Matchbox (toy company)
Encyclopedia
Matchbox is a popular toy brand which was introduced by Lesney Products
in 1953 and is now owned by Mattel, Inc
. The brand was so named as the original die-cast
Matchbox toys were sold in boxes similar in style and size to those in which matches were sold. Subsequently the brand would encompass a broad range of toys including larger scale die-cast models and various non die-cast lines such as plastic model kits and action figure
s.
During the 1980s, Matchbox started to switch to the more conventional plastic and cardboard "blister packs" that were used by other die cast toy brands such as Hot Wheels
. The box style packaging was re-introduced for the collectors' market in recent years, particularly with the release of the "35th Anniversary of Superfast" series in 2004.
die-casting company, Lesney Products
. Lesney's reputation would be moulded by Jack Odell, Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith (hence the name "Lesney"); their first major sales success was the million-selling model of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Coach.
Shortly thereafter, Lesney co-owner Jack Odell
(b. 1920 – d. 2007 created a toy that effectively provided the final, missing link to the company's future. It was designed for his daughter: her school only allowed children to bring toys that could fit inside a matchbox, so Odell crafted a scaled-down version of the Lesney green and red road roller. This toy ultimately became the first of the 1-75 miniature range; a dump truck and a cement mixer completed the original three-model release that marked the starting point of the mass-market success story of the Matchbox series. As mentioned above, because the one defining factor for the toys was that each model had to fit in a match-box, the idea was born to sell the models in replica matchboxes — thus yielding the name of the series. It also resulted in the description of the models' scales being "1:box" (as opposed to more "serious" scales such as 1:87, 1:64, or 1:43).
Additional models — mostly British at first — continued to be added to the range throughout the decade, including cars such as an MG Midget TD, a Vauxhall Cresta
, a Ford Zodiac, and many others. As the line grew, it also gradually became more international, including models of Volkswagen
s, a Citroën
, and American makes. To make such miniatures, the designers took detailed photographs of the real models, even obtaining some original blueprints. This enabled them to make models with surprisingly high levels of detail, despite the small scale. The size of the models (and their clever packaging) allowed Matchbox to occupy a market niche barely touched by the competition (and certainly not by Dinky); the associated price advantage made Matchbox models affordable for every child, and helped establish Matchbox as a household word for small model toy cars — whatever the brand. Although used generically, "MATCHBOX" (in capital letters and quotation marks) was registered as a worldwide trademark
to protect the Matchbox brand from competition.
This was what could be called the "Golden Era" of British die-cast. The three dominant brands in the world at the time, all British-made (Dinky
, Matchbox, and Corgi
), could seemingly do no wrong. Each had its own market niche and its own strong reputation, while innovations and advances by one were adopted by the others within a matter of a few years. Each also expanded to some extent into each other's territory, though this never seemed to seriously affect the sales of any brand's core series.
As part of Lesney's expansion activities, four further die-cast model ranges were introduced during the 1950s and 60s. The Models of Yesteryear, introduced in 1956, were renditions of classic vehicles from the steam and early automotive eras. These were often about 3½-4" in length. Accessories Packs were also introduced in 1956 and included gas/petrol pumps, garages, and the like. Major Packs, which were larger-scale models, often of construction vehicles, were added in 1957. The King Size series of larger scale trucks and tractors was added in 1960 and was diversified from 1967 to include passenger car models in a scale similar to that used by Corgi and Dinky. Major Packs had been absorbed into the King Size range by 1968.
/Corgi Junior, Budgie, and Cigar Box, attempted to compete with Matchbox, but none were particularly successful until American toy giant Mattel
introduced the revolutionary low-friction "racing" wheels on its Hot Wheels
line of cars. These models, although less true to scale and often featuring fantasy vehicles, were painted in bright metallic colors, fitted with racing-style "mag" wheels and slick tyres, were decidedly American in their model choice, and were marketed aggressively and with numerous accessory products, such as race track sets and the like. In 1969, the bottom effectively fell out of Lesney's US sales (the other major market, the UK, was also under attack).
Lesney's response to this was relatively quick — but not quick enough to avoid major financial worries — creating the "Superfast" line. This was effectively a transformation of the 1969 line to include low-friction wheels (at first narrow, since the company needed time to retool the series to accommodate wide tyres), often accompanied with new colors. The result was, at first, a strange but interesting line of fast-wheeling cars, trucks, and trailers, basically complete in 1970. Racing track sets and the like were also released to allow children to race their cars. Starting in 1970 and particularly in 1971, new models appeared with wider tyres, and older models (including trucks still in the line) were retooled to fit slicks. The King Size range was similarly updated, including a division into Super Kings (mostly trucks, but also with mag wheels) and Speed Kings (cars). A short-lived series of rechargeable electric cars, called Scorpions, was released as well, to compete with similar products from Hot Wheels (Sizzlers) and Corgi (ElectroRockets).
By the mid-'70s, Matchbox was again a force on the world market, having completed the transition and having even updated its line to include some fantasy vehicles. The 1-75 series was also amended to include the Rola-Matics (featuring mechanical parts that moved when the vehicle was moved) and Streakers, the latter an attempt to compete with Hot Wheels' newest innovation, tampo-printing on the vehicle itself.
Unfortunately, early marketing concepts of metallic-painted tanks and bright-colored ships were not consistent with market demands, and the models, many of which were quite well made for the money, were generally not successful. (Second editions of the Battle Kings and Sky Busters series were painted in very realistic colors and were well-received, but by this time, general economic factors were seriously affecting the ability of the company to make a profit on toys manufactured in England.)
Of these series, only the Sky Busters and, to some extent, the Two Packs survived over time. The Convoy series of articulated truck-trailers (mostly American) was an offshoot of the Two Packs line and continues under various guises to this day.
A rather simple development in this period ― as much philosophical in nature as product-related ― initiated a revolutionary change in the marketplace. The Matchbox brand had become the most widely collected of all die-cast toy lines (cf. below, "Matchbox collectors"). In the '70s, Lesney began to seek contact with collectors, sending representatives to collectors' meets, providing information to the various collectors' clubs, and informally surveying collectors' needs. This resulted at first in the creation of several models expressly for collectors (the most notable of which was a Yesteryear model, the black Y-1 Model T Ford).
The success of this led the company to place models of commercial vehicles in the Yesteryear line (two vans at first, a Talbot
and another Model T) which were tampo-printed with period advertising for brand-name items such as Lipton
's Tea, Coca-Cola
, or Suze. These models, the first commercial vehicles in the series since the '50s, were eagerly greeted and avidly collected by collectors; the concept was quickly expanded to include limited runs of models made only for specific countries (Arnott's Biscuits
[Australia], Sunlight Seife
[Germany]) or at the specific request of companies such as Nestle
's Milk, Taystee Bread, or Harrod's department store. (This aspect of the business ― so-called "promotionals" ― had existed since the '60s, but had established itself firmly in the company's culture in the '70s with numerous models, particularly of a 1-75 model, the no. 17 Londoner Bus. However, promotionals had previously been made with primarily the sponsor in mind. The shift in the late '70s/early '80s was in considering the needs of the collector as well.)
It immediately became evident that special, low-volume models of this nature were highly desirable from both the sponsor and the collector's perspective, as well as being profitable for Matchbox. The market expanded exponentially, leading to increased licensing as well as the development of models no longer aimed at all at the children's toy market, but rather at the higher-margin "premium" segment (eventually developing into "Matchbox Collectibles", cf. below). Today, virtually all brands of die-cast vehicles cater to this market, some exclusively.
(Dinky) and just a year before Mettoy
(Corgi), Lesney went bankrupt in June 1982, and went into receivership
. The Matchbox brand name, some tooling and molds and other assets were then sold to Universal Toys and Mr. David Yeh. Some of the Matchbox tooling became property of Jack Odell, who continued to market Matchbox Yesteryear-like products under the Lledo brand name, but essentially Lesney and Matchbox has been sold to Yeh and his group. Yeh reorganized Lesney and renamed the group "Matchbox International Ltd.", with Yeh as Chairman and Jack Forcelledo as President. Yeh took the group public in 1986 on the NYSE with a successful IPO.
Although no longer British-owned, limited production continued in England until the mid-1980s, re-using many of the old Lesney castings. Most production and tooling was moved to Macau. It was during this period that Matchbox acquired the rights to the venerated Dinky
brand, perhaps the "mother of all toy car collectibles", and united two of the most important names in die-cast under one roof. New models were created (sometimes dies were also bought from competing companies), and the Dinky Collection was born. Dinky models tended to be of more recent classics (particularly the '50s), while Yesteryears tended to concentrate on older vintages. It was also during the Universal era that the "Matchbox Collectibles" concept was developed (see below, "Matchbox Collectibles").
High labor cost and being lack of enough skilled workers in Hong Kong and Macau, the Universal decided to outsource its die casting in mainland China. April 1984, the first Hong Kong-Shanghai joint venture toys company was established in Minhang, Shanghai. It is called Shanghai Universal Toys Co., Ltd. (usually abbreviated as SUTC/上海环球玩具有限公司). Mr. Yeh is the Hong Kong party, while Shanghai Toys Import & Export Company, Shanghai Shang Shi Investment Company (the Shanghai Government owned investment vehicle), Bank of China and Aijian Holdings are Chinese shareholders. The CJV contract was signed off with 20-year period of validity.
1985 saw the first batch of Matchbox toys, which have China casting on base. Dies were imported from Macau to Shanghai till early '90s when Macau finally ceased producing Matchbox toys. No dies were designed by SUTC itself, decal painting, assembling and packing were the most things SUTC did. Accompanied with metal casting, SUTC also has a plastic kits and components factory. It is called Shanghai Universal Plastic Toys Company (usually abbreviated as SUPT/上海环球塑胶塑胶玩具有限公司). The Motor City series, Matchbox PK series and many plastic components were produced there between late '80s and mid '90s. Meanwhile, Universal also outsourced its die casting capabilities in Southern China. Yongtai Toys Company (永泰玩具有限公司) was the most famous one, which produced Matchbox toys under the license from Universal but without fixed assets investment.
