Go! Go! Tomica

Real Toy - Military In Action

2012-02-01T06:54:00.003+08:00

I was helping a friend looking for some cars he requested so I made a trip to the store yesterday. I found some "Real Toy" which I had never seen before. Perhaps these might not be new because I never take a second look at "Real Toy" unless they are having promotion (but there's no promotion yesterday). What actually caught my eye is the tank, it is quite well made so I decided to get it. Usually Real Toy has multiples of same models but strange enough that these are one of each.

At an corner of my eye, a truck actually caught my eye. I never seen a "Real Toy" truck that is so nicely made. The "Gift Set" came with soldiers and an air craft carrier. It look like a mini Matchbox Superking to me and it had wheels beneath the hull. It's one and only set or I could have bought another, to rip one set for play. Cool finds today.

Tomica Suzuki MR Wagon - Jan 2012

2012-01-31T00:52:00.003+08:00

This must be the fastest released Tomica in Singapore history. Most Tomica are release 2 or 3 months after the official release. The Suzuki MR Wagon was just released a week ago and I found it in a toy departmental store today. I couldn't find the Mercedes SLS, did someone buy out the Mercedes or the MR Wagon was release to our local distributor by accident? I understand that newly release model are actually available in Japan at an earlier date but not allow to release until 3rd Saturday of every month.

Tomica Mercedes Unimog - Old vs New

2012-01-30T22:14:00.003+08:00

I am glad that Tomica recently focus on "foreign" series. Foreign series or also known as F-Series was packaged in blue box with a national flag of the vehicle origin. One of my childhood favorite is the Mercedes Unimog. I used to own the Tomica yellow Unimog and I always like to remove its hub caps and put to back after removal. Although it doesn't have the trademark suspension but I like the truck a lot then mainly because of its unusual styling and the removable hub caps.

Tomica has recently released the latest Unimog in December 2011 and I finally got my hands on them. I haven't seen the new Unimog in real life but based on the scale of the new truck, it is scaled 1/88 versus the old 1/70. Has the new Unimog has grown in size? I think Tomica could have made them bigger at 1/76 even the new truck has put on some weight over the years.

The new truck looked somehow more sportier than the old classic look. Obvious change is the bigger windscreen and a small bonnet. We can see the old Unimog still serving our SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) and I wonder if SAF will purchase the new one.

Parking the new one alongside with the old one, it seems like the new truck is slightly smaller although it should be bigger in 1:1 scale. It seems like Tomica has shrink their cars way smaller than the older generation especially the Vietnamese made ones. The overall presentation of the new Tomica is still good as compared to previous releases of 2011 only if they could make it slightly bigger.

The new truck has a movable feature while the old one has none, unless you want to include the movable spare tyre under the deck.

I still prefer the classic Unimog if you asked me.

Childhood Memories: RoboTora

2012-01-22T16:35:00.003+08:00

This is my first post on the toys I had when I was a child. I will try to relate a story with each toy featured at a time. I was considered lucky as I have different people in life pampering me with toys then. I would say most or all are automotive related as I hate any toys that doesn't have 4 wheels. If you expect to see Star Wars or G.I. Joe, I am gonna disappoint you. I don't even like Transformers then, I have no toys related to Transformers at all. I remembered there's a Macross Robot and some Bandai Transformers then. I shall show you one of my favourite toy when I had in the 80s. It's RoboTora by Popy.

This toy was given to me by my auntie. This auntie is my cousin's mother. Which cousin? The one who owns Gift Greetings. I brought this toy to his shop yesterday to show my cousin as I wanted to surprise him. I know that he had a similar one then so I think he will remember this. We used to shared almost the same toys. Why I say that because I took all the Tomica or toys I like from his home and he willingly gave them to me. I am the little devil then and maybe he's elder than me. He let me have my ways I demand. Sorry brother Anthony, I started to feel a little guilty now.

When he saw this toy, his eyes brighten up. He had tons of fun with this toy then because the truck has got a special gadget. I told him that this toy was not played with and it was very well kept for the past 30 years. He was amazed and started to inspect the truck and the box.

The truck is mint, the figurines are still in its original plastic packing and so is the instruction booklet and brochure.

Seeing these figurines are as good as seeing my old friends. They have been heavily abused and get thrown off the truck hundred of times.

My cousin is surprised that someone really kept them for 30 years as though it was just bought yesterday. He actually thought that I kept it as I told him that his mum bought me this. I assured him that the original one I had was dumped years ago. I like this toy so much that I had to buy back my memories.

The truck is made of metal with some plastic parts like its bumper and interior. The size is approx. 1/40. The prime of Japanese die cast toys should reign from early 70s till the mid 80s. They have many wonderful toys then. Back to my RoboTora truck, those rubber figures either seat in the cabin or they stand in the rear deck.

See this bumper? I always push the truck with its passengers seated on its deck to the direction of the wall. See how bad this truck had been abused then? Once the bumper of the truck hit the wall, the catch on the rear deck released and flip its cargo sending them flying to a land far far way.

This is how the truck look like when it hit the wall.

The year is 1982. It's been 30 years. The original toy I had was thrown away with many other toys. They usually do it without much of my knowledge. When old stuff are gone, there will be newer toys that will come my way.

Poliguri - Fiat & Mercedes

2012-01-12T23:55:00.003+08:00

Today I received a package from Portugal. It contained Poliguri cars which are made in Portugal.

If you find that Poliguri casting look familiar, they are mainly based on old Siku of Germany and old Majorette of France.

The rims are similarly style like Majorette or Siku. The Fiat Uno above are slightly larger at 1/50 scale.

This Mercedes van looked almost a Siku. It's interesting to find these Portugese made toys and they are definitely worth collecting.

Birthday Presents

2012-01-01T00:09:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year. It's 2012 in Singapore already. I've been busy lately so to post this is a little late. My birthday falls on Boxing Day and just to share some of the presents I have gotten from my friends. This "Lesney Moko" wrapper is specially done by a friend and I like it so much that it becomes a display in my room. I just like presents which are self made.

These are the recycled wrappers which I used to give my friends and the ball is thrown to my court again. Gotta think of something interesting for them this year.

Tomica From Korea

2011-12-18T02:28:00.003+08:00

I got some Tomica in Korean packaging recently. The cars are the same but I think it's kind of cool to see Tomica with Korean characters.

Hauls in Hamburg - Others

2011-12-13T19:38:00.004+08:00

I am not showing all cars I picked in Hamburg because some of them I would like to feature them individually in a single post. Here are some nice ones.
I found these 4 Majorette in a box full of toy cars. All the cars are dumped into the box like junks. There is one collector who is also scavenging in the box doesn't like sellers who to dump toy cars like junk. I told him that if the seller knows the value, we couldn't have bought them at such low price. He was looking for Matchbox and I was looking for anything that interest me. I am lucky that he doesn't like Majorette. These are the early Majorette from the 70s. I was so excited when I found the blue and green Simca. The best find I would say in the flea market.

Another batch of Majorette. The centre 2 vans comes from the same box as the cars above. The TWA bus has more passengers than the original one I used to have. The passengers are painted too which I wonder how did the previous owner did it. The Renault is also one of my favourite here. All parts still intact, just some play wear.

I have been looking for this Conrad W123 as it is almost impossible to get a W123 at this scale (1/66) and it's a wagon! I almost passed this because the price is out of my budget as it comes with a box. Boxed models usually cost more. The box look similar to the Schuco box so I thought there is nothing special about it. It was when Wolfgang pointed out that there is a "Mercedes Benz" marked on the plastic box, I went crazy. I put it right into my shopping cart.

Can you see the "Mercedes Benz"?

I never like Schuco Piccolo until I bought one. It was made by mould injection and it is a heavy little car (1/90). The car looks cartoon but unlike the queerness of Choro Q which is too cute to be true. Overall presentation of this little Alfa is fantastic. I regretted not buying one Piccolo Motorcycle from the antique shop. Maybe I should aim for the Piccolo trucks which I think is really nice too.

There are Tomica as well but not many in Goodies Old Toys as compared to Minicar shops in Tokyo. It's still a good selection though. I picked the MINI since I have a small MINI population in my Tomica collection.

I have to have this Porsche for this price and I do not have this 959 variation yet. I know it's a common colour variant but I do not buy everything Tomica. I do things one at a time rather. It was a good catch and I am happy with this purchase. Stay glued to my blog as I will be updating more before 2011 ends.

Hauls in Hamburg - Siku

2011-12-11T00:57:00.004+08:00

Older Siku. I like the Opel Rekord Wagon. Nice presentation.

Siku look nice even when they are not mint.

I like yellow especially the ADAC Mercedes.

Got these from Wolfgang. A shame that the Ford Transit got a missing ladder.

A gift from Wolfgang of Goodies Old Toys.

Mercedes Unimog, lots of metal at very low price.

This is a great piece as 60s Siku trucks never fail to charm.

Been hoping to get this and finally I found one in the flea market.

My worst condition Siku but still looks good for display.

Cadillac able to steer its wheels, very interesting car so I must get one from Wolfgang.

I like vintage Mercedes so this is one car in my shopping list. Don't mind to get one whole fleet of this as this is really great presentation of the Pullman. After visiting Goodies Old Toys, I might consider changing my blog to Go! Go! Siku. Old Siku are really great toys and definitely a true collectible.

Hauls in Hamburg - Classic English

2011-12-10T23:36:00.002+08:00

As promised, I will feature some of my hauls in Hamburg. I will feature the oddities cars one at time in separate postings. These lot of English cars are from the Winter Flohmarkt.
These 3 pieces are clean except that I have to find one horsey for the truck.

Thinking of letting go these as I have a MIB Mini and I don't really fancy the other 2.

You can't find this condition in our flea market for Matchbox.

My favourite pick in the flea market for the Matchbox lot is the regular wheels Rolls.

Corgi Mini Cooper and James Bond Lotus Esprit.

Kombie in Miniatur Wunderland

2011-12-04T00:21:00.010+08:00

After Winter Flohmarkt, my next program is to re-visit Miniatur Wunderland again. I decide to walk from Hamburg Messe to my next destination. My sense of direction is not really good. I could take a taxi but since my reservation to enter Miniatur Wunderland is at 1430hrs, I have a whopping 2 hours of luxury to walk there. It's only 2.4km but the problem is, I don't know the exact direction but I know it is to walk southwards to the Waterfront. I was cold and hungry and finally found a cafe which open on Sunday.

After having my first meal (of the day) at the cafe, I continued my journey and after 45 minutes, I reached the bridge which I am familiar of. I have been to Hamburg 4 times so basically I have been to different corners of the city. I spend about 1.5 hours (including meal at cafe) strolling to my destination. Not bad based on my gut feel. I felt so proud of myself at that moment.

At the entrance of Miniatur Wunderland (after purchasing of ticket), you will be greeted by thousands of Wiking, Herpa, Schuco etc on sale. I didn't buy any the last time. I saw in departmental stores selling each Wiking or Busch at around 8 to 20 Euro depending on models. I will get some after my trip to mini land as they are priced much lower here.

