July 22nd Matchbox Ambassador Report, by Larry Scaduto...

This is the final Matchbox Ambassador Report from Larry Scaduto, who finished his term as #10 at last weekend's Gathering. We at Lamley want to thank Larry for his great reports, and look forward to the upcoming term of our 11th Ambassador, Dirk Schleuer of Germany...

Thanks again Larry!

Ambassador’s Report July 22^nd, 2015

By: Larry Scaduto

INTRODUCTION

Good day to everyone! This report is the one you have been waiting for! We all get to see the new product for the rest of this year and into the following year. 2015 has been a year of change! There’s a new Matchbox Team in place, although the faces may have changed, the desire to improve the brand has never been more of a priority than it is today. Dave Weise, Michael Heralda and the rest of the gang set the wheels in motion to put Matchbox back on track. Gerry Cody and his team will keep going what these fine gentlemen started. 2016 models are already selected and 2017 is now the focus with collectors in mind. The proof of this is in the desire of Matchbox to listen to our ideas. The results of the Collector’s Poll are in this report. These are the models voters decided they would like to see made and the candidates will be posted in the War Room for consideration. Well I’ve talked enough for now. Onto the Gathering Report. Thank you for reading…..Larry (Ambassador #10)

2015 Matchbox Gathering Report

(Matchbox Dinner Presentation)

2015 & 2016 are looking great by what I’ve seen and heard. Not only did the dinner presentation provide us with a lot of information, but the seminar before that hosted by the Matchbox Team was an informal meeting of the minds that revealed even more information! Let’s jump right in shall we???? Matchbox is now under a new umbrella (or group) that is called The Toy Box! What that means to us is that we are no longer associated with the blue brand and that will give us freedom to pursue just about any model we wish without approval from them. Now it’s up to Mattel to let MBX accomplish this without restrictions. Are you listening Mattel??? To start out in mid-August there will be an exclusive Jeep Collection available at Wal-Mart. These models will have realistic decos and a picture blister card. The Power Grabs will be changing for next year. They will no longer be the blind bag assortment of 24 models. Now they will be a complete collection of all 125 models from the 2016 Basic Lineup. The big difference is that the models will be in collector’s inspired picture boxes with a counter display that will make this series easy to place in areas other than the toy isle. I’m impressed!!! 2016 will feature 25 new tools. Also in spring of 2016 there is a new premium series called Best of the World that will feature 10 models such as the Cadillac One, Austin Mini Van, Dodge A100, Routemaster Bus, and the Fox Body Mustang. This series will feature 2-part wheels, premium decos, and a collector’s box. And another series is coming in 2016 for the 75^th Anniversary of the Jeep brand that will feature collector’s boxes if my memory serves me correctly. For 2016…..(8) 5-Packs, (9) 9/10-Packs, (6) Sky Buster Mission Force Sets, and 5 new toolings for the Sky Busters Range: A new Bat Plane, Honda Jet, Speed Seaplane, Heavy Metal Bomber, and a Multi Rotor Devise.

Gathering Models

2015 Gathering Dinner Models

’75 Mack CF Pumper

1^st 75 models (without roof tampo) 2^nd 125 models (with roof tampo)

If you were one of the first 75 to register and pay for your dinner you would get the Mack CF Pumper without roof tampo upon entry to the dinner/charity auction. The remaining 125 with roof tampo were sold to anyone else that paid for their dinner after the first 75 registrants. As you can see this model is exceptionally well done.

Next up is the 2015 Gathering Dealer Model…. It is the Ford Bronco 4x4 in purple with the Gathering logo on each side of the model. The hood reads 13^th International Collector Gathering. This model was sold to the dealers who purchased tables at the toy show on Sunday. A big Thank you goes out to Jim Gallegos for getting these models made for the event.

2015 Gathering Dealer Model

Ford Bronco 4x4

2015 Models

2014 Jeep Cherokee

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe

(MB965) Attack Track

Cadillac One Limo

2015 Ford F-150 Contractor’s Truck

Airport Fire Truck Hardnoze

All Terrain Moto Tractor

(MB926) Sea Spy

2016 Models

Wow…where do I start??? It looks like there is going to be at least 25 new castings for 2016 with at least 11 being licensed. I’ve pictured all the models that were at the Gathering and at the end I’m featuring a poster that was handed out by the team. There are pictures of other vehicles that are being made as well. The models pictured below are early mockups and are subject to change when released. Here is the list of models to be released in 2016 that are not pictured here in this report:
1971 Nissan Skyline 2000 GTX
2015 Dodge Ram Police Truck
2015 Volvo V60 Wagon w/carrier
4 Seater ATV

All images and articles are presented here with the consent and permission of Mattel and the Matchbox Team.

