SHANGHAI, May 18, 2021—52mbx.com celebrates its fifteenth anniversary. Evolved from its ancestor bulletin board system, the website serves as a recognized Matchbox toys resource in Chinese language, especially when its powerful search engine launched more than a decade ago. More than 1,300 Matchbox toys are covered in the database, with thousands of pictures and detailed analysis. It is now a unique online knowledge base prepared in Chinese language. “It is a tiny but meaningful milestone,” said Lingyun Chen, administrator of 52mbx.com, “I’ll continually develop the Matchbox toys search engine, as long as my hobby collection lasts. It is part of my whole life now.”
In pursuit of Matchbox toys around the world, many fans are simply chasing manufacturing numbers, variations, or hard-to-find pieces of model cars. Maybe no one has ever questioned whether vintage toys made in circa 1960s – 1980s contain lead.
Recently, Dr. Shangshang Mu, a former club member of 52mbx during the forum era, conducted analysis by extremely scientific approaches and has drawn a conclusion that those vintage toys are lead-free and are still safe to children. His research report is published on the EDAX Blog.
Dr. Shangshang Mu’s collection – a vintage railway playset circa 1979 and some Matchbox toy cars ranging from the 1970s to 2010s.
About Dr. Shangshang Mu
Dr. Mu is application engineer at EDAX. Prior to joining the firm, he was the lab manager at the Southeastern North Carolina Regional Microanalytical and Imaging Consortium in Fayetteville, NC. Shangshang holds a BS degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Chengdu University of Technology. He earned an MS degree in Materials Science and Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology. Shangshang completed his PhD in Earth Sciences at Boston University.
About EDAX
EDAX is a unit of AMETEK Materials Analysis Division. AMETEK, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electric motors with annualized sales of more than $1.8 billion.
其中第一张图片里的车就是我们一直认为的MB590的首版涂装,与这次买到的模型非常接近。图片下方的文字注释称其来自2002年的Play Sets(Carry On Garage)。第二张图片则是2005年发行的工程车五件套(Construction)组件。但是点击上图的右下角DOWNLOAD按钮,得到的word文档则显示MB590仅有一个版本,来自2005年的五件套:
广州资深火柴盒收藏家老许(MB017132)提供的CAT系列拖拉机松开驾驶室总成尾部的照片 (Picture by MB017132, a senior Matchbox collector based in Guangzhou, China)广州资深火柴盒收藏家老许(MB017132)提供的CAT系列拖拉机底盘照片 (Picture by MB017132, a senior Matchbox collector based in Guangzhou, China)
广州资深火柴盒收藏家老许(MB017132)提供的CAT系列拖拉机对比照片,上边烟囱黑色的来自34309套装 (tractor on top),下边透明烟囱的则来自38160套装 (tractor at bottom) [Different color on the exhaust pipes differs MB351 from MB443]三、国外网站归纳的思路大致可以这样分析:1)一开始或许有人从模型上看到了MB443编号,而此时美泰官方并未提供MAN编号,因此按蚀刻编号记录为MB443。2)当一年后(2000年)五十铃平板清障车发行,官方给出了MB443编号,由于编号重复,则将原先记录的拖车记录修改为假设的MB843,因当时火柴盒产品远未达到如此高位,这种偷懒的方法类似莱斯尼晚期和环球中期复刻老产品时的改高位编号的做法,实际上为以后再次发生编号重复现象埋下了祸根。3)当2011年火柴盒产品发行到MB840以后,该假设的编号又与真实的MB843 Seagrave消防车编号重复,遂将其改为MB352的第二版,因该车的合金底座与MB352相同,但是却忽略了拖拉机也是MB443的一部分这一事实。
MB843 Seagrave Fire Engine(Picture from Matchbox 1-75 Database on 52mbx.com)
一谈到这激动人心和全新的行业未来,我们就不能忘记那些已经离我们远去的业界先驱。他们拥有愿景并且对现状总是充满激情。世界因有了他们而变得更好且有效率——我们感谢Sir Peter Abeles、Gordon Barton、Clive Bourne、Bertie Coxall以及Larry Hillbloom所作出的贡献。
Post&Parcel 感谢Paul Jackson,以及Ian Sayer、Barry Hansen和 John Callan的协助.
Paul Jackson 在BOAC开始了自己的职业生涯,成为该公司最年轻的高级经理,此后他管理了英国的AEI国际空运快递。33岁加盟联合利华运输部。当联合利华放弃运输部门之后,他于1984年创立了Triangle Management Services公司。目前他已处于半退休状态,但仍然保留名誉董事的头衔。