Clubs no longer active updated 5/19/03

American International Matchbox Collectors and Exchange Club (A.I.M.)

Almost 30 years after its opening, AIM is closing shop, with the last issue to be may 2001, citing that it cannot stand in the way of progress (web) & difficulty finding sufficient content for 12 months of newsletters each year that is not already available many other places. Harold's Place & Dottie will remain much in evidence with the store in Lynn, MA, a web site '"real soon now", & selling on eBay. AIM newsletter, Vol XXXI No. 10, March 2001 new 3/6/01

UK Matchbox, founded by Ray Bush

THE LOSS OF A COLLECTING ICON Ray Bush 1926-2003
[reprinted from the May 2003 matchbox USA Newsletter, with permission] new 5/19/03

UK Matchbox club logo

Although he hadn't been involved in the Matchbox forefront since the mid 1980's, Ray Bush will always be remembered for the tremendous knowledge and enthusiasm that he brought to our hobby for many years with his UK Matchbox club,.Ray passed from this world in March at the age of 77 from natural causes.

Ray became an important part of the Matchbox hobby in the early to mid 1970's when he worked originally with the AIM club and produced the first comprehensive Yesteryear variation catalog. In 1977, he formed his own club called UK Matchbox and began an exciting era than ran through 1985 when he decided to fold up shop and turn his attentions to Lledo toy collecting with his popular Lledo Calling publication that ran through 1989. Ray decided to retire completely from the hobby of die cast collecting at that time.

Ray's newsletters still contain some of the best historical information on the hobby today. His good friend of thirty years, Geoffrey Leake called him a "man of utmost integrity who set a standard for Matchbox collectors and collecting which it would be hard to beat". Another English collector, Mike Thomas, comments that "Ray Bush will always be remembered as the father of UK Matchbox collecting and his listing and the information he gave to collectors are second to none.

Although [Charlie Mack] had never met Ray Bush [they] had communicated several times through letters as mutual Matchbox editors. His contributions will forever be remembered. Our, deepest sympathies go out to his wife Pauline and to his family arid friends. May he rest in peace.

Matchbox Collector's Club

MBWW [not a club per se] new 12/30/99

Collectors Clubs ["official" clubs or "marketing plans" ?] new 12/1/98