Where have all the layouts gone?

 

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.

Corgi Toys Gift Set 25 (now almost complete)

 

I have now completed the Garage Forecourt layout for Gift Set 25. There are lots of pictures that I have now added to my earlier post. Below I show my attempts to reproduce the three 1965 Catalogue images. They're not quite right but pretty close!

You will spot one or two 'extras' in these and in the other photos in the earlier post! Looking at the catalogue pictures, there appears to be something like an oil can as well as a watering can. I only have two watering cans. If anyone has a spare oil can let me know! Or maybe they did issue two watering cans. The post with a sort of hook looks like an air dispenser and I wonder whether that should have a tube attached? Otherwise I do believe this is complete. 

The construction and painting has been completed to a high standard and I believe this was originally a kit made up for a display by a Corgi dealer in the States. I have a similarly well-made Chalet kit for which there is some provenance in this respect and the two items came from the same collection. Whatever the case it is extremely rare to find the items built and painted and all in such good condition. In many years of looking, I cannot recall seeing anything like this anywhere, only unmade kits.

By chance the models I happen to have here in stock do also match those illustrated in the catalogue, with the correct fixed shaped wheels on the Chevrolet and two Fords. Whilst the little red book accompanying the Great Book of Corgi refers to a black Bentley, all the illustrations I have seen have the green and cream model. Perhaps in the box, however, you might have received either.

I do not have the alternative BP transfers nor paint, brush or glue but the layout is a delightful reminder of how things once were.

Something as attractive as this is a remarkable addition to any Corgi collection and, although not as valuable as the whole lot in their original box(es) which sell for £4000 or more, I actually prefer this as I can look at it and smile every day.

I am not in a hurry to part company with this but if anyone is interested I will consider offers.

Corgi Gift Set 25 Garage Layout

This is my project for August, a comparatively quiet month for me and particularly so because my wife is in Ukraine and will be stuck there for a while. That leaves me free to occupy some space with Corgi material that doesn't have to be packed away every evening!

I now have all the bits and pieces. No, not an original box, nor the glue, paints and packing pieces, just the display things, so I cannot sell it for a fortune and retire - instead, I can enjoy it as I might have done 60+ years ago.

Missing until recently had been the Batley Leofric garages. Corgi Model Club to the rescue! No-one need know and I challenge anyone to tell the difference. 

I am not as adept at handling small parts as I once was and the 'up-and-over-door' mechanism is very fiddly but I got there in the end.

There are pieces to join the individual units as 'Mews garages' but I shall not do that and I don't believe the three in the catalogue illustration were joined either.

Things are taking shape. Waiting for the Corvair at the moment. I shall update this post in a few days.

All complete now. Enjoy the many views in the pictures below.

Corgi Kits

 

I was fortunate to find four #602 Corgi Kits last week. All are complete and probably had never been opened, with instructions, a membership form and unopened bag of pieces inside the original boxes. Whilst the contents are the same in each case, each box has some faults but nevertheless I would be happy to have any of them in my own collection and I'll keep whichever one remains.

The one above has creasing at one end.

This second one is the best and nearest to what we'd describe as 'excellent' with just very slight creasing at the bottom left.

The third box has one edge on which the glue has dried and a small piece of clear tape has been applied. There are creases on the two long sides and one crushed corner, with some marks on one side, maybe where a pen line has been rubbed off. 

The fourth box has one edge on which the glue has dried (but no repairs attempted) and there is a small crease where one corner has been slightly crushed.

Original instruction sheets can be hard to find now as they tend to get lost and I think I may make some copies. The paper may be hard to match but I will have a go and they may be useful to someone one day.

I can resist the temptation to keep one and make up the telephone boxes because I already have two excellent examples as part of my Garage Set. That reminds me - ever since I received the lovely layout mats for the Silverstone and Garage Sets I have not managed to find time to recreate the Garage Set display with all the pieces that I do have. Now that my wife is away in Ukraine and, even if she wanted to, couldn't get back very soon, it could be a good opportunity to do so without it being in anybody's way. So that will keep me occupied for a week or two - including finding the correct cars and building a couple of the garages - Model Club issues, of course, which are a perfectly acceptable substitute in my opinion.

Writing this has also highlighted the fact that I have not listed the Corgi Kits in the Catalogue at all! That's very remiss of me. I know that it took me a long time to get them all, and I never did get built examples of the Timekeeper's Building or complete Pit Buildings. However, I did have nice examples of complete sets in original boxes and should be able to find the pictures. Adding a section to the Catalogue should be easy enough as there were not any variations to worry about, or, at least, none that I am aware of and I can't imagine much that could have changed anyway.

The kits are great and original complete examples are expensive. You'll find my prices in the shop or just get in touch.

These AA and RAC Telephone Box sets that I have for sale are not cheap but the proceeds will go towards the money I am trying to save up for the any Silverstone Set buildings which I need to find again now I have the layout mat to display them on. Sets do appear occasionally but made-up buildings seem very scarce and, of course, not every owner was careful with the construction. It is a bit of a dilemma as I would probably prefer to make one myself and have my artist wife add any paint or decoration required. That does mean, however, spoiling a valuable original set, which bothers me. Now, if the Model Club were to reproduce all the Kits then that would be a marvellous thing! When you think about it, they have tended to want to reproduce the less common model variations on the basis that people would be happy to have a copy for £30 or so when the real thing maybe several hundred. (Let us let lie the matter of their seldom actually getting the specification right for these variations.) Reproducing Corgi Kits follows the same logic but with the bonus that the parts would be dead simple to make, being mere cheap plastic and they only need to pay some children in China or Bangladesh to put the pieces in a plastic bag, not build, paint and decorate as they have to do with model vehicles. They did the Batley Leofric Garage brilliantly. I wonder how sales went?

These mats incidentally, were produced for me by a chap called Wolfgang who regularly contributes quite authoritatively on various Corgi online groups. They're heavy duty plastic rather than fabric but have the advantage of laying flat and without any creases. Having said that they have been rolled up for a few years so I may have to encourage them to lay flat again. If he happens to read this perhaps he could let me know whether he can still get these made and I will provide a link for anyone who might like one. I should have an email address somewhere and will get in touch with him, if he doesn't respond to this, once it comes to light.

Now I appear to have given myself quite a few tasks. More news on how I get on to follow. What we really need are illustrations of the completed models and the layouts which I'll try and dig out or prepare.