Beautiful XCARTOYS 1/64 scale VW Quantum/Santana wagon

The late '80s Volkswagon Quantum wagon was always a special car for me...  the mysterious large VW, under-powered, hopelessly outsold by the ubiquitous Chevy Celebrity Wagon and Ford's (junior) LTD wagon, hopelessly outsold by its own siblings (Rabbit/Golf/Jetta, and even the ungainly Vanagon), such a rare car, a car for mavericks, for intellectuals...   ...for me! 

Unfortunately, I never owned one.  And very few are left in the USA, a non-collectible car that has long since rusted into oblivion.  If you are a Quantum wagon fan (Santana in other markets), I advise you to visit China, where the squared-off Quantum/Santana (not the newer weirdly sized, rounded off aero Passat from the early '90s) was produced under license for many years.  In fact when I first went to China, I was stunned to see this halo car everywhere, especially in police use, as evidenced by this photo from my trip.

But I've never had a good diecast model of one.  No one made one back in the day...  

Enter Xcartoys, a Chinese toy maker who makes fascinating models of uncommonly modeled cars, including this lovely model of the late '80's Quantum/Santana wagon (they also modeled an equivalent sedan version - and both are available in multiple colors).  

The detail is top notch, its a very faithful recreation of one of my "dream" cars.  The trim is spot-on.  The size is exactly in scale (check out the reference photo of the Passat against Matchbox' full size Mercury wagon).  The wheels are correct.  The headlights are glass/plastic.  

In fact, the only real critique I have of the model is the lack of a suspension.  ...That, and the price.  

These XCARTOYS models aren't cheap.  Most of the ones listed on Ebay will set you back $20 when you include shipping, which make them an expensive proposition.  But I'm here to tell you that the quality is there.  So pick your model carefully, choose your color, pay your money, and enjoy a beautiful and unusually modeled car!  

Retail Shop-lifting/Fraud of Hot Wheels models!!!

We all know diecast collectors aren’t all perfect, but we still hope that they are at least pretty “ok”.  So I was disappointed to find such an obvious piece of evidence of the depravity of my fellow collectors in this swapped and returned blister pack ... 

Yep, you see it correctly.  Both blisters are labeled “1980 Dodge Macho Power Wagon”, but only 1 of the blisters actually contain that premium $6 model.

The bottom one instead contains a 50 cent cheapo Maisto model, which has apparently been inserted into the premium Hot Wheels blisterpack and carefully resealed, in order to return the packaging to WalMart and get a refund. 

So someone actually thought that going through the effort to pay the $6 to buy the real one, bring it home, carefully cut open the packaging, take out the nice truck, insert the 50 cent cheapo truck, then drive back to Wal-Mart and fraudulently present it for a refund, effectively "buying" the premium toy for a $5.50 discount , is somehow less dishonourable, and thus a better use of time, than simply outright stealing the toy...?!?   Really?!?

(Or perhaps, it's simply a less risky way to steal, since he isn't actually "shoplifting" by walking out of the store with the unpaid toy in his pocket?).

P.S. I'm pretty sure that this model is the first time the adjective "Macho" was ever applied to a Matchbox/Hot Wheels car...

Unusual Playart Lotus Elite

So there I was in my last post, complaining about Matchbox making a new (and worse) casting of a Lotus Europa, a car that they'd already modeled in much better and higher quality detail 40 years earlier, and I literally said something along the lines of "why couldn't they just have modeled a DIFFERENT Lotus, like for example, a Lotus Elite?!?".  And then my EBay search of  vintage PlayArt models turned up this very model of a Lotus Elite - and at a very attractive price!  And 3 days later the package arrived at my house, and I tore it open, and...  

...and I was met with perhaps the nicest PlayArt model that I've ever encountered!

What a cooincidence!

Frankly, the pictures don't do it justice.  Perhaps its due to the paint, which is kind of bland, a flat white and medium green, with tampos that don't look overly well applied.  But its the other stuff that makes it.

The casting is solid.  The doors don't open, but the cutouts are so deep as to be convincing - such that I actually pulled on the doors for a while until I was satisfied that they weren't just tightly stuck - but that they were in fact cast shut.  The car weighs nicely.  It's sized nicely.  The wheels are good.  The suspension is good.  The detail is excellent.

On the downside, the paint is...   ...OK.  And the size is typical Matchbox size, which means that for a tiny car like an Elite it is scaled too large, the same size as a full size late '60s Mercury wagon (shown in one of the above wagons). 

