Shite in Miniature II

[matt79]

7 hours ago, sierraman said:

Which Matchbox do you think would have been viable as a Super GT but didnt? 

Saab Sonet, original Ford Mustang & Renault 17 would have been viable choices I reckon

[bunglebus]

New CMC release came today too, the smallest yet

There's a change to the usual state of affairs though, this is the first one made in Bangladesh - and I think the first diecast I've had from that country unless I'm mistaken 

Here it is with its ancestor

Quality seems to be as excellent as ever, and the only change I can see is the post being recessed into the base for some reason 

[bunglebus]

Vintage stuff now, tidy Husky Stude from a job lot

And this far-out Tootsietoys buggy

Check out the peace symbol cast into the front!

[sierraman]

14 minutes ago, matt79 said:

Saab Sonet, original Ford Mustang & Renault 17 would have been viable choices I reckon

Saab Sonnet was a Super GT IIRC? 

[bunglebus]

Last ones for now, I promise. Vinted has been flooded with Zamacs this week, I tried to be restrained as there were easily twice this many available 

The other thing that seems to have appeared suddenly is Red Editions. I only bought two 

This was just too tempting not to add to my bundle though

[sierraman]

Supposedly the Miura was going to be a Super GT but the mould was close to falling apart so it was jettisoned. The Ford GT might have been good. 

[bunglebus]

Super GT Sand Digger?

 

[matt79]

21 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Saab Sonnet was a Super GT IIRC? 

Ahhh so it was! (I never knew that until now) 😄 

[bunglebus]

They may have considered the Sierra, but I expect the plastic spoiler precluded it from the base/body/windows only construction of the Budget Range range

 

[bunglebus]

2 minutes ago, matt79 said:

Ahhh so it was! (I never knew that until now) 😄 

Yes indeed, would have made a good Graffic Traffic too but probably too old and unfamiliar to kids by the time that range came out

 

[Lord Sterling]

2 hours ago, bramz7 said:

The Peugeot flatbed has play value...

There's a lever behind the rear wheels that allows the rear ride height to drop, meaning you can pretend it's dragging something onto the bed. 

I don't have many modern 1/43s so this facelift Multipla will have to do. 

Brilliant.  You've got me looking for one of those flatbeds now.

[matt79]

On 04/03/2026 at 16:56, bunglebus said:

I blame the Mrs, suggesting I order Smyth's stuff online instead of running around trying to find it. This set wasn't available to order, but I could reserve it - so I did

Might as well have a look on the pegs while I'm in there

Spider buggy probably isn't everyone's cup of tea

But what's this hiding at the back?

It is a pity they don't use licenced commercials, but at least the bed slides and tilts

Supervan is just a great casting, and all the better in Gulf colours 

This is the one Lamley was having kittens about in his video review. Nicely done, too new/supercar for me really

GT40 is another classic that really suits the Gulf livery

Looks like the BTTF set has predictably become the scalpers latest set of choice. I guess budget dictated, but it's a shame Mattel didn't / couldn't retool the Hilux to be more representative of the actual model used in the film, (like the recent  Majorette released model.)

[bunglebus]

23 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Smyths had more news bits, Fat and Fabulous silverlines

They had them all, Mustang looked OK but very similar to previous releases. I got these two

I really like the bare metal/rust patina look on this version 

Posted in the wrong thread, oops.

Have some Flying Customs to make up for it 

[eddyramrod]

A Bunglebox arrived at my Accommodation Address two weeks ago; naturally the day after I was there myself.  Today, for the first time, I managed to collect.  No unboxing pics because my camera batteries died!  So later on I picked up a pack of Duracells and did a re-enactment, of sorts...

I've probably got enough of these Adventure 2000 things now.  Some are almost too good to customise.

Campers will be joining them in my Gerry Anderson background traffic project.

Ferrymasters tilt-tops will be joining my Scammell and trailer upstairs; Foden is quite good and may well not get restored.

Dilemma!  Do I leave this lovely Fiat sealed?  I don't know.

