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Shite in Miniature II


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Posted

Someone wrote into the Corgi Collector Magazine in the late 1980s and included a picture of the 1/36 Mercedes Bonna Ambulance reworked into a hearse, complete with wooden coffin and tiny dried flowers. It looked great and Corgi agreed.

Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 11:27, bunglebus said:

The irony being, no pain or suffering happened in a hearse, whereas ambulances see all the horrors than can happen to us

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I never got people’s fascination with buying vile old Sherpas to turn into campers where they’d probably attended numerous fatalities or had numerous deaths in them and blood and sick all over. 🤣

I think making a code 3 hearse might be in order…

Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 11:15, Datsuncog said:

Corgi did prototype a Citroen ID19 Safari as a hearse, complete with wooden coffin, in the 1960s - but apparently management weren't very impressed, and so it didn't go any further.

IMG_20241206_1044042.thumb.jpg.86a25248431dca9308f626e2f9ae20d9.jpg

Matchbox copped a lot of flack for their 2006 mainline model of a 1963 Cadillac hearse - I thought it was excellent, and I loved the trademark Easter egg feature from designer Ryu Asada - a hand emerging from the coffin inside.

Not everyone agreed, sadly, to the point that Mattel reworked it into an ambulance for the 2009 range.

1963 Cadillac Hearse | Matchbox Cars Wiki | Fandom

The hearse casting is still seen on rare occasions, either as a premium collector release like the 2011 'Lesney Edition', or snuck into 5-packs (2018 Coffee Cruisers set).

I've also seen some sort of cheapie (Motor Max?) model of a 1980s-looking Cadillac hearse in maybe 1/50 scale, with 'horror' graphics and some sort of light and sound function, but other than that toymakers seem a bit squeamish about referencing death in their products...

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I’ve got that Matchbox hearse! Very cool and way better than the ambulances! 
It’s a bit sad and pathetic really that someone would complain about a toy hearse but that’s where we are I suppose.

Ive got a few in 1:43, a 60’s Cadillac Superior and an 80’s Oldsmobile and I think another too. Not seen them for years though. I’ve got the Oxford Diecast Daimler DS420 hearse in 1:76 too.

Theres something about the 50’s and 60’s US hearses though, absolutely beautiful looking cars imho!

Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 11:30, sierraman said:

I never got people’s fascination with buying vile old Sherpas to turn into campers where they’d probably attended numerous fatalities or had numerous deaths in them and blood and sick all over. 🤣

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Veering slightly off-topic here, but I seem to recall that @FredTransit of this parish owned an ex-ambulance Mk2 Transit which was believed to be haunted...

  Quote

FredTransit
Posted 03 November 2013 - 07:27 PM

Our dogs are happy in any of the vans. Except the Mk2 ambulance. Had to take 2 of ‘em with me north in it and one of ‘em stood all the way, repeatedly glancing at the passenger side stretcher. Another one would wedge herself into the passenger footwell and not come out. Spooky?

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Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 11:30, sierraman said:

I never got people’s fascination with buying vile old Sherpas to turn into campers where they’d probably attended numerous fatalities or had numerous deaths in them and blood and sick all over. 🤣

I think making a code 3 hearse might be in order…

Expand  

I’ve never seen the attraction to that either tbh! Any old ambulance converted to a camper just seems a bit grim really given the nature of what ambulances get used for. Why would you want to go camping and sleep in something that’s had all that going on in there!?   
Restoring one as a show vehicle or museum vehicle is fine, but anything else… naa!

Ive often thought about reworking one of the Matchbox Kingsize Binz ambulances into a hearse, but never actually done it…

  • Like 3
Posted

I made a start on a Studebaker Wagonaire hearse, but ran into all sorts of problems with broken pillars etc, so gave up

Corgi Studebaker Wagonaire custom

 

Posted

Going through a few cars finding the real versions of the eraser cars

PXL_20241206_102517225.thumb.jpg.0dc59d031943ed9b0689e3941434a5ae.jpg

PXL_20241206_102544719.thumb.jpg.923037b83104c498d2cf163071c2ae29.jpg

PXL_20241206_102426362.thumb.jpg.aa46373a3f48a5f85a5087b2dc3ab588.jpg

PXL_20241206_102441974.thumb.jpg.99d35c20c09ece277e0e3e5c26c37c20.jpg

Only now have I realised the F1 Racer is actually a Corgi Juniors - so are there more Corgis to find too?

