No, it wasn't me who paid what would have been at least £2700 including delivery for the Silverstone Gift Set 15 earlier this week. As I said in the article at the time, something like that is going to be purely for resale, hopefully at a profit, to be tucked away in a cupboard and probably for quite a while too. It's not even very nice to look at with that rather dull old cardboard outer box, so hardly something to put in the front of a cabinet either. It wasn't a bad price, though, but not something I can get excited about.
What I have very much enjoyed, however, has been seeing my Garage Layout display every morning and doesn't that just demonstrate the difference between a tedious box and a real display and represent just what we remember by way of emotions and enjoyment from Corgi Toys all those years ago.
Regrettably, I have had to put it all away now as my wife is returning from Ukraine at last and I had set if up somewhere most convenient for me but rather not so for her. So, if it is not going to be displayed it occurred to me that it might be something someone might like to buy. I don't particularly want to see it go but the funds would help me acquire the elements I need for the Silverstone Set which is my next big challenge.
I believe that the only items missing are a tiny oil can and I seem to have a different chap squatting next to the Ford Consul. Corgi's catalogue has someone in blue overalls and mine may be from the Racing Characters Set in a slightly different position. The shop building does have its rear drainpipe - it fell off and I have only just noticed - which I will reattach and it is undamaged. The two Fords have plenty of playwear so, if the cars were needed I would have to replace those. I genuinely have not seen this layout (or a Silverstone one come to think of it) in all the time I have been doing Corgi things so it seems to be something a little special and that someone out there might appreciate.
Further down I have added a link to an album of lots more photos which are better than the previous group.
On the subject of layouts, here are the two mats I have.
I am unable to get any more of these but will investigate whether it might be worthwhile having a batch produced. These are a flexible but quite thick plastic and lie nicely flat (the Silverstone one has only just been unrolled and that small curl to the left will go after a while) but I suspect they will be expensive to make. Rather less expensive would be card but that would need to be thick and have some well-engineered folds so that it can be stored easily but still lie flat when opened. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who might be interested in buying these mats and what they think about the material to be used.
Having said that, I am reminded of my own declaration that I have not seen a display in all my days - and how unwilling I imagine people would be to break open new kits, even if they could find them, never mind attempt the task of painting which requires a somewhat steadier hand than most of us may now possess! I may, therefore, have just succeeded in making my mat business idea a failure from the start!
However, in the event that there are a few people with all the bits but nowhere to put them, or prepared to bravely go where no adult other than some Corgi promotions staff have been, and make up all the components, I will carry on making some enquiries.
Click this picture or here to see my album of Garage Layout photos.
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