When I was kid

[kwakers]

Just as interesting Nick, are the pre-production colors featured in those 2 different year Fred Bronner cardboard Lesney displays pictured on these pages. The 23 B Caravan looks maybe like a green(?) one, the 47 Lipton tea in one display has all odd decals on it, as well as an odd dark door decal on the second one in the other display. Also, the 30 B crane is in the very rare color scheme, a number 7 Anglia is also pictured in a much darker blue than normal, and a 29 Austin is painted in the most outrageous 2 tone paint ever imagined on one of these Lesneys! There may be more, but the gray barrel 26B Mixer held in the hand did not slip past me either! What odd advance Research and Development models the Lesney factory shipped to Fred Bronner as 'New Releases'. Where are they now??!!!! kwakers

[kerbside]

Hello Antonin, once a collector always a collector some times not just die-cast models. I was not a kid but in my 50s but I wanted this model from Matchbox so much that I sent them a cheque for too much money, got the model plus a Matchbox Cheque for $10.00 I had over paid.

Rather than cashing it I kept it, I bet their accountant pulled his hair out trying to find just $10.00.

The back-round design on the cheque is the same as the design on the Matchbox 84-85 catalogue



George T.

[Diecast]

Hello Antonin, once a collector always a collector some times not just die-cast models. I was not a kid but in my 50s but I wanted this model from Matchbox so much that I sent them a cheque for too much money, got the model plus a Matchbox Cheque for $10.00 I had over paid.

Rather than cashing it I kept it, I bet their accountant pulled his hair out trying to find just $10.00.

George T.

Hi George
nice document, you're right once collector, forever collector. Incurable deviation
Antonin

[Diecast]

i wish i had the presence of mind to save more stuff from when i was a kid...that very cool document Antonin

Hi Brad
Because the Matchbox models were rare in the sixties and seventies in my country already, a lot of models are preserved. I remember that as a kid during the holliday I started out with a small suitcase, filled with chewing gums and sweets and asked a friend of mine and unknown children, if they have at home old Matchbox models. Then I changed them for chewing gum, or buying them, or by the older kids exchanged for cigarettes. The exchanged models went immediately into glass cases at my home and there survived to this day.
Now I only regret that I did not take a larger suitcase
Antonin

[Idris]

The best publication about Matchbox ever written (in my opinion) was written behind the Iron Curtain.

Could you please post the title and ISBN of that book, Antonin?

[Diecast]

Could you please post the title and ISBN of that book, Antonin?[/quote]

Hi Hugh
The book is unfortunatelly in Czech, but there is a lot of very nice pictures. The name is "Velka kniha o modelech MATCHBOX" = "The big book about MATCHBOX models", written by Alexandr Picha & Libor Miks ( If you like it, I can buy it for you and send it).
P.S. I've heard that there is prepared a re-edition in English as well.
Antonin

[Idris]

Thank you for the information, Antonin.
Looking on the Internet, I get the impression that the book only covers the Yesteryear range. Is that correct? (It also appears to be out-of-print!)

[nearlymint]

Thank you for the information, Antonin.
Looking on the Internet, I get the impression that the book only covers the Yesteryear range. Is that correct? (It also appears to be out-of-print!)

Hi Hugh,
Yes the book only covers the yesteryear range, I have this book with an english supplement and it is superb.
Jason

[kwakers]

If Antonin says it is 'The Best', I will also try to get a copy for our reference in English. Please check on that, I am sure many here would enjoy having one of these.
It is amazing how important these 'common' letters and envelopes become after 40 years. I love both your framed envelope and George's uncashed Lesney check, both worth much more in memories than any $$. Thanks for sharing guys. I wrote Fred Bronner in about 1969 for a set of 8A rubber tracks, and they sent me a brand new set for free. We may have to start an archive of Lesney paper if more of us elders can find such interesting material to Post there. kwakers

[nickjones]

I have got / did have a pretty unique document from 1964 that was typed on Lesney headed paper and signed by Leslie Smith. It was instructions from Leslie Smith to Lesneys legal advisor to contact the Department of the Environment (a Government dept) to explain to them what the companies plans were for a large patch of land that Lesney had recently purchased in Lee Conservancy rd. Of course the said piece of land was the site of the Lee Conservancy rd factory.

I say have got / did have because it is still at Debbie's flat so it's present wherabouts and it's future is still unknown