Matchbox 1967 Magirus Deutz Crane (No. $1 1 Bid. The Beatnik Bandit is part of the Hot Wheels "Sweet Sixteen" or the first 16 cars Mattel released when the company launched in 1968. While eBay has helped diminish the hobby by giving everyone access to Matchbox cars, dealer shows remain a great place to exchange information and buy and sell Matchbox cars. That was the case with the 1968 Volkswagen Bug. It has always been a 2-door coupe, but the models 37-year production life saw it undergo several drastic redesigns. Vintage 50's 60's 70's . They might be willing to bid on the bigger version and make your auction more exciting, even if they dont end up buying the larger matchbox car. It was made in England and is one of the most valuable Matchbox cars ever made. The retail price of Hot Wheels cars has not changed since 1968. He made a version of the popular Lesney Road Roller which could be put in a matchbox. It had those low-friction wheels the locals loved. 1 and had a green driver. It featured two doors and three headlights but only had four wheels instead of five because of licensing restrictions regarding toy cars that appeared similar to vehicles on the road. Instead, the door and window openings were left bare. Their No. Moreover, the original production of these vehicles was 1966 to 1968, but that color is not present on our vehicle release list. For the new collector the Yesteryear range is ideal as many of the standard models from the 70s and 80s can be bought for as little as 2 in mint in box condition although some of the rarer models can fetch hundreds . It is a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car directed at middle-class families while still ensuring fuel economy. Vintage 70's 80's Lesney Matchbox Superfast Diecast Car Truck Lot Of 48 Toy Cars. Regardless of the direction the brand goes, the market for its cars isn't going anywhere. Like other items on our list, this is not your ordinary car. Facing a crisis, the firm introduced its "Superfast" line with racing wheels and slicker designs in 1969, ending what is known as "the regular wheels" era, Mack says. The 280ZX is a beautiful car that looked like a sports car but drove like a luxury coupe. Focus on verifiably sold items, not open listings. The truck was thought to be an indestructible company treasure. 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Cars Produced in the early 1970s, the Matchbox Ford Capri was and featured a deep pink and orange variant, but also comes in the Hot Rocker variant, which has that roadster vibe complete with exposed engine. Vintage Matchbox Cars and Trucks, Made in England by Lesney FoundInJanetsAttic (184) $17.00 Matchbox car case, personalized toy car storage case with handle, single sided car case Elissasharindesigns (478) $36.00 4 inch wide Matchbox Lesney toy car logo Decal Waterproof Vinyl Car Decal TheVinylShopNJ (409) $2.99 FREE shipping This trend started with the Matchbox cars from Lesney, and they are returning to take over again. 22 1968 Pink Beatnik Bandit. Year: 1958. The Matchbox line of toy cars became extremely popular during the 1960s and 1970s when many children collected them. 8. Over the last few years, the matchbox has been the most popular collectible die-cast car. Historical Vehicle says that in its day, the Diplomat was a very cheap car. The first true Matchbox toys were produced that . Are Diecast Cars good Investments? As sales (and manufacturing) went overseas, the company switched the branding to Lesney Product. It appears that matchboxes switched to blister packs in the 1980s from the traditional plastic and cardboard boxes that other die-cast toy brands used. A price / valuation and model variation guide for the Models of Yesteryear range of die cast models by Lesney Matchbox, . But how can you spot the most valuable Matchbox cars? The 1968 version is the most valuable of them all, with its red, blue, and white colors and the matching wheels. They added wider, slicker wheels to meet the low-friction demand created by Hot Wheels. Distributed by Netflix and executive produced by Hasbros Allspark. Similar to the Toyota MR2, the matchbox version of this car debuted in 2021 in a pastel blue paint with neon green doors. Some of these were produced for promotional purposes or as promotional items for companies that sold their goods at a discount to stores that purchased large quantities of merchandise from them. Masters of The Universe: Revelation Debut. John Odell (1920-2007), Leslie Smith (1918-2005), and Rodney . Are hot wheels, matchbox and diecast cars good investments? The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was first introduced as a Matchbox car in 1988 and has remained popular. The stylish coupe, with the iconic gullwing doors, enjoyed only a fleeting two-year production run but was immortalized shortly after in 1985 by numerous appearances as the time machine in theBack to The Futurefranchise. 