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Know Your Codes
Topic Started: Aug 26 2012, 02:41 PM (630 Views)
camaro marty
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Station Wagon




Code 1. This is any die-cast produced by the manufacturer. It could be a mainstream toy or model, or a limited edition or ordered promotional. The important thing is that it has been produced totally by the manufacturer.

Code 2. This is any die-cast that has been finished by a second party, with the knowledge and agreement of the manufacturer. Examples could be a batch of plain white or colored models, that have had their decals added by another company, with the consent of the manufacturer. It could be castings ordered unpainted, that have been finished and presentation boxed under license. At the end of the day, two companies have been involved in the finishing process, where normally there would be one.

Code 3. This is the refinishing or alteration of a model, without the consent of the manufacturer. This description sounds almost dodgy, but Code 3 is now a recognized collectable in it's own right, and there is nothing illegal or unscrupulous in these singular alternative models. Code 3 covers a wide spectrum, and can mean simply swapping the trailers of two different articulated units, to completely changing the color and look of a model. Basically, any model intentionally altered in appearance from it's original manufactured look, without the consent of the afore mentioned manufacturer.
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Hosspower98
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Forever Blue Oval
News to me, thanks. I told you all that I was new to this...
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juantoo3
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OK, that's not quite how I heard it.

Code 1 is specifically made by and wholesaled by the manufacturer. *Any* promo editions, even recognized ones, including Toy Fairs, Toy Shows, Dinner cars, etc...are Code 2, with the blessing of the manufacturer. Code 3 is restorations, customs, or promos made outside the remit of the manufacturer.

For instance:

Posted Image

The yellow issue here is Code 1, it was in the mainline and was wholesaled by JL to the various retailers. The white and purple however, are Code 2 promo editions made for Mike Stead of Steadly Qwikwheels by JL. The Coke version is a bit gray area, but because it was released in the mainline I would classify it as Code 1. Were someone to replace the wheel covers on any of these it would by definition become Code 3.
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Swifty
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The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
I can illustrate this simply with our own promo cars from last year.

This is a Code 2:

Posted Image

It was delivered new to ColorComp completely free of tampos, and possibly in a unique color (I don't remember there being a Supra in this color in the Matchbox range). At the time Matchbox was based in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and ColorComp was a local company that did lots of work for them. It wasn't unheard of for ColorComp to be working on Matchboxes two years before their release date. As part of their working relationship, Matchbox sold (gave?) ColorComp thousands of blanks each year and allowed them to market their tampoing services to the general public with their blessing. That arrangement ended after the Mattel buyout and the move to El Segundo, but because ColorComp still had these cars in their inventory, they still qualify as Code 2s.


Borrowing one of StangFreak's pics:
Posted Image

This one, however, done at exactly the same time as the above Supra, with the exact same tampo, is a Code 3. This came from the factory (in Bulgaria- long story- this tooling was sent there in the late '80s and Universal/Tyco/Mattel never requested it back so it continues to be made there, definitely up through 2009 when I bought approximately 50 of these and possibly up through today) with the "Toyota Supra" tampo on the doors and was intended to be sold as is at retail. Likewise, if I had grabbed 50 pegwarming Volvo C30 hatchbacks from K-Mart and tampoed those, they'd still be Code 3s. They were delivered for retail and I'm altering them after purchase.
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Stangfreak
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Convertible
Heck... I'm a serious and devoted collector, and know alot about diecast, but still only buy if it looks cool and I will have a good time playing with it... Never, ever paid any attention to codes !!! LOL !!!
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