started, his dad had old cars so he did know a bit about them but when I asked what he wanted he wasn’t really bothered about it! Even when he hit 17 he didn’t bother with lessons or looking at what first car he wanted! It took pressure from work to get him to do it in the end because driving was a major part of the job and it was imperative he got a license. Even after that though he had little to no interest in cars. 
I don’t get it myself! I mean what kind of man are you if you don’t take an interest in cars FFS!? But the more I see of kids his age, and indeed younger and older, it is becoming an old man’s thing. 
Which leads on to the models becoming unpopular too. If people don’t care about real cars why would they care about the toys and models of them!?

Any petrol heads I know of, especially those who own a classic car or hot rod or even boy racer type stuff have at least a few models too. But there’s not that many of those people around!

Still, all the time these companies are still punching out these models, wherever they may come from I’ll still try to get them. So far in my collection I’ve had cars from the UK, France, Italy, Spain, USA and even from as far away as Argentina!

 

On the eBay thing, I’m confident that platform alone has been responsible for killing off lots of high street shops. 
If you think about it though, eBay is like one gigantic world shop. Whatever you want is on there somewhere and all you have to do is search for it, select the listings to be cheapest first and hit buy. You don’t even have to get up off your arse to do it! 
Or, trudge out to the shops, try to find a suitable shop that might sell what you want, if you do you go in and either find they don’t have it or it’s more expensive so you’ve probably wasted your time. 
Many shops do actually sell via an eBay store now. The ones that don’t, I think are missing a trick tbh. Yes, there’s eBay fee’s to pay but where else can you get a worldwide advert for your stuff where a buyer anywhere in the world can sit on the arse in their favourite arm chair and buy what your selling then continue sitting on their arses until the postman drops it through the letterbox. There isn’t really any better or well known alternatives.  
From my perspective eBay has been an absolute godsend and a nightmare for my wallet! Most of these 1:43 cars and trucks I’ve now got I’d never have been able to get without it.

And wouldn’t you know it… the postman has just been!

 

I must be the most week willed person alive!

[bunglebus]

Good to see I've now lost my spot as #1 weak-willed tat buyer

[bunglebus]

Have you ever seen a middle age man sprint across a toy shop when he spots the single car left that he wants?

I'm sure the Roadkill Rotsun needs no introduction. I didn't think we'd see this as a normal release as it was done sort of mail-in/members only deal when it originally came out. I wonder if the Blasphemi 55 Chevy will join it one day?

No MK2 Escorts of course, if I see any I'll be snapping them up as flat-fronts in 1:64 don't exactly grow on trees

I did also pick up a couple of discounted Golfs, so that I had both interior variations, with and without skateboards on the parcel shelf

[flat4alfa]

16 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Have fun identifying the three films featured here!

Will have to admit I struggled with these.  0/3 - must improve movie knowledge.

[Zie]

11 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

 

That is very very cool! Been watching Roadkill since the first few episodes. 

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, quicksilver said:

Once you cancel that's the end and you can't pick and choose, so getting the models you want

Corgi Model Club though does let you skip issues.  I did so myself, no hassle.

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

I'm sure the Roadkill Rotsun needs no introduction. I didn't think we'd see this as a normal release as it was done sort of mail-in/members only deal when it originally came out. I wonder if the Blasphemi 55 Chevy will join it one day?

Wait..  does this mean Stubby Bob might get wider release?  It definitely was Motor Trend subscription only

Knew they did two Rotsun versions and a General Mayhem, but also thought they would be exclusive to US market

[MiniMinorMk3]

What's in those big Premium Classixxs boxes?

A VW T2a Pick Up in Austrian Bundegendermarie livery with a pair of Puchs in the bed.

This is the usual Premium Classixxs stuff that captures the vehicle very well.

Every think is correct on this rendition of an early Bay Window such as domed hub caps, the correct oval shaped rear lights, the low lever front indicators and the front bumper with the small steps. It is always horrible to see when a manufacturer gets all those details mixed up.

A Polizei T3a High Top Bus

Again correct working for an early air-cooled T3.

A Polizei T3b Bus

This later Wasserboxer version has the grille for the radiator.

An LT28 Polizei Bus

And finally this massive Mecedes_Benz LA911 Command Post.

This thing is big. It is 1/43rd scale and weighs about 750 grammes.

Again great detail from Premium Classixxs.

 

 

[flat4alfa]

Apparently there have been requests for Crusher Impala

But this fella couldn't wait and made one himself out of a Johnny Lightning

[MiniMinorMk3]

A few pages back we touched on teh Herpa Metall models that were also sold in Mercedes Dealership. Well after Herpa Dickie Schuco took over and have done a lot of the post Millennium stuff.

In more recent years Kyosho have been getting in on the act.

 

[Split_Pin]

I was always a bit meh about the MB Golf as so far it hasn't been released in a recognisable colour but the silver ine is spot on. Another one to look out for.

On the old collecting of things, my parents bought a lot of Staffordshires in the 1980s. They were very sought after then and I recall, quite dear. They've been clearing out their loft over the past few years and could barely give them away, such is the degree to which these items have fallen out of fashion. As said above I think model/toy cars will be the same, not helped by the wokerati villifying them. 

Someone was talking about wills elsewhere on here earlier. I should update mine to specify that my collection be divided equally between you lot in this thread. No need to specify names as its pretty much the same ten or twelve blokes!

[bunglebus]

34 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

But this fella couldn't wait and made one himself out of a Johnny Lightning

Hey that's cool - I really like the Crusher.

So far I've done recreations of the General Mayhem, Masdaratti and the Dodge Rampage that I don't think they named

Custom decals would be needed to make a Blasphemi, really need to look into that

[sierraman]

Added it to my collection of Specials. 

[sheffcortinacentre]

7 hours ago, sierraman said:

Did anyone used to subscribe to Model Collector? Used to be some great articles in there about model variations. 

No but used to buy it pretty often.

[flat4alfa]

10 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Custom decals would be needed to make a Blasphemi, really need to look into that

You mean these?