But all of this pales - since - who actually has another 1/64 Lotus Elite?!?  This is another example of PlayArt coming through to bring us cars that none of the major players modeled (Fiat Dino anyone?  BMW 2002?).  

All in all, a great model and a proud addition to my collection!

New Matchbox castings that repeat old castings finally are legitimate contenders to Lesney models!

I really dislike when Matchbox makes a new model of a car they've modeled before...   Invariably its a more plasticky and poorly done version of an excellent Lesney version.

About 10 years ago they issued new castings of a '68 Marcus Cougar, a Lotus Europa, a VW Microbus, and others.  In every instance the new car was poorly done.  I always wondered why people would buy these new guady and plastic creations, when the high quality originals are so easily available on EBay for just a few dollars in fair/good condition?

But I also dislike it because each time they do it, Matchbox throws away an opportunity to do something truly new.  With so many cars that have never been modeled (how many Nissan Altima's have you seen in 1/64 scale?), it seems a pity to do a second rate job of something that has already been done well.  Why make a second casting of a Lotus Europa when Matchbox could do a Lotus Evora instead?

Well, Matchbox is up to it again, making new models of cars that were done during the Lesney years.  Except this time, the new models are premium 50th anniversary models, with a $5.50 price tag.  And this time, the quality is indeed better...  Which made me ask the question - of whether any of these new models of previously modeled cars are actually and finally better than the original Lesney models?

The first model in question is my least favorite of the 4 new castings being compared today - a VW Microbus.  Interestingly, this is an earlier version than the late '60s one they did 10 years ago - this one is a 1950s version.  But even more interestingly - during the Lesney years Matchbox also made a 1950s version AND a later 1970s version of the Microbus, meaning that modern Matchbox has now made TWO new versions of older Lesney castings...  And even more interestingly - the original Lesney 1950s microbus actually came in 2 versions itself - the green version with the low roof, and the silver version with the raised roof.

To be honest, I never was crazy about either of these two original Lesney 21 window Microbuses.  Maybe its that they never came in superfast form?  Regardless, this might be a good opportunity for the new casting to finally be declared better than the original.  But the Microbus is also my least favorite of the 4 new castings as well...

The new casting is a red and white Microbus, with opening doors.  The paint looks pretty good - but somehow my impression of it is poor.  It just looks and feels like a toy rather than a model.  It doesn't feel like metal rather than plastic.  The wheels are too wide, etc., etc.

Overall, when it comes to the new microbus, I'm not crazy about the new casting.  Even though I'm not crazy about the old Lesney versions either - they remain better than the new version.  Given the choice between a new Microbus for $5.50 from WalMart, or a reasonable condition original for $5.50 on EBay - take the EBay version...





Next up is a bit harder of a comparison.  The original Lesney 300SE is a beautiful and high quality casting.  It came with BOTH opening doors AND an opening trunk and was available in blue and green - and then in gold in the superfast version (though oddly many lost the opening doors in the transformation) - (and later an army staff car (though now also losing the opening trunk)).

The new version is a pretty dark red color and comes with opening doors.  It looks pretty nice - but quite simply doesn't have the heft or presence of the original Lesney versions.  Conclusion - go ahead and buy the new one - but not until you have first bought the original Lesney version.

 Next up - a new version of the VW type 3.  This new version has a REALLY cool matte white paint job - one of the coolest paint jobs of any modern Matchbox car.  Plus the gold wheels add a super-sporty touch.  The combination of the paint job and wheels manage to make one of the LEAST POWERFUL AND LEAST SPORTY CARS EVER actually look powerful and sporty....  This is a COOL model!  You should buy it!

But is it better than the original Lesney version (shown in beat up red regular wheels, or a better condition plum superfast version)?  As regular readers know - I'm a big fan of the Lesney Transitional Superfast cars with thier silky soft suspensions combined with original Lesney detail quality - so its really hard to rank a new modern example  as better than the Lesney version.  But maybe its a high enough compliment to simply declare that while the new version can't quite unseat the original version - at least it made it a close and interesting fight...

 ...which brings us to our final comparison - of a late '70s Porsche 911 Turbo.  This Lesney casting for me (shown in silver and royal blue - though many other colors were available) is one of the most iconic Lesney Matchbox castings ever made.  It's a beauty of a casting both in look and feel, with opening doors and a tow hook (since EVERYONE tows their boat with their 911....).  (Just kidding....  I own a real 911 and a real boat - and I've NEVER considered using the 911 as my boat's tow vehicle...).

