Shite in Miniature II

[Amishtat]

30 minutes ago, sierraman said:

What sort of prices are we talking? 

Not much mate. Three quid each on the Corgi Citicar, Jeep, Chevy ambulance, four for the Corgi Juniors transporter, five on the Caddies, roadsweeper and Lincoln. That's all I gave for them. 

[Datsuncog]

Probably should mention this acquisition from last month, too...

I was utterly, utterly obsessed with this book when I was about ten or eleven. It was in our local library, and I used to borrow it every few weeks.

Reading it again now, it's surprising to see how little info there actually is - the overview of the entire company takes up less than a page. And there's a huge amount of doubt - various catalogue illustrations are shown, with the disclaimer "it is not known if this model was ever actually available".

But then how could you ever have found out, in 1983? Talking to people you met at swapmeets was all you could do, back then. We're pretty spoiled now, with hundreds of images of pretty much any given model only a click or two away.

Fair play  to Graham Thompson, for acquiring all of these and cataloguing them in those pre-digital days.

But there's a good amount of info on each model, though.

Some shown in colour, to give an idea of the variations.

This was the one I dreamed of finding: the VW Variant estate.

Or the Commer van:

And oh, that caravan...

I've mentioned this before, but I lived and breathed Spot-On for quite a few years, boring the arse off pretty much everyone I met about them... the only two I ever had were a trashed Cresta PA and an even worse Morris 1100, both found at a jumble sale c.1994.

I doubt I'll ever have a Spot-On collection of my own, but this is a great book to have again to relive that youthful passion...

[DoctorRetro]

Who was it was looking for an X/19? @flat4alfa?

 

[DoctorRetro]

@Amishtat, is the Ambulance still available? I'd really like that, and one of the Mercs, if not claimed. 

[Amishtat]

Mercs gone, but I can add the ambulance to your SD1 

[Datsuncog]

31 minutes ago, TheDoctor said:

Who was it was looking for an X/19? @flat4alfa?

 

Think it was @NorfolkNWeigh

[bunglebus]

58 minutes ago, Amishtat said:

I gave five apiece 

That sounds pretty reasonable to me!

[Amishtat]

2 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

That sounds pretty reasonable to me!

Well exactly! I've seen the same ambulance in not much better nick in a junk shop in Leigh on Sea last year and they were firm on the price at eighteen quid. 

[bunglebus]

Another one finished - Siku VW MAN truck. After much messing with paint colours and cock-ups, I decided Siku knew best. I did the interior grey rather than yellow and changed the wheels, twins on the rear

 

20200501_154323 by RS, on Flickr

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

Probably should mention this acquisition from last month, too...

I was utterly, utterly obsessed with this book when I was about ten or eleven. It was in our local library, and I used to borrow it every few weeks.

Reading it again now, it's surprising to see how little info there actually is - the overview of the entire company takes up less than a page. And there's a huge amount of doubt - various catalogue illustrations are shown, with the disclaimer "it is not known if this model was ever actually available".

But then how could you ever have found out, in 1983? Talking to people you met at swapmeets was all you could do, back then. We're pretty spoiled now, with hundreds of images of pretty much any given model only a click or two away.

Fair play  to Graham Thompson, for acquiring all of these and cataloguing them in those pre-digital days.

But there's a good amount of info on each model, though.

Some shown in colour, to give an idea of the variations.

This was the one I dreamed of finding: the VW Variant estate.

Or the Commer van:

And oh, that caravan...

I've mentioned this before, but I lived and breathed Spot-On for quite a few years, boring the arse off pretty much everyone I met about them... the only two I ever had were a trashed Cresta PA and an even worse Morris 1100, both found at a jumble sale c.1994.

I doubt I'll ever have a Spot-On collection of my own, but this is a great book to have again to relive that youthful passion...

That still sounds like a tremendous book. 

Spot On models were never on my radar back in my Swapmeet attending days of the late 80s and throughout the 1990s as I knew that by default they would be too expensive.

Like that popular girl in my class at school whom was way above my lowly station, I lusted after the French and Spanish Dinky toys that were also always far too expensive for my budget and indeed for what they were. 

Thank heavens I later found my true love that is Bburagos and Polistils!

However I was thrilled to get a rather careworn and poorly repainted Spot on  Austin 1800 at a Swapmeet in 2017 . It isn't so far gone as not to display and educate me on the character that they have and until I bought it I had no idea they were made in NI.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, TheDoctor said:

@Amishtat, is the Ambulance still available? I'd really like that

Enjoy, and let me know if you get bored of it!

In the mean time I shall console myself with another last-ditch Dinky. Anyone know what the full range was?

[DoctorRetro]

39 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Enjoy, and let me know if you get bored of it!

In the mean time I shall console myself with another last-ditch Dinky. Anyone know what the full range was?

I've got a version of that, which original had a 'Bandit' logo on the bonnet... 

 

Edit - here. No longer wearing its original paint or wheels. Just says MADEINHONGKONG on the bottom. 