These Kibri are nice but I will not spend my Euros on these since I don't want to start another hobby.

Miniatur Wunderland has day and night using controls of lighting in the exhibit halls. Did I see a King Kong? Fear not, it's big friendly giant staff fixing on a train.

Here's Kombie, he will start the journey here and will bring you to different parts of Europe and America. I couldn't differentiate where's where as I was busy taking photos for Kombie. This post should be the richest in photo and I will try to keep my sentence short.

Herbie leading the race.

Where is Kombie?

Here he is! Catching up the pack.

One of the best picture taken here.

The trip ends here.

I ended mine with Wurst and Pommes Frites.

Winter Flohmarkt - Hamburg Messe

2011-11-30T23:04:00.005+08:00

Wolfgang (of Goodies Old Toys) informed that there will be a Winter Flohmarkt (Flea Market) on Sunday when I visited his shop the day before. He will be there to hunt for his prey. I told him not to buy all the toy cars otherwise I would be empty handed if I were to go there. So the next day, I wake up early and took a taxi to Hamburg Messe hoping for a big haul. I been to Hamburg Messe in 2008 as I participated in the SMM, the largest Marine exhibition in the world (as we all believe), as an exhibitor. I know that Winter Flohmarkt will take up 3 small halls and has around 400 stalls. It's bigger than any flea market I went so far. Admission is not free as admission is 3.50 Euro.

The difference between this Winter Flohmarkt and ours in Singapore is that there are really old stuff available there. Ours is more of a swap meet for toys and other newer collectibles, hardly old stuff to buy. There are different stalls for old furniture, toys, porcelain, junks etc.

There are stalls like the one shown above which sell mainly toy cars but their prices are hardly a bargain. You will have to be alert for stalls which sells general stuff as they might have toy cars as well. You could get them at a better price compared to stalls specialised in toy cars.

We have such stall all over in China Square which sells figurine. Singapore is a figurine collectors market, not really a paradise for toy car collectors.

I saw some pistols which looked like they are from the late 19th or early 20th century. Pawn it or sell it? Ha... watch too much of Pawn Stars.

I bought 2 of these replica signboard. I felt weird that I bought one for DKW Motorcycle and one for Martini, nothing about cars at all.

I saw this vintage looking doll in pram and it has just been bought by a lady. I took a quick snap at the doll before she left. She must be really glad with her purchase as she was laughing and chatting away with the seller before leaving. To be honest, the doll looked nice but a little scary.

There are many other toy cars all over the flea market. Here are some photos of the stalls with toy cars. I took them so that you can do a virtual hunting here. These are the pictures my friends are waiting for as they seriously hope to be there after I showed them what I had bought.

Matchbox, Siku and many others.

I thought these will be a bargain as they are chucked in a corner. I asked the seller for the Siku 911 (but I am more interested in the red car, Tekno?, and other cars in the lot) as an reference for his price range. He told me it is 20 Euro so I give up asking for other cars.

Some play worn toy cars but nothing interest me here. There are more beneath the box but I choose to pass as well.

I bought some cars in this stall. 3 Siku of the 60s & 70s here and they are the best buy of the day although they cost a little more. See the clear plastic case on the left?

I bought 2 cars here as well, a Matchbox (60s) and a Majorette (early 70s). Almost pass for the 2 cars because I misunderstood the seller asking for 7 Euro but later his wife (I assumed) told that it's 2 Euro and not 7.

I wanted a few Siku here but I heard a customer asking for the blue Ford GT and it is 20. I passed.

These are too "huge" for my collection.

Matchbox is not in my shopping list unless they are 2 Euro or I wanted the model so much. I was looking for Siku and Schuco instead. Schuco are really much scarce comparing to Siku. I had a fruitful day as I counted 30 cars purchased at the flea market when I reach my hotel. I will show you some of my haul in Germany in the next post. Keep watching.

Goodies Old Toys

2011-11-26T20:26:00.007+08:00

Finally my weekend arrived after 5 days in Hamburg and I can go to "Goodies Old Toys" to meet Wolfgang. His shop is located in another city or town, Schenefeld, not far from my hotel which is about 15km away. I took a taxi to the shop because I will only collect the rental car 2 days later.

This crate of old toys in the shop window has attracted my attention somehow.

As I enter the shop, I saw a show case filled with little soldiers and cowboys. I hope I am not in the wrong place. Where are the cars? Come on in and here's my little tour in Goodies Old Toys.

I introduced myself to Wolfgang and roam around the shop looking at stuff which might interest me. All cars are displayed in glass cabinet according to brands. I will show you pictures taken some of the cabinets. Enjoy.

Mercedes-Benz by Gama. I have a few Gama but I didn't have any Gama Mercedes yet. I simply love old Benz with a huge grill.

Gama and some mix of Solido

Different models of Volkswagen from Gama

A cabinet full of Corgi models.

Dinky and Thunderbird

Promo car from the 50s & 60s made by Volkswagen according to Wolfgang. They are really nice but they are dear for my budget.

Volkswagen Beetle Promo cars

What attracted me most are the wide selection of old Siku. These lot are mainly from the 80s.

I been looking at this lot the longest as the 60s and 70s Siku are simply charming toys.

Some Siku trucks and tractors. Just when I was admiring at the Siku, Wolfgang called out for me as he had more stuff to show me. He pushed a "bakery" trolley out and it was stacked with layers of toy cars. I think there should 10 or 12 trays full of toy cars. I picked some cars from the trays as these lot were more relevant for me. I found myself some Playart, Conrad, Mini Dinky, Marx etc. Here are some of the lots. I have more pictures but I don't wanna make this post too lengthy.

There are a few trays of Siku and I pick a few pieces from this lot.

Husky lot. Did you realize that Wolfgang has a fetish for 007 Aston Martin DB5? I didn't buy it although I really wanted it. I bought 2 Husky from this lot as well.

I had a Ford Transit already but I don't mind to have another. I am not really into carded piece actually so I have to pass it. Did you spot Batman's ride here?

Husky VW Bettle and Citroen DS Wagon.

Didn't expect to see Tomica here.

There's more! I could spend whole day in this place but Wolfgang need to run for an appointment. 2 hours is simply not enough for me so I will need to see Wolfgang next time I visit Germany. You want to know the damage done to my wallet? I got a box full of toy cars when I left the shop. I don't felt painful to pay for the toy cars as I get what I need but it was painful to pay for the taxi fare. It's a fruitful trip for me and anyone who visit Hamburg should consider to visit Goodies Old Toys in Schenefeld. This is their website if you want to know more about the shop. www.oldtoys.de

MÄNNERTRÄUME - ALLES FÜR "GROSSE" JUNGS

2011-11-22T21:37:00.004+08:00

I have been in Germany for half a month so that explains why I am not updating my blog. I have took many pictures and I will post them here by instalments due to my work commitment. This shop is not far from my hotel and I walked 2 kilometres (or more) with a German Becker. Struggled my way in the cold without my coat, just my business suit. This should be one of the coldest autumn in Germany. I left my coat at home because they will take up space that are meant for toy cars. Sounds silly? Yes, I second that. Mannertraume - Everything For Big Boys, is an antique shop which sells collectibles like toys, books, sign boards, bikes, cars etc. I didn't see any cars that day except for some bikes.

A model plane hung from the ceiling welcoming customers into the shop. I felt going back 10 years with every step I put forward. Everything in the shop looks fantabulos. I get to see stuff which I never seen before. Here are some examples:

No, it's not a real car. I don't know if it is road worthy in Germany but definitely not in Singapore. It's a miniature BMW 328 fit just for 1. Car has 8ps and a top speed of 65km/h. The price is just one Euro short of 10 grand. It is not only for big boys and for rich boys as well.

1944 Triumph Kurier. The condition sure looks great for something older than my old man and it is from World War II era!

These pedal cars looks like they are from the 1930s through the 50s. I like the one which looks like a Ford Model T. These are for "small" boys I supposed.

How can you miss out this classic Shell pump in the shop? Anything that is "Shell" will worth something. These will be really hard to get them out of the shop if it is sold in Singapore. Who had the space if you are living in a HDB flat? So, again, it's for the rich boys.

Some of you might be kind of anxious now. Where are the toy cars? Ok, this way, follow me.

I took a closer look at one of the cabinet. I saw some "Zikus". This is how Germans pronounced it and I think it is cool. Ziku or Siku, great charm anytime.

Mixtures of some vintage cars and HO scaled ones.

A little corner for Corgi.

I found one lot of Superfast and Lesney but I am here for Siku and Schuco. I bought something after much exploration in the shop. I will be featuring more of my adventures in Germany once I free my time up.

Recent Hauls in Kulua Lumpur

2011-11-01T23:51:00.002+08:00

I like to thank an Indonesian friend for helping me to get these 4 cartons of CN series Tomica when we meet up in Kuala Lumpur last week. We do not have these CN series in Singapore so they will be available in my cousin's shop from this week.

I also bought these Tomica from different shops in Kuala Lumpur. I have most of them already but it is still good to keep some extra pieces.

Maisto Electric car, Mycar which I think nobody makes them and a class '51 VW Beetle Cabriolet.

One big lot of loose Hot Wheels and 2 loose Tomica.

Maxwell - Matchbox From India

2011-10-25T23:23:00.003+08:00

Maxwell produce toy cars in the 1970s and they look like Matchbox regular wheels from far. They were built with low cost material, uneven shut lines and low quality paint. The wheels can't even roll properly. This should be the worst nightmare for kids who bought them. You can use the word "ugly" to describe them but strange enough, there is a certain charm in these toys.

Is this supposed to be a "Jeep" or a "Mahindra"?

Maxwell made Mandarin a better toy in the quality department. Well, both are equally bad but charming.

Setra Coach? I think Maxwell might worth a little more than the Matchbox equivalent.

Pirate Tomica continues....

2011-10-23T17:43:00.003+08:00

Pirate Tomica continues to other models in the Tomica range. Why are models such as VW Microbus & Daihatsu Midget copied illegally? Simply, profits due to the popularity of these models. Try copying a Morgan or Ford Model T, I think nobody will ever know because simply nobody wants them. Here is the link for other Pirate Tomica Daihatsu Midget:

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/lego-figures/article?mid=3868
“真品”means original, “仿品”means copy or pirate, just in case you do not understand Chinese characters. You can translate the website.

The following Tomica are rumoured to be in the making, in fact, eBay HK sellers have been selling them for quite time already. It's sad to know that my Herbie might have a copy. I haven't seen one yet and I hope I will never see one. The Tomica Herbie is a rare variation in the Beetle range. I have 2 at once and sold my spare years ago in eBay.

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/lego-figures/article?mid=3847
I am wondering who will really buy these fakes. I am sure collectors will buy them because they will think that it is a real bargain as they do not know of these fakes. This is cheating and as serious Tomica collectors, we don't welcome these pirates. As for new collector who just came into the collecting scene, they wouldn't care even if they know they are fakes because they don't grow up with Tomica, hence no sentimental value to them. I have heard one such new collector told me that he doesn't mind re-issue or revival Tomica because they can't afford the Japan made vintage Tomica. I am sure he will not mind fake ones too.