But the new dark blue casting is a worthy contender - sized exactly right and spot-on size with the original Lesney casting.  The doors open and the paint detail is incredible.  Even more than with the VW Type 3, the competition is tight and tough.

The original Lesney versions still have a more solid heft and feel - and their doors close with a more satisfying click...   ...but the paint detail on the new one is so good that it makes up for the difference in heft.  In addition, I've noticed that some of the later original 911 turbos (made actually by Matchbox International rather than Lesney - in fact the royal blue one in the photos is a Matchbox International version) somehow seem to have less precise metal/metal detail.

So where does this leave me?  Can the new version legimately claim to be a more desirable model than the original Lesney (and later) version?

Well...

...Ummm...

...(gasp)...

Maybe!

Maybe, just maybe, this new late '70s Porsche 911 Turbo is as good as an original Lesney toy.  Do youself a favor and buy both and compare for yourself!

New vs. Old Comparison Test - Lifted Off-Road Jeep Grand Wagoneers.... Vintage Majorette vs. New "Premium" Hot Wheels!

Well readers...   ...its been a while!  Over a year, in fact, since my last post. 

However a recent crop of premium models from Hot Wheels and Matchbox have inspired me to blog again.  Today's post is motivated by the recently introduced premium Hot Wheels series called "Desert Rally", a 5-car line that includes a beautiful 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, all jacked-up with huge off-road wheels.  Being as its part of the premium line, the entire casting is metal, giving it a nice weighty feel, and the paint and trim work is excellent.  So excellent in fact, that I started wondering how it would compare with one of my favorite models from my childhood - the Majorette Jeep Cherokee Chief, itself all jacked-up with huge off-road tires. 

While the vintage Majorette model is a 2 door late '70's Jeep and the Hot Wheels is a 4 door Grand Wagoneer from 1988, in fact the 10-year apart vehicles were based on the same platform - just slightly (ever so slightly!) - updated to try to keep the Grand Wagoneer relevant in the late '80s. 

Which means that its time for a "Matchbox Frenzy" comparison test... Who modeled it better - Majorette or Hot Wheels - and can a premium model from 2019 upstage a stalwart mainstay of the 1980's Majorette line?

But to be candid, as soon as I dug out the vintage Majorette casting, I knew that it was going to be the winner of the comparison test.  The Hot Wheels may be newer, and glitzier, with fresh paint, but the Majorette just has more heft and presence.  Although the Hot Wheels casting is nicely sized, the Majorette is still larger than the Hot Wheels, and feels more authentic in its square-jaw'd ruggedness.  Nowhere is the size difference more visible than from above - looking down at the roofs of both vehicles - with the Majorette's roof clearly dwarfing the narrow white roof of the Hot Wheels. 

As a kid who grew up in the era when these Jeep wagons were one of the few options for a luxury family SUV, I liked the looks of the Grand Wagoneer's grill, and remember it better than the earlier Cherokee grill.  The Hot Wheels grill is modeled well in all metal, with nice detail - including a winch.  But modeled in 1/64 scale, the Cherokee grill on the Majorette comes across simpler and more authentic than that of the Hot Wheels - which (only in comparison) seems too polished up - and just maybe slightly gaudy. 

The wheels of the Hot Wheels model are nicer than the standard big wheels of the Majorette.  Plus the tires are rubber rather than plastic.  Advantage Hot Wheels. 

Paint-wise - the Hot Wheels paint is terrific - a beautiful teal color - with lots and lots and LOTS of detail.  In comparison - the Majorette's paint is a horribly out of date shade of light orange...  But then again, the faded and chipped paint feels more authentic for an off-road truck.  Advantage?  Tie!

But this isn't going to be a comparison test where I add up points across categories, giving extra points for a working tailgate (Majorette!) or a beautifully modeled interior.  As I stated earlier - as soon as I picked up the vintage Majorette - I knew it was going to be the winner.  The Hot Wheels is a beautifully done piece - a steal at your local Wal-Mart/Target for just $5.50.  But the Majorette wins on size and scale alone - even before considering its authentic vintage nature.  If the Hot Wheels is a steal at $5.50, then the Majorette is an absolute steal on E-Bay - its common status meaning that its easy to find - and prices for even mint models (before factoring in shipping charges) aren't much more than that of the Hot Wheels at Wal-Mart. 

Check back to Matchbox Frenzy soon for hopefully another comparison post - and this time - perhaps the winner won't be pre-determined!

