robbo

This poster appeared on the G & M Facebook page yesterday if that helps

Brill Smithy, my granddaughter gave me something similar a couple of years ago, perhaps we should start a new trend

makes me wish that I had kept hold of the Maxxum 5150 that I sold just before Christmas, £40 I got for it if I remember rightly. It would also have made a good display alongside the Magnum that I have just got as well, que sera.

Not a brand that I normally collect but just thought there was something rugged and appealing about this model

It is also going to hit the EU sellers coming over to Spalding, people like Neils Anchelon and Martin Smits, they are going to have to add 20% tax on top of all of their prices and that is going to wipe out any profit that they would have made as they might not be able to compete with the UK sellers. It is a nightmare to someone like me who collects Italian models, I get quite a few from Italian sellers and at least one has cancelled my purchase already this year. I have emailed another Dutch seller and asked where my order stands with them but so far they have not go back to me. I may well have to stump up another 20% if I still want the models.

This on the BBC this morning Anyone in the UK receiving a gift from the EU worth more than £39 may now face a bill for import VAT - with many items charged at 20%. For goods costing more than £135, customs duties may also apply, which can range from 0% to 25% of the product you're buying if they have not been paid by the sender already. The extra charges are usually collected by the courier on behalf of the government, with customers asked to pay before they can pick up their package. Some firms have started charging additional "handling fees" to shoppers to cover costs associated with extra customs checks and paperwork that must be filled out. Royal Mail, for example, is charging an £8 fee it says "reflects the cost of clearing items through customs and presenting them to Border Force". Meanwhile, delivery firm DHL says it is charging UK customers 2.5% of the amount paid to clear customs, with a minimum charge of £11. Mail and freight company TNT is also adding £4.31 on all shipments from the UK to the EU and vice versa. It has said this reflects the increased investment it has had to make in adjusting its systems to cope with Brexit.

That is my big worry Bazza, it is going to dissuade UK sellers from going to Zwolle and also Dutch sellers coming over to the likes of Spalding, a lose/lose situation for both sellers and buyers. So the next question would be, do we, as buyers, have to pay tax on things that we buy at the show in Holland and then bring back home? There are one or two on here who fill up their cars with bargains or rarities that are not often seen in the UK, me for instance (although I don't spend as much as some others).

That is under discussion at the moment. This is a downside of collecting Italian tractors, the rare ones are in Italy

I remember our local Toymaster closing down and they were selling off the JD 4020 for £6 each. I did buy some thinking that I might be able to make a profit on them but I barely broke even, can't see them selling too well this time around either

That is certainly one of the issues to look out for. Does that mean that if we do come to the show and buy a model do we have to ask for an invoice to prove the price paid as that may be subject to 20% VAT in returning to the UK?

I suspect that this is also going to affect UK sellers going to the European shows (Zwolle) and also Euro sellers coming over to Spalding who may need to pay tax on their sales and purchases going forward. I hope that doesn't stop us as collectors going to the Euro shows and that we do not have to pay tax on purchases when we get back to the UK. That would cost David an arm and a leg and Mr Softies car full doesn't bear thinking about

Is anyone else having problems with postage to and from the EU now that Brexit is complete? I have had an order with an Italian supplier since November last year for a conversion but it was not completed until late December. He has now been told that Italy is not currently allowing shipment to the UK and he also need to register for customs declarations and that is going to cost him 700 euros. He cannot afford to do that for just one model so is having to cancel my order, not a happy bunny!

You are going to need larger cabinets

I don't buy many leaflets or pamphlets but this one caught my eye. It is 16 pages and explains the different models and variants in the MF range with the specifications of most of the popular models in the follow on to the Red Giants range. I would now like to find part 1 if anyone knows where I could get it.

It is possible to get a Fiat 1300 2 wheel drive but it has the later style cab so I haven't yet made my mind up about it, we shall see................

Another one of the older style Fiats off the list. 2 wheel drive version to go with the 4WD that I already have

I would be interested to hear your comparison between the Schuco version and those done by FM Modelbau and miniagrisystem

Whoops, might just have got myself a new lock down project

I have also got all 4 versions on order and they won't be delivered until they are all available. I would be interested myself if anyone has got one as to how good they are.

Quite possibly, it also has Britains on the tyres but I didn't build it so I would only be guessing

Following on from the Marshall and going back in time. The Leyland 270 from The Model Tractor Co, (SCALEdown), Leyland 4100 that I got at Spalding some years ago and a Dinky Leyland in orange. The Dinky version also comes in blue and red but the prices for these are soaring and I can't justify them at the moment

Yes please that would be great

Been a while since I added to this but though I would put a photo of my latest arrival next to its larger brother

Latest arrival from Bazza at UTS

These are not my photos but I thought they were too good not share. They were taken in 1979 by Steve Crowther who was working with the J & S Lewis dealership and believed to have been a demo day. Somebody please give me a time machine so that I can go back and watch the entire day from dawn till dusk.