#544 MAJORETTE - SONIC FLASHERS (SERIES 2300) (VARIOUS MODELS) (1989 and 1990)

From 1989 Catalogue

I already wrote one entry about Sonic Flashers, but this entry is more ambitious and will try to explain a little more about them.

This line was launched in 1989 and from the very beginning it had great sales. This success would later lead to a diversification of the line, with new and parallel lines, like military vehicles, planes... each series had a different number. The "ordinary" Sonic Flashers were series 2300, and each model had a reference number 23XX. This entry will be devoted only to the standard 2300 series.

The action feature, of course, was that each car made a particular sound and some light effect that could be activated when pushed down. On the inside each car has a small printed circuit board with a cell battery. According to the advertisement, the battery was able to operate the feature over 1500 times. Most models were based on previously existing Majorette models, although some were modified, probably to let enough space on the interior for the circuit board. Majorette didn´t allow to change batteries in the first models, although some others later models had screws instead of rivets.

2301 POLICE CAR (PORSCHE 928) ("POLIZEI" GERMAN VER.) and 2304 PACE CAR

As said before, the line was launched first in 1989 with only 3 different casts and 8 references. Those first models were:

• Porsche 928 (Police, Pace Car, Rescue Vehicle)
• Ford Bronco (Sheriff, Fire Engine, 4X4 Rallye)
• Ford Transit (Ambulance, Police Van)

 

 

The Police decoration of the Porsche was adapted to Germany in this especial model I am showing here, together with two versions of the Pace Car (red or yellow sirens).

From 1990 Catalogue

The next year, 1990, the line was expanded with several new models and decorations. The models from the previous year were still available, the new were:

• Chevrolet Impala Police
• Pompier "Fire Truck"
• Fougon "Police Van"
• Ambulance
• BMW 750i
• Chevrolet Corvette (Coupé and ZR 1)
• Sport Prototype ("Sebring Team" and "Daytona Team")
• Depaneuse "Tow Truck"

2309 CHEVROLET IMPALA POLICE

  2313 BMW 750i 

2318 SPORT PROTO 

2310 FIRE TRUCK/POMPIER

Pompier compared with the original cast from the 200 series

2314 RACE CAR (CHEVROLET CORVETTE)

Each model was equipped with a suitable sound, these were available:

• Police
• Alert
• Emergency
• Fire
• Horn
• Brakes
• Truck Horn
• Not defined yet (by the time Majorette published the catalogues and the backcards, two cars were promised a "new sound", this sound was actually a motor sound while accelerating and shifting gears).

Since the line was becoming more and more popular, there were also gift packs available with several cars inside. Some sets could be really big, some even mixing vehicles from the 2300 series with planes or helicopters of other Sonic Flashers' series.

In 1991, again new models, new decorations and new sounds:
The Chevrolet Impala gets a new decoration in blue instead of black, and the Pace Car Porsche will be released in yellow instead of orange. More interesting is the rename of the BMW 750i to 535i, although I think the blue models still had "750i" tampographied on the doors.

The new models/decorations are:

• BMW 535i in black
• Ambulance in red "Fire Rescue"
• Ferrari "Super GT"
• Semi Truck
• 4X4 Beverage Truck
• Ford Bronco 4X4 "Crash Car"

The new sounds are "music", "broken glass" and "turn signal/car horn".

In 1992, there were less news, only

• Ford Bronco "Police 4X4" with machine gun sound
• 6X6 S.W.A.T. with missile lauch sound
• Rocket Launcher with missile lauch sound

From 1993 on, there were only new decorations made but no new sounds or casts. This year, the yellow train was also released as part of the 2340 series, which are to the 2300 series what the 300 series is to the 200.

Some casts created for this series were later reused in the ordinary series. Although this model is quite recent, I include here the pictures of the Sport Proto made in the early 2000s, without sound or lights:

UPDATE (JAN/2017): Depannause in Red from 1991 (ref. 2315).

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: SEVERAL SONIC FLASHERS´ MODELS (Nr. 2301, 2304, 2309, 2310, 2313, 2314, 2315 and 2318)
• Scale: 1:64 (aprox.)
• Year: 1989, 1990 and 1991
• Company: Majorette (France)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#543 SMURFS - VARIOUS FIGURES (1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978)

In a previous entry I summarized the history of the smurf plastic figures by Schleich and Bully. Until now I owned 3 figures from Schleich (the king and two aboriginal Smurfs), but later I bought a lot of around 20 figures, all of which I´d like to present in this entry.

This time, all of them are marked Bully, and represent models made between 1969 and 1977. I have got another king Smurf and another aboriginal Smurf, so I can compare the marking on the bases, and how similar they are. Apart from a slight colour shade variations, the figures are identical.