[sierraman]

What about that guy in America who opened a museum in his New Jersey garage, just wall to wall Matchboxes. Has just about every variation. That’s commitment. 

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, TheDoctor said:

I've got a version of that, which original had a 'Bandit' logo on the bonnet... 

 

Edit - here. No longer wearing its original paint or wheels. Just says MADEINHONGKONG on the bottom. 

Interesting - that looks like a Zylmex. Maybe that's who Dinky used to make this run of cars.

[DoctorRetro]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Interesting - that looks like a Zylmex. Maybe that's who Dinky used to make this run of cars.

[bunglebus]

Well either they're made in the same factory, or Zylmex were up to their old tricks of blatantly ripping stuff off making similar models to other manufacturers.

 

It seems Wednesday is becoming the new Friday. Collected the lurid coloured Dinky Cadillac Eldorado from @Amishtat,

 

20200701_185710 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_185656 by RS, on Flickr

 

he also pulled this out of the bag and I couldn't say no

 

20200701_185830 by RS, on Flickr

 

I bought a whole bunch of Z-cars because I wanted this;

 

20200701_185926 by RS, on Flickr

 

There's a real mix of quality with its stablemates;

 

20200701_190000 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_190036 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_190106 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_190132 by RS, on Flickr

 

Following the old far eastern tradition of bunging a few random English words on things;

 

20200701_190218 by RS, on Flickr

 

Zylmex Totota GT is sadly missing its passenger fire exit

 

20200701_190259 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_190325 by RS, on Flickr

 

Yes, that is a pull cord hanging out the back, and it works

 

20200701_190406 by RS, on Flickr

 

Trio of 280's have battery compartments and a multi position switch, for lights by the looks of it. Not one of them works. The strange ooze on the end one appears to be the result of using ice cream packaging to pack them, it was leaking out of the outer card box too. Lovely.

 

20200701_190540 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_191142 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_191152 by RS, on Flickr

 

This however, was exceptionally well protected, despite Hermes efforts to squash it - Dinky ovlov!

 

20200701_185532 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_185526 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_185536 by RS, on Flickr

20200701_184430 by RS, on Flickr

 

[bunglebus]

Does anyone know what the yellow bit is for;

 

20200701_185743 by RS, on Flickr

 

...and what the battery operates on the Lincoln?

 

20200701_185856 by RS, on Flickr

[Amishtat]

Lincoln battery should operate the television which isn't between the seats any more. I say television, I think it's meant to be a picture with a bulb behind it. 

[Tenmil Socket]

3 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Does anyone know what the yellow bit is for;

 

20200701_185743 by RS, on Flickr

 

...and what the battery operates on the Lincoln?

 

20200701_185856 by RS, on Flickr

The yellow bit looks like something that attached it to the packaging perhaps?

[bunglebus]

1 minute ago, Amishtat said:

Lincoln battery should operate the television which isn't between the seats any more. I say television, I think it's meant to be a picture with a bulb behind it. 

 

Awesome!

[bunglebus]

4 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

No longer wearing its original paint or wheels. Just says MADEINHONGKONG on the bottom. 

 

 

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Interesting - that looks like a Zylmex. Maybe that's who Dinky used to make this run of cars.

 

That'll teach me not to speed-read, missed the non-original wheels part. Not a Zylmex then.

[bunglebus]

5 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Anyone know what the full range (of Hong Kong Dinkys) was?

Think I found both the answer, and who made them - Kidco

 

https://www.planetdiecast.com/index2.php?&option=com_content&task=view&id=80847&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=887

[flat4alfa]

Lincoln needs the missing battery carrier to work.  Some deft adaptions should get the telly shining

Just caught up with all today's tat efforts!  I spotted the big Eldorado and was going to grab it.  Then of course I had another page or so to go, and just knew it would be gone by the end!  To put the fiver in perspective - I watched two in recent weeks that went on 'bay bid beyond £15.  In the end I won a wrongpainted one (which hasn't arrived yet...) for not really that much less....

[flat4alfa]

11 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

Who was it was looking for an X/19? @flat4alfa?

With good glass and bumperage, yes

[Noel Tidybeard]

now look what you bastids have made me gone and done!

 

.....with bonus Sergal in the background!

[flat4alfa]

This one came from Eddy's Tat Emporium a few months back.  Photo shows the cell carrier (there were two types, ours is the early type) and one of the TV screen 'clips'.  There were 6 clips originally with the car.   One of other selling points was the interior 'carpetting'...

@bunglebus@eddyramrod

[DoctorRetro]

5 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

With good glass and bumperage, yes

Any particular brand? It was just I saw this... 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264780873806

 

[Amishtat]

I did keep an eye out for X1/9s yesterday to no avail, annoying as two weeks ago I saw a pair of nice examples but didn't get them. It's reminded me I do have this though. 

[DoctorRetro]

[bunglebus]

Had a play with the three plastic Buddy L 280s, they're pretty simple inside, two AAs, a sliding switch to vary from 0-3v, a bulb and a transparent section to carry the light to each end. 

Got two out of three working, the gunked-up one seems to need a bulb