Anyone Remember (The Proper) Matchbox?

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Member for

15 years 2 months

Posts: 2,631

Evening all.

I'm just back from a trip to Maumee, Ohio. I was visiting my girlfriend's (been in a relationship coming up a year now - fantastic. But she currently resides in Phoenix Arizona with her awesome daughter, sometimes spends a short time in LA where we both work on occasions) family with her there, meeting the Mother, Step-Father, Sister and other members, nervous times but absolutely great. Wonderful. Anyway, we were all having a nice meal, having a giggle, getting to know them etc. and her (my girlfriend) Nephew, 8 years old, wanted to take me to his room and show me around, have a look at his games, toys, have a go on the PS4 (Tekken 6 - Get in there! Boom!) and I noticed he had a load of old Matchbox cars, lorries, pick-ups & all, the 'proper' die-cast ones that were made in the '70s and '80s. He even had a few in the old packaging.

It brought back so many memories of my childhood in the mid/late '80s when I was in single digits. I never really thought about having such toys until I seen those. I remember watching the movie Convoy (10-4, Rubber Duck! Quack-Quack!) and playing with Matchbox trucks in front of the TV, using the boxes they came in as truck stops, canteens, the town where they all drove through and wreck and of course - the barn where 'Dirty' Lyle Wallace crashes into, albeit in a Volvo but in my world it was a Chevy Chevelle... Because that's what you did as a kid. :D

Does anyone remember those old Matchbox toys? Before they went all blah-and-plastic. :)

Original post

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 9,821

The proper Matchbox cars were from the early-mid 60s....before the "go fast" wheels and decals.:)
When I was 8 or so, I had a school friend who lived down the block. He was a spoilt only child and had the best toys.
Among them were a great collection of Corgi and Dinky (I still remember the Dinky DH-110 and Javelin...and assumed them the be the UK's best jets).
But what really go me excited were his Matchbox cars. he even had the large plastic BP (never heard if that before) "petrol" station and car salesroom...and odd combination in the states.
Looking through it I learned a lot about UK cars and trucks, with names I'd never heard of.
The neat drawings of massive motorways and rural countryside filled with sports cars and horseboxes intrigued me, so I decided someday I'd have to visit.

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 104

Yes I remember the delight of buying my latest matchbox car in it's own box from my local post office.
Also Britains toy soldiers, I had a large collection of US cavalry, cowboys & indians.

Profile picture for user 1batfastard

Member for

11 years 2 months

Posts: 3,650

Hi All,
I had these toys from a very young childhood from the mid 60's to the Superfast cars in the 70's, when at junior school me and my friend who sat next to me used to create garages in our school desks....:D Always remember my Nan telling me they had to usher me past a local shop hat I would pester for a toy car, so much so that even placed on the outside of my Mother or Nan trying to shield me from the shop, I would just yank my hand down and run into the shop to look at all the toy cars....:D I like so many others had loads of the matchbox and oh! how I wish I kept them...:stupid: Here below are a few that stick in my mind...
http://ir.ebaystatic.com/rs/v/yu30h40xlm4frf4hjlyepi4nief.jpghttp://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mvTZhk15l4aG6eSvgEFP-kQ.jpghttp://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/t_article_image/tomcgx1mzgfinzqj3ucx.jpghttps://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRh1OS7AhbLdel71yhd22soXYiMaO3lexbfvgxL_WkaYh8IRKpGhttp://img0019.psstatic.com/108287879_matchbox-lesney-61-alvis-stalwart-rare-f-box1969mib-ebay.jpghttps://www.toymart.com/photos/photos_22845078_15429365_73672943.jpghttp://sumpmagazine.com/classicbikenews/images/lesney-triumph.jpg[IMG]http://img0048.psstatic.com/95497660_matchbox-regular-wheels-35-b-snow-…https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4b/c6/74/4bc674b52dc77953bfd9a850868a4cce.jpghttp://www.lotus-europa.com/models/172/matchbox_superfast5_s1p.jpghttps://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3703/12171890946_0411bb1b93.jpghttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2NlgxNjAw/z/PGoAAOSw2s1UwPCm/$_35.JPGhttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/$(KGrHqN,!p8FBn!yhPuQBQmZ27W5Hw~~60_35.JPGhttp://www.mboxcommunity.com/cfalkens/Matchbox/Catalog/LS/LS01-39/LS36a/LS36a-01bxF.jpghttp://a3.img.bidorbuy.co.za/image/upload/user_images/451/1150451/1150451_140714135418_DSC09635.JPGhttp://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mOlA4Rq51C8pdozHkE_YmIw.jpghttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzY4WDEwMjQ=/$(KGrHqZ,!jIE-Nqs!3cmBPoEe)sZPQ~~60_35.JPG

Geoff.

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 9,821

I've kept all of mine. Of the one's pictured, I still have the BP exploration truck, the Opel #36 (a car never sold in America in full size form so it was a bit different even though it looked like any other GM sedan), the GT40 and the arctic trac.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 497

I've kept all of mine. Of the one's pictured, I still have the BP exploration truck

I had that BP truck...a favourite for some reason....didn't keep any of them! (wish I had)

Profile picture for user 1batfastard

Member for

11 years 2 months

Posts: 3,650

Hi All,
JBoyle,
Well they will be good hand me downs if you have the boxes especially, which BP truck did you have the Superfast or the earlier 60's type ? It depends on the condition on the toy and the box. My brother in-law collects them and he said it's like any collection condition is everything but just like coins the Matchbox/Corgi/Hot Wheels etc.etc. all have varying levels of condition along with that comes varying values :eek:

Tony,
You and me both matey....:p

Geoff.

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 9,821

Sadly, I don't have the boxes. And they're the old originals...alas, the Superfast series was after my childhood.
A friend with high-end GT 40 replica collects, as you might imagine, models of the car. He had many old Matchbox versions of it...they seem to sell for $6 -10 here.

Member for

11 years 5 months

Posts: 11,141

Those are marvellous pictures Geoff!! I just predated Matchbox garnering an eclectic mix of pre-war Dinkies and wartime wooden homemades and then lots of post-war Dinkies. Left home at the end of the fifties without the toys which were no doubt given away to jumble sales!! Wish I had had JB's foresight and hung on to them!

Profile picture for user 1batfastard

Member for

11 years 2 months

Posts: 3,650

Hi All,
Charlie,
Just like yourself matey left home all toys given away :rolleyes: I gave all my Airfix kits to my younger cousins who later in life admitted they were gone within a month or tw as most had bangers stuffed in them and thrown out the window....:apologetic:

Geoff.

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 104

Most of my stuff was given away due to a house move including my bound TV21 comic collection all my airfix & most of my dinky/corgi cars, I managed to hang on to FAB1 for a bit longer.