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This specifically includes Italy at the moment, where a much higher than acceptable amount of packages appear to go amiss ?? !!!. but i reserve the right to include others depending on cost of item and which Country.

In total a very detailed great example of this iconic car finished in a nice colour. Read more on this iconic vehicles history below.

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Matchbox (brand)

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Matchbox

Product type	Die cast toy
Country	The UK
Introduced	1953
Related brands	Corgi, Dinky, Hot Wheels, Husky, Lledo
Markets	Worldwide
Previous owners	Tyco Toys Universal Toys Lesney Products
Registered as a trademark in	United States[1]
Website	www.matchbox.com

Matchbox is a popular toy brand which was introduced by Lesney Products in 1953 and is now owned by Mattel, Inc. The brand was so named as the original die-cast Matchbox toys were sold in boxes similar in style and size to those in which matches were sold. Subsequently the brand would encompass a broad range of toys including larger scale die-cast models and various non die-cast lines such as plastic model kits and action figures.

During the 1980s, Matchbox started to switch to the more conventional plastic and cardboard "blister packs" that were used by other die cast toy brands such as Hot Wheels. The box style packaging was re-introduced for the collectors' market in recent years, particularly with the release of the "35th Anniversary of Superfast" series in 2004.

History

Early years: Lesney, the origins of the Matchbox name and the 1-75 series

The Matchbox name started in 1953 as a brand name of the British die-casting company, Lesney Products. Lesney's reputation would be moulded by Jack Odell, Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith (hence the name "Lesney"); their first major sales success was the million-selling model of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Coach.

Shortly thereafter, Lesney co-owner Jack Odell (b. 1920 – d. 2007) created a toy that effectively provided the final, missing link to the company's future. It was designed for his daughter: her school only allowed children to bring toys that could fit inside a matchbox, so Odell crafted a scaled-down version of the Lesney green and red road roller. This toy ultimately became the first of the 1-75 miniature range; a dump truck and a cement mixer completed the original three-model release that marked the starting point of the mass-market success story of the Matchbox series. As mentioned above, because the one defining factor for the toys was that each model had to fit in a match-box, the idea was born to sell the models in replica matchboxes — thus yielding the name of the series. It also resulted in the description of the models' scales being "1:box" (as opposed to more "serious" scales such as 1:87, 1:64, or 1:43).

Additional models — mostly British at first — continued to be added to the range throughout the decade, including cars such as an MG Midget TD, a Vauxhall Cresta, a Ford Zodiac, and many others. As the line grew, it also gradually became more international, including models of Volkswagens, a Citroën, and American makes. To make such miniatures, the designers took detailed photographs of the real models, even obtaining some original blueprints. This enabled them to make models with surprisingly high levels of detail, despite the small scale. The size of the models (and their clever packaging) allowed Matchbox to occupy a market niche barely touched by the competition (and certainly not by Dinky); the associated price advantage made Matchbox models affordable for every child, and helped establish Matchbox as a household word for small model toy cars — whatever the brand. Although used generically, "MATCHBOX" (in capital letters and quotation marks) was registered as a worldwide trademark to protect the Matchbox brand from competition.

Moko; growth & development of the 1-75 and other core series

In the earliest years of the regular, or 1-75 series — well before the series actually numbered 75 models — Lesney was marketed/distributed by Moko (itself named after its founder, Moses Kohnstam). Boxes in that era mentioned this, with the text "A Moko Lesney" appearing on each. Lesney gained its independence from Moko in the '50s by buying the company, leading into a period of growth, both in sales and in size. Early models did not feature windows or interiors, were made entirely of metal, and were often about 2" (5 cm) in length. By 1968, Matchbox was the biggest-selling brand of small diecast model cars worldwide. By this time, the average model featured plastic windows, interiors, tyres (often with separate disc wheels), and occasional accessories; spring suspensions; opening parts; and was about 3" (7 cm) long. Some even featured steering, including the pressure-based AutoSteer system debuting in 1969. The line was very diverse, including many trucks/lorries, buses, tractors, motorcycles, and trailers as well as standard passenger cars.

This was what could be called the "Golden Era" of British die-cast. The three dominant brands in the world at the time, all British-made (Dinky, Matchbox, and Corgi), could seemingly do no wrong. Each had its own market niche and its own strong reputation, while innovations and advances by one were adopted by the others within a matter of a few years. Each also expanded to some extent into each other's territory, though this never seemed to seriously affect the sales of any brand's core series.

