C is for Catch-up - Sandown Park - November

And so to the most recent show, about a month ago, I was actually trying to be frugal (Christmas is coming and I knew I had parcels to post (all done now - phew!)), but managed to grab a big bag for a fiver at clearing-up time from one of the die-cast guys.

The bag's top right and explored below, but among the other things was another Tula Cartridge Works AFV, a BTR152 (I think?) 6x6 wheeled carrier, a boat-trailer which looks very Thomas/Poplar but still needs to be checked against the tractors and their equipment to see if any of the wheels match, I'll also have to find the right boat and a tower! I also picked-up a small VW-Beetle type from Hong Kong which may be Blue Box, or may be one of several imitators - although they were all copying Matchbox or similar. Then there's the WHS's I've already Blogged as a follow-up.

There were also a few Blue Box small scale Wild West including a wagon, less one horse, Magic Roundabout Ermentrude and Gladiator premiums, Marx HK lifeguard, the composition Guards and a few other things. I got the Cherilea Sheikh from Steve Vickers, I always have a look at his table as he always has such lovely stuff, but it's often a bit beyond my budget (high-end plastic, quality hollow-cast and the odd bit of European composition), so I was well-pleased to find something.

My big mistake was the Xandria Holland key-ring, the seller had at least five (and they weren't cheap!); I instantly recognised Brains clutching his model spaceship and Lady Penelope with her mauve costume-jewellery, there was a Parker (I think - don't remember seeing the mafia violin-case) and a darker blue Tracy boy I thought I had, but I couldn't remember any of mine having a radio, so thought I'd found a sixth pose and bought this one. needless to say I do have it and then imagined I'd seen three Tracy's and left the 'wrong' one, but I think that's wishful thinking, and the seller had the same group as me? So this one is available with a straight swap for an equally interesting thing, if anyone wants him!

The thing second-down from the left is a blow-moulded chicken with tin-legs, and why not!

I bought the bag of Wild West for these chaps; dead common in oxide brown or an off white (the two at the bottom), but less common in these bright colours. They are good quality Hong Kong copies of the Jean figures from Germany and I rather like them!

The bag also contained a mix of British plastic and Hong Kong figures, and in each shot the upper row were 'keeps', the lower row was in the recycling by midday on the Sunday! Except the Timpo Indians, where I decided to keep the two middle figures, until I've checked them against my box of bits, where I may or may not have them, if I need them I'll glue them.

I know - I've already posted a bigger shot! But Adrian had put these to one side for me, and it was in the collageing of these, here, that I got the idea for the other 'eye-candy' shot! All W. Germany-marked, four with integral wheels and five with separate wheels and . . . I can't get enough of them!

Adrian had also put the chariot aside for me, we have looked at one, which I debagged due to its having already broken-free, but this bag looks to be holding-up well, so will remain as a 'minter' although the bag is getting the fogging of a million micro-folds!

John Begg (PTS52 on eBay) managed to find me the WWII leaders, not in time for the posts earlier this year, but that was only because I'm an impatient git, there is another post on the Monogram legacy, on the way at some point, and I'll do these closer then.

Finally and for something completely different, with the Earth dying an'all that pink-monkey related shit, it was nice to see the plastic cutlery being replaced by wooden alternatives - I can report that the knife was bloody good and dealt with proper bacon - no problem - but the fork was a bit less successful and split after the first prod! It's probably steam-shaped and that weakens the grain?

Also - a big thanks to the management at Sandown Park for getting back to a full breakfast with drink (tea or coffee) for a fiver, it's been creeping up to seven or eight quid plus for the two this last year or so, and I began to wonder if the 'Saturday crew' knew what they were doing, let's hope it now stays back at a fiver-with-drink for a while?

So four shows, four posts, filled a weekend if nothing else! Some of it we've already seen in close-up, some of it we won't see again for years, like that trailer, for instance - I really will have to find the boat and the towing vehicle before it can be Blogged properly; right now I don't now whether to put it with the unknown boats & ships, or with the 'Car Ferry' farm sets!

It's all grist to the mill - more tomorrow, if I remember!