Shite in Miniature II

[Datsuncog]

Out and about on Saturday morning, then - and it's fair to say my mind was wandering a little after the discussions last week about model collecting, and the various shops that signposted the routes each of us took into the wonderful world of miniature shite.

I'd a few errands to run, but the intention was to head down to Bangor after I was done and have a poke around some of the diecast emporia we last visited over the summer.

Now that didn't happen, but it's okay.

Having collected some pictures from the framer in Holywood, and left them back to the car, I went off to procure some pancakes from a bakery at the far end of the street.

And this route took me past Stewart Miller, a newsagent/ confectioner/ toy shop.

Stewart Miller used to be a small independent chain with about six or seven stores locally, but I think there are only two left now.

But, on reflection, they played probably just as big a role in shaping my collecting as McCulloughs or Leisure World did.

So - I nipped in.

The Siku spinner was one of the first things I saw:

They're slightly cheaper here than in The Entertainer - £4 to £6 for the individual models, £9 or £10 for the twin packs or big commercials.

I kinda like this Sprinter, but they're strong money - and only get dearer as opening/ working features come into the mix:

I like Siku, but somehow their new stuff doesn't do all that much for me. 

I picked up a few 2023 catalogues for perusal later, though (and let me know if you'd like one, free of course).

Stewart Miller also had a fair few Hot Wheels, and a smattering of Matchbox, too...

...which was appropriate, as their branches were the only place I knew that stocked Hot Wheels when I was a nipper.

And, scanning the shelves, I realised this was what made them pretty compelling to me when I was young - they actually carried a proper range.

Cheap pocket-money toys were readily available...

(Yeah, for some reason the Teamsterz singles are more expensive than Hot Wheels equivalent.)

And then there's other wheeled toys of varying quality at about the £5-7 price point.

But also stuff that's kinda more models than toys, at the same price:

(I was a bit interested in that Bburago Mini with a shop, for £7 - I doubt my ten-year-old-self would have been able to resist.)

Then there were playsets - the sort of stuff reserved for Christmas or birthday gifts, or the fruits of several weeks of pocket-money saving:

These Matchbox Action Driver Sets were nowhere near as cheap as the ones Home Bargains were churning out for £6.99 last summer, but it's probably not an outrageous price for this set.

Fair bit of playvalue there.

And, the cherries at the top were of course the 'adult collectables' - Bburago and Maisto models at 1/24 and 1/18 scale.

At £19.99, I'm not sure how long those big Bburago BMWs have been lurking, but nonetheless - it was this kind of stock selection that drew me along a pathway from Matchbox and Hot Wheels singles, to bigger, better detailed models.

And it's kinda nice to know that it's a pathway that's not been totally closed off to kids growing up today.

I know that big-box stores like Smyths also do a decent range, but there's something about the accessibility of a High St shop that enables it to be built in to a Saturday shopping trip - somewhere like Smyth's seems more like a shop you'd have to call into for a specific reason. Stewart Miller is somewhere you'd feasibly call into when you were passing for a greetings card or a lottery ticket or a magazine.

I was also a little surprised to see that Mattel seem to have relaunched a load of 'classic' action figures...

Plus, apparently, there's a Masters Of The Universe reboot:

Well, okay.

Figures were always more of Cog Minor's interest, but still - despite possibly relying on brand recognition for the parents (and possibly grandparents), it's still good to see. Unexpected, but good.

The Stewart Miller branch in Clandeboye Shopping Centre was kinda pivotal in my early diecast collecting - I vividly remember being bought a red Corgi Juniors Vauxhall Nova from there around 1983/ 1984, which I loved dearly (and still have, 40 years on). I was also enthralled by their range of Scalextric cars, especially the police Rover SD1 with working lights - that just seemed like the coolest thing.

Unfortunately, the shopping centre burned down in July 1987, taking Stewart Miller with it. There was another branch in Upper Main Street, which had an entire upper floor of toys, and stocked Corgi, Matchbox and Hot Wheels, as well as Lego and Playmobil, and was a regular place for me to go and ogle diecast. 

Annoyingly, this shop was blown up in a car bomb attack in March 1993, and I was particularly irked to learn the premises were levelled with all the stock still in it - apparently the structure was too unsafe for anyone to enter. I was pretty sure that the diecast (which were all down at the very back of the shop) would probably have been ok.

