I learned something new a couple of weeks ago when I bought this in an online auction. The TP series were launched as ´Two Packs´ rather than ´Twin Packs´ which is the label most collectors apply today to all TP series items regardless of whether or not Lesney originally packaged them as Twin Packs .Does anybody know how long this two pack name was used and how much rarer than the common twin pack package these items are??? Anybody else here have many TWO PACKS, and were they only military issues TP11 to TP16??? Thanks in advance
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/toys/2007-8Aug071.jpg

very nice two pack
it was announced that eight “two packs” were to be released. they started to appear in early 1976 and pictured in the 1976 pocket catalog.
here is a set of the first eight “two packs”. within these sets were variations, labels, colors, base plates (no numbers). some that were new to the two packs were also released in single blister packs.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/3904/twopacksetja1.jpg
the military models came in both packages, still with no mention of twin pack.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3658/twopacka2ds9.jpg
here is tp-1 in the 900 packaging with the truck and trailer in blue and military tp-15 with the olive truck and trailer. the military truck has different labels than the trailer.
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3946/twopackalk3.jpg
here is tp-3 with the two pack and hitch ‘n haul packages. the red javelin is a nice model.
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4881/twopacka1cn6.jpg
here is tp-8 with two pack and 900 blisters. different color jeeps and label and no label bike trailers.
tp-2 with two pack and 900 blisters. one with merryweather fire engine and one with blaze buster.
if you look closely at rear of the merrweather ladder it has the small bump variation.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/5787/twopacka4oo7.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/5097/tp2merryladderod1.jpg
here are some of later packages with higher numbers, but retaining some of the first two pack models.
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2448/twopacka3yb4.jpg
the packaging on the early two packs were a bit flimsy, similar to the speed sticks blisters but not that bad.
i would think more of the 900 series blisters stayed together over the years. with no mention of two pack on the blister and only tp, it might have lost the two pack title.
i have many more two packs, i’ll try to sort them out

What a wonderful collection of Two Packs :wave: .
I only have 2 Two Packs in my collection - the other is the red Jeep towing the F1 racecar so that I can show the main designs of packaging rather than collect the whole bunch.
That RED Javelin package is a wonderful work of art, and I have not seen pix of this card before (top of my list of desirable TPs!).
Some of the blue Javelins do have no9 stamped on the baseplate - perhaps some other castings went into 2 packs before the number was removed from the tool . I have always liked the Javelin casting and still need the red and metallic dark green final issues.If Mountain has all the different colors of Javelin it would be a joy to see them lined up in one photo - I havent yet seen a good thread about this casting - perhaps thats because the real car is not an iconic mopar or GM brand

you are right, some of the javelins did have the number on the base. with a debate whether to list the non numbered bases with the numbered bases or to separately list two pack models. some of them never had a super fast counterpart.

here is a basic grouping of javelins. the darker green is also a nice color on this model. :thumbsup: the dark green javelin is in tp-4, with the camper of the tp-3 :freak:
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/8656/javelingroupais5.jpg

A couple of closeups please :) , one showing the red blisterpack, and one showing the green blisterpack, for my virtual collection.
From a logical listing point of view, the two pack cars must be listed with the other two packs but because they do use the no9 tooling then they should logically be listed again with all other uses of the no 9 tooling to ensure all variations of the tool are shown together(rather than just no 9 1-75 issues)
I have only seen early production chrome hood scoop issues in photographs, but at least I have the light and darker shades of the original green, plus a pair of blues.Casting the doors shut for the red and green then adding the spoilers for the gray post-Lesney racer sure shows what great value for money the company got out of this tooling
I have seen playworn red and dark green Javelins, I think I will soon find near mint loose ones for sensible prices.Of all the castings in Lesney 1-75 range it is hard to think of any that look more sterotype musclecar than the Javelin , and for my money it is neater than the no 8 Mustang (Hotwheels Redline Mustang beats poor Lesney hollow for capturing curves),no 22 Pontiac GP (looks best in final run fitted with small hollow SF wheels) and the 44 Mustang which many collectors discuss & probably prize much more than Javelins
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/toys/2007-8Aug099.jpg

that’s how they started to be cataloged. tow pack contents and an additional notation with the sf listings.
it was a way stretching the model out for years, add the super gt’s, which i really wasn’t a big fan of those models.
is your view the same with the roman numeral editions. some did contain the sf base plate. or do you think they should have their own category.

a nice catch on the vintage forum. :thumbsup: always like the #68 coach and the military models.
the horse drawn is a nice one. i always enjoyed the yesteryear line, a very complicated line but some beautiful models. i have a few hundred, but they are packed away


http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/5267/javelinrednk5.jpg
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3706/javelingreelr2.jpg
i would lean towards the javelin and grand prix castings over the mustangs too.
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3476/javelinsf9pairiz0.jpg
never a bad time to show these.
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/157/grandprixsf224grpqc5.jpg
i thought this came out cool so i wanted to post it
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9977/grandprix22bz6.jpg
agree with you about the shade topic. the 54 capri was one that did not agree win the sun. some turned completely white. here is a nice shinny pink model.
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/654/fordcapri54qx0.jpg