As part of Lesney's expansion activities, four further die-cast model ranges were introduced during the 1950s and 60s. The Models of Yesteryear, introduced in 1956, were renditions of classic vehicles from the steam and early automotive eras. These were often about 3½-4" in length. Accessories Packs were also introduced in 1956 and included gas/petrol pumps, garages, and the like. Major Packs, which were larger-scale models, often of construction vehicles, were added in 1957. The King Size series of larger scale trucks and tractors was added in 1960 and was diversified from 1967 to include passenger car models in a scale similar to that used by Corgi and Dinky. Major Packs had been absorbed into the King Size range by 1968.

Competition and crisis

However, the main focus at Matchbox continued to be their smaller cars. Other brands, including Husky/Corgi Junior, Budgie, and Cigar Box, attempted to compete with Matchbox, but none were particularly successful until American toy giant Mattel introduced the revolutionary low-friction "racing" wheels on its Hot Wheels line of cars. These models, although less true to scale and often featuring fantasy vehicles, were painted in bright metallic colors, fitted with racing-style "mag" wheels and slick tires, were decidedly American in their model choice, and were marketed aggressively and with numerous accessory products, such as race track sets and the like. In 1969, the bottom effectively fell out of Lesney's US sales (the other major market, the UK, was also under attack).

Lesney's response to this was relatively quick — but not quick enough to avoid major financial worries — creating the "Superfast" line. This was effectively a transformation of the 1969 line to include low-friction wheels (at first narrow, since the company needed time to retool the series to accommodate wide tires), often accompanied with new colors. The result was, at first, a strange but interesting line of fast-wheeling cars, trucks, and trailers, basically complete in 1970. Racing track sets and the like were also released to allow children to race their cars. Starting in 1970 and particularly in 1971, new models appeared with wider tyres, and older models (including trucks still in the line) were retooled to fit slicks. The King Size range was similarly updated, including a division into Super Kings (mostly trucks, but also with mag wheels) and Speed Kings (cars). A short-lived series of rechargeable electric cars, called Scorpions, was released as well, to compete with similar products from Hot Wheels (Sizzlers) and Corgi (ElectroRockets).

By the mid-'70s, Matchbox was again a force on the world market, having completed the transition and having even updated its line to include some fantasy vehicles. The 1-75 series was also amended to include the Rola-Matics (featuring mechanical parts that moved when the vehicle was moved) and Streakers, the latter an attempt to compete with Hot Wheels' newest innovation, tampo-printing on the vehicle itself.

Expansion in the Superfast era

In an attempt to reap more benefits from the regained popularity of the Matchbox brand, a last period of great expansion started with the introduction of multiple new lines, including the Sky Busters range of aircraft (incl. current and historic private, commercial, and military planes), Battle Kings military models, Sea Kings naval models, Adventure 2000 science fiction models, and the Two Packs series, which revisited the traditional Matchbox idea of a model and an associated trailer.

Mid-'70s Matchbox 75 and Matchbox Sky Busters window sticker

Unfortunately, early marketing concepts of metallic-painted tanks and bright-colored ships were not consistent with market demands, and the models, many of which were quite well made for the money, were generally not successful. (Second editions of the Battle Kings and Sky Busters series were painted in very realistic colors and were well-received, but by this time, general economic factors were seriously affecting the ability of the company to make a profit on toys manufactured in England.)

Of these series, only the Sky Busters and, to some extent, the Two Packs survived over time. The Convoy series of articulated truck-trailers (mostly American) was an offshoot of the Two Packs line and continues under various guises to this day.

A rather simple development in this period ― as much philosophical in nature as product-related ― initiated a revolutionary change in the marketplace. The Matchbox brand had become the most widely collected of all die-cast toy lines (cf. below, "Matchbox collectors"). In the '70s, Lesney began to seek contact with collectors, sending representatives to collectors' meets, providing information to the various collectors' clubs, and informally surveying collectors' needs. This resulted at first in the creation of several models expressly for collectors (the most notable of which was a Yesteryear model, the black Y-1 Model T Ford).

