Can that story be true?

[Thepowerofdreams]

Hello,
recently I saw a wooden box, filled with hundred of spare figures being auctioned - unfortunately I missed the opportunity.
The box was described as being used in the good old times by Corgi Toys field representatives, supplying their dealers with spare figures, if required.
Independent from the fact that the box was worth it's money anyway - can that story have a real fundament - did and do further of these boxes exist?
Best regards
Wolfgang

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I can see this idea working in areas where there was not a reliable postal service, but ultimately they would have been sent out by request using the form supplied with each model or by writing to the company using the address printed on the model's box.

I am not aware of replacement figures being distributed in this way, might have to scrutinize the big Corgi book for any clues to this...

Ghosthunter.

[kwakers]

I can't shed any light on Corgi/Husky specific dealers over here in the U.S., but my Uncle's younger brother was a salesman who traveled around selling and stocking smaller stores with several lines of toys in the early 1960s. I was very young, and I think his job did not pay very well because I did not see any 'freebies' while visiting his house on rare occasions. If he had handled Lesneys, I am sure we would have been one of his best customers! I could see the possibility that he would carry extra 'spare parts' for the toy lines he distributed in order to support his small Mom and Pop store's needs.
From my own experience in America, we wrote to Fred Bronner, the New York distributor of Lesneys in the mid 60s about rubber treads for an 8A Cat Crawler we found in an old store. We were pleased to receive a very nice letter from Bronner that included a brand new set of treads for a model that had been out of production for at least five years! I have been able to buy brand new roof racks for the #25 Ford and the VW Fastback from a former Toy Distributor in the mid states quite recently. He was willing to sell any number of them from his left-over stock, and I am convinced by their color and details that they are really genuine 40+ year old Lesney plastic racks and NOT reproductions. Can we expect to have left over Toy stock come out of hiding after this many years of being forgotten? NO, we can't expect it, but every year we are amazed by a very limited amount of never sold 'New Old Stock' merchandise that continues to be discovered and re-sold to those of us lucky enough to spot it. (And have enough $$ to buy it at that time of course).......kwakers

[MrGoodies]

Iam not sure about these stories be the real truth, but there is always something new in any
old collector field.
I also know of a big box of original figures & parts in existence at an old corgi importers stock, but never
had the chance to buy it. I know, the importers get figures and parts for their service to dealers and customers,
but in which way is unknown to me.

I remember only the old days at the fairs, around 1997/1998, where i was suporting the UK toy fairs and
one day a guy in the back of my stall at the NEC filled up a table with wooden racks with loads of Corgi figures and parts.
Every figure and part was 1 pound the piece, and i spend a lot of money there for the real -rare figures & parts, like back and front wings
for Chitty, rings for uncle, prototype figures never released and many more. This was a real impressive day for me as an
old corgi collector & dealer. The story from the guy was, that this was found at the place of the old corgi factory in the ground.
Think it was dumped into the sand, because most of these figures and parts was very -sandy-'(?).
Perhaps the ground of the old corgi warehouse, which was destroyed by fire in the end of the 60´s.
Dont know if this story works...? Anyone knows more..?

Wolfgang

[GHOSTHUNTER]

There are a lot of retrieved damaged models circulating the collectors circles and these came from the buried stock as a result of the Fire, so yes, there is some truth in those Sandy figures being available at a toy fair.

Ghosthunter.

[cOO7rgi]

Here are two pictures of the mentioned box:

1.JPG (10.82 KiB) Viewed 2425 times

2.JPG (35.94 KiB) Viewed 2425 times

Spare figures were certainly available from the factory, not only the few where the spare envelopes were shown in the catalogues (like spare figures for the Bond DB5 or spare missiles for the Bond Toyota or Green Hornet). So the story with the wood box from a sales representative does sound very plausible to me.

Here a lot of spare figures can be seen, all in Dickinson Seal-Easi envelopes with different numbers. Those certainly weren't found buried in the ground but were clearly meant for supplying to dealers.
http://www.batmobile.free.fr/English/Bo ... eloppe.htm

[Ratch]

Perhaps the ground of the old corgi warehouse, which was destroyed by fire in the end of the 60´s.

Which Corgi warehouse was this?

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Very likely to be at Fforestfach in Swansea.

Ghosthunter.

[Idris]

Fforestfach

Well done!

[Bill Manzke]

I have often heard stories about models salvaged from the factory fire in 1969. One of the models in my collection, a fire damaged Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost shown in one of my books, may even be one. The problem is always authenticating the background story, which at this point may be impossible. Either way they are good finds and conversation pieces.

Bill