By 1992, Universal was also seeking a buyer. In May 1992, they sold the brand to Tyco Toys
, whose toy division in turn was bought out by Mattel
in 1997, uniting Matchbox with its longtime rival Hot Wheels
under the same corporate banner. Under Mattel, the name "Matchbox International Ltd." was terminated.
The buyout by Mattel was greeted with considerable trepidation by the Matchbox collectors' community. The rivalry between the Hot Wheels and Matchbox brands is not only a battle fought by the companies; collectors of each of the brands feel strongly about the qualities of their brand of choice. For the typical Matchbox collector, Hot Wheels are inferior in scaling and model choice, making Hot Wheels less desirable. There were great fears that Mattel would either impose a Hot Wheels-style philosophy on the Matchbox line, or actually fold the Matchbox line into the Hot Wheels series. Early concerns of this nature by collectors were countered by assurances from Mattel that (a) Matchbox would continue to develop their product line independently from Hot Wheels, and (b) that it was intended that Matchbox represent "real" and traditional vehicles, while fantasy would primarily be placed firmly in Hot Wheels territory. Some very realistic Hot Wheels Caterpillar
models were actually re-branded to Matchbox to demonstrate the latter statement (though this did not necessarily appease concerns about the truth of the former).
In 2002, Sky Busters
made a comeback, but with Continental Airlines
as the only major airline to sponsor the product. In 2003, Matchbox came out with a line of special edition cars to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Breaking with the philosophy set forth in the '90s, Mattel revamped the Matchbox line almost completely in 2003, introducing "Ultra Heroes", a series of fantasy vehicles, as part of a "Hero City" theme. Matchbox collectors were appalled, but so was the market: These toys proved to be unpopular, and the line was soon discontinued. The next year, Matchbox, with a new team in charge based in El Segundo, California, started the return to the company's roots of selling realistic looking, well-detailed models, most of which were based on real prototype
s (now however mostly of American cars or brands well-known on the American market). The reappearance of the pre-2001 Matchbox logo, albeit without its classic quotation marks, marked the return to this philosophy.
To signal the seriousness of the venture and their commitment to the brand, a new, second 1-75 series (parallel to the standard range) was introduced, celebrating the "35th Anniversary of Superfast". Models were packaged in model-specific blister packs containing not only the model, but also individual, traditional-style "retro" boxes harking back to the Superfast boxes ca. 1970. All castings were of realistic vehicles, and indeed some 1969 castings were re-activated for inclusion in the range. The series was strictly limited in production volume, sold at a premium price, and was a great success. Further Superfast series were released in 2005 and 2006.
Also in 2005, certain Yesteryear castings which had been released in the Tyco/early Mattel era as part of the "Muscle Car" series of Matchbox Collectibles were re-released in 1971-style retro packaging and retro wheels as Super Kings — considered by many to be a strange name choice, since models of this nature had been called Speed Kings in the '70s.
Following the "Hero City" fiasco (the name being dropped in late 2005 in favor of "MBX Metal"), Mattel has shown interest in reviving the Matchbox brand. However, since Matchbox Collectibles Inc. was shut down, Mattel's interests have always been concentrated on very few series of the Matchbox legacy: 1-75, Sky Busters, Convoys, and to some extent the Two Packs concept (although now sold under a different name, Hitch 'n Haul ). Although small numbers of Super Kings and Yesteryears have been released at times, no new castings have been created. Battle Kings reappeared on the market in 2006, but not as King Size models, but rather as a name of military-oriented Two Pack-style sets of regular size models. The Dinky name has effectively been reduced to a few "re-branded" Matchbox 1-75 cars on the international market (normal models with "Dinky" tampo-printed onto the baseplate); no further investment in dies or tooling has been made. It appears that this classic brand, once saved by Matchbox, may be allowed by Mattel to languish or die once again.
In 2008, Mattel expanded the size of the standard Matchbox series to 100 models in certain markets, most prominently in the US. However, the 1-75 series will remain a 75-model series in most markets.
expanded the regular Matchbox series to include 100 models in 1999, changed it back to 75 models for 2001, and once again increased the series from 75 to 100 models from 2008. These changes were not applied in all markets.
The actual numbering of the 1-75 series number on the individual models (starting in the mid-'50s, numbers were cast onto the baseplates) was discontinued in the Universal era. This was in part due to the new concept of offering country-specific lines of models for many of the key markets, which led to the same castings being used under different numbers in different markets. In recent years (Mattel), a sequential casting no. (e.g. MB687) — unrelated to any 1-75 number used in any market — is cast onto each baseplate. The relevant 1-75 series number is printed on the blister pack or box.
(Other Matchbox ranges also had identifying numbers cast on their bases, many of which were reallocated as older models were retired and new ones introduced. The numbering conventions are listed in the Series Overview section below. However, with the exception of the Yesteryear line, which was held to 16 models for well over a decade [before being expanded greatly], there was no other case of a strict series size limitation by Lesney.)
In addition to these, a series of Gift Sets (numbered G-#) was sold by Lesney, each comprising models from the die-cast ranges (sometimes from different ranges within a single set). The sets were updated/changed regularly for various reasons, but mainly to ensure that the models contained therein were current. Set numbers were often reallocated in the same fashion as for "normal" series. Some sets included model variations officially released only in the sets (generally, these were variant colors), while others contained additional, non-die-cast items not available without the set.
with one additional important factor,
Some models are produced in very limited quantities. Prior to the evolution of "purpose-made" collectibles (cf. "Matchbox Collectibles", below) — i.e. models made in intentionally limited quantities to allow a high initial sales price and/or force the value to remain high on the collectors market — rarity was based on the simple criterion that the production numbers of a model were low. This was not generally due to any specific intent by the manufacturer. For example, this could occur if the mold (die) broke, or if the model proved to be unpopular and was replaced very quickly, creating a situation in which "normal" numbers of the model never reached the market.
Variations are changes in production models. The most common three types are changes in the materials used, in the dies, or in the color scheme. For instance, early Matchbox models were entirely made of metal, including the tyres/wheels. However, within the first few years of production, Lesney switched to plastic wheels. These were silver at first; later, grey wheels were fitted, followed finally by black wheels. Thus it was entirely possible that models introduced in the '50s could be fitted with four different wheel types during the span of their inclusion in the series — or even more, since there were further variations (e.g. knobby or smooth) besides the color or material. Depending on the particular model, a given wheel type might be much rarer than the others.
Molds (dies) are changed at times. This is commonly due to weaknesses in the final die-cast product, or to difficulties in production caused by the die. Often, the changes are very minor, even minute, and may occur in places that are not clearly visible at first glance. Especially in cases where e.g. a weakness was detected early in the production run, the numbers of early versions reaching the market are often quite low.
Color changes — now commonplace, a planned marketing tool — were rarer earlier, with most models being produced over the span of their inclusion in the series in just one or two major color schemes. However, not only the color of the model's body must be regarded, but rather the entire model— including baseplate, interior, windows — and thus changes in different components can lead to a factorial increase in variation possibilities.
Age also plays an important part in making a model rare. A model produced in standard quantities in the '50s will likely be much rarer today than one produced in similar quantities, but in the '80s.
As box designs were changed regularly, some boxes or even model/box combinations were produced in lower quantities, and thus became quite difficult to find. As an example, the first seven 1-75 models were packaged in "A Moko Lesney" boxes (cf. above, "History", Moko) on which the word "Moko" was written in script. Today, these boxes are extremely valuable. Later '50s boxes — including the 2nd editions of those for model numbers 1 to 7 — had "Moko" in the same capital letters as the words surrounding it.
Even in the era of blister packs, the role of packaging has not really diminished. However, as the "box" concept is tremendously important for the brand Matchbox, the presence of a box usually affects the value of a model significantly more than does a blister pack. The exception to this is blister packs from the box era, particularly those in which the box was also included.
Though the former model may therefore be found relatively ubiquitously in British or American households, often it was either played with (i.e. the condition is poor) or it has a particular "treasure"-like sentimental value (often the case with, for example, horse-drawn models), so that the model will be kept "forever", even by those who do not collect. Thus it becomes harder to find in good condition on the collectors market, while the less popular model can still be found mint-boxed in large quantities. And as it is likely that the sports car's initial popularity remains
unbroken, its value is now also driven upward by this fact as well.
As there have been multiple reference catalogs over the years, there is no complete consensus on the coding of a model. However, a standard code might read as such: Y-15 A 6. This would mean the 6th variation of the first ("A") release of model no. Y-15.
Many books now include a price guide, but there is no real consensus on the actual monetary value of a model. The numbers in any of the publications give relative information, but not more. It remains a collectors market, and, accordingly, prices fluctuate greatly.
and Mercedes
, as well as Magirus-Deutz
) were represented in the range, but in order to cater to that market using the dies at hand, it was decided to develop a model version just for Germany. The model chosen was the #25 Bedford Tanker, which, for the German market, was changed from its usual yellow-and-white colors and BP
livery to a blue and white model with Aral
decals. This first regional issue was followed by a second, when the Bedford was retired from the series and replaced, effectively, by the #32 Leyland Tanker. This model, too, was produced in a blue and white Aral version for Germany. (Interestingly, less than 40 years later, the two companies, BP and Aral, would merge.)
This proved to be a successful strategy, which was then expanded in the late '70s and the '80s. At first, it was again Germany for which models were produced, as many as 6 at a time (Polizei cars were developed, trucks offered with German logos, etc.), some even in specially constructed boxes. Later, the idea was expanded to larger models (Yesteryears such as the previously mentioned Y-12 Ford Model T Van, or numerous Super Kings models), and to other countries (Australia, Denmark, etc.), even including regional issues for the US or the UK.
For a short period in the '70s/'80s, Lesney also actually produced or licensed Matchbox production in other countries. Having started by developing several model variants in England specifically for the Japanese market, they later produced four Superfast models in Japan, based on Japanese prototypes. Dies and tooling were later also licensed to groups in Hungary and Bulgaria (Mikro'67
), in an attempt to gain a foothold in the Communist bloc countries. Although only standard models were produced there, there were numerous color variations, some of which are very rare today.
Beginning in the Matchbox International era, it was decided that the line should be regionalized more generally, which led to multiple versions of the 1-75 series being available; depending on where in the world the customer was, almost the entire range might be different than in the rest of the world. Although this philosophy is still followed today to some extent, it has been largely scaled back. Usually, there are ranges for the US and the rest of the world, with some "local" mini-series still being offered in certain countries (e.g. an annual 12-car release in Germany called "Stars of Cars", or a similar set of models in the UK called "Best of British").