I had forgotten most of what was in the box, so the actual unboxing was like Christmas!  Thanks @bunglebus 5*, would happily buy again.

Also hidden in the car, so dug out for the photo, was this...

I took pity on it in a charity shop the other day.  Really didn't need it, but in such nice condition I thought it deserved better than being flung around in a bucket of assorted toy shite.

Everything is now safely packed away in the car, from where I can drip-feed things into the collection in small quantities.

"The car," as you may have deduced from the setting, being Jazz Club.  I'm not expecting WiFeY back for at least another week.

 

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

I've probably got enough of these Adventure 2000 things now.  Some are almost too good to customise.

You could try and recreate the ultra rare blue set

Finding this one is the real challenge

[sierraman]

Everyone at that time in the late 70’s seemed obsessed with space. Lego did their space range, my brother had that. Dinky were jumping on the bandwagon just before they went bust and Matchbox did the Adventure 2000. Even Meccano had space themed sets. 

[Datsuncog]

30 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Everyone at that time in the late 70’s seemed obsessed with space. Lego did their space range, my brother had that. Dinky were jumping on the bandwagon just before they went bust and Matchbox did the Adventure 2000. Even Meccano had space themed sets. 

Yup, seems that the popularity of Kenner's Star Wars toys came out of nowhere and were a huge disruptor to the toy industry, which was already struggling in the late 70s with falling sales and the drop in buying power of their customers - think it was Corgi who worked out the average age of their customer base had fallen from 14 to 7 in a decade. 

That, and space themed video games like Space Invaders, convinced companies that the days of their traditional products, such as nice accurate models of road vehicles, were over - and they needed to pivot to fantasy toys referencing galactic adventure to survive. 

As we know, it didn't wash and most of the big diecast players (bar Mattel) had gone bankrupt by 1985.

[Split_Pin]

59 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Everyone at that time in the late 70’s seemed obsessed with space. Lego did their space range, my brother had that. Dinky were jumping on the bandwagon just before they went bust and Matchbox did the Adventure 2000. Even Meccano had space themed sets. 

Don't forget Britains!

[bunglebus]

6 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Don't forget Britains!

That's what I had, about the only non-car toy I was interested in 

[Datsuncog]

Any road, there wasn't much at the market yesterday to justify a write-up; same stalls, same stock, nothing much to grab my interest. 

Colin's Matchbox and Greenlight were the same as two weeks back:

While he had some new Oxfords - the Cortina Mk5 in beige and the DAF grain tipper were nice, but not really my thing these days. 

Alan went to look behind his stall for some 'new stuff' on my behalf, but only came back with a couple of Hot Wheels fantasy track cars with orange wheels. I thanked him for his efforts. 

One item of very mild interest was an incomplete no-name 'Garbage Truck' - missing its loadbed, but otherwise looking very like the Superfast era Lesney Berliet bin lorry:

What think you? 

I did call into B&M and then Smyths on the way home, though - emerging with these two:

I'm a sucker for a Subaru, what can I say. 

The Beetle's quite nicely done, though I can't help feeling that matt or satin paint would have looked better on it. 

Also had a delivery from Corgi Model Club - I've skipped a fair few lately, but this Heinkel really appealed to me:

It's so tiny; practically lost in the box. 

Not really digging these 'member exclusive colours, buy the rest from the Corgi store' efforts at false scarcity and hype building, but I'm glad they're still going and have some more new castings still to come - the Police Mini van is the only one I'm all that keen to get from the 2026 releases announced so far. 

Still interested in the Whizzwheels collection they trialled spectacularly poorly last year with the blue Cortina Mk3 offering - but we'll see what happens... 

Happy Friday Saturday, kids. 

[Lord Sterling]

10 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I'm a sucker for a Subaru, what can I say. 

😮 😱

Right, the Subaru is another one on my MUST FIND list.

I'm off to Belgium in a few days time when I finish work this week. I may find one there but there seems to have been a load of Fast and Furious stuff here but not so much there in Belgium. 

Anyway, I shall endeavour to make a trip to Pêle-Mêle so get ready for some posts in a week or so.