Stewart Miller reopened in smaller premises further down the street, and carried accordingly smaller lines of toy cars. However, with Corgi being bought out by Mattel in the mid-90s, and Matchbox going over to Tyco, and me becoming less interested in toys and more interested in 'proper' models (and music), there wasn't so much reason for me to be hanging out there anymore - other than because they were one of the few newsagents to stock Jalopy magazine.

I think the last thing I bought from Stewart Miller was a large, unbranded NASCAR set containing about a dozen models, Matchbox-sized, with rubber tyres and all-metal bodies and bases and what looked to be a variety of different castings with reasonably authentic looking advertising liveries (STP, Pennzoil, Exxon). That was a good toy set, though I was probably a bit old for it - I used Scalextric track to set up a banked oval raceway.

The old shop in Main St is now a branch of Caffe Nero, and although they had a branch in the Flagship Centre too, the whole mall shut down a few years back. There's just the branch in Holywood, and one in Newtownards left now.

So - nice to go back, and nice to see it's kinda still there, in a way.

And nice to get a Hot Wheels I've been trying to find for a while, at not too bad a price...

Use 'em or lose 'em, hey?

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

the premises were levelled with all the stock still in it - apparently the structure was too unsafe for anyone to enter. I was pretty sure that the diecast (which were all down at the very back of the shop) would probably have been ok

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

I’ve never seen transfers go hard like that before! Good job getting them on at all by the looks of it.👍

Do you varnish over them afterwards? When I do transfers I always let them dry off fully then use aerosol varnish to spray over them, or the entire model to seal them in permanently. They can last without damage then if you ever need to handle the model.

I've never varnished over decals. Seeing how varnish can yellow over time kind of puts me off using it. I've had a few kit builts come through here that were varnished and during the years it looked like they had been in a smoke filled jazz club. I guess that modern acrylic varnishes are probably not like the old enamel and cellulose versions and are less prone to the effects of UV.

Here's a 1/43rd BBR Ferrari kit I built over 20 years ago, the only decals that are lifting slightly are the ones on the rubber tyres. Even the decals on the matte painted surfaces are OK. Using Decal Fix or Miro Sol helps to keep the decals on permanently.

By the way, if you are thinking of using these products Micro Sol is better than Micro Set. On the Vitesse decals and on the model paintwork the Micro Set behaved like water, so just stayed in droplets on the surfaces. Today I started with the Micro Set on the rear spoiler and it did nothing to help. With the Micro Sol the decals softened more and were less brittle.

[FakeConcern]

5 hours ago, barrett said:

Let me know if you'd ever like to move that one on... I only have one CIJ model (I'm not sure when the 'Europarc' branding came in, probably late 1950s) which is this Dyna X

They did a few cool models of cars nobody else did, including the Dyna Junior, Rovin and this early Alpine, all of which I'd love to find

I may want rid at some point and if will let you know. I still haven't plucked up the courage to try taking the roof off.

That Renault Alpine is lovely!

4 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Roving reporter @FakeConcern spotted what I thought was a whole table full of Galanites recently 

As I don't collect them, I only asked him to pick up the Tomte Lardal Beetle

And this Mercury Cougar, which is marked as Vinyl Line - not something I've seen before.

Managed to resist various others such as the Porsche 911 etc, someone had certainly hoarded a few!

I'm so glad they've arrived I was getting worried as that's a week now! Interesting that the Beetle is Tomte, it is just the same colour as the DS I picked up yesterday (by the way I blame you for that as until recently I'd never heard of Galantines or Tomte haha) and I thought it strange that the Cougar was so much smaller scale than the Beetle, now we know why!

Also thanks for the heads up on the ebay thread @bunglebus I bid on a couple you tagged me in, but only won this Siku trailer...

very nice especially as it does this...

Mrs Concern particularly likes the curtains! I let her have it even though her birthday isn't until September!

I forgot to mention I got a Scalextrics (or however you spell it) tyre yesterday, you can just see it on my first picture lurking under the repro Corgi Chipperfields Lions. Anyway I have a 50p from boot fair Bburago Citroen C4 missing a tyre as well as spoiler and rear lights. I'm pretty sure I can make the body bits, but was stumped for a tyre so I hunted through some at the toy fair and tried to buy one for the stated 10p and the chap refused money so I was doubly pleased when it actually fitted!

It's the rear one here and if you look close it doesn't have the lettering however I'm really pleased as it's all legal with plenty of tread.

