Showcards

Micromodels Showcards

 

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Number
Name Showcards / Advertising Sign
First year published
Publisher Micromodels
Number of cards
Size of cards 20 x 14 cm
26 x 21 cm
25 x 20 cm
15 x 11.5 cm
Description These Showcards were given away free to Retailers.

Make These Lovely Little Models

Three different designs are known.

  • The first design is made of thick white card and measures 20 x 14 cm. There is a punched hole at the top dead centre so that the card could be hung up on a piece of string. The packet artwork has been cut from an original packet and pasted onto the front of a card that has printed text but no illustration. Quite a clever way of creating a multitude of similar but different signs.
    Known copies have the packet front of Aldgate, Bull Hotel, Terminal Sation, Tower of London, Barges, Cutty Sark, and Six Little Ships. A new version appeared in 2011 on eBay with the text “25% price reduction” on it. This one is probably used in 1956 (it has the same price reduction as the march 1956 catalogue).

    The showcard with the barges cover has an interesting reverse. It seems these cards were mailed out without any packaging at all, just sent as postcards to dealers who were interested.

    The showcard with the Terminal Station cover on it has an interesting stamp on the reverse: Jenid Imports, Wayzata, Minn. This one came from the USA and Jenid Imports was the original US importer of Micromodels. A page cut from an unidentified US magazine lists the company as the Micromodels US suppliers.

  • The second design is also made of thick white card, but without the punched hole and measures approximately 26 x 21 cm. Two known copies have the packet front of the Royal South African Train and Princess Coronation.
  • There was another type of card in the portrait format, smaller than the second design.
    This example shows the C I railway set cover. The card has the same thickness as the larger one and the design is similar (though obviously different); it’s about 25×20 cm.

Build your own Micro Museum

– This design is a stand-up with a small hinging flap to the rear. This again is made of thick card and measures 15 x 11.5 cm.