Ocean State Libraries

Discusses the history of die-cast toy cars, their manufacture, values, and how to start a collection.

"Rummage through your box of childhood toys and you will almost certainly find at least one Matchbox car. Originally labelled Christmas-cracker trash by retailers and shopkeepers, the small-scale I-75 series from Lesney Products quickly saw decades of unprecedented worldwide sales. Smaller and cheaper than most of its competitors' toys, Matchbox models were also far more accurately modelled, giving them the commercial edge. Nevertheless, the company...