here is a fun model that one could go mad collecting all the variations, so many shade variations that you start to wonder if any one is the same as the other LOL. The gray plastic wheel model is scarce and can cost several thousand dollars, so if you find one for a few dollars, indeed, my hat would be off to you....fakes exist, so its one model that you have to be careful with, that is, if all that money in your pocket is burning a hole in your britches...

here are my variations, as you can see, the shades in the finish of the toys are very noticeable, lemon yellow with white interior is quite hard to find...

the silver painted base model is a bit hard to find, i found mine for 3 dollars, it has 1 small chip, and the doggone taxi label had been removed, but for 3 dollars, i was very happy with it

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC03587.jpg

a little close up of the silver painted base

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC03586.jpg

Very nice cars. That was my favorite MB when I was a kid :)

nice :thumbsup: , then add the label/decal shade variations with white and ivory interiors and let the fun begin. :)
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5848/taxirw20grpavx4.jpg

neat cars i like looking at the older, lesney, matchbox cars , they remind me of home .
when i lived in england, an uncle of mine collected lesney and dinky toys , i could look but not touch , l.o.l.

And of course the ones with grey plastic wheels...

I also lived in England free spirit....I lived in Heyford,Banbury,Wycomb and Oxford growing up, my mom was born in London, and my Dad was a Okie...he was in the Air Force working with Radar and then the Minute Man Rocket system.

This Corgi was one of the first toy cars I ever bought,in a little shop in Banbury about 1967...I was 10 at the time.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC01540.jpg

that would explain why you like the little english cars l.o.l.
i come from thames ditton .

free spirit...I like all forms of toy cars
Panels are neat
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC03352.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC03354.jpg
Japan show
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC03368.jpg
#1000 of 1000
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC03375.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC03378.jpg

Mattels Employee Toys (last one too - #275 of 275)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC02919.jpg

and even corny stuff from Maisto
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC03342.jpg

English Cars are wonderful....heck they all are my friend !!

nice collection .. i collect every kind of car also , from what i understand ,your not allowed to post other brands on the new johnny lightning photo forum ,so i cropped my pictures l.o.l. and i figured matchbox and hotwheels forums are the same , so if i have a photo with all brands i post it on diecast collecting . and most of my dioramas are all mixed brands .just like the real world ,we all drive different cars .

this is what i mean id have to crop a picture just to show you one lesney item .the little yellow disc thingy . theres only 1 matchbox truck in the photo. would have to crop it seperate .

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb104/downchildfan/posted/5.jpg

Great photos Junkman :thumbsup: Would you by any chance be a Mattel employee?
I am pleased to see that you display all 3 recognised shades of yellow used on the 20 cab, not just the 2 shades mentioned in most books.Standout shade is the bright yellow used mainly on 33 Muiras, then the normal yellow
used on the 4 & 39 Dodge trucks then the orange yellow which also appears on these 2 castings but particularly on the 20 cab
I am British, and I collect modern Hotwheels mainlines (only castings/colors that I like, plus t-hunts) because they make going to the supermarket fun in an even better way than when i was a child, because now my pocket money will always buy all and any toys that I want :freak: .
Toys and icecream, the most magical joyful elements in my whole life, second only to a really good woman like my wife ;) (music is a close 4th).Just about the only toys that I own made after 1976 apart from the hotwheels are about 50 Vanguards/Hongwells plus 150 1/76 London & HongKong buses

Hi Mick'
No, not a employee of Mattel....I am member of small club here in So. Cal.
The So. Cal. Origanals, we have about 40 members with some members living far away from Southern California. We are, normally a pretty quite group, and very tight in our brotherhood, its a wonderful group of collectors with a common bond of love for collecting little toy cars. A few of us are called upon once in a while to help Mattel with events thrown to promote the growth of the Hot wheels brand...the Toy Fair cars were given to my wife and I a couple of months back for helping Mattel in Pomona in March with a event, we never expect anything and just help out to grow the Hobby, just helping is a reward within itself Mick.

At the end of this month Mick, my wife and I will be helping Mattel at :
What: Mattel Toy Store Pomona, CA.
Where: 2780 S Reservoir St. Pomona, CA. 91766.
When: Saturday June 30, 2007. 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM.

For a wonderful childrens event, lots of giveaways for the children, drawings, downhill racing, coloring, we have about 50 sealed cases and lots of limiteds for the children to open and pick from, it should be a grand time for the children Mick.

Thanks for the cool taxi pics.
That Mattel thing sounds like too much fun!

You are lucky to be involved with Mattel, Junkman :thumbsup: I think it would be an honour to meet Larry Wood once, let alone many times at various events.Apart from Jack Odell we dont know many of the names behind Lesney creations, I would like to meet Jack Odell just to say ´thankyou´ for 40 years of lifelong pleasure and ask a few odd questions....now that would be a thread in itself, questions we would like to ask Jack Odell if given the chance.
I do know that the chief Corgi designer from 1960-1985 and author of ´the Great Book of Corgi´, Marcel van Cleemput, attends some toy auctions and bids on ebay for Corgi archive material.I dont know if Jack Odell ever took his work home with him but i suspect Larry Wood does

I do count myself as very fortunate in meeting some of the best toy car designers of our time, so much larger than life but very regular and super friendly individuals...here is a picture of my wife and Larry taken last October he is holding my wifes Pink employee rear loading Beach Bomb, and the certificate of authenticity (she only collects pink models)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC02705.jpg

Here is the # 2 man that Mattel hired back in 67, Ira Gillford...he stopped in to our room with his Grandson and wife, his wife insisted on taking the photo of us...my wife on the right, Ira in the center, and myself,

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/DSC02700.jpg

Here is a picture taken when I was 2 LOL....i am not sure who took it...Ruth and Elliot Handler,the founders of Mattel. Ruth of course invented the barbie doll, and Elliot who invented the Hot Wheels cars.The picture was taken in 1959, so it was a few years before Hot Wheels were even a notion. Look at all those Barbies tho !!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/SteveCameron/HANDLERS.gif

THANK'S very cool pic's

THANK'S very cool pic's
I second that! Once you have shaken hands with the folks who make the toys you like collecting takes on a whole deeper meaning.A Hongkong company called Britbus has issued 2 models based directly upon photographs taken by me and issued 2 other models from my suggestion list of 6 supplied 2 years ago, so I enjoy my email correspondance with the company owner and hope to see a few more of my photos turned into collector models