Jim has granted the Lamley Group exclusive access to many portions of the event. In fact, the minute the exclusive models are revealed, I will hit send on a corresponding blog post with photos of the models for everyone to see. So keep coming back.
We will also post all the details on the Mattel presentation, as well as all the auction results. In fact, the auction listings themselves will be up here on the blog shortly.
Can you tell I am a bit excited? If you haven't gone, I highly recommend you make plans, even if Matchbox isn't a primary focus of your collection. It is always a great event.
In order to get you ready, we will continue to post photos of some of the exclusives of year's past. We will post a different exclusive each day this week, to go along with those we posted earlier in July.
Today, it is one of the earlier exclusive, the 2006 event exclusive Jag E-Type. Mattel did this model, along with a Crown Victoria Police Car, for the Gathering and the Hershey event later that year.
Want a fun fact? Even if you don't I am going to give you one anyway:
This is the first Matchbox model with trispoke wheels. The basic Jag in red hit the stores shortly after this model made its debut, and it was an instant hit with collectors. In fact, the Jag in 2006, along with the Ford GT in 2005, were probably the two models that started an amazing run for Matchbox. Classic cars, plus modern sports cars littered the lineup, and we couldn't get enough of them. Matchbox has moved away from that a little this year, seemingly ending that run, but anticipation is high for what 2013 will bring.
Do we call that going full circle?
Matchbox 1961 Jaguar E-Type (2006 Gathering/Event exclusive):