3. The orange, red, green, and copper are the most valuable of the cars made and can be worth more than $1,500 each. Early models had metal wheels with treaded tires that could be removed for cleaning or repair (though sometimes they are missing this feature entirely). Initially, the Matchbox Series contained 75 cars in matchbox replica packaging. One of the most valuable colors of the cars made is orange and copper, each worth more than $1500 on the open market. Lots of them had clockwork motors, meaning youd reverse the car or manually turn the wheels to gain momentum, then release it and watch it shoot forward. Opel Diplomat in Seafoam Green. Dinky had gone bankrupt just before Lesney did, and Corgi followed suit in 1983. Matchbox Cars, Set of 9 Die-Cast 1:64 Scale Toy Trucks and Cars from the Matchbox Adventures World Tour Show, Realistic and Authentic Decos, Includes 1 Exclusive Vehicle No reviews $1125 FREE delivery Tue, Mar 7 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon Ages: 3 years and up Matchbox 9 Car Gift Pack, X7111 4.6 (46) $1991$20.99 Hot Wheels quickly became Matchbox cars' biggest competitor in the late 1960s. The Matchbox line includes more than 2,000 cars, trucks, and other vehicles. This can be confusing, so always double-check. Despite the originals only going for around $30 today, it is still one of the most valuable Matchbox cars simply because of the way it captures the imaginations of children. If youre unfamiliar with Matchbox models, three body molds have been used over the years: 1:43, 1:55, and 1:64 scale. Since Matchbox cars first appeared in England in the 1940s, they have been collectibles worldwide. Sold for 240 via Vectis Auctions Ltd (November 2015). Among the most valuable Matchbox cars ever is the brown Magirus Deutz Crane. Founded in 1953 by Lesney Products, Matchbox is a well-known toy brand. This model was among the first to come up with open doors and hoods. A particular Matchbox car may be the subject of a dozen auctions, all with very low (or no) bids. Its value will likely increase even further over time as it ages and becomes rarer to find! The cars have always been small enough to fit inside a matchbox, which makes them easy to store and transport. Hot Wheels and Johnny Lightning were US-made brands while the others were from the UK. Value: $3,000. Confirm the year of manufacture, both for the car and the toy. The 1969 Ford Kennel Truck is the most valuable Matchbox car in history. If youre considering a matching set like the one we mentioned above, double-check the authenticity. It needs a little more history to explain why it made the list. They also produced a king-size series that had bigger versions of their most popular matchbox cars. With its distinctive green color scheme, this model can be found in good condition today, but its not cheap. Princess Adora, the twin sister of Prince Adam/He-Man, could also transform into an evil-battling superhero, She-Ra: Princess of Power. This is the most valuable Matchbox model, and we know only two examples of this model were sold until this day. It is part of the 1/75 series and has no opening parts or accessories. There was only a right-hand drive interior, and there were no windows. This hidden treasure was sold for a startling $6,765thats more than $10,000 today. By around 1968, Lesney was the market leader for matchbox toys. 4. Since there is a notable lack of valuable vintage matchbox cars from the 1980s due to different manufacturing techniques, companies are only now capitalizing off the 1980s nostalgia; albeit very delayed limited supply releases. The car was first released in 1968 and had two different variations. First introduced in . Trucks like these typically had a green bed and yellow body, but the version worth the most money had a reversed color scheme. Over the years, the number of vehicles has increased substantially, especially since Mattel acquired the company. This is the first official Matchbox model produced in 1953 and was modeled on a real vintage steamroller belonging to the owner of Lesney Products. Many Matchbox collectors consider the Opel Diplomat in the color of Sea Green as a grail worthy model. The truck was produced between 1969 to 1972 and featured a removable lucid plastic topper along with four white plastic dogs. Hot Wheels werent as carefully crafted as Lesneys. It was sold last around 1999, over 20 years ago. Almost five years ago, a similar model sold for $8,500 on eBay. That way, you can get tens or even hundreds at about a buck each. Unlike average blue Fairlane police cars, the one we are talking about has one main difference. As for the BP Dodge Wrecker, they miscalculated when it came to the icons color. In 1953, British manufacturer Lesney Products rebranded its miniature toy vehicle line, and Matchbox cars were born. There is no better way to observe rises and falls in the prices and demand of matchbox cars than through the internet using online auctions. 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