Model: MB814 Aqua King
Release: Dream Halloween fundraiser 2011
eBay link: Matchbox Dream Halloween
Why I am featuring it: It’s Halloween!
Did you know that zombies have an insatiable thirst to quench and that the best way to satisfy the thirstiest of obnoxious walkers is to offer them a high-energy, low-calorie Zombie Elixir? No? Me neither!
Like Hot Wheels, Matchbox made a series of limited-run models for attendees of Dream Halloween charity fundraisers in the late-2000s. This version of the MB814 Aqua King, from 2011, was the last of the five. Designer Michael Heralda ran riot with the Zombie Elixir deco – check out the advice on the rear of the truck! – and was even permitted to modify the colours of the Matchbox logo on the back of the packaging to fit the theme.
The Aqua King came in a crystal case and with a note urging dinner attendees not to profit from their good fortune by reselling the truck. I guess that nine years later that’s no longer quite so important, particularly considering that the values of these fun models haven’t reached the stratosphere. If your Matchbox collection could use a few more scares, head to eBay where there is always a handful for sale. Happy Halloween!
(find Matchbox Dream Halloween on eBay)
I found this and the 2010 Dream Halloween cars at the ToyMan show in St. Louis a few years back, only $15 each, which I was surprised at how cheap they were.