[Canucklehead]

A brief, and not necessarily correct, history lesson for those that may be interested...

Beginning in 2001, Mattel Inc. began producing a new line of 1/72 scale die-cast aircraft under their "Matchbox Collectibles" banner. At first these aircraft were of the World War II era, but would eventually branch out to include models from World War I and the Cold War as well. With qualty construction, colourful tampo-pad decals, and detailed paint work these models proved quite popular with collectors, but failed to gain a foothold in the cutthroat business that is mass market children's toys, and low sales eventually led to the line's indefinite hiatus, and most possible demise.

The first releases were the "Platinum Edition" series, which included such favorites as the P-51 Mustang, Spitfire, P-38 Lightning, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat and P-40 Warhawk. Working from molds once used by Matchbox to make plastic "build them yourself" models in the 1970s, fairly accurate depictions of these aircraft were targeted less, for children, and more with the collector in mind. At first this series was only available through mail-order and a very few specialty stores. Their rather high prices did not go over well, for while the product was sound, it was not of the calibre most collectors expected for the amount of money asked. To most they appeared as high-quality toys, but toys none the less.

The Platinum Editions' defining characteristics were their black and silver coloured boxes, with opaque black plastic inserts to hold the model, certificate of authenticity, and very poorly designed display stand. The stand seems very similar to that of later series, but has two (very easy to spot) differences. The first, and less important detail is that the "Matchbox" logo is framed with a rectangle, instead of an oval. The other difference is that instead of the later T-shaped slot that effectively locks the model onto the stand, there is just a straight slot that proves of little value in holding the model, which would eventually lead to collapse, damage, and an unhappy collector. Sales for these models were not that successful until they were heavily marked down and made available at discount stores for a fraction of the original price.

Most collectors agree that the Platinum Edition series is for the serious completist only. The main reason for that is because later in 2001, Mattel re-released the entire first series as their introductory mass-market effort. For the most part, the product is the same, except for an improved stand, more consumer-friendly packaging, and most importantly, a lower price point that attracted far more business. They were also far more available, being sold at both department stores and an increased number of specialty and internet retailers. For many, being able to pick up such decent quality models so easily was a revelation, and many die-cast aircraft collectors will tell you that without Matchbox Collectibles, they may not have discovered their hobby at all.

The second series of aircraft were on the market by 2002. This series featured the aircraft associated with members of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio. The selection of aircraft remained the same as the first round, with fantastic new liveries and the NAHF logo on the box and stand being the main differences.

Series 3 arrived in 2003, with several new exciting models in the line-up. The axis powers were represented by the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Focke Wulf 190, and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt also made it's first appearance, while the P-51 and Spitfire came back for another repaint. Unfortunately, it was about this time that retail chain store interest began to dissipate. While the planes were still great for the price, the interest for bulk sales just wasn't there.

Later in 2003 the so called "Canadian" series was released. This fourth installment was at first only released to Canadian retailers, but stocks proved too much for the market north of the 49th parallel and soon the models would be made available to collectors in the United States as well. This series featured repaints of the third series newcomers, as well as the P-40 and Corsair.

Four of the models from this series, the Zero, P-47, P-40 and Corsair, were also repackaged and re-released in 2004, which proved to be the last year that any new product would be made. 1/48 scale versions of WW I favourites such as the Spad and Fokker tri-plane were teamed with the WWII re-releases, another P-47 repaint and two different 1/72 versions each of Cold War warriors like the F-86 Sabre, MiG 15, F-100 Super Sabre, and F-104 Starfighter did quite a lot to get collector's hopes up that the line would continue. Packaging was changed to make the models that much more palatable to the consumer. Unfortunately, part of this change was from the old snap-tight plastic bubble to a new heat sealed version that has proven impossible to re-use.