There are no fakes Minis at the moment but I predict this might be the next pirate project. There are many Mini fans worldwide so anything Mini or Beetle is easy to sell it off. After much discussion, who is the real culprit and produce these Pirates Tomica? Well, it's actually made by a famous collector shop in Hong Kong. He copied the original moulding and the factory in China made these for him. He is currently looking for re-sellers to sell off these pirates. Again, say NO to Pirate Tomica.

Beware! Pirate Tomica Ahead

2011-10-17T23:26:00.003+08:00

I should be the last Tomican who know of this. There is a recent outbreak of high precision fake Tomica VW Microbus. They are not re-issue and it is believed that they are actually build from scratch. The box that come with it is also a reproduced copy. You need to have eagle sharp eyes to spot the difference. The fakes are discovered by experience Indonesian Tomica collectors who bought them on auction sites. The easiest way to check if your unit is a replica is to look at the base. The authentic piece has a visible casting line just below the "Made In Japan" stamping while the copy has none.

Injustice is done on collectors who are into vintage Tomica. I hope that this will not spread to other Tomica models which are sought after by collectors such as Toyota Land Cruiser or Mini Cooper. The following link from a Taiwanese collector will explain more:

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/lego-figures/article?mid=3732&prev=-1&next=3716

Note: The above Tomica featured are original pieces from my collection

In Search of a Monster

2011-10-16T17:21:00.002+08:00

I like to share with everyone here I bought online recently which I thought is interesting. I have to admit that I am never interested in any figurines. Never expecting them to be larger than Tomica, I went ahead and click on the purchase button. The main reason I bought this set, to compliment my Tomica as the expressions on the figurines are really funny. Since the figures are larger than Tomica, they are much suitable to be used with 1/24 vehicles.

I like what they said at the back of the card.

It's fun taking photos with these figurines. I only have one monster and it is from the Ultraman series. It is too small if you really want a monster scene. Since these figurines are about 1/24 in scale, we will need a life size monster, anything smaller will be too unreal. Among friends in our group, we do have a friend who smash little cars and has a nickname ending with "zilla".

Go! Go! Enyozilla. It's SMASHING time.

Fun HO! - Rolls Royce Phantom V

2011-10-12T18:15:00.003+08:00

Fun HO!, the HO as in HO scale which explains the car is small even it is a Rolls. Fun HO! is made in New Zealand and I think there is a Fun HO! Museum back in its hometown.

Unlike China made toys, toys in the past are safer. No lead!

Fancy any Fun HO! cars? They are quite rare now so just take whatever is available if you happen to see any.

They are quite similar to the Moko Lesney with no interior and HO scale.

Unusual colour for a Rolls. I have seen weirder colours for this car so I am content with red.

Metal base and Made in New Zealand. Is it rare? Definately.

SBS and London Bus Lovers

2011-10-09T09:58:00.005+08:00

Firstly, I like to thank Paul for letting me have these. Paul is an ex US Navy who used to station in Singapore while the ship is here for repair in 1986. These bus were bought in Singapore and after 25 years, they return to where they used to be sold.

Long Tomica. I always like Routemaster bus.

The price of Long Tomica 25 years ago.

The lot came a Matchbox Superking too.

This is a Playart SBS Bus which looked like a clone to the Matchbox.

Except that the Playart has a opening door.

It is sold as a souvenir in Singapore.

Base of the package has map of Singapore with places of interest.

Playart with a Superking. I never know Londoner Bus look this great too.

First Mega Trade

2011-10-06T00:32:00.003+08:00

I traded some toy cars with a friend recently. This is the first trade I did and it's a huge one. I counted and it is almost 150 cars in total which Hot Wheels took up three quarters of this big lot. This lot will be put up for sale in the next flea market. All must go expect the following cars which are also found in the box.

Lesney Ford Corsair, Guisval Renault 21 Wagon and Siku VW Passat Wagon

A Moko Lesney! This is something of around half a century.

Vauxhall Victor, this variation should be from 1958 to 1960.

My Road Trip To Johore Bahru with YRV & Pooh

2011-10-04T05:58:00.010+08:00

I decided to drive into Johore Bahru in my YRV with Pooh finally. It is no big deal for a Singaporean driving into Malaysia but this is actually the 2nd time I drove into JB. First time I did that was exactly 10 years back. Surprised? I know many Singaporeans go JB for their groceries shopping, pump their petrol, massage (Pooh), food, car servicing and activities I do not want to mention. I got my Tom Tom and Pooh who is a frequent JB traveller to be my navigator and vroom I go.

First stop - Breakfast at Restoran Tasixi to have Hong Kong Dim Sum to fill our stomach so that we have energy to hunt around.

My YRV take a nap while we are having our breakfast. Wakie wakie... time to roll to the first hunting ground.

Sorry, I forgot the location but Tom Tom had it recorded for me. I think you guys know which Jusco right?

Tomica, not full range but did grab a few of them.

Some Hotwheels and Matchbox.

Some of the Hotwheels range.

Moving on to the next Jusco. Saw a 70s Datsun Sunny while driving. I used to sit in one driven by my tutor. He will always send me and my brother back home after tution lesson (late 80s, think 1989). It was already considered a junk car then but I think it looks classic today. This car did bring back some memories.

Ok, reach Bukit Indah.

The Tomica there is quite pathetic as it is only displayed in a tiny section. Pooh was looking in and out of the glass case as there is only a few models.

Saw a rare car in Giant Supermarket car park. I didn't know Malaysia imported the Asia Rockstar then.

Lunch Time. Pooh asked for name card but the lady there asked us to take photo instead as their name cards ran out. After that, continue to other hunting spots plus dinner and back to Singapore.

What I had bought. Pooh said that I am crazy buying these. I think I was but as long as I enjoyed myself, it's fine. Next stop, Kuala Lumpur (29th to 30th October).

Lexus LFA Sales Sept 2011

2011-09-25T01:32:00.004+08:00

Free Shipping to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei. Each set at SGD$85.00.

Email / Paypal : bonu@starhub.net.sg

Sizzlers Sales Sept 2011

2011-09-24T08:05:00.006+08:00

This is a one time off sales. I will be selling off these Hot Wheels Sizzlers at SGD$50.00 per set for Go! Go! Tomica Followers. The price is valid till end of Sept 2011. I am selling it for SGD$65.00 at our Sunday flea market or Toy Swap Meet (if I want to rename it). Price does not include shipping to anywhere. Drop me a mail at bonu@starhub.net.sg before September ends and we can work it out. If you are reading this from 1st October 2011, price is now at SGD$65.00.

This set c/w a Sizzler 1970 Camaro

This set c/w Sizzler 1970 Mustang

Matchbox & Tomica Lot

2011-09-22T19:56:00.004+08:00

3 Parcels came on the same day today. I wish I can keep them all but space is a killer for me. I will pick a couple of them and will sell or trade the rest with friends. Any items interest you here? Send me a email bonu@starhub.net.sg. Ok, I know you can't see all items clearly, I just want you guys to email me (ha ha). Another issue I like to repeat myself again. It sounds funny but it's true, I can't leave comments in any blog and that includes my very own blog, so please send me a email if you really like to get in touch with me.

Tomica vs Matchbox - The Dynamic Duo

2011-09-19T21:52:00.005+08:00

Honda Civic Type R, everyone knows that.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X U.K. Police version

These cars are two of the hottest model regardless of the real thing or if you shrink them down 60 times smaller. I am referring to Tomica and Matchbox based on daily livery of our familiar road cars we have seen on the road, less the "out of this world" tempos. Cars can be hot without tempos too. Cars which only look hot in tempos are totally uncool.

4 cars will be featuring here are the Civic Type R and Evolution X U.K. Police from both Tomica and Matchbox. It is quite rare for Tomica to make cars that are not totally Japanese. Honda is Japanese but the Civic Type R is actually made in the U.K. The Evolution X is Japanese too but instead of a Japanese patrol car, it is the U.K. police version made. Tomica and Matchbox has been making similar cars like Bentley Continental GT, Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Toyota bB, Mazda 2, Mitsubishi Triton and the latest edition is the Nissan Cube. I must complement that Matchbox Nissan Cube is a hit which I personally think that it is better made than the Tomica in overall impression.

The qualities most people looking for in a sports car must fulfill some criteria. It must look sporty or fierce enough. Performance must be able to eat any family saloons for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even supper.

In general, Matchbox passed those criteria in the fierce department mainly because of the larger rims and use of detailed tempos on the front & rear end of the vehicles. Tomica wanted to capture hearts by having some opening parts. Sometimes I think they tried a little over too hard.

The Tomica Civic has a opening hatch which isn't necessary at all and it is scale down so much to 1/68. It's a weird scale in Tomica history for a car that is similar size to a Golf or Escort. 1/64 will do the Tomica more justice and to do without the opening hatch.

Tomica Lancer EVO X has better overall finish as compared to the Matchbox. What Matchbox need is a set of suspension and what Tomica need is bigger rims. I wouldn't hope for the latter because it will not be Tomica if the wheels are oversize.

For the Civic comparo, the Matchbox hit it and the Tomica, sorry, a big miss.

As for the EVO X, Tomica beat its rival by half a body length. It's a draw for both Tomica and Matchbox today. The battle continues.

Schuco vs Siku on Transporters

2011-09-08T23:53:00.004+08:00

I have a weakness for car transporters especially these sets here which contains a MAN and a Scania each. These transporters are the ones which I had admired on the German autobahn. The scale should be 1/72 based on the size of the plastic cars in the set. I just felt that the transporters could fit bigger cars as the plastic cars looked a little small although their wheels fit onto the grooves of the ramp perfectly. Since we wanted uniform scale comparison and the theme is German autobahn, I decided to have some fun with 1/66 Schuco and 1/55 Siku.

Loaded the Schuco cars up the MAN truck as I pick my Schuco cars randomly. Coincidentally, all cars picked are German cars consist of Opel, VW, Mercedes and Audi.

The transporter could hold 7 cars and looked decent enough. The downside is that the wheels of the Schuco doesn't fit well onto those grooves and need some adjustment before the photo shoot. They are actually narrower than the pair of plastic cars. It's strange that the smaller plastic VW and Porsche fit so well. It could be they are customized to fit nicely so that they can be sold as a set.

These 1/66 cars looked perfect match with my MAN truck but time consuming placing the cars onto it to prevent slipping.

Next, I loaded the Siku cars onto the Scania. The cars looked really huge and I have a mixtures of different marques.

The wheels of these 1/55 Sikus could fit the ramp nicely since they are wider than Schuco. I spend more time on this lot as compared to the Schuco gang. The cars are simply too large that I have to place my loose lot of Siku onto the transporter by trial and error. The truck could hold 6 cars but for Siku, I would say 5 cars if the cars like to enjoy business class privacy. Anyway, I "force fed" 6 cars into it. I was terribly challenged by the lower deck because I don't have many smaller Siku.

Siku look totally out of place for a 1/72 transporter. It's okay, I still have my 1:55 Siku MAN transporter to play with.