The first issue to be purposely made for a particular customer is the now famous "Beales Bealson" #46 Guy "Pickfords" Removal Van. The promotional issue, made for a store in southern England, differed drastically in color, decals, and box from the standard model (in Pickfords livery). Besides fulfilling its original purpose, it also became highly sought after by collectors.
A few further models were made in the late '60s or early '70s, amongst them several bus models and the famous "NAMC" promotional version of the #32 Leyland Tanker (the first model made exclusively for collectors; see below, "Matchbox collectors"). However, the major shift in the number and value of promotionals began with the use of London Bus models in the '70s, particularly the Superfast #17 Londoner Bus. With this model, what had been a trickle turned into a flood, as it was used by countless companies as advertising material for their business customers. The success of this concept — and its value to the Matchbox brand — was huge, leading to a rapid expansion of the idea, both in the numbers of models used (and the introduction of models offering good "advertising space", such as the #38 Ford Model A Van, into the series), and, again, in the size of the models (Yesteryears, and also often Super Kings as well).
Eventually, almost any model could be and indeed was used for promotional purposes. Some companies only allow extremely limited numbers of their models to be made (e.g. the K-16 Quaker State model), while others have them produced in large quantities to serve as on-pack offers, for example, or even put them on general (but limited) release, such as the set of models commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Ford Motor Company
. As one of the most difficult aspects of collecting, promotionals' values can skyrocket within months of their being issued. Today, promotionals remain an important part of Matchbox's business.
As mentioned above (cf. "History", expansion in the Superfast era), the popularity of both regional issues and promotionals were recognized by the company and played a role in the development of models designed not specifically as toys, but with the collector in mind. The realization of the market potential of catering to collectors led to a major shift in the entire die-cast industry, as other brands followed suit while Matchbox continued to refine the idea into what later became Matchbox Collectibles (q.v.).
Matchbox introduced the "Matchbox Collectibles" name to designate purpose-made collectible items. Initially, the Matchbox Collectibles range revolved mainly around 1-75 or Convoy models, usually produced with a high level of tampo or mask-spray detailing and with rubber tyres and "chrome" wheels. The models were manufactured in limited quantities and sold at better-stocked retail stores as "Premiere Collectibles", "World Class", "First Editions", "Barrett-Jackson", etc., for a premium price. This concept of making intentionally collectible versions of toy cars was widely copied by the competition, including Hot Wheels
and Johnny Lightning
. Later, the Models of Yesteryear, Dinky, and Convoy series were used as a basis for creating themed collectible "mini-series" of models, while the Super Kings range often yielded large-scale truck "specials", all of which were generally offered only by mail order. At that time, Matchbox Collectibles Inc. essentially became a semi-independent sub-unit of Matchbox International Ltd. The idea was quite successful, leading to the creation of many new, high-quality castings over a relatively short time span. Tie-ins with major brands (Texaco
, Campbell's Soup
, Coca-Cola
, Hershey's Chocolate
, Jack Daniel's
, etc.) increased the attractiveness of the range. However, to finance the new castings, prices continually increased, while castings were re-used for multiple purposes, sometimes rather far from realistic. Thus, although Matchbox Collectibles offered great quality models, there were also several dubious series.
Although the main scales tended to hover around 1:43 (1:50 or 1:100 for truck models), eventually there were even 1:24 automobiles. Airplanes and tanks (in appropriate scales) made their returns as well. However, the timing of these latter series was almost as poor as in the '70s, as about 3 years after Mattel bought the Matchbox brand, development of the Collectibles range was effectively halted, and Matchbox Collectibles Inc. was mothballed. Some models continue to be marketed via major retailers such as Target in the US, but the "golden era" of Collectibles appears to be past.
. Concentrating on 1:72 scale military aircraft and 1:76 military vehicles, it competed with the then-dominant Airfix
company. The Matchbox kits had a distinctive appearance, the parts in each kit were produced in two or three colours compared to the single colour plastic of Airfix. The boxes were also more colourful and included clear windows so the contents could be seen. In addition, unlike Airfix's military vehicle kits, the Matchbox military vehicle kits all came with a small diorama base. Matchbox also continued AMT's extensive line of 1:25 scale cars and trucks. Other kit ranges included 1:32 and 1:48 aircraft, 1:700 ships, 1:32 cars, 1:12 motorcycles, and the still well-known 1:72 Flower class corvette
. The Matchbox kits were well made, with modern tooling and techniques, but critics felt that the kits were too coarsely detailed in comparison with other models on the market, and too "toy-like". Yet they were still just as complex and time consuming to construct as any other kit, which limited their appeal to more casual model builders. The company was unable to fully satisfy either the casual or serious model building market, and was one of the first companies to abandon model kits when the hobby started its decline, selling AMT to the Ertl Company
and shutting down its own kit division less than twenty years after starting it.
While the Matchbox-branded kits were not a success, the same was not true of the AMT line. By the 1970s AMT had 20 years' experience tooling car kits, and the only difference Europe
an ownership made was a somewhat broader selection of subject matter than had been seen from them before or since. Original Matchbox model kits are highly collectible.
The Matchbox model kit molds were acquired by Revell
Germany in the early '90s, which continues to sporadically re-issue the old Matchbox kits, now under the Revell label. Recently, a number of the most desirable Matchbox kits have made re-appearances, to the delight of modelers: In 1:72nd scale, The H.P. Victor, the Supermarine Walrus
, Handley-Page Halifax and PB4Y Privateer
, and in 1:48th Scale the A1-E four-seat Skyraider. Many modelers are also looking forward to a re-release of the Mk II/Mk VI Hawker Tempest
, the English Electric Canberra
, RR Spey Phantom.
Revell has confirmed that it will be re-releasing the much sought after 1:32nd Scale Spitfire Mk. 22 with Griffon, and the 1:32nd Scale De Havilland Venom
.
It is reported that pirated copies of Matchbox kits, particularly the military vehicles series, appeared in China in the mid-2000s. However, they were not really pirated at all. Shanghai Universal Plastic Toys Company (SUPT) has produced them based on its original British kits under the license from Universal ever since its establishment in early '90s. The kits usually have modified areas to accommodate recasting of the words "Made in China", but you may see illegible "Made in England" underneath sometime. The phrase "Lesney Products & PLC" and its original copyright year are usually kept unchanged. These China made PK series were sold mostly in mainland China and Japan. There were typos on some of these China made plastic kits packages especially with Chinese or Japanese languages on cover, however, they were really produced by SUPT and were factory made mistakes. The SUPT left a large stock of Matchbox Motor City series before it renamed as Yuan Jie Company (元杰). Mattel came out a contract with SUPT, which prohibits the latter party to sell those undestroyed stocks. It has become a maze in the Matchbox plastic kits history.
Numerous additional product lines have been produced and/or sold by Matchbox over the years, particularly in the Lesney era. Collectors catalogs were published in various languages by the company each year starting in 1957, continuing well into the '80s. Collectors cases were designed for children to carry/store their 1-75 vehicles. From 1957 until the '70s, a range of garages/service stations was offered in either Esso or BP logos (under the series no. MG-1). There were also jigsaw puzzles of photographs depicting Matchbox vehicles in realistic-looking situations, race track sets (Superfast track was yellow, as opposed to Hot Wheels' orange, and of a slightly wider gauge), a particularly clever plastic snap-together wall-display system, roadways, and even a slot-car system for standard (non-powered) car models. At several points, in an attempt to move into Mattel and Hasbro
territory, Matchbox produced dolls, first a line of pirate dolls for younger school-age boys, and later baby dolls for pre-school girls. Numerous other non-die-cast items have been marketed, as well as a number of shorter-lived die-cast series (Historic Inn Signs, Disney cars, "Thunderbirds"
models, etc.).
As mentioned previously (cf. above, "History"), Matchbox also tried its hand in the die cast airplanes area, under the name Sky Busters
. The models were not only produced for children; Sky Busters produced plane models for such airlines as Aeroméxico
, Air France
, British Airways
, Iberia
, Lufthansa
and Saudi Arabian Airlines
. However, they were and are designed more for the inexpensive toy market. Promotional models sold by the airlines themselves more often tend to be models of higher quality, exactness, and price. Nevertheless, as with other lines (cf. above, "Matchbox Collectibles"), brand tie-ins are welcomed by collectors and companies alike, as they increase both the collectibility of the models and the brand awareness by the consumers.
In the late '70s, Matchbox also produced slot cars called Powertrack or Speedtrack, which featured working headlights. (Some Powertrack models had parallel issues in the "normal" Matchbox 1-75 line.) Other slot car sets from Matchbox included a lane changer (which allowed cars to switch lanes) and a Race and Chase set which featured a police car and chased car which could jump and u-turn. [For further information on the history of Matchbox slot car racing, including extensive product details, see the separate article "Powertrack
".]
Also in the late '70s, Matchbox produced a small range of 1:32 and 1:76 Second World War toy soldiers
in direct competition to Airfix
. These sets included British, German, and American infantry
, the British 8th Army and the German Afrika Korps
, and British Commandos
. Though Matchbox's sets featured fewer figures than comparable Airfix sets (15 vs. 29 in 1:32), they included weapons that Airfix did not model (flame-throwers, heavy machine guns), and Montgomery and Rommel figures in the Desert War sets. The figures were popular for their high-quality moulding and their different extra weapons and poses as compared to the more common Airfix sets.
Action Toy lines from Matchbox included Ring Raiders
, Robotech
, Voltron
, Parasites, and Monster in My Pocket
. They ceased developing most of such lines when Matchbox was absorbed into Tyco.
