When I was a young boy I remember clearly the Matchbox displays that I saw in the local Five and Dime shop. That was in the mid 1960s and they were affordable fun for kids. All my friends had a few because at Christmas they would always wind up in a stocking, or were given as gifts at birthday parties. Kids always carried them in their pockets (pockets were made them) and played with them during class (if they could get away with it), or at recess (where we made roads over by the monkey bars), or when driving with the family when we were board. They were always great fun but sometimes they got you in a lot of trouble; like when caught by your teacher when you were supposed to be reading, or if you pulled them out at church and got lost in a road race (then you were toast!), or if you made imaginary roads on living room walls. I used to think that principles and teaches probably had the greatest hoards of Matchbox vehicles in the whole world. I mean, did you ever look in their desks?
The point is that they were played with. Meaning that Near Mint, unused examples are very tough to find. And the boxes? Only the very patient would take the time to properly open the flaps. Everyone I knew just ripped them open to grab the treasure inside. I mean, what kid would save the box in those days?
Its the Box!....
Collectors today want to collect their childhood. Much like collecting comic books or sports cards, we all want a connection to our past. But as an adult, we no longer play but display and invest in our treasures. Consequently, we want them to be as perfect as possible and further, many current collectors want the original boxes that they came in. So "Mint In The Box" is the catch phrase in this hobby. And finding the original box to go with your beautiful vehicle increases the value dramatically.Unlike comic books and sports cards however, Matchbox prices are very inexpensive with tremendous potential for growth. Where you can easily spend several thousand dollars on a few nice pieces in the Comics and Cards hobbies, that kind of money will buy a large inventory in this hobby. Even the "Best of the Best" items are still priced at just over one thousand dollars in Match Box, with many rare and highly sought after examples at only a few hundred dollars. Even fifty to one hundred dollars will buy you a nice choice of many "Mint in Box" items.
So now is a great time to assemble your collection.
My goal is to offer you the very best examples I can locate.
I purchase only Near Mint to Mint specimens with their original boxes. Much of my inventory will be from unused store stock, never played with condition. But I have to tell you that it is getting very difficult to locate such items and the stress for such high grade supply is making it very difficult to buy what I want.
So whether you are new to the hobby or an advanced collector, please enjoy looking through part of my childhood. I will be adding to my inventory regularly, so remember to check back often.
More information on collecting Matchbox.....
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
Popularity of the model
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 tires/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 possibilites.
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.
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.
Packaging
The presence or lack of packaging affects the value of a model. A "mint boxed" model can in some cases be worth 50-500% 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.
Cataloging
Since the advent of organized Matchbox collectors' clubs, 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.
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 now-defunct British toy company Lesney Products (named after its co-founders Leslie Smith [b. 1918 or 1919 - d. May 2005] and Rodney Smith), which had been founded in 1947 as an industrial die casting company. Almost immediately after assuming production, the company began producing toys. A 1948 model of a road roller, based on a Dinky toy, was their first foray into the transportation theme. Their first major sales success followed in 1953, with the million-selling model of Queen Elizabeth ll's Coronation Coach.
Shortly thereafter, Lesney co-owner Jack Odell (b. 1920 or 1921 - 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 Mr. 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 (either derogatory or admiring) 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 VW's a Citroen, 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.
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, tires (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, tractors, motorcycles, and trailers as well as standard passenger cars.
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, three (four) further model ranges were introduced in addition to the 1-75 series. The Models of Yesteryear were renditions of classic vehicles from the steam and early automotive eras. These were often about 3?-4" in length. Accessories included gas/petrol pumps, garages, and the like. Finally, Major Packs were larger-scale models, often of construction vehicles. This series was effectively folded into the King Size series, which was then diversified to include passenger car models in a scale similar to that used by Corgi and Dinky.
Competition and crisis
However, the main focus at Matchbox continued to be their smaller cars. Other brands, including Husky/Corgi Juniors, 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 tires, 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 tires), 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 tires, 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 (controversial) 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 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.
Economic difficulties, bankruptcy, and the post-Lesney era
Due more to the economic climate in Britain 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 Meccano (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 in England continued 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 Univeral era that the "Matchbox Collectibles" concept was developed.
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. Most Matchbox production is now done in Thailand and China.
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.
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 prototypes (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.
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. This limit was violated for a few years in the 1990s, but appears to have since returned.
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:
One - 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.
Two -- 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. 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.
