Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

On 5/19/2021 at 1:42 PM, bunglebus said:

I'll have to get the hairdryer on it later

And I did

[bunglebus]

10 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Who else wants a closed-headlight MR2? 

Just found one thanks, and a bunch of others. Pix l8r

[Amishtat]

Is it Tat Friday? 

[RoadworkUK]

15 minutes ago, Amishtat said:

Is it Tat Friday? 

I always get a strong Christmas morning "has Santa been?" vibe on Tat Fridays...

[flat4alfa]

[Datsuncog]

On 5/21/2021 at 8:15 AM, RoadworkUK said:

I always get a strong Christmas morning "has Santa been?" vibe on Tat Fridays...

Y'know, so do I...

Bit more rainy-grey than snowy-white today, mind. Was up early and through the market's big Georgian arched doors before 8, but even so The Nemesis was still in before me.

I dunno, maybe he just lives here now. That would explain a lot.

But there is much festive red-and-white to be seen on the Tat Stall today, as it happens:

Ho ho ho, who ordered Fire Engine Friday??

Yup, many many appliances, mostly utterly, utterly encrusted in greasy mank and missing their ladders and other sundries. Heavy on Corgi Classics, Matchbox MoY and Lledo Days Gone, but also a fair bit of Solido and others.

Seems to be a blanket £5 a throw on the bigger 1/43 stuff, and £2 on the Days Gone tiddlers.

After I'd straightened the stall up a bit (hey, once a shop assistant, always a...),this is what we had:

Oh, and there were some boxed buses too, also at £5.

Another lone unboxed London Transport Leyland National was hiding in amongst the fire stuff; I returned it to its rightful place. We'll assume £2 on this, based on historic precedent.

Not very much up top today - and the Carabinieri Fiat Multipla does indeed seem to be gone, sorry Eddy.

Some Lledo and Maisto dross left in the tubs, but sadly we've yet to see any of the 50p boxes make their triumphant return.

Pity, cos I'm missing the scuffed-up and stamped-on Superfast more than I thought.

These are all £2.

I'd be surprised if some of this lot were much more than 50p, though.

I got excited when I saw the Corgi Juniors underwater Lotus as @tom13 was after one, but the roof's been broken off it, so I left it.

Zooming in:

I seem to recall these MoYs were sold via mail-order in the early 90s, rather than through retail stores; I can remember getting sent Matchbox Collectors' Club catalogues in the post about this collection, back in the day.

The well-equipped Cadillac in the middle did tickle my fancy, though this is far from what I'd normally go for.

No sign of the mahoosive Ahrens-Fox engine which was the centrepiece of the collection, though.

Not sure what's going on with the a-pillars on this Solido Espace...

MoY Feuerwehr Cadillac in the background.

Corgi Mack pumper (one of several Mettoy-era toys resurrected with better detailing for the mid-90s 'American Classics' range), and a Solido Renault Tragic.

More Corgi Macks in B-series guise, plus a big wrecker - Diamond T? I'm fairly sure I've seen the same body casting used in the Heavy Haulage range, with and without the towing booms.

[EDIT: that's the Holmes Wrecker booms, again]

Solido Mercedes Unimog and all.

Still-boxed Corgi Classics SII Land Rover was probably the best shape out of all of them. Another extremely long-lived casting, this one has its roots back in the Corgi Toys range of the early 1960s.

As many have pointed out, the shape of the cab was never right compared to real-life SII pick-ups - possibly Corgi were working from prototype drawings, and LR changed the cab corners to rounded at the last minute. Dinky got it right on their version.

The weird little bump at the swage line behind the cab is where the winch mechanism was fitted on the tow-truck version, and blanked off on later castings. This one kept going into the late 1970s until the older 1/43 models were finally canned, before its resurrection in the Classics range ten or fifteen years later.

I may be wrong, but I believe the Land Rover 110 remains the biggest-selling Corgi model of all time, due to its appeal and extreme longevity.

Big La France ladder trucks too, based on Corgi's 60s original. The white US Mail artic on the right is an ERTL, and it's massively heavy with an all- diecast trailer. Think it's an International tractor unit.

Modern Volvo tender is unbranded, and a bit more toy-like. Corgi La France to the left hand side seems to be the 1960s La France open cab mated with the rear body from the 1970s Mack pumper.