In the '70s, adult collectors began to form semi-official clubs to discuss collecting at a higher level of sophistication. Variations were discussed and catalogued, swap meets organized, and new journals or bulletins began to appear, written by and for the serious collector. Not unlike stamps or coins, prices for older and/or more collectible models began to spiral upwards in a trend that continues to this day. Collecting is, however, not limited to the models themselves. Anything and everything having to do with Matchbox ― catalogs, dealer display cases, promotional literature, etc. ― is also avidly collected. In the US, two competing clubs were both established in Massachusetts (NAMC, the National Association of Matchbox Collectors, run by Bob Brennan, and AIM, the American-International Matchbox club, run by Harold Colpitts). These clubs were the central force of Matchbox collecting in the '70s and '80s (though both have since ceased to exist), and from them, further spin-offs were formed, including UK Matchbox (run by Ray Bush), MICA (Matchbox International Collectors Association), and Matchbox USA (run by Charlie Mack), the latter of which are still in operation today.
Charlie (Charles) Mack, as well as others, have also published numerous books for collectors and would-be collectors, showing models and their variations, and giving value/price guidance. The books are readily available at major bookstores.
Matchbox collecting has proven to be a truly international phenomenon in a scale unseen with the other major collectible brands. Dinky collecting is centered around the UK and France, Corgi collecting in the UK, and Hot Wheels collecting in North America. Only Matchbox is collected with great (and similarly high) intensity both in the UK and Commonwealth countries and in North America.
Like many high value collectible items Matchbox models are now sadly prone to faking. Rare variations can be quite easily made up using genuine parts, and then sold as a "rare" variation. New collectors would be wise to purchase a number of the excellent books, or join the many web forums on Matchbox collecting before paying out large sums of money for models.
Lesney Products
Lesney Products & Co. Ltd. was a British manufacturing company responsible for the conception, manufacture, and distribution of die-cast toys under the "Matchbox" name.-History:...
in 1953 and is now owned by Mattel, Inc
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
. The brand was so named as the original die-cast
Die-cast toy
The term die-cast toy here refers to any toy or collectible model produced by using the die casting method. The toys are made of metal, with plastic, rubber or glass details. Wholly plastic toys are made by a similar process of injection moulding, but the two are rarely confused...
Matchbox toys were sold in boxes similar in style and size to those in which matches were sold. Subsequently the brand would encompass a broad range of toys including larger scale die-cast models and various non die-cast lines such as plastic model kits and action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s.
During the 1980s, Matchbox started to switch to the more conventional plastic and cardboard "blister packs" that were used by other die cast toy brands such as Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
. The box style packaging was re-introduced for the collectors' market in recent years, particularly with the release of the "35th Anniversary of Superfast" series in 2004.
The early years: Lesney, the origins of the Matchbox name and the 1-75 series
The Matchbox name started in 1953 as a brand name of the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
die-casting company, Lesney Products
Lesney Products
Lesney Products & Co. Ltd. was a British manufacturing company responsible for the conception, manufacture, and distribution of die-cast toys under the "Matchbox" name.-History:...
. Lesney's reputation would be moulded by Jack Odell, Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith (hence the name "Lesney"); their first major sales success was the million-selling model of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Coach.
Shortly thereafter, Lesney co-owner Jack Odell
Jack Odell
John William "Jack" Odell, OBE was the English inventor of Matchbox toys and the engineer responsible for their unique design. He joined with partners Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith to form Lesney Products....
(b. 1920 – d. 2007 created a toy that effectively provided the final, missing link to the company's future. It was designed for his daughter: her school only allowed children to bring toys that could fit inside a matchbox, so Odell crafted a scaled-down version of the Lesney green and red road roller. This toy ultimately became the first of the 1-75 miniature range; a dump truck and a cement mixer completed the original three-model release that marked the starting point of the mass-market success story of the Matchbox series. As mentioned above, because the one defining factor for the toys was that each model had to fit in a match-box, the idea was born to sell the models in replica matchboxes — thus yielding the name of the series. It also resulted in the description of the models' scales being "1:box" (as opposed to more "serious" scales such as 1:87, 1:64, or 1:43).
Additional models — mostly British at first — continued to be added to the range throughout the decade, including cars such as an MG Midget TD, a Vauxhall Cresta
Vauxhall Cresta
The Vauxhall Cresta is a British car first introduced in 1954 by Vauxhall Motors as an upmarket version of the Vauxhall Velox . When the Wyvern was replaced in 1957 the new larger car took the Cresta name...
, a Ford Zodiac, and many others. As the line grew, it also gradually became more international, including models of Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
s, a Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
, and American makes. To make such miniatures, the designers took detailed photographs of the real models, even obtaining some original blueprints. This enabled them to make models with surprisingly high levels of detail, despite the small scale. The size of the models (and their clever packaging) allowed Matchbox to occupy a market niche barely touched by the competition (and certainly not by Dinky); the associated price advantage made Matchbox models affordable for every child, and helped establish Matchbox as a household word for small model toy cars — whatever the brand. Although used generically, "MATCHBOX" (in capital letters and quotation marks) was registered as a worldwide trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
to protect the Matchbox brand from competition.
Moko; growth & development of the 1-75 and other core series
In the earliest years of the regular, or 1-75 series — well before the series actually numbered 75 models — Lesney was marketed/distributed by Moko (itself named after its founder, Moses Kohnstam). Boxes in that era mentioned this, with the text "A Moko Lesney" appearing on each. Lesney gained its independence from Moko in the '50s by buying the company, leading into a period of growth, both in sales and in size. Early models did not feature windows or interiors, were made entirely of metal, and were often about 2" (5 cm) in length. By 1968, Matchbox was the biggest-selling brand of small diecast model cars worldwide. By this time, the average model featured plastic windows, interiors, tyres (often with separate disc wheels), and occasional accessories; spring suspensions; opening parts; and was about 3" (7 cm) long. Some even featured steering, including the pressure-based AutoSteer system debuting in 1969. The line was very diverse, including many trucks/lorries, buses, tractors, motorcycles, and trailers as well as standard passenger cars.Dinky Toy
Dinky Toys are die-cast miniature vehicles which were produced by Meccano Ltd at Binns Road, Liverpool, England - makers of Hornby railway sets, named after founder Frank Hornby.- Pre-war history :...
, Matchbox, and Corgi
Mettoy-Corgi
Corgi Toys is the name of a range of die-cast toy vehicles produced by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in the United Kingdom. The Mettoy company was founded in 1933 by German émigré Philip Ullmann in Northampton, England, where he was later joined by South African-born German Arthur Katz who had previously...
), could seemingly do no wrong. Each had its own market niche and its own strong reputation, while innovations and advances by one were adopted by the others within a matter of a few years. Each also expanded to some extent into each other's territory, though this never seemed to seriously affect the sales of any brand's core series.
As part of Lesney's expansion activities, four further die-cast model ranges were introduced during the 1950s and 60s. The Models of Yesteryear, introduced in 1956, were renditions of classic vehicles from the steam and early automotive eras. These were often about 3½-4" in length. Accessories Packs were also introduced in 1956 and included gas/petrol pumps, garages, and the like. Major Packs, which were larger-scale models, often of construction vehicles, were added in 1957. The King Size series of larger scale trucks and tractors was added in 1960 and was diversified from 1967 to include passenger car models in a scale similar to that used by Corgi and Dinky. Major Packs had been absorbed into the King Size range by 1968.
Competition and crisis
However, the main focus at Matchbox continued to be their smaller cars. Other brands, including HuskyHusky (toy company)
Husky was a brand name for a line of small die-cast toy vehicles. They were manufactured by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. which also made the larger Corgi Toys...
/Corgi Junior, Budgie, and Cigar Box, attempted to compete with Matchbox, but none were particularly successful until American toy giant Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
introduced the revolutionary low-friction "racing" wheels on its Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
line of cars. These models, although less true to scale and often featuring fantasy vehicles, were painted in bright metallic colors, fitted with racing-style "mag" wheels and slick tyres, were decidedly American in their model choice, and were marketed aggressively and with numerous accessory products, such as race track sets and the like. In 1969, the bottom effectively fell out of Lesney's US sales (the other major market, the UK, was also under attack).
Lesney's response to this was relatively quick — but not quick enough to avoid major financial worries — creating the "Superfast" line. This was effectively a transformation of the 1969 line to include low-friction wheels (at first narrow, since the company needed time to retool the series to accommodate wide tyres), often accompanied with new colors. The result was, at first, a strange but interesting line of fast-wheeling cars, trucks, and trailers, basically complete in 1970. Racing track sets and the like were also released to allow children to race their cars. Starting in 1970 and particularly in 1971, new models appeared with wider tyres, and older models (including trucks still in the line) were retooled to fit slicks. The King Size range was similarly updated, including a division into Super Kings (mostly trucks, but also with mag wheels) and Speed Kings (cars). A short-lived series of rechargeable electric cars, called Scorpions, was released as well, to compete with similar products from Hot Wheels (Sizzlers) and Corgi (ElectroRockets).
By the mid-'70s, Matchbox was again a force on the world market, having completed the transition and having even updated its line to include some fantasy vehicles. The 1-75 series was also amended to include the Rola-Matics (featuring mechanical parts that moved when the vehicle was moved) and Streakers, the latter an attempt to compete with Hot Wheels' newest innovation, tampo-printing on the vehicle itself.
Expansion in the Superfast era
In an attempt to reap more benefits from the regained popularity of the Matchbox brand, a last period of great expansion started with the introduction of multiple new lines, including the Sky Busters range of aircraft (incl. current and historic private, commercial, and military planes), Battle Kings military models, Sea Kings naval models, Adventure 2000 science fiction models, and the Two Packs series, which revisited the traditional Matchbox idea of a model and an associated trailer.Unfortunately, early marketing concepts of metallic-painted tanks and bright-colored ships were not consistent with market demands, and the models, many of which were quite well made for the money, were generally not successful. (Second editions of the Battle Kings and Sky Busters series were painted in very realistic colors and were well-received, but by this time, general economic factors were seriously affecting the ability of the company to make a profit on toys manufactured in England.)
Of these series, only the Sky Busters and, to some extent, the Two Packs survived over time. The Convoy series of articulated truck-trailers (mostly American) was an offshoot of the Two Packs line and continues under various guises to this day.
A rather simple development in this period ― as much philosophical in nature as product-related ― initiated a revolutionary change in the marketplace. The Matchbox brand had become the most widely collected of all die-cast toy lines (cf. below, "Matchbox collectors"). In the '70s, Lesney began to seek contact with collectors, sending representatives to collectors' meets, providing information to the various collectors' clubs, and informally surveying collectors' needs. This resulted at first in the creation of several models expressly for collectors (the most notable of which was a Yesteryear model, the black Y-1 Model T Ford).
