30th
January
2009
Today Universal Hobbies announced their next 1:12 Honda RC30 replica, and it will probably be the most popular one yet.
It will be Carl Fogarty’s red #8 version from his double Isle of Man TT win in 1990 (UH88032). Fogarty is still one of our most popular riders, and we are excited that he will also be signing it for us when it is released (UH88032S).
Solido became the latest manufacturer to impose a set of price rises, with all of their current 1:18 replicas going up by £5.
We received two new 1:18 releases from Mattel; the Ferrari California in blue (HW2043), and the Ferrari 360 Modena in red (HW2051).
Minichamps also gave us a new release in their second colourway of the 1:12 Suzuki GT750, candy lavender (P162101). There were five more 2008 DTM cars in 1:43 too; Ekstrom (P081801), Tomczyk (P081802), Kristensen (P081809), Stoddart (P083716) and Lauda (P083708), but these were all sold out to pre-orders.
Finally, the big news is that the 2009 Minichamps announcements will be revealed on Monday!
posted in Due Dates, Diecast, Other Cars, Moto GP |
29th
January
2009
We received the latest subject in IXO’s La Storia collection today.
That makes seventeen releases so far, so at this third attempt the series looks like it’s really going to make it to the finish line this time. That finish line is probably still a good few years away yet however!
This new release marks Ferrari stalwart Clay Regazzoni’s first appearance in the series, and is of his 1974 312 B3 that he drove to victory in the 1974 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring (IXSF17).
posted in Diecast, Formula 1 |
28th
January
2009
Today we received some samples from Mattel.
It was good to see three examples from their 1:43 Ferrari 200 Grand Prix wins collection, as we haven’t heard much about that since it was announced just over a year ago. The samples we received were of Ferrari’s 50th win, Niki Lauda in the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix (HW5601B); 100th win, Alain Prost in the 1990 French Grand Prix (HW5602B); and 150th win, Michael Schumacher in the 2002 Canadian Grand Prix (HW5603B).
There was also a 1:18 sample of Schumacher’s 1:18 Ferrari F2007 test car ‘race suit special’, from his test at Barcelona towards the end of 2007 (HW5423). It is a limited edition of 5,555 pieces worldwide.
It looks like it is going to be a productive first quarter of the year for Mattel!
posted in Due Dates, Diecast, Formula 1 |
27th
January
2009
We received the new Minichamps delivery today.
The new 1:18 releases were the Bentley Azure in blue (PG139501) and Kinnunen’s 1973 Porsche 917/10 (PG736101).
In 1:43 there was Rubens Barrichello’s 1:43 2008 Honda RA108 from the Turkish GP (DC28417T), Bruno Giacomelli’s 1978 British GP McLaren M26 (P784333), and Timo Scheider’s 2008 DTM Audi (P081810), the latter being sold out to pre-orders.
We also had the next 1:8 Rossi helmet, from Phillip Island 2007 (PO70896), and after fulfilling all our pre-orders, have less than a dozen spare for stock. That won’t last long.
Shelby Collectibles announced an exciting new 1:18 replica today, in the form of the 1959 Le Mans winning Aston Martin DBR1 of Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori (DC559). We won’t see it until later in the year but it is bound to be a big seller.
Finally, Spark announced a trio of Peugeot 205 T16s from the 1985 World Rally championship. They are all from Monte Carlo, and are of event winner Ari Vatanen (SPK1267), that year’s champion Timo Salonen (SPK1268), and Bruno Saby (SPK1269).
The London Toy Fair starts tomorrow, but for the first time since the dawn of time itself, we won’t be going. Why? Because none of the diecast importers are going this year. I’m devastated that my Minichamps London Toy Fair collection has come to an end!
posted in Fashion, Diecast, Other Cars, Moto GP, Formula 1 |
26th
January
2009
Today we received the new Sun Star delivery, which was dominated by rally cars.
From last year, there were the 1:18 2008 Subaru Impreza WRCs of Petter Solberg (SS4395) and Chris Atkinson (SS4396).
Then, from classic rallying, there were the 1:18 Lancia Deltas of Bruno Saby from 1990 (SS3117) and Juha Kankkunen from 1991 (SS3118). From even earlier there were the 1977 Lancia Stratoses of Pinto (SS4511) and Darniche (SS4512).
Finally, from the road, there were the two Escort Mk.3 cabriolets in white (SS4986) and red (SS4987), and the next 1:24 Bedford OB coach, the ‘Royal Blue’ (SS5008).
posted in Diecast, Other Cars |
23rd
January
2009
Following on the theme from Monday, diecast replicas seem to be selling out so quickly at the moment. Last year there was a definite shift where there was much less ‘spare’ stock after fulfilling pre-orders, and this year there seems to be less available still.
For example, the forthcoming 1:43 2008 DTM cars of Ekstrom (P081801), Tomczyk (P081802), Kristensen (P081809) and Scheider (P081810) are all sold out to pre-orders.
Kubica’s 1:18 BMW F1.08 (DC2804) sold out today, and the next 1:8 Valentino Rossi helmet (PO70896) is also sold out to pre-orders. I never thought I would see that happen with a Rossi replica, but that’s what’s happened.
Could 2009 be the year where pre-ordering becomes more essential than ever before?
posted in Uncategorized |
21st
January
2009
Today the 2009 Grand Prix Legends Diecast Sale went live! You can click here to see everything currently in the sale, although we only have small numbers of most items so I imagine a few pieces will sell out quite quickly.
We also received sample images today of three of Universal Hobbies’ 1:16 forthcoming tractors, so they’re a lot closer than I expected. These are the Doe 130 (J2703), Fordson Supermajor ‘New Performance’ (J2780), and Ford 7000 with cab (J2798).
There won’t be a diary entry tomorrow as I’m off fighting crime (well, not really, but that’s more exciting than the real reason!), but normal service will be resumed on Friday.
posted in Uncategorized |
20th
January
2009
Today we received some 1:18 Ferrari samples from Mattel.
These are the second colourways of the California, in the really nice Azzuro Blue (HW2043), and the Dino 246 GT, in yellow (HW2045). There were also samples of both colourways of the Ferrari 410; silver (HW2048) and black (HW2049), and the Ferrari 575M in red (HW2053).
In other news, The Stig was supposedly revealed today as Ben Collins. That may be true, it may be a bluff. ‘Some say that he plays with Amalgam cars on the floor and, if he wanted, he could reduce the price of zinc with a click of his fingers’!
posted in Uncategorized |
19th
January
2009
Today we received the new Minichamps delivery.
On it were the next two versions of perhaps the most used mould in Minichamps history, the 1:43 McLaren M26! These next two examples are Brett Lunger’s (P784330) and Patrick Tambay’s (P784308) 1978 cars.
Also on the delivery were two new James Bond releases; the Quantum Of Solace two car set (P121300), which is limited to just 3007 pieces worldwide, and Roger Moore’s Alfa Romeo from Octopussy (P120141).
We were informed today that CMC’s 1:18 replica of Phil Hill’s Ferrari Sharknose from the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix (CMC070) has now sold out. We will have one more delivery that will (just!) cover our existing backorders, but that’s it.
Even though CMC will still be replicating two more versions of the 1:18 Ferrari Sharknose, I was surprised that the Hill Spa car should sell out so soon after its release, especially given its now very high price of £225.10, and in the current economic environment.
So it looks like the credit crunch hasn’t hit CMC buyers just yet then!
posted in Uncategorized |
