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Volume 1 Issue #16 
Talk about "WHAT'S HOT" this week centers around the two
model we closed with in our last issue! The F.M. 1992 Emperor's
Rolls Royce brought an AMAZING $2755.00 which is currently the
HIGH watermark for this model BY FAR! Three of D4C's TIER ONE
players were in it to the $2500.00 level! A gentleman with one
of the finest model collections I know of, took the prize!
Checking into this models particulars this week, I learned that
the box was NOT marked FRANKLIN MINT JAPAN as mentioned, (it was
the larger outside and labeled box as all seen so far are), and
the papers are the same as used on the current BLUE 1993 Rolls
Royce! Granted it is the only one offered to date with the
JAPANESE flag intact as a hood ornament, and the consignor had
added HANDRAILS inside the model as the supposed FULL SIZED car
had them. Of interest to us AVID collector's is the fact that
this was SUPPOSED to have been one given out in Japan, and it
does NOT have a numbered license plate as formerly thought!
Seems another URBAN MYTH has now been put to sleep! Strange how
these rumors get started! I certainly wish there was a way of
asking and GETTING legitimate answers from either Mints
concerning questions like this! I can understand why they keep
the exact mintage's of regularly produced models a secret,
(sponsor knowledge, unneeded information for the competition to
have, etc.), but one would think that they'd realize that their
models are becoming a VASTLY collected commodity. The more
information that is available to THEIR collectors, makes for a
more enjoyable hobby, and lends a certain CREDIBILITY to their
overall product!
Perhaps of even more interest was the Danbury Mint
Red/White 1958 Plymouth that was HAND-BUILT by a consummate
modeler, and was the number 1 car out of 10 that were customized
by him! When the dust had cleared the model had been sold for a
STAGGERING $1550.00! Here was another well fought over model by
two collectors! Quite interesting to see the model OPEN at $5.00
with NO RESERVE, and end up with 48 separate bids to reach this
plateau! I understand Mr. Hettick, (the model's builder), is
quite well known within the plastic model car circles with many
award winning efforts to his credit! I believe after this TOUR
De FORCE we will be seeing MORE of what I'm now calling
"HAND-BUILT MINT MODELS"! Depending on the QUALITY of these
models, prices should be substantially MORE then their common
mass produced cousins! F.M.'s '57 Chevy KIT CAR will be one to
watch as I'm already hearing stories of one currently in the
works! RUMOR of an EDSEL L.E. from a private source is also
anticipated! (Sorry, no more details until work has
progressed!). With Mint models being made with such precision, a
skilled practitioner should be able to enhance these already
fine pieces to a level that is more then acceptable to most
collectors. You have to remember that you have to PAY for this
labor intensive work, so keeping them at Mint prices is out of
the question! Personally, I feel that the third highest bidder
on the Plymouth, (at $351.00), was just a little SHORT of what
should be realized! Time will tell if I'm right or not, and
we'll just have to wait and see what comes down the diecast
highway, but I'm betting we'll see some truly nice models show
up in the near future!I've included a current, (as of June 12, 2000), list of what F.M. is now calling SUSPENDED PRODUCTION diecasts for your edification. 
Here's a little piece of F.M. trivia that has been
forgotten along the way! I've included scans of 2 "Certificates
Of Purchase" that were SOMETIMES given out with the F.M. 1949
Pebble Beach Ford back in 1998! Not that they would ever be
worth a hill of beans, but for the PAPER collector of F.M.
diecasts, here's one to shoot for. The difference is plainly
seen in the LOCATION each one was issued from! One from "the
1998 Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance", the other from "the 12th
Annual Franklin Mint Antique Automobile Festival". A nice little
addition to what I've called "Peripheral Collecting"
I know your asking yourselves, what in blue blazes does he
have pictured on his site now! I know MOST of you don't like,
collect, or want to be anywhere near any of the D.M. team
vehicles. Fortunately, I do! I also enjoy Ketchup on turkey
sandwiches! (Cranberries on Salami, NO!).