Great to see closeups of the Javelins, and 22 Pontiacs are welcomed by Matchbox collectors anytime,anyplace that they show up... :thumbsup: I hope to find a small hollow tyres GP this year to go with the solid one I already have
I will always personally find a listing or database most useful if all variations of the same tool are listed together in production order.Roman numerals didnt last long and outside the USA they are almost unknown to most Lesney collectors, who are more likely to have Bulgarian issues in their collections than Roman numerals :)
Does Mountain have any Bulgarian Matchbox like the 25 Cortina or 41 Ford GT which have been made in so many different colors?
Bulgaria maintained casting quality, but some tools not sent were used for Super GTs instead.I only have 2 Super GTs, an Iso and a Ford GT, to show the final use of the tooling more than anything else.They are crude compared to their 1969 first editions but they are the end of the Lesney story and show the direction the toy market was to take until the Hongwell company started offering its superb models at cheap toy prices .
The Ford Capri is one casting I have nailed much better than the rest- the 3 main versions of the H/i box with the pink/orange shades as per the no 8 Wildcat Mustang and the blister plus the later purple and orange twin pack issues.But I havent found the rare purple issue that used skinny wheels c1975 for a short run.
Here is my shopwindow faded pink with the other pink & orange shades
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/toys/2007-8Aug112.jpg

don’t have any bulgarian models , which is an involved line. the roman numerals were available for a few years and not too expensive even a few years later, a lot of overstocks.
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2425/romannumgc4.jpg
nice capris :thumbsup: , looks like a shinny black hood. is the blistered model mat or shinny.
how rare is the thin wheel purple capri?
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6757/capri54sfwheelsns1.jpg
i don’t have too much after the mid eighties except for yesteryears.
here are some 1983 blisters and boxes.
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6972/blisters83fa3.jpg
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/5535/blisters831vc0.jpg
the generic boxes weren’t that popular.
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/949/boxes83vf4.jpg
some differences with the boxes.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2472/boxes83dfzt5.jpg
england, macao and generic boxes.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/8886/boxes83df1ki6.jpg

All of my Capris with black hoods have a satin matt finish -its the blister reflection that appears gloss...........
As far as I know the thin wheeled purple Capri is not only the nicest looking of all issues, it is also the only HTF variation of this 54 casting.The last purple Capris also had a casting extension on the baseplates to support the tow hook which is standard on two pack Capris - not much of an actively collected variation.
I have no Roman numerals (I like the black bug and yellow Charger) and only 1 Bulgarian (green 25 Cortina GT) in my collection, and hope to find more although the transitional castings tend to cost at least $10 each and when in a really nice color can go higher, with so many variations its only a range I will sample in my collection in future. Bulgarians may be the only modern teenagers that can easily identify a Cortina GT after its long production run there. 35 years after it left the 1-75 series worldwide I dont think anybody who is not a collector or classic car buff could identify a Cortina GT :freak:

I would like to know if anyone has any info regarding a two pack most likely produced in 1973 or 1974. It is the field car and motorcycle trailer with honda motorcycle. I have one from when I was a kid and it has the yellow field car with superfast wheels, the trailer has the superfast wheels and is yellow with honda decal, and the motorcycle is purple. I would love to know if anyone has any info on them or if you know anyone selling them, please let me know. If anyone has good pics, please post them. Thanks to all who may respond.

Those are some some fine pieces in your collection!
Thanks for sharing.

drummingbulldog, don’t know about the two pack you mentioned .
Markkaz, thanks and thanks to sms88’s contributions too :thumbsup:

I would like to know if anyone has any info regarding a two pack most likely produced in 1973 or 1974. It is the field car and motorcycle trailer with honda motorcycle. I have one from when I was a kid and it has the yellow field car with superfast wheels, the trailer has the superfast wheels and is yellow with honda decal, and the motorcycle is purple. I would love to know if anyone has any info on them or if you know anyone selling them, please let me know. If anyone has good pics, please post them. Thanks to all who may respond.
As far as we know two packs began in 1975, long after the yellow Field car and Honda trailer had been dropped from 1-75 only to reappear in orange (with black roof ) in the new two packs.
If you are remembering back in the 1973, are you sure that the package was a twin pack rather than 2 separate blisters or boxes (yellow issues, brown roof) or a mid 1975-77 twin pack with orange Field car + Honda trailer????

I am not sure. I am pretty certain they came together. I have read somewhere before that someone else got one. I have the TP-8 too which is the two pack with field car and motorcycle/trailer only in the weird color. The motorcycle is green. It is cool.

This link shows the two pack I got recently....

http://www.pendlediecast.co.uk/tp8.html

This link shows the two pack I got recently....

http://www.pendlediecast.co.uk/tp8.html
Very nice, this is the standard early twin pack issue, although both castings were released in bright yellow but in individual boxes and blisters 1970-72

These yellow issues only came individually packaged but if you received as a gift it is possible that the giver paired up these because they do fit together well.I cannot find my Superfast trailer today but I do have 2 different sizes of ´Honda´logo on my rw trailers.There was also pink and purple motorcycles issued with these yellow trailers in addition to the common blue-green issues
Lesney even went to the trouble of fitting plastic movable stands to the motorcycles - a wonderful detail that really adds playvalue :thumbsup:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/toys/2007-8Aug135.jpg

I have the purple motorcycle. I used to carry it around as a 4 year old. I must really have loved it because although it is scratched up and the front wheel is geeked up, I still have it. Actually, I have most of my collection I had as a kid. I was anal about my cars just as I am now about them and my drums. I have a large toy collection. I think I am working towards starting an ebay store to purge some of the hw. I love my old mb's and will probably just keep collecting them.

Very nice, this is the standard early twin pack issue, although both castings were released in bright yellow but in individual boxes and blisters 1970-72

thx for the info SMS88

UNBELIEVABLE PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am so not worthy

very nice two pack
it was announced that eight “two packs” were to be released. they started to appear in early 1976 and pictured in the 1976 pocket catalog.
here is a set of the first eight “two packs”. within these sets were variations, labels, colors, base plates (no numbers). some that were new to the two packs were also released in single blister packs.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/3904/twopacksetja1.jpg

Since we're bringing up old threads and the old #40 Hay Trailer Two Pack was mentioned, here's a mate to the red one we saw on another thread.

I really love the purple Pontiacs.