Matchbox Monday takes the collector route to the 70th Anniversary

August 21, 2023

Last week saw a bunch of premium items. This week sees a bunch of premium items. With many thanks to Wheel Collectors, I have batch B of the 2023 Collectors series to run through. All of these were done in the same look, all being a part of the 70th Anniversary of the brand. I had a lot of fun working my way through them. I hope you enjoy the article. You can click here to go direct to my Matchbox Monday page on their website. I do wonder if I am starting to drift behind again. I will soon be working out where I am, and I may have to begin doubling up again. Or skipping a few items. I don’t like skipping things, though. There’s just so much awesome stuff coming through. Anyway, enjoy the article.

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David Tilley

14 responses to “Matchbox Monday takes the collector route to the 70th Anniversary”

Craig Tetlow
August 21, 2023
The article isn’t showing up on the link.

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1. David Tilley
  August 24, 2023
  Hopefully it is showing up for you now. I rely on Wheel Collectors to click the button for me on a Monday when they are up. So I try and guess when that will be and have the Lamley link pop up at that time. If they are running late, the article may be slightly late to arrive.
  
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Arekadius
August 21, 2023
Mr. Leslie and Rodney Smith would be happy for Matchbox’s 70th anniversary, but sad for Matchbox not being able to spread its wings. Problems with deliveries? it’s the proverbial nail in the coffin, not now but in the future, I hope I’m wrong. It’s a sad anniversary, the availability of models is pathetic, and the fact that Mattel hasn’t done anything to change it, knowing about the 70th anniversary is grotesque…

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1. Robert
  August 21, 2023
  In past dealing with Mattel over the “distribution problems”, they claim it’s not their fault and blame it on the supplier. Of course, they do continue to bank the funds that they do rake in on the models that are actually found and sold. ‘Go figure.
  
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2. Craig Tetlow
  August 21, 2023
  What would you like Mattel to do? They can’t force retailers to stock Matchbox. Surely that’s down to individual companies and thus you need to be writing emails asking them to consider it.
  Here in the UK Matchbox is now available at more retailers than since 2016 which is great news except most are only stocking basic singles and 5 packs. New Moving Parts etc can be found in smaller independent toy shops which means importers and distributors are allowed to sell these lines its just that our bigger stores choose not to. Not Mattels fault.
  
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  1. Aaron M
    August 23, 2023
    Just to think 70 years ago Leslie/Rodney Smith walked around various shops/outlets with trays of various colours of their goods to offer…..
    To make way for affordable toys for ALL.
    Just to think that various shops couldn’t stock Corgi etc….. Too much money.
    They made way for ALL for to afford a simple toy to be loved.
    Jack Odell a skilled metal operative made a mini scaled road roller as a gift to his child for school. At that time permission was given that staff could make their loved ones a gift.
    A gift to fit in a Matchbox….. The class mates wanted more.
    So much to this which made this brand grow.
    The first delivery truck was a Thames Trader which turned out into a main road and crashed into double decker bus!..
    Mattel has this historic name now and it’s great to see them using the 70th birthday.
    They juggle many brands and I get that… But I do feel I wish they didn’t make this brand the minority in its place of birth.
    I know times have changed and things change… Good or bad.
    I would love to see display stands, posters, booklets, colouring books, on pack offers, Shell/BP garage offers when you spend over…, Promotion items offered.
    The brand is here… But it’s not.
    Mattel has this brand… Use it and stay real!!!…
    It is a shame that big outlets are not getting the “full deck” and keeping to basics.
    This brand needs kicking up!…
    It’s great to read the world following for this brand too.
    It sounds like various countries have the same problems too.
    It is a shame.
    Maybe times aren’t so simple anymore…..
  2. David Tilley
    August 24, 2023
    That is one of the major issues. Mattel UK, which is completely different to Mattel USA and other Mattel subsidiaries around the world, worked hard to take the brand to as many stores as they could for 2023. But when they approach Asda, and Asda say no, they can’t force it on them. They will just keep plugging away until Asda finally decide yes. The good thing is that the “exclusive” deal in the UK is no more. But, as stores start dipping their toes in, they are just playing it safe with singles and 5-packs. Hopefully, as things sell, individual stores will start to look at the wider Matchbox brand. Start adding more. I am hearing that Mattel are optimistic over getting Moving Parts into a larger retailer soon. I have no idea which, or when. It may be a part of the early 2024 reset. Larger stores tend to reset twice a year. We just have to wait, and hope that they are successful. They want to sell it, but the stores are looking beyond just Mattel products, as other companies are vying for space too.
Robert
August 21, 2023
Love y9ur posts, David. Sadly, I’ve never seen any of these premium anniversary models in any store I’ve visited. You are certain that Mattel is actually making these models?

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1. David Tilley
  August 24, 2023
  Yes, but I wonder where the majority went. I know the UK didn’t get this batch. The Entertainer has just started selling Collectors, but they began with batch C, so missed this one. I did see a few leftovers on my USA trip, so I know they were available there.
  
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  1. Craig Tetlow
    August 27, 2023
    I believe some Toymaster stores are stocking this Collectors mix.
Arekadius
August 23, 2023
let’s put aside retail stores for a sec, online offers dried up too, there was no update for Basics since when… 2 months or so… that’s bad…. oh wait mix 9 is out, though very limited to just a few sellers on Ebay, so no it’s not ok, Matel either don’t know how to handle Matchbox, or don’t care or both, plain and simple.

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1. David Tilley
  August 24, 2023
  The thing is, Mattel is a larger company. Back in the old Lesney days, they would make models on a number by number basis. A store would come along and ask for more MB23s, Lesney would manufacture MB23s, and ship them to the stores. But, back in those days, much was done through smaller outlets. The large retailers were not so big. I remember back in the 1970s, walking into the smaller stores and they would be selling models in boxes. Each number would be re-ordered when getting low. However, if I went into Tesco, they would sell blisters. They were getting models just sent in bulk, with whatever Lesney wanted to include. Just a variety of stuff. Universal would keep this system going, and Tyco would sort of keep it going. But when Mattel took over, back in 1996, they changed the system to the one that they had already been working with their other stuff. It changed the whole landscape for Matchbox, and this is just something we live with now. It has down sides, it has up sides. It would be nice to get the old system back for smaller outlets. I just don’t see that ever happening. It’s just the world we live in nowadays.
  
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  1. Arekadius
    August 25, 2023
    I’m happy to read Your posts like always Sir David Tilley, as for me i’ve decided to become a spectator more than a collector, with current situation i’m not holding my breath for the future, where i live it’s hard to be a Matchbox collector, i mean there’s a strong presence of Siku, Majorette and of course hw but not Matchbox, i officially gave up on collecting modern Matchbox, atleast for now, but i’ll be more than happy to visit this blog, as a spectator not collector. Much respect and all the best to You and All on this blog.
Arekadius
August 28, 2023
I hope there’s going to be more classic cars in the years to follow, or atleast contemporary ones with gas engines, please no more electric cars circus.

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