This little fellow
happens to have come in the D.M. 1953 Chevrolet Florida
"Gator's" team truck. I buy these off the Net auctions whenever
one comes up at a REASONABLE price, ($145.00 plus shipping and
handling is NOT a reasonable price!). The DIECAST DIVA, (Irene,
my wife, for the uninformed), was PLAYING putting all these
little sundries around the model when she, in her PLAYFUL mood,
put the helmet on the "Gator's" head. Looked so funny I had to
take the scan. NOW, to the point of this foolishness. If D.M.
can make this plastic, (resin, Tesori porcelain?), figure
available for these NICHE trucks, why can't either mint produce
a 1/24 scale CHARACTER, (preferably human), with each model they
produce? I know I've brought this up before, but holding that
little character in my hand just got to me! The likeness is so
well done, I just don't understand why it can't be done! Would
you pay an extra $5 per model if each model had a different
figure? I would! D.M.'s new '58 Impala, could have had a 50's
teenager in the drivers seat with a Car Hop on roller skates,
and window tray that would attach to the car! Their new '40 Ford
could have had a WWII soldier in uniform driving! You know for a
THOUSAND DOLLARS, F.M.'s Pewter '57 Corvette could have had a
likeness of Zora in it with that old leather helmet he wore when
he set that Daytona record back in '57! Now THAT would have been
something! So many of us are into diorama's, this little EXTRA
would mean quite a bit! You think if I keep harping on this
subject anyone will listen? (NAW!)Well just how was the market this week for diecasts? Seems to be still in the doldrums for the most part, BUT some material just keeps getting strong bids, and the NEWER F.M. N/A models are collecting MUCH of the money that's available today. F.M. models have definitely taken the forefront in the collector/investor's mind, and MOST D.M. models are trading in a constant range, albeit LOWER! Sunday 9/17--- You'd think the weekend would be just full of good cars to buy, but not many on e-Bay. Surprisingly, the 1954 Chevy convertible at $105.49, and the 1957 Mercedes Benz at $108.50 drew very strong bids for currently available models! A good deal was the 1953 F.M. Caddy convertible with a small rub in the paint on a hood crease at $122.26. A Wells Fargo Stage sold at $145.00 a nice percentage off retail, and a '41 Lincoln with box, no papers changed hands for $149.48. This newly N/A model should start pulling better numbers as we get closer to Christmas. The F.M. '57 Chevy Kit Car sold at $163.37, still with conflicting reports that it MAY or MAY NOT be coming back! If it does, I can see MANY HAND-BUILT MINT models being done! The Bonnie & Clyde Bullet Hole car drops again to a winning bid of $275.00! Talk about a model with a SPIKED price chart, 2 months ago we were at these levels, JUMPED up to over $500, and has now been on a STEADY downward cycle. I'm stepping out on the ledge again, but at these UNDER $300 levels, this has to be a GREAT buy! Unlike the L.E. Camaro, this model was NOT hoarded, and seems to be drying up as far as being on the auctions are concerned! FYI, check this model out to see how many times it's offered within the next few weeks! Getting SCARCE again! A 1970 Mach I was a NO SALE at $320.50 offered, this is showing some resistance as much of the market is slowing again. The final on e-Bay was a D4C Corvette trading just off its low at $510.00. A very STEADY price range currently! Apparently there are still MANY of these available, AT A PRICE, and MOST sellers are willing to hold at this range! Not a HOARDED model, but many D4C members bought a few, and have made out HANDSOMELY with the profits earned! The D4C auction was almost BARREN tonight from having anything better! The shining light was a "Smokey's" Hudson which sold for $750.00! Lower then it had previously been bid to, but still a rather RESPECTABLE price! The only other auction piece worth mentioning was a '70 Mach I that was a NO SALE at $325.00 reserve! Just a word here. This appears to be a GREAT time to pick up those pieces you've been looking for a BARGAIN prices! As we get closer to the holidays, the prices ALWAYS get stronger! If you can afford it, buy NOW! Monday 9/18--- e-Bay is FLOWING with all sorts of deals today! One of the more unusual was a