Matchbook valuation driver#
Matchbook valuation full#
Matchbook valuation series#

Instead, the door and window openings were left bare. The earliest cars were 2” full-metal without glass window panes. The car molding materials are a clue as well.

Matchbook valuation series#

Lesney bought out Moko’s shares in 1959 so any matchbox series released after that didn’t have the Moko sash. That Moko branding can help you date the piece though.

Lot of Vtg Cars and Trucks With Original Boxes, 1960s All Full, Lot #3 A different box design doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fake.ħ. They sometimes used localized packaging, so the box might say Matchbox Superfast or the series numbering may differ. Moko was their distributor and marketer, so those first ‘1 in 75’ miniatures were marked Moko Lesney.Īs sales (and manufacturing) went overseas, the company switched the branding to Lesney Product. 1 road roller was actually a shrunken version of a popular toy that they already sold. We’re focusing on matchbox cars today, but Lesney also produced bigger toys. Vintage Rare Matchbox Lesney Regular Wheels G4 Grand Prix Gift Set The cars (and boxes) marked ‘Made in England’ are often the most valuable matchbox cars.Ħ. 5 was a popular one too, featuring a red double-decker bus. Initially, the Matchbox Series contained 75 cars in matchbox replica packaging.

Matchbook valuation full#

As the first three ever molded, they can fetch amazing prices as a full set.

Matchbook valuation driver#

It featured a little green driver and was soon joined by a cement mixer and a dump truck. The first ever matchbox car was a steamroller cast in red and green (though they called it a road roller in the UK). Lot Cars and Trucks With Original Boxes 1960s Lot #5 So her daddy invented cars that could fit in a matchbox to obey his kid’s school rules. The company specialized in die-cast miniatures, and one of their top sellers was a model of the gilded horse carriage Queen Elizabeth II rode during her coronation ceremony.īut how did they go from this to toy cars? Jack Odell – who founded the company – had a daughter who could only carry match-sized toys to school. While Lesney Products made their name in matchbox cars, it wasn’t the only thing they made. S/F no.8-a Ford Mustang Orange Body Red Interior MIB Certain colors have premium value, so it helps to have a list (and a swatch) of the most sought-after shades.Ĥ. You can also check under the car to see the year and place of manufacture. Lesney cars started out small and got bigger by the decade, so that’s one way to date them.

They were initially made in England and are in high demand among collectors. Matchbox cars were initially made by the Lesney Company in 1953. Lot of Collectible Cars Hot Wheels Mattel Matchbox You can also note variations in the model (e.g. chips, dents, or repairs), and working condition (e.g. doors or hoods that open), body-work (e.g. Points to note include colors (both interior and exterior), moving parts (e.g. While it’s bad form to Ctrl C + Ctrl V, you can study listings that are well crafted and use the same style in your own matchbox car listing. On certain listings, you’ll see something like ‘Please don’t copy-paste my listing!’ It’s a fair request since it takes weeks to do the research. Lesney #57 Chevrolet Impala Matchbox Blue With Box Check what features buyers want so you can emphasize them.Ģ. Targeting consumer categories makes your sales faster and more profitable. This isn’t a crucial step, but it makes reselling easier because you can segment your buyers. You can then separate your haul by quality, condition, category, brand, and year. That way, you can get tens or even hundreds at about a buck each. The best way to trade matchbox cars is to buy them in bulk at estate auctions, flea markets, garage sales, and the goodwill store. Matchbox Superfast Challenger#1 (3 Cars) England Hot Smoker Most Valuable Matchbox Cars Worth Money 1.