The success of this led the company to place models of commercial vehicles in the Yesteryear line (two vans at first, a Talbot and another Model T) which were tampo-printed with period advertising for brand-name items such as Lipton's Tea, Coca-Cola, or Suze. These models, the first commercial vehicles in the series since the '50s, were eagerly greeted and avidly collected by collectors; the concept was quickly expanded to include limited runs of models made only for specific countries (Arnott's Biscuits [Australia], Sunlight Seife [Germany]) or at the specific request of companies such as Nestle's Milk, Taystee Bread, or Harrod's department store. (This aspect of the business ― so-called "promotionals" ― had existed since the '60s, but had established itself firmly in the company's culture in the '70s with numerous models, particularly of a 1-75 model, the no. 17 Londoner Bus. However, promotionals had previously been made with primarily the sponsor in mind. The shift in the late '70s/early '80s was in considering the needs of the collector as well.)

It immediately became evident that special, low-volume models of this nature were highly desirable from both the sponsor and the collector's perspective, as well as being profitable for Matchbox. The market expanded exponentially, leading to increased licensing as well as the development of models no longer aimed at all at the children's toy market, but rather at the higher-margin "premium" segment (eventually developing into "Matchbox Collectibles", cf. below). Today, virtually all brands of die-cast vehicles cater to this market, some exclusively.

Economic difficulties, bankruptcy, and the post-Lesney era

Due more to the economic climate in the United Kingdom at the time than to the lack of success of the Matchbox brand — all of the core ranges continued to sell very strongly — the company was in difficult financial straits by the end of the '70s. The same forces were affecting their British counterparts/competitors as well: following in the footsteps of Meccano (Dinky) and just a year before Mettoy (Corgi), Lesney went bankrupt in June 1982, and went into receivership. The Matchbox brand name, some tooling and moulds and other assets were then sold to Universal Toys and Mr. David Yeh. Some of the Matchbox tooling became property of Jack Odell, who continued to market Matchbox Yesteryear-like products under the Lledo brand name, but essentially Lesney and Matchbox has been sold to Yeh and his group. Yeh reorganized Lesney and renamed the group "Matchbox International Ltd.", with Yeh as Chairman and Jack Forcelledo as President. Yeh took the group public in 1986 on the NYSE with a successful IPO.

Although no longer British-owned, limited production continued in England until the mid-1980s, re-using many of the old Lesney castings. Most production and tooling was moved to Macau. It was during this period that Matchbox acquired the rights to the venerated Dinky brand, perhaps the "mother of all toy car collectibles", and united two of the most important names in die-cast under one roof. New models were created (sometimes dies were also bought from competing companies), and the Dinky Collection was born. Dinky models tended to be of more recent classics (particularly the '50s), while Yesteryears tended to concentrate on older vintages. It was also during the Universal era that the "Matchbox Collectibles" concept was developed (see below, "Matchbox Collectibles").

Because of high labour costs and the lack of enough skilled workers in Hong Kong and Macau, the Universal decided to outsource its die casting in mainland China. April 1984, the first Hong Kong-Shanghai joint venture toys company was established in Minhang, Shanghai. It is called Shanghai Universal Toys Co., Ltd. (usually abbreviated as SUTC/上海环球玩具有限公司). Mr. Yeh is the Hong Kong party, while Shanghai Toys Import & Export Company, Shanghai Shang Shi Investment Company (the Shanghai Government owned investment vehicle), Bank of China and Aijian Holdings are Chinese shareholders. The CJV contract was signed off with 20-year period of validity.

1985 saw the first batch of Matchbox toys, which have China casting on base. Dies were imported from Macau to Shanghai till early '90s when Macau finally ceased producing Matchbox toys. No dies were designed by SUTC itself, decal painting, assembling and packing were the most things SUTC did. Accompanied with metal casting, SUTC also has a plastic kits and components factory. It is called Shanghai Universal Plastic Toys Company (usually abbreviated as SUPT/上海环球塑胶塑胶玩具有限公司). The Motor City series, Matchbox PK series and many plastic components were produced there between late '80s and mid '90s. Meanwhile, Universal also outsourced its die casting capabilities in Southern China. Yongtai Toys Company (永泰玩具有限公司) was the most famous one, which produced Matchbox toys under the license from Universal but without fixed assets investment.

By 1992, Universal was also seeking a buyer. In May 1992, they sold the brand to Tyco Toys, whose toy division in turn was bought out by Mattel in 1997, uniting Matchbox with its longtime rival Hot Wheels under the same corporate banner. Under Mattel, the name "Matchbox International Ltd." was terminated.