Guisval - Alfa & Citroen

2011-09-01T21:45:00.002+08:00

Spain made quite a number of die cast toy cars in the 60s and 70s. Just to name a few: Guiloy; Gozan; Pilen; Joal; Mira etc. Today, I will be featuring 2 of my Guisval. Guisval is another Spanish build toy car.

My 2 Guisvals should be from the 80s era since these 2 cars are from that era.

This is one of my favourite Alfas of all time. Alfa made nicer cars in the past and this Alfetta GTV definitely top my list (top 3). Love those button wheels, I sometimes call them Tomica of Spain. Not all Guisval has button wheels, in fact, they have all kinds of wheel design but this is one of my favourite.

I am always fascinated by any Citroens when I was young. Styling of Citroen are always unique especially the half-covered rear wheels. I understand this is to improve aero-dynamic against the wind direction. I have not seen any BX in Singapore anymore. The last one seen was ten years ago in Tuas area. I know that Singapore used to have Citroen DS as well but seems like the ex-owners scrapped them all. I have seen one in Hamburg and another one in Rotterdam, super cool car (to me). The BX featuring here should be the predecessor of the current C4. Nice car, miss you BX.

Notice! Ken's Garage Shifted

2011-09-01T20:41:00.002+08:00

Taking a last peep at Ken's Garage familiar display.

From 1st September 2011, Ken's Garage will be shifting to Kowloon instead. See above map if you happen to be in Hong Kong soon. If you are there, send my regards to Ken and maybe you will get some discount when you spend above HKD5000.00 in a single trip. (Joking, just to help Ken get more business worldwide)

Polfi Toys of Greece

2011-08-30T17:47:00.010+08:00

Polfi Toys are made in Greece in the 1970s. Many believed that some of their cars are copies of Matchbox. The build quality oppose directly to Matchbox although some Polfi like the Renault 17 here look similar to the one Matchbox has. Most Polfi has the problem of uneven gaps and low quality paint on them. I will still continue to collect Polfi if I find any in future.

Polfi are packaged in blister like the above.

I do not know if this is rescuse car or ambulance. A Mercedes 450 for this job?

A Renault 17 Coupe as taxi? I can't recall if there are any countries using coupes as taxi, not to mention 3 doors hatchback.

Recent Tomica Haul

2011-08-27T12:09:00.008+08:00

I bought these first day cover August released Tomica for Japan domestic market during my recent trip. These are heavy little toys and many more maybe be ship in soon from Japan soon.

I have also bought these first colour edition Lamborghini Reventon of July release.

I have more white Reventon than Type R now especially the white ones. I have lost count on the exact number. I am hoping to continue with next purchase of Kobleco crane of July release. Anyone who is interested in these Tomica (outside Singapore) may contact me at bonu@starhub.net.sg.

Clearing For Space Sales

2011-08-21T16:51:00.007+08:00

I have sort out some items I do not want to hold anymore or spares which I am letting go. I will ship free to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Brunei. Buyers from rest of the world who purchase more than $50.00 will get 5% less from total. I am not able to make any comments on my blog which I don't understand why. Any queries, please send email to bonu@starhub.net.sg. All currencies mentioned on this post is in Singapore dollars and all transactions mentioned are to be paid by Paypal. Self collection to transact in cash.

Tomica Lamborghini Reventon First Colour: $12.00
Tomica Lamborghini Reventon Regular Colour: $8.00
Multiples of each available

Euro Short Card Matchbox, some models in multiples, please enquire.
Cars without price tag at $5.00 each.

Normal card Matchbox, one of each. Cars without price tag are at $5.00 each.

Euro card Hotwheels. Multiples available for some cars.

Japanese card Hotwheels. Only last 3 pcs.

Bandai Chara Hotwheels. Multiples available only on $10.00 bike.

Some cars might have multiples, need to check.

Have multiples of all models of the above. Any 3 pcs for $10.00.

Hotwheels Treasure Hunt at $10.00 each.

Siku to let go. Selling individually or all 3 for $20.00.

Series #3 - Siku German Coupe

2011-08-21T00:17:00.004+08:00

I discovered that new Siku are quite nice to display compared to many other die cast in the market. I will do a post on Siku in near future as I have taken many photos but have no time to post them here. All cars reviewed today are coincidentally red. I find that Siku look fabulous in this colour so I couln't help buying red cars from Siku. All Siku are made to a standard scale of 1/55. Are they to scale? Let's check it out.

Mercedes SLS AMG

Real Dimensions: 4638mm x 1939mm x 1262mm

Measured Dimensions: 84.20mm x 35.40mm

Blown-up Dimensions: 4631mm x 1947mm

Percentage Difference: L (-0.15%), W (+0.41%)

Verdict: Right on Target!

Volkswagen Scirocco

Real Dimensions: 4256mm x 1810mm x 1404mm

Measured Dimensions: 77.80mm x 32.30mm

Blown-up Dimenisons: 4279mm x 1777mm

Percentage Difference: L (+0.54%), (-1.82%)

Verdict: Still within tolerance

Porsche Cayman S

Real Dimensions: 4347mm x 1801mm x 1306mm

Measured Dimensions: 78.55mm x 31.30mm

Blown-up Dimensions: 4320mm x 1722mm

Percentage Difference: L (-0.62%), W (-4.39%)

Verdict: Is it me or the car? Still looks good though

Overall results are quite impressive especially the Mercedes. Width is quite subjective as it depends on where the reference point is taken. All cars managed to get a radius within the 1% range in the length department.

Maruka - Japanese Patrol Cars

2011-08-14T17:05:00.002+08:00

Maruka, you might be much familiar with the Drive Town series which Maruka made today. If that doesn't ring a bell, think Choro-Q being blown up to about 1/40. I think they look much better than Choro-Q although I do not really fancy these either brands. These Maruka I am sharing today are made in Japan in the 1970s.

They are packaged in blisters and the clear plastic is stapled. See those 40 year old stapler bullets still intact?

These are the 2 models I have seen so far. Anyone knows what other cars they produced? I have seen road car of the Skyline but not sure if they are repainted or custom as the one I saw is quite beat up.

Maruka Toyota Crown MS60 Patrol, Scale: 1/65

Maruka Nissan Kenmeri Skyline C110 Patrol, Scale: 1/62

Series #2 - Tomica New Generation

2011-08-09T18:49:00.005+08:00

I do not know if anyone realised that Tomica has shrunk a little to sizes similar to the 70s and early 80s. They have tuned to this direction since the release of Nissan Juke which is a good move in my opinion. Don't you think that Tomica are huge like Siku for some models for the last decade? You may argue that cars today have grown longer, fatter and heavier but some models produced some time back are really oversize. I do agree that the WRX 4 door released in Feburary 2011 is a tad too small. 1/64 might do the car more justice rather than 1/67. I hardly seen a compact sedan been made at this scale, 1/67 should have been for a car whose length from tip to tip measures around 5 metres instead. I have decided the priority goes to the WRX if I were to do a posting on new generation Tomica.

Nissan Juke, Scale: 1/64

Real Dimensions: 4135mm x 1765mm x 1570mm

Measured Dimension: 64.30mm x 27.70mm

Blown-up Dimensions: 4115mm x 1773mm

Percentage Difference: L (-0.48%), W (+0.45%)

Verdict: Quite precise for this Nissan!

Subaru Impreza WRX, Scale: 1/67

Real Dimensions: 4580mm x 1740mm x 1475mm

Measured Dimensions: 68.60mm x 27.10mm

Blown-Up Dimensions: 4596mm x 1816mm

Percentage Difference: L (+0.35%), W (+4.37%)

Verdict: Might be the fat wheel arch.

Suzuki Swift, Scale: 1/64

Real Dimensions: 3850mm x 1695mm x 1510mm

Measured Dimensions: 60.43mm x 27.66mm

Blown-Up Dimensions: 3868mm x 1770mm
Percentage Difference: L (+0.47mm), W (+4.42%)
Verdict: Why smaller cars always appear fat?

Tomica vs Realtoy - Nissan Skyline GT-R R35

2011-08-06T22:36:00.003+08:00

The Godzilla Skyline was released some years ago and my comparo came some years later. Maybe it is due to no worthy contenders then. I was in TRU last week searching for Tomica new release of the Reventons. They did arrive early this time but they have been totally swept by the usual Hotwheels and "fast car fans" scalpers again. Yes, both first colour and regular Reventon, all gone! Darn! To my disappointment, I turn to the buy 2 get 1 free Realtoy instead. So, I found these.

Realtoy are kind of underrated in the die cast world. They do look quite ugly a decade ago but they have improve quite a fair bit in recent years. They have made quite interesting road cars especially 4 doors sedans but mostly are European (especially German) cars. It will be a great idea if they can consider making Japanese 4 doors.

Realtoy do come in all kinds of packing like the Fast Lane series in TRU. Tesco do have their own packing too and I believe that there are many more Realtoy contracted to different departmental stores. It is similar to what GM has done to Daewoo and some of other makes under their umbrella. There's another edition which is packed in a clear plastic display and they are selling at Tomica prices which I don't think I will buy them. I will rather buy a spare Tomica at that kind of pricing.

My first impression when seeing both Realtoy and Tomica side by side. The Realtoy looked really impressive as it look really proportional if you were to compared to the Hotwheels version. The Tomica is in right proportion but instead of using a set of 20" sports rims, it is using something much suitable for a Nissan March so it looked a little out of place. Well, this can be forgiven by a Tomica lover as this is Tomica tradition of using either button or dish wheels. If you asked me, I still have a slight preference of the Tomica over the Realtoy.

Proportions:

Realtoy: 4.0 / 5.0

Tomica: 3.5 / 5.0

Casting:

Realtoy: 3.8 / 5.0

Tomica: 4.0 / 5.0

If you were to ask me to describe Realtoy, I would say that it is a great alternative to Matchbox (current day) if you are not accessible to Matchbox. We had this problem in Singapore too. Matchbox are scarce almost everywhere. Realtoy and Matchbox share almost the same scale and they produce road cars rather than cars that are imaginary. If there is a die cast Top Gear TV show, I bet Jeremy Clarkson will name Realtoy as the reasonably priced car. Only exception that Stig will not be able to race in it. I must say that the decals and detailing used on Realtoy are above expectations. It is even better than those used on Matchbox. I wouldn't recommend Tomica to go into the same direction because I like Tomica the way it used to make Tomica. I just can't accept detailing by decals although this is the trend now. I know I am a little stubborn in this. I just felt that the making of the casting if much more important. I don't need decals to tell me that it is a Nissan or a Skyline.

Detailing:

Realtoy: 4.5 / 5.0

Tomica: 4.0 / 5.0

The downside of Realtoy is that it doesn't equipped with suspension like Tomica did. Suspension means a lot to me as I always had lots of fun on toy cars that comes with suspensions when I was young. Tomica also did come with opening doors. The Realtoy had nothing but it doesn't really matter if nothing opens. I do understand that some kids or even adults do appreciate doors that opens because they think it has much better play value.