pewter F.M. 1937 Rolls Royce diorama with the model, 2 people and a street light selling for only $100.01! This was a $200++ issue piece in 1976, and was really a lovely piece to add to your collection! The lucky buyer got himself a nice deal here! A 1956 Metropolitan brought $104.50 without knowing if it was the error variety or not, (I didn't ask), I would tend to think a smart bidder had found out, and snagged this goodie. A lowly regular issue B&C brought $101.00 on what is a strong price on the secondary market for it! A D.M. blue '69 Camaro was a good buy for someone at $137.50, but a James Bond edition of the 1964 Aston Martin was a NO SALE at only $113.00 offered! Two D.M. 1/16 scale 1929 Cords were sold within minutes of each other at $152.50 and $162.50. A popular model that should be made in 1/24 scale! Two 1956 L.E. Chevy convertibles were offered, and each sold for $150.00! Some notable NO SALES were a 1970 Mach I, a '53 Blue D.M. Buick and a 1933 Pierce Arrow! A 1/16 scale 1931 Bugatti brought only $204.52 but may have been missing the top, and had no box or papers. A Wells Fargo Stage sold at a higher $171.00, but the '69 L.E. Camaro was a NO SALE at the $230.00 opening price. A MINT Airstream trailer was bid to $551.00, but did not reach its reserve as well as the closing lot on e-bay, a 65 car collection that drew a $3050.00 bid but stayed with the consignor! Some nice models in that group but everyone, (including myself), was trying to STEAL it! Compared to e-Bay, the D4C auction was almost not worth watching for the better material with only a 2000 Pebble Beach Ford selling for a STRONG $160.00, (seems MANY of these models have defective hoods and broken parts! I believe F.M. will have to use that 400+ replacement models it has to take care of the situation!). The only other notable was a 1959 L.E. Caddy bringing a strong $280.00! Tuesday, 9/19--- A big day today on both e-Bay and D4C today! E-Bay started out with a '55 F.M. Chevy tow truck brings $101.00 on this seldom offer model. The cream 1937 Cord for $102.50 was a very good buy for the new owner. A 1960 red Chevy convertible brings a strong $103.50 on this popular model. For the same bid, a 1921 Rolls Royce copper body was won. No box or papers but in Mint condition, a very good buy if it arrives in one piece! A 1956 L.E. Chevy was a NO SALE at a ridiculously low $112.50! With a small scratch on its roof and no box or papers a '56 Aqua T-Bird was hammered down for a cheap $123.51. A little work here would certainly increase this models value. A small group of D.M. models went for some interesting bids. A '38 Rolls Royce drew $152.49, a '33 Pierce Arrow sold at $162.50 and a surprisingly strong $167.50 was the winning bid for a '53 blue Buick convertible. The last item of interest on e-Bay was a 1988 Black Porsche Targa getting a $163.01 winning bid for the lucky buyer. D4C had MANY models on their site tonight with a '38 Alvis languishing at a $100.00 winning bid! This model was never a good seller and since it's been discontinued, there has been little interest shown toward it! An unusual model with its chrome hood, this is probably a real SLEEPER in the F.M. series. Very few are offered on either major auction, and more often then not, they are missing their hood ornament! One to watch! A CMC "Black Prince" Mercedes Benz went for the cheapest I've seen it sell for in many months at $100.00! I like this models look, and the detailed wire wheels are a standout! A D.M. James Bond car also sells very cheaply at $110.00. When these were N/A about a year or so ago, they traded at $250-$300+! If you hear that this model will be discontinued, I'd suggest you buy a few! One of D.M.'s most popular and the little toys that are incorporated into the model make it UNIQUE! Both a '98 Christmas truck and a CMC Porsche 550 spider sold for $125.00, a good deal in both cases! An old C.M. red street Cobra sells at only $155.00 in a new LOW for this scarcer model, and a D.M. blue Camaro gets $150.00 as a new owner takes home this prize. The D.M. '33 Pierce Arrow gets a better $195.00 and a F.M. 1953 Caddy convertible is strong at $250.00. The B&C Bullet Hole car again sells at $275.00 as this seems to be a break point for this model! The '55 L.E. Pontiac is a NO SALE at the offered $330.00! This model