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Phew, that Marina kit I posted the other day on the tat thread ended at £186: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166518047625

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, FakeConcern said:

I have a 50p from boot fair Bburago Citroen C4 missing a tyre as well as spoiler and rear lights. I'm pretty sure I can make the body bits, but was stumped for a tyre

There's a guy at the toy fair who always has tubs full of wheels and tyres. Bought a few sets as custom wheels for 1:43 and 1:36 diecasts are hard to find

[MarinaJosh]

11 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Phew, that Marina kit I posted the other day on the tat thread ended at £186: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166518047625

Going back a few years I remember seeing them sell for £300 or so which makes that one seem comparatively cheap!

I have a built one, appeared on eBay for £20 as a buy it now. It even came with an engine donor!

[bunglebus]

Having a bit of a run of bad luck with eBay lately, won this Mira Porsche 928 in early December

Seller sent me something else in error, responded quickly to my first message saying they'd look into it...and then ghosted me. Had to force a return through eBay (requested it and only got a return label after the time ran out for him to send one), they've had it back but are obviously just letting the clock run down until eBay again force a refund tomorrow. Strange behaviour.

Next were two job lots from the same seller, this one for the odd looking Golf and Rainbow Toys Mercedes van from the Depsey and Makepeace set

And this one for the Mathbox Mega Blasters Datsun

Seller dropped them off with Evri (sigh) and the tracking hasn't updated since - that was the 3rd of Jan so I've got a feeling I'm never seeing any of those

[Tenmil Socket]

30 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Having a bit of a run of bad luck with eBay lately, won this Mira Porsche 928 in early December

Seller sent me something else in error, responded quickly to my first message saying they'd look into it...and then ghosted me. Had to force a return through eBay (requested it and only got a return label after the time ran out for him to send one), they've had it back but are obviously just letting the clock run down until eBay again force a refund tomorrow. Strange behaviour.

Next were two job lots from the same seller, this one for the odd looking Golf and Rainbow Toys Mercedes van from the Depsey and Makepeace set

And this one for the Mathbox Mega Blasters Datsun

Seller dropped them off with Evri (sigh) and the tracking hasn't updated since - that was the 3rd of Jan so I've got a feeling I'm never seeing any of those

I had a good experience with Evri yesterday! Normally the parcels would just be left in the porch but I received an email and text advising they were unable to deliver and would return later that day and I asked for the parcel to be left with a neighbour.

[danthecapriman]

25 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Having a bit of a run of bad luck with eBay lately, won this Mira Porsche 928 in early December

Seller sent me something else in error, responded quickly to my first message saying they'd look into it...and then ghosted me. Had to force a return through eBay (requested it and only got a return label after the time ran out for him to send one), they've had it back but are obviously just letting the clock run down until eBay again force a refund tomorrow. Strange behaviour.

Next were two job lots from the same seller, this one for the odd looking Golf and Rainbow Toys Mercedes van from the Depsey and Makepeace set

And this one for the Mathbox Mega Blasters Datsun

Seller dropped them off with Evri (sigh) and the tracking hasn't updated since - that was the 3rd of Jan so I've got a feeling I'm never seeing any of those

You might still get lucky with the Evri ones.

Last year I bought a new in box Matchbox Sierra in the US only colour with a factory wheel error. Bought it from a US seller. It made it as far as Evri in the UK then the tracking stopped and I never received it. 
Got a refund through eBay and thought no more of it. 
A few months later our Evri man knocked the door and gave me a parcel… which was said Sierra!! So I got it, and a full refund! God knows where it went!?

Then a few months later I bought a Lesney Ford station wagon. UK seller. Posted with Evri, got so far and the tracking number stopped. It never arrived so I got a refund. 
A few months later… yep, Evri man delivered me a little packet containing the Ford wagon!! So I got a refund and the car that time too!

Its Evri. I don’t know what they do with things but it must just get left somewhere or stuck somewhere somehow for a while then they find it again and send it on its way.

[Split_Pin]

I'm lucky with Evri, our delivery man is excellent and he's got to know everyone in the street quite well. The fact he replaced his Passat with a wee Transit Connect makes me hopeful he is here to stay.

[danthecapriman]

4 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I'm lucky with Evri, our delivery man is excellent and he's got to know everyone in the street quite well. The fact he replaced his Passat with a wee Transit Connect makes me hopeful he is here to stay.

Our delivery man is great too, really nice guy. Obviously the last few years I’ve been on first name terms with him!😆

It’s the sorting centre that’s the issue here I think. The one near here was always a confused mess. I used to drop my work van off to the garage next door for MOT/service etc and used to see all the Evri (Hermes as it was then) drivers go in and bring their trolley loads of parcels out to their cars and vans. It just looked unorganised and easy to see how things could get lost.