Play Value:

Realtoy: 3.0 / 5.0

Tomica: 4.0 / 5.0

General quality of Realtoy is above average, some models can be term as good but definitely not excellent. If you asked me if I will consider buying more Realtoy, my answer will be positive if there is a promotion of buy 2 get 1 free. I am actually thinking of going to TRU tomorrow while writing my post. I wanted to buy more Realtoy mainly because they made nice road cars. Paint quality of Realtoy is close to Tomica quality. Tomica felt more mass when you hold it comparing to Realtoy which felt a little "hollow". Worth mentioning is that Tomica uses clear plastic in its headlights which is a nice touch. Realtoy beat Tomica in the interior department which I think Realtoy spend a little more effort which Tomica lags these day. Realtoy had "blink blink" wheels in some of their cars which is a total turn off. The wheels in the white and gray Realtoy doesn't look attractive to me too. I still prefer Tomica wheels even though they are a little smaller.

Overall Quality:

Realtoy: 3.5 / 5.0

Tomica: 4.0 / 5.0

What Realtoy should do in order to be a Tomica and Matchbox beater. Get some suspensions and change the design in the wheels. I would suggest laser wheels used in some Matchbox. They look great in any cars. Let's check if the cars are made to scale. Realtoy is scaled down to 1/60 while Tomica to 1/61. I got the real car measurements as 4655mm (L) x 1895mm (W).

Realtoy 1/60:

77.70mm (L) x 32.00mm (W)

After Blown Up: 4662mm (L) x 1920mm (W)

Difference: +0.01 (L) x +1.32% (W)

Score: 4.9 / 5.0

Tomica 1/61:

75.69mm (L) x 31.03mm (W)

After Blown Up: 4617mm (L) x 1893mm (W)

Difference: -0.82% (L) x -0.11% (W)

Score: 4.9 / 5.0

It's a surprise that Realtoy are build so close to scale. Tomica are also close to the real thing but it's kind of within expectation as Tomica is a Japanese mini car specialist. I gave both cars the same score since the results are almost neck to neck.

Verdict:

Total scores for Realtoy: 23.7 / 30.0 = 79.00%

Total scores for Tomica: 24.4 / 30.0 = 81.33%

The results is almost on par which I say no real winners. It's just a matter of perference but kudos to Realtoy which is not expect to excel. Although they are priced below Hotwheels, Matchbox and Tomica but certainly give a good run of money in terms of value and quality.

Conrad - Mercedes Benz S Class

2011-08-05T18:30:00.002+08:00

I been waiting patiently on these Conrads. Wanted more of these as they are really nice little cars. Anyone willing to let go of their W123 Wagons?

I got a red and a silver one. The wheels looked a little Tomica and Polistil RJ.

Although it was scaled at 1/66, it has many openings. Small car, big features.

Just an idea to show you the size of this car by placing it besides its Germany counterpart, a Siku Mercedes Benz SLS which has 1/55 scale.

Base is good for people who have fetish for metals.

Spares cars available but for circulation in Singapore only. Only to let to serious collectors in Singapore.

I do not know why I couldn't leave comment in my own blog, please contact me via my email in future.

bonu@starhub.net.sg

OEM Siku

2011-07-31T18:47:00.003+08:00

I went to a departmental store today and something caught my eye.

Porsche 911 with ugly red headlights, suffers from some quality fumble on the paint. When I bought it, the left door wasn't shut tight and they just spray straight on it without checking thus resulting some exposed bare metal.

Bugatti Veyron which doesn't open doors but it really tempt me to open them with those deep cut lines. In fact, they moved a little but no hinges at all.

Audi R8. Quality good from far and really far from good when viewed up close. Anyway, can't expect much when you are paying peanuts.

Did Siku made a Skyline GTR? I can't really recall. Or it's spun out of a Real Toy? All the cars in this set are pull back cars. Not a surprise as the wheels look very much of a pull back.

Answer revealed. Made by Jin Sheng Hao (who the hell is that????). The scale of 1/64 definately is a mistake here because Siku are 1/55 to my knowledge. See that line of smaller words, "To be highly praised and appreciated by customers". They are telling me to appraise the toys highly and demand me to appreciate these toys whoever buys them? All right, I know what they are trying to make out here but the testimony seems it was self acclaimed. I kind of find this quite amusing and interesting so I bought it.

Lastly, this set of OEM Sikus are made in a place where I don't even know where. Well, at least they are not made in China.

Tomica Dandy LPG Tanker

2011-07-31T18:32:00.002+08:00

A friend gave up some of his collection and asked if I am willing to take over this truck.

I have been hoping to own this truck for a very long time so I agreed almost immediately. Very glad to take over from him and sure it will go to a good home.

Option Singapore

2011-07-27T22:14:00.002+08:00

I couldn't resist the illustration on the cover so I bought the 1st edition of Option Singapore yesterday. It could the the last copy I will buy too. Not really my cup of tea. Anyway, just to inform you guys if you are interested to get a copy.

Basically full of fast and mod cars pictures. I don't drive a fast car or drive fast so these cars are too fast for me to appreciate. Just curious what is the content but couldn't really browse through since it is shrink wrapped. Will wait another few days for August issue of Best Car (Another Japanese car mag).

Series #1 - Tomica Yellow Black Box

2011-07-24T13:41:00.009+08:00

Have you ever think if the cars we collect are built according to their suggested scale? I do care if they did inform us its scale. For cars made by Zylmex, Playart or Mandarin, there isn't any scale indicated but they can be forgiven for the charm they exude. Not so for Hotwheels, sorry. Initially I started off with 12 Tomica including Dump Truck & commercial vehicles but I couldn't gather much information on their actual dimensions. Well, I have some reference books on 70s and 80s Japanese cars so I am able to continue on the cars. From 8 cars, I narrow down to 1 compact car, 1 sports coupe and 1 luxury flagship car of Toyota.

This little project is just a little fun so do not take it too seriously. I am just curious to find out if the dimensions are close to the actual ones. There will be definately errors in this test, human error (that's me) and accuracy of measuring equipment used. The digital gauge which I am using needs no calibration and it's not worth it. The calibration cost will kill me and it's more economical to buy new. This China made digital gauge shouldn't be too far off since we are not going into microns. A difference of 2% should be acceptable. I will leave the height out as it is quite tedious to take that measurement. If the length is within that 2%, I would say it's perfect. The width is a challenge at times as you do not know the reference point to measure.

Nissan Fairlady 240ZG, Scale: 1/60

Real Dimensions: 4305mm x 1690mm x 1285mm

Measured Dimensions: 72.34mm x 28.24mm

Blown-Up Dimensions: 4340mm x 1694mm

Percentage Difference: L (+0.81%), W (+0.24%)

Verdict: That's very close to the real thing!

Toyota Century, Scale: 1/66

Real Dimensions: 5120mm x 1890mm x 1450mm

Measured Dimensions: 75.35mm x 28.06mm

Blown-Up Dimensions: 4973mm x 1852mm

Percentage Difference: L (-2.87%), W(-2.01%)

Verdict: Should have been 1/68 instead

Datsun Cherry X-1, Scale: 1/58

Real Dimensions: 3610mm x 1470mm x 1380mm

Measured Dimensions: 62.30mm x 26.84mm

Blown-Up Dimensions: 3613mm x 1557mm

Percentage Difference: L (+0.08%), W(+5.92%)

Verdict: Might have taken wrong refernce point on width

China Edition Tomica

2011-07-12T20:55:00.008+08:00

Tomica CN-01 Toyota Camry

Tomica CN-03 Mitsubishi Lanevo X

Tomica CN-06 Nissan Fairlady Z

Tomica CN-05 Nissan Fairlady Z

I do not understand is why there is a China edition Tomica. First of all, I hardly heard of any Chinese people collecting Tomica nor seen a toy car collector from China. China is rank almost last in my blog viewership and so is other blog I came across. Maybe my blog is not that well known. Secondly, why would parents want to spend more on a toy car for their children when there are so many unlicensed toys in China. Tomica costs much more in China than in Singapore. Takara Tomy should make Singapore edition Tomica instead starting from our Crown Comfort taxi. Who else besides Japan and Hong Kong uses Crown or Cedric for their taxi? It's us, Singapore! After that, they can work with some of our taxi operators who uses Honda Airwave, Freed, Fit, Toyota Axio, Estima, Camry and Prius.

How does the China version fare against the regular release? I can only agree that the Camry is a good effort. How often do you find a Camry in this size? It's also the first Camry by Tomica although the Camry name exist for almost 30 years.

What went right for the CN Tomica? Definately the size of the car. Don't you find that the current Tomica have put on some weight? They look fatter and rounder now and some of them look Majorette or even close to Siku size. If you don't agree, I guessed that you came to know Tomica when they are made in China and not Japan. Since the Tomica Nissan Juke, Tomica has been shrinking the size to what they used to be, a good sign for me. The CN version is right on track in the size department.

What went wrong for the CN Tomica? Almost everything except the size. The first thing newer Tomica collectors point out will be the lack of detailing in the front and rear of the CN version. I beg to differ. That is actually the least important. If the casting is really well made, you don't have to depend on decals. Looking at the 70s and 80s Tomica, which model has depend on that to identify itself for easy recognition? Although the CN version managed to shrink itself back to normal, the lines of these CN looks weird, so are the proportions especially the blue Lanevo. The paint used looked like they were done by Hotwheels. The worst of the lot is the white Fairlady, the white looked like the car was dipped into Nippon paint. The Chinese characters "跑车" means sports car. I don't that think nobody will really accent their Fairlady with that. The worst nightmare of these CN Tomica: They wobble when they are pushed. This is something I have never seen in a Tomica.

What I expect to see in future Tomica. Can you please improve on the axle if you are reading this? The Tomica since when they are made in China doesn't have the bouncy suspension like they used to have. The suspension of Tomica today are so firm that they bounce so artificially. I believe the axle used today is much thicker than those 30 years ago. It could be due to Tomica wanted to prevent wheels being easily bent like the Japanese ones or the material used in Japan and China is totally different.

Caltex Station & Food Mart

2011-07-05T22:44:00.004+08:00

Caltex released a Tomica size Petrol Kiosk Town Set so I have to get it since I am using Caltex for years.

Back of the Caltex Station box.

Also Available are these......

Ok, bought one of these only... a little regret though.

It's really a toy, a Realtoy to be specific.

Tomica vs Matchbox vs Kingstar - Nissan Fairlady 280Z-T S130

2011-06-25T12:39:00.011+08:00

1978~1983 Nissan (Datsun) Fairlady 280ZX

Fairlady begins its life as early as 1959 in the form of a roadster. The roadster represented Fairlady in the first decade until the Z car came along in the early 70s. It was the 240Z and it hit it well in the America. This 2nd generation Z looks much muscular than the 240Z. I think that the headlights looks distinctive enough and nicer than its predecessor. The traditional long nose is also an attractive Fairlady trademark.

We have 3 cars with me today in this another Go! Go! Tomica comparo. We have the usual suspect, Tomica, together with Matchbox and Kingstar.

