Shite in Miniature II

[sierraman]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Charity shop bags had a couple of bits that weren't Chinese junk

This goes behind a Land Rover normally, but looks right at home...

...behind this customised Volvo

And a bonus Porsche

Tomica Pantera was what initially caught my eye

Majorette Land Cruiser 

And a couple of late Matchbox, haven't seen the Volvo in black before

I knew it wasn't going to be a spectacular day for diecast when I saw Rylan's mum instead of Denise Van Outen

The Volvo had a container on the back advertising the then current slogan for Matchbox ‘Get in the Fast Lane’ or whatever it was. 

[155V6]

I picked this up at the car boot this morning,not a version I've seen before

Shame about the melted bit on the roof,you can get replacements but they only seem to come in orange 🤔

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

16 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

I picked this up at the car boot this morning,not a version I've seen before

Shame about the melted bit on the roof,you can get replacements but they only seem to come in orange 🤔

 

Think that came with the gold/black stripe MK4 cortina.

[155V6]

[Tenmil Socket]

Check out the little shop

[bunglebus]

I find myself drawn to AliExpress more and more, as we just don't seem to get a good supply of Matchbox in this country. Only downside is they only use air bubble packaging so sometimes the cards get damaged

However, I'll probably unbox them and put them in display eventually so it's not the end of the world.

First up, a couple of little Brats

No front or rear detailing on them sadly, seems a pity for a semi-premium vehicle. Celeste gets a bit more attention 

Next up, Z car fresh from the ironing board

Grab box was also a bit squished 

Rabbit is all good though

I thought I'd line it up with the 70s Superfast version, to see how much things have changed in diecast manufacture. A much more accurate shape on the new version, and good detail for the most part - but some is achieved with tampos rather than cast in

While I was there it occurred to me I could line up old and new 3.0 CSLs

Same thing here, the new one is a much better representation of the real thing, but I always wonder how I'd customise the newer ones without any dividing lines in the tail lights for example. I'd say both the new ones were very over-wheeled too if you know what I mean - probably due to being under the same umbrella as Hot Wheels

Both have moving parts although you didn't have to pay extra for the privilege in the 70s

Talking of paying extra, I shelled out on this Mattel Creations Matchbox BMW E3

A few people have pointed out an E30s bonnet doesn't open like this...

There are also a couple of quite noticeable paint defects, not really what you expect with an item that's aimed at collectors

[MiniMinorMk3]

An E30 M3 with correct bonnet opening.

[MiniMinorMk3]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

 Only downside is they only use air bubble packaging so sometimes the cards get damage.

To me that is unacceptable. I know it's just a bit of card, but in collector land Mint is Mint, and bent is not.

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

 

There are also a couple of quite noticeable paint defects, not really what you expect with an item that's aimed at collectors

 

 

It's not just the bonnet that is wrong. 

Here is a the BMW M3 that was released in November 1992 for the 1993 model year. Production of the E30 stopped in June 1991.

 

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I find myself drawn to AliExpress more and more, as we just don't seem to get a good supply of Matchbox in this country.

Mmm, some nice arrivals there - I've resigned myself to the fact that if I ever want a Celeste or a Brat, I may have to go down the same AliExpress route.

How annoying that the packaging is so rubbish, though - poor show to be charging collector prices but skimping on the packaging. Like you say, not quite the end of the world, but still... I was similarly vexed when Amazon sent my first Action Drivers Airport set in just a paper bag with no bubble wrap or stiffeners, so of course it arrived with the box pretty bashed up too.

I wasn't aware of the Mattel Creations range until now, or that E30... agree it could all be a bit better done in terms of detail and realism, especially when I checked out the prices...Crikey Moses, HFM??!

 

Did some more lunchtime adventuring myself in search of diecast today - pics to come later, kids.

[bunglebus]

Who's up for some Sputafuoco? No mention of Mebetoys in this one for some reason

 

[Datsuncog]

38 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

38 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

 

Is that Mantis pic not just a standard Hot Wheels redline, rather than the scaled-up Italian version?

EDIT: no idea how I've managed to nest the quotes like that!

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

Is that Mantis pic not just a standard Hot Wheels redline, rather than the scaled-up Italian version?

It looks like it to me, as far as I know none of them wear scaled up Redline wheels

Moving onto 1974...

From this point, things get a bit weird - the second half of the catalogue is printed up the other way, so we must head to the back and start again

So, other than some vaguely Matchbox MAC/Playmobil looking things, there's not a lot for us in part two

[andrew e]

BIG JIM and his mates look terrifying !

[Datsuncog]

I certainly wouldn't want to tangle with Big Josh and his Little Jorts.

[Datsuncog]

Well then... some mornings, you just get a tingle that something's happening, somewhere...

Call it a diecast sixth sense.

