Lamley Unboxing: Opening a 2016 Matchbox G Case, plus a few highlights...

Find Matchbox Batch G at Wheel Collectors...

F Case was all about the licensed new models.  G Case is all about the trucks.

Well, and an Alfa.  You can't go wrong with the Alfa Romeo 4C, especially in white.

But this case is about the trucks.  Some new, some older.  A couple licensed, a few not licensed.  And, in all honesty, a bit of a mixed bag.  After the case arrived from A&J Toys, I, as is the new norm, filmed the unboxing:



What do you think?

I prefer licensed, but I am also aware that an all-licensed-model range isn't realistic.  So if they are unlicensed, I prefer realistic.  The Scraper in this batch, which we featured earlier, and the MBX Moving Van, looking splendid with the Matchbox logo in Japanese, are great examples of that.  Some of the others, not so much.

But I think the talk of this case will be the Transit.  I will say this.  The model LOOKS fantastic, but it is a letdown to learn it is sporting a plastic body.  Some of the other models are plastic, and if they are unlicensed I have no problem with that.  It is the licensed models that get to me.

This may be a subject the Matchbox team will address at the upcoming Gathering in July.  Matchbox is headed in the right direction in so many ways, and the issue of plastic bodies seems to be a good topic to tackle next.  We will have to see.

In the meantime, what model grabs your attention?

(Find Matchbox Batch G at Wheel Collectors...)

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Kyosho Alfa Romeo Series 4 Set and Singles are now out at Japan Booster...

Driving today through Southwestern Utah, and I stopped off at Ray's in Green River (you Jeep Safari types might be familiar with the famous tavern) to let you know that Kyosho Alfa Romeo is now available at the Japan Booster eBay store.

That is a lot of information in one sentence, and maybe a sentence that doesn't make a ton of sense.  I am in Jeep country talking about Alfa Romeos available in Japan.

Hmmm, that still is convoluted.  Ok, forget the Jeep country part.  Let's talk about Alfa Romeo, made by Kyosho, sold in Japan.  My good friend Jeff Koch is in Japan, and thought he would hit the local 7/11  - they sell diecast there in Japan - the morning the Kyosho Alfa set was released, and this is what he encountered:

Photo credit - Jeff Koch

That is all the evidence you need of how popular this new set from Kyosho is, and thankfully we can get them at Japan Booster.  You don't even have to deal with the blind box.

The full set is available, as are the singles.  But go quickly, because many of these will go quickly.  Find them here:

Kyosho Alfa Romeo at Japan Booster

I have a set coming, and a feature will surely follow.  I am jealous of Jeff a lot this week, as his Japan adventure looks to be fantastic.  At least I don't have to be jealous of his access to this set...

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Kyosho Alfa Romeo Series 4 is now available for preorder at Japan Booster...

Taking advantage of JapanBooster.com yet?

Japan Booster's new site continues to grow.  Right now it is a place to preorder upcoming Japanese models from TLV and Kyosho, but soon it will be carrying all kinds of cool stuff, so keep checking back.

Or keep checking Lamley.  We will be sure to let you know when new product is available, and it will happen more often than you think.  Like right now.

Japan Booster has made the upcoming Alfa Romeo Collection from Kyosho available for preorder, and it is a set many of you will like.  You can find it here:

Kyosho Alfa Romeo Series 4 at Japan Booster

Alfa Romeo has a gotten a lot of attention lately, especially with the 8C and 4c, and that has in turn led to the beauty of Alfa classics.  Both eras are well represented in the set, and appear to be executed really well.  Some are repeat castings, but considering how hard the older versions are to find, these will be most welcome.

It is hard to pic a fave from the photos, so I will do that when my set arrives and I feature them here on the blog.  In the meantime, you can see them all at the JapanBooster site...

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Variation Alert: Matchbox Alfa Romeo 4C with unpainted intakes...

This was mentioned in the latest Matchbox Ambassador Report, but it was buried a bit at the end, so we thought we would do a separate post.  Especially since we are lucky enough to have the variation.

Some of the best variations in both the Hot Wheels and Matchbox worlds are the "mid-run" changes. It usually happens when something wasn't communicated correctly, and a model starts its production run doing something wrong.  Someone will eventually catch the mistake and make an immediate correction.  Or, in some cases, someone, be it a designer or someone else, changes their mind after seeing the product, and asks for a change.

Depending on when the change is made, one version could end up being more rare than the other.  If it is early in the run, the error will be the rare one.  If it is late, the corrected version would be.

One famous running change among the Matchbox collectors was the 2007 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint in white.  After approving the license, Alfa decided that the only colors they would accept would be red or white, since the real car was only offered in those two colors.  Matchbox tried to mix things up a bit by producing a white version with a pearl white paint, and Alfa quickly caught wind and asked that it be changed to straight white.  Some early run pearl white models did end up packaged and shipped, and a few were found, but not a lot.

We mention that particular example because Alfa has struck again, this time on the just-released Matchbox 4C.

Let's start with this image:

Notice the grill in the front?  Here it is again:

Now look closely at this next pic:

You will see the front intakes are part plastic and part paint.  If you don't see it, just take a look at this pic:

Now you see it.  This version has no outer grill.  Just red paint.

That is because on the first models in the batch, Matchbox forgot to paint it.  Alfa noticed the mistake right away, and asked for the change.  Matchbox obliged, and now almost all the 4C's released will feature the full intakes.

According to Mattel, by way of the Ambassador, this error was detected very early, meaning unpainted intake Alfa Romeo 4C's will in very small numbers, and probably in very high demand.  So get out there and look.  Maybe you will get lucky...

(Try eBay too.)

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