MATCHBOX CON ANNOUNCED FOR SPRING 2024 IN MARYLAND
New Public Die-cast Metal Toy Convention coming to Gaithersburg
October 3, 2023
Rockville, MD It’s all about mini-metal toys! The ones you played with when you were a kid, are worth something today! Festival Factory, a music festival and event production company based in Rockville, MD has announced its inaugural Die-cast Metal Toy Convention in the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Bldg. #6 next Spring. The specialized toy show will feature up to 60 Exhibitors and their inventories of Mattel® brands; Matchbox® and Hot Wheels® and other brands like Corgi®, Dinky®, Greenlight®, Johnny Lightning® and many other Die-cast brands. There is no County Fair will the weekend of Matchbox Con, to be held indoor, RAIN or SHINE. Plenty of free parking.
The Matchbox Convention is configured as a trade show open to the public featuring 8’ wide x 7’ deep spaces available for rent during the 2 big days. Discount admission tickets are also available at the event’s website Matchboxcon.com Tickets are also available at the door. Just released: JUNIOR-SENIOR Exhibitor spaces can be reserved in advance- priced for Exhibitors aged 12-17 and 65+ to sell, buy, trade or show their Die-cast collection.
Matchbox and Hot Wheels collectors from all over the east coast are expected. Matchboxcon is intended to be an annuity for the Die-cast community, bringing fans together from many states to meet and gather for a weekend sharing both older rare toys and the latest releases. Matchbox is sold in over 150 countries starting in England by the Lesney company in 1953. One collector in New Jersey has his own museum, Everett Marshall’s MATCHBOX ROAD in Newfield displays over 60,000 mint quality Matchbox toys.
Collecting the tiny 1:64 scale Matchbox metal cars and trucks since he was a boy in the 1960’s, Event Producer Hal Davidson, is turning a side hobby into a business driven by fun! Davidson recently noticed how much diecast toy trading activity was happening online. He discovered many Die-cast metal forums, discussions and selling social media pages were out there. It had also become obvious that there was a strong international network of Matchbox, Hot Wheels, and other Die-cast fans, enthusiasts and serious collectors. Davidson said, there are millions of passionate Matchbox and Hot Wheels collectors all over the world, it’s amazing!
After attending other Matchbox shows, Hal decided his company was perfect to produce a show for this mid-Atlantic region, just up the street at 16 Chestnut Street in Gaithersburg, MD off N. Frederick Ave. (Rt. 355). MatchboxCon’s home is a perfect vintage building in the Montgomery County Fairgrounds located off I-270. Exit 11 about 20 miles North of Wash., D.C..
Most transactions at these types of shows are in cash, though credit cards are taken by many exhibitors. Tickets are cash or credit cards. Convention hours in 2024: Sat, March 23 from 10am-7pm and Sun March 24 from 10am-5pm. Restaurants and hotels are nearby. RV camp spaces on site with hookups are just $40/ night. For more info: Matchboxcon.com or email matchboxcon@gmail.com or call 240-848-0889 EDT 9am-7pm. See you at the show, one ticket gets you 2 days of admission and fun!
What is Die-cast metal? Die-casting is a metal casting process that involves feeding molten nonferrous alloys into dies under high pressure at high speed to rapidly create molded products. The metal used in die-casting is either a lead alloy (used early on), or more commonly, Zamak (called Mazak in the UK), consisting of alloys of aluminum, magnesium and zinc. Most modern diecast toys also use some plastic and rubber.
Now you know!