The empty box collector does not exist

From a conversation with Patrick Dufour, one of the pioneers of the collection.

 

He has devoted a large part of his life to building a vast and varied collection. It encompasses a century of automobile construction through toy reproductions of all scales, with a preference for 1:43… a choice dictated by space constraints.

 

Car model collectors have varied motivations; each approaches the adventure in their own way; it can last a few months or a lifetime.

 

All these ideas are defensible and respectable, but it takes strength of character to face this challenge over the long term. I can still hear Patrick Dufour telling me, during a conversation about the additional price involved in the box, that he collected miniature reproductions of cars, not toys. He added that the absence of the box wasn’t an obstacle to acquiring the model, especially since it significantly reduced the price of the coveted miniature.

 

Over the past forty years, the market has evolved. The pioneers of collecting, who primarily sought a miniature reproduction of a car, have gradually given way to toy collectors. And the box is an integral part of the toy. It contributes to its history and explains many things.

 

This week, we have many empty boxes. They are now largely as sought-after as the models they contain.

 

I don’t yet know any collectors of empty boxes; they remain complementary to the models’ accessories, but they could constitute a collection on their own.

 

You can sometimes acquire the box before finding the model. If it’s rare, why not.

 

Completing your model with the box is good, but you still have to make sure you put the right model inside.

 

It’s not always easy, but when you do it, what a thrill.

 

This week we have a beautiful first Leyland Comet box with open sides. This box can only hold a truck equipped with convex rims. The first ones released.

My opinion on boxes has evolved over the decades.

 

Not out of imitation of other enthusiasts, but because my perception of the object has evolved.

 

In my journey as a toy collector, I quickly appreciated the presence of packaging.

 

Over the past twenty years, I’ve also realized that the condition of the box is also important. It makes sense.

 

Today, I find myself replacing boxes from the Solido 10 series, models that I had purchased myself in stores.

 

I neglected them somewhat, hoarding them with little consideration. They were so easy to obtain, so common…

The Wayne coach, available as a regular bus from the School Bus version onwards, is a splendid object.

 

The management at the time seems to have had a predilection for the turquoise color: Ford Anglia, Holden sedan, and Ford Capri shared this two-tone harmony with the Wayne “Continental Tour” coach.

 

It was always difficult to obtain, as its production was relatively short. The fashion for utility vehicles had passed. However, Liverpool persisted and even produced several superb vehicles of American origin, such as the GMC MacLean tractor-trailer and the GMC Brink’s armored van, both of which remained on the shelves of toy dealers and did not achieve the commercial success hoped for.

 

What about the box of the “Continental Tour” version? It retains the Dinky Toys spirit and this tradition of luxury. It consists of a cardboard base, now pale yellow, and a sturdy cardboard lid. But Liverpool abandoned its legendary livery of blue horizontal lines on a white background. How did Liverpool’s traditionalists react to this change?

 

Now, it’s replaced by a drawing of the model on a lemon yellow background, while a small illustration of the model in action adorns the left side.

 

Here, it appears to be traveling on the winding roads of the Himalayas or the twists and turns of the Andes Mountains… The illustrations are designed to stimulate the imagination. The term “Continental” truly inspired the illustrator. The utility models of this period, the mid-1960s, all featured this type of presentation.

 

Now, all these versions are difficult to obtain (Leyland Octopus chain-driven, Coles 20-ton self-propelled crane, Leyland Beaver yellow and gray car transporter, etc.)

If you prefer traditional Supertoys colors, we have a Foden Mk2 Regent tanker that is a pure aesthetic marvel.

 

I’m surprised people no longer notice this splendid color combination; it delighted my father every time he saw one.

 

This unique blue, with its purple highlights, this dark red, and the white line separating the two colors make this tanker a little masterpiece.

 

I remember very well when we bought our model, proof that this vehicle made an impression on me.

 

The “Supertoys”-style box, with blue and white stripes, adds to the pleasure of ownership. Prices have dropped significantly. They were probably too high.