Ah, 2023! What a year. What an anniversary. But, all good things come to an end, and the last of the 2023 items was just a tad late in getting to us. But, the Convoy models did arrive, and Wheel Collectors got the batch in. So, they sent them over to me, and I have a chance to go through them as I always do, with my latest blog report, which you can click here to go to my Matchbox Monday page on their website. I hope you enjoy my usual ramblings.
Loved the amusing quip about why the 70th Anniversary Double Decker was not available in the UK….
March is coming in soon, i wonder where’s new Matchbox for 2024 ?
Great lineup of 70th anniversary vehicles.
It’s a shame hardly any of them made it here to the roots.
Tbh David, you must question yourself and think why do I bother?!…
As much of loving the brand like possibly millions could do to.
The brand I feel has been alienated from it’s root’s.
Just disappointment and tbh of what I’m seeing of the trucks offered now. Can they float?….
Shame for double decker not making it here to the UK …. Cherry on the cake.
The 70th could have been a great ad campaign here to kick up the brand for retailers for promotion.
Hot wheels never seem to have any problems in every, every, everywhere outlets…. Say no more….
Great write ups as ever and thank you.👍
To be brutally honest you can now pretty much blame our retailers for the chronic lack of choice of Matchbox here.
Since the exclusivity deal with Tesco ended in 2023 there is no barrier in others from stocking the brand. In fact at least two major toy importers/distributors offer quite a selection including Moving Parts and Collectors, all available to the trade but with little take up from the big name retailers.
Good to see The Entertainer now getting in 2024 Case C and 2024 Moving Parts though. Overpriced at £4.20 though which makes them noticeably more expensive than a superior Majorette!
Really?!…. I can’t get my head around why retailers are not taking what is offered. Mind you having hot wheels thrown at the retailers for years without any Matchbox interference.
The retailers are stuck in their ways and also sadly Matchbox whoOoO?!…. From the UK now.
Good to hear of the Entertainer stocking new batches. The Jag will be popular. £4.20 for opening parts is bit steep. Tbh… Some Majo are pretty good value too. Cheers for heads-up 👍..
I just would like to see Matchbox stocked fair and everywhere. Using a union jack 70th d/d bus and it wasn’t intended for UK?!….. 🙄… Can’t make it up.
It was intended for the UK, but they didn’t want a British themed Double Decker bus. Even the Mattel guys in El Segundo were scratching their heads in disbelief!
I’m glad you like it. I am not prepared to give up on the Matchbox brand yet. I’ve come too far….
Keep up the love of the brand. The pride and patience you put in.
The knowledge to the write ups. Thank you👍.
As for d/d bus for example, you say even those in El Segundo were scratching their heads?!…. Mattel is Mattel. If a company produces something, it’s the same company to be sent in which ever country. Who owns Mattel UK then?! Or incharge?… What gives them the right to refuse or cherry pick?!… Who ever, or what?.. is crap at their job…. Union jack double decker bus with the 70th anniversary….
Shame because that d/d bus would have been the promotional and Matchbox image boost in which is needed here.
Matchbox brand has generally (not in all cases) taken a dive with half baked models for the last few years, save for the odd moving parts. Hot Wheels (excluding most non licensed examples) has become superior in execution. I rarely see Matchbox in UK shops nothing has changed there, Hot Wheels a little easier. Great to see Majorette making a comeback. As always it seems the rest of the world’s shops have an impressive range of 1/64 scale vehicles.
Yes, I find British toy stores in general to be poor in comparison to many other countries. I see pictures from across Europe, Australasia and North America (experiencing the latter first hand), and wonder how the UK is so bad in comparison. Not just with Matchbox, but in what is available in general. Stores in the UK tend to have toys as an afterthought. Luckily, we still have a few hold out toy stores that struggle with a voice against the big box stores.
Is it an wonder more stores aren’t stocking Matchbox when the ones that do often have loads of unsold stock? I found some new moving parts models in The Entertainer (agree too expensive but I still bought them!) but their standard range pegs still overloaded with earlier batches. In particular the ’70 Ranchero in green seems to be glued to the pegs. Likewise Poundland round the corner had 2024 case A though most of their branches either have plenty of 2023 case G or no Matchbox at all. Are the batch quantities too big or do the models have little appeal to modern British kids? I note that European cars seem to sell more quickly than their US equivalents. As for the generics? As has been said before, the 70th Anniversary last year was a great opportunity to re-establish the brand but nothing really happened.
Have to agree about poor general distribution (as ever) and about crazy non-availability of lots of the 70th specials. On the other hand, I dislike those orange knobbly wheels on the 70th Routemaster so much I’d have passed on that one anyway – they are just terrible especially on smaller-scale items like this and should be outlawed completely IMHO. PS Anyone looking for Skybusters can find some at Toymaster.