3 Flareside Pickup Truck Appraisal

Matchbox Collector's Choice No. 3 - Flareside Pickup Truck

This item is a Matchbox 'Collector's Choice Limited Edition' series die-cast model, specifically 'No. 3 - Flareside Pickup Truck'. The truck itself appears to be silver or light grey with a distinctive red stripe running along its side, just above the wheel wells. It features a flareside bed design, characterized by the rear fenders flaring out from the bed, which is a classic truck styling cue. The model is housed within its original, unopened packaging, which is a light brown cardboard box with red diamond patterns along the edges. The Matchbox logo is prominently displayed at the top of the box. Through the clear plastic window, the truck's details, including its wheels with what appear to be chrome or polished silver rims, are visible. A white sticker with the number '03497' is affixed to the clear plastic covering the truck, potentially indicating a production number or an inventory tag. The overall condition appears to be excellent, as it is in its original packaging, suggesting minimal to no handling wear on the vehicle itself. The packaging itself shows a slight tear or wear visible near the '03497' sticker, but this does not appear to affect the model inside. The 'Collector's Choice' branding indicates this is a higher-quality or more exclusive release from Matchbox, aimed at the collector market, implying a greater level of detail and finish than standard mainline releases. The specific era of the 'Flareside Pickup Truck' design suggests it is likely a model representing an American pickup truck from the 1970s or 1980s. The craftsmanship appears to be good with clean lines and painted details. This is clearly an item intended for display and collection rather than play and is considered to be in 'New In Box' (NIB) or 'Mint In Box' (MIB) condition.