Tom Larson - Warmans Matchbox Field Guide: Values And Identification

This guide concentrates on the castings from the 175 line of toys. The popular 175 line features vehicles in close to 1:64 scale and are most recognizable to collectors as Matchbox cars. Die-cast toy cars about 3 in length are often called Matchbox even if they were made by other companies. I will leave it to others to chronicle the King Size, Convoys, and other lines. These toys can be broken up into three eras. The first era of models is called Regular Wheels.

Characterized by a thick nail axle with heavy metal or plastic wheels, Regular Wheels were made from 1953 until 1969. These realistic models are finely detailed and required a child's imagination for motion and play value. Almost exclusively, Regular Wheels were packaged in individual Matchbox boxes that featured a picture or drawing of the individual model. The second era of models is Lesney Superfast. These toys were necessitated by the 1969 release and rapid popularity of Mattel's Hot Wheels. Lesney had to convert their slower-moving models to the new speed wheels.

To compete with the new die-cast upstart, Superfast models gradually employed wild colors and big engines similar to those of Hot Wheels cars. The Lesney Superfast era ended with the bankruptcy of Lesney in 1982. The era of Made in England also ended with Lesney. Models were still available in boxes, but the use of blisterpacks became more common in the late 1970s, and the remaining boxes were generic in appearance by the end of the Lesney Superfast era. The third era of Matchbox toys is the Post Lesney 175. These are the models made by the other companies that have owned the Matchbox name since Lesney was sold and are typically manufactured in countries such as China, Macau, and Thailand.

Almost exclusively available in blisterpack form, Matchbox packaging ceased to be of great collecting interest during this era. Collectors pursue each era enthusiastically. With more than 50 years of history, you will never get bored or come to the end of collecting Matchbox toys. A small collection of Models of Yesteryear are shown in a separate chapter. The Models of Yesteryear debuted in 1956 and were produced through the 1960s. They have fallen out of favor with new collectors, and prices are down from historic highs, so now is the time to start your collection.

These finely-detailed models are great examples of state of the art die-cast toys. This book is a good introduction to Matchbox toys as it shows the most readily available models and includes values for each. This should provide collectors with a good sampling of value by era. I will give some collecting tips and resources for further study. Hopefully, this will be a first of a personal library of toy books fueling your collecting interests. Tom Larson
matchboxtom@cs.com Thanks to my friends in Matchbox Northwest and MCCH for all of their help.

We all miss our fellow collector Jerry Foster.