[bunglebus]

Up in the loft sorting through Matchbox to avoid going outside. I continue to find weird little production changes I didn't know about before, first of all Piston Popper with added braces at the front, and a different number at the back of the base

This one's really messed me up though, a while ago I realised they altered the bed of the Kenworth Cabover transporter, some have two tabs at the back to stop the car rolling off;

Some had two prongs that slip behind the front wheels

I wasn't sure why it changed, but now I know. Found a better condition Corvette from the set, and it won't fit on that second transporter, because the base is different 

Which is really rather annoying as I sold that first transporter without realising they were different, so now I need another one!

[AndyW201]

AliExpress arrival,

Must admit, I do prefer the Essex Stiletto all-white edition of the Golf but I was too late to snap one up when they came out, and they soon attained scalper prices.

Not to worry, I like yellow cars anyway!

Rear badges are tiny, but pleasingly clear.

Opening doors are a bit disappointing, compared to the other Moving Parts releases with opening bonnets and engine detail, but a nice wee thing still. Just waiting on the Esprit to arrive now.

[sierraman]

13 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Up in the loft sorting through Matchbox to avoid going outside. I continue to find weird little production changes I didn't know about before, first of all Piston Popper with added braces at the front, and a different number at the back of the base

This one's really messed me up though, a while ago I realised they altered the bed of the Kenworth Cabover transporter, some have two tabs at the back to stop the car rolling off;

Some had two prongs that slip behind the front wheels

I wasn't sure why it changed, but now I know. Found a better condition Corvette from the set, and it won't fit on that second transporter, because the base is different 

Which is really rather annoying as I sold that first transporter without realising they were different, so now I need another one!

This is the sort of thing that keeps me awake at night. 😂

[Split_Pin]

18 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

AliExpress arrival,

Must admit, I do prefer the Essex Stiletto all-white edition of the Golf but I was too late to snap one up when they came out, and they soon attained scalper prices.

Not to worry, I like yellow cars anyway!

Rear badges are tiny, but pleasingly clear.

Opening doors are a bit disappointing, compared to the other Moving Parts releases with opening bonnets and engine detail, but a nice wee thing still. Just waiting on the Esprit to arrive now.

Ooft thats absolutely super, ill need to get one of those from AE!

[AndyW201]

22 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Ooft thats absolutely super, ill need to get one of those from AE!

I'd recommend it. Especially while they're still reasonable money. The Lotus Esprit in the same mix (also in yellow) is worth a look too.

[danthecapriman]

58 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

AliExpress arrival,

Must admit, I do prefer the Essex Stiletto all-white edition of the Golf but I was too late to snap one up when they came out, and they soon attained scalper prices.

Not to worry, I like yellow cars anyway!

Rear badges are tiny, but pleasingly clear.

Opening doors are a bit disappointing, compared to the other Moving Parts releases with opening bonnets and engine detail, but a nice wee thing still. Just waiting on the Esprit to arrive now.

That is nice.

Id be tempted to get some yellow paint and do the windscreen frame though, looks a bit funny all clear.

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Right, the Subaru is another one on my MUST FIND list.

I'm off to Belgium in a few days time when I finish work this week. I may find one there but there seems to have been a load of Fast and Furious stuff here but not so much there in Belgium. 

If you've no luck in Belgium, happy to see if I can locate another Impreza wagon here - my local Smyths had three full pegs loaded up to overflowing with that particular F&F series... B&M may have them too before long. 

I've still a red Matchbox '93 Celica here for you, if you haven't found one closer to home yet! 

[Lord Sterling]

46 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

If you've no luck in Belgium, happy to see if I can locate another Impreza wagon here - my local Smyths had three full pegs loaded up to overflowing with that particular F&F series... B&M may have them too before long. 

I've still a red Matchbox '93 Celica here for you, if you haven't found one closer to home yet! 

Ah brill! Would you be able to locate me one there then if that's Ok? I doubt I'll get one in Belgium plus I'll be looking out for other stuff. Then I'll pay for both the Celica and Impreza + postage.

[bunglebus]

Casting change, bottom of the doors