And what do you know? Turns out that yesterday's the day the Tesco Extra down the road got its toy aisle stocked out as an in-store branch of The Entertainer.

Staff were still opening boxes as I arrived.

So the big question - what delights has this seismic change wrought? 

Well, as others have mentioned, there's no Matchbox. At all. If you want diecast, it's either Hot Wheels or Teamsterz. 

Bit of a let-down, to be honest, BUT at least Poundland and Poundstretcher seem to be bringing in more of the orange-pack goodies, so it's not quite the end of the world - even if B&M seem to be less bothered about carrying them than they did last year, and Smyths also appear to have axed the range entirely.

At least there were a few rummage bins of more recent Hot Wheels mainline releases, plus some displayed on pegs too. These are still displaying the 'Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price' offer rather than the '3 for 2' seen in the standalone branch yesterday, so it seems likely the Tesco sub-stores will be running different promotions from main branches. 

Sadly, I don't think I was the first to have hoked through the bins - despite some quite dedicated searching, no roadgoing Quattros were to be seen. Booo.

Other quite nice items were in there, albeit mainly stuff I already have in one form or another.

Plenty of monster trucks in varying scales too, along with Mario Kart, colour changers, skateboards and players - none of which desperately appealed to me.

They are, however, now carrying Premiums again - something I haven't seen in Tesco since around 2021.

Loads of slammed Volvos (about ten of them on that peg) and a variety of the 'Exotic Envy' line from the Car Culture series, including the tasty BASF sponsored BMW M1.

Still rather pricey at £9 a throw, it has to be said. I'm not quite sure how well these will shift in this town - interested to monitor stock levels over time.

So - a bit sad about the lack of Matchbox, but optimistic that there should still be a supply of relatively affordable diecast nearby...

And of course, I still felt a need to not come away empty-handed...

I'm not normally a Porsche fanboi, but I do like that 911.

[sierraman]

Pretty much predicts what I thought that they’re winding up selling matchbox in the U.K. 

[danthecapriman]

I wonder if the lack of Matchbox becoming more of a ‘thing’ is down to sales figures?

I was thinking the other day that maybe kids just aren’t playing with toy cars like they used to? It’d be interesting to see how many of them are bought by adult collectors V’s kids toys.

[sierraman]

I think they do but people bring cash strapped at the moment will see a pack of 2 no name jobs for a quid and the solitary matchbox for nearly £2.50 and make a fairly predictable decision. So it’s only really your collectors that are buying them. Many of whom will be happy to pay nearly a tenner a throw, low quantity high margins, unfortunately at a tenner a go I can’t really justify that so I’ll just concentrate on the old ones. Given the choice between a really nice Corgi 1/36 80’s model and an opening flaps thing it’s no contest I’m afraid!! 

[danthecapriman]

11 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I think they do but people bring cash strapped at the moment will see a pack of 2 no name jobs for a quid and the solitary matchbox for nearly £2.50 and make a fairly predictable decision. So it’s only really your collectors that are buying them. Many of whom will be happy to pay nearly a tenner a throw, low quantity high margins, unfortunately at a tenner a go I can’t really justify that so I’ll just concentrate on the old ones. Given the choice between a really nice Corgi 1/36 80’s model and an opening flaps thing it’s no contest I’m afraid!! 

Your probably right tbh.

I wonder how many of those Hot Wheels Volvo 142’s will end up in kids toy boxes at £9 each! I can’t see many of those turning up on boot sale tables at 50p in ten or twenty years time. Who can afford to buy a single small scale toy car for the best part of a tenner!? Nice as they may be.

I don’t have kids of my own and don’t know anyone with younger kids so I’ve got no idea what they play with nowadays. Are toy cars still that popular with competition from computer games etc? 
Toy cars were pretty much THE toy when I was little, although a bit later on things like the Nintendo SNES and SEGA Megadrive came out which were popular.

[bunglebus]

A little drop off yesterday, partly from across the Irish Sea and the rest from darkest Essex

Gama 914 is lovely, just missing the removable hardtop

I want to do a custom Commer, I've got about half a dozen in various states so I can pick the best candidate 

Hilariously bad Hong Kong Transan 

A couple of 181s for the Mrs. Hot Wheels version has dual carbs, twin quiet pack exhaust and no engine cover

Tatty but mostly complete King Size ambulance, another one I have a few of in the restore/custom pile

Lastly another My First Matchbox. I get the feeling this wasn't an especially successful range

[sierraman]

16 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Your probably right tbh.

I wonder how many of those Hot Wheels Volvo 142’s will end up in kids toy boxes at £9 each! I can’t see many of those turning up on boot sale tables at 50p in ten or twenty years time. Who can afford to buy a single small scale toy car for the best part of a tenner!? Nice as they may be.

