Hello folks! Here's my recent stash, that I bought from another modeler. One of these will be my "victim" in campaign.

Hi Kimmo,

So you bought all those in a single transaction? Sweet deal and many a long hour of enjoyable building ahead for you. A nice stash indeed, especially all in original multi-colour!

Thinking about buying up kits or even collections, does anyone else suffer from stash guilt? I've just picked up the Hasegawa 1/72 Karl Morser with transport carriages kit, and though it's a cracking kit that I got for a good price, I can't help feeling an element of stress when I wonder how I'm ever going to find the time to build it (we're talking a lot of parts here!). And yet I keep getting tempted with more sweet deals from the local model shop. and thus my stash gets ever larger.

I guess if that's the biggest stress in my life then I should feel truly blessed (on a global scale it's utterly trivial) and I also guess that if the stress get's too much all my loyal friends here will be more than willing to take this awful burden from me (you'll probably even offer to pay the postage!).

For now it's just philosophical musing, so theres's no point turning up outside my house with a big trailer just yet.

Of course an even more novel solution would be to actually get on and finish building some of them... it's an idea!

Cheers everyone!
John

Greetings all. I just completed a review of a book about the history of Matchbox and it's published here on Armorama. I thought that I'd mention this here to reinvigorate this thread and get those waves of nostalgia flowing through your veins. You can find the review HERE.

As for the M-24 that I posted a picture of on the previous page, it's undergoing a "Tank Overhaul." I have managed to successfully remove the old decals and then started trimming, sanding and filling of more prominent flaws.







I've started adding some missing lifting eyes and reworking the rather plain fender tool boxes.





This is not a priority project and is being done while waiting for other things to set or dry, as time permits

@naimbrain - John, I started the Hasegawa 1/72 Karl Morser with transport carriages kit ages ago. Circumstances at the time had me pack it away about 95% assembled and no paint. There are about thirty of forty smaller parts on sprues left to be attached. From what I recall there weren't too many problems with the kit. The hardest thing that you'll run into is getting those arms on the railway cars to line up uniformly with the Karl's main body lifting points. BTW, for those that don't know, this kit is HUGE!!!!

Cheers,
Jan

Jan... Nice review,well written.
I'm ready to get this thing started.I've got two kits,and I know they are Revell but every one needs to start some where I still haven't figured out which one I'm going to build yet.Jeff T.

Thanks, book reviews are always rather difficult so I appreciate the feedback.




So Jeff, are you going to keep us in suspense as to what two kits you have? If they are Revell, then they are still Matchbox legacy. Did they come with the base? I have the Revell versions of the M40 and the M7 in the stash and they both came with the base. If you check out page 1 of this thread, firstcircle (Matthew Lenton) has provided a link to the "original" Matchbox Campaign Feature here on Armorama.

Cheers,
Jan

Jan... Yes,both kits came with a base.And here they are
I found Matt's list very helpful in figuring out just what was and what wasn't
I bought my first Revell kit for the Panther Campaign because it was it was on sale,and had a great time building it.I didn't even know at that point that it had Matchbox history.
I ended up building 2 of the kits because I wanted to put some spare track links on the first build,and could not find any AM stuff.
That left Me with a kit with one short track So I built it as broken down with a thrown track.
Here's a couple of pics of the first build

And here's the second

I wanted to fold up the broken track a little on the second build to make it look better,but just couldn't figure out a way to do it.
Anyway,like I said,I had a blast doing both of them and can't wait to get started on one of the new ones.Which ever one it may be. Jeff T.

We are getting close to start up.Lets see what you guys are thinking about building.Jeff T.

Ok, just under a week away. Are we all ready?

I still have not figured out which one I will build yet.I like both of them Jeff T.

Well think I have decided, just waiting on the mail now. Just won this on evilBay, $10, sealed.



Not sure if I can wait, might start the Firefly though one the 1st.

2 more days.....

Kevin... Nice score,I still haven't worked up the stones to place bids yet and I still have not made a choice as to which of my two kits I will build
So......5........4.........3........2.........1 Jeff T.

Here is a link to the campaign gallery for when you finish your build.

Matchbox AFV Nostalgia Campaign Gallery

Thanks Gary,Has anybody started?I thought you guys would be all over it .Jeff T.

I think being the long weekend, we will see at start early next week. I am hoping to get a start on Monday,if I can make a decision.