Packaging:

All 3 are housed in little paper boxes. I would say Tomica is being very consistent with its black and yellow box with a nice illustration of a real car. This Matchbox is a Japanese released so the box might look a little different from the regular ones. The box in blue looks rather familiar which reminds me of the Matchbox superfast series of the early 70s. Thumbs down for being lack of originality in design. If you are able to live past the shadows of resembling to Matchbox, I would say Kingstar is still a good buy. Well, at least it isn't pack in blister which is not really collector friendly.

My Preference on the boxes:

Tomica: 4.2 / 5

Matchbox: 4.0 / 5

Kingstar: 3.0 / 5

The Cars:

Obviously these are no Hotwheels as out of this world colour scheme and livery are not available here.

Matchbox 280Z, Scale 1/58, Made in Japan

Being the largest car here, it is also the car with the most mass here. It will be great if you intend to sell the car as scrap metal after getting tired of it. I think this is one of the criteria most of my collecting buddies consider. I always ask them if they actually buy them to scrap rather than collect. This car looks really spartan in a way. If this is a real Fairlady, this must be the base model. It should or could be better considering it is a Matchbox (rather than Kingstar) mainly the detailing on the bonnet if you put it side by side with the Tomica.

My Score: 3.5 / 5

Kingstar 280Z-T, Scale 1/60, Made in Korea

Although Kingstar is not in the same league with Matchbox and Tomica (in terms of pricing), I think it is a "reasonably priced car" that delivers better than a Welly or Yatming. The car has windows tinted in blue inclusive of its pair of headlights. It is a good intention but quite poorly presented although the other 2 cars do not have that feature. This is the only car here that include demister in the package. I supposed that is a luxury option in the 70s or early 80s? I still vaguely remember that the late 90s Thai built Toyota Soluna does without demister. This Kingstar is built at a budget like the Soluna except that it has a fake defroster.

My Score: 3.3 / 5

Tomica 280Z-T, Scale 1/61, Made in Japan

Tomica is the specialist in making Japanese cars. I almost take it for granted on that till I put it together with other makes like I usually do for my blog. The detailing especially the front of the car is so well done that it look so much like the real car from front 3/4 view. The overall profile of the Tomica is better proportioned as compared to the Matchbox and Kingstar.

My Score: 4.5 / 5

On The Move:
The Matchbox has a set of superfast wheels as its series say so. I have to say that I really hated this set of rims since I have my first Matchbox when I was a kid. I felt that justice is not done to the cars which are having these wheels design. They made the cars look very truck-like or van-like. They should have use the button wheels which are used in transition from Lesney to Superfast instead. The car does not really benefit from the set of superfast wheels in terms of acceleration. It moves like a truck if you head on with the Tomica and Kingstar.

Although I do not fancy Kingstar 8 spokes rims which is made up of triangles and squares but much better than the Matchbox. The Kingstar move swiftly but not smoothly, passengers will enjoy a bumpy ride as the car wobbles while on the move.

The Tomica moves willingly and smoothly in a straight line although not really fast like Hotwheels. Tomica is also the only one here that gives you a suspension. The suspensions of the other 2 cars are a tad too hard that it is as good as no suspension. I still prefer Tomica 5 spokes design wheels, don't really like the 4 spokes design. I know button wheels is a like it or hate it issue for some collectors (especially Hotwheels collectors).

My Score:
Tomica: 4.0 / 5
Kingstar: 3.0 / 5
Matchbox: 2.0 / 5

Build & Finish:

All cars has opening doors!!!! Ok, nothing to shout about.

Matchbox as traditionally is well build in general. It feels good to hold as you can see that they use more metal than other 2 cars here. Paint quality is average but follow closely to the cars they represented. I realised they hardly use metallic colours unlike Tomica in the 70s. I do understand that cars then do not have metallic colours. Nothing much serious to complain about this Matchbox expect on the detailing and the ugly wheels.

My Score: 3.5 / 5

I swear that I did not stick that onto the base of the Kingstar. It is really made in Korea (South). For a low asking price, I understand that it is build at a cost constrain. If Kingstar are still made today, they should be in the same market positioning as Maisto. The Kingstar beats any current Maisto 3 inches but Maisto still survives and Kingstar is dead.

My Score: 3.2 / 5

Tomica wins not just that it is built according to scale but to the right proportions too. I have to admit that some Tomica does look weird in a way. The other makers who are able to match that good qualities are the Schuco Modell and the Polistil RJ. No complains on this Tomica.

My Score: 4.0 / 5

Verdict:

Tomica ranks #1: (83.5%)

Matchbox ranks #2: (65.0%)

Kingstar ranks #3: (62.5%)

Withdrawal Syndrome?

2011-06-11T15:24:00.003+08:00

I am referring to the flea market our group had on a 3 to 4 monthly basis. My display case continues to display some of my cars before the next "season" starts. About this display case, I bought it in Tokyu Hands in 2010. For the sake of bringing in this display case, I bought a trolley as well because the display was sold in CKD form and the box is HUGE. My room is in a mess, gotta to pull those hand brakes on my toy shopping. I am hoping for the next season to arrive soon so that I can slow down the growth rate to avoid over population. The population growth and population density is becoming more and more Singapore. Small room, huge population and continuous influx of foreign imports. With little storage and shelves, I have to crack my head to free up some space before I vote myself out of the room like my friend, Pooh. My "foreign talents" are mainly Japanese, the others staying here are Germans, English, Italians, French, Spanish, Greeks, Koreans and many more. There are also a huge population of Chinese-born-Japanese who are permanent residents in my room while 10% of these are transiting through my room to the flea market. Not too long ago, Vietnamese-born-Japanese arrived too. There are the Thai-born-English who came in numbers within a short period but for the past 1 year, I managed to resettle more than half of them. What about the Malaysian-born-Americans? They are used for "transition" only because my little state doesn't really welcome them. Where are the Singaporeans? I do have couples of them but population stay low at less than 20. I am trying to get more Singaporeans but they are really rare breed out there. Some of them are staying in prime areas in my room. Anyone like to deport some Singaporean Mandarin to me? Text me please.

Yonezawa Diapet

2011-05-28T18:46:00.011+08:00

I just bought one lot of Yonezawa Diapet recently. Not revealing how much I spend but these 5 Diapet should worth minimum 60 Current Tomica or 100 Hotwheels (based on retail price in Singapore) gauging on the collector market. Friends do ask me if I am willing to take 100 Hotwheels in exchange for these 5, my reply? "I wouldn't even consider even you give me 1000 pieces". The reason is simple. You can get Hotwheels almost anywhere but not Diapets. I can buy 1000 pieces of Hotwheels anytime but I can't buy 10 pieces of Diapet at one time. I mean how? The current Diapet are not being distributed here not to mention rarity of the old ones, not if you go Japan to buy them.
Being a Tomica collector, I am kind of ashamed to say that I have more Diapet than Dandy. Yonezawa Diapet came into the scene in 1965 while Tomica Dandy is 7 years late in 1972. I have yet to own a 60s Diapet as they are too expensive to buy, besides, I like the 70s Japanese cars better. If you like Japanese cars in Dinky scale, I would recommend Diapet rather than Dandy. Diapet actually produce more cars (Japanese or Foreign cars) as compared to Dandy and many models are much interesting compared to Dandy. Okay, I do understand that Dandy is a sub-line of Tomica. It's equivalent of Cherica being produced to give Tomica a run for the money (but failed). Perhaps I will do a comparo between Diapet and Dandy one day.

Diapet Standard Clear Window Box

One side showing dimensions of the car

This is how a 70s Diapet packaging looks like. The car is wrapped around with a piece of sponge material protecting the car. It does surprise me that the spongy material still look new or intact after all these 30 to 40 years. If you have the Schuco Modell (1:66), you will understand what I mean. Some of my Schuco "sponge" does disintegrate as there are bits and pieces which I just thrown the little fragments away keeping just the car and display box.

Isuzu Gemini 1800

Bonnet, boot and doors open. All Diapet front seats able to incline. This Isuzu has a sunroof that opens.

Toyota Carina 1600SR Coupe

Bonnet, boot, doors does what they should do.

Mazda Cosmo Coupe

Engine compartment, trunk, doors able to open.

Mitsubishi Galant Sigma 2000

All opens except rear doors. Press suspension of front wheels to push lever up allowing some assistance for bonnet to open.

Toyota Century

I just can't lift the bonnet up. Too new and got stuck? Rear doors open too. This car is the heaviest of the lot here.

It will be last session of May flea market tomorrow till another months later. I will put these 5 up in my showcase to spice things up. I will let them go to a good collector if the price is right.

F29-1-17 Volkswagen Microbus

2011-05-23T21:02:00.002+08:00

Wow!!! Kombie found a "home" finally. Kombie has been going round the world with me since August 2010 staring from Hong Kong to recent Athens, Greece. I always wanted to get Kombie a box but it's not easy.

I like to thank a friend for letting go Kombie to me last year. It was his childhood toy but he doesn't like vans. I wanted to collect all my childhood Tomica or toys that I had once. We had a green Microbus when we are young. Although it's not my toy (it belong to my brother) but I like it very much then and I guess it was thrown together with a bag of toys which most parents will usually do. The original Kombie we had was gone somewhere in the 80s. I am thinking of retiring Kombie to avoid it getting lost in a foreign land.

96-2-4 Datsun 620 Pickup

2011-05-23T20:52:00.003+08:00

Car did have some minor nicks but not serious.

Car arrived 18th May 2011 and box just gotten it April 2011. Quick match! It will be on sale in this coming flea market. Last chance to grab it as coming Sunday will be last one till maybe September.

F2-1-11 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

2011-05-23T20:45:00.002+08:00

Car has got some car wax stains, not done by me but previous owner. Could be remove by toothbrush but a little lazy now.

Got this car few years back, box arrived on 18th May 2011. Not selling this as this has been one of my favourite model although I have 4 or 5 pieces already.

63-1-3 Furukawa Wheel Loader FL140

2011-05-23T20:37:00.002+08:00

I just realised that there's an spelling error on the box.

Vehicle was found somewhere last year. Box arrived 18th May 2011. This item will be sold in the flea market.

TOMY Car Transporters

2011-05-17T15:42:00.005+08:00

I love transporters and enjoy watching cars being transported in them. I also enjoy watching cars being transported by Ro-Ro but I don't think any toy maker will make them due to the size. Maybe with exception of Tomica and Matchbox which made Ferry boat transporting people and cars to outer islands from the main land. I shall review some transporters made by Tomy.

Tomica Dandy Hino Tractor
Scale: 1/60
Length: 10 inches / 256mm
Made in Japan
Diecast Metal with plastic

Able to push car from lower deck out from transporter

Loading cars to upper deck

Total cars able to hold: 5

Tomica Isuzu Car Carrier

Scale: Unknown, Approx. 1/60

Length: 9.25 inches / 235mm

Made in Japan

Battery Operated

Plastic Toy Truck

Movable part on top deck for allowance purpose

On/Off Switch on right side of truck

Truck uses 2 AA size batteries and I just realised that it can function with just one AA size battery

Loading cars onto the upper deck

Cars fully loaded now and ready to go

Total cars able to hold: 5

TOMY Auto Transport

Scale: Unknown

Length: 17.25 inches / 440mm

Made in Singapore

Battery Operated

Plastic Toy Truck

TOMY did have factory in Singapore in the 80s. I do have some other toys made in Singapore.

