BC's Other Britain's

[Leakeyvale]

David ...I have mine on spreadsheet with all sort of detail's David so nought "geeky" with that.

After a while you loose track of what you bought where and from who and at what price or at least I do. Mind you what I do for the daytime job involves loads of spreadsheets so it was natural for me to set one up ;D

Definitely not "geeky", sensible is what comes to mind.

I have Access databases set up for each collection with photographs and information for each item.  When renewing my collection insurance I can simply call a report and send a printed list with pictures and details of all the items that are over £100 in value.  Means I don't miss any and the insurance company is happy too.

It also means there is an inventory of the collection for other purposes.  Stu had me compile  databases of his Stirling Moss and other collections which was invaluable as it gave me a valuation for probate and on selling the Moss collection meant no time had to be taken to catalogue the contents.

[ploughmaster]

Both mine even the one in the Duck and Egg box has a plastic wheel so I expect this must have been a later boxed Duck and Egg one CMB

I think the one you have in the Picture Pack (Duck and Egg box) is probably incorrect. The Picture Packs were superseded by the Sleeve and Plinth boxes around 1960 (certainly before the numbering change in 1962 as some Sleeve and Plinth boxes exist with the old 138F number).  Most of the Sleeve and Plinth boxed ploughs have the metal wheel, and the indications are that the change to a plastic wheel happened towards the end of the 60's.

Sadly there are an awful lot of Britains toys that have been reboxed in the wrong boxes by collectors who don't appreciate the significance of the dates of changes to boxes and the changes to the models.  It makes dating changes very hard work.

[BC]

Well I suppose that is quite possible ploughmaster. Having said that it's a nice box and was also bought with Lot 138F the Disc harrow with instructions. I didn't pay a king's ransom for the two so I don't feel too too cheated.

[The Tractor Twitcher]

David ...I have mine on spreadsheet with all sort of detail's David so nought "geeky" with that.

After a while you loose track of what you bought where and from who and at what price or at least I do. Mind you what I do for the daytime job involves loads of spreadsheets so it was natural for me to set one up ;D

It is something I really enjoy doing at work compiling tracker files from each of the individual performance reports our store's system pumps out. I find it fascinating and it also helps when my area manager rings asking questions about how we're doing and you know full well he's done his homework.

I'm hoping the one i've now started for my collection will serve to make it easier identify any gaps within the themes I have displayed in the cabinets at the moment.

Definitely not "geeky", sensible is what comes to mind.

I have Access databases set up for each collection with photographs and information for each item.  When renewing my collection insurance I can simply call a report and send a printed list with pictures and details of all the items that are over £100 in value.  Means I don't miss any and the insurance company is happy too.

It also means there is an inventory of the collection for other purposes.  Stu had me compile  databases of his Stirling Moss and other collections which was invaluable as it gave me a valuation for probate and on selling the Moss collection meant no time had to be taken to catalogue the contents.

You're right Sue that's a far more sensible word than the slang one I chose to use.

I've made a start since I returned from work today and i've decided to go with OEM in alphabetical order, oldest to newest by model desigination, lowest to highest by horse power rating and smallest to largest by scale irrespective of model manufacturer as this is fairly close as to how i've got most of them displayed. Since I started posting on here i've always taken photographs of most of my purchases so will most likely add in a picture link too when time allows.

[fordson major]

I just looked back through the pictures after my comment on could we see unpacked  models. Thanks for showing them to us. They are some really nice models and some that I have never seen before in sets, so it was very interesting. keep on spending and posting pictures . I am sure there are a lot of us out there that are looking forward to it.  

[BC]

Glad you enjoyed them fordson major...yesterday's purchases to follow shortly.

[BC]

Well yesterday at the Scotfair show in Falkirk I was through that doors at 11 and round the three halls like a bat out of hell looking for elusive Britain's. Not a lot on offer and what I saw I already had and well most of the asking prices were over the top.

Never mind I started a more leisurly stroll through all the stalls and low and behold I stumbled on a shared stall with some smaller Britain's tucked away. Not my usual Britain's choice the military ones but when I looked at the condition of teh boxes and the asking prices I just had to have them after asking what will you take for the two of course ;)

First up No 9786 a US Jeep .....Looks an older box but anyone know when this was issued and ran for

Windscreen down

[BC]

The second one I bought was

No 9782 a Military Landrover....same style of box but I'm unsure of issue date and production run

Well that brings my Britain's / Ertl collection to 599. I really could not go home before finding another purchase to round it up now could I

[BC]

Well just before heading back home at 2pm I had a final dash around and found a few John Deeres on a table. I already had this one but teh box was mint and was only asking £ 8 so without further ado this one became No 600

No 40424 a John Deere Round baler 590 in an Elite box first issued in 2001

[ploughmaster]

Some nice finds again BC, and in very nice clean boxes too. 

At first glance the Jeep appears to be in an 'odd' box.  That style was phased out after 1976 and replaced by a camouflage effect box for most of the military vehicles/guns.  The Jeep must indeed be an early example as it was released in 1977, just as the change of box types was being made. It was deleted from the catalogue at the end of 1986.