I have a few things that I ought to tidy off before I can make a serious start.. .. am reminded of the construction project where they were committed to start work on the foundations by a certain date so they went and sunk a concrete pile and then promptly left site for several months; I may cut a couple of wheels off a sprue and cement them on, just to put a plastic stake in the cutting mat. Still not sure if Diamond T or Priest.

I know what you guys are saying,I just put it out there to see if everybody was still alive We are taking our Son to college today,3 hour ride each way .I have made a choice on which kit I will build though,I will be going with the Humber Will post pre build pics tonight but more likely tomorrow morning.Have a great week end.Jeff T.

Hello everyone, this is my entry with the M24 Chaffee, it looks like I am the first to the party.
steph

Steph, good to see someone else doing some Sunday modelling. I guess we are a bit ahead in Europe.

M-7 Priest. As it's a nostalgia campaign let us indulge a while in that activity. The box front. Things to note: yellowing sellotape, price 72p.

Box back. Note: three colour illustrations...

Box sides. Another two colour illustrations...

Box side and end. And yet another two!

Let's also remind ourselves while viewing the dense and very rectangular sprue layout that there was a time when such small mass produced plastic consumer items were manufactured in England:

And so 33 years after purchase, glue is put to plastic. I always hated these bits where you had to sandwich moving parts between two other parts that don't fit together that well, without getting glue over them; glad therefore to get it out of the way:

Steph...Chaffee = sweet
Matt...That is just too cool Being that old,what kind of shape are the tracks in? are they still flexible?
Well,they say the third time's the charm,so here's my build.As I said earlier in the thread,I will be doing the Humber Mk.II.
That's all for now,sorry for the poor pic's.I think my trusty old Canon is geting ready to give up the ghost Jeff T.

@ Jeff: Great choise, the Humber is one of their best. I built it in 2010 and had no troubles with it.
@ Mathew : Thanks for including the pictures of the old box, sure brings back memories.

I will be joining with the LRDG reboxed by Revell. I also bought the Pz.II and Montys Caravan just in case Revell decides to replace them with new tools like the Pz.III and Kfz.251. When I was a kid I spent a whole month scraping money together to buy one of them. I guess now that I can buy all of them there is realy no reason not to.

Greetings fellow Matchboxers!

I've subscribed to this thread so I will be dropping in on and off to check out everyone's progress. In my case I won't be joining you for a bit until I get a few other things "under control."

However, after reviewing my modest stash I have found two possible candidates. One is an original Matchbox Morris C8 with 17 PDR and Jeep (PK-172). While I had wanted to preserve this one for posterity, a resent flood in my basement storage area wreaked havoc with about a dozen kits and this was one of them. As you might guess, the plastic is fine but the box is worse for wear and the decals may not be salvageable.

My other option is a Revell re-pop that someone here might recognize (Matthew???). Here are some teaser images with the obliterated pedigree of the original..







Cheers,
Jan

Well guess I should get my "first" entry in, Comet. Hopefully this will go quick, and my Churchill AVRE arrives.




And off we go.

You know, I'm not joking when I say that the sight of that sprue with its (I think the correct term) erasure, with the word England replaced by a misshapen blob, brings a bit of a lump to the throat. I wonder what the story behind that change on the mould from "& Co Ltd" to "PLC" is - the difference is between a private limited company and one with public shares, but I don't know if Lesney was ever a PLC. 1979 was of course a significant year that brought many changes in the UK (and elsewhere).

Jan, I am thinking of that British version with the interesting camo, by the way, should you be wondering.
Jeff, is that right that the Humber is just a single sprue? Couldn't make out if that was a shadow or another spru underneath in the photo.
Steph, remember the deal with the nose joint on the Chaffee!

@Matthew - The "destruction" of the text on the base and the "England" is still rather heart wrenching but at least these old gems did not fade off into historical oblivion, yet.

As for the year 1979, it was that year (according to "The Story of Matchbox Kits") that Lesney started to formalize it's absorption/merger with AMT. The joining was formalized prior in August 1978. The Morris box for the kit has printed on the front cover "Copyright Matchbox Group of Companies." A small piece of paper in the box is covered with oriental characters and the discernible part was "1996? 5? 9?" where the question marks represent unfamiliar characters.

Thanks for the heads-up on your choice of decals. I'll check the book later and see if the originals are the same as the Revel offering. Revell has been known to have changed the decals in several former Matchbox kits.

Cheers,
Jan

Matt... Sorry,there are 2 sprues,I should have put some space between them There are a lot of parts to this one,and I am impressed with the amount of detail in the kit.
I checked my parts and also found the blobs of plastic covering up the lettering.Jeff T.