Superkings - Am I the only fan here?

[Ewan]

As one or two of you may have noticed from the recent addition of a Scammell avatar, I am a bit of a Superkings fan - well some of them anyway. Having spent much of the last year looking around at various ranges from various manufacturers on which to focus my collecting bug I seemed mostly to be succeeding only at confusing myself. Whilst I fully intend adding to my RW and SF collections in the same old way - buy a joblot and keep what I want, sell what I don't, I really wanted something in particular to focus on.

Eventually, nostalgia has won, and I've spent the last month starting to gather Superkings from ebay, specifically the Scammell Crusaders but also the odd other 70s British Truck - Leyland Tippers, Bedford TMs etc. I had a few Superkings as a kid, but being a kid, I hadn't realised just what good models they are. There seems to be absolutely no online information on them anywhere, other than the ones previously released as King Size which doesn't bother me too much as it's making me have to think a bit about sussing out variations etc, although I am hoping that the '40 years book' which I know to be sitting under a tree some 2ft to my left will contain some info!

I'll try to get a few photos together over the next few days if any of you are interested - I lose enough on ebay to realise that there are other collectors out there, but are there any on this forum?

[Tinman]

I'm a huge fan of the early Kings and some of the later ones. Don't care for any of the superkings though. Besides the wheels, the colors went too crazy as well. However, there are other superking fans here.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hi Ewan, the "40 years" book for Christmas, wow aren't you the lucky one, there was another forum member after one of those. I think you will enjoy it, it's a book you will keep picking up time and time again, to check something. Have a good Christmas and a good read.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[kbean63]

I'm also a really early Kings fan. For me, trucks should look like trucks with utiltarian paint and tires. I always liked the early King tires and hubs even though the tires often go their separate ways over the years. I'm also a bit more tolerant of playwear on King Size trucks than I am on 1-75 models - I mean, a real operational dump truck or mining truck has nicks, dents and dust. I think I have to get 2 of each model - one minty and one slighly playworn. Not a bad rule to set for oneself, it just means more toys.

[Ewan]

I'm also a really early Kings fan. For me, trucks should look like trucks with utiltarian paint and tires. I always liked the early King tires and hubs even though the tires often go their separate ways over the years. I'm also a bit more tolerant of playwear on King Size trucks than I am on 1-75 models - I mean, a real operational dump truck or mining truck has nicks, dents and dust. I think I have to get 2 of each model - one minty and one slighly playworn. Not a bad rule to set for oneself, it just means more toys.

I'm with you on the playwear - it really suits some of the dump trucks in particular.

[Tinman]

I'm also a really early Kings fan. For me, trucks should look like trucks with utiltarian paint and tires. I always liked the early King tires and hubs even though the tires often go their separate ways over the years. I'm also a bit more tolerant of playwear on King Size trucks than I am on 1-75 models - I mean, a real operational dump truck or mining truck has nicks, dents and dust. I think I have to get 2 of each model - one minty and one slighly playworn. Not a bad rule to set for oneself, it just means more toys.

LOL, only two? I must have a dozen play worn models of each early King. There are some I just can't pass up and always buy them.

[kbean63]

LOL, only two?

Yeah, I was being conservative on my estimate. I also have a hard time saying no.

One model in particular is a fun one to have extras of - the K-4 GMC/Fruehauf hopper truck. Lesney was wise enough to add another trailer hitch on the back of the 2nd trailer so one can keep adding additional trailers to make a humongous "road train". I wish they had thought to do the same with the K-16 Dodge Fruehauf Tipper truck.

[kbean63]

I'm guessing that for most of us, the models that appeal to us most are the ones we grew up with. I grew up in the regular wheels, early Superfast and King Size era so those are the models that appeal to me most. To my eye, many of the earlier grey wheel models are a little too crude, and the later Superfasts were too slick and too gaudy/colorful. There are exceptions to both but generally I stick with what I know.

Actually, I would go one step further and say that as akid I wished they hadn't converted the Kings to Superfast. They were too big to run on most tracks anyway and they were supposed to be trucks, not shiny, colorful supercar wannabes. I can see why Lesney saw the necessity of updating the 1-75s to keep from getting buried by Hot Wheels but I've often thought that the Kings could have survived just fine by still offering something that Mattel didn't.

With all that said, it's kinda cool to hear that someone digs the Superkings. I've often wondered if the generation after me viewed the regular wheel and King Size era the same way that I see the grey wheels. Maybe you can shed light on that - do the reg wheels seem kinda primitive to you? If you have pics I'd be interested in seeing them. Maybe you can make a convert out of me.

Additionally, if there are any hardcore grey wheelers reading this, are any of the reg wheel models too snazzy for your tastes?

[Ewan]

Interesting points, kbean63. I think the models/toys that appeal most to me are also tied in to the 1:1 vehicles that appeal to me. I've always generally preferred things older than me, so there are heaps of grey/black wheeled 1-75 models and RW king Size that I really like. It's a fairly recent thing for me to be a bit nostalgic about my own life and perhaps has something to do with the fact that there is now fairly little around me that I grew up with - the world moves on and once familiar things slowly disappear.

I definitely remember as a kid being totally unimpressed with any toy that was totally made up, such as the 'Soopa-Coopa' and when it comes to wheels I really can't stand 'spun hubs' such as on the RW Mustang or Corgis. Then again I don't like wheel trims on 1:1 vehicles either. I can totally understand why someone who grew up with gpw or bpw isn't keen on Superfast or Superkings, but there are loads of Superfast collectors which is why I was wondering if there were some Superkings fans - the same reasoning over colours/wheels applies and it doesn't seem to stop folk collecting Superfast.

[nearlymint]

I really like superkings, but have had to stop because they take up so much room(mainly the lorry,s).
J