The success of this led the company to place models of commercial vehicles in the Yesteryear line (two vans at first, a Talbot
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...
and another Model T) which were tampo-printed with period advertising for brand-name items such as Lipton
Lipton
Lipton is a brand of tea currently owned by Unilever.-History of Lipton Tea:Lipton was created at the end of the 19th century by a grocer, Sir Thomas Lipton, in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1893, he established the Thomas J. Lipton Co., a tea packing company with its headquarters and factory in Hobo ken,...
's Tea, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, or Suze. These models, the first commercial vehicles in the series since the '50s, were eagerly greeted and avidly collected by collectors; the concept was quickly expanded to include limited runs of models made only for specific countries (Arnott's Biscuits
Arnott's Biscuits Holdings
Arnott's Biscuits Holdings , is a subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company of the United States.In Australia Arnott's is the largest producer of biscuits and the second-largest supplier of snack food.-History:...
[Australia], Sunlight Seife
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
[Germany]) or at the specific request of companies such as Nestle
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
's Milk, Taystee Bread, or Harrod's department store. (This aspect of the business ― so-called "promotionals" ― had existed since the '60s, but had established itself firmly in the company's culture in the '70s with numerous models, particularly of a 1-75 model, the no. 17 Londoner Bus. However, promotionals had previously been made with primarily the sponsor in mind. The shift in the late '70s/early '80s was in considering the needs of the collector as well.)
It immediately became evident that special, low-volume models of this nature were highly desirable from both the sponsor and the collector's perspective, as well as being profitable for Matchbox. The market expanded exponentially, leading to increased licensing as well as the development of models no longer aimed at all at the children's toy market, but rather at the higher-margin "premium" segment (eventually developing into "Matchbox Collectibles", cf. below). Today, virtually all brands of die-cast vehicles cater to this market, some exclusively.
Economic difficulties, bankruptcy, and the post-Lesney era
Due more to the economic climate in the United Kingdom at the time than to the lack of success of the Matchbox brand — all of the core ranges continued to sell very strongly — the company was in difficult financial straits by the end of the '70s. The same forces were affecting their British counterparts/competitors as well: following in the footsteps of MeccanoMeccano Ltd
Meccano Ltd was a British toy company established in 1908 by Frank Hornby in England to manufacture and distribute Meccano and other model toys and kits created by the company...
(Dinky) and just a year before Mettoy
Mettoy-Corgi
Corgi Toys is the name of a range of die-cast toy vehicles produced by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in the United Kingdom. The Mettoy company was founded in 1933 by German émigré Philip Ullmann in Northampton, England, where he was later joined by South African-born German Arthur Katz who had previously...
(Corgi), Lesney went bankrupt in June 1982, and went into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
. The Matchbox brand name, some tooling and molds and other assets were then sold to Universal Toys and Mr. David Yeh. Some of the Matchbox tooling became property of Jack Odell, who continued to market Matchbox Yesteryear-like products under the Lledo brand name, but essentially Lesney and Matchbox has been sold to Yeh and his group. Yeh reorganized Lesney and renamed the group "Matchbox International Ltd.", with Yeh as Chairman and Jack Forcelledo as President. Yeh took the group public in 1986 on the NYSE with a successful IPO.
Although no longer British-owned, limited production continued in England until the mid-1980s, re-using many of the old Lesney castings. Most production and tooling was moved to Macau. It was during this period that Matchbox acquired the rights to the venerated Dinky
Dinky Toy
Dinky Toys are die-cast miniature vehicles which were produced by Meccano Ltd at Binns Road, Liverpool, England - makers of Hornby railway sets, named after founder Frank Hornby.- Pre-war history :...
brand, perhaps the "mother of all toy car collectibles", and united two of the most important names in die-cast under one roof. New models were created (sometimes dies were also bought from competing companies), and the Dinky Collection was born. Dinky models tended to be of more recent classics (particularly the '50s), while Yesteryears tended to concentrate on older vintages. It was also during the Universal era that the "Matchbox Collectibles" concept was developed (see below, "Matchbox Collectibles").
High labor cost and being lack of enough skilled workers in Hong Kong and Macau, the Universal decided to outsource its die casting in mainland China. April 1984, the first Hong Kong-Shanghai joint venture toys company was established in Minhang, Shanghai. It is called Shanghai Universal Toys Co., Ltd. (usually abbreviated as SUTC/上海环球玩具有限公司). Mr. Yeh is the Hong Kong party, while Shanghai Toys Import & Export Company, Shanghai Shang Shi Investment Company (the Shanghai Government owned investment vehicle), Bank of China and Aijian Holdings are Chinese shareholders. The CJV contract was signed off with 20-year period of validity.
1985 saw the first batch of Matchbox toys, which have China casting on base. Dies were imported from Macau to Shanghai till early '90s when Macau finally ceased producing Matchbox toys. No dies were designed by SUTC itself, decal painting, assembling and packing were the most things SUTC did. Accompanied with metal casting, SUTC also has a plastic kits and components factory. It is called Shanghai Universal Plastic Toys Company (usually abbreviated as SUPT/上海环球塑胶塑胶玩具有限公司). The Motor City series, Matchbox PK series and many plastic components were produced there between late '80s and mid '90s. Meanwhile, Universal also outsourced its die casting capabilities in Southern China. Yongtai Toys Company (永泰玩具有限公司) was the most famous one, which produced Matchbox toys under the license from Universal but without fixed assets investment.
By 1992, Universal was also seeking a buyer. In May 1992, they sold the brand to Tyco Toys
Tyco Toys
Tyco Toys is an American toy manufacturer. Since 1997 it has been a division of the Mattel toy company.-History:Mantua Metal Products was a Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, metalworks business founded in 1926 by John Tyler and family...
, whose toy division in turn was bought out by Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
in 1997, uniting Matchbox with its longtime rival Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
under the same corporate banner. Under Mattel, the name "Matchbox International Ltd." was terminated.
The buyout by Mattel was greeted with considerable trepidation by the Matchbox collectors' community. The rivalry between the Hot Wheels and Matchbox brands is not only a battle fought by the companies; collectors of each of the brands feel strongly about the qualities of their brand of choice. For the typical Matchbox collector, Hot Wheels are inferior in scaling and model choice, making Hot Wheels less desirable. There were great fears that Mattel would either impose a Hot Wheels-style philosophy on the Matchbox line, or actually fold the Matchbox line into the Hot Wheels series. Early concerns of this nature by collectors were countered by assurances from Mattel that (a) Matchbox would continue to develop their product line independently from Hot Wheels, and (b) that it was intended that Matchbox represent "real" and traditional vehicles, while fantasy would primarily be placed firmly in Hot Wheels territory. Some very realistic Hot Wheels Caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
models were actually re-branded to Matchbox to demonstrate the latter statement (though this did not necessarily appease concerns about the truth of the former).
In 2002, Sky Busters
Matchbox Sky Busters
The Matchbox Sky Busters are a range of die-cast model aircraft produced under the Matchbox brand, initially by Lesney Products and later by Mattel.The earlier Sky Busters were produced in 1973 from London, England...
made a comeback, but with Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
as the only major airline to sponsor the product. In 2003, Matchbox came out with a line of special edition cars to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Breaking with the philosophy set forth in the '90s, Mattel revamped the Matchbox line almost completely in 2003, introducing "Ultra Heroes", a series of fantasy vehicles, as part of a "Hero City" theme. Matchbox collectors were appalled, but so was the market: These toys proved to be unpopular, and the line was soon discontinued. The next year, Matchbox, with a new team in charge based in El Segundo, California, started the return to the company's roots of selling realistic looking, well-detailed models, most of which were based on real prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s (now however mostly of American cars or brands well-known on the American market). The reappearance of the pre-2001 Matchbox logo, albeit without its classic quotation marks, marked the return to this philosophy.
To signal the seriousness of the venture and their commitment to the brand, a new, second 1-75 series (parallel to the standard range) was introduced, celebrating the "35th Anniversary of Superfast". Models were packaged in model-specific blister packs containing not only the model, but also individual, traditional-style "retro" boxes harking back to the Superfast boxes ca. 1970. All castings were of realistic vehicles, and indeed some 1969 castings were re-activated for inclusion in the range. The series was strictly limited in production volume, sold at a premium price, and was a great success. Further Superfast series were released in 2005 and 2006.
Also in 2005, certain Yesteryear castings which had been released in the Tyco/early Mattel era as part of the "Muscle Car" series of Matchbox Collectibles were re-released in 1971-style retro packaging and retro wheels as Super Kings — considered by many to be a strange name choice, since models of this nature had been called Speed Kings in the '70s.
Following the "Hero City" fiasco (the name being dropped in late 2005 in favor of "MBX Metal"), Mattel has shown interest in reviving the Matchbox brand. However, since Matchbox Collectibles Inc. was shut down, Mattel's interests have always been concentrated on very few series of the Matchbox legacy: 1-75, Sky Busters, Convoys, and to some extent the Two Packs concept (although now sold under a different name, Hitch 'n Haul ). Although small numbers of Super Kings and Yesteryears have been released at times, no new castings have been created. Battle Kings reappeared on the market in 2006, but not as King Size models, but rather as a name of military-oriented Two Pack-style sets of regular size models. The Dinky name has effectively been reduced to a few "re-branded" Matchbox 1-75 cars on the international market (normal models with "Dinky" tampo-printed onto the baseplate); no further investment in dies or tooling has been made. It appears that this classic brand, once saved by Matchbox, may be allowed by Mattel to languish or die once again.
In 2008, Mattel expanded the size of the standard Matchbox series to 100 models in certain markets, most prominently in the US. However, the 1-75 series will remain a 75-model series in most markets.
Model numbering: The "1-75" (or "75") series
Lesney decided that models in the standard series would be numbered, and that the series would only ever comprise 75 models at any given time; when a new model appeared, one of the existing models was discontinued, its number being reallocated. This meant that display stands only needed to accommodate 75 models. New owners MattelMattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
expanded the regular Matchbox series to include 100 models in 1999, changed it back to 75 models for 2001, and once again increased the series from 75 to 100 models from 2008. These changes were not applied in all markets.
