For example, if youre collecting Matchbox vehicles from the early 1960s and find one with factory paint mistakes, it could be worth more than a mint-condition version of the same model. It has always been a 2-door coupe, but the models 37-year production life saw it undergo several drastic redesigns. If you want to add this rare car to your collection, we hope you've been saving. Matchbox was a brand name for British die-cast vehicles produced by Lesney Products beginning in 1953. This model came in green and cream colors. The Superfast 8d Rover 3500 Police Car is a very rare item that can be found only in a few places worldwide today. His character drove a Ferrari, which inspired a lot of kids to purchase one. As for the BP Dodge Wrecker, they miscalculated when it came to the icons color. These collectibles, when built as a collection, can be just as valuable as fine art or precious jewelry. Back in the 80s, there was a hit TV series called Magnum PI starring Tom Sellek. It has been graded 8 out of 10 by collectors and is in excellent condition. Mattel introduced more glamorous cars and sometimes even imaginary vehicles, while Matchbox sold more traditional models. One was sold for $10,000 and the other for $13,000. The second version was made without opening doors and trunk but still had chrome wheels. 30 Toy Cars Collectors Covet. Vukasin Herbez November 12, 2018. Hope amassed almost . This was the first-ever 1:64 scale Matchbox car made. For example, 1:64 scale trucks were produced until 1989, while 1:43 scale trucks were only produced until 1982 before being discontinued completely due to poor sales performance. You can find one in good condition fairly easily. There is one version thats worth its weight in gold. Die Cast Metal Toy Car Collectible ad vertisement by CedarClosetCache. If you have one in your collection, you should be proud of yourself! Others, however, like any collecting hobby, go beyond the standard. This little brown 1961 crane truck sold for $10 at a garage sale, according to reports. Top tips for valuing rare diecast cars. Also, speaking of Mattel, the Hot Wheels line of cars is often considered a valid matchbox car by collectors and enthusiasts heads up! 3. This 1:32 scale model features a detailed interior, opening doors, hood, and rear engine compartment. There are 30 models listed in the Sky-Busters range in the 1980/81 Matchbox Catalogue. With an estimated value of around $4,100, this little Matchbox truck is worth more than some regular size cars. In the late 1960s, Mattel which today owns Matchbox introduced Hot Wheels. Something about these little tin toys makes them appealing to kids and adults alike. The Opel Diplomat is a matchbox car made in a variety of colors, some being more popular than others. A legendary Chevy model, the Monte Carlo was introduced in 1970 and stayed in production until 2007. Matchbox cars are collectible toys for children and adults alike. The earliest cars were 2 full-metal without glass window panes. That $150,000 model, for instance, was a failed experiment. Early models had metal wheels with treaded tires that could be removed for cleaning or repair (though sometimes they are missing this feature entirely). The first Matchbox car was produced in 1953. 13. This is one of the few remaining works of Ken Wetton, and to top it all off, its a beautiful vehicle. The Magirus-Deutz Truck is modeled after the old type of crane, from the 1960s. At this point, manufacturing the toys in the UK stopped making financial sense, so they moved to Macau and later China. For Lesney Matchbox cars, these took the form of regional models with localized advertising. This truck is not of the typical Matchbox 1/64 scale. The only difference is it is collectible based on its legacy rather than its value. They created their first die-cast in 1997, which was a road roller. It can double your asking price. Distributed by Netflix and executive produced by Hasbros Allspark. If you are looking for the Metallic Gold version of the Opel Diplomat, you shouldnt have a problem finding it. Moko was their distributor and marketer, so those first 1 in 75 miniatures were marked Moko Lesney. Targeting consumer categories makes your sales faster and more profitable. The Best Amazon Presidents' Day Deals of 2023. If a Matchbox collector is interested in buying, selling, or learning about car values, he should visit a collector show. Finding their values is an integral part of Matchbox car collecting, a popular hobby among collectors. convertible, turbo drive, etc.). Historical Vehicle says that in its day, the Diplomat was a very cheap car. 4. 