[Datsuncog]

After the thrill of finding a decent, old-school local toyshop that actually stocked things I wanted at a not too steep a price, I then also was lucky* enough to experience the polar opposite straight afterwards.

It was my own fault; I knew I was tempting fate but I went in anyway.

It's one of those self-styled 'quirky' shops that likes to pretend it deals in antiques, only it's mostly reproduction enamel signs and Beano annuals from 2002.

I knew they had diecast.

I knew they were wildly overpriced.

But still - I couldn't help myself.

First off were various Corgi Classics commercials piled up - faux-Stobart ERFs and Scammells - labelled with ballpark figures of around £50.

I did not give these very much of my attention.

A small basket of loose stuff attracted me, though...

Though much of it appeared to be a bit rubbishy, worn and/or broken.

A quid for a Rockets Morgan, even if missing its chassis and windscreen, didn't seem too ridiculous... but that was about the height of it.

However there were glass-fronted cases over at the other side of the shop, and there seemed to be more diecast in there...

Ha. 

Hahahaha.

£20 for a so-so Lesney Daimler ambulance?

If you say so, squire.

£3 for a very dusty cheapo no-name generic pickup truck seemed equally in the realms of fantasy... and the modern pull-back Mercury with a missing grille priced up at £15... ya dreamin', pal.

It's hard to make out, but I can assure you that's £35 on the playworn Dinky Cadillac Superior Ambulance on speedwheels.

Fairly certain the Lesney AEC Merryweather fire tender behind it, priced at £25, is a repaint.

There were cases and cases of this sort of overpriced guff, but at this point the (assumed) proprietor started harrumphing and tapping a sign saying 'no photography in the shop', so here endeth my photojournalistic efforts.

There were quite a few boxed Lesney Superfast, but again prices seemed to swing wildly between £20 and £40 regardless of age or appeal, so there was little odds of me splashing that sort of cash. They were mostly combine harvesters, construction vehicles and hovercrafts too - the sort of stuff that only the most hardcore of collectors would bother their arse to acquire.

There were also more of those wretched Readers Digest vintage cars, just like the ones which turned up at Friday's market:

Fiver each? I don't think so, somehow...

One of the few genuinely appealing models was an unboxed but tidy Bburago Mk2 Escort RS1800 Zakspeed, the same as a rougher one I picked up at the market a few years back:

I wouldn't say £35 was wildly overpriced for one of these- certainly not as ding-dong batshit as the Dinky ambulance - but still, it wasn't going to be a sale today.

I came, I saw, I left.

I'm not sure I'll be back anytime soon.

[Split_Pin]

Lol @those Readers Digest cars at a fiver. They belong in the bin!

[sierraman]

29 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Lol @those Readers Digest cars at a fiver. They belong in the bin!

You and I would take great pleasure in stamping on that. From a great height. 

[Datsuncog]

And still my weekend diecast odyssey was not yet at an end...

I was passing a branch of Smyths on my way back, so I pulled over.

Seems I needn't have got my knickers in a knot about The Entertainer's stock of Chevrolet race packs, then...

Literally dozens of them here.

And they had plenty of the Rover set and all..

Not discounted, though still a bit cheaper than The Entertainer's shelf price of £19.

Ah well.

A couple of Roadkill Rotsuns were on the pegs too:

No Mk2 Escorts, though. Nice, but a fair whack at £9 a go.

I'd been hoping to find the latest case of Hot Wheels, in an effort to secure myself a Proton Saga, but no such joy - still just the same old case containing the blue Jeep FC and copper Willys Gasser.

Since it was nearby, I also popped into a largish branch of Poundland... which was fortuitous.

Is that...?

Oh, finally!

I knew a Volvo 240 would pop up eventually. Persistence does pay off, it seems.

There were three left on the pegs, but I'm happy enough with just the one.

The Ford tractor unit in throwback Lesney Thames Wrecker colours was quite appealing, but I left it for now.

I also thought I'd have a quick look into another independent toyshop nearby, after my Stewart Miller success, but sadly it turned out to be very much gone.

Tough business, toys.

[Datsuncog]

Which brings me up to date - with yesterday's snowfall, and my newfound resolve to crack open my blister packs, not hoard them...

I'm really pleased with the Hot Wheels Land Cruiser.

Great lines, good detailing and restrained graphics all make for a delightful little toy.

Even venturing out onto the frozen pond...