The actual numbering of the 1-75 series number on the individual models (starting in the mid-'50s, numbers were cast onto the baseplates) was discontinued in the Universal era. This was in part due to the new concept of offering country-specific lines of models for many of the key markets, which led to the same castings being used under different numbers in different markets. In recent years (Mattel), a sequential casting no. (e.g. MB687) — unrelated to any 1-75 number used in any market — is cast onto each baseplate. The relevant 1-75 series number is printed on the blister pack or box.
(Other Matchbox ranges also had identifying numbers cast on their bases, many of which were reallocated as older models were retired and new ones introduced. The numbering conventions are listed in the Series Overview section below. However, with the exception of the Yesteryear line, which was held to 16 models for well over a decade [before being expanded greatly], there was no other case of a strict series size limitation by Lesney.)
Scales of models
Matchbox cars are primarily made in two sizes:- The smaller models ("regular size"; 1-75 and related series) are often classified as 1:64 scale (though they range from smaller than 1:100 to much larger than 1:64) and measure about 2.5-3 inches, or 6.5-7.5 centimeters, in length. Toy stores most often stock these models.
- Matchbox has also manufactured cars in approx. 1:43 scale (sometimes called "king size"), labelling them Speed Kings or Super Kings (or, later — particularly in the Matchbox Collectibles lines [cf. below] — Models of Yesteryear or Dinky), which measure about 3.5-4 inches, or 9-10 centimeters, in length. This was the same scale as Corgi or Dinky. Matchbox's designers favored this larger size because it permitted more detail. The 1:43 cars are still made, but are primarily marketed as collectibles, rather than as toys. While the actual car models in these series tend to hover around the 1:43 scale, other vehicle types (trucks, construction and farm vehicles, hovercrafts, tanks, etc.) vary greatly, in the same manner as do the regular size models.
An overview of the principal die-cast series
- 1-75 (also called the regular series, Superfast series, 75 series); numbered 1-75
- Accessories; numbered A-#
- Models of Yesteryear; numbered Y-#, later YY-#
- Major Packs; numbered M-#
- King Size (later Super Kings and Speed Kings); numbered K-#
- Scorpions (non-metal, rechargeable battery powered cars)
- Sky BustersMatchbox Sky BustersThe Matchbox Sky Busters are a range of die-cast model aircraft produced under the Matchbox brand, initially by Lesney Products and later by Mattel.The earlier Sky Busters were produced in 1973 from London, England...
; numbered SB-# - Two Packs (later also called the 900 series or Hitch 'n Haul ); numbered TP-#
- Battle Kings; numbered K-# (K-101 - K-118)
- Matchbox Military; numbered MM-# (MM-1 & MM-2)
- Sea Kings; numbered K-# (K-301 - K-310; nos. K-311 - K-313 were pre-productions)
- Adventure 2000; numbered K-# (K-2001 - K-2006)
- Convoy; numbered CY-#
- Dinky (Matchbox bought the brand in the late 1980s); DY-#
- Real Working Rigs; number RW-# (introduced in 2009)
In addition to these, a series of Gift Sets (numbered G-#) was sold by Lesney, each comprising models from the die-cast ranges (sometimes from different ranges within a single set). The sets were updated/changed regularly for various reasons, but mainly to ensure that the models contained therein were current. Set numbers were often reallocated in the same fashion as for "normal" series. Some sets included model variations officially released only in the sets (generally, these were variant colors), while others contained additional, non-die-cast items not available without the set.
Model collectibility and value
Not unlike other "classical" collectible items such as stamps, coins, or real cars, the value and collectibility of model cars such as Matchbox is driven primarily by three factors:- Rarity (incl. variations),
- Condition, and
- Popularity of the model
with one additional important factor,
- Packaging
Rarity and variations
The rarity of a model can refer either to the model in general, or to a variation thereof.Some models are produced in very limited quantities. Prior to the evolution of "purpose-made" collectibles (cf. "Matchbox Collectibles", below) — i.e. models made in intentionally limited quantities to allow a high initial sales price and/or force the value to remain high on the collectors market — rarity was based on the simple criterion that the production numbers of a model were low. This was not generally due to any specific intent by the manufacturer. For example, this could occur if the mold (die) broke, or if the model proved to be unpopular and was replaced very quickly, creating a situation in which "normal" numbers of the model never reached the market.
Variations are changes in production models. The most common three types are changes in the materials used, in the dies, or in the color scheme. For instance, early Matchbox models were entirely made of metal, including the tyres/wheels. However, within the first few years of production, Lesney switched to plastic wheels. These were silver at first; later, grey wheels were fitted, followed finally by black wheels. Thus it was entirely possible that models introduced in the '50s could be fitted with four different wheel types during the span of their inclusion in the series — or even more, since there were further variations (e.g. knobby or smooth) besides the color or material. Depending on the particular model, a given wheel type might be much rarer than the others.
Molds (dies) are changed at times. This is commonly due to weaknesses in the final die-cast product, or to difficulties in production caused by the die. Often, the changes are very minor, even minute, and may occur in places that are not clearly visible at first glance. Especially in cases where e.g. a weakness was detected early in the production run, the numbers of early versions reaching the market are often quite low.
Color changes — now commonplace, a planned marketing tool — were rarer earlier, with most models being produced over the span of their inclusion in the series in just one or two major color schemes. However, not only the color of the model's body must be regarded, but rather the entire model— including baseplate, interior, windows — and thus changes in different components can lead to a factorial increase in variation possibilities.
Age also plays an important part in making a model rare. A model produced in standard quantities in the '50s will likely be much rarer today than one produced in similar quantities, but in the '80s.
Condition
The better the condition of the model, the higher its value. Model conditions are usually expressed in a simple, somewhat subjective manner, in categories such as: mint, excellent, very good, good, fair, poor. Simply put, a "mint" model, i.e. one in factory-fresh condition, is worth far more than a sandbox-quality model with chipped paint, rusty axles, and broken parts. However, to be valuable, the condition must be original; repainting or repairing a model reduces its value greatly, even if the final result can be very impressive.Packaging
The presence or lack of packaging affects the value of a model. A "mint boxed" model can in some cases be worth 50-100% more than the mint model without the box, depending on the age of the model, the condition of the box, and even the variations of the box.As box designs were changed regularly, some boxes or even model/box combinations were produced in lower quantities, and thus became quite difficult to find. As an example, the first seven 1-75 models were packaged in "A Moko Lesney" boxes (cf. above, "History", Moko) on which the word "Moko" was written in script. Today, these boxes are extremely valuable. Later '50s boxes — including the 2nd editions of those for model numbers 1 to 7 — had "Moko" in the same capital letters as the words surrounding it.
Even in the era of blister packs, the role of packaging has not really diminished. However, as the "box" concept is tremendously important for the brand Matchbox, the presence of a box usually affects the value of a model significantly more than does a blister pack. The exception to this is blister packs from the box era, particularly those in which the box was also included.
Popularity
The popularity of the model affects its value both directly and indirectly. For example, if two models were produced in similar quantities in the '50s, one an interesting sports car, the other a rather dull military vehicle, then the former probably disappeared from store shelves much faster. Its value, then in non-monetary terms, was higher.Though the former model may therefore be found relatively ubiquitously in British or American households, often it was either played with (i.e. the condition is poor) or it has a particular "treasure"-like sentimental value (often the case with, for example, horse-drawn models), so that the model will be kept "forever", even by those who do not collect. Thus it becomes harder to find in good condition on the collectors market, while the less popular model can still be found mint-boxed in large quantities. And as it is likely that the sports car's initial popularity remains
unbroken, its value is now also driven upward by this fact as well.
Cataloguing
Since the advent of organized Matchbox collectors' clubs (see below, "Matchbox collectors"), models and their variations have been coded and catalogued, and values have been roughly established. The major collectors' organizations (NAMC, AIM, Matchbox USA, MICA, etc.) as well as individual authors have published numerous works describing the various Matchbox ranges including the models and their variations. Whereas the best of these were formerly available mainly through the clubs themselves, it is now possible to buy books on Matchbox from various publishing houses. These are available not only in English, but in several other languages (particularly German) as well.As there have been multiple reference catalogs over the years, there is no complete consensus on the coding of a model. However, a standard code might read as such: Y-15 A 6. This would mean the 6th variation of the first ("A") release of model no. Y-15.
Many books now include a price guide, but there is no real consensus on the actual monetary value of a model. The numbers in any of the publications give relative information, but not more. It remains a collectors market, and, accordingly, prices fluctuate greatly.
Regional issues
By the 1960s, it was clear to Lesney that sales in certain already profitable markets might be increased by providing the markets with models "of their own". Since the regular series was primarily aimed at the UK and the US, models for the Commonwealth and North America could easily be integrated into it. But early on, Germany established itself as a major market for Matchbox models, not however one large enough to warrant numerous castings of German cars in the line. Certainly, the major internationally known German brands (VolkswagenVolkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, as well as Magirus-Deutz
Magirus
Iveco Magirus AG is a truck manufacturer based in Ulm, Germany, founded by Conrad Dietrich Magirus . The company began manufacturing fire-fighting vehicles in 1864. In the late 1910s, it started the production of trucks and buses...
) were represented in the range, but in order to cater to that market using the dies at hand, it was decided to develop a model version just for Germany. The model chosen was the #25 Bedford Tanker, which, for the German market, was changed from its usual yellow-and-white colors and BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
livery to a blue and white model with Aral
Aral AG
Aral is a brand of automobile fuels and gas stations, present in Germany and Luxembourg, but formerly used in most countries of Western and Central Europe. The company behind the brand name, Aral AG , is owned by BP, but was established in 1898 as Westdeutsche Benzol-Verkaufs-Vereinigung GmbH...
decals. This first regional issue was followed by a second, when the Bedford was retired from the series and replaced, effectively, by the #32 Leyland Tanker. This model, too, was produced in a blue and white Aral version for Germany. (Interestingly, less than 40 years later, the two companies, BP and Aral, would merge.)
This proved to be a successful strategy, which was then expanded in the late '70s and the '80s. At first, it was again Germany for which models were produced, as many as 6 at a time (Polizei cars were developed, trucks offered with German logos, etc.), some even in specially constructed boxes. Later, the idea was expanded to larger models (Yesteryears such as the previously mentioned Y-12 Ford Model T Van, or numerous Super Kings models), and to other countries (Australia, Denmark, etc.), even including regional issues for the US or the UK.
