Cool collectibles and merchandise will be the centrepiece of an all-new display at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show
For the first time, the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show will feature a dedicated new Merchandise Zone bringing together popular displays previously scattered throughout the venue.
On display will be Mack Trucks’ popular range of shirts and jackets, caps and hats, bags, stubby coolers, key chains and more; NXT Journey’s ever-expanding array of Australian-made truckie bags; and even an exclusive new range of souvenir Brisbane Truck Show paraphernalia.
Anchoring the precinct, conveniently located on the Mezzanine Level right above the main entrance at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, will be Drake Collectibles’ 1:50 scale die-cast truck and trailer model display, consistently among the most popular exhibits at previous shows.
And avid diecast collectors are in for a real treat in 2023, with the company set to take the wraps off possibly three new model releases at the show – complemented by some “special guest appearances”, teases Bruce Hay, who has managed the highly successful division of The Drake Group since it was founded in 2010 in response to customer frustrations about the lack of proper die-cast models of Australian trucks and trailers.
The stand will also feature recent model releases. Despite the ripple effects of COVID-19 putting model production 11 months behind schedule, Hay says Drake Collectibles has still managed to unveil eightnew Kenworth K200s, nine new C509s and one stunning Kenworth T900 Legend in 2022.
Possibly the standout release so far in 2022, he adds, was the Mactrans Heavy Haulage ‘Stop DV’ Kenworth K200, a stunning truck carrying a powerful message relating to domestic violence against women.
Another popular release in recent years, Hay says, was the 1988 Bicentennial Mack Super-Liner, which in 2021 was awarded the prestigious ‘Model of the Year’ by Cranes Etc, which boasts a following of over 220,000 collectors throughout the world via its website and social media pages.
“All the new releases were very popular with the collector’s market throughout the world and the good news is, there are more to come in the future,” he says.
Hay notes the replica model trucks and trailers are a great alternative for the thousands of Brisbane Truck Show attendees who admire the vehicles on display.
“Australians love their trucks. They love their Kenworths, they love their Macks. So, they see all these trucks, they see all these trailers, and while they can’t take the real one home, they can take something in miniature home.
“The collectability of them is very high; it’s sort of contagious. They start with one, they end up with two, and before you know it, they’ve got a cabinet, maybe two cabinets or three cabinets. It’s phenomenal,” he says.
Complementing the new zone will be merchandise displays at key exhibitors’ stands, including the always popular PACCAR stand.
