New arrivals this month

 Here are some more arrivals, all in really nice condition and most have original boxes too. The images are links to my web site where you can find more details.

The Avengers Gift Set 40 has two original brollies! I would quite like to keep them so have offered to replace them and reduce the price. I also have another original set with a Lotus with cast wheels. Something else with which I am not really wanting to part company.

One of the last 1:43 (or thereabouts) scale Gift Sets which was not around for long. The tractor looks and feels very basic compared to the fine detail on their previous issues but the expressions on the faces of the two characters on the hay never fail to make me laugh! Rare to find one of these sets complete and it gets quite rapidly replaced by Gift Set 5 without the hay.

In the US 'Esso' is the 'Exxon' brand and this is a scarce export model #1158. It is, though, another example of the economies and short-cuts made by Corgi in their declining years. This model has no suspension and the cab, whilst lifting to show the engine and gear shift, is so much less detailed.

Even with an original box these Whizzwheels Taxis are cheap.

Almost the last 1:43 scale model issued by Corgi from the 1956-70s era, this weird-looking VW1300 is quite fun to play with. No suspension but lovely rich metallic blue paint and this is a nice example with all four wheels in gold. I have the original box but I am waiting to get the bollards which were included with it. This is #400, not be confused with #401 which is the same car and bollards in a different box.

One of the last Ford mustang Competition models made, here with the fat eight-spoke cast wheels. Previously it had been fitted with shaped wheels, spoked wheels and cast spoke effect wheels. Scarce now with good suspension as the chrome element that runs from front to back provides this with small plastic tabs that have become very brittle over the years.

More often found in the Transporter Gift Set in this finish, this comes in an early Whizzwheels window box

I was a big fan of the Monkees, being just 14 when they began to appear in an early evening TV show. It's strange to recall now that there'd be parties in those days which started at around 5 o'clock and we'd get tea, watch the show and then the parents would disappear and leave us free to play games like 'Spin The Bottle' and share 7" discs. When this model appeared, however, in late 1968, the Monkees' release of D W Washburn had scarcely troubled the charts and most of the early excitement had faded in the UK and their album Head left most early teenage fans wondering what that was all about.

The Corgi Monkeemobile didn't sell particularly well and is now quite hard to find in a nice box. Even more difficult to find is a box with an original header card.

In something of a contrast to the Monkeemobile, the revision of Corgi's so successful #261 Aston Martin so that the #270 model did look more like a DB5 and was in the 'right' silver birch colour, would sell vast quantities. Normally that might make them cheap and easy to find at low prices but, due to changes being made during production, some of the five main versions are now particularly sought after as they were not around for long.

This is the very first issue, with silver bumpers and grille, and only produced for a short time in 1968 before being replaced by the gold trim edition.

June 2026 is the Rambler's 60th anniversary of issue, as reported earlier, and here is a later version of that model with quite clean cast wheels - and suspension!

I remember being quite disappointed by the 'surprise' in the boot of the Chrysler Imperial when I had spent a hard-earnt 9/3d. This seemed very over-priced as you could have a Breakdown Truck for 5/11d, a Ford Mustang with opening doors and jewelled lights for 6/9d. I always thought it was an ugly, chunkily square model which didn't inspire me to want a Chrysler one day. The best thing about mine and this one is the shaped wheels, only fitted to the first issues in 1965.

Having said that, I would really like to find a kingfisher metallic blue version which Corgi produced in very small numbers as a proposed new Bermuda Taxi. When that idea got shelved they sold the blue ones they had produced at that stage, with the gold caddy in the boot and characters planted in the front seats, in a 246 box. These versions have spaces behind the rear seats where the plastic roof supports would have been fitted and always had the alternative chalky blue interior. I had one a long time ago and now dearly wish I had kept it.

Here they come

Here are a couple of models that are in the 'odd' group when it comes to the Corgi catalogues. There had been a lovely Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray around for years but Corgi must have decided it was time for a revision and took away the twin jewelled headlamps that folded away and came up with this monstrosity, calling it a 'customised' version. It sure was, with stickers everywhere and almost as much engine on the outside as under the bonnet.

It is difficult to find now a model with the chrome bumpers in good condition. They suffered badly and, like the original Sting Ray, showed the yellow or cream plastic beneath.

And we also had The Monkees! 

The Customised Stingray may have been introduced to use up the wheels left over when interest in the Monkees faded. This crazy red car has the four band members inside and looks ridiculous, also displaying lots of chrome engine bits through the bonnet. I was a huge Monkees fan but this is not something I ever longed to add to my collection!

I thought I'd better get these items in stock, though, for someone who does want a decent example. The Stingray is in supperb condition. One of the Monkeemobiles has lovely, unmarked paintwork but the transfers have suffered (and Mickey Dolenz has fallen out), The one with good transfers and all four people has a few small chips.