BRUSSELS AMAZING MOOF MUSEUM, HOME OF FANTASTIC FIGURINES

THE MOOF MUSEUM IS tucked away under Brussels Central Station, and it’s easy to miss. We chanced upon the collection after arriving in Brussels from a two-hour train ride on the high-speed Eurostar service from central London.

GORGEOUS FRENCH MODELS - SCALE MODELS OF COURSE

French publisher-cum-model producer Editions Atlas has some very interesting miniatures available at the moment.

SPRING IS HERE AND SO IS THE TOURIST SEASON: SO HOWZABOUT A MODEL-SPOTTING TRIP TO LONDON’S COVENT GARDEN?

A recent visit to the famed Covent Garden Piazza in London revealed that there are miniatures to be found in the unlikeliest places.

FANS OF TINTIN START COLLECTING HERE: FINELY ENGINEERED 1:43 SCALE DIECAST VEHICLES BASED ON ART IN THE ORIGINAL BOOKS

We don’t cover a great many diecasts at SMN, as this is primarily a model making site, rather than one designed for collectors. But there are justifiable exceptions, and the Moulinsart Tintin collection from France is one of them.

TINTIN MOVIE MECCANO KITS

David Jefferis reports:

The trailer of the latest Stephen Spielberg movie The Adventures of Tintin is with us, as is news that Meccano is to sell construction sets based on a Tintin theme. The movie is due for release on December 23, 2011, but the Meccano sets should be available well before that.

Handsome yellow seaplane is the subject of one of the Meccano sets.

1:43 HERGE’S TINTIN DIECAST COLLECTIBLES

Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin are among the world’s most popular children’s books, with more than 200 million sold since the first title was published in 1929.

Today the world of Tintin has gone far beyond strip-illustration books (known in Europe as ‘bande dessinée’, or BD) to include shops, magazines, audio, collectibles and for the model fan, a delightful range of 1:43 scale vehicles.

Editions Atlas produces a whole range of diecasts, all based on illustrations from Tintin books. The 1960s-era Triumph Herald convertible and Beccles 305a caravan shown here are from a scene in The Black Island, and come complete with four excellent figures, including Tintin and Snowy the dog leaning out of a window. The Beccles has a full interior, including curtains, cooker, seats and table.

These collectibles are a little different from most 1:43 diecasts, insofar as they are slightly cleaned-up, simplified versions of the real thing, rightly echoing the character of Hergé’s cartoons. So don’t expect chrome plating or jewel headlights, but the models are all the better for it, and - something SMN likes very much - a slightly satin finish, which is so much easier on the eye than a super-gloss paint job.

This set is priced at £39.50 GBP ($64.70 USD); you can order from specialist suppliers, including the Tintin online store here.

ps. A future diary date for Tintin fans - Stephen Spielberg is making two movies, first one due in 2011. Visit the site here.