#968 MAJORETTE TRANSPORTS – COFFRET FERME / FARM SET (964) (1995)

Gift packs are usual in the die-cast world. Majorette had several types of them, being all of them very rare to find nowadays. Maybe it was the size that prevented most people to keep these boxes unopened or conserve the packaging.

Today I am talking about the 960 series, which came out for the first time in 1992 and consists in boxes containing a strange mixture of vehicles, as the few boxes made included each a big trailer from the 600 series, a car with trailer from the 300 series and a single car from the 200 series.

There were ony 4 references ever made, but these varied from year to year. These were:

• 961 Coffrett Espace – Rocket Space Set (also Rocket Radar Space Set)
• 962 Coffrett Miami – Jet Setters
• 963 Coffret Secours Pompier – Fire Rescue Set
• 964 Coffret Ferme – Farm Set

Catalogues from 1994 (left) and 1995 (right)

 
Later there were other boxes made, that did not carry any specific reference number or name, and they were simply referred as 960. I have at least spotted a construction set and, probably, there were not many more available. The four above (or variations of them) were also available without the name on the front part.

 

Despite the size of the set, it was probably not very expensive, as the series 600 (the big truck) is mostly made of plastic and was probably sold in a range of prices that was not so high, mostly considering its size.

The Farm Set I am presenting is probably the least attractive, but this box still has some interesting facts to comment. Note the illustration on the back that shows a drawing of the vehicles, including an El Camino SS, which was the car used in the first versions of the box. I think the original release came with a white version, but the 1994 box comes with a green version “New Decoration” which is exclusive to the box. 

Even later, the El Camino SS was replaced by the car you can see here, a Mustang GT Convertible. The blue version was a new decoration from 1993, but could be found in the ordinary 200 series as well. A second box I own includes the same car, but in its new decoration fom 1994. None of these cars show any relation to a farm, or do they? Therefore these boxes were probably released in 1995.

Mustang GT Convertible, model from 1993

Mustang GT Convertible, model from 1994

The tractor and the truck are just as the standard issues. The tractor comes with it rather simple and almost completely made of plastic trailer, and the big truck includes two horses in each color, four in total, that are easily lost. The horse box is a classic model in the die-cast world, nice, but, compared to other 600 series’ references, it is maybe not the most attractive one.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: COFFRET FERME / FARM SET (964) (MAJORETTE TRANSPORTS, SERIES 960)
• Scale: 1:64
• Year: 1995
• Company: Majorette (France)
• Size: car is approx. 3 cm long

#967 POLISTIL - ALPINE 3L ("P48" SERIES) (Around 1972)

I got this car by chance and bought it thinking it might be a cheap knock-off from Italy. When I looked it more thoroughly I noticed that the logo is actually the same that Polistil used, so I had a start to my research.

And it is definitely a Polistil car. It has no brand marking on the base, except the “made in Italy” and the reference number P48.

P48´s belong to a short series of sport cars, completely made of plastic (except the axles) and, thus, very low budget toys. All of them had the same base and the same reference number, which can be confusing to collectors. Also interesting is that each model was made in a variety of plain colours. Some of these were used in other toys (for example big car carrier trucks) or sold in cheap three-packs.

The available models (with their official codes) were:

• Cod.A68 Porsche 908
• Cod.A77 Ferrari P5
• Cod.A78 Alfa Romeo 33
• Cod.A81 Lotus Europa
• Cod.A84 Matra 630 SP
• Cod.A85 Alpine Renault
• Cod.A87 D.R.5 Daytona

The casting is very good, as it is based in the same cast used for the die-cast version of the toy, but the durability is limited, as it can be easily broken, scratched of damaged. The wheels are the same in both models, as you probably can recognize.

There is more information and pictures is this website (in Italian): POLISTIL scala 1:32 Serie P48 (policar.org) (Went offline, shame!)

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: ALPINE 3L (A.85)
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: Around 1972
• Company: Polistil (Italy)
• Size: approx. 10 cm

#966 G. I. JOE – COBRA FANG II (1989)

 

This is the second version of the famous F.A.N.G. helicopter that was released in 1986 and profusely appeared in the TV series. For some reason, the evolution of that first helicopter lost the acronym (Fully Armed Negator Gyrocopter) and it is simply called FANG II. Later issues of the FANG were again renamed F.A.N.G.

 

The helicopter is not especially appealing to me, it looks nice, has cool colours, but that feature of helicopter that can be turned into a propeller plane has been seen many times before, an the cockpit is too open and it is difficult to fit a figure in it (no matter how hard you try, the figure does not sit properly in it.

 

Nevertheless it is a vehicle from 1989 series, which is the one (or one of the two) that hit harder in Spain and from which I keep the best memories. I never had this vehicle until recently, but at least one neighbor had it, and I had it in my hands.

 

I took these pictures last summer and I’d like to share them now with you all, I could have edited them and remove the threads that hold the toy in the air, but I thought it is OK to leave them as they are. I chose S.A.W. Viper as a pilot, although the artwork depicts H.E.A.T. Viper. I guess this choice has to do with the greater colour contrast with the purple/black/red helicopter.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: FANG II
• Toy Line: G.I. Joe (Wave 8)
• Year: 1989
• Company: Hasbro (U.S.A.)
• Size: Around 20 cm long

#965 FIGURAS EN ACCIÓN (F.E.A.) Nr. 23 “ESPECIAL SALUD: MEDICINA Y PROFESIONALES SANITARIOS”

  

Here I bring the new issue of Figuras En Acción, this time we decided to make a special issue dedicated to the people who cope daily with the coronavirus: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, ambulance drivers, scientists trying to find the vaccine and many others.

