25.2.06 Remembering Corgis glory days
A nostalgic post: Corgi Toys celebrates its 50th anniversary in July. A 50th anniversary mini-site is up at www.corgi50.com.
Now part of Mattel—and a brand that it hasn’t ruined, unlike Matchbox—Corgi’s anniversary site reveals that the glory days are over. Corgi’s top 40 models, by its own reckoning, is heavily biased toward the 1950s and 1960s; the other decades are relatively sparse. This was a company that once innovated like crazy: toy cars with suspension, clear plastic windows, opening doors, and it still produces its most famous model, the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 with ejector seat. Financial difficulties which saw to the end of Lesney (Matchbox), Dinky and itself (in 1983) meant that it changed direction toward the end of the 1980s. Corgi would appeal to the adult collector market, and that suited Mattel, which acquired it in the late 1980s, quite well. The company still designs excellent model cars, with production now in China, but other than London cabs, Routemaster buses and merchandised models, it’s been a long time since we saw additions to the regular line. It’s all very well focusing on the adult collector, but Corgi is at risk of losing new customers: today’s kids who will grow up to be adult collectors. Relying on us “grown-ups” means a steadily dropping customer base. Younger collectors today won’t have had the nostalgia connected to the Corgi name. Corgi’s boss realizes this and says that 2006 will be the year where some toys will be reintroduced. The official site, however, shows some Postman Pat toys; while the Vanguards brand has a new Vauxhall Astra and a Rover 75 (which I can find in New Zealand for nearly $50). There is a Mini from the Italian Job remake, but even discounted, at £7·99, it’s not exactly the pocket-money fare that will get loads of kids on board. Rover 75s are going for £5·99—bit like the real thing, they are being heavily discounted; a regular Mini goes for £4·99. Still pricey, and hardly “toys”. The only sign of new toys is in a Corgi Collection—of tanks, airplanes and helicopters. Hardly what Corgi was known for, nor does it connect with the adult collectibles. I know that Mattel has its Hot Wheels line, which kids love; it also owns a steadily improving Matchbox. However, both brands are strictly American—Matchbox has models that kids outside North America have little connection with. Corgi, once the great innovator, still needs to get those future markets, and it’s a cinch that kids won’t graduate from either Hot Wheels or Matchbox to it, if the brands are so different. There remains a huge market for the 1:64 scale models, served best these days by the likes of European brands such as Siku and Majorette—who, with their present approaches, will likely retain customers over a lifetime. I realize they are less profitable, but with Mattel’s money, it could ensure future custom. Del.icio.us tags: model cars | toy cars | Corgi | Mattel | brands | anniversary Posted by Jack Yan, 23:53 Comments:
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