I've become increasingly interested in spotting how Corgi Ltd cannibalised their earlier Mettoy-era castings throughout the 1980s and 90s to create all sorts of interesting hybrids.

I also spent a jolly ten minutes trying to match up all the loose ladders lying in the box to some of the ladder-less appliances. With limited success.

There was also this:

Very complete.

Porsche and Ferrari GP cars:

Just need the wheels popping back on; tiny glass bottle of Shell lubricating oil (half-full) was a nice touch.

£35 takes this 'un.

And that was pretty much that - I had a wander round the rest of the market, but there was either nothing new or nothing left (or not there at all, in the case of Alan's Emporium).

So - if fire engines float your boat, talk to me in the next half-hour!

I need to be back home at my desk by 10, so if I don't hear from anyone, I'll be skedaddling at 9.35 sharp.

Needless to say, I haven't exactly left empty-handed...

[flat4alfa]

I have no lust for any of it

CURED!

[flat4alfa]

Nice light bulb though.

[RoadworkUK]

I'd gladly home the more ornate of the two Seagull Van Hools if it's five notes...

[andrew e]

Datsuncog - a £5 on the La Frances?  Are the ladder complete? I will take the pair if that’s still the case (ideally the open cab if another tat fancier would like one too) I’ve always fancied one! 

Could you nab the mystery many tyres bogie on the 50p box too!

cheers Andrew

 

 

[Datsuncog]

2 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

I'd gladly home the more ornate of the two Seagull Van Hools if it's five notes...

This 'un?

I'll certainly pop back in shortly and see if it's still there - currently enjoying* a wanky latte in the pissing rain, next to the fish vans, because NI still doesn't permit inside dining...

COSMOPOLITAN YO

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

£35 takes this 'un.

Nice to see a complete set.  Bet that spent most of its life in a loft, not played with much since its first Christmas.

Sadly, I have all of it twice, perhaps three times over.  Even the box...

The GP car sets aren't that valuable, but the saloon cars are another matter

[RoadworkUK]

4 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

This 'un?

That's the badger, figuratively speaking...

[Datsuncog]

1 minute ago, andrew e said:

Datsuncog - a £5 on the La Frances?  Are the ladder complete? I will take the pair if that’s still the case (ideally the open cab if another tat fancier would like one too) I’ve always fancied one! 

Could you nab the mystery many tyres bogie on the 50p box too!

cheers Andrew

As far as I know, they're £5 - will head in and see!

 

[flat4alfa]

1 minute ago, Datsuncog said:

NI still doesn't permit inside dining...

Today's pasty cavity event will be an interesting spectacle

 

[Datsuncog]

2 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

That's the badger, figuratively speaking...

Procured!

7 minutes ago, andrew e said:

Datsuncog - a £5 on the La Frances?  Are the ladder complete? I will take the pair if that’s still the case (ideally the open cab if another tat fancier would like one too) I’ve always fancied one! 

Could you nab the mystery many tyres bogie on the 50p box too!

cheers Andrew

Both articulated La Frances nabbed at a fiver apiece - I had to guddle in the boxes, but all the ladders are now present on the open cab version. Closed cab is missing a couple of loose ones from the rear load area, but the main aerial ladder seems complete on both (though neither uses the screw mechanism of the original).

Quite pleased to have these, even if only for a short while - I can compare with my original version!

Right, I'd better scoot!

Pics to come once I get home, tat-fans!

[RoadworkUK]

24 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Nice to see a complete set.  Bet that spent most of its life in a loft, not played with much since its first Christmas.

Decades ago my best mate unearthed a set of similar vintage, with Maserati and BRM cars. When we applied them to his modern (well, modern in about 1996) track, the tyres of the vintage cars had grown so hard that neither had any traction whatsoever and could barely move. And when they could be persuaded to put one foot forward, their chance of making it around a corner was next to nothing.

Made for extremely competitive racing, though...

[andrew e]

Cheers 👍 But did you get a pastie 😁

[RoadworkUK]

Cheers Tim. Had I studied the pics harder I might have leapt at that airport crash tender.

Snooze/lose; high stakes, this Tat Friday lark, innit!

