One of the more enjoyable elements of doing this blog is having to jump back into the collection to pick a model to feature. Sometimes you just want to move away from the new models for just a minute and feature a model from a few years earlier.
When you do jump into the collection, you will note that some opinions on models will change over time. Some models you really liked don't impress you as much, others you never appreciated as much as you do now. And even others just look different.
That is the case with the Matchbox VW T2 Bus. I committed awhile back to collecting only the versions of this casting that were without any logo. Just street versions. That means I have four. An orange, a red, an olive, and this Lesney Edition in baby blue.
So after my only exposure to a VW Bus lately being Hot Wheels' super tooned Kool Kombi, the Matchbox T2's realism just looks fantastic. And especially fantastic in two-toned white and blue.
The Lesney Edition lineup didn't perform the way Matchbox and Mattel had hoped, and I think it further pushed Mattel towards making the brand less collector-oriented and more kid-focused, as it always has had to be. We have seen the 60th Anniversary line this year, but unlike the Lesney, it still has more current kid-centric models and decos to keep the brand more consistent throughout all its products.
Looking back at the Lesney Editions, it is clear that while a vocal few clamor for diecast chassis, a full metal body doesn't matter much to the general public. Some of the models were a bit bland, and tended to sit on the pegs. But, thankfully, others were drop-dead gorgeous. Those lookers would go fast, and none went faster than the T2. From the moment it hit the pegs, it was as highly a desired model as I have seen in a retail Matchbox line. I was lucky to find this one, and it is has been in my collection ever since.
They do pop up on ebay, but usually with a $15 to $30 price tag. Probably worth it for those that want one of the best-looking Matchbox models of the last few years, but I am glad I found mine on the pegs.
(Here are the Lesney Edition T2's we found on ebay
Matchbox '70 Volkswagen T2 Classic Bus (2010 Lesney Edition):
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