Charting the history of the iconic Matchbox toy brand.

After the Second World War, two friends got together to set up a small toy manufacturing business in a bombed-out pub in north London. Ten years later, they were running a multi-million-pound business whose products were sold in all four corners of the globe. They were champions of the industry, receiving awards from the Queen and achieving status beyond their dreams.

This book charts the history of Matchbox toys and the people who made it all happen; from the people on the production lines to the people at the top and all the designers, engineers, sales people and collaborators who helped make Matchbox an iconic brand that is still sold all over the world today. We discover previously unknown and fascinating facts about early partnerships with other companies and how the area of north London was a hotbed of small toy car manufacturers which were all inter-linked in some way.

The book features a model price guide, based upon real sales figures achieved for each model in the first 1-75 series of toys. This is an invaluable tool for valuing your own toy collection and it is a handy reference guide to what to look out for when you are searching for those childhood toys.