 

[flat4alfa]

1 minute ago, RoadworkUK said:

Decades ago my best mate unearthed a set of similar vintage, with Maserati and BRM cars. When we applied them to his modern (well, modern in about 1996) track, the tyres of the vintage cars had grown so hard that neither had any traction whatsoever and could barely move. And when they could be persuaded to put one foot forward, their chance of making it around a corner was next to nothing.

[I'm sure you know this, but still, I've had a coffee and need to ramble] 

The rubber goes off with age, it's common.  Spinning the wheels on some sandpaper clears the sheen off in many cases.  But all the tyres are replaceable with new.  There is a whole cottage industry in replacement tyres for pennies.  Recently I got hold of a couple of sets of the French-factory Scalextric rear tyres that are different (because French) for under a fiver, posted.

But even when new, those thin-tired 1960s GP cars barely had grip ....because too lightweight and barely any contact patch.  Skillz ensued.  Until they were put back in the box.

[eddyramrod]

@Datsuncog If that Renault Trafic is £2 then count me in please!

@AndyW201 I've had a look in Tesco (going right through the box) and no Minis, sorry.

[eddyramrod]

23 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Am I seeing a white 1960s Mustang in that box?  For 50p I think I'd better grab that please (using your fair hands, obviously!).

[Datsuncog]

53 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

Cheers Tim. Had I studied the pics harder I might have leapt at that airport crash tender.

Snooze/lose; high stakes, this Tat Friday lark, innit!

Daaah, I meant to snap a separate pic of that one as it seemed very unusual, but I forgot! Not sure who makes it.

It certainly appealed due to its sheer size - but if it's still on the stall next week, I'll be sure to grab it on your behalf.

You're right, it's an absolute whirlwind, this Tat Friday business...

 

35 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

@Datsuncog If that Renault Trafic is £2 then count me in please!

For some reason the 1/43 fire stuff was priced at £5 a throw - possibly because it's all new in, and he wants to maximise his take on it.

With any luck, the big stuff will sell through and the smaller items like the Trafic will end up in the £2 bucket - so I'll see what's left next week.

The orange 'Securité Civile' version of the Trafic with side windows is currently in your tat box!

 

13 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Am I seeing a white 1960s Mustang in that box?  For 50p I think I'd better grab that please (using your fair hands, obviously!).

Yup, that's an ERTL item - it's been on the stall since the first market back (slightly better photo from 30 April below): 

There's still no 50p box, sadly - all the stuff that lives in the blue Co-Op bucket is priced at £2, and it's all just items that he hasn't space to display properly on the stall (lots of Royal Doulton figurines taking up prime positions this week).

If you're interested at £2, I'll add it to next week's searchlist?

[eddyramrod]

Thanks Tim; I'll pass on the Mustang at that price, and the Trafic too, but if they drop into the cheaper boxes you know what to do!  I saw the van and thought it would make a lovely companion to the orange one.

[flat4alfa]

The 1:43 Mustang is a nice enough model, though there are plenty about in boxed new condition it seems

The stab at the hub caps are too proud and more Datsun 120Y than they need to be though.

[sierraman]

Less Datsun 120Y more Bodicia, if they were real life they’d be concave to a depth of about 10 inch! C&U regs! 

[tom13]

Would have been funny if that Lotus was any good especially after we spoke about it. 

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, andrew e said:

Cheers 👍 But did you get a pastie 😁

No worries!

Sadly no pastie today; bit pushed for time and the bakery that does pasties is on the far side of the city centre.

For those that take a prurient interest in such matters, last week's pastie had three holes in it...

 

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

Thanks Tim; I'll pass on the Mustang at that price, and the Trafic too, but if they drop into the cheaper boxes you know what to do!

Sure thing! The pricing inconsistencies can be maddening, although sometimes it works out well - the Tokyo Police Nissan, for example.

Will keep my eyes peeled!

 

27 minutes ago, tom13 said:

Would have been funny if that Lotus was any good especially after we spoke about it. 

Yeah, they crop up fairly often on the stall so I'd hoped it'd be a decent one for you - sadly not this time, though!

An underwater convertible's just asking for trouble...

[bunglebus]

Dammit my tat Friday alarm didn't go off again - mind you I've been driving since before 6 and only just changed to co-pilot. Doesn't look like I missed much this week. 

[Rover414]

If that Trent Barton Optare Delta is still around next time I'd be interested in that.