Shite in Miniature II

[Tenmil Socket]

It's quite a bit bigger!

[bunglebus]

Yes, not really into Superkings territory though.

[155V6]

That Golf looks like it was made by the company that also made a scaled-up version of the Majorette Volvo 245.Can't remember the name though ?

[sierraman]

  On 14/05/2020 at 12:49, Split_Pin said:

@sierraman Can I take the camper please?

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Sold but I might have another in the loft, let me get back to you on that! 

[bunglebus]

  On 14/05/2020 at 15:30, 155V6 said:

That Golf looks like it was made by the company that also made a scaled-up version of the Majorette Volvo 245.Can't remember the name though ?

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It has styling cues from both Matchbox and Majorette - front grille/lights are like the Majorette, rears are like the Matchbox. Wheels look like some of the later Majorette ones too

IMG-20200515-WA0006 by RS, on Flickr

[155V6]

Alme cars,that's the name.Here's the cars they did

 

[bunglebus]

  On 14/05/2020 at 15:58, 155V6 said:

Alme cars,that's the name.Here's the cars they did

 

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Good job!

 

Now I really need that Volvo

[bramz7]

Ah I definitely inherited one of those 245s as a child! It didn't survive....

[flat4alfa]

  On 14/05/2020 at 15:59, bunglebus said:

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FIAT 132 in US Demolition Derby entry, shocker

[Lord Sterling]

  On 13/05/2020 at 18:38, sierraman said:

Massive 1/36 ish scale Mercedes Actros Transporter with a cog system thing to raise or lower the lift at the back. £2 plus the postage?

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If you've still got this I'm interested.

[Crusty Sills]

I put this on the Open Forum but I know not everyone goes in there. 

Last page obviously. 

 

[Rover414]

@Datsuncog - I know you posted it up last week but only just saw this, are the MGF and Z3 still available by any chance?

[DoctorRetro]

Just received my AliExpress models. I'm not massively impressed, but then it's always a gamble... 

NB, these images have not been 'Doctored' in any way... ?

Also I ordered the Ford Belina and received the Del Rey

?

[MarvinsMom]

great news for old diecast tat fans!

steve flowers has reopened!!

ok, so i have only seen this vital and important update from an announcement on their website, and it also says limited staff and opening hours and that, so orders maybe slow going out

BUT.......

Steve flowers, they have now opened!!

[Datsuncog]

Anyone remember this dude?

Generally more likely to be encountered alongside these other two, for context...

That's right, it's Statto - better known to his mum as Angus Loughran - a fixture on ITV's Fantasy Football League show during the mid-90s.

This was one of the slightly less cruel nicknames I was saddled with by my erstwhile peers while at school, whenever FFL was at its peak.

Now, not being all that much into sports I never actually watched the show, but I'm told there was a resemblance.

Don't really see it, myself.

Still, better having "STATTO!" bellowed at me across the playground by a bunch of fifth-formers than "SPECKY WANKER!", I'm sure you'll agree.

 

But! This is all rather a long-winded lead-in to the fact that I do quite like a spreadsheet - and with the unavoidable drop-off in Market Tat availability, over the last few weeks I've been doing a bit of number crunching.

Between the time I started chronicling my Friday browsing at St George's in January 2019, and the final market attended before everything shut down in March 2020, there were a nice round 50 Market Tat 'events', if you will. Although I had a running total of who wanted what, I hadn't bothered to actually jot down what each Market Tat day had bestowed.

So, being unable to move forward in the current global climate, I instead trawled backwards through the SiM thread, and made up a new spreadsheet to see how it all panned out over the past fifteen months...

And here, for your statistical pleasure, is the Ultimate Tat Breakdown for the past year-and-a-bit:

Overall number of models purchased: 504

Overall amount of cash expended on Friday Tat: £719
(Not to be divulged to MrsDC)

Averaged weekly spend: £14.38

Averaged number of tat items purchased per week: 10.08

Averaged cost per Tiny Tat item: £1.37

Number of Tiny Tat items still in my possession : 169 (33.53%)

 

You'll be unsurprised to learn that the overwhelming majority of the models came from the Nostalgic Collectables stall run by Millar, aka Market Blokey.

Home of the semi-legendary 50p Tat Box, a whopping 84.52% of all the market tat purchases came from this particular stall.

And with vistas like this to welcome me on a dark Friday morn, that's not really surprising.

The still somewhat mysterious Charity Stall accounted for 11.31% of the remaining purchases...

Although mostly a bit rubbish, this has still managed to serve up some absolute diecast gold from time to time - which is why it remained an unmissable stop on my market perambulations...

...even if it does mostly sell past-date biscuits, Bulgarian dog food and other frankly horrible items.

Meanwhile, generalised tat stalls like Alan's Emporium and Giffer Alley account for less than 1% each of the overall Tat Quotient, with only very occasional stuff worth having, nestling amongst yellowed Danielle Steele paperbacks and tarnished silverware.

 

So yeah... I'm probably not alone in craving the sensuous rush of rooting through abjectly filthy toy cars piled up in a split banana box; the visceral thrill of spotting something particularly unusual from afar (and then flattening a load of pensioners in my haste to narrow the distance between me and it); the feeling of vague remorse as I realise I've bought yet another Superfast Dodge Challenger...

Ah. Good times.

It's been quite nice trawling through the various write-ups, too - at risk of banging my own drum somewhat, even in retrospect the Tatman escapade was quite amusing.

 So what's been especially good?

I really got a kick out of finding these two last February.

This was kinda the start of reappraising my old Corgi toys - and finding a whole lot of new ones.

 

This was also a top find, the very same week.

And this was a bit of a bargain, too.

Remember this one? Finest East German toymaking.

While others ranged from the sublime...

to the faintly ridiculous.

It's been a fair mix of newer stuff, and older stuff - again, both decent original stuff at fairly keen prices:

Caddy was clean and quite a bit under online prices;

NSU may live to light up the road another day, too.

I do love a Grifo.

Seller's remorse already on this Hunter.

Magnificent Corgi Major.

Also plenty of fairly hilarious restoration jobs, such as this charmingly UHU & hair encrusted Plymouth Sports Suburban.

The smol stuff has helped me reappraise my antipathy towards 70s Superfast fantasy vehicles, and also helped me find better examples of toys I trashed through enthusiastic play when I was little.

While tickling some nostalgia nodes as well, with stuff I only ever saw in the catalogues.

It's also pushed me to explore the early Superkings, which I've gained a new-found liking for.

This manky £1 Scammell wrecker scrubbed up extraordinarily well, too.

Might have to look out for a Guy Transporter of my own and all, one day.

And I'm still cock-a-hoop at this unexpected discovery on the last market day, too. Glad I didn't hurry on past.

So yeah... hopefully the Tat Tap will be turned on once more, at some stage, and our diecast cups shall overfloweth again.

If anyone's any Tat Stall memories they'd like to share, do crack on!

Cheers to all for making this thread what it is.

[Tenmil Socket]

This has got to be my favourite for comedy value.

[Datsuncog]

  On 15/05/2020 at 13:13, Rover414 said:

@Datsuncog - I know you posted it up last week but only just saw this, are the MGF and Z3 still available by any chance?

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Sure can! Will pop those aside for you.

Also just realised I forgot to post the remainder of the tat last Friday before I was called away on domestic duties, so I should try and whack that up too, just in case anyone's interested.

[Amishtat]

Well the UHU and pubes didn't put up much of a fight.. But I managed to fuck up the masking twice and it got stripped for the third time then ignored in a huff. 

[bunglebus]

  On 15/05/2020 at 14:08, TheDoctor said:

Just received my AliExpress models. I'm not massively impressed, but then it's always a gamble... 

NB, these images have not been 'Doctored' in any way... ?

Also I ordered the Ford Belina and received the Del Rey

?

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I haven't had mine yet and I ordered first! Sulk.

[flat4alfa]

  On 15/05/2020 at 14:43, MarvinsMom said:

great news for old diecast tat fans!

steve flowers has reopened!!

ok, so i have only seen this vital and important update from an announcement on their website, and it also says limited staff and opening hours and that, so orders maybe slow going out

BUT.......

Steve flowers, they have now opened!!

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Yes:

?

 

[flat4alfa]

  On 15/05/2020 at 14:08, TheDoctor said:

Just received my AliExpress models. I'm not massively impressed, but then it's always a gamble... 

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What was total costs in the end?

[Amishtat]

This is how it looks currently, with a matchstick pillar splice. Really I need to just grow a pair and paint it again 

[Amishtat]

Meanwhile these are on the shelf in the kitchen. I almost want to apologise for having the Hunter from you, it's still one of my favourites. 

[bunglebus]

  On 15/05/2020 at 14:48, Datsuncog said:

So, being unable to move forward in the current global climate, I instead trawled backwards through the SiM thread, and made up a new spreadsheet to see how it all panned out over the past fifteen months...

 

 

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Well that was an emotional roller coaster. I miss Tat Friday™ (and boot sales, charity shops etc), was a bit of a tease looking at the tat box again and going "ooh I want one of those", and I was also slightly terrified you were going to reveal how many cars we'd each bought off you!

 

  On 15/05/2020 at 15:10, Tenmil Socket said:

This has got to be my favourite for comedy value.

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And I still want it!

[bunglebus]

  On 15/05/2020 at 15:36, Amishtat said:

This is how it looks currently, with a matchstick pillar splice. Really I need to just grow a pair and paint it again 

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I feel your pain! Preparation is everything but it's so tempting to just get 'er done. And then get annoyed as it's not perfect.

[junkyarddog]

I'm still insanely jealous over that Lone star  Transit wrecker!!

What a find,it's nice to share the excitement  on a find like that.

Oh how we miss tat Friday's.

[DoctorRetro]

  On 15/05/2020 at 15:36, flat4alfa said:

What was total costs in the end?

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£7.45 for both, posted. 

[Datsuncog]

  On 15/05/2020 at 15:41, bunglebus said:

Well that was an emotional roller coaster. I miss Tat Friday™ (and boot sales, charity shops etc), was a bit of a tease looking at the tat box again and going "ooh I want one of those", and I was also slightly terrified you were going to reveal how many cars we'd each bought off you!

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Yeah, it's a strange thing to be hankering after, but I s'pose we all have our own 'normality' - however peculiar it may appear to others...

Still, here's hoping that at some stage things will move along - and all the attics and garages that have been tidied during lockdown will yield up all sorts of diecast delights for sale and exchange!

I did actually tot up a leaderboard of tat buyers, but decided it would be imprudent to make it public!

You're certainly up there on the leaderboard, but you're not in pole position...

  Quote

And I still want it!

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Safely set aside for you!

[sierraman]

Great I can get the Doors ordered for my Zephyr restoration project. 

[flat4alfa]

  On 15/05/2020 at 15:44, TheDoctor said:

£7.45 for both, posted. 

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Ah well, that a bargain really.  The door defect could be on anything for three times the price off a store shelf

If you don't want the Del Rey I'm sure it would sell quick off 'bay at £10 BIN

In fact I know someone Fordish who would snap it up without having to pay the fees