BOX FACTS

SERIES :	Regular Wheels	FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION :	1953
BOX TYPES :	A, B	SIZES AVAILABLE :	1, 2, 3
TOTAL VARIATIONS :	9	NUMBER OF MAJOR VARIATIONS :	8

GENERAL INFO

The 3A Cement Mixer was released in A and B type boxes and have numerous different variations. Part of the first wave of models in 1953, the A box shows the black mixer with red wheels and a background, completed with small model numbers and a “straight 3”. The size used was 1. When the B1 replaced the script box, the model was made a little smaller, with the same model number, but slightly larger. Then came a first B2 box, where the model is a little lower in the picture and the background, paler. Model numbers are also very small.

A second B2 box was then released, with larger number where the “3” is now a regular round one. Model as well as background have move up a tiny bit in the picture. Maybe someone thought it was yet time for another box change, and a new design of the model was drawn. It shows the engine part in yellow and black, with a very large barrel, pale background, and the return of the “straight 3”. Each B1 and B2 box is size 2.

The same picture as the last B2 box would be used for the B3, size 3 box. Since the size is larger, the blue rectangle completes the box.

Ready for another variation?! It comes with the B4 box and depicts the model all in black, with a dark background. This design would be used for the first B5 as well before…another variation takes place! This last variation is basically the same as the previous one, but the background has disappeared!

B3, B4 and B5 boxes are all size 3.

RARITY

Apart from the A type box which is always sought after, it is hard to say which of the 8 different B boxes is less common. The B5 box without background may be one.

VARIATION LIST

RW3A - CEMENT MIXER
Front/Back	#	Type/Sub-type	Size	Top/Bottom	End Flap	Variation #
$C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\3A-ABox Darkbackground.jpg$ Black wheels, background	1	A	1	Blue/Black	All blue	RW-3A-A-1a
$C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\3A-BBoxB1SmallerLeft.jpg$ (Small black model shown, dark background, "straight 3")	2	B1	2		All blue	RW-03A-B1-1a
$C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\3A-BBoxB1BiggerRight.jpg$ (Bigger black model shown, light background, very small numbers, "straight 3")	3	B2				RW-03A-B2-2a
$C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\3A-BBoxB2SmallBarrel.jpg$ (Smaller black model shown, light background, larger numbers)	4					RW-03A-B2-3a
$C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\3A-BBoxB2LargeBarrel.jpg$ (Very large model in yellow with large barrel, small numbers, "straight 3")	5					RW-03A-B2-4a
$C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\3A-BBoxB3.jpg$ (Very large model in yellow with large barrel, small numbers, "straight 3", blue square)	6	B3	3			RW-03A-B3-5a
$C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\3A-BBoxB4Background.jpg$ (Black model with background, size 3 picture)	7	B4				RW-03A-B4-6a
	8	B5				RW-03A-B5-6b
$C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\3A-B5NoBackground.jpg$ (Black model without background, size 3 picture)	9	B5				RW-03A-B5-7a