"MATCHBOX" copies etc.

[shockwavediecast]

Has anyone else noticed the large quantity of 'Blue Box' garages that seems to have appeared on ebay - are they making them again/still?

Vectis have got hold of a huge quantity of them and have been selling them in small trade lots for a few months now. There's more in the next one too.
Just look how many sellers claim them to be from the 60's though!!! Despite the box having a Porsche 959 & Ferrari Testarossa on it!!!

[GHOSTHUNTER]

'BLUE BOX' were still very active right into the 1980's regards their toys and the fact the last Ferrari Testarossa was introduced in 1984 gives you some idea that they were still making Garages etc in recent times.

Ghosty.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Here is the "Matchbox" #23 'Open Deck' Caravan.

MATCHBOX original.jpg (176.19 KiB) Viewed 1002 times

...and here is plastic copy from Hong Kong.

LAURIE TOYS.jpg (154.19 KiB) Viewed 1002 times

The example above is mated to a Volvo 121 and marketed by 'LAURIE TOYS'. The Caravan was also available mated to other cars and marketed by 'ROXY TOYS' and 'LUCKY TOYS' and I suspect the Caravan was first originated by 'LUCKY' because their famous Horse shoe 'Logo' is moulded onto the underside of the Caravan.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[shockwavediecast]

Arrived in a lot this week, will be on eBay tomorrow night if anyone's interested. Marked on base H.W. 306, and no country of origin.

[SMS88]

Thank you Linus for the pictures. I would class this as an 'Inspired' model and not a direct copy, as differences can be seen between the two castings, but it is still welcome here, thanks.

GHOSTHUNTER.

I'm not so sure about 'inspired', It looks more to me like Maisto have used 'cleaned-up' Matchbox tooling. I've sold a few of these Maisto buses, they're no more than 20 years old, so it seems odd to me that in the 1990's a company would choose to make a model of a (relatively unknown outside of UK)1960's bus (with the same Park Ward (?) bodywork) unless the tooling was already available, considering the #17 Londoner (Daimler Fleetline) & Leyland Titan's that followed, and similar Corgi Junior all produced before the Maisto model was conceived.

There is also the copy of the 34c VW camper made in the same series -just because the tooling was used all through the 1990s doesnt mean that its not actually from the 1970s and previously used for the asian market only or the other alternative, the company was looking for iconic 3 inch vehicles to copy and came up with original examples to copy because they were childhood toys of somebody on the product design or marketing side at Maitso.

[SMS88]

Here is the "Matchbox" #23 'Open Deck' Caravan.

MATCHBOX original.jpg

...and here is plastic copy from Hong Kong.

LAURIE TOYS.jpg

The example above is mated to a Volvo 121 and marketed by 'LAURIE TOYS'. The Caravan was also available mated to other cars and marketed by 'ROXY TOYS' and 'LUCKY TOYS' and I suspect the Caravan was first originated by 'LUCKY' because their famous Horse shoe 'Logo' is moulded onto the underside of the Caravan.

GHOSTHUNTER.

Very nice Volvo and caravan -is it 1/43? Volvo looks like copy of Spot On model with that roof rack design although its not far off Dinky or Tekno 122 (not 121!)

[matchboxmarcel]

These were recently sent to me by a Canadian collector and as especially Kevin (Ghosthunter) like these kind of things I thought I make some photos and put them here in this ungoing interesting tread,

More copies of Matchbox Models of Yesteryear models.

A red Mercer on a GOROY MITE card Backside list quite a few models but 4 of them are MOY copies.



The card for the white Renault looks similar but is actually a MINI MITE card and does not have any printing on the back.
There is a price of 29c on the front right upper corner. (the Mercer does not feature a price there)
There are more differences. On the card for the Mercer the GORDY INTERNATIONAL is printed near the rear of the model) and there is MADE IN HONGKONG while the Renault has GRAND INDUSTRIE Ltd Montreal Canada which is probally a distributor.
The Mercer is nr 801 in a series while the Renault is nr 815 in a series.



A few posting ago I posted a photo of a Mercer on a card. The Canadian collector now has sent me a red Opel on a similar card.



The last is not a very good copy of the Y13 Daimler. It just comes in a plastic baggie and I am amazed this survived like this after all those years.



I am sure Kevin you can tell a lot more about these....... Looking forward to the comments.

marcel

[YYS4BOB]

That white Opel is a white Renault! It says so on the packet

[nickjones]

Here's one I bought years ago, It's the Ruston Bucyrus, I think it is a little smaller than the Lesney but I'm sure that it was copied from the Lesney, The header card shows a 6a Quarry truck, The reverse shows the 4a Tractor but I forgot to photograph it.

[matchboxmarcel]

That white Opel is a white Renault! It says so on the packet

Thanks Bob, you are right, changed the posting.

marcel