As this might be of interest for some, I want to make it known that I have now at last completed my sub-project of creating my own MS Word catalogue files for pre-1970 regular wheel Matchbox Miniatures models. This sub-project has been in the works since 2011.
These files are in the same basic format as my Word files cataloguing more recent models which I have been developing for almost twenty years by now, and I have made them available for download on my website; see:
http://www.cfalkensteiner.com/Matchbox/ ... RIndex.htm.
I have recently decided to include links to all my Word files on the index pages of my website, for in this way I can make them available without having to create picture pages for each individual model (which I do not intend to ever do for pre-1970 regular wheel models).
As with all of my Word files, their main purpose is for me to catalogue my own collection. In fact they are now about to replace the Stannard photocopies which I had been using for about twenty-five years and which have become more and more confusing and difficult to use over the years with numerous corrections and additions pencilled in.
For this reason there are shaded rows denoting models I have in my own collection, and the entries in the "sub-variation" columns reflect the amount of detail which I personally want to apply to my collection. So anybody who would want to use any of my files for his or her own purposes should remove the shading and remove the entries in the "sub-variation" columns. I do not intend to provide "de-personalized" versions of my listings, as it would take me too much time to keep those up to date.
The sub-variation concept in itself is intended to make the listings more easily manageable, and I am presently about to introduce it to my Word files cataloguing the more recent models as well (although it will take a while to tackle all of those). Sub-variations are generally "minor" variations which most collectors do not care about - first and foremost those small casting differences which came about due to several moulds being used concurrently (including die numbers), furthermore the sides on which crimped axles are crimped, sided decals and labels, and for more recent models other features such as solid or hollow (Superfast) wheels, wheel strip colours and batch number locations.
As for the contents of the regular wheel files, I have tried to incorporate everything which is in Stannard, everything which is on Nick's catalogue pages and everything which is in my own collection and/or which I have added to my Stannard photocopies over the years. It is my intention to by and by go through everything which has been posted here over the years and add any further details I can find, but most of this task is still ahead of me, and I expect this process to take a long time. Also still ahead is the task of checking the box variation descriptions against Pat's box website. This is a work in progress and will remain so until the end of my life.
I have no solution for the variation number problem. It has been my goal to sort the variations in the most logical way, and I have simply numbered them consecutively. For the foreseeable future the variation numbers are likely not to remain totally constant, as I will add further variations where they belong and then rearrange the numbers. There are cross-reference columns denoting Michael Stannard's and Nick Jones' variation numbers.
Finally, as per tradition (for I started with Charlie Mack's Superfast catalogue as a basis in 1998) I use American rather than British terminology and spelling, e.g. "fender" instead of "mudguard", "hood" instead of "bonnet", "gray" instead of "grey" and "tire" instead of "tyre".
Any feedback is appreciated, but it may take me some time to respond.
