Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

When I win the Euromillions I'm buying all the pegwarmers and donating them all to children's homes.

Then I'm buying all the Days Gone and throwing them in a shredder

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

OMG many Hot Wheels in Lidl's rummage bins for cheaps:

Shame they're all mid-2024 releases though - the case with the yellow Chevelle SS and red BMW E30 wagon in it.

Oh well, I'm sure there'll be loads of happy kids with these, even if the collectorati will already have them.

One thing I've noticed is that places like Poundland, Home Bargains and Poundstretcher tend to have their Hot Wheels pegs arranged way up at adult eye level - which is fine for quasi-geriatics with bad backs like myself, but pretty rubbish for kiddiwinks.

If kids can't reach them, then they're never going to buy all those unwanted pegwarmer Rink Racers and Deora IIIs to allow a restock with fresh cases!

There really does seem to be a glut of unsellable toys clogging up local stores right now.

I'd say the jump from 99p just a few years ago to as much as £2.40 for a Mattel mainline hasn't exactly helped matters.

I think it’s a given Matchbox have completely abandoned the U.K. nothing new in the shops realistically in a year. A few in Poundland that have probably come here via the grey market but I think it’s safe to say apart from a few retailers that have access to the stockists that it’s completely deaded now. 

[FakeConcern]

4 hours ago, sierraman said:

Yes, quite sad really. You spend your life building it up then it just gets chucked in a box and took to the nearest auction/car boot/charity shop. My philosophy is enjoy it for what it is now, when you are dead you are… well… dead.
 

Whatever happens happens. I wouldn’t expect the wife to know what was what (or if she’d give a shit for that matter…) so it’ll likely just get took down the auctions or most likely get totally bummed over by someone giving her £50 for the lot. 😂

Either way I’d be pushing daisies up by then so I wouldn’t give a shit. That said I’d like to think someone would pick it up and take as much enjoyment as I have from it. 

Fuck that, I'm taking them all with me!

[ambassador84]

51 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I think it’s a given Matchbox have completely abandoned the U.K. nothing new in the shops realistically in a year. A few in Poundland that have probably come here via the grey market but I think it’s safe to say apart from a few retailers that have access to the stockists that it’s completely deaded now. 

Not quite thankfully.  The new 2025 batches seen at B&M Bargains, Poundland and Tescotainer are all from official sources and no reason to suggest have abandoned Matchbox here in the UK.

However I did notice Sainsburys have reduced their Moving Parts stock to clear though interestingly have got in the very latest 5 packs.

[flat4alfa]

Jaguar Supercat XJS-HE advertisements, showing the double-stripe along the flanks

[sierraman]

12 minutes ago, ambassador84 said:

Not quite thankfully.  The new 2025 batches seen at B&M Bargains, Poundland and Tescotainer are all from official sources and no reason to suggest have abandoned Matchbox here in the UK.

However I did notice Sainsburys have reduced their Moving Parts stock to clear though interestingly have got in the very latest 5 packs.

I’ve seen the batch with the gold SL but that’s from ages ago. Nothing new whatsoever that I can see. 
 

They’ve made it that hard I’ve just given up bothering now. 

[ambassador84]

4 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I’ve seen the batch with the gold SL but that’s from ages ago. Nothing new whatsoever that I can see. 
 

They’ve made it that hard I’ve just given up bothering now. 

We have got as far as 2025 Case B, Europe is now on C though D and E have been spotted in Australia and Asian countries.

Matchbox are freely available through various importers and distribution companies to any business who wants them. Unfortunately the problem is most, especially the big name retailers, won't stock them for whatever reason. Unimaginative buying staff seem welded to the idea all we Brits need are Hot Wheels and shitty HTI Teamsterz generics.

[sierraman]

32 minutes ago, ambassador84 said:

We have got as far as 2025 Case B, Europe is now on C though D and E have been spotted in Australia and Asian countries.

Matchbox are freely available through various importers and distribution companies to any business who wants them. Unfortunately the problem is most, especially the big name retailers, won't stock them for whatever reason. Unimaginative buying staff seem welded to the idea all we Brits need are Hot Wheels and shitty HTI Teamsterz generics.

If the market demand for Hot Wheels is much higher than Matchbox then they are unlikely to want to stock them. 

[ambassador84]

15 minutes ago, sierraman said:

If the market demand for Hot Wheels is much higher than Matchbox then they are unlikely to want to stock them. 

Precisely though I feel if Matchbox were more readily available, well priced and regularly restocked then they would sell much better. The trouble with the UK is the choice of 1:64 brands available is a fraction of what it once was. 

Go to France or many other European countries and their supermarkets and toy shops have a much better selection. I was in Japan and Hong Kong last May and the selection there was off the scale! 

[Lord Sterling]

7 hours ago, ambassador84 said:

We have got as far as 2025 Case B, Europe is now on C though D and E have been spotted in Australia and Asian countries.

Matchbox are freely available through various importers and distribution companies to any business who wants them. Unfortunately the problem is most, especially the big name retailers, won't stock them for whatever reason. Unimaginative buying staff seem welded to the idea all we Brits need are Hot Wheels and shitty HTI Teamsterz generics.

100%. I travel to Europe a couple of times a year and always marvel the amazing selection of Matchbox/desirable Hot Wheels cars they get compared to us. 

My local superstores here in the UK always have such a boring, unimaginative stock that few people want to buy. I'm guessing also you have the greedy eBayers who'll buy a whole pack of them for £2.50 each or whatever they are now and sell them on eBay for £15 a pop.

I'm hoping to go to Belgium at the end of this month so will be doing a tour of my the local supermarkets there.

[uk_senator]

16 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Just won at auction again. £35 plus commission.

My Dad once got me that orange & green street sweeper as a kid, with its little brushes underneath! My younger brother also had a couple of those yank muscle car hot rods, I think they were metallic pink & blue? Got a feeling they`re still in his old car box at my parents that our kids have subsequently played with.

[uk_senator]

16 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Some new arrivals for me;

The Jags both came from the same seller who was selling them as a pair.

I already had the White XJR from many years ago when AutoArt wasn't at the silly prices they are now. At least I have one to display. 

That green SIi is lush! 

I`ve got the black XJR, to match my (now departed) real one: