Matchbox Toys by Nick Jones

[motorman]

Sorry to hear about your mum Nick, I hope she makes a full recovery.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Some of the worst news we get is based around our elderly Family members and that must have been scary for everyone involved, not least your Mum!

I hope She recovers Nick, we all send our best wishes.

Ghosty.

[johnboy]

Very sorry to hear that news Nick, I hope the hospital are looking after your Mum well and fingers crossed for a full recovery.

[ClOwY]

Speedy recovery to your mum Nick.
Gary

[fixer]

Hope your mum's ok

[motorkid]

Nick looking forward to reading your book.My Dad is going to get a copy and I will definitely read it.I can't wait to see and read it.

[matchboxuk]

could someone forward me the email from mr bolton please, Ghostie or Christian, thanks.

Nick

I am not sure whether you received my message. I received a copy of the book to review but when I asked how long should it be and where I should send the review, I was informed on web sites and blogs that I am familiar with.

Are you able to enlighten me further?

Nigel

Hi Nigel.
I was given the impression that you were to review the book solely for Osprey, but instead it has turned into a cheap attempt to get a bit of free publicity.
My apologies I did not intend for them to impose on you, what did you think of the book anyway?.
also my apologies for the late reply, last week my eighty year old Mum fell off her bed and broke her arm in three places and broke her nose, she has been hospitalised ever since with a water infection, I really thought I was going to lose her but today she seemed to have improved a little,
hence I seem to spend half of my life waiting for or riding in buses

Hi Nick

Very sorry to hear about your mother. I do hope she is now on the mend. I am sure we all get frail as we age and it takes much longer to recuperate. However, she is in the best hands and I hope she will continue to improve..

There is a rumour that Everett Marshall has either closed his Matchbox Road museum or on the point of selling the contents to Ron Slyder. I was told the Tyco Big Rig on Ebay for around £800 is from the museum. If this is the case it is a sad day for Everett's collection was one of the best in the world and was always a good reason to visit the US. Over the years he had bought several collections and had a very good regular wheel collection.

I spent a great afternoon sitting in my regular wheel room with your book. I don't go in there enough and it was such a pleasure to open your book and familiarise myself again with such wonderful creations by Matchbox. No matter how much we know or even forget about Matchbox, it is gratifying to pick up Matchbox tidbits from elsewhere and certainly you included a good number of points that I had never heard. How wonderful it would be if regular wheel collectors could come together under one roof and discuss models. Your book would surely provide a marvellous impetus. Jack Odell told me the real reason why Rodney Smith left the trio and he was perhaps less than charitable about Les Smith. But these are comments that are probably best left unwritten but which would provide interesting background material.

Your book was not written for the "rivet counters" in the hobby. It could easily be read by anyone as there can't be many children who have not played with a Matchbox Toy at some stage. When I had finished the book, I just yearned for more. It seemed like a taster and hopefully will be the forerunner of more to come. I have always been fascinated by colour trials and pre-production models. If only we could combine the knowledge of these models with photos to include in a larger book.

You're probably pulling your hair out at this stage given the hours you must surely have dedicated to writing this book. When I wrote the chapters on Early Lesney and Regular Wheel models for the First 40 years book, I had so much more information. I am sure it was the case also with you that you had to leave out interesting material. Every book on Matchbox is a time consuming work of art. There will always be healthy debate generated which is good for the hobby. Sadly, it is more than 33 years since the old Hackney factory closed and much of the knowledge has now been lost to previous generations. So Nick, I urge you to consider this as just a Prelude and give thought to writing a regular wheel book which includes as many pre-production regular wheel models and possibly transitionals as possible.

Thank you for all your efforts which will inspire Matchbox collectors around the world.

Nigel

[nickjones]

wow, praise indeed, thank you Nigel.

[matchboxmarcel]

I now have this great new little book about our beloved Matchbox toys in hands and I realy like it !

The book features Gary Galvin's early large scale Lesney toy collection which is one of the 2 finest collections in existence. With so many Early Lesney Toys on photo this certainly gives one of the most complete overviews ever published. Where-ever did we saw 7 variations of the early Road Roller pictured ? The box pictured with the great Massey Harris Tractor is different then the one in the 40th years book so even if you have the 40th years book (which publication was almost 30 years ago) there is much new for you to see in this new book by Nick. Both Nick and Gary (and myself) where among the few collectors who visited the opening of the Matchbox exhibition in the London Hackney museum on the evening of March 18th 2004 and as we now know this was the last occasion that collectors could meet both founders of Lesney Products (Matchbox); Leslie Smith and Jack Odell. Nick Jones had his great all original UK 1966 Matchbox dealerdisplay on show there and a photo of that display in full swing with all the correct models is one of the many fine pictures in this book.

The book also features Matchbox Regular wheels 1-75 and Superfast and Matchbox Accessory packs, Major packs and Kingsize. Don't expect endless variation lists. The mixture of photos is fine, showing both the more easier to find models but also some of the more elusive variations. There is also a small section about Matchbox Models of Yesteryear models and some of the fine Matchbox giftsets are pictured.
With almost 80 colorphotos in the book there is something for every-one.

The book also contains original black and white photos of Leslie Smith and Jack Odell and the factory and that section makes the book especially fine for me. Although I have many books and paperwork on Matchbox and I got all the original paperwork which was not used for the 40th years book when I was helping with Alex Picha his book about Matchbox some years ago I never saw the black and white photos in Nick Jones his book published before in other books, newsletters or publications. These black and white photos makes the book an indispensable book to have for the genuine Matchbox collector.

It has been quite some years ago that a book about Matchbox Toys was published and I always welcome this. I personally want to thank Nick for all his efforts in promoting our beloved hobby. The webforums including Nick Jones his own forum Vintage British Diecast are nice but a book is for ever !

Nick will travel all the way south to the Sandown swapmeet on Saturday November 12th and will have the books with him. So why not come along and say hello and buy the book there? It will save you postage and you will get a personal chat and a superb swapmeet as a bonus.
More information on the fair:

http://www.bpfairs.com/

marcel

[Maestro]

Just ordered one copy of your book and looking forward to it Nick!