So, using my Smurf Figure guide (#428), I have classified this lot according to the release year of each figure, and this is how I want to present them here:

1969 and 1970:

Astronaut and Smurf with Scarf (1969)
Laughing Smurf (1970) (needs to be cleaned)

1973:

Wild Smurf
King Smurf
Smurf with wings
Cook
Mocking Smurf
Physician/ Doctor

1971 and 1974:

Smurfette (1971)
Beer Smurf (1974)
Funny Smurf (1974)

 

1975:

Sitting Smurf

Upside-down Smurf

1976: (complete, only three figures this year, leaving out variants)

Painter Smurf
Clown
Ski Smurf

My clown figure was "Made in Portugal". Portuguese figures seem a bit rarer to find.

1977 and 1978:

Swimming Smurf (1977)
Accident Smurf (1978)

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: VARIOUS SMURF FIGURES
• Toy Line: The Smurfs
• Year: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977
• Company: Schleich and Bully (both West-Germany)
• Size of the figures: approx. 5 cm

#542 JSJW - GROßSTÄDTE DER WELT (Around 1953)

I love this deck of cards and the pictures of the world´s most important cities, as they were in the 50s. The pictures show interesting views of the cities, like the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London, or the Vatican City in Rome (not very accurate, but we get the point...).

Especially interesting are the oriental cities, which have today millions of habitants and their downtowns have hundreds of skyscrapers. My favorite cards are Singapore and Hong Kong. In the 50s it was different. Also interesting are pictures from cities whose most important monument was not built yet, like, for example, Sidney.

The quartett game is made by Josef Schneider Jr. from Vienna around 1953, and it is therefore one of the oldest quartetts I have. The markings on the box are: J.S.J. W.

Unfortunately there is very Little information I could find about this man and his factory, except that it was founded in 1928, then vanished and then re-started in 1946 after WW2, remaining a few years more with their production. It is interesting to mention, that Vienna those days was divided in four sections, controlled by foreign powers, and in general they were very hard times for the people living there. The access to materials for fabrication of anything was very difficult, and the means to build them were also obsolete, so most Austrian games from these years are not very qualitative.

The cards are not very accurately cutted, note the card on the right.

JSJW was basically a card manufacturer, although they also produced several educative and strategic board games.

The cards back then were usually a bit bigger than usual, and the box is also quite big. It represents a book, with cover and spine and a nice appearance of leather.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: GROßSTÄDTE DER WELT
• Year: Around 1953
• Company: JSJW – Josef Schneider Jr. Wien (Austria)

#541 MATCHBOX - SNR6 HOVERCRAFT and RESCUE HOVERCRAFT (Nr. 72 and 2) (1972 and 1976)

 

The first article of the last month (month of the bootleg) continued the last entry of March, and the first entry in May will also somehow continue the last entry of April. This way, both articles will be "together" and it will be easier to find one from the other.

 

These are the two Superfast Hovercrafts made by Matchbox. Both have the same base with the same reference in the 1-75 series, although they are different casts and in all catalogues have different numbers, they have been numbered 72 & 2, and they are really 72-B and 02-C.

 

The first one (72-B, from 1972-78) is a white hovercraft with black base and red plastic details. It is a quite common model, but unfortunately the plastic part on top is quite fragile, so sometimes, those blades are broken. It carries one sticker on each side with the letters SRE6 plus the Union Jack.

The second model (02-C, from 1976-80) was made in bright green with a brown base. Maybe they had in mind to release a military model, but at the end it was decorated with some random "RESCUE" stickers. This model has two chromed bits on top, that resembles some kind of motor plus an air intake. These are sometimes not very shiny anymore, but, in general, this model is much more durable than the first one.

 

It seems to me, that the white model is a scale reproduction of a real hovercraft, while the second one is more like an invention, but I could be wrong, I am no expert on this topic, and never saw a real hovercraft either.

 



 

The white hovercraft was also available in a bigger scale in the Superkings series.

 

UPDATE: This is a rare Rescue Hovercraft in a pale green with black base. I found it by chance and never had seen it before. Did you know it? Was it sold as part of some bigger kit, or in the ordinary 1-75 series? Anyhow a very interesting model. I know what Christian Falkensteiner has published here: http://www.cfalkensteiner.com/Matchbox/Catalog/LS/LS01-39/LS02c/ChF-LS02c.htm

This is the version with purple windows.

 

 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: HOVERCRAFT SRN6 and RESCUE HOVERCRAFT (Nr. 72 and 2)
• Scale: 1:145
• Year: 1972 and 1976
• Company: Matchbox (G. Britain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm