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I am not totally sure whether I will be able to go or not, but am veering towards making an effort and attending the NEC show on Sunday. As I live in Northampton it is not a long journey to get there (about 45 minutes), and it is big. But I remember people saying that lately there just doesn't seem to be a lot in the way of Matchbox lately. I have not been to a toy show in quite a while now, and am wondering if this is the one to get me back out there.

I purchased a Hudl in November and have been actively taking loads of photos of my collection to upload onto it. Therefore I am still planning on using it as a tool for checking for variations at a toy show, but have not had an opportunity to test it yet. My old paper method is very dated and has so little information it can be quite hard to check for variations using it sometimes. My new way has vastly improved my capability of seeing what I need to hunt for, although I am a long way off finishing taking photos. I think I am getting close to being a quarter of the way through now.

I found my 41a variation code 1 at the last NEC fair, so I would say, yes, it is worth going.

Like any fair it's pot luck. I went last time and found very little Matchbox and most people were saving it was poor. Having said that if you don't go you don't find.

I was there this time last year and after an 6 hour drive from Glasgow to get there i left the NEC very disappointed with the lack of Matchbox.

I was certianly looking for transitional Superfast and left with none. Then had to face the long drive home and not much change out of £80 in fuel costs. I expected a lot more from the biggest toy fair in Britain!!

You see how lapse our border controls are, we not only let in any old Eastern European. Were also letting the Jocks in

tjlglass wrote:You see how lapse our border controls are, we not only let in any old Eastern European. Were also letting the Jocks in

Bulgarians Where? Where? ...........Let me at them Tim, I'll sort them out!!!

motorman wrote:Bulgarians Where? Where? ...........Let me at them Tim, I'll sort them out!!!

Don't forget, the Bulgarian Matchbox "Trollathon" coming soon (VBD Times has the details).. your mission: "to seek out and destroy all Abominations!!"


Cheers,
Ken

If there was a toy fair 45 minutes from me, I'd be there.

ford_a_30 wrote:If there was a toy fair 45 minutes from me, I'd be there.

Me too!

My last visit to the NEC I went for the early entry at 8am. The cost was £15 but if my memory serves me right I got £5 back when I returned my early entry badge, By 10am I was ready to leave as I had spent all of my money and with the NEC being so large I had overdone the walking and was just about done in, But it was nice in not having to have crowds of people to contend with, Getting in early probably meant I missed a few bits that were still waiting to be unpacked but it also meant I got the first pick of what had been unpacked, So I left when the queues to get in were still miles long, I had a carrier bag full of toys, a smile on my face and a limp in my leg,