This truck is fun and it operated like a remote control toy but not so "remote" as you have to "tag-along" with the truck to control it.

Lift the catch to release the prime mover

Loaded 8 cars in upper deck, so how many cars can it hold?

Load some more cars in the lower deck

Total cars able to hold: 14

24-4-15 Toyota MR-2

2011-05-12T22:29:00.000+08:00

Car came early 2011 from Japan and box came 1st week of May 2011 from South Korea. Box has a Korean distributor label.

This variation is a 4 spoke wheel and long exhaust pipe type.

Good new for all followers here is, I will be putting this up in my flea market. Mixed feeling as I am hoping that there is no sale. I have the earlier variant 5 spoke wheels and short exhaust so gonna share this with others who appreciate this car.

Pooh in Koon Kee

2011-05-07T12:36:00.004+08:00

Last month was our Pooh's birthday and we went to a restaurant, Koon Kee, to have a little gathering. The restaurant is owned by a VW enthusiastic fan who does restoration of the Beetle. I also saw that he has a VW Micro Bus and an old Porsche 911 in front of the restaurant.

Koon Kee is filled with old and antique stuff we do not see today. Most items on display are related to VW, Porsche or Vespa. There are also some toy cars too. According to Ah Hai (the restaurant owner), you can buy anything in the shop as long as the price is right.

Some old photos and advertising posters on display in Koon Kee.

Pooh is the busiest person on that day. He was everywhere in the restaurant checking on every corner.

Remember this wrapper? If not, please refer back to my posting in December last year.
Step 1: Look for the opening on the present.
Step 2: Rip the wrapper off and anxiously look at the prize.
Step 3: Pose for the camera and smile.
Step 4: Faint after knowing it is chocolate instead of honey.

53-1-1 Nissan Diesel Mixer Car

2011-05-05T23:59:00.004+08:00

Got the box in Aug 2010. Box is a little fade though.

Got the truck around 10th April 2011.

Another match made in Go! Go! Tomica.

ANNOUNCEMENT: FLEA MARKET MAY 2011

2011-04-29T21:33:00.003+08:00

VENUE: CHINA SQUARE
LOCATION: TABLE 51, 2ND FLOOR
DATES: EVERY SUNDAY OF MAY 2011
(1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th May)
TIME: 1000HRS TO 1700HRS

Please come after 1100hrs as this is the time we usually start our "business". We welcome collectors from any part of the world to visit us. There will be Tomica, Matchbox, Hotwheels and many other stuff for sale.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LABOUR DAY FLEA MARKET:
Another face of Pooh
We have German beer... beer candy
Good crowd on labour day morning
Come join us, hope to see you soon

Kombie in Greece

2011-04-24T20:47:00.008+08:00

This is my 3rd time to Greece but it's the first time I fall in love with this country. We first stayed in Piraeus, then Cyprus and back to Athens. I used to stay only in Piraeus and ran between Piraeus and Athens but this time I stayed in Athens as well. The best part of this trip is I am staying just beside Acropolis. How near? From hotel, just turn left and walk straight, within 5 minutes (or less) and you are at the entrance. I didn't go in this time, been there twice. I just admire it from a distance. It's nicer view to see it from far actually and you can see the whole architecture. I hope to go to Rome to see the Colosseum if I had saved enough one day.

View from Savoy Hotel in Piraeus.

I walked around my hotel area to take some shots.

Saw a statue in the park. I don't know who he is. Any Greek viewers might like to tell us?

A building in Piraeus near the statue.

I had lots of different food in Greece. Greek Salata, Souvlaki, Kalamari, Lamb chops, Seafood, Gyros, Japanese, Korean, Thai & Chinese. I need to eat some Asian food after having too much Greek food, cravings...

Now we are going to Athens......................... I took some pictures near some historic sites around Arcopolis.

This is one of the nicest site for photo shoot. All these are built over 2500 years ago. A theatre in ancient days. I understand that it is built in a way that the voice of the performer can be echoed in the theatre. Kombie with a few thousand years old statue.

Kombie going up to Areopagues HillWe can see Athens on top of the hill. And of course, we can see the Arcopolis.
Kombie at the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Another ruined site near Monastiraki.
Kombie at Zapion Exhibition & Congress Hall.
Kombie at the Parliament House watching Greek soldiers marching.
Kombie with some Greek soldiers in the background.

Kombie in Cyprus

2011-04-22T00:58:00.010+08:00

This is my 3rd time to Cyprus and 1st time for my little Kombie. It's a short stay of 3 days 2 night so I did not have the chance to visit much places unlike my previous trips. I was also a little disappointed that our hotel is not by the beach like the one I stayed in 2006. I remembered we drove to the edge of Limassol where we swam in the clear crystal blue sea filled up with colourful little stones in 2005. This trip is a little more safe but I get to play with cats in Cyprus. There are many stray cats in Cyprus but much better looking than our "Kucinta" strays. I just love cats.

We had lunch in one retro looking restaurant named Charcoal House. I always had lamb chops in Cyprus. They make really good lamb chops and the quantity served is larger than Singapore too. Notice the 50s looking Coca-Cola vending machine in the background.

I love Greek coffee. The Cypriots called it Cypriot coffee, the Turks called it Turkish coffee but they look, taste and the way of making it is the same.

Let's go T.G.I.F. It's just located in front of our hotel.

Let's take a look at their menu first.

But's it Wednesday today but anyway, we re-visit on Friday again.

I think we are a little early for dinner as the restaurant is clear of customers. I understand most Greek have their dinner at 10pm so I guess Cyprus share the same culture. They speak the same language too.

Handsome Kombie with beautiful Marilyn Monroe.

Let's go to the park near the coast.

I remembered that there is one section at the beach where you can go topless but I didn't see anyone there. Wrong section maybe.

The sand are so fine that you can use them for an hour glass. Shame that I am in business suit or I will....... so let Kombie enjoy it instead.

16A Areos Antique Toys

2011-04-19T23:25:00.008+08:00

As I was walking in Monastiraki (near Plaka) on a Saturday afternoon, I discovered a shop at a back street corner in Areos Street. What had caught my eyes are the old toy trucks and some large old dolls at the front of the shop. I was delighted and I was hoping to find a few old vintage toy cars in the shop. Little did I expect to see such a shop in this area because most of the shops are selling gifts and souvenirs. Suddenly I see light shining on the shop, it was like a light of hope as I did not expect to see any antique shop during my stay in Greece.

This is what I saw that day, the light of hope and the shop. I took this photo almost immediately.

I went forward to take a closer look at the shop to confirm that it is the shop that I will bring some "souvenirs" back.

As I stepped into the shop, I was astonished to find the shop filled up with toys, antique toys.

The display is filled up with toys of different era from 1950s to maybe 1980s. Most of the toys looked they come from the 1960s to the 1970s.

I tried my best to take shots of every corner after seeking permission from the shop owner.

There is a shelve full of barbie dolls and just dolls of different origin.

I approached the owner and asked if I can looked at his Polfi which are displayed in the glass cabinate. The friendly old gentleman took the small box of Polfi with 7 cars in it and showed them to me. I delightfully tell the owner I am a toy car collector and we started chatting about toy cars. While we talked, he brought out more cars to show me. The box above contains Norev, Majorette, Tomica, Siku etc. I am quite excited when I saw the Tomica, there are just 4 or 5 of them in loose and play worn condition. Seems like I will have to make a pass on these Tomica and the shop owner told me that Tomica are very rare in Greece.

There are toy cars all around the shop. This case featured Lesney and Matchbox Superfast, boxed and loose. He showed me another box filled with Matchbox and Corgi. I was amazed that he has toys almost everywhere in the shop and the shop is not a small one like most antique shops I have seen. It looked like he took up 2 units as compared to other shops in his area. He told me that he had 7000 pieces of toys and some are at home. I was like "What!??".

Saw some Gama and Faie in this case.

There are so many toys that you will have to do close inspection of every corner.

Hey, did you see someone familiar? It's my Kombie.

I couldn't resist the charm of this toy and eventually bought it after some thought. It's my first vintage tin toy. This Datsun is battery operated but I couldn't bother to test if it still works. I will not play with it anyway and I don't really expect something from the 60s (or early 70s) to work. This is a Solpa made in Greece and a replica of Bandai which I understand. Datsun 1000 should be the ancestor of today's Nissan Sunny. Great looking car!

As he understand I have great interest in toy cars, he asked me to follow him. I asked, "Where to?". He told me just follow and I did so. I realised that there is another unit beside the shop. It's used as a store room, secret room or special room whatever you call it. He started removing all barrier and cardboard blocking the entrance. He switched on the lights in the rooms and invited me in.

This is crazy, I couldn't believe my eyes. There are so many nice toys here.

Vintage tin toys and boxes of plastic toys.

I like that Green Mercedes patrol car because I appreciate the design of old Mercedes. There are also many boxes of diecast cars shown on the top of the photos. See the "Gama" and "Majorette" labels? Many more which I have the luxury of inspecting boxes by boxes.

More vintage tin toys.

Very nice Amercian cars but couldn't afford to collect these in terms of space in my room and lack of vitamin M.

This is a nice one. Amercian Patrol car made in Japan.

More! What cars are these? Apologies, I like old American cars but I just couldn't name any of them.

A pair of plastic RC Mini Cooper made in Greece.

Mix lot of Playart and Faie. Faie are imitation Tomica using the same casting but using rubber tyres. I used to have the purple Nissan Bluebird which I was a kid.

Mix lot of Mira and Guisval. Picked 5 cars from this lot.

I become friends with Mr. Konstantinos after visiting his shop thrice within 5 days. We have exchanged numbers and I gave him my "Go! Go! Tomica" name card. I have asked Mr. Konstantinos on his shop name but he told me there isn't one. I have titled my posting as "16A Areos Antique Toys" because the unit is 16A and it is located in Areos Street. This is my 3rd visit to Greece and walked past this street but I didn't notice this shop exist. I told him that I will tell more collectors about his shop through my blog so that more people will visit him. I have a good news and a bad one for you.

The good news is, Mr. Konstantinos said that whoever came to his shop will get some discount if you informed him that you know his shop through Go! Go! Tomica.

Here is the bad news which I hope it is not true. Mr. Konstantinos will close his shop by August this year as it is time for him to retire. I was sad when I heard that because this might be my first and last visit to his shop. He told me to call him if I visit Greece again in future. I do hope I have this opportunity again. Best wishes and take care, Mr. Konstantinos.

Toy Car Hunting in Greece

2011-04-18T06:33:00.011+08:00

I am lucky and happy to have stay just beside the Acropolis in Athens. I always have love the Acropolis although I have been to Greece twice and I don't mind seeing it for the thrid time. The flea market was 20 minutes away from me. It's kind of far and you have to go up hill and down slope. I got some videos to share with you. Not very well taken as I was just holding it when I do my hunting. Yes, I walk that fast as I scan all items in split second but I will stop for something which interests me.