should be over $400 by the number of times offered. An original C.M. #9 Ford GT-40 sells at $400.00 and seems to be feeling a little pressure from the new #6 car coming out SOON! Last car on D4C was a '73 L.E. Mercedes Benz that only gets a $527.00 winning bid! Perhaps the owners are going to loosen up their hold on these, and just let the demand dictate where these will sell! Time will tell! Wednesday 9/20--- Much less offered on both auctions today! e-bay starts with a N/A 1910 Caddy Model 30 only getting $102.50, but no box or papers! Seems MANY collectors are wary about buying no box models from sellers they don't know or trust! An F.M. '46 Chevy Suburban sells for a near retail $108.25! A 1969 L.E. Camaro # 154 brought a winning bid of $250.00. A second Camaro brought $265.00, due to the Medallion from the Diecast Rallye which accompanied it! A last '69 L.E. Camaro brought a super strong $434.99! The difference was the number, which was 1969! Seems three collectors were HOT for this one, and there's been much haggling, and offers made to the new owner! Perhaps more next week on this, if the information is available to print! The '70 Mustang Mach I sold for a current low price of $304.01, but another Mustang, the F.M. SIGNED Shelby was a NO SALE when all it could muster was a $325.06 bid! Last on e-Bay was a '48 Pebble Beach green MG that was sold for $410.99, as the market seems to be lackluster at best! The D4C auction had only a few better pieces available with a surprising 1930 Bugatti getting $120.00 on a rumored N/A status showing up for this famous piece. The 1915 Stutz brought $170.00 with no hag tag or cardboard box, and a '57 Caddy Eldorado with BAD paint on a rear door sold for the same price! F.M.'s '57 Chevy Kit Car sold again for $175.00, and closing out D4C's auction for today was a '69 L.E. Camaro that sold at a slightly lower $225.00! Thursday 9/21--- As we head into the close of this week more and more models of interest are showing up on both auction sites. A D.M. 1942 Town & Country sells for $102.52, against a $112.00 full retail price. This model is one of D.M.'s most popular, and just can't be stolen when on auction. A '33 Pierce Arrow with yellowing tires only draw a $133.38 winning bid. A good deal if you know how to whiten them up! A '59 F.M. Caddy convertible sold for a CHEAP $177.77, as I tried to STEAL it, and was simply outplayed with a MUCH higher maximum bid! (you'd think the winner would have thought the same way!). The F.M. '49 Pebble Beach Ford #90 model brought a $330.00 winning bid as the new owner should be happy with that price, and a 1982 L.E. Corvette was STOLEN (thank you!) at a paltry $536.00! D4C had more goodies to shoot for with another 1921 Copper body Rolls bringing a higher $136.00! The '56 L.E.Chevy was also higher at $165.00. The '57 WW Corvette was another winner as $235.00 took it home. The beautiful Battleship U.S.S. Missouri was a GIVEAWAY at the $320.01 that a happy bidder was able to STEAL. A D4C Corvette was a NO SALE at an offered $500.00! The 1997 Black Corvette sold at a slightly lower $565.00, and a RED FLAG Limited Edition Limo brought $650.00! The Corvette Cutaway motor was the final item tonight; without box or papers it was a NO SALE at the $800.00 offered! This model is worth MUCH MORE! Showing again that the current market is just lackadaisical when it comes to the POWER pieces! Friday 9/22--- The e-Bay auction has just a bunch of good pieces for sale today. The '54 Chevy convertible gets another $105.00 winning bid! For a red car, it's one of the nicest! The 1932 Chevy Confederate gets $105.01 on a strong showing for a model not often offered. A D.M. 1970 Oldsmobile 442 convertible draws $101.03 for this wanted piece! Although this has been available for over a year now, it doesn't show up often, and still gets much interest. A D.M. 1933 Pierce Arrow brings a cheap $152.50 while a '38 Rolls also sells cheaply at $147.50! Another D.M. model, the 1/16 scale 1953 Cadillac sold for a good bid of $148.01. The Wells Fargo Stage stays within range at $168.05, (wish a set of horses would be forthcoming! Would make this handsome model COMPLETE.) .A 1997 Christmas truck was a steal at $127.50 and a slightly distressed 1996 Christmas truck (missing mirror and small chrome strip on hood) was another