The buyout by Mattel was greeted with considerable trepidation by the Matchbox collectors' community. The rivalry between the Hot Wheels and Matchbox brands is not only a battle fought by the companies; collectors of each of the brands feel strongly about the qualities of their brand of choice. For the typical Matchbox collector, Hot Wheels are inferior in scaling and model choice, making Hot Wheels less desirable. There were great fears that Mattel would either impose a Hot Wheels-style philosophy on the Matchbox line, or actually fold the Matchbox line into the Hot Wheels series. Early concerns of this nature by collectors were countered by assurances from Mattel that (a) Matchbox would continue to develop their product line independently from Hot Wheels, and (b) that it was intended that Matchbox represent "real" and traditional vehicles, while fantasy would primarily be placed firmly in Hot Wheels territory. Some very realistic Hot Wheels Caterpillar models were actually re-branded to Matchbox to demonstrate the latter statement (though this did not necessarily assuage concerns about the truth of the former).

In 2002, Sky Busters made a comeback, but with Continental Airlines as the only major airline to sponsor the product. In 2003, Matchbox came out with a line of special edition cars to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Breaking with the philosophy set forth in the '90s, Mattel revamped the Matchbox line almost completely in 2003, introducing "Ultra Heroes", a series of fantasy vehicles, as part of a "Hero City" theme. Matchbox collectors were appalled, but so was the market: These toys proved to be unpopular, and the line was soon discontinued. The next year, Matchbox, with a new team in charge based in El Segundo, California, USA started the return to the company's roots of selling realistic looking, well-detailed models, most of which were based on real prototypes (now however mostly of American cars or brands well-known on the American market). The reappearance of the pre-2001 Matchbox logo, albeit without its classic quotation marks, marked the return to this philosophy.

To signal the seriousness of the venture and their commitment to the brand, a new, second 1-75 series (parallel to the standard range) was introduced, celebrating the "35th Anniversary of Superfast". Models were packaged in model-specific blister packs containing not only the model, but also individual, traditional-style "retro" boxes harking back to the Superfast boxes ca. 1970. All castings were of realistic vehicles, and indeed some 1969 castings were re-activated for inclusion in the range. The series was strictly limited in production volume, sold at a premium price, and was a great success. Further Superfast series were released in 2005 and 2006.

Also in 2005, certain Yesteryear castings which had been released in the Tyco/early Mattel era as part of the "Muscle Car" series of Matchbox Collectibles were re-released in 1971-style retro packaging and retro wheels as Super Kings — considered by many to be a strange name choice, since models of this nature had been called Speed Kings in the '70s.

Following the "Hero City" fiasco (the name being dropped in late 2005 in favor of "MBX Metal"), Mattel has shown interest in reviving the Matchbox brand. However, since Matchbox Collectibles Inc. was shut down, Mattel's interests have always been concentrated on very few series of the Matchbox legacy: 1-75, Sky Busters, Convoys, and to some extent the Two Packs concept (although now sold under a different name, Hitch 'n Haul ). Although small numbers of Super Kings and Yesteryears have been released at times, no new castings have been created. Battle Kings reappeared on the market in 2006, but not as King Size models, but rather as a name of military-oriented Two Pack-style sets of regular size models. The Dinky name has effectively been reduced to a few "re-branded" Matchbox 1-75 cars on the international market (normal models with "Dinky" tampo-printed onto the baseplate); no further investment in dies or tooling has been made. It appears that this classic brand, once saved by Matchbox, may be allowed by Mattel to languish or die once again.

In 2008, Mattel expanded the size of the standard Matchbox series to 100 models in certain markets, most prominently in the US. However, the 1-75 series will remain a 75-model series in most markets.

Model numbering: The "1-75" (or "75") series

Lesney decided that models in the standard series would be numbered, and that the series would only ever comprise 75 models at any given time; when a new model appeared, one of the existing models was discontinued, its number being reallocated. This meant that display stands only needed to accommodate 75 models. New owners Mattel expanded the regular Matchbox series to include 100 models in 1999,^[2] changed it back to 75 models for 2001,^[3] and once again increased the series from 75 to 100 models from 2008.^[4] These changes were not applied in all markets.

