April 13th Matchbox Ambassador Report, by Larry Scaduto…

While Sears Roebuck and Co. and other retailers in North America were offering a variety of playcases from 1966 to 1981, vinyl play matt sets were being sold by competitors.
Matchbox Mall Play Set (05 80 13) 1970
This set featured a simple foldable 36’ x 36’ vinyl mat with printed roadways, parking lots, and building locations graphics.  Vinyl covered cardboard pieces were assembled using tab and slot.  The set was sold at retail stores in the US including Korvettes and JC Penney.

Matchbox Mall Playset box.

Penneys department store with ramp from Matchbox Mall Play Set.

International Airport Play Set (MW 48-23600 or Lesney 05 78 01).
A Montgomery Ward Exclusive, this set featured a folding vinyl play mat with a selection of vinyl covered cardboard buildings.  The structures used tab and slot like the Mall set.  It promoted the Sky Busters line of products in addition to the 1-75.  The 1975 Wards Christmas catalog listed this set for $7.99 plus shipping/tax.

Notice the early 70’s MB 1-75 models and Sky Busters on the cover photo.

In the second half of the 1970’s, Lesney created four PS series play sets.   Each set had a simple cardboard play area accompanied by unique plastic pieces.  And while playcases did not include vehicles, the PS series of playsets not only included diecast vehicles, they often included special vehicles designed for play with this set.

PS1 Container Port Set
The brilliantly developed set, based on a shipping container port, was described as a “fully operational port complex with a multi-colour playment.”  It included a cardboard playmat with plastic supports, a die cast articulated container truck, a No. 42 Mercedes Benz Container Truck, No. 49 Sambron Jacklift,  No. 15 Fork Lift, one plastic PS1 Diesel Shunter Locomotive, three No. 25 Train Flat Cars, six plastic containers (mine are red, orange, light blue, and cream), six cardboard containers, one red plastic PS1 Container Ship/barge (holds six containers), one plastic straddle carrier, one gantry crane, one crane with base and cord, a set of labels, and an instruction leaflet.

The set offered so many ways to unload and load the containers.  So many vehicles – enough for more than one to play.  What a creative set!

The Straddle Carrier is ready to pick up the container and place it on the truck.

This set was well loved before the owner gave it up.  All the pieces were in good shape  although the package was well worn.

The container barge could hold six containers.

The Gantry Crane could unload and load containers as fast as your little hands could handle.  Unload from ship to truck or from ship to crane or vice versa.

Let’s set the load down nice and easy – just like they do at a real dock.

Since the labels were applied to the containers by the purchaser, imagine the combinations of colors and labels.  The plastic PS1 Locomotive and PS1 Articulated Container Truck are well sought after pieces from this set.
Matchbox Seaport Circa 1978 retailed for $10.49 in 1979 Sears Catalog.
In the US market, variations of the set were issued.  First, the Matchbox Seaport was issued.  This set combined features from the PS1 set with features from playcases .  It included a plastic straight bridge, skyway, tollbooth, fuel pumps, and small store front building all previously issued in Matchbox playcases.  The unique crane derrick had the same base from the PS1 set but had a working crane with winch.  The set further included one PS1 Container Ship/barge, six plastic containers (mine had light blue, orange and red), a cardboard warehouse with plastic roof, a labels sheet, and an instruction sheet.  The box was marked Seaport but the instruction sheet was titled Industrial Seaport.  The Seaport and blue/red arrow labels appeared to be the same in styling to those from the PS1 set.  Unfortunately, the models offered in the catalog at the time were Fast Wheels and not Matchbox.  No vehicles were included with this set.

	This style of crane was issued in Seaport and Harbor sets.

Matchbox Harbor (54 01 01)
This was nearly identical to the Seaport set except it included two die-cast vehicles and had changes to the graphics on the cardboard playmat.  The graphics on the playmat now indicated where to place the buildings.  My set included cream, blue, and red containers.  As this sample set was purchased second hand and was already opened, it had one vehicle missing.  The one vehicle it did have was a boxed No. 48 Sambron Jacklift.  The other vehicle may have been the No. 42 Mercedes Container Truck but I am not sure.

Matchbox Motorcity Freight Yard (50610)   Circa 1990
A later derivative of the Seaport and Freight Yard sets, this set included a vinyl playmat, plastic roadway (from playtrack sets), railroad track, a gantry crane, crane with base and cord, streetlights and  fuel pumps (issued in prior sets), three containers (white and yellow), a label sheet and instruction sheet.  The graphic labels for the set were revised with the MCP (Matchbox Container Port) logo.  The set also included two die-cast vehicles – the No. 24 Diesel Shunter in yellow with tampo – not labels and the No. 25 Flat Train Car.  The set was found in retail stores and had suggested price of $22.99 US at the time.   The parts and vehicles were made in China.

