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Sunday 28 April 2013

PLANES,TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

As Woodstock landed at Marsbase yesterday, he kindly brought gifts as usual. Amongst them was a large bag of airfix soldiers from a german carboot and in the bag where 3 small Faller train diorama huts. This kind of set the bar for todays jaunt to Bolton to the largest Toy & Model Fair in the north west. It was mainly trains and diecast, but tucked in amongst it all were classic vintage items, Star Wars, Dr Who and even a couple of grubby Matt Mason figures. Noticeably absent were classic Rosenthal, Fairylite or Lincoln Anderson toys. As usual there were the odd Dinky, one or two annuals, a Quercetti Fireball XL5 and a lot of recent Tbird stuff, but no vintage. Where is it all ? We wondered....
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7 comments:

  1. KevinD4/28/2013 8:49 pm

    I've noticed that about toy fairs too. I picked up a Fairylite Stingray at the Chester one recently, but that was the first vintage plastic Anderson toy I'd seen there in literally years.

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  2. WOODSY4/28/2013 9:44 pm

    Did your Stingray have a periscope Kevin?


    Die-Cast and Trains rule the roost at toy fairs. Don't think that's ever going to change. I'd say the average age at Bolton today was 60, maybe 65. Not sure thay want vintage sci-fi, TV and Anderson.

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  3. WOTAN4/28/2013 9:46 pm

    Did that make us Toy Boys?

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  4. KevinD4/28/2013 10:00 pm

    My Stingray didn't have the periscope (or ratemaster, rear fins, left rear tyre, side fins and a tip to one dorsal fin either!). I restored it all using bits from a Comet kit.

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  5. WOTAN4/28/2013 10:03 pm

    I repaired one for woodsy using the side fins, tail section, ratemaster and a splash of paint. Worked on it for ages.... And the bugger sold it! ;-D

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  6. WOTAN4/28/2013 10:04 pm

    Took the parts from the nineties vivid image clockwork one

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  7. Anonymous4/29/2013 7:59 am

    Belated comment:

    the relative scarcity of older sci-fi toys is due to two things I think, due to supply and demand.

    First is demand - certainly compared to the worldwide public found online, there's less chance at a toy fair of finding interested buyers. So if there's stuff to be carted around, displayed and if unsuccessful be lugged right back home, then dealers will take what will sell best at a given venue.

    Supply is much more important - there's just not that much more toys from our youth popping up on boot sales, flea markets etc, or being brought into the few dealers that (still) have a shop or fixed market stall that the average mr/mrs jones would know about. That's why were now seeing more of the next generations' toys, and soon our kids' toys.
    And quite a few joneses also sell online of course, which doesn't help in getting goods to dealers' tables either.

    Best -- Paul

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