Matchbox on your mind?
It seems that following the Gathering there has been a lot of buzz about the orange brand, and I share that excitement. Matchbox will always be my first love, and with some of this year’s models paired with what is coming next year, it is a time to be optimistic.
I don’t think anyone denies that Matchbox lost its way a bit in the last few years. The powers that be probably put TOO MUCH thought into how to separate the brands, and Matchbox got the short end of the stick. It seemed the marketing strategy was to give all to blue and little to orange. There were some great models released during that time, but for every one success, there were numerous failures. And it seemed even kids agreed. Real models sold, generics hung.
Without getting into too much boring detail, that seems to have changed. Matchbox now falls into a different division within Mattel, and while it won’t have nearly the resources that Hot Wheels does, it seems like the direction it takes as a brand is as wide open as it has been in years. And that is very exciting.
We have been clamoring for a return to greatness with Matchbox, and whether or not that happens will play out over the next few years. But once again, there is a lot of reason to be optimistic.
So we are going to continue our “Last Golden Age of Matchbox” series, only ramp it up even more. We want to remind our collector friends, as well as those in charge at Mattel, how great Matchbox was only a few years ago. I have been revamping my Matchbox collection, trying to fill in a few gaps, and I plan on a few features each week on some of the great models of the last 10 years.
And why not start with police cars?
We need to ease Mattel into this. They like this “heroic” theme, and police falls into that category. So over the next few days we plan on showcasing several of our favorite Matchbox Police castings, starting with the Mitsubishi Evo X tomorrow. Look for many to follow.
And we hope you get in the mix. Share your favorite Matchbox Police cars with us on our Facebook and Instagram feeds, and use the hashtag #matchboxpolice. Also tag @matchboxworld to ensure the Matchbox folks see your enthusiasm.
Matchbox has always done great police cars, and undoubtedly the tradition should continue. It doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves how great they can be…
Matchbox should bring back the removable lightbar
When was this a thing?
It is removable, if you want to involve a flat blade screwdriver.
To answer your question, probably since some time in the late 1990s.
Sadly, never saw the Buick for sale in Chile
@Alexander Moore, yes. once upon a time, Police cars used to have separate light bars. By once upon a time, I mean before 2012. So if you wanted a street version of a police car, you could simply scratch off the tampos and remove the light bar. You can't do that now because light bars are part of the windshield glass.