Just lovely. One I missed when it was a current release in 2022, and all thanks to @Split_Pin for offering me one for the price of postage - just fortunate that one eventually showed up locally for less than Royal Mail's pricing!

The 240's slightly over-large wheels actually kinda work on this sort of terrain; I also really like the semi-matt paint finish which makes it much easier to photograph, without reflections bouncing everywhere.

Just gorgeous.

Front and rear tampo prints look pretty good.

I wonder if they'll bring out another version with the smaller chrome-hub wheels later in 2024?

Very pleased with this little lot!

[Split_Pin]

I still have that Land Cruiser if anyone else would like it although with the forecast snow maybe I'll see a similar photo opportunity!

The 240 is lovely and it's nice to see a saloon one being modeled for a change. I think as far as 'toy' ones go it's just Playart (old 70s shovel nose though) and Stahlberg (expensive) that did them . I hope they release one in beige or burgundy down the line.

[danthecapriman]

Glad you managed to find a 240 in the end @Datsuncog! Full marks for perseverance! 
It is a really nice model, probably one of my favourites tbh. I just wish they’d picked different wheels.

[bunglebus]

3 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Pickup with bed cover and box is a good find. Shame it will have been silly money

[Spottedlaurel]

Random eBay find that arrived yesterday:

Hobbies pattern for a lovely, indeed grand-looking garage.

Maybe something to have a go at one day, and of interest to me as they are a Norfolk-based company. Happy to use the present tense, as they're still trading and I remembered that I got some of their pumps and a car lift a few years ago. They operate from a bricks  and mortar shop not too far from me and sell normal kits, materials etc as well as patterns, must make the effort to visit one day.

I remember some older premises which might be the former Dereham address, it looked like it was due to be demolished for redevelopment.

[junkyarddog]

Think one of my Dad's Aunts worked there for a while!!

[Tenmil Socket]

Anyone got the Matchbox torch?

[bunglebus]

No but I have the Sun Burner.

Smyth's have got Team Transport and Pop Culture - Escorts gone of course

[AndyW201]

Our Smyths was a waste of time again at the weekend. 3 "Bel air Big airs" was the lot for new premiums, rest were about 10 of each of the shite from premium collections from about the last two years that nobody wants. No Team Transport whatsoever,  old HW mainlines, old Matchbox mainlines...

Other outlets a waste of time, Morrisons, Entertainer, 3 B&Ms, 2 Asdas... nada. Not seen a single MB Volvo 240, green Golf or Minor in the wild, still the cases with the green Ranchero everywhere.

No wonder I prefer to buy 1/43 stuff off the internet from the comfort of the sofa. The "thrill of the chase" is seriously starting to wane.

[bunglebus]

A few Matchbox in One Beyond - I'll have to keep an eye out in there now

And an Omega in the charity shop 

[bunglebus]

Majorettes and larger Jadas in Asda - Civic for @Christine?

[danthecapriman]

Just had a big box from Italy arrive, and yes, I did get my arse chewed for it! Worth it though.

I’d never seen this one before and it was the only one left so I snaffled it!

Despite the weird livery it’s a really nice model. Great detail on it. 
I have no idea who or what ‘Pumper Nic’ is but presumably some kind of Burger King style outfit for South America?? 
My main thought for it was an eventual repaint into a more European colour scheme, since 504 pickups were reasonably common over here.

[danthecapriman]

Another one from the big box.

Autoshite without doubt!

Yugo 45!! 
This one was quite cheap. It came in a little blister pack which hasn’t exactly protected it too well as the front axle has got bent somewhere along the line. I’ll have to pop the base off (2x screws) and straighten out the camber issue! 
Very cool little rig though.

[bunglebus]

Only buy today was a Majorette MK5 Escort from the charity shop

Postie man left me some parcels in the recycling bin though, 1st was a job lot that puzzled me at first until I got right to the bottom of the box

Redline Boss Hoss. Seen better days but I managed to save the Nitty Gritty Kitty with a bit of effort. Matchbox Roller is a nice bonus

Another box contained two "Matchbox" 59 Cadillac ambulances

The green one is a Johnny Lightning, I don't have many of these and can't quite make my mind up about them. Nice metal/metal construction but obviously aimed more at collectors than kids.  Last box had a slightly left-field choice, and I do like a beach buggy...

Bandai buggy is pressed metal similar to Tonka, turning that spare tire winds up the motor, very trick.  Don't think the fragile windscreen would last long in a kids hands so this appears to have had very little use