For a short period in the '70s/'80s, Lesney also actually produced or licensed Matchbox production in other countries. Having started by developing several model variants in England specifically for the Japanese market, they later produced four Superfast models in Japan, based on Japanese prototypes. Dies and tooling were later also licensed to groups in Hungary and Bulgaria (Mikro'67
Mikro'67
Mikro'67 is the Bulgarian manufacturer for Matchbox, Gama, Schuco, NZG and other diecast models.In 1990 there were 96 toy manufacturers in Bulgaria - producers' co-operative societies and factories. 13 of them were forming the State Economic Group "ДСО МЛАДОСТ" / "DSO Mladost")...
), in an attempt to gain a foothold in the Communist bloc countries. Although only standard models were produced there, there were numerous color variations, some of which are very rare today.
Beginning in the Matchbox International era, it was decided that the line should be regionalized more generally, which led to multiple versions of the 1-75 series being available; depending on where in the world the customer was, almost the entire range might be different than in the rest of the world. Although this philosophy is still followed today to some extent, it has been largely scaled back. Usually, there are ranges for the US and the rest of the world, with some "local" mini-series still being offered in certain countries (e.g. an annual 12-car release in Germany called "Stars of Cars", or a similar set of models in the UK called "Best of British").
Promotionals
Almost from the beginning of the Matchbox series, commerce recognized the possibilities offered by providing a model of a "relevant" vehicle to their customers as a method of advertising. In the mid-'50s, for example, it was not rare for dairy companies to provide the Matchbox #7 Horse-Drawn Milk Float to customers as a token of appreciation for their business.The first issue to be purposely made for a particular customer is the now famous "Beales Bealson" #46 Guy "Pickfords" Removal Van. The promotional issue, made for a store in southern England, differed drastically in color, decals, and box from the standard model (in Pickfords livery). Besides fulfilling its original purpose, it also became highly sought after by collectors.
A few further models were made in the late '60s or early '70s, amongst them several bus models and the famous "NAMC" promotional version of the #32 Leyland Tanker (the first model made exclusively for collectors; see below, "Matchbox collectors"). However, the major shift in the number and value of promotionals began with the use of London Bus models in the '70s, particularly the Superfast #17 Londoner Bus. With this model, what had been a trickle turned into a flood, as it was used by countless companies as advertising material for their business customers. The success of this concept — and its value to the Matchbox brand — was huge, leading to a rapid expansion of the idea, both in the numbers of models used (and the introduction of models offering good "advertising space", such as the #38 Ford Model A Van, into the series), and, again, in the size of the models (Yesteryears, and also often Super Kings as well).
Eventually, almost any model could be and indeed was used for promotional purposes. Some companies only allow extremely limited numbers of their models to be made (e.g. the K-16 Quaker State model), while others have them produced in large quantities to serve as on-pack offers, for example, or even put them on general (but limited) release, such as the set of models commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. As one of the most difficult aspects of collecting, promotionals' values can skyrocket within months of their being issued. Today, promotionals remain an important part of Matchbox's business.
As mentioned above (cf. "History", expansion in the Superfast era), the popularity of both regional issues and promotionals were recognized by the company and played a role in the development of models designed not specifically as toys, but with the collector in mind. The realization of the market potential of catering to collectors led to a major shift in the entire die-cast industry, as other brands followed suit while Matchbox continued to refine the idea into what later became Matchbox Collectibles (q.v.).
Matchbox Collectibles
Starting in the Universal era and continuing until after Mattel purchased the brand, a growing awareness of the adult collector led to multiple series being produced specifically for that market. The idea was not new; in the '60s, Lesney had first realized the potential for adult buyers of its products and had marketed gold and silver-plated versions of its Yesteryear series mounted on pen stands, ashtrays, and similar items. Also (as mentioned above, cf. "History"), in the '70s and particularly the '80s, contact by the company to collectors and sponsors led to the release of a small number of highly collectible models designed for a limited, but more profitable market base. Most often, these models were Yesteryears, though the 1-75 series was also used for this purpose.Matchbox introduced the "Matchbox Collectibles" name to designate purpose-made collectible items. Initially, the Matchbox Collectibles range revolved mainly around 1-75 or Convoy models, usually produced with a high level of tampo or mask-spray detailing and with rubber tyres and "chrome" wheels. The models were manufactured in limited quantities and sold at better-stocked retail stores as "Premiere Collectibles", "World Class", "First Editions", "Barrett-Jackson", etc., for a premium price. This concept of making intentionally collectible versions of toy cars was widely copied by the competition, including Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
and Johnny Lightning
Johnny Lightning
Johnny Lightning is a brand of model cars originally produced by Topper Toys, similar to the hugely successful Mattel Hot Wheels die cast racing cars. They were not quite as successful, one major reason was that the styling, casting and finish was not as of high quality as Mattel's Hot Wheels...
. Later, the Models of Yesteryear, Dinky, and Convoy series were used as a basis for creating themed collectible "mini-series" of models, while the Super Kings range often yielded large-scale truck "specials", all of which were generally offered only by mail order. At that time, Matchbox Collectibles Inc. essentially became a semi-independent sub-unit of Matchbox International Ltd. The idea was quite successful, leading to the creation of many new, high-quality castings over a relatively short time span. Tie-ins with major brands (Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
, Campbell's Soup
Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company , also known as Campbell's, is an American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey...
, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, Hershey's Chocolate
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
, Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
, etc.) increased the attractiveness of the range. However, to finance the new castings, prices continually increased, while castings were re-used for multiple purposes, sometimes rather far from realistic. Thus, although Matchbox Collectibles offered great quality models, there were also several dubious series.
Although the main scales tended to hover around 1:43 (1:50 or 1:100 for truck models), eventually there were even 1:24 automobiles. Airplanes and tanks (in appropriate scales) made their returns as well. However, the timing of these latter series was almost as poor as in the '70s, as about 3 years after Mattel bought the Matchbox brand, development of the Collectibles range was effectively halted, and Matchbox Collectibles Inc. was mothballed. Some models continue to be marketed via major retailers such as Target in the US, but the "golden era" of Collectibles appears to be past.
Model kits
Although Matchbox is best known for its die-cast cars, around 1972 it bought the AMT Corporation, the dominant American plastic model kit manufacturer, and set up its own plastic kit division in the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Concentrating on 1:72 scale military aircraft and 1:76 military vehicles, it competed with the then-dominant Airfix
Airfix
Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer....
company. The Matchbox kits had a distinctive appearance, the parts in each kit were produced in two or three colours compared to the single colour plastic of Airfix. The boxes were also more colourful and included clear windows so the contents could be seen. In addition, unlike Airfix's military vehicle kits, the Matchbox military vehicle kits all came with a small diorama base. Matchbox also continued AMT's extensive line of 1:25 scale cars and trucks. Other kit ranges included 1:32 and 1:48 aircraft, 1:700 ships, 1:32 cars, 1:12 motorcycles, and the still well-known 1:72 Flower class corvette
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
. The Matchbox kits were well made, with modern tooling and techniques, but critics felt that the kits were too coarsely detailed in comparison with other models on the market, and too "toy-like". Yet they were still just as complex and time consuming to construct as any other kit, which limited their appeal to more casual model builders. The company was unable to fully satisfy either the casual or serious model building market, and was one of the first companies to abandon model kits when the hobby started its decline, selling AMT to the Ertl Company
Ertl Company
The Ertl Company is an American toy company best known for its die-cast metal alloy collectible replicas of farm equipment and vehicles. The company is based in Dyersville, Iowa, home of the National Farm Toy Museum...
and shutting down its own kit division less than twenty years after starting it.
While the Matchbox-branded kits were not a success, the same was not true of the AMT line. By the 1970s AMT had 20 years' experience tooling car kits, and the only difference Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an ownership made was a somewhat broader selection of subject matter than had been seen from them before or since. Original Matchbox model kits are highly collectible.
The Matchbox model kit molds were acquired by Revell
Revell
Revell is the brand name today of two manufacturers of scale plastic models. The original US company merged with another, Monogram, but now trades only under the Revell name. European Revell Germany separated from the US company in 2006.-Early history:...
Germany in the early '90s, which continues to sporadically re-issue the old Matchbox kits, now under the Revell label. Recently, a number of the most desirable Matchbox kits have made re-appearances, to the delight of modelers: In 1:72nd scale, The H.P. Victor, the Supermarine Walrus
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
, Handley-Page Halifax and PB4Y Privateer
PB4Y Privateer
The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer was a World War II and Korean War era patrol bomber of the United States Navy derived from the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The Navy had been using unmodified B-24s as the PB4Y-1 Liberator, and the type was considered very successful...
, and in 1:48th Scale the A1-E four-seat Skyraider. Many modelers are also looking forward to a re-release of the Mk II/Mk VI Hawker Tempest
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
, the English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
, RR Spey Phantom.
Revell has confirmed that it will be re-releasing the much sought after 1:32nd Scale Spitfire Mk. 22 with Griffon, and the 1:32nd Scale De Havilland Venom
De Havilland Venom
The de Havilland DH 112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter....
.
It is reported that pirated copies of Matchbox kits, particularly the military vehicles series, appeared in China in the mid-2000s. However, they were not really pirated at all. Shanghai Universal Plastic Toys Company (SUPT) has produced them based on its original British kits under the license from Universal ever since its establishment in early '90s. The kits usually have modified areas to accommodate recasting of the words "Made in China", but you may see illegible "Made in England" underneath sometime. The phrase "Lesney Products & PLC" and its original copyright year are usually kept unchanged. These China made PK series were sold mostly in mainland China and Japan. There were typos on some of these China made plastic kits packages especially with Chinese or Japanese languages on cover, however, they were really produced by SUPT and were factory made mistakes. The SUPT left a large stock of Matchbox Motor City series before it renamed as Yuan Jie Company (元杰). Mattel came out a contract with SUPT, which prohibits the latter party to sell those undestroyed stocks. It has become a maze in the Matchbox plastic kits history.
