Introduction to Beginners' Corner

[GHOSTHUNTER]

It was the base rivets on the yellow #33 that to me were just too large. The picture below shows what we normally see on this model, small rivet heads.



Here is Rainer's #33 again.


Ghosthunter.

[raham2001]

Hi Ghosthunter,
ya i can see there is difference between. From the interior it looks like pre modell , but i do not know did the used small rivet heads for too, or never used large one like my model has?

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hi Rainer.

Usually if Lesney become aware of a problem such as base rivets not doing the job properly, they will modify the tooling which in the case of base rivets they will make then longer which when pressed or spun down through the holes in the base, they will be bigger to make sure they are covering the holes correctly to stop the baseplate becoming detached from the body.

Large rivets on an early, possibly 'Preproduction' model when we know they are usually small rivets is what concerns most of us here as this often means the model has been tampered with for some reason.

If a model such as the #33 Lamborghini with large base rivets was shown to us still in a factory sealed blister packaging, we would more than likely accept it as a genuine factory issued variation, but your example is not in any packaging so does concern us about its authenticity, before we consider the blue interior.

We want it to be a genuine very early issue, but so far we can not accept it that way with the evidence presented so far and with very little background history to it, that is not helping us understand what version model you have.

Ghosthunter.

[fixer]

I'm wondering if they are the Greeks

[Ratch]

Hi, my name is Richard. My Grandfather, my father (many of my family) and I worked for Mettoy. As a youth, Corgi cars were abundant in our house. I didn’t have to look after them because if it got broken, I could get a new one. My cousin had to save all his pocket money for Corgis, and they were reverently stored in their boxes. They were on tap to me and what did I want with boxes. I got a piecework job cutting spacehopper housings, then I was employed on Saturday mornings cleaning at the Harlestone Road factory. During summer holidays I had labouring jobs variously at Harlestone Road and Lodge Farm. I eventually was employed as Inflating Shop Foreman on the rotational moulding side of the business making footballs and spacehoppers. Corgi’s Development and Toolroom was still at Harlestone Road though production had moved to Swansea. The Stanley Road and Greenwood Road factories were still producing Huskies and we had a Fettling Shop in Harlestone Road. I remember being presented with the Queen’s State Landau on her jubilee (the first Corgi I kept in the box). I worked my way up to Production Planning Manager and really enjoyed the work, but the Wembley side of the business collapsed in 1991 and my career changed. Before the closure of Harlestone Road I liberated a 1967 Set 36 Oldsmobile Tornado, Glastron Sportsman Speedboat and Trailer from the sample room. I was lucky to be invited to Margate in 2008 and (amongst other facilities) viewed the new Corgi sample room. What memories that brought back. It probably rekindled my interest in diecasts. I am now fully retired and have been replacing some of those old Corgi cars that I can recall having as a child (if I can get them at a reasonable price). I don’t have a big collection of diecasts but I do have some wonderful memories.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hello Richard, welcome to the forum.

That is a great story so thank yoy for bringing it to the forum. We would appreciate any other stories that come to mind based on your past very exciting work periods at Mettoy/Corgi.

You say you do not have a large collection but with those memories inside, I bet it feels large as those memories transform themselves into great images.

We do have quite a good Corgi section (here...https://www.vintagebritishdiecasts.co.u ... m.php?f=14) which hopefully will bring back even more nice memories for you.

Ghosthunter.

[Ratch]

Thank you. I can remember probably more about the people there rather than the products. As I said, I was in the rotational moulding section, though the injection moulding machines (for car interiors etc) were next door to us. Arthur Katz was still active when I first started and his son, Peter, took over. I don't recall Mr. Henry (Henry Ullman), he was more my dad's era. My grandad tended his garden after he retired from the factory. Mettoy was a huge concern - I was just a very small part of it.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

''a very small part of it'' but of course an important part

Couple of well known names from Mettoy's past you mention. I would loved to have worked with or for them. My only work connection to Mettoy/Corgi was in the 1970,s when I did works experince at 'The Toy Works' in Bideford, North Devon. They used to make the big wooden service stations and garages for using with Corgi Toys.

Ghosthunter.

[Minialuxe]

Greetings to the distinguished public! My name is Alex, I'm from Russia. I am 44 years old. I collect retro cars on a scale of 1 \ 43, 1 \ 40, 1 \ 50. Basically it is RAMI, SAFIR, DUGU, Minialuxe. I recently came across a Corgi - Bentley 1929 model.
The model is perfectly preserved, but lost the windshield, steering wheel and dashboard. Basically a complete order, there is a liner and a box. Can someone help me with the search for the missing parts? Thank you in advance.

[captainmorgan]

Dear Collectors!

I have bought some Matchbox Lesney pieces and i find this in the lot.
A do not know anything about it, maybe it is a good rare piece from that Lesney period?
https://imgur.com/n55ZcjZ
https://imgur.com/TjTjadP
https://imgur.com/VtesWfx
https://imgur.com/xrsuI4L

Thank you, hope you can help me to find what is is!

Greetings from Hungary!