49 Army Half Truck Fred Bonner Blister Back

[MattBox]

Just picked this up along with a few other Fred Bonners. I thought this was unusual being a "D" type box in a pack, considering most of these packaged vehicles are in "E" type boxes. I also noticed this has the green tread, which according to the guide it is the last and only variation they did for this. Just thought I'd share, I was curious on rarity and would like to know a little more about these packaged vehicles
Thanks! -Matt

[nickjones]

Very nice Matt, One of my favourite models.

[Taniwha]

I've never seen this one in this blister before - very cool. Interesting that it is the final variant - I think you're right that these must have come out only for a very short time before the change to the Unimog at number 49 and the early E type boxes.

Cheers,
Gavin

[matchboxkiwi]

Nice Blister pack. I've always liked how they pack the model and the box in the blister pack.
The American's seemed to go that extra mile with presentation and packaging back then. I can see why the American market was very successful for Matchbox.
It's funny how later on in the late 70's and early 80's, particularly with the play sets the American packaging was quite bland compared to the English packaging!

How were these early blister packs done? Pre packed in England and shipped to America or were they sent over in standard cartons and the American's took all the models out of their boxes and carded them up.

Cheers, Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[Taniwha]

Steve,

I don't know why, but I always thought Bronner's packed these in the US.

Cheers,
Gavin

[nickjones]

They were attached to the blister by the Fred Bronner Corporation in the USA, Note the blister has F.B.C. printed in the lower right corner.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Fred Bronner was a toy importer and handled many makes of toys for the U.S. markets. His company was big enough and well organised enough to have full packaging and boxing facilities. We so often forget this, because we see the Bronner company as only being connected with Matchbox toys and models, but they were just another (very successful), product line for him.

The pictured example of that 'Bronner Blister Card' is the earlier of the Two designs I know of and they both have the date of 1964, the second type does not have the 'F.B.C.' in the corner, it is centrally printed as part of his full address...Fred Bronner Corporation, New York, N.Y. 10010.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[matchboxkiwi]

So the models were all sent over to the US in cartons, as pictured in the Mike and the Model Makers book, only to be unpackaged and put together on a blister card as shown above! Seems a lot of extra work to go to and added cost when the toys were only pocket money toys or were they seen in the US more as models?
I would have thought even in the US most kids would have just ripped them out of the blister packs and thrown it away with the unused box. I think they look very attractive packaged like this but I can't see the point in it, especially economics wise.

Cheers, Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[kay]

Even the later blistered Superfast models without boxes have been sent to Fred Bronner in their original single cardboard boxes.
His workers took the models out of the boxes by hand, and put them into transport containers (sounds that the literally have been stacked in the containers).
In the next step, the models were taken out of the container (again by hand) and put into the plasic blister piece.
Finally, the plastic blister part was fused to the cardboard by a machine.
This is why it is possible to find original blistered models with little paint flaws - it was because of the handling process, especially in the containers!

So there must have been tons of empty cardboard Superfast boxes then - but probably they have been sent back to the Lesney factory in the UK.

Kay

[Taniwha]

I've acquired several empty early SF boxes from the US in the past - part of large "old shop stocks" or something. I wonder whether some of these rumoured large quantities of empty type F and G boxes came from Bronners?

Cheers,
Gavin