In late 2004 new repaints of the P-51 and Hellcat were brought out, and they have proven to be the last of the Matchbox Collectibles Aviation collection. Photos of pre-production models for a possible Chuck Yeager series were circulated in early 2005, but since then very little positive information about the line's continuance has been gleaned from Mattel HQ. For any toy line, four years is a fairly good run, and Mattel has seen fit to cut their losses and move on to other things. Slowly but surely, collectors of these once highly sought after models are doing the same.

Don't it always seem to go...

[Canucklehead]

Here's a list of everything Matchbox, as begun by Mr. Horrido on MH #1. I've fleshed out the details a bit.


Platinum Editions
92098 North American P-51D Mustang, Cpt. Roscoe Brown, CO 100th FS, 322nd FG USAAF, the famed "Tuskegee Airmen"
92099 Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair, "LucyBelle", Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, VMF-214 USMC
92101 Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, "White 59", VF-17 "Jolly Rogers", USS Hornet , USN (white diamonds on tail and wingtips)
92106 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IA, Sqn. Ldr. Brian Lane, CO 19 Sqn, RAF
92107 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, Col. Robert L. Scott, CO 23rd FG USAAF (red spinner)
92108 Lockheed P-38 Lightning "Mama's Boy", Lt. E Wasil Silver 55th FS, 20th FG, USAAF

2001 Releases
97473 North American P-51D Mustang, Cpt. Roscoe Brown, CO 100th FS, 322nd FG, USAAF, the famed "Tuskegee Airmen"
97476 Lockheed P-38 Lightning "Mama's Boy", Lt. E Wasil Silver 55th FS, 20th FG, USAAF
97477 Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair, "LucyBelle", Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, VMF-214, USMC*
97478 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, Col. Robert L. Scott, CO 23rd FG, USAAF (red spinner)
97479 Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, "White 59", VF-17 "Jolly Rogers", USS Hornet, USN (white diamonds on tail and wingtips)
97481 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IA, Sqn. Ldr. Brian Lane, CO 19 Sqn, RAF

2002 Releases NAHF Series
91057 North American P-51D Mustang, "Petie 2nd", Lt. Col. John Meyer, 352nd FG 487th FS, USAAF
91058 Lockheed P-38J Lightning, "Scat II", Maj. Robin Olds, 434th FS, 479th FG, USAAF
91059 Curtis P-40E Warhawk, "White 112", American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers", Gen. Claire Lee Chennault commanding (green spinner)
91093 Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair, "White 833", Maj. Gen. Marion Carl, VMF-223, USMC
91099 Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, "Minsi II", Commander (Air Group) David McCampbell, USS Essex, USN
91366 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IA, Lt. Col. William Dunn, 71 (Eagle) Sqn, RAF

2003 Releases
91731 Messerschmitt Bf 109G, Oberleutnant Erich Hartmann, 9./JG 52, Luftwaffe
91732 Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero, Naval Air Pilot 1/C Takeo Tanimizu 203rd FG, IJN (solid green)
91733 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R-2, Unteroffizier Willi Maximowitz, IV./JG 3, 11.Staffel, Luftwaffe
91734 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, Lt. Col. Francis "Gabby" Gabreski, 61st FS, 56th FG, USAAF
91735 North American P-51D Mustang, "Old Crow", Clarence 'Bud' Anderson, 363rd FS, 357th FG, USAAF
91736 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.II, "Garfield Weston IV", Lt. Adolphe Vybiral, 312 Sqn. (Czech), RAF

Canadian Releases
B1097 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-4/Trop, "Triple White Chevron", Hauptmann Gustav Rodel, Gruppenkommandeur II.JG/27, Luftwaffe
B1098 Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero, IJN, (mottled green camo)
B1099 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8, Hauptmann Heinz Bar, Kommandeur II.JG/1, Luftwaffe
B1100 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, Major Glenn T. Eagleston, 353rd FS 345th FG, USAAF
B1101 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, "Aleutian Tigers", 11th FS, 343rd FG, USAAF (bengal tiger on cowling, yellow spinner)
B1102 Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair, "White 183", VF-84 "Jolly Rogers", USS Bunker Hill, USN (white arrows, yellow cowl)