Athens Flea Market in Monastiraki

The shops sell fashion and also souvenirs.

Found the flea market after walking for a couple of minutes.

The same item can be a junk or treasure to different individuals.

There are actually many antique shops in Monastiraki. They are usually found in small lane off the busier streets so do not miss out the back street.

Close up on the same shop. This is where I found my Polistil. There are many treasures inside but it's a little cramp in the shop.

Some antique shops are underground.

It's worth a try to go down into the shop. There are also quite a number of toys in the shop but I found nothing I wanted. This shop had a few Japanese tin toys and a number of toy cars. There are many other shops which I didn't photographed or maybe I did miss out some.

My Scores in Greece:

I bought some Polfi of the 70s, ranging from poor to good condition. Bought one lot of 1980s Sikus. They are all in mint condition. 4 Mira and 1 Guisval consist of 3 Seats and 2 Mercedes-Benz. Matchbox Superfast Ford Capri & Polistil RJ Citroen CX. Been looking for this Citroen for quite some time. I got hold of it finally! Zylmex Datsun Wagon and Ford Capri. Never seen Zylmex in box before, I thought they are usually blister packed. This Russian Police Van is made in U.S.S.R.

Looks like it has missing rear mirror.

Been wanting to have a Russian toy car but I preferred something 1/60 made by U.S.S.R. After continuous hits of Treasure Hunts in India and Germany, I hit it again in Greece and Cyprus. 5 T-Hunts in Athens and 1 in Cyprus. They are going to end up in my upcoming flea market anyway, I don't collect these. Just a little thrill and time killing at both the airports while waiting for my flights.

Toy Car Hunting in Cyprus

2011-04-17T05:49:00.004+08:00

I have just been back to Singapore after 2 weeks in Mediterranean. I am dead beat and have to adjust myself back to Singapore timing due to jet lag. I'll do my posting one at a time so I'll start with something simpler. Welcome to Cyprus!

Larnaca Airport welcomes me on 7th April 2011. Starts my 2nd part of journey as I was in Piraeus on 4th April for 3 days.

Mondo cars which I think are re badged of Cararama, Welly or even Real Toys I guess.

Mondo construction trucks. The shop is not open for business yet and I am lucky they didn't as I found something better in Limassol.

Mattel section in the airport at departure hall. I scored one Hotwheels Treasure Hunt in another shop after checking into the immigration. Yes, I took above photo when departing from Cyprus. A little too fast since first few photos are from arrival hall. Let this post be a warm up post for me. Better stuffs I am posting in the next few days, I promise.

MY SCORES IN CYPRUS:

I patronised mini kiosks (provision shop or mama shop which we called it in Singapore) almost everyday for my regular cola and mineral water. I saw that they do sell some toys too but what caught my attention are the Guisval toy cars which is almost impossible (or totally impossible) to get in Singapore. I started to comb my area of all Kiosks which is around my hotel after work on a Friday. One Kiosk was only selling Guisval racing bikes which is not my scope of collect so I know I will have to walk to the shop which I had patronised while losing my way a day earlier. It's around 15 to 20 mins away from my hotel, good exercise for me. I bought quite a number of these Guisval and also got the Guisval Stand from the shop owner. I guessed he is happy that he got rid 40% of his Guisval to me as the toys are covered with one hundred micron thick of dust. In return, I got a free drink from him. I would have buy over all his Guisval (except the bikes and 4 wheelers bikes) if they are priced a little lower. The Matchbox sized trucks are more expensive than a regular Tomica. I am not a big fan of contruction trucks but I want the Guisval Stand to be completed with Guisvals so I swept all of them.

1/43 Guisval Sport Cars. Not something which I am looking for but well, not the everyday stuff you see in Singapore. Wanted the Toyota Corolla Rally car if not for the super ugly casting. Wanted the Mercedes 500SEC if not for the damaged packing. Pick the best looking 3 cars out of the 7 or 8 pieces there. If they do have 3 inches Guisval cars without tampo, I promise I will sweep all of them.

I got all the Matchbox sized Guisval trucks with the Stand. Cool even that I am not a truck fan but I am starting. I do have trucks in my collection. They are growing by the day.

These Long Guisval Trailers reminds me of the 80s Majorette Trucks. Should have gotten 2 more to complete the Guisval Stand but I got to keep to my budget. Maybe next year if I am going again. These are priced par to or slightly more than Long Tomica prices. If you are wondering why I have these Guisval Stands, I asked and persuded the shop keeper to give them to me since I am buying many pieces. Without the Guisval Stands, I might buy just one of each. I think the Guisval holders made my day and my trip in Cyprus a little more exciting and fruitful.

Tomica vs Polistil - Citroen 2CV

2011-03-20T16:35:00.007+08:00

Citroen 2CV - 1948 to 1990

This is Citroen iconic car, the 2CV. It is produced during the post war period and was sold cheaply so that most people can afford to own a car. Engine is air cooled and there are 4 engine types. Its largest displacement is just 602cc and it's also being most up to date in its range. The car is most easily recognized by its unique (or ugly if you think so) snail like silhouette. I never fail to turn my head whenever I see one and there's only 1 in Singapore. When I am in Europe, there are many chances a 2CV will crawl past me to wow me off my feet. This car also help James Bond to escape from some 504s in 1981.

Tomica Citroen 2CV is the best example around. I couldn't think of any other makes that can excel Tomica.

I did enjoy myself while doing the photo shots for my 2CVs. They look superb in any angle and I have to say that this is one of my favourite Tomica of all time. Today, we have a contender for the Tomica. It will be Polistil RJ series from Italia.

Tomica vs Polistil

Be it illustration or actual car on the box, it's just a personal preference. The Polistil box is a little bigger which might be due to all RJs are built to the same scale. The "extra space" act as an allowance for cars bigger than the 2CV. I am much more comfortable with Tomica box as I felt the size is just right. I am also very much agree with the blue-print of the car on the sides of the box. It makes you feel slightly more mechanical or technically inclined with the car.

Tomica Citroen 2CV, 1/57, Made in Japan

Polistil Citroen 2CV, 1/64, Made in Italy

The 2CVs must have felt puzzled why I have compared a French car using a Italian and a Japanese derivative. The reason is simple, I always wanted to pit a Tomica and a Polistil heads on. The first time I saw a Polistil RJ, I thought it look like a Tomica and I called it "Tomica that is made in Italy". Most Polistils are either an Alfa, a Fiat or a Citroen so the 2CV is the natural choice since it is the common factor (which I had both) of both makes. Another reason is that I don't have a Norev or Majorette version. I don't even know if they ever made them at all.

The Tomica is based on an earlier version 2CV while the Polistil is based on newer 1970s version. I have to say I made that assumption as the Polistil shows a square lamp on the box. The lamp on the Polistil looks round like the Tomica though but it certainly looks more of a pair of head lamps on the Tomica. The Tomica went to the extra mile of having more define lines on its body and the double chevrons on its grill is a must have.

The Tomica is a rag top vs Polistil's hard top. The rear of the Tomica also look much complex than the Polistil. The Polistil either does without linings or very faint details. The paint quality on the Polistil is far inferior compared to Tomica. It seems that most of the Polistil RJ I seen are never mint. They usually have a few nicks on their body.

Both cars comes with metal base

Both cars do have button wheels with the same number of spokes. The chrome on the rims are starting to fade off on the Polistil. Both cars comes with suspension and the Tomica is much bouncier. The Tomica rolls smoothly on the floor like a Lexus but the Polistil wobbles and only 3 of the wheels touches the ground. Some quality issues I guess.

The Polistil winning edge over the Tomica is that its pairs of doors are able to open for easy access.

While owner of the Tomica has to enter through the roof. Tomica made its 2CV with open top is a good decision. Not many maker does that and it makes the 2CV looks a little more sporty and a breeze to drive.

Conclusion:

The Tomica is a clear winner which I do not want to rub more salt into Polistil's wound. Although there are some imperfections found on the Polistil, the RJ series of Polistil are not easy to come by. They are rare and at times, you might have to pay for a high price if you really fall in love with one. I did that and done that. One of my Polistils cost me slightly more than 50 English Pounds. I always think that they are an Italian Tomica since they produced foreign cars which Tomica do not manufacture. The Tomica will be consider a good buy if you want a good quality and nice Citroen 2CV, value for money I would say.

CITROEN 2CV ESCAPING FROM PEUGEOT 504

Toy Car Shopping Hamburg March 2011

2011-03-11T20:47:00.004+08:00

Being a little too lazy to explore Hamburg , I patronize Karstadt which I know there are toy cars good enough to quench my thirst. Siku prices starts from Euro 2.29 but these are really basic cars which start with serial number 08**. The larger the number, the higher the price. Cars started with 14** will be Euro 3.99.

My main KPI for the day is to find at least 3 VW Scirocco but there are NONE!!!

These are the "Dandy" or "Special Variation Set" of Siku. Some of them are still German made.

Not into HO scale but these are quite nice Busch cars but expensive. They do sell Viking behind this shelve too but higher price than Busch.

Bought some Hot Wheels since they are slightly cheaper than the price in Singapore.

Some Sikus also. Not what I really want but since they are almost scarce in Singapore, buy some as gift for friends.

Matchbox, the cashier must be wondering why I bought same models in multiples.

One Darda because it is not cheap. Euro 9.99 per car.

I buy this big Siku because I always like car transporter. 3 days after I bought it, I realised that it is made in Germany when I was studying the box in my hotel. I was so glad.

In case you are wondering, it's a MAN.

Siku cars waiting to load onto the transporter.

VW T2 Bus and Prado loading. The T2 was bought in Germany as well. I asked the German seller to send to my hotel by mail. Got another Majorette from another German seller in same way too.

Finally, all cars up and ready to roll. These transporters are common in autobahn which I can't help keeping my focus on them when we drive past them.

Kombie in Germany

2011-03-07T19:54:00.006+08:00

We begin our trip from Rotterdam to Haren, Leer, Bremen, Elsfleth, Hamburg and eventually back to Rotterdam.

Took a picture for Kombie while in Leer.

One of my dinners while in Bremen during our 3 days stay there.

Looks good even for Kombie

Kombie just looked on while we ate.

Saw a nice church in Bremen.

Another picture before I move to next destination.

Lazy Saturday while I had my cola and frites.

Kombie in Rathaus, City Hall of Hamburg.

We met a Strike or demonstration which I don't know what is it about.

Rathaus, hard to get right angle with Kombie for full building.

Saw a map with miniature buildings.

Kombie parked near the lake.

A new friend which Kombie met in Hamburg. We stay opposite to Atlantic Hotel.

On the way back to Rotterdam.

We stop by a kiosk for toilet break and diesel.

Diesel for our Galaxy, not Kombie.

9 hours from Hamburg to Rotterdam. The police close part of the autobahn.

Kombie in Rotterdam - Holland

2011-03-07T18:48:00.003+08:00

The famous Erasmusburg (Bridge)

With Kombie in my hotel room

Close up on Kombie

Ha... I am staying in Rotterdam 3 days and lazy to explore.