The actual numbering of the 1-75 series number on the individual models (starting in the mid-'50s, numbers were cast onto the baseplates) was discontinued in the Universal era. This was in part due to the new concept of offering country-specific lines of models for many of the key markets, which led to the same castings being used under different numbers in different markets. In recent years (Mattel), a sequential casting no. (e.g. MB687) — unrelated to any 1-75 number used in any market — is cast onto each baseplate. The relevant 1-75 series number is printed on the blister pack or box.

(Other Matchbox ranges also had identifying numbers cast on their bases, many of which were reallocated as older models were retired and new ones introduced. The numbering conventions are listed in the Series Overview section below. However, with the exception of the Yesteryear line, which was held to 16 models for well over a decade [before being expanded greatly], there was no other case of a strict series size limitation by Lesney.)

Scales of models

Matchbox cars are primarily made in two sizes:

• The smaller models ("regular size"; 1-75 and related series) are often classified as 1:64 scale (though they range from smaller than 1:100 to much larger than 1:64) and measure about 2.5-3 inches, or 6.5-7.5 centimetres, in length.

• Matchbox has also manufactured cars in approx. 1:43 scale (sometimes called "king size"), labelling them Speed Kings or Super Kings (or, later — particularly in the Matchbox Collectables lines [cf. below] — Models of Yesteryear or Dinky), which measure about 3.5-4 inches, or 9-10 centimetres, in length. This was the same scale as Corgi or Dinky. Matchbox's designers favoured this larger size because it permitted more detail. The 1:43 cars are still made, but are primarily marketed as collectables rather than as toys. While the actual car models in these series tend to be around the 1:43 scale, other vehicle types (trucks, construction and farm vehicles, hovercrafts, tanks, etc.) vary greatly, in the same manner as do the regular size models.

An overview of the principal die-cast series

• 1-75 (also called the regular series, Superfast series, 75 series); numbered 1-75
• Accessories; numbered A-#
• Models of Yesteryear; numbered Y-#, later YY-#
• Major Packs; numbered M-#
• King Size (later Super Kings and Speed Kings); numbered K-#
• Scorpions (non-metal, rechargeable battery powered cars)
• Sky Busters; numbered SB-#
• Two Packs (later also called the 900 series or Hitch 'n Haul ); numbered TP-#
• Battle Kings; numbered K-# (K-101 - K-118)
• Matchbox Military; numbered MM-# (MM-1 & MM-2)
• Sea Kings; numbered K-# (K-301 - K-310; nos. K-311 - K-313 were pre-productions)
• Adventure 2000; numbered K-# (K-2001 - K-2006)
• Convoy; numbered CY-#
• Dinky (Matchbox bought the brand in the late 1980s); DY-#
• Real Working Rigs; number RW-# (introduced in 2009)

In addition to these, a series of Gift Sets (numbered G-#) was sold by Lesney, each comprising models from the die-cast ranges (sometimes from different ranges within a single set). The sets were updated/changed regularly for various reasons, but mainly to ensure that the models contained therein were current. Set numbers were often reallocated in the same fashion as for "normal" series. Some sets included model variations officially released only in the sets (generally, these were variant colors), while others contained additional, non-die-cast items not available without the set.

Model collectibility and value

Not unlike other "classical" collectible items such as stamps, coins, or real cars, the value and collectibility of model cars such as Matchbox is driven primarily by three factors:

• Rarity (incl. variations),
• Condition, and
• Popularity of the model

with one additional important factor,

• Packaging

Rarity and variations

The rarity of a model can refer either to the model in general, or to a variation thereof.

Some models are produced in very limited quantities. Prior to the evolution of "purpose-made" collectables (cf. "Matchbox Collectables", below) — i.e. models made in intentionally limited quantities to allow a high initial sales price and/or force the value to remain high on the collectors market — rarity was based on the simple criterion that the production numbers of a model were low. This was not generally due to any specific intent by the manufacturer. For example, this could occur if the mold (die) broke, or if the model proved to be unpopular and was replaced very quickly, creating a situation in which "normal" numbers of the model never reached the market.