8. There are known to be a lot of collectors out there who collect reverse color BP Dodge wreckers. Lesney cars started out small and got bigger by the decade, so thats one way to date them. Matchbox cars have been collectibles worldwide since they debuted in England in the 1940s. This one of a kind toy car keepsake was sold for a record price of $15,000. Matchbox car collecting is a fun hobby, and there is a large community of collectors worldwide. < GO TO comic & tv series and 36th scale corgi cars & sets from the 1980's: buses, vans and trucks < GO TO buses . The chief model maker, Ken Wetton, made eight prototype proof of concept models; but these were not to be sold; and most of them have since disappeared. Its considered one of the most valuable Matchbox cars because it was produced in limited quantities, which means that not many people have them in their collections today. Matchbox cars officially first appeared in 1953, when Britain's Lesney Products rebranded their already-existing line of miniature toy vehicles. The first diecast toy cars were sold in a set of six cars together: a sports car, a delivery van, a tank, a sports coupe, a truck and a farm tractor. It has always been at the forefront of innovation regarding new technologies and materials used for toy production. There werent many made because the popularity bunked and many kids considered them ugly. Then came the Major series. Matchbox HOT ROD 48 CAR CARRY CASE w/ Cars & Trucks Vintage 1970's & 80's. $10.49. . Road Roller Originally had been designed to be a larger vehicle, but it shrunk in size to make it easier for kids to use it as a toy. Cars in the series were marked with a Y + the toy number. It appears that matchboxes switched to blister packs in the 1980s from the traditional plastic and cardboard boxes that other die-cast toy brands used. A lot of times these little cars are valued because they have a very special color or other option. Matchbox Cars, Set of 9 Die-Cast 1:64 Scale Toy Trucks and Cars from the Matchbox Adventures World Tour Show, Realistic and Authentic Decos, Includes 1 Exclusive Vehicle No reviews $1125 FREE delivery Tue, Mar 7 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon Ages: 3 years and up Matchbox 9 Car Gift Pack, X7111 4.6 (46) $1991$20.99 1961 Magirus-Deutz Truck, Matchbox in tan/orange: 8,513. Are Diecast Cars good Investments? Yet again, we see how a tiny color mishap years ago leads to a valuable collectors item today. Aston Martin Could Team Up with Lucid. The ERF dropside lorry will set you back around $9000. $23.90. The first version was made with opening doors and a trunk and had chrome wheels. The Matchbox Major Scale Quarry Truck from the early 1960s is an extremely sought-after vehicle. 30) - $13,000. It is part of the 1/75 series and has no opening parts or accessories. If you want a car that looks a little more modern, then the Dodge Charger MKIII might just be the vintage diecast car for you. Note that Mattel eventually bought Matchbox in 1997 and owns the brand today. 2023 80s Toy Store | All Rights Reserved. The reason for this price? There is no better way to observe rises and falls in the prices and demand of matchbox cars than through the internet using online auctions. Superfast 8d Rover 3500 Police Car-1973, 17. A 1980's iconoclast, it's not hard to see why the matchbox models are so coveted. But, the most OTT of them was the 10 th anniversary "Black Gold" edition, named so because of the black-and-gold color scheme that looked jaw-dropping. watch . 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Well, when Lesney went bankrupt in 1982, it was sold to Universal Toys. TY Teenie Beanie Babies: Over $800. Beatnik Bandit Hot Wheels - $15,000. They were initially made in England and are in high demand among collectors. Many of Matchbox's most rare cars are considered valuable thanks to their unique paint jobs or limited production runs. Other Series 5-Packs 9-Packs 12-Packs Collectors Series Convoy Dodge Series Global Series Hitch & Haul Japan Origins Japan Series Bubble Power She-Ra. If youre considering a matching set like the one we mentioned above, double-check the authenticity. There was a unique roof on this car, and the interiors were different from that of the American version. Matchbox cars come in various colors and sizes, but there are several things you can look for to identify them as vintage or not. You will likely need to spend around $30 to get your hands on a unique piece of Matchbox history and the original die-cast car in mint condition. As such, it