So Jack Odell got some 1:43 scale plastic models from Dunlop Tyres, melted them down, and made them into small die-cast models that would fit inside a matchbox. Its no surprise that Matchbox cars are very popular among avid collectors worldwide who love collecting this timeless classic toy! Car Name Series Color Tampo Base Color / Type Window Color Interior Color Wheel Type Toy # Notes Photo; 3-Window '34: HiRakers: Red w/Brown fenders Flame tampos on trunk Unpainted / Metal Clear Chrome BW: 1132 '40's Woodie: HiRakers: Orange no tampo Unpainted / Metal Blue tint Tan BW: 1131 Brown wood grain panels CAT Bulldozer: One of the rarest Matchbox cars ever existed is the Major Scale Quarry Truck. One reverse color wrecker sold for $9,500 in 2005 came in mint condition in its original box. If you want to add this rare car to your collection, we hope you've been saving. Most Matchbox cars have four wheels, but some have three or five wheels. Matchbox, Random 70's 80's 90's Car Lot of 5 Toy Cars . 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. One of the most valuable Happy Meal toys, "Inspector Gadget" from 1995, could fetch you around $350.. Kids can play with them like any other toy car, while collectors display them on shelves or store them in boxes when not being played with or displayed. There was something very unique about the Ford Fairlane, their gray wheels. Because of the different manufacturing methods, there are very few vintage matchbox cars from the 1980s. Thanks! Lesney cars started out small and got bigger by the decade, so thats one way to date them. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 19 Most Valuable Matchbox Cars Worth Money, 19 Most Valuable Vintage Tonka Trucks Worth Money, 17 Most Valuable Vintage Swatch Watches (80s & 90s) Worth Money, 18 Most Valuable Royal Doulton Figurines Worth Money, 19 Most Valuable Depression Glass Worth Money, 17 Most Valuable Vintage Trifari Jewelry Worth Money, 15 Most Valuable Vintage Glassware Worth Money, Antique Toy Pedal Cars Value (Identification & Price Guides), Antique Coffee Grinders Value (Identification & Price Guides), Benrus Watch Value (Identification & Price Guides), Antique Blue Willow China Value (Identification & Price Guides), Antique Car Blue Book (Car Value & Identificatiron), Old Buttons Value (Identification & Price Guides), Skeleton Key Value (Identification & Price Guides). A tan truck is said to be worth 8,513 pounds, ($11,760). Most Matchbox cars are about 2 inches in length, but this big truck was about 11 inches long. (And if you can find one, avid collectors will pay a bunch!) . The Opel Diplomat is a matchbox car made in a variety of colors, some being more popular than others. The larger scale models have been produced longer than their smaller counterparts and usually have more variations within each body style. Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith, friends, formed Lesney Products in June 1947. Matchbox cars have been around for generations. 1. 8. Distributed by Netflix and executive produced by Hasbros Allspark. From 1981 to 1983, the DeLorean Motor Company released the famous DeLorean. It has always been a 2-door coupe, but the models 37-year production life saw it undergo several drastic redesigns. Fortunately, there is good news! Also, these variations can help you date your toy car, which could shift your price from the tens to the high hundreds. Even if you never thought about it, you probably ended up here because a search engine pointed you to this article. The most valuable Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars 1. The first models were light brown. In the US, it was all about that razzle-dazzle. Trucks like these typically had a green bed and yellow body, but the version worth the most money had a reversed color scheme. Even more, theres hardly any information on the car at all. 2 bids. Among the two editions (and the older one), the Road Roller with the more extended roof is the most valuable. The toy car also comes with a driver figure. Matchbox cars officially first appeared in 1953, when Britain's Lesney Products rebranded their already-existing line of miniature toy vehicles. Matchbox has been producing toys for children for over 60 years now. So heres one way to maximize profit. There are 25 900 Range items illustrated in the 1980/81 Matchbox Catalogue. The famous police car in question had a rare feature. Valuable Happy Meal sets include TY Teenie Beanie Babies, Furbys, and Halloween Buckets. Mar 06, 6:00 . 3. Ending Wednesday at 11:16AM PST 13h 38m. The word grail does not get tossed around lightly, but this car falls under that category, as do many other items on this list. So her daddy invented cars that could fit in a matchbox to obey his kids school rules. The first true Matchbox toys were produced that . It cost only 45 cents for a kid. The cars got more elaborate over time. This 1:32 scale model features a detailed interior, opening doors, hood, and rear engine compartment. There was only a right-hand drive interior, and there were no windows. 7. There arent always good reasons to collect this crane. There is one version thats worth its weight in gold. This is because almost all of the Magirus-Deutz Cranes were known to be silver with a crane arm tinted orange. Many of Matchbox's most rare cars are considered valuable thanks to their unique paint jobs or limited production runs. Its another reason why collectors pay more for UK models. 