Canadian Simpson Sears Fire Set

[kay]

It looks like a kind of "generic" box has been made by Lesney under the name of "Lesney Products & Co.", so it had no sticker on front.
Maybe they sold a mix of different models in these sets without any theme relation (probably just made for export to Canada).

Then the whole box has been altered to "sold by Simpson Sears Limited and The Robert Simpson Co. Limited"".
They put a sticker onto the box with their own set name, catalog and retail numbers - depending on the theme of the models contained ("Fire Set" with catalog number 28037 and retail number 28355 in my case), and filled the generic box with the related models (and probably with the traffic signs, too).
Just an idea, but it sounds quite likely!

When I remember it correctly, Ethan Enzer (who saw my set in Macungie, too) mentioned that one of his Matchbox collecting friends also has one of these type of sets as well!

Quite exciting....!!

Kay

[kay]

Ups,

I just noticed that the Lesney set had a "registered trade mark" sign behind the Matchbox name - which the Simpson Sears set does not have!
This actually means that the Simpson Sears set must have been made earlier!!

Kay

[matchboxmarcel]

Ghosty, this is the link to the catalogue which I think will show this packaging:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Simpsons-Sears-C ... TQ:CA:1123

Kay, I also think the SEARS SIMPSONS sets are made earlier, similar to special sets for the USA which were with the FRED BRONNER name and later on with the LESNEY name.

I didn't see sofar that the R was not printed on your box while it is printed on Neil's box.
This is all very intereting. It is good that I visited Neil this afternoon and made more photos so that we can compare.
That's the good thing on international forums on the internet.
I remember the pre internet period while this all was far more difficult.

marcel

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Ups,

I just noticed that the Lesney set had a "registered trade mark" sign behind the Matchbox name - which the Simpson Sears set does not have!
This actually means that the Simpson Sears set must have been made earlier!!

Kay

I agree with that Kay, registration marks for "Matchbox" branded products started to appear during 1968 on packaging and the seperate model boxes.

Ghosty.

[matchboxmarcel]

This afternoon I searched the internet and Ebay for a SIMPSONS SEARS 1967 christmas catalogue.
I could find the USA SEARS catalogue but to find this garage box pictured I am quite sure we have to look into Canadian SIMPSONS SEARS christmas catalogues.
Unfortunatly I could not find a 1967 edition. I could find a 1966 edition and emailed the seller as I just wrote in an earlier post.

marcel

[matchboxmarcel]

I searhed for closed listings on SIMPSONS SEARS christmas catalogues and found this sold 1968 catalogue.
The seller shows the toypage (most important) And this shows the rare box (upper left page)
It is probally also pictured in the 1967 catalogue (and maybe 1966 ?)
So Kay is right that this is from 1967 and Neil his set from 1968.
Man still wonder why Kay's exmaple is slightly altered to a Fire Engine set.
There is a Fire Engine theme group pictured on the same page.
Maybe people could choose for a group to go with this cardboard garage as suggested by Kay earlier?

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1968-Simpsons-SE ... 300&_uhb=1



all very exiting, I hope you are both still online and not red this tomorrow !

marcel

[GHOSTHUNTER]

The posts have got slightly out of order, never mind. Thanks for the link Matchboxmarcel, shame it does not show the pages we are interested in and look at that price...WOW! are these really worth this much, wish I'd kept all my British stores and mail order catalogues now, but they were difficult to store and very heavy!

Ghosty.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Nice find Matchboxmarcel, I'll spend a few hours looking closely at all the models as well...

Ghosty.

[kay]

Whow, yes - there it is, the picture even shows the traffic signs!!
But as there are just two (?) models shown with it, it might be the generic version.

Kay

P.S. Have you noticed the crossover K-8 Car Transporter in turquoise and yellow!?

[SMS88]

Interesting to see another unique example of Canadian designed and made packaging from the good old days of tariffs and protected markets that made it cheaper to source locally made packaging than import.Unique Canadian designs for collector case covers and glossy card bilingual Superfast tracksets have been well known for years..........