When something works, don’t stop.
A lot of collectors will argue that Matchbox did just that. The brand that for the last decade or so has been producing wonderfully realistic models in the $1 range moved away from that to create exaggerated off-road and utility models in order to attract the kiddos. Is it working? I have no idea. That isn’t the purpose of that post, and there are plenty of places where you can argue those points.
But there is a model that worked, and the collectors went nuts. It is called the Classic Seagrave, and it’s purty. Heavily detailed, all chromy, and right down Matchbox collector’s preverbal alley.
So Matchbox is doing it again. From the Matchbox Ambassador’s report from July, just following the Gathering:
Yeah, that looks like the Seagrave, but it’s not. It is the ’63 Mack Pumper Model B, and it is coming in 2014. And it is heavily detailed, maybe chromy, and surely will occupy more space in that alley.
But back to the Seagrave. The second basic range version, and fifth in general (after three special editions) is now out, and it looks great in yellow. That alley is getting crowded.
We will probably always give this model its own post, whenever it is released. Plus, it’s four previous versions are always deserving of a little photographic attention, don’t you think?
(Get the Seagrave here, including the only yellow version out so far at Wheel Collectors…)
Matchbox Classic Seagrave Fire Engine (2013 Mainline):
The Five:
2012 Basic
2012 Gathering Dealer Exclusive
2012 Everett Marshall Charities Exclusive
2012 German Toy Fair Exclusive
2013 Basic
Picked up a couple of the yellow ones the other day. VERY impressed.
This might be hard to get again. I traded two Skylines for two Seagraves last year; then went to Vegas a couple months later and found a bunch at a Dollar Tree. Great casting for sure.
There's one problem for the Mack B. I do not see the Bulldog emblem on the side, and there seems to be too much detail for the average Matchbox model. I assume that the Bulldog emblem will appear once its released, but there will probably less detail. And where's the siren, I'd like to see one mounted over the front wheel well. This Seagrave I'll be tracking down, even though I dislike the black ladder and gold trim, except for the gold leafing.
Beautul. I got one in red https://littlecars.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/seagrave-fire-engine-classic/