Micro Machines - Guide to Identifying Manufacturer

How to ID true Micro MachinesMicro Machines is the best known brand of tiny scale toy cars. This guide is intended to help inform sellers and newbie collectors of these great toys. Micro Machines were first sold in the mid-80s by Lewis Galoob Toys Inc. In 1999, Hasbro bought out Galoob and continued making some Micro Machines. Most of the newer sets were only available in the United Kingdom and Europe. PLEASE NOTE: THIS GUIDE IS IN ITS "BETA" STAGE! I will be updating a couple times a month hopefully. This guide mainly applies to cars and trucks, but some of the info will apply to all types of vehicles.A lot of sellers do not realize that the micros that they are selling are not really "Micro Machines". The easiest way to tell the difference is to look at the base of the car. The text on the bottom can weed out most of the imposters, some of which are very collectible in their own right. This is just a guide, and there are some cars that defy the rules.Text found on authentic Micro Machines basesGaloob - what most of the cars made up until the mid 90s had on the base. Quite often people will misread this base and leave out a letter, or replace a letter with some other letter, like saying it reads "Baloo" or "Galod"LGTI or LGT- stands for Lewis Galoob Toys. Mostly used on cars made from 1994-1999.MM - stands for Micro Machines, might be only be found on monster trucksHasbro - Micro Machines made after 1999, some marked Hasbro are not Micro Machines (see below)Unmarked (Mini Micros) - these are only about 5/8 inch long.Other Brands by name on base: Charm Max - another brand of micros, very similar to SpeedeezDah Yang - another brand of micros, fairly hard to find. Most gemonly found with a battery chamber in the base to power lights.Famosa - another brand of micros, very similar to Speedeez, sold in EuropeFunrise - another brand of micros, some marked as Funrise were sold under the Racing Champions name. These are the most gemonly misidentified brand of micros because they look very similar, right down to the base. You have to read the base very carefully.Hasbro - larger than regular micro machines, made before they bought Galoob, usually made out of a rubbery plastic material.Hot Wheels - Mattel made many various brand of micros including Atomix and ZoweesIdeal - sold under the brand name SkeetersImperial - the yo-yo gepany, also made some microsMajorette - Micro Sonic Flashers (have two lights on top, Micro Machines "Blaze