I don’t have kids of my own and don’t know anyone with younger kids so I’ve got no idea what they play with nowadays. Are toy cars still that popular with competition from computer games etc? 
Toy cars were pretty much THE toy when I was little, although a bit later on things like the Nintendo SNES and SEGA Megadrive came out which were popular.

My nephew is mad on them and both my kids had them - but then they would wouldn’t they! 

[sierraman]

2 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

A little drop off yesterday, partly from across the Irish Sea and the rest from darkest Essex

Gama 914 is lovely, just missing the removable hardtop

I want to do a custom Commer, I've got about half a dozen in various states so I can pick the best candidate 

Hilariously bad Hong Kong Transan 

A couple of 181s for the Mrs. Hot Wheels version has dual carbs, twin quiet pack exhaust and no engine cover

Tatty but mostly complete King Size ambulance, another one I have a few of in the restore/custom pile

Lastly another My First Matchbox. I get the feeling this wasn't an especially successful range

You say that but still see loads and loads of them turning up. I don’t think they’ve any value now though apart from the strangely difficult to find Sierra. 

[bunglebus]

1 minute ago, sierraman said:

You say that but still see loads and loads of them turning up. I don’t think they’ve any value now though apart from the strangely difficult to find Sierra. 

True enough, yes some are more common than others, the Rover especially. I very nearly bid on a job lot the other night just for one, then came to my senses.

Wikipedia don't have pics of many, but someone's uploaded some to the page

[bunglebus]

Talking of slightly obscure Matchbox series, I picked up this Midnight Magic off eBay, which I thought was part of the USA only Roman Numerals set - but the card says no.51, and the base just has the name cast into it - in fact there's nothing obvious to suggest where this was originally sold

[sierraman]

I’d say I’ve got maybe 80% of them but ones like the Porsche I’ve never seen in the flesh. 

[sierraman]

1 minute ago, bunglebus said:

Talking of slightly obscure Matchbox series, I picked up this Midnight Magic off eBay, which I thought was part of the USA only Roman Numerals set - but the card says no.51, and the base just has the name cast into it - in fact there's nothing obvious to suggest where this was originally sold

I have a Midnight Magic, I think some of them were punted on through the U.K. market as a surplus. The earlier Roman numerals like the Hot Smoker etc are very difficult to find in the U.K. 

[Datsuncog]

I'm still unsure what way the wind's blowing for Matchbox.

Tesco are undoubtedly guilty for doing less than nothing with the longrunning UK-exclusivity deal they brokered with Mattel, and possibly at the end of 2022 (when the deal finally ended) there was a flurry to push the brand on other retailers - hence The Entertainer, B&M, Poundland, some Sainsburys etc suddenly stocking them.

But other than The Entertainer - who also made a point of stocking other sub-lines such as Skybusters, Hitch & Haul twinpacks, Moving Parts and Collector Series - most of the others simply don't seem to have managed to shift their Matchbox mainline stock.

Hence B&M having nothing other than the early 2023 mixes, and Poundland and Poundstretcher both discounting what appears to be surplus 2023 stock (and some even older grey-import stuff, in Poundland's case). 

So while Mattel may well have put out a load of puff pieces into trade channels about amazing opportunities to sell Matchbox - no doubt bolstered by the whole '70th Anniversary' hype - I don't know whether this ever really translated into sales.

Most adults still recognise the Matchbox brand, but do kids? As far as I know, Matchbox don't advertise. They don't have linked cartoons, like 'Hot Wheels - Let's Race!' on Netflix (full disclosure - I watched it, and I wasn't all that impressed, but that's something for another ramble). Brands like Lego have managed to successfully appeal to both kids and adults with carefully targeted ranges (and let's not forget they were circling bankruptcy not too many years ago). But what the hell does Matchbox mean anymore?

Traditional retail wisdom is that toys tend to be relatively recession-proof (adults will go without before they deny their kids), especially for cheap pocket-money toys like Matchbox and Hot Wheels mainlines. However, last year saw a big fall in toy sales - down £200m on 2022. Even though they've nearly doubled in price over the past two years in many shops, at around the £2 mark, Mattel's basic diecast vehicles are still a relatively cheap toy.

But I think @sierraman's bang on the money - Mattel don't have it all their own way anymore, and it may come down to price point.

The Zuru Metal Machines range stocked by Tesco (but not, it seems, by The Entertainer) are almost indistinguishable from Hot Wheels at a quick glance - but are much cheaper than Mattel products on the shelf above, at £1.25 for a single car rather than £2.10, or £5 for a 5-pack rather than £10.

Yes, they're all generics - but they have a quality look and feel to them, and no doubt look just as appealing to most kids.

Similarly, even in discounters like Poundland and B&M (where Mattel products are always a lot cheaper than main supermarkets and toy shops) there are even-cheaper alternatives - one Hot Wheels for £1.50, or three Turbo Gears for £2? Or two Nitro Legends for £1?