Amphibious Vehicle

3 Axle Explorer

1968 Mustang (Mud Stang)

1990 VW Crew Cab Transporter

2015 Chevy Corvette Police Car

Airport Bus

Big Rig Wrecker

2015 Chrysler 300

Coast Guard Helicopter

Freightliner Fire Engine

Double Wheeled Tractor

2015 Mazda Miata

Heavy Freighter Locomotive Train (more train cars to follow)

Range Rover Evoque (might still be issued late in 2015, but 2016 release could be a possibility)

2014 Ford Transit News Van

X-Ray Truck

Horizontal Excavator

Yacht (with separate clear wave stand)

Ice Vehicle

Side Tipping Dump Truck

Off Road Camper

Zamboni Ice Machine

Models We Would Love To See Made

(One Last Time)

Patriot Fire Truck (sent by a fellow collector – Awesome!!!)

Here is something never tried before. The Matchbox Team can be contacted directly through Instagram. Download the app and type in: @matchboxworld and then click on follow. This will be a new look into the Matchbox Team and the design process, “a day in the life” so to speak. This is a great chance for the collector community to get a behind the scenes look at our brand, see new products & ideas, and it will be a place to ask questions. Thank you for the opportunity to get us involved!!!

(Below is the 2016 poster handed out by the Matchbox Team)

DINNER PRESENTATION PICS

10^TH AMBASSADOR’S BUS

PREPRODUCTIONS WON AT THE GATHERING

(MB846) Dodge Charger Pursuit (won by my wife, Gina)

(MB679) 2005 Ambulance

(MB882) All Terrain Crane

(MB914) Ground Grabber

(MB918) Drill Digger

Another PrePro added to the Collection….

TV News Truck (with brown antenna & news camera)

PREPRODUCTION CASE

Over the past year I’ve been showing you a selection of preproductions that are big part of my collection. You may be asking yourself…..where do I keep them all? Here is the Matchbox Collectables Case that houses a portion of my collection of PrePro’s. They say being in the right place at the right time sometimes pays off. I was at a cheese shop in the Wisconsin Dells last year and I remembered this place used to carry the Matchbox Collectables Line some years back. So I went up to the owner of the shop and inquired about the case that I last saw several years back. She said that the case was in the basement not being used any longer. So I asked if it was for sale and if so how much! After she placed a call to who I believe was her son, she came back and said I can have it for $250. I thought about it and came back the next morning to pick it up. So here it is below….

WHAT’S NEW – BATCH G

MB57 Ford Superlift F-350 MB66 Blaze Blitzer

MB3 2013 Ford Cargo MB56 Spark Arrester

MB16 1966 Dodge A100 MB68 International MXT-MVA

MB111 Travel Tracker MB91 Terrainiac

MB36 Ground Breaker MB34 Trail Tipper

MB53 BMW M5 Police MB86 Volkswagen Saveiro

2017 COLLECTOR’S CHOICE POLL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzAfTmC3It0

(Click on the link and then minimize it to view the poll. Just for fun)

Well….here is the results of the 2017 Collector’s Choice Poll!!!

The response to this poll was very good with just under 100 voters. Thank you all who participated. As you will see, the final selections reflect a wide variety of vehicles new and old. The theme to keep in mind when selecting was to be Exploration & Explore your World. Let me just say that idea went right out the window when the final tally was realized!!!! Themes can be very restrictive and I truly believe that in the end, it’s the models that matter the most. You will see as I count down the top 20, there are some awesome selections for Matchbox to honestly consider for 2017 and beyond. Thank you Gerry Cody for asking us for our input.

20. 2012 Volvo S60 Polest

19. 1953 Studebaker Starliner

18. 1973 Lamborghini Jarma

17. 1960 Chevy El Camino

16. 2015 Chevy Tahoe

15. 1954 Hudson Hornet

14. Airstream Trailer

13. 1948 Tucker Torpedo

12. BMW i8

11. 2015 Ford Mustang

10. 2014 Jaguar F-Type

(Wish Granted) (2015 Release)

9. Mazda Miata MX-5

(Wish Granted) (2016 Release)

8. 1962 Divco Delivery Van

7. Ford Capri II Turbo

6. 2016 Ford Transit

(Wish Granted) (2016 Release)

5. 2016 Ford GT

4. 1958 Ford Edsel Corsair

3. 1954 Wills Jeep Wagon

2. 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL

1. 1967 MGB GT

Models Most Requested that were not on my List

2016 Alfa Romero Giulia QV Alvis Stalwart

Leyland Site Hut Truck International Ambulance

2017 Collector’s Choice Poll (by the numbers)

1967 MGB GT
1973 BMW 3.0 CSL
1954 Willys Jeep Sedan Delivery
1958 Ford Edsel Corsair
2016 Ford GT
2016 Ford Transit
Ford Capri II Turbo
1962 Divco Delivery Van
Mazda Miata MX-5
2013 Jaguar F-Type
2015 Ford Mustang
BMW i8
1948 Tucker Torpedo
Airstream Trailer
1954 Hudson Hornet
2015 Chevy Tahoe
1960 Chevy El Camino
1973 Lamborghini Jarma
1953 Studebaker Starliner
2012 Volvo S60 Polest