excellent buy at $430.99 when 2 buyers came down to the wire with this one! Ending the day were the 2 models mentioned at the beginning of this article, the '58 red/white HAND-BUILT MINT Plymouth, and the 1992 Emperor's Rolls, so no need going through these again. Several good models were sold on D4C as a 1940 Packard was won with $110.00 bid. A 1950 Chevy hardtop was won with a strong $104.00 bid. F.M.'s beautiful 1934 L.E. Packard was sold with a close to retail $125.00 on reports that this model will be GONE soon! Another 2000 Pebble Beach Ford sold for a retail $135.00. A '70 Mach I Mustang sells at current levels when $315.00 was all that was offered. A BIG surprise was the $304.00 that it took to win the 1929 Bugatti Blower car as it's new N/A status affected at least 2 bidders! A NEW record price which may or may not hold! An original 1/16 scale 1931 Bugatti with box and book sold lower then usual when $365.05 took it home for a happy buyer. A last lot tonight was a near perfect 1957 Caddy which sold for a RIGHT ON $475.00! Some models, when in this ultimate condition, DO get their proper price! Saturday 9/23--- ACTION was the byword for today! e-bay's just loaded with interesting cars. The D.M. retired '58 Impala is sold for $100.01, staying just over that $100.00 mark. F.M.'s 1998 Bentley sells for $102.50. This, and the 1998 Rolls, are always in demand on the secondary market. The super detailed D.M. 1957 Pro Street Chevy sells at $104.53, very close to full retail for this little gem! The N/A 1941 Maroon Lincoln with bad paint still sells for $117.50. A 1956 Chevy hardtop was a surprise seller at $107.53! Is there something we don't know about yet? D.M.'s Bond car sells again for $148.45 for this still available model. The lovely '55 Packard Pebble Beach car was sold at a slightly lower $227.50. Make note how many of these are currently being offered. This is the way the P.B. MG and P.B. '49 Ford slowly disappeared. Expect a price increase as we work our way out of this slow secondary market. The newly N/A 1935 Duesenberg was STOLEN at $204.18 as it went from $136.50 to the sell price in less then 10 seconds! I tried to steal this again, as it is certainly worth $300+ at the present time, but was OUTPLAYED at my own game. RATS! A C.M. GT-40 went UNNOTICED by most bidders, but a certain elderly gentleman in Orlando scooped up this prize for $305.00! The F.M. Airstream with display case was a NO SALE at the offered $500.00. These have come down drastically in price in this market, but I don't expect them to stay here. A last lot on e-Bay was a '41 FoMoCo blue Lincoln being sold for $510.00, as the market has also pushed the prices on this scarce model down! The auction on D4C had some BIG models, but most of them were NO sales! These included a Brawner Hawk at an offered $450.00, (odd, I have it available at $350.00!), a CLEAN 1961 Black Lincoln had no response to the $475.00 reserve, and the VERY RARE 1913 Limited Edition Collector's Model T, 1 of 4200, didn't get it's cheap $500.00 offering price. This model is only offered a few times each year, and has traded hands at over $1500.00! A MIB FOP Lambo was also rejected at $1500.00, BUT the EXTREMELY RARE 1988 RED Porsche Targa DID sell at $1500.00, a tremendous buy for the new owner as this model has sold this year for $2500.00! With that we've ended the auction reviews for this week. For your information, TWO 1960 Red Chevy hardtops were sold this week for $2000.00 per model in private sales! This is definitely one of F.M.'s premier models! All in all it seems that prices are off about 20% to 25% from their former high! This will not last, and I'm looking forward to the holidays, and the spirited bidding it brings with it! Hoped you enjoyed the WHWN this week. Hopefully I'm filling in some information you wouldn't get from anywhere else, and have made it entertaining. I'll have some interesting variety news for next week and we'll see what in the offing from F.M. ad D.M.! Please keep those questions and comments coming, it's the only way I have to know what you think and will try to get some more rumors and hearsay out to you! Enjoy the week and keep well. Regards, Roy Return To www.franklindanbury.com The "WHAT'S HOT, WHAT'S NOT!" Archive |
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