No, they're not as good as the Mattel products, nowhere near. But does a fractious four-year-old know that? They're not built as quality toys to last a lifetime (as Matchbox are still branded), but if the aim is simply to get wee Jordan to shut up for two minutes, then it's a race to the bottom.

The 'kidult' market apparently now makes up 30% of the UK toy market, which is substantial - and growing, up from 24% in 2022 (I wouldn't be surprised if this thread bears some degree of responsibility). However I'm not sure whether that means that adults are buying more toys, or kids are buying fewer toys - I can't find the raw data that informs this assertion. 

Nearly two thirds of toys sold fall into the sub-£10 bracket, so in theory Mattel's mainlines and even premium individual models should be in that sweet spot. Certainly, when I'm doing a bit of peg-hunting it's hardly ever kids looking alongside me - just other adults (generally falling into the podgy and greying category, like me).

What's selling to both kids and adults seems to be Squishimals, Funko Pops, Lego, Marvel/ DC Comics figures, Pokémon, Disney characters, Ty Beanie Babies (again) and board games. Video gaming is a big thing too, but I'm not sure whether consoles/ physical games are counted as toys or tech these days - with many games marketed at 18+ gamers and downloading taking the place of physical media sales from toy shops, it may be harder to quantify (though stores like Smyths still have a big gaming section).

Playmobil seem to have seen a rise in sales (their retro TV tie-in vehicles like Knight Rider and The A Team seem to have been a hit), but their prices have also fallen - I can remember them being really pricey toys in the 1980s, but seem quite reasonable these days (like, small sets cost about £20 in 1989, yet they're the same sticker price now).

Trade groups like the British Toy and Hobby Association don't even mention diecast vehicles in their yearly roundup, which makes me think we're part of a fairly niche market...

Squishmallows success fails to cushion impact of £200m drop in UK toy sales | Retail industry | The Guardian

I don't think we've seen the last of Matchbox - even if major retailers like Tesco and others have decided to let them drop, there will still be collector demand. Grey imports from independent sellers will probably continue (Toytown seems to stock plenty of 2024 items, while the model shop in Smithfield gets in Moving Parts and Collectors Series from somewhere), while the high prices online for certain models will continue to drive sales.

It seems a crying shame that Mattel just don't seem to be arsed with marketing Matchbox successfully in the UK, especially as they're employing some amazing designers bringing out iconic British models like the Sierra Cosworth and upcoming Mk2 Fiesta XR2.

I guess it'll keep AliExpress busy, anyway...

[MiniMinorMk3]

14 hours ago, bunglebus said:

It looks like it to me, as far as I know none of them wear scaled up Redline wheels

 

Three were Red Lines.

There were also a few non-custom cars that were modelled as RedLines and Fire Breathers.

The GranToros web site is not secure so I will not put a direct link up. But if you do go to it you will easily loose a few hours of your life wandering around. 

[bunglebus]

59 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I’d say I’ve got maybe 80% of them but ones like the Porsche I’ve never seen in the flesh. 

These are the ones I've found, the Flareside is my favourite I think

[Datsuncog]

But that wasn't all from yesterday...

I called into Poundland too, just in case the Longwood branch had anything special in Matchbox terms.

Well, they didn't.

Though, naturally, there were now all the Hot Wheels longroofs my twisted black heart could desire:

I knew they'd become common eventually; it just feels like forever since I watched various YouTubers unboxing these.

Decent enough value at £1.50.

Then I shuffled past Smyth's, just in case they had any of the Team Transports reduced:

Well, they did - but only the '61 Chevy Impala with the red Chevrolet C10 ramp truck, which I bought late last year.

I kinda prefer the blue C10 with the '66 Chevelle on the back, but reckon they're maybe a bit too samey to spend this much on.

They did have the Dan Gurney AAC Cuda, and the Porsche Carrera too, but since the Belfast branch of The Entertainer has them reduced, I'd sooner give them my custom instead.

But stay! What's this?

Freshly stocked-out Car Culture premiums?

Ooh mama.

The Alfa is just gorgeous - I mean, I liked the mainline racing versions in red and in white with the new-style wheels, but this is something else.

The Supra also benefits from the higher level of detail possible at this price point, and looks a lot neater as a result.

They're not cheap, as had been bemoaned already, but... hnnng.

Other Premiums have been reduced a fair bit - although the Porsche set isn't quite my bag, these seem not bad value at £15.

They also had the new zamac pickups premium set that @bunglebus profiled the other week, featuring the hard-to-find Mini pickup, though there was no price visible on those.

I also hadn't twigged that the mid-2024 case mix featured two similar, but completely different Mustang castings.

I think I prefer the '92 version, as it has the headlights detailed - the '84 SVO looks kinda blank, as the bonnet has been tampo-printed at the expense of the front panel.

Phew!