2004 Releases
B6938 Fokker Dr.1, Manfred von Richthofen, CO JG./1, Imperial German Army Air Service (Blue. What color would you think it is? It's the frickin' RED Baron!)
B6939 Spad XIII, Lt. Frank Luke Jr., US Army 27th Aero Sqn. (marked with a black and white "26")
B6940 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 15 "Fagot", CCCP (silver)
B6941 North American F-86 Sabre, Mike Keenum's NX188RL, painted as "Mig Mad Marine", Major John Glenn, Jr. (USMC), 51st Fighter Intercept Wing, Korea
B6942 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 22nd FS, 36th FG(red nose, yellow tail)
B6947 Spad XIII, Cpt. Eddie Rickenbacker, US Army 94th Aero Sqn (marked with a white and red "1")
B6948 Lockheed F-104C Starfighter, Cpt. Thomas Stafford, USAF (silver)
B6949 North American F-100D Super Sabre, Lt. Joe H. Engle, USAF (silver)
B6950 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 15 "Fagot", People's Liberation Army Air Force (China) (green)
B6951 North American F-86 Sabre, Lt. Col. Francis Gabreski, USAF (black and white stripes)
B6952 Fokker Dr.1 Werner Voss, CO Jasta 10, Imperial German Army Air Service (green)
B8284 Lockheed F-104C Starfighter, Fitzhugh "Fitz" Fulton, NASA (blue and white)
B8285 North American F-100D Super Sabre, Cpt. Richard "Dick" Rutan, USAF (green camo)
C4498 Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero, IJN, (mottled green camo) (Re-release)
C4499 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, Major Glenn T. Eagleston, 353rd FS 345th FG, USAAF (re-release)
C4500 Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair, "White 183", VF-84 "Jolly Rogers", USS Bunker Hill, USN (white arrows, yellow cowl) (re-release)
H3737Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, "Aleutian Tigers", 11th FS, 343rd FG, USAAF (bengal tiger on cowling, yellow spinner) (re-release)
H3738 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat, "White 32"/"Vrac", Lt. Alexander Vraciu, VF-16 "Pistol Packin' Airdales", USS Lexington, USN
H3739 North American P-51D Mustang, "Shangri-La", Maj. Dominic Gentile, War Bond Tour, USAAF


Pre-Production models
Limited Release Platinum Edition Lockheed P-38J Lightning, "Scat II", Maj. Robin Olds, (several were made available on eBay)
Not released North American P51D Mustang - Chuck Yeager
Not released Lockheed F104 Starfighter - Chuck Yeager
Not released Bell X1 - Chuck Yeager

[DADoser]

Thanks for posting this. Just earlier this week, I was thinking of this post from the old Hangar. Much appreciated.

[Tri-motor]

Great job! Much appreciated. I made a copy of the old list. Your's is much more detailed & accurate. I've still got all my MBs. They are much-prized & still the best in my eyes. Most were bought at Target "in person". A dying trend.....(I did "race" the mom & kid down the aisle on a couple of occassions)!

[STARMAN 352ND]

Good work mate.
I just printed that list out.
I wished they had got that Yeager Mustang out before they stopped making them.
JP

[B17Fan]

Great work on the list, MB is the main reason I'm back collecting planes again..Tri-Motor, your right about Target...used to love being able to pick up a plane here and there, while shopping for household goods,
Now I can see I'm missing a couple...

[Tone]

I have a collection of these, and the smaller Sky-Busters toys as well ... they are the cross-over collectible linked to the old beloved Matchbox 1-75 regular wheels vehicle series of 1953-69.

[STARMAN 352ND]

Originally Posted by Canucklehead

Spitfire 97481 Brian Lane

Do you have this spitfire?
JP

[Canucklehead]

If you're talking to me, and I assume you are, then yes, yes I have that particular Spitfire. Why do you ask?

[STARMAN 352ND]

I have never seen the Matchbox one you have a pic ?
JP