The Army SWB Land Rover usually came in the box type that your example is in, but I recently spotted (on US eBay) the Land Rover in the same early box as your Jeep.  The Military SWB Land Rover was introduced in 1976, but yours will be from 1978 or later as it has the plain wheel centres (first used on the Ford 6600) and the generic vehicle/trailer tyres which were introduced with the Eight Wheeled Trailer (9558) in 1978 (previous ones had the old Land Rover style wheels with the correct Land Rover treaded tyres). it was eventually deleted in 1985, but had been put in a red chevron rainbow box since about 1980/81.

600 is quite a collection!  Even with all my colour variations etc, I have only got to about 950 (not including figures and accessories etc), and that includes a handful of non-Britains.

[BC]

Thanks for the informative response ploughmaster. I was well pleased with the box condition of the jeep and landrover

[BC]

Could we please see the models out of the packing as I am real curious like everybody else to see these lovely items you got.

That persons packing is fantastic. There are actually a few people that care after they have your money I got  an old broken Britain's fiat sent to me yesterday that was for parts. It was packed like a $3000 china tea set.

Then at the other end last month I paid a small fortune for a mint unboxed ford tw 25 and when it came the hole cab and hood was completely smashed. The Muppet threw it in an old cat food box with no proper packing and charged a fortune for it. I was so mad when the comment i got back was " well it was not like that when it left here tough "  It annoys me when you cant get insurance on some stuff to Canada and then the packing is  that poor 100% of poor packed stuff is busted when it gets here and at the price of some of it, it is not funny any more  .

Sorry fordson major I must have missed this post. I would be extremely hacked off with poor packaging.

I didn't realise you were in Canada. I met up with " the other green" aka TOG from Canada when he came back for a holiday in Scotland and England ( he emigrated with his family from Dumfries-shire 20 odd years ago ) but I have not seen or heard of him on this forum for ages.

Canada is a country I must visit but I think it will have to be after I retire so it can be a long long visit since I think it is a great looking country.

[BC]

I just looked back through the pictures after my comment on could we see unpacked  models. Thanks for showing them to us. They are some really nice models and some that I have never seen before in sets, so it was very interesting. keep on spending and posting pictures . I am sure there are a lot of us out there that are looking forward to it.

Well fordson major as long as I'm able to afford and I'm not pushing up the daisy's I plan to continue adding to my Britain's and ERTL collection and also my beloved Border Fine Arts one ;)

[BC]

Yesterday 3 more Britain's arrived

No 42571 Ford 7000 & Cultivator set (Weathered effect)

[BC]

Father Christmas arrived rather late in Drumoak this year but what has he left me a video recorder and a kettle ;)

No thank goodness  ;D

[BC]

The oldest one is No 9670 a red dumper with driver and load and traffic signs in window display box. Issued I think in 1968 and ran until 1978.

[BC]

Now out of the box to have a play

Now look at that simple and effective steering Britain's made back then

[BC]

Next up No 9554 a Kverneland vari width 8 furrow plough in a Cheveron Rainbow box. Think this came out in 1985 and ran till 1990.

Now look the simple plastic key thing to keep the model in place. Again why don't Britain's dispense with those ruddy plastic wires they use nowadays and have something as simple as they did in the past

[BC]

Moving on and surprisly I do buy Massey models ;)

No 9514 an MF595 with roolbar and byre scraper in a Cheveron Rainbow box. Odd place to have a roll bar though

I think this one only ran from 1986 to 1988

Again the simple metal / alloy key for keeping the model in place

[BC]

Now a Power Farm set No 9381 A Ford TW35 (No 9321) with aVicon Vari-spreader (No9341). I think this was out between 1987 and 1991

[BC]

Now out of the box for a play if only I had a battery to see if it does actually work

[BC]

Moving on next we have No 9523 an Orange Fiat DT90-90 half track in a Banded box which I think was out between only 1989 and 1990.

Well that concludes the older ones from my latest purchases.

[BC]

Now I only started recollecting Britain's in 2004 and had never seen any of the Little Farmer models other than in the pocket catalogues.

When I saw and few of then in minter boxes and at a reasonable price I though well they are Britain's and 1/32 scale so let me have some.

First up is No 40561 The Blue tractor and round baler

It was based on the JD5410 excluding front weight and with privacy glass in the cab ;)

The baler was based on No 9532 the Farmhand Round Baler.

I think this model was out between 2002 until 2004

[BC]

Next one up from Little Farmer No 40562 Red Tractor and Disc harrow.

Issued between 2002 and 2004 but really more Nuffield orange than red

The tractor was based on the JD 5410 and again with privacy glass. The disc harrow was based on No 9952 which was the Cooper Disc harrows.

[BC]

Moving on No 40577 Little digger issued between 2003 and 2004

Based on No 40060 the JCB 3CX it was orange in colour and again privacy glass