3 versions of the same mid-'60s Matchbox Snow Trac toy, all designated #35, yet each a different variation: While the model pictured in the middle has the words "Snow-Trac" cast into the sides, the 1st has plain-cast sides and "Snow-Trac" decals; the 3rd version has plain sides and no brand badging

Variations are changes in production models. The most common three types are changes in the materials used, in the dies, or in the color scheme. For instance, early Matchbox models were entirely made of metal, including the tyres/wheels. However, within the first few years of production, Lesney switched to plastic wheels. These were silver at first; later, grey wheels were fitted, followed finally by black wheels. Thus it was entirely possible that models introduced in the '50s could be fitted with four different wheel types during the span of their inclusion in the series — or even more, since there were further variations (e.g. knobby or smooth) besides the colour or material. Depending on the particular model, a given wheel type might be much rarer than the others.

Moulds or dies are changed at times. This is commonly due to weaknesses in the final die-cast product, or to difficulties in production caused by the die. Often, the changes are very minor, even minute, and may occur in places that are not clearly visible at first glance. Especially in cases where e.g. a weakness was detected early in the production run, the numbers of early versions reaching the market are often quite low.

Color changes — now commonplace, a planned marketing tool — were rarer earlier, with most models being produced over the span of their inclusion in the series in just one or two major colour schemes. However, not only the colour of the model's body must be regarded, but rather the entire model— including baseplate, interior, windows — and thus changes in different components can lead to a factorial increase in variation possibilities.

Age also plays an important part in making a model rare. A model produced in standard quantities in the 1950s will likely be much rarer today than one produced in similar quantities the 1980s.

Condition

The better the condition of the model, the higher its value. Model conditions are usually expressed in a simple, somewhat subjective manner, in categories such as: mint, excellent, very good, good, fair, poor. Simply put, a "mint" model, i.e. one in factory-fresh condition, is worth far more than a sandbox-quality model with chipped paint, rusty axles, and broken parts. However, to be valuable, the condition must be original; repainting or repairing a model reduces its value greatly, even if the final result can be very impressive.

Packaging

The presence or lack of packaging affects the value of a model. A "mint boxed" model can in some cases be worth 50-100% more than the mint model without the box, depending on the age of the model, the condition of the box, and even the variations of the box.

As box designs were changed regularly, some boxes or even model/box combinations were produced in lower quantities, and thus became quite difficult to find. As an example, the first seven 1-75 models were packaged in "A Moko Lesney" boxes (cf. above, "History", Moko) on which the word "Moko" was written in script. Today, these boxes are extremely valuable. Later '50s boxes — including the 2nd editions of those for model numbers 1 to 7 — had "Moko" in the same capital letters as the words surrounding it.

Even in the era of blister packs, the role of packaging has not really diminished. However, as the "box" concept is tremendously important for the brand Matchbox, the presence of a box usually affects the value of a model significantly more than does a blister pack. The exception to this is blister packs from the box era, particularly those in which the box was also included.

Popularity

The popularity of the model affects its value both directly and indirectly. For example, if two models were produced in similar quantities in the '50s, one an interesting sports car, the other a rather dull military vehicle, then the former probably disappeared from store shelves much faster. Its value, then in non-monetary terms, was higher.

Though the former model may therefore be found relatively ubiquitously in British or American households, often it was either played with (i.e. the condition is poor) or it has a particular "treasure"-like sentimental value (often the case with, for example, horse-drawn models), so that the model will be kept "forever", even by those who do not collect. Thus it becomes harder to find in good condition on the collectors market, while the less popular model can still be found mint-boxed in large quantities. And as it is likely that the sports car's initial popularity remains unbroken, its value is now also driven upward by this fact as well.

Cataloguing

Since the advent of organized Matchbox collectors' clubs (see below, "Matchbox collectors"), models and their variations have been coded and catalogued, and values have been roughly established. The major collectors' organizations (NAMC, AIM, Matchbox USA, MICA, etc.) as well as individual authors have published numerous works describing the various Matchbox ranges including the models and their variations. Whereas the best of these were formerly available mainly through the clubs themselves, it is now possible to buy books on Matchbox from various publishing houses. These are available not only in English, but in several other languages (particularly German) as well.

As there have been multiple reference catalogs over the years, there is no complete consensus on the coding of a model. However, a standard code might read as such: Y-15 A 6. This would mean the 6th variation of the first ("A") release of model no. Y-15.

Many books now include a price guide, but there is no real consensus on the actual monetary value of a model. The numbers in any of the publications give relative information, but not more. It remains a collectors market, and, accordingly, prices fluctuate greatly.

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