Corgi Eraser cars Formula 1

Annoyingly I sold most of my single seaters last year, including the Corgi F1, and the Formula 5000 too. I now want both to line up with the Mira copies I found, typical!

  • Like 3
Posted

Have you found the Police SD1? I had that one as a kid. Cunt of a classmate cut the rooflight off mine with scissors 😞

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Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 12:52, Split_Pin said:

Have you found the Police SD1? I had that one as a kid. Cunt of a classmate cut the rooflight off mine with scissors 😞

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Matchbox or Corgi? A few of the former and silly amounts of the latter

Posted
  On 01/12/2024 at 14:53, Datsuncog said:

Great opportunity for me to get all my Christmas shopping done; hope my dear old aunt likes Corgi Juniors...

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Be careful what you wish for, Juniors and Majorette up tonight at 7

  • Like 4
Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 11:27, bunglebus said:

The irony being, no pain or suffering happened in a hearse, whereas ambulances see all the horrors than can happen to us

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But how many kids say they want to be a hearse driver when they grow up, only the weirdos.

Posted

There was a Saab 95 hearse in my street today, beautiful looking vehicle, even if the circumstances were sad.

  • Like 2
Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 14:06, MiniMinorMk3 said:

But how many kids say they want to be a hearse driver when they grow up, only the weirdos.

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Dying trade, can’t get the young ‘uns interested…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll get my coat…

Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 14:06, MiniMinorMk3 said:

But how many kids say they want to be a hearse driver when they grow up, only the weirdos.

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pedro-monkey-puppet.gif

Posted

Just to come back to a recent discussion on here, I wasn't aware that the Corgi Jaguar XJS 'Supercat' was a bit of a rarity - I had one as a kid, and it got predictably trashed.

I keep meaning to buy another one for the collection; haven't got round to it yet, but oddly enough I've turned down two in the past few weeks:

IMG_20241115_1118122.jpg.70dd595378bdfe98eb3227150c862bb8.jpg

This one at the market was very clean, but seemed a bit salty at £18 for an unboxed 1/36.

There was another, slightly more worn XJS Supercat on the charity stall the week before for a fiver; I hummed and hawed, but ultimately left it.

I'd like one that's still boxed, ideally - seems like about £25-30 is the going rate on eBay. But the loose examples were probably quite fairly priced, I now realise.

1/36 stuff does seem to have gone up in price quite a lot over the past four or five years - guess the Nostalgia Window continues to move...

Having said that, my old Model Collector Price Guide from 1994 puts the Supercat at £15-20 for a mint, boxed example - and that's about £35-42 in today's money.

IMG_20241203_1403162.thumb.jpg.b53d3e21f8ab9f5d35aece3b243a9c86.jpg

So - it's cheaper now?

  • Like 2
Posted

And some arrivals this week:

IMG_20241205_1859342.thumb.jpg.5041c684b1c4a5e072a2ee6082cb674b.jpg

I've been wanting one of these drift camper Volvo 240s for a while now - the usual outlets like Smyths and The Entertainer didn't ever seem to have this one on the pegs, although Asda did - for a price (£10).

Eventually, I buckled - as I wasn't going to pay any less through online sources, once postage was factored in. I'd have been annoyed if I'd let it slip past.

It's a great toy, combining play value with slightly tongue-in-cheek styling. It's also unusual because, as has been noted, it's a completely different casting from the visually similar Volvo 240 Drift Wagon released two years ago - this Drift Camper version is the work of designer Dwayne Vance, who generally produces pure fantasy vehicles, whilst the original Drift Wagon came from Fraser Campbell. There's no commonality between the castings at all.

IMG_20241206_1538352.thumb.jpg.e0a1253408e173342a83f470f9773da9.jpg

The trailer pops onto the base via a ball socket, and can be easily detached and reconnected, which I like.

I picked up this Honda S800 from Poundland too:

IMG_20241205_1859512.thumb.jpg.b10d6ecb48e4ac88453b2f74142ef719.jpg

Another Fraser Campbell design, it's a cute little thing that's been crisply cast and detailed - a premium version with extra detailing to the front and back would be most welcome here.

Speaking of Hot Wheels Premiums, I was surprised to see that a branch of B&M in North Belfast was stocking quite a lot of the current Car Culture premiums now - specifically the Sakura, Fast & Furious, and Race Day series. No cheaper than anywhere else at £8.99 a throw, but an interesting development nonetheless.