What are the 12 most favorite Tomica cars in my collection? Which 1 is my most most favorite?

16 years ago, my wife and I were expecting our first child, and I had to convert my hobby room, filled with shelf upon shelf of toy cars, into a baby room.  The cars were largely all packed up into boxes (a few STILL remain in those boxes!), with only the most favorite models getting "garage" space in traditional Matchbox 24 and 48 count carry cases where they could be easily accessed...

Now days I have many more cars, but also many, many more cases, such that the majority of my collection is immediately accessible.  But staring at the cases that hold my Tomica collection last night (estimated at roughly 500 cars), I started to wonder how I would pare that collection down again if I had to pack it up all over again...  What are my most favorite 12 Tomicas that would warrant a garage space if all I could spare was a 12 slot light-blue tray from a traditional Matchbox case?

I started the exercise with a few ground rules... 

1.  Although I picked the 12 number from a Matchbox tray, I wasn't going to force the cars to ACTUALLY fit into the tray, allowing me to choose over-sized/extra-long vehicles as part of the 12. 

2.  The criteria would be my "favorite" cars, not the "most inspired", "most realistic", "rarest", "most valuable", "most collectible", etc. 

3.  There were no other rules...  I wasn't going to require myself to have token representation from any particular categories of cars - if 100% of them were Nissan Skylines, then so be it! 

I started creating my entry list by swiftly stripping potential candidates out of the cases that hold my Tomicas.  I assembled them all on a tabletop for further perusal, inspection and ranking.   Although I intended my first pass to be about 50 cars, instead I ended up culling 109 highly valued cars out of the cases and onto the table.  That's a LONG way from just 12 favorites!







The next cull was fairly easy - pulling out the ones that I liked but knew didn't have a chance of making my top 12...  That meant that I was down to 73 remaining:

Removing a few more that I knew weren't in the same league got me down to 62 cars remaining - and the process was starting to get more daunting.













I decided to change the rules to get down to 48, a full size Matchbox case, so 14 need to come out...  The culling becomes sterner...  what?  3 Evolutions?!?   No, only 1 can survive...   And finally I got down to my top 48! 

Interestingly, my top 48 only includes 1 Tomica Limited Vintage model, very few micro cars, a large number of minivans and larger SUVs, a large number of sedans (especially Toyota Crowns) and 3 different medium duty box-type delivery trucks...!

From there, I separated them into the bottom 24 (#s 25-48)...















...vs. the top 24 (#s 1-24).  From this esteemed group will come my favorite Tomica car in my collection!













And finally sorted those 24 down to my top 12 cars.  As I looked at the contenders for my favorites, I was struck by how many of these had already been featured at various times in this blog (of course - since they are favorites!).











#12:  Older Toyota Dyna Box truck











































# 11:  Mitsubishi Pajero (featured in an earlier blog-post):











































#10:  Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (featured in an earlier blog post):

#9:  Mercedes-Benz G-Class (shown in an earlier blog post):

 #8:  Toyota Century:

 #7:  Cadillac:

#6:  Mazda Bongo Friendee (shown in at least 1, if not 2, prior blog posts): 

 #5:  Datsun 1300 Truck:  (Note that an older (non-premium) version of this exact casting - white with a heavily scraped roof - made it through several of the cullings before getting cut going into the top 48):

 #4:  Toyota Alphard (2008 casting, though all of the 3 castings are favorites along with the white Nissan ElGrand) (shown in several earlier blog posts): 

#3:  Nissan Fairlady 240ZG (shown in an earlier blog post):

 #2:  Nissan Leopard:

 #1:  Toyota Crown:

 Now that I've taken all of these photos, and written up the entire blog post, I wonder about some of my selections...  Were those initial 109 really my 109 favorites?  How about the top 12 - am I sure that none of the next 12, or the next 24 beyond those, deserve a spot in the top 12?  How about the ordering of the 12...  Do I really like the #1 Crown more than the Nissan Leopard?  How did the Toyota Century end up behind the Cadillac?!? 

Regardless of the exact final order, there is no doubt that the above models are some of my favorite and most highly prized models in my collection.  I've loved that #1 Crown since I got it 15 years ago, though the same casting in off-white is arguably equally prized (top left corner of the 25-48 photo).

If I could only have 12 Tomica models, I'd probably keep most of these 12 castings.  And if you are just starting to collect Tomicas, perhaps keep your eyes out for these...  You won't go wrong!

I hope you enjoyed the post...  Now I've got to put 109 contender cars back into their proper cases!