The Matchbox Gathering is here! A preview of what is to come & a look at some of the stunning exclusives...

I try to take weekends off from the blog.  Not this weekend.

I am here at the 14th Annual Matchbox Collectors Gathering of Friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The Matchbox Team is currently trudging through the desert in their Ford Superlift Brush Truck on their way, and folks are arriving from all over the world.

There will be a lot to show, and a lot of news to pass on.  I am committed to doing my best to let my readers in on what is happening.  So definitely follow the Instagram page, and new this year, my Facebook Live feed.  Hopefully, provided the wifi at the hotel is healthy, I will be able to show some of the presentations and other cool elements of the convention.

Also, the Dinner Model Showcase is done, and will post here as soon as it is revealed Saturday night. Trust me, it's a beauty.

For now, here is a Lamley YouTube Showcase of some of my favorite Gathering models from the past, along with a few photos.  Until the next check-in...

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Lamley Showcase: Auto World Series 4, Assortments A & B...

Features to come, but for now, two videos on two assortments from that company that I think is closest to Tomica Limited Vintage in terms of obsession with scale and quality.

I love Auto World.

Enjoy.

Part 1:




Part 2:





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Lamley Preview: Hot Wheels 2016 Car Culture Trucks Assortment...

I think we can all say Hot Wheels Car Culture has been a success so far.  Euro Style hasn't equaled the insanity that is the Japan Historics, but based on the collector world right now there is nothing that will.

It seems the reaction to Euro Style has been somewhat lukewarm.  Too bad, because it is a very nice set, it just suffers from following the Japan Historics.  Release it first and collectors are going gaga.  So that will be the burden of Car Culture.  Expectations for each assortment will be exceptionally high, and hopefully the mix of castings plus deco plus wheels will meet those high levels through 2016 and into 2017.

Enter assortment #3.  For Batch C Hot Wheels moves away from an era or a geographical area and goes for a type of vehicle.  The theme is Trucks.  That's it.  Just Trucks.  And that is how it should be.  No glitz, just hard-working pickups.  And my guess is this will be a very popular set.

Our coverage of the new Trucks assortment starts today with a video from the Lamley YouTube Channel, and will finish later this week with a full photo showcase here on the blog.  This assortment deserves two parts.  There is something for everyone, and one particular model may be the king of Car Culture so far.

Enjoy:






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Lamley Unboxing: Opening a 2016 Hot Wheels N Case...

It is always fun to open the loaded case.

Cool model after cool model, and in this situation, even a car that we didn't see in the Batch N Case Report from Wheel Collectors we posted a week ago.  Always interesting to see a little variety.

So, as always, when my N Case from A&J Toys came, I opened it on video.  This one was fun to open.

Enjoy:






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Opening the Matchbox exclusive Land Rover Assortment...

Late last week, a box arrived from Modelmatic in the UK.

It is one I have been looking forward to, because - appropriately - the Matchbox Land Rover Series hit in the UK first.  It is coming to the US as well, and maybe to some other countries, although I don't know which.

Nonetheless, the Land Rover Series is a great follow-up to the very nice Jeep Series, and hopefully more series like these are on their way.  Great licensed castings, in realistic models and liveries.

So of course I had to open the box.  And film it.  Photos of these models coming to the blog soon.

In the meantime, here is a look at all the models in the series both inside and out of the package, including the two modified models.

(Find the Land Rover set and other cool models at modelmatic.uk...)

Enjoy.





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Lamley Unboxing: A look at the Bburago diecast Ferraris, Part 1...

It was one of the bigger stories in the diecast collecting world in the last couple of years.  The Ferrari license switched from Mattel to Maisto, and their subsidiary Bburago.

For collectors, Ferrari and Hot Wheels were synonymous.  Especially the last decade.  Every year Hot Wheels would release at least one new Ferrari casting, several recolors, and all-Ferrari 5-pack.  They did the premium Ferrari Racers line at one point, and many other scales and series.

And then one day it was gone.  And Maisto jumped onto the stage and mentioned they had it, and they had all kinds of ideas of what to do with it.  And now we are seeing those plans.

The Bburago Ferrari lines have been out for a bit, and they were kind enough to let me showcase a few.  My feelings about Ferrari leaving Mattel have been mixed to say the least, so I really appreciate the opportunity to take a closer look, especially at some that I haven't seen in stores.  In fact, I am asking you guys to let all of us know where you are finding these.

Nonetheless, this showcase will come in two parts.  Today, a run through the three scales - 1:64, 1:43, and a stunning 1:18 - on the YouTube Channel, and then a full DLM photo showcase here on the blog in a few days.  My guess is you will like a lot of what you see, and I will give my thoughts in the video:



The fact is I am excited to see where this will go.  I still contend that it is better for more brands to carry the license, but while Maisto is the group that has it, I really like what they are doing.  And yes, many of these are hopping into my collection.

And I hope you share your thoughts below.

Part 2 coming...

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Lamley Unboxing: Opening a Hot Wheels 2016 International M Case...

On Saturday the Hot Wheels M Case arrived from A&J Toys, so I just jumped right in.  And of course, I filmed the unboxing.

I even added some model showcases right at the end as a little treat.

As always, this and other cases are available at A&J Toys...

Enjoy...





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Lamley Unboxing: Opening a Matchbox 2016 H Case...

The Matchbox H Case is out, and we have seen a couple of the models close up, but not all.

Well, my H Case from A&J Toys just showed up, so here is the unboxing video I posted today.

One tangent.  Many of you have asked about ordering Matchbox cases, especially since finding the new stuff has been difficult.  With the much-anticipated Nissan Skyline coming, some are worried it be treated like a Super Treasure Hunt at retail.  The Skyline is slated for the L Case, so look for an opportunity to order the L Case at A&J soon.  It is the best way to guarantee at least one Skyline, if not two.

Enjoy the video.

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This Majorette Dubai Police Supercar set is a stunner...

Boy it is nice to have friends.  Besides the usual benefits, like backyard barbecues and being there when you need them and whatnot, they help you get cool diecast!

My friend Jay Kho used his friends to help me acquire a couple of sets of these Dubai-exclusive Majorettes Police Cars.  Not only are they all in Dubai Police livery, they are only available in...you guessed it...Dubai.

I had myself an unboxing party on Facebook Live, and the feature is coming soon.  I just don't know if I can get myself to open the 5-pack.

Stay tuned...

(Thanks Jay.)






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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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