New Scenic Cruiser (Scenicruiser) MB1089

[AJR]

It would seem that the Matchbox Scenicruiser has not yet been laid to rest but this is of course a completely new casting (but still with only three upper bays instead of four). They call it a Scenic Cruiser rather than its correct title of Scenicruiser.
Wheels are horrendous (two styles ... spoked or hubcapped) and it looks to be ripe for future livery variants. It certainly hasn't the finesse of the older MB66 though.
It brings me to a question .... Where in UK can you buy Matchbox apart from eBay? Go into any toyshop and the usual choices are Hot Wheels or Majorette.

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[GHOSTHUNTER]

If you look on the Matchbox.co.uk site all they do is give a store locator function, not a list or map of where stores are so your question is interesting as I don't remember the last time I saw matchbox models on display in a retail shop!

Ghosthunter.

[David Tilley]

The only place you can officially get Matchbox in the UK is at Asda. They have an exclusive deal to be the provider of Matchbox in the UK, yet will only stock singles and 5-packs. They are bringing back the opening parts in a new series for 2019, as well as a premium Superfast series all with opening features too (looking at re-tooling the classic MB1 Dodge Challenger and include an opening bonnet/hood, as well as re-tooling the classic MB3 Porsche Turbo along with its opening doors, as well as re-using their retooled Blue Shark casting that was used in 2004). But Asda will not be taking them. Their planned re-fit in January will keep Matchbox exactly as it is. such a shame. I have to rely on friends from abroad to ship a lot of stuff over to me.

[Tinman]

such a shame. I have to rely on friends from abroad to ship a lot of stuff over to me.

That has to seriously inflate your collecting costs!

[David Tilley]

such a shame. I have to rely on friends from abroad to ship a lot of stuff over to me.

That has to seriously inflate your collecting costs!

Actually, no. A single Matchbox costs $1 in USA, or £2 in the UK (which is roughly $2.60). So that is over 2.5 times as expensive. A 5-pack is $5 in USA or £9 in the UK. Again we are looking at close to 2.5 times as much. My last box of stuff from USA had around 60 models inside, and cost around $60 to ship. That would work out at around $1 per model in shipping. As we have already seen, the cheapest model would be a single, and it would cost the equivalent of $1.60 extra to buy it at my local Asda rather than getting it shipped from USA at a $1 cost, in essence saving me half a dollar per model. This is why a lot of what I am picking up from the UK is variations on models that have already been sent over from USA. I currently have basics batches 2018 L, 2018 M and 2019 A on its way from USA. Then I will nose at the Asda stuff to check for variations.

So in essence I am actually, strictly speaking, saving money on getting them all sent over from USA. But I am a Matchbox hunter. I enjoy the trips to the stores hunting down new stuff, and comparing batches for variations. So not having more stuff in the UK does still make me sad as I cannot enjoy the hunt like I used to.