8. Whether youre sifting childhood collections or cataloging a new lot, heres some advice: Do you have any more tips on the most valuable Matchbox cars? The retail price of Hot Wheels cars has not changed since 1968. There hasnt been a sale mentioned since and any information on how or why the car was created is no longer available to the public. Ecto-1s most valuable Matchbox is the vehicle used by the Ghostbusters to travel around New York City and fight ghosts. These were matchbox models of normal-sized vintage cars that ran on steam engines. The 1968 version is the most valuable of them all, with its red, blue, and white colors and the matching wheels. Hot Wheels and Johnny Lightning were US-made brands while the others were from the UK. This model features a yellow body with white plastic wheels and an open sunroof. Naturally, all of Ann's friends wanted one, too, and by the end of 1953, Lesney had trademarked the name Matchbox as the brand for its new line of miniature cars and trucks . Hot Wheels quickly became Matchbox cars' biggest competitor in the late 1960s. If you bump into them, they resell for a truckload, so keep an eye out! This hidden treasure was sold for a startling $6,765thats more than $10,000 today. Current price: MSRP $1250, sold out. Well, Lesney was dedicated to producing miniatures that were true to form. As for the BP Dodge Wrecker, they miscalculated when it came to the icons color. The 1968 Bug was only produced for one year, and only 10 were made. This Magirus-Deutz truck with a tan body is incredibly rare, with only two thought to have been produced. Capitalism follows a pretty predictable formula. 5 Best Rare Matchbox Cars To Buy Right Now . There were some minor differences in the way the wheels were made and the way the rivets were made, but otherwise, the two models are almost the same. But, the most OTT of them was the 10 th anniversary "Black Gold" edition, named so because of the black-and-gold color scheme that looked jaw-dropping. If you want a car that looks a little more modern, then the Dodge Charger MKIII might just be the vintage diecast car for you. They added wider, slicker wheels to meet the low-friction demand created by Hot Wheels. While Lesney Products made their name in matchbox cars, it wasnt the only thing they made. That same year, a used Super Soaker CPS, known for being. This car is mainly sold in two colors, white and blue. Compensation does not affect opinions stated. For a short time, Lesney even released a series of rechargeable electric Scorpion cars. 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 . They were initially made in England and are in high demand among collectors. Besides, because of the large number of matchbox cars available, it is hard to find the right one with a better worth. The Matchbox Major Scale Quarry Truck from the early 1960s is an extremely sought-after vehicle. Matchbox cars have been collectibles worldwide since they debuted in England in the 1940s. The Transformers line of toys from Hasbro that debuted in 1984 is one of the most successful toy franchises in the history of toys; and yet, it only began after a failed attempt by the Japanese company Takara to bring the same basic toys to the market in the United States in the early 1980s. They made more sales and were played with more, so if you find any to resell, theyre probably well-used and in bad condition. 13. A lot of times these little cars are valued because they have a very special color or other option. Leslie and Rodney Smith started Lensey Products just after World War II and the company took off quickly. '55 Chevy Bel Air Gasser "Candy Striper," $1,000-Plus. They sometimes used localized packaging, so the box might say Matchbox Superfast or the series numbering may differ. Matchbox is renowned for the detail and attention to the quality they put into each model. An excellent example of this is the 1968 Volkswagen Bug. The 1984 MR2 is one of the most iconic Matchbox cars. Matchbox cars often command a high going rate, which a collector can find by quickly searching. Im sure you have. This very strong glass made some time between 1905 and 1910 displays a bold 5 cents in addition to the logo. The model was introduced in 1963 and ran for two years. The model was produced in a limited edition of only 300 pieces, each individually numbered, making it one of the most valuable Matchbox cars ever produced. Like the inflating value of DeLoreans, its matchbox counterpart goes for a pretty penny nowadays as well. Top tips for valuing rare diecast cars. For example, if youre collecting Matchbox vehicles from the early 1960s and find one with factory paint mistakes, it could be worth more than a mint-condition version of the same model. A large chrome slab in the 1970s, the model adapted to the times and came out with a complete redesign in the 80s. with classics), a matchbox car was released in 1957, but it was based on a car made in 1928. Rare Matchbox Models of Yesteryear Y-8 Sunbeam Motorcycle with Sidecar, chrome plated finish, emerald green passenger seat . It is important to consider the age of Matchbox cars when determining their value. This is very uncommon, and according to the Drive, only a few have been found in the color combination of tan with the crimson jib and metal double-hook. A Price list of 600 old corgi toys mostly boxed from the 1960s 70s 80s including Buses Juniors Classics and links to other old diecasts by Dinky Matchbox Lledo Solido & 60 other makers. The gray-wheeled model is so rare that a recent sale of a used model was recorded at a price of nearly $2,000. watch . The first period was from 1953 to 1965, and the second was from 1966 to 1991. 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. The real story, however, with this matchbox car is the Ecto-1A version, that is to say the model fromGhostbusters II, seeing as they are now worth around $1000 a piece. The Magirus-Deutz Crane ranks as the most expensive in Matchbox cars. 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