For me, and for many others, they are true heroes, but, unlike in the first phase (from February to June 2020), they are not getting enough recognition these days. That is why we took  this decision, and made almost 120 pages full of toys related to medicine, health, and everything related.

It is completely free and open to everybody. Just click on this LINK to go to the official blog, and there you will find the link to the magazine. Thanks and enjoy!

#964 ERTL – BATMAN and THE JOKER METALLIC MINI FIGURES (1990)

 

I presented a long time ago an ERTL Batmobile from the original 1989 movie. Recently I got two more figurines of the same series, which, to my surprise, it is quite long. Ertl did not only manfucture these two main characters plus the car, there are also many other figures vehicles, including even characters which do not appear in the first movie, and others in the style of Batman the Animated Series, so I guess the DC comics license was granted for a series of years starting in 1989 to sometime in the mid-90s.

These two were sold together in a blister card with a mini-comic that I do not have, and represent the main characters in the 1989 movie style and outfits.

On the back of the card, we see that Ertl also manufactured other DC characters, such as Superman or Shazam! So I guess there must be an alternative card design for these.

The figures are in excellent shape, they have not been played with, so the paintwork is almost perfect. Like die-cast cars and other toys, they tend to get chips and loose paint, but these are still mint. Note the nose of The Joker... maybe I can restore it soon.

pics: amazon.com y collectors.com

 

The first series from 1990 include:

• Batman –standing (#715) blue and grey suit, pre-movie
• Superman –standing (#716)
• The Penguin (#718)
• Shazam! (#719)
• Batman –Raised Fist (#723) blue and grey suit, pre-movie
• Superman –Raised Fist (#724)
• Robin (#726)
• Green Lantern (#727)
• The Joker (#728)
• Supergirl (#729)

Plus the vehicles:

• Batwing (1:90) (2495EF)
• Batmobile (1:64) (1064FF)
• Joker Van (1:64) (1532F0)
• Batmobile + Joker Van set (2497FF)
• Batmobile (1:43) (2575EF)
• Joker Van (1:48) (2494EF)
• Micro Set (Batwing, Batmobile, Joker Van) (2498FF)
  

pics: theangryspider.com

The second series, from 1992 came together with Batman Returns and include:

• Batman
• Catwoman
• Penguin
• Penguin Commando

And the vehicles:

• Batmobile
• Batmissile
• Batskiboatpics: theangryspider.com
• Penguin’s Duck Vehicle  

 

 pics: bonanza.com

 

And finally, from 1993 the Animated Series series.

• Batman (1)
• Batman (2)
• The Joker
• The Penguin
• Catwoman
• Robin

And the vehicles:

• Batmobile
• Batplane
• Batboat
• Batcycle
• Gotham City Police Helicopter
• Bruce Wayne’s Car

From the pictures they all look great! And the scale is especially appealing to me (the smaller, the better).

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Names: BATMAN and THE JOKER METALLIC MINIFIGURES
• Toy Line: Batman
• Year: 1990
• Company: Ertl (U.S.A.)
• Size: Around 4 cm

#963 SIMPLE WISHES – SEVERAL PHAT BOYZ MODELS (2003)

The Phat Boyz are sometimes mixed with Micro Machines or with other 3 inches cars, since they have a size that does not match either of them. We could say they are approximately as long as a Micro Machine, but as wide as a 3 inches model. All are marked PB CHINA in the base, but, in any case, they are nearly unmistakable.

I knew them from sites like puremicros.com, where there is a nice and almost complete gallery of Phat Boyz toys. Everytime I saw them there, I thought they were ugly, (maybe you have the same thoughts right now while reading these lines), but as soon as I got this little lot in my hands, I changed my opinion. They are beautifully casted, you can absolutely recognize which model is being represented, and the selection is also quite remarkable; where can you otherwise find a Ford Focus or a Ford Ka (from around the year 2000)?

I have 5 models, from which 4 of them are Fords, so I guess maybe they came in a set, as I got all of them from the same person. Some of them are European sets that differ in the colour from the American issues.

The models are:

• Ford T-Bird (1957) - purple

       

• Ford Mustang (1990) - yellow

        

• Ford Focus (2003) - gold

  

• Ford Ka (2003) - green

• Toyota Celica (2002) – light blue

 

They were advertised as “Phlat, Phat and Phast!” and sold mostly in two-packs. There were also three-packs, five-packs, carrying cases and playsets available. They were available at Walmart, and I tried to find an old website for these cars, but the only url stated in the blister card is Walmart.com; “Marketed by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Bentonville AR 72716 shop at Walmart.com.

I’ve seen some for sale on eBay, but they are rare and tend to appear in foreign countries, so most of the times it is not worth paying the shipping costs.

UPDATE (2023/Oct): Two more for the road!

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: SEVERAL PHAT BOYZ MODELS
• Scale: unknown
• Year: 2003
• Company: Simple Wishes (U.S.A.)
• Size: approx. 3 cm long