I dithered over whether to get the red '73 Honda Civic, but in the end came away with this F&F silverline '66 Impala:

IMG_20241205_1859343.thumb.jpg.111ddbd097b13394163102192b4ef6da.jpg

Not wild about the colour, but it's a nice heavy casting with a metal base and good detail all round, so I'm pretty pleased with it. It's a brand new casting for 2024, designed by Eric Chan.

IMG_20241206_1538582.thumb.jpg.11be3fd40680f7395e09591e0108a909.jpg

Lastly, and what came as a surprise to me too, was getting an odd hankering for the 'crushed' Hot Wheels modelled previously profiled on here by @bunglebus.

IMG_20241204_2150312.thumb.jpg.f54156073cd08a8f9820a3c34a073f2e.jpg

So I found a slightly old-stock Demo Destruction 5-pack, containing the Flat Iron (Plymouth Satellite wagon) and Blind Sided (Dodge minivan), and then picked up the current mainline Speed Bump (Oldsmobile 442) while I was at it.

The other generics in the 5-pack don't interest me quite so much, but hey - I would have adored these when I was a kid, and when I saw these a while ago, I was quite smitten with them. They're all designed by Brendon Vetuskey, the lead modeller for the Monster Trucks, Monster Jam and also creator of many finely detailed Red Line Club super premium releases.

I don't have the fourth car in the range, Sudden Stop (Chevrolet Impala) - as it's only been released as a victim car in the Monster Trucks range, as far as I'm aware.

I don't know why I like them so much - I just do.

IMG_20241206_1531272.thumb.jpg.3f23f181160f0423534180d8747d9352.jpg

And isn't that what it's all about?

Happy Friday, kids!

Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 14:49, Datsuncog said:

Just to come back to a recent discussion on here, I wasn't aware that the Corgi Jaguar XJS 'Supercat' was a bit of a rarity - I had one as a kid, and it got predictably trashed.

I keep meaning to buy another one for the collection; haven't got round to it yet, but oddly enough I've turned down two in the past few weeks:

IMG_20241115_1118122.jpg.70dd595378bdfe98eb3227150c862bb8.jpg

This one at the market was very clean, but seemed a bit salty at £18 for an unboxed 1/36.

There was another, slightly more worn XJS Supercat on the charity stall the week before for a fiver; I hummed and hawed, but ultimately left it.

I'd like one that's still boxed, ideally - seems like about £25-30 is the going rate on eBay. But the loose examples were probably quite fairly priced, I now realise.

1/36 stuff does seem to have gone up in price quite a lot over the past four or five years - guess the Nostalgia Window continues to move...

Having said that, my old Model Collector Price Guide from 1994 puts the Supercat at £15-20 for a mint, boxed example - and that's about £35-42 in today's money.

IMG_20241203_1403162.thumb.jpg.b53d3e21f8ab9f5d35aece3b243a9c86.jpg

So - it's cheaper now?

Expand  

I’ve still got my old price guides - pre eBay times I guess! I remember spending a Boxing Day with my mum ticking them off. A thankless task! 

Posted

@eddyramrod was that Corgi Jag XJS I sent you recently the Supercat version?

I didn’t pay it much attention before but now with them being mentioned on here I’m thinking it could possibly have been one?

Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 15:31, Datsuncog said:

 the 'crushed' Hot Wheels modelled previously profiled on here by @bunglebus

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They're really good fun, I'm trying to find the original castings but a couple are a bit unusual.

As you say, Sudden Stop has so far only been released as an extra in a monster truck pack - I bought the whole range in B&M and sold the as-new monster trucks and packaging on 

Hot Wheels Sudden Stop Hot Wheels Sudden Stop

This is also the only one I've yet to customise in a more realistic fashion, although there's one right here in the queue!

17335001742645572196219406866758.thumb.jpg.476f11c3e4bbc97b6a80f38ae2fcf2c2.jpg

  • Like 3
Posted
  On 06/12/2024 at 11:43, bunglebus said:

Annoyingly I sold most of my single seaters last year, including the Corgi F1, and the Formula 5000 too. I now want both to line up with the Mira copies I found, typical!

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I have this F5000.  Paint is good, stickers not so - but are available for pennies

I'll send it over to you in the morning

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Posted

Why are the wheels always bent on those? I’ve got quite adept at mending them with mini pliers. 

