16 more models were added to my collection this month. They weren’t all cars, there was an aeroplane, a motorbike and an articulated trailer amongst the additions. A large number of the cars were racing cars, with 5 NASCAR style stock cars, a couple of rally cars and a six wheeled formula 1 car.

The 5 stock cars along with the Tomica 6 wheeled Tyrell Ford and the Matchbox Jeep Hot Rod all came from the guy who sells football programmes and knives in Dry Bridge Market, I forget his name, maybe Zura.

I was comfortably within budget this month, despite buying 16 models, as most were less than 5 lari a piece, indeed in the cheap secondhand toy shop I picked up two models (World Cup trailer and Lunar Rover) for just one lari each and found a rough Chinese made BMW at Drybridge Market for a lari. (1 lari = $0.37)

My most expensive model wasn’t even a car but it was Matchbox, a Tornado jet from their Skybusters range, which Gocha sold me for 10 lari.

There haven’t been any new mainline Hot Wheels on the pegs in Tbilisi for a while (since May, perhaps) and no new Matchbox this year. I only bought three models new, one was a Hot Wheels Honda z50 Monkey, the other two were Majorettes: a Nissan GTR Skyline and a Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster.

The Matchbox Jeep Hot Rod from the early seventies was the oldest model and only 4 lari, missing a steering wheel but otherwise fair condition.

two more Stock Cars

Totals: 16 Models: 5 Matchbox, 4 Hot Wheels , 2 Majorette, 1 Tomica, 1 Pole Position, 1 Racing Champions Inc and 2 brand unidentified Made in China

3 bought new, 13 bought secondhand

Outlets: 2 cheap secondhand toy store, 1 Pepela, 2 XS Toys, 2 Clothing Market, 9 Dry Bridge Market (7 Programe Guy, 1 Gocha, 1 other)

Total cost 60.20 lari ($22.11)