is likely somewhat romanticized which could explain the 2021 release date, although until any further marketing or news about the car is released then this will be little more than speculation. Over the last few years, the matchbox has been the most popular collectible die-cast car. The 1968 Pink Beatnik Bandit is one of the 16 original Hot Wheels cars, also known as the "sweet 16." Ed "Big Daddy" Roth designed this particular car, and the ultra-vivid colors are worth a pretty penny today. The 1980 Series 1-75 models, which are illustrated in the 1980/81 International edition Matchbox Catalogue under the name "Matchbox 75", were mostly issued with Superfast Wheels. Matchbox Diecast Cars Best Selling 2022 Matchbox Moving Parts 1978 Subaru Brat Die Cast Car (6) $3.50 New Matchbox Diecast Collectible Car (MTL-30782) (50) $1.30 New Matchbox 79391473 1:64 Super Service Center Play Set $34.95 New Matchbox 2019 50th Anniversary Superfast 59 VOLKSWAGEN 23 Microbus (8) $6.89 New Matchbox cars are worth anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Many collectibles start their life as toys targeted at kids. As sales (and manufacturing) went overseas, the company switched the branding to Lesney Product. This vintage matchbox is a bit strange because there isnt as much information on it as most others. The real story, however, with this matchbox car is the Ecto-1A version, that is to say the model fromGhostbusters II, seeing as they are now worth around $1000 a piece. Refreshed 2024 VW Atlas Bows with Upscale Updates. If youre unfamiliar with Matchbox models, three body molds have been used over the years: 1:43, 1:55, and 1:64 scale. In the history of Matchbox cars, very few vehicles have reached the value level of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo. This model was released by Lesney Products Ltd. in 1964 relating to its Superfast series of models designed to be larger than other Matchbox cars. The matchbox model released in 2011 had a similarly limited supply run, with Hot Wheels only releasing 4,000 door-open models into the wild. Take good photos from multiple angles. While the slight difference may seem small to non-collectors, it makes all the difference to the most devoted fans. The first true Matchbox toys were produced that . Price: $98. 1971 Purple Olds 442 Ebay / 84check Value: $5,000 Why? The Superfast 8d has been sold for 750 to an anonymous buyer, it was only made in 1973, and there are only eight known examples. The first ever matchbox car was a steamroller cast in red and green (though they called it a road roller in the UK). Only one version of this car was officially released by Matchbox. Their No. Tom Sellek starred as Magnum PI in a TV show that was a hit back in the 1980s. The garbage truck is one of the most popular models from the 1970s and 80s. The Matchbox line includes more than 2,000 cars, trucks, and other vehicles. The best way to trade matchbox cars is to buy them in bulk at estate auctions, flea markets, garage sales, and the goodwill store. There are two versions of roofs: one with a more extended roof and one with a shorter roof. The models differ only in small details such as rivets and wheel size, but overall they are very similar. Newer cars came from Macau or China. The company made promotional vehicles for product placement, mostly on their double-decker buses and yesteryear classics. Compensation does not affect opinions stated. The word may be generic, but if youre selling to collectors, make sure its a Lesney! An excellent example of this is the 1968 Volkswagen Bug. And of course, one is more valuable than the other. This is because almost all of the Magirus-Deutz Cranes were known to be silver with a crane arm tinted orange. It made our top 11 list of the most valuable and rare matchbox cars considering the cars value. It has several features that make it unique, including working headlights, a detailed interior, and wheels. As a car, it was middling, overpriced, and famously low quality, but the true value of this car lies in its design and vision. How to Find out How Much Matchbox Cars Are Worth? In 2010, he sold it, so we dont know how much he spent on it. Matchbox is renowned for the detail and attention to the quality they put into each model. You can raise the value of your resale by tossing some into the lot. Current Number Still in Existence: Unknown; very few. We do know that it is a hot pink 1984 Toyota MR2, and it is honestly quite hard to think of a mainstream car that captures the 80s quite like this car does. 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