PS2 Beach Head Assault Circa 1976
PS2 featured a cardboard playmat; a cardboard backdrop diorama with two plastic supports; two grey plastic landing craft (no wheels); six battle damaged plastic buildings; one bailey bridge with supports; a rocket launcher with separate launch buttons for up to four rockets – eight rockets included; two hedge rows and bases; two telegraph pole sets; ten tank traps; fifteen plastic army men (mini); three plastic crates; six plastic barrels; three diecast miniatures including the No. 70 Self Propelled Gun, No. 54 Personnel Carrier, and No. 1 Mercedes Truck; a label sheet; and a set of instructions.  Although the box is copyright 1976, some of the plastic pieces are copyright 1978.

Fire!	Pieces and parts still on their sprew.
Rocket ready to launch	War torn buildings

Move it!   Get the Troops Across!

Roll Off!

There were other diorama sets that Lesney produced at the time that simulated military play without die-cast.

PS3 Seakings Harbour
This “modern harbor setting” as the box states, included a cardboard playmat along with one diecast Seakings Frigate, one No. 72 Rescue Hovercraft, and plastic pieces including:  four jetty’s, four breakwaters, two breakwater end sections, two breakwater bend sections, four barges, four tugs, four crane bases, two small and two large cranes, two coasters (freighters), two pilot boats, two gun emplacements, one oil rig, one rescue centre, one lighthouse, one hoverport, one ramp, one oil rig tow bar, one patrol boat, one swing bridge, one dry dock, one warehouse, one oil refinery, one power station, and one lifeboat.  The set also included a label sheet and set of instructions.

Although not to scale with most Matchbox die cast lines, the set was supportive of creative play.  The harbour could be configured in various geometries and would inspire the collector to increase their Seakings fleet.

The PS3 Fleet with Seakings Frigate, Patrol Boat, Coaster (Freighter), Pilot Boat, Life Boat, and Tug towing Barge.	Two tugs tow the oil platform out to sea past the lighthouse.
Sample layout of pier with Power Plan at one end and Crane at the other end.	The HMS Fury is in dry dock for retrofit.

PS4 Railway Goods Yard Circa 1979
The set included a cardboard playmat plus several die-cast models including the No. 42 Mercedes Container Truck, No. 24 Diesel Shunter, No. 25 Flat Train Car with Container, Tipper Rail Car, No. 58 Faun Dump Truck, and No. 15 Fork Lift Truck.  The die-cast pieces were standard issue with the exception of the No. 15 Ford Lift Truck which was issued with a strengthened plastic fork piece.  The set also included a granule conveyor belt/hopper/loading dock, a plastic warehouse, a curved bridge (previously issued in playcases and other sets), fifteen pieces of railway track, a level railroad crossing with gate arms, a crane with base and cord (same as in PS1), a bag of plastic gravel, four plastic roadway signs, a railroad signal, six cardboard containers, three plastic containers, a dump container, rubber stoppers to place on the play mat for setting the plastic pieces, a label sheet, and a set of instructions.  There was no separate diorama backdrop to the set; the set was assembled on a cardboard playmat.

Faun Dump at the warehouse.	Truck waiting at the railroad crossing.
Hopper/conveyor belt/loading dock for plastic gravel.	Rare dump container or skip from the PS4 set.

No two containers in this photo are identical.  And since set labels were applied by the purchaser, these are not all the variation combinations!  Most of the plastic containers had no opening doors.  Some did not even have bases to them.

So there you have it.  Are you ready to play Matchbox?
4/5/15

When? April 12 until June 21 2015 What’s happening? It’s the  largest exposition never in a Museum until today. What we are exposing is an excerpt of the complete main line of Matchbox:  1-75 (also called the regular series, Superfast series, 75 series)  Accessories  Models of Yesteryear  Major Packs  King Size (later Super Kings and Speed Kings)  Scorpions (non-metal, rechargeable battery powered cars)  Sky Busters  Two Packs (later also called the 900 series or Hitch ‘n Haul )  Battle Kings; (K-101 – K-118)  Matchbox Military  Sea Kings  Adventure 2000  Convoy  Dinky  Real Working Rigs  Of course space is limited and we cannot expose the complete range of all 25.000 models ever made but we have a substantial overview of all characteristic cars in a special room with over 25 displays full of oldies and goodies. Organization is the responsibility of the Toy Museum in Oosterhout (Netherlands, Brabant) with the help of John Nijhuis (Matchbox Ambassador # 5). 17 May there will be a special MBX Forum/3 Inch Collectors Convention day. We are still working on the program but it will be worthwhile to plan your visit to the Matchbox exposition with this event. More Coming!