Miscellaneous

Everett Marshall Charities 10^th Annual Tournament

1975 Mack CF Pumper

Remaining 2015 Batch Release Schedule

Batch H

Urban Tow Truck – Mound Mover – Ground Grinder – Toyota Tacoma Life Guard – Deep Diver – 2012 Ford Explorer Police – 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor SVT

Batch J

69’ Cadillac Sedan DeVille, - Ground Grabber – Dodge Charger Pursuit – Desert Thunder V16 – BMW R1200 GS – Jeep Hurricane Concept

Batch K

Gator Raider – Garbage Gulper – 2015 Ford F-150 Contractor Truck – Trail Tracker Beach Rescue – Dodge Charger Pursuit – Ford F-350 Ambulance – All Terrain Moto Tractor – MBX Prospector – 4x4 Scrambulance – Sea Spy

Batch L

Cadillac One – Aston Martin Volante – Scholar Hauler – Pit King – Road Roller – Baja Bullet – Airport Fire Truck Hardnoze – Vantom – Torque Titan

Batch M

International Armored Car – Seed Shaker – Acre Maker – Attack Track – Blaze Blaster – Lamborghini Gallardo Police – Road Raider – Jeep Willys 4x4 Pickup – ATV 6x6 – VW Beetle 4x4 – MBX 4x4

For Collectors worldwide….check out this website!!!!!

hobbyDB, www.hobbydb.com, is a new site for collectors that aims to combine everything you need to build and maintain your collection.
First off, it’s an information database for cataloguing collectibles (one which any user can edit or add to, just like Wikipedia). It was designed to cover all the most important data points for different collectible types. For Matchbox, that means when you create an entry for a car, you can record the baseplate material and color, wheel type, window tint color etc. And everything is interlinked, so you can see with one click which models had gray plastic wheels and which had black. Variants are also linked to each other so they appear on each other’s’ pages, making it equally easy to see how many different versions of a model were made.

Page on the Romping Rabbit

As well as cataloguing individual products, there are also pages on subjects like Matchbox itself or the Superfast series or designers and personalities like Jack Odell – with all the items related to them also linked, so you can browse and discover what’s out there.

The page on Matchbox already shows 4,700 models and other products

On top of the catalog, however, there’s also a collection management system. If you’re tired of losing track of what you do and don’t have and find keeping written records or Excel spreadsheets time-consuming, you can easily and quickly keep tabs on what you have by finding it in our catalog and clicking the “Add to collection” button. You can quickly fill in some useful details like price paid, condition and where you store it, upload a picture and click save. Handy for events when you’re not sure if the Pontiac Firebird you have is in better or worse condition than the one you’re thinking about buying – just grab your phone, surf to hobbyDB and look yours up! You can also add items to your wishlist to keep track of what you need to find.

Lastly, you can also use hobbyDB to buy and sell. If your collecting interests change, just go into your collection, find the items you want to list for sale, click the “Sell” button and enter a price. Hit save and it’s up for sale. As soon as anyone buys it, it automatically moves to their collection too and hit the button. If you have stuff you just want to sell you can also list it straight from the item page by clicking the Sell button there without adding it to your collection first too. Pretty soon you’ll get an email alert whenever anything on your wishlist comes up for sale, so you don’t miss it!

The site is live, but Andrew (known from the forums as Baskingshark), Christian, Ron and the others are still working on lots of coming features (almost all of which have been suggested by other collectors). They had lots of great people helping with this project including Charlie Mack, Christian Falkensteiner and Jim Gallegos & love feedback so please check it out and let them know your thoughts and ideas at team@hobbydb.com!

Farewell and Thank You

Well we have arrived at my last Ambassador’s Report. This year has gone by fast!!! It seems like only yesterday I was introducing myself and now I’m saying goodbye. To say a lot has changed with regards to the design team would be an understatement!!! They say change is inevitable, but I wish it would not have happened on my watch (as they say). But I have forged a good friendship with David & Michael and now Gerry that extends past this wonderful hobby and that is more important to me personally. I set some personal goals when I first became ambassador and I felt I have achieved them! I said I would be accessible and approachable and I held true to my word. I know these reports could have only been a few pages long and just about the new models, but I had the attention of the Matchbox Team and I wanted to show them just what makes us crazy collectors so passionate (and sometimes frustrated) with regards to this hobby. There is a legacy to live up to and a wonderful history behind Matchbox collecting that I wanted to show them and the newer collectors reading these reports. So our new ambassador for 2015-2016 is Dirk Schleuer. I congratulate him on becoming the newest person to bring you the information from Matchbox. I just met the man this weekend and I’ve heard a lot of good things about him and wish him luck and good fortune. It has been an honor to serve as Matchbox Ambassador and represent the collector’s community. Thank you to all who wrote to me and sent in stories and pictures. A big Thank You goes out to Chuck Wiersma (Our 6^th Ambassador) for his wonderful and in debt articles about gift sets and models from the past. I end this report with a collection of pictures from the gathering. Take care and thank you……. It’s been a blast!!!!

Larry Scaduto

(Your 10^th Ambassador)

Gathering Pics

(Friday Night Meet N Greet)