Review: Matchbox and JDM Tuner Haul August 2020

I've actually wanted to do this post for a couple of weeks now, and I'd even taken the photos in preparation for it, but alas, laziness got in the way and so... here we are. It might be a little late, but given the lacklustre distribution and the stores' ambiguous re-stocking timeframe, this is probably still relevant to Australian readers.

I have always been a car guy and played with toy cars for as long as I can remember. I briefly collected 1/18 scale diecast model cars until they became too expensive to purchase willy nilly. So I moved downscale to 1/43, but even these are now to the point where I cannot justify paying 3 figures for. So what do I do? I scour the toy sections and look at Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars and anything else in between. Kinda full circle and back to where I started. 

Doing the rounds and checking the pegs has been more disappointing lately more than satisfying as you see the same items staying on pegs for months, or the stores just keep restocking with the same items that no one wanted anymore. Why?? Why do you buy certain things in bulk and not enough of others?? This meant that every time I spot something new, it felt like a mini lottery win.

This haul was from just after mid August in Sydney Australia, and to be honest, I was quite surprised at the Matchbox cars I came across. They were... on time!! Now I'm not a completist, and I only take what I can and what I like, so this is what I ended up with.

The IWC/Mercedes I've already covered in a separate post previously, so on this post I'll focus on the 2 Matchbox superfast and the JDM Tuners.

The Superfast gets its name from the sort of tyres used on the cars - ie they're super fast. but there are also opening doors and more detailed tampos on the cars. The one thing about Matchbox casting is that they tend to be more realistic, in terms of the shape and scale, whereas Hot Wheels would exaggerate certain aspects to make them look "good". I didn't open the regular matchbox cars. Thought I'd save them for another day.

These are supposed to be better made with more details compared to the regular Matchbox cars, to justify their higher price point. To be honest, they feel like the basic Matchbox cars from 20 years ago. I guess if they wanted to keep the $3 basic price point they needed to cut a few corners, and this I can completely understand.

This is probably the best view of the Pontiac. 

The tampos looks kinda weird for me - it's almost like they did the stickers then put the doors on after

The JDM Tuners are on a different scale. They're supposed to be a proper1/64, and are larger than the roughly 1/64 scale that the Matchbox cars come in. I believe Matchbox/Hot Wheels/Tomica build theirs to "fit" the "box" so aren't really true 1/64 scale. The JDM Tuners are not cheap, and to be honest, the casting isn't great. However, if I wanted a Toyota Supra with a more realistic casting at the same scale, I'd be looking at $50-60, which, I might add, is how much 1/18 scale model cars used to cost, albeit about 20 years ago. Not all the JDM casting are equal; some are more successful than others. I'm a sucker for anything Toyota Supra (but I draw a line at the fast and furious Supra model made by Jada Toys. That casting is just crap).

JDM Tuner Supra - acceptable casting given the price point...

The Nissan "Hakosuka" - the first generation of the Skyline GTR, from 1969-72. Worth an absolute fortune today

With JDM tuners I'll be very picky in terms of what models I buy. The Hakosuka is possibly one of the best castings done by them (relative to their other models). The Matchbox Superfast I would also be picky and only pick up what I really like. But I really wish we would get more of a choice and better distribution here than what is currently the case.