Later, Franklin Mint and Matchbox got in the game, adding expensive little models to their line. Then the market got saturated - people had bought every model they wanted and their display cases were full. Matchbox Collectibles disappeared, Franklin Mint downsized and many of the smaller producers either closed or became shadows of their former selves.
Over the past decade, a large number of model car retailers have also shuttered their premises; EWA being the latest. (posted 3/11/2010, permalink)
Fair News: Reporting in Model Auto Review magazine, Hans-Georg Schmitt wrote about his visit to the 2011 Nuremberg International Toy Fair.
He reported that several firms are now marketing Chinese-made limited edition models made from resin. These compete with centrifugally cast white metal models, made mostly in Europe. The resin models have better detail than their white metal counterparts and cost much less - often half-the retail price of hand-cast metal ones.
Hans noted, "This material (resin) uses less expensive rubber molds than those used for diecasting. The quantity which can be produced from a mold is much smaller, but it will be enough to satisfy the shrinking collectors market. In spite of the economic advantages of this production method, no-one can be certain what will happen to the models in ten or 20 years. Will they survive?"
Good question. In 1984, I bought an expensive handbuilt 1955 Cadillac Coupe de Ville from Zaug Models, a now-defunct Swiss model maker. Within a few years, it became severely banana-warped and was worthless.
Schmitt also reported that all is not well with firms buying models from the Chinese, even diecast examples. "Minichamps had serious problems when their main manufacturer in China collapsed and ceased to supply them. The company chosen as a replacement supplied models of such poor quality that most of them had to be returned to the makers."
"All of the firms are now finding problems with rising costs for raw materials and for manufacturing, the latter due to Chinese workers' salaries rising to more acceptable levels. Also many Chinese firms are switching from producing model cars to making real car parts in the burgeoning local auto industry. This gives them fewer manufacturing problems and more profit." (posted 3/25/2011, permalink)
Dismal Diecast Direction: Things in the diecast model car business are not well.
Writing in Model Auto Review (a publication which is going to shrink from 10 issues/year to 6 issues in 2012), correspondent Hans-George Schmitt has reported that "many companies have problems with casting firms who supply them from China. ... Schuco (an old-line German toy firm) stated that their Chinese supplier had gone bankrupt and they are having problems retrieving their molds."
Editor Rod Ward added, "We have also been told that Corgi (a venerable UK producer of die cast toy vehicles) and Biante (an Australian firm offering scale model race cars) may not get shipments from China in the last three months of the year, as a Chinese casting firm has collapsed."
Ward also noted, "I hear of more closures among retail outlets and of some manufacturers reducing production quantities, whilst at the same time keeping a low profile, perhaps not wanting to draw attention to their lower level of activity."
I've noticed that a number of firms have pushed back delivery dates on new model vehicles. The model car business has changed greatly and as pre-boomers and boomers are getting older and downsizing, they are buying fewer models. Or have already purchased everything they want. In the 1980s, I used to buy over model vehicles per year. These days, it's less than a dozen.
Over the past decade, a large number of model car retailers have also shuttered their premises. Toys for Collectors' website has been down for over two weeks, possibly indicating that the firm - established in 1978 - is out of business. If so, another one has bitten the dust.
On a related note, Rod also reported that Model Auto Review sales "continue to fall ... down another 7% in the past two years, mostly due to some of our readers shuffling off to the Great Swapmeet in the Sky." (posted 12/12/2011, permalink)
Scale Pioneer: David Sinclair, who owned and operated Sinclair's Auto Miniatures Inc. for nearly 50 years, has died at age 90.
Sinclair started out in the mail order business in 1963 selling imported gift items and soon began importing miniature model cars from all over the world, beginning with Rio (Italy) and Lesney products (UK). He quickly learned that a porcelain ashtray topped with a Lesney replica of an early Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was a hugely popular item, except that customers wanted the model without the ashtray.
David Sinclair is credited with establishing the hobby in the United States and is known in the industry as "the godfather of the model car business." I bought my first 1:43 model from David in 1970.
He was also an actor in numerous theater and stage productions. In recent years, Sinclair had been selling exquisite and expensive auto replicas that were produced in very small numbers. RIP. (posted 2/2/2012, permalink)