Posted

IMG_7765.thumb.jpeg.c8ee32ee87fe35f6b54ae9fc73b42f44.jpegJust getting round to having a look at this 

dealer had it a belvoir toyfair on 27th Nov , the top has bit of damaged but the rest of it is in very condition 

IMG_7766.jpeg

IMG_7767.jpeg

Posted

Few New Matchbox to the collection , had to get these from Malaysia 🙈🙈🙈 

IMG_7750.jpeg

  • Like 4
Posted
  On 05/12/2024 at 23:13, danthecapriman said:

Brilliant job there @eddyramrod

That hearse looks so cool! Why didn’t Corgi or Dinky ever do them as hearses!? Too morbid maybe? 

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Agree with that, great job @eddyramrod!

The Brighton toy museum has a Corgi DS Safari hearse, not sure if it's a genuine Corgi prototype or not

IMG_9795.thumb.JPG.2e1e55ab32c10f49ce7a0094256990a4.JPG

  On 06/12/2024 at 15:47, danthecapriman said:

@eddyramrod was that Corgi Jag XJS I sent you recently the Supercat version?

I didn’t pay it much attention before but now with them being mentioned on here I’m thinking it could possibly have been one?

Expand  

I have definitely sent a black XJS to Eddy, I think he must have most of them now which is why they are rare!

  On 06/12/2024 at 15:31, Datsuncog said:

And some arrivals this week:

IMG_20241205_1859342.thumb.jpg.5041c684b1c4a5e072a2ee6082cb674b.jpg

I've been wanting one of these drift camper Volvo 240s for a while now - the usual outlets like Smyths and The Entertainer didn't ever seem to have this one on the pegs, although Asda did - for a price (£10).

Eventually, I buckled - as I wasn't going to pay any less through online sources, once postage was factored in. I'd have been annoyed if I'd let it slip past.

It's a great toy, combining play value with slightly tongue-in-cheek styling. It's also unusual because, as has been noted, it's a completely different casting from the visually similar Volvo 240 Drift Wagon released two years ago - this Drift Camper version is the work of designer Dwayne Vance, who generally produces pure fantasy vehicles, whilst the original Drift Wagon came from Fraser Campbell. There's no commonality between the castings at all.

IMG_20241206_1538352.thumb.jpg.e0a1253408e173342a83f470f9773da9.jpg

The trailer pops onto the base via a ball socket, and can be easily detached and reconnected, which I like.

 

Expand  

I love those Drift Camper Volvos, but not a fan of the way they cut the back end away for the tow hitch. It's a shame the Drift Wagon just isn't as nice! Also lucky I don't collect Hot Wheels haha!

 


@Datsuncog If you want the XJS I got last weekend let me know

IMG_20241115_111812~2.jpg

It's obviously not mint and doesn't have a box though!

 

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted

Did somebody mention hearse?

Matchbox Cadillacs20241206_183215.thumb.jpg.0de248a610235715f8ba25dcc191387a.jpg

Matchbox Holden & Chevy20241206_183325.thumb.jpg.dca7163f973a9f9b426e3f72d171f509.jpg

Resin Borgward Isabella20241206_183954.thumb.jpg.25f130708a9793876d1ecd142dcdc3f9.jpg

Road Champs Cadillac20241206_183625.thumb.jpg.c5fadf3bda791dd5379231eb17f70425.jpg

Minichamps Citroen CX20241206_184124.thumb.jpg.ae6028a941d40dfdb30b070230c94370.jpg

Majorette DS20241206_184451.thumb.jpg.20abc9c2232f568eceb8457d6fab05be.jpg

Plastic unbranded,from a board game of some sort20241206_185253.thumb.jpg.63cee3edd8d2df8840ce9c66e7640bc1.jpg

James Bond Cadillac & La Salle20241206_191738.thumb.jpg.bfaa49f15bd9e7a6e4c40ebcd4534e87.jpg

20241206_191703.thumb.jpg.f59a2359740e94cc1a465d78ea9834ed.jpg

Matchbox Lesney Edition Cadillac20241206_191844.thumb.jpg.1f0e4d094036aac7132ce7be63645b23.jpg

I've also got the Rio Citroen & Mercedes as shown by @MiniMinorMk3 ,& couple of Oxford Daimlers.There's some Johnny Lightning Cadillacs somewhere which I'll dig out at some point.

I did have some 1/87 hearses as well,Wiking etc,but I sold them all for reasons I still don't understand 🤪

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