Other products and series
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
territory, Matchbox produced dolls, first a line of pirate dolls for younger school-age boys, and later baby dolls for pre-school girls. Numerous other non-die-cast items have been marketed, as well as a number of shorter-lived die-cast series (Historic Inn Signs, Disney cars, "Thunderbirds"
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
models, etc.).
As mentioned previously (cf. above, "History"), Matchbox also tried its hand in the die cast airplanes area, under the name Sky Busters
Matchbox Sky Busters
The Matchbox Sky Busters are a range of die-cast model aircraft produced under the Matchbox brand, initially by Lesney Products and later by Mattel.The earlier Sky Busters were produced in 1973 from London, England...
. The models were not only produced for children; Sky Busters produced plane models for such airlines as Aeroméxico
Aeroméxico
Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...
, Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
, British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, Iberia
Iberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
and Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America...
. However, they were and are designed more for the inexpensive toy market. Promotional models sold by the airlines themselves more often tend to be models of higher quality, exactness, and price. Nevertheless, as with other lines (cf. above, "Matchbox Collectibles"), brand tie-ins are welcomed by collectors and companies alike, as they increase both the collectibility of the models and the brand awareness by the consumers.
In the late '70s, Matchbox also produced slot cars called Powertrack or Speedtrack, which featured working headlights. (Some Powertrack models had parallel issues in the "normal" Matchbox 1-75 line.) Other slot car sets from Matchbox included a lane changer (which allowed cars to switch lanes) and a Race and Chase set which featured a police car and chased car which could jump and u-turn. [For further information on the history of Matchbox slot car racing, including extensive product details, see the separate article "Powertrack
Powertrack
Powertrack and Speedtrack are brandnames for Matchbox's foray into toy slot cars. Introduced in the late 1970s Powertrack/Speedtrack featured cars that could be seen in the dark as the cars had headlights. Matchbox's H0/00 Powertrack (UK) and Speedtrack (US) are brandnames for Matchbox's foray...
".]
Also in the late '70s, Matchbox produced a small range of 1:32 and 1:76 Second World War toy soldiers
Toy Soldiers
A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier, but the term may also refer to:In film and television:*Toy Soldiers , an action/drama film in which terrorists take a school hostage...
in direct competition to Airfix
Airfix
Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer....
. These sets included British, German, and American infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, the British 8th Army and the German Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
, and British Commandos
Commandos
Commandos is a stealth-oriented real-time tactics game series, available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game is set in the Second World War and follows the escapades of a fictional British Commandos section. It leans heavily on historical events during WWII to carry the plot...
. Though Matchbox's sets featured fewer figures than comparable Airfix sets (15 vs. 29 in 1:32), they included weapons that Airfix did not model (flame-throwers, heavy machine guns), and Montgomery and Rommel figures in the Desert War sets. The figures were popular for their high-quality moulding and their different extra weapons and poses as compared to the more common Airfix sets.
Action Toy lines from Matchbox included Ring Raiders
Ring Raiders
Ring Raiders was an animated television series based on a 1980s toy line made by Matchbox.-Synopsis:Set in the year 1998, the world is on the brink of a cataclysmic war. An organization dedicated to taking over the world, through the brutal use of air power, is about to realize its goal...
, Robotech
Robotech
Robotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...
, Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
, Parasites, and Monster in My Pocket
Monster in My Pocket
Monster in my Pocket is a media franchise developed by Morrison Entertainment Group, headed by Joe Morrison and John Weems ....
. They ceased developing most of such lines when Matchbox was absorbed into Tyco.
Matchbox collectors
As with any other item dealing with transport, sport, or similar themes, it did not take long before Matchbox models became collectible items, with rabid followings, collectors' meets, etc. The Fred Bronner Corp., American importer of Lesney toys, took a first step towards organizing this movement to a small extent by creating the "Matchbox Collectors Club", which produced a polished, quarterly, 4-6 page newsletter for a small membership fee, starting in the late '60s. The MCC was primarily aimed at younger collectors.In the '70s, adult collectors began to form semi-official clubs to discuss collecting at a higher level of sophistication. Variations were discussed and catalogued, swap meets organized, and new journals or bulletins began to appear, written by and for the serious collector. Not unlike stamps or coins, prices for older and/or more collectible models began to spiral upwards in a trend that continues to this day. Collecting is, however, not limited to the models themselves. Anything and everything having to do with Matchbox ― catalogs, dealer display cases, promotional literature, etc. ― is also avidly collected. In the US, two competing clubs were both established in Massachusetts (NAMC, the National Association of Matchbox Collectors, run by Bob Brennan, and AIM, the American-International Matchbox club, run by Harold Colpitts). These clubs were the central force of Matchbox collecting in the '70s and '80s (though both have since ceased to exist), and from them, further spin-offs were formed, including UK Matchbox (run by Ray Bush), MICA (Matchbox International Collectors Association), and Matchbox USA (run by Charlie Mack), the latter of which are still in operation today.
Charlie (Charles) Mack, as well as others, have also published numerous books for collectors and would-be collectors, showing models and their variations, and giving value/price guidance. The books are readily available at major bookstores.
Matchbox collecting has proven to be a truly international phenomenon in a scale unseen with the other major collectible brands. Dinky collecting is centered around the UK and France, Corgi collecting in the UK, and Hot Wheels collecting in North America. Only Matchbox is collected with great (and similarly high) intensity both in the UK and Commonwealth countries and in North America.
Like many high value collectible items Matchbox models are now sadly prone to faking. Rare variations can be quite easily made up using genuine parts, and then sold as a "rare" variation. New collectors would be wise to purchase a number of the excellent books, or join the many web forums on Matchbox collecting before paying out large sums of money for models.
List of car manufacturers in Matchbox products
Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Austin, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Caterham, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Ferrari, Fisker, Ford, GMC,, Hillman, Holden, Honda, Hummer, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Lotus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, MG, Mini, Mitsubishi, Morgan, Mustang, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Opel, Plymouth, Pontiac, Porsche, Scion, Shelby, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, TVR, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Volvo, YamahaSee also
- Lesney ProductsLesney ProductsLesney Products & Co. Ltd. was a British manufacturing company responsible for the conception, manufacture, and distribution of die-cast toys under the "Matchbox" name.-History:...
(for the history of Matchbox's parent company) - PowertrackPowertrackPowertrack and Speedtrack are brandnames for Matchbox's foray into toy slot cars. Introduced in the late 1970s Powertrack/Speedtrack featured cars that could be seen in the dark as the cars had headlights. Matchbox's H0/00 Powertrack (UK) and Speedtrack (US) are brandnames for Matchbox's foray...
(for extensive details of Matchbox slot car racing) - DinkyDinky ToyDinky Toys are die-cast miniature vehicles which were produced by Meccano Ltd at Binns Road, Liverpool, England - makers of Hornby railway sets, named after founder Frank Hornby.- Pre-war history :...
- Hot WheelsHot WheelsHot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
- Mettoy-CorgiMettoy-CorgiCorgi Toys is the name of a range of die-cast toy vehicles produced by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in the United Kingdom. The Mettoy company was founded in 1933 by German émigré Philip Ullmann in Northampton, England, where he was later joined by South African-born German Arthur Katz who had previously...
- Corgi Classics LimitedCorgi Classics LimitedCorgi Classics Limited is a die-cast model manufacturer which has its origins in the Corgi Toys brand introduced by Mettoy in 1956.-The Corgi Toys era: 1956 to 1995:...
- HuskyHusky (toy company)Husky was a brand name for a line of small die-cast toy vehicles. They were manufactured by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. which also made the larger Corgi Toys...
- Jada ToysJada ToysJada Toys, Incorporated of Industry, California, USA is a manufacturer of collectible diecast model cars and radio controlled vehicles. It was founded in 1999 by husband and wife Jack and May Li...
- MaistoMaistoMaisto International Inc. is a popular toy brand of the May Cheong Group . Maisto manufactures die-cast models of automobiles, aircraft, and motorcycles...
- TomicaTomicaTomica is the line of die-cast toy vehicles and related products produced by Takara Tomy Co. of Japan . This is not the same as Tomica World, which is a line of motorized trains and vehicles and accessories that Tomy Co. of Japan has produced since the late 1990s...
- Ring RaidersRing RaidersRing Raiders was an animated television series based on a 1980s toy line made by Matchbox.-Synopsis:Set in the year 1998, the world is on the brink of a cataclysmic war. An organization dedicated to taking over the world, through the brutal use of air power, is about to realize its goal...
- MajoretteMajoretteMajorette is a French toy manufacturer which mostly produces small die-cast cars, particularly in 1:64 scale. Traditionally, Majorette was centered in the area of Lyon.-History:...
- Johnny LightningJohnny LightningJohnny Lightning is a brand of model cars originally produced by Topper Toys, similar to the hugely successful Mattel Hot Wheels die cast racing cars. They were not quite as successful, one major reason was that the styling, casting and finish was not as of high quality as Mattel's Hot Wheels...
- LledoLledoLledo was a brand of die cast toys, founded in 1982 by Matchbox co-founder Jack Odell and Burt Russell. The factory produced diecast vehicles in Enfield, England from 1983 to 1999...
— the company later founded by Jack Odell - AirfixAirfixAirfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer....
- RevellRevellRevell is the brand name today of two manufacturers of scale plastic models. The original US company merged with another, Monogram, but now trades only under the Revell name. European Revell Germany separated from the US company in 2006.-Early history:...
- Diecast Collector MagazineDiecast Collector MagazineDiecast Collector is a British magazine dedicated to the hobby of collecting diecast metal vehicles. Published monthly, it is a thick, glossy magazine featuring a variety of articles on toy and model cars, trucks and buses....
- SchucoSchucoSchuco is a German toy maker founded in 1912 by Heinrich Müller and the businessman Heinrich Schreyer in Nuremberg, since early days, Germany's toy capital. Its specialty was usually cars and trucks in both tin and diecast...
- Mikro'67Mikro'67Mikro'67 is the Bulgarian manufacturer for Matchbox, Gama, Schuco, NZG and other diecast models.In 1990 there were 96 toy manufacturers in Bulgaria - producers' co-operative societies and factories. 13 of them were forming the State Economic Group "ДСО МЛАДОСТ" / "DSO Mladost")...
External links
- www.matchbox.com - Mattel's Official Website for Matchbox