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Volume 1 Issue #7 
Another exciting week for us diecast collectors with all
sorts of news from F.M. and the continuing saga of auction
pricing! The announcement of the Speed Racer Mach V brought RAVE
REVIEWS and BOOS from many D4C members! Another love/hate
relationship is brewing here! Since I like the off beat and odd
material offered by both Mints, I'll have to have it BUT can
understand the cry's of woe from the purist collectors point of
view. This model will be in 1/12 scale so MANY of our order
would NOT be interested in it anyway. What most don't realize is
that if this car wasn't done, the money and resources put into
it WOULD NOT NECESSARILY go into another diecast! There are
priorities at play here, and those resources could have become
the next "Hooters" Doll or series of flower plates that F.M.
puts out! Be thankful that some will be happy, and those that
aren't, just wait for some other models that will be announced
soon! I know a few years ago F.M. produced over 1000 different
products in a year! This number might be down considerably now,
but 20-30 NEW (repaints included) models are going to be offered
this year!The Bonnie and Clyde bullet hole car made news again when D4C member Dave (I'll have my burger with extra pickles, onions and ketchup, please) Thomas got that DEAR JOHN letter from F.M.'s own Elizabeth Jennings concerning his long awaited model! I quote from Dave's letter, "I am writing to thank you for your order for the Bonnie & Clyde's 1932 Ford V-8 W/Holes that was accented with miniature bullet holes. Unfortunately, at this time, this model is sold out and has been retired. It will no longer be available." Sincerely, Elizabeth Jenkins Customer Service. " It's not enough that this fellow had a confirmed order in on this model, but he even gets a FORM LETTER from a fictitious person (there is NO REAL Elizabeth Jennings at F.M. Come on guys, use my name instead, at least everyone knows I'm REAL. Didn't Louis mention making a VooDoo doll of me at last years FM show, or was I dreaming that part?), telling him too bad! NOT the way to keep valued customers, or to continue to make new ones! Now that this model sells on the secondary market for +/- $400.00, I'm SURE that Dave, Chris Padgett and many others NOT heard from (Sheila, did you get one?) are more then upset! This issue had MUCH CONFUSION surrounding it as NO ONE could ascertain if this was a L.E. of 1500 or not. For the longest time members of D4C were given conflicting reports from whomever they talked to at F.M.! The car is a GREAT model, and the bullet holes certainly do add that special air to it, but you would think that F.M. would, at least, get their act together on something like this! F.M. gets my award as the "WHAT'S NOT" for the way they handled this situation! (I actually saw the D.M. representative SMILE when I did this; he thought he was going to get bagged again this week!) Another F.M. blunder that has FINALLY hit the recall boards (a letter sent to all F.M. Gallery stores on the 19th to pull them all) was their 1957 Corvette (due to be "DISCONTINUED FOREVER after 12/31/00), which was recently seen wearing a nice set of white wall tires! You mean that PLAIN JANE, black walled tired, cheapo hubcap model that's been around since March of 1993 is finally going away!? F.M. had released, (depending on who you talk to), between 500 to 1000 of these models as their last hurrah! Not too many could have been sold as this IS an OLD issue, and most everyone that wanted it has it! Some sharp buyers have accumulated a few of these and currently one is on e-bay with a $150 bid and D4C just had one sell for $206.00! IF it turns out to be as low a mintage as expected, GREAT things could be in store for it! Perhaps not as pricey as the 82 L.E. Corvette, but at least in the range of the above mentioned B&C Bullet hole car! (Things like this make collecting so much more FUN!). I have heard from one collector who got this model and had noted the whitewall tires. He called his local store about it and was asked to please bring it back for the proper black wall tire car! (Yeah, right!) Needless to say, he's all smiles! Another D4C member, Bob Gemmill, posted this information on the D4C board and I quote "I called FM yesterday about the car. Between a sales clerk and her manager, they told me I was misinformed and that no such car has ever been made or proposed. If it had been accidentally produced, it would never have been released." His prosaic thoughts on the F.M. personnel's "Lapse of Memory" are well represented by his quaint comment about the above situation..."Oh....... phooie." ( No comment from this scribe could sum this situation up better!) 
Another topic, brought up to me continuously is the 1929
RED Rolls Royce re-issue. For you followers of this GAMBLERS
SPECIAL, my friend in Australia, Bruno Santarelli has put one
out on e-Bay at a starting bid of $299 (e-Bay #389420833)!!
There is also one offered on D4C at $1200.00 (lot #15450)!.
SOMEWHERE between the 2 will be the CURRENT price! The ONLY
other to be sold brought $761.00 on e-Bay ( #359359925 selling
on June, 25)! There is still NO WORD WHY these were really
pulled, and speculation runs rampant out there by people deeply
involved with these models! Will this truly be a VERY RARE
model, or will F.M. re-re-issue it because of some legal
technicality? Whatever happens, this will be one model that will
ALWAYS have this controversial story attached to it! As to
value, an UN-NAMED correspondent while talking to me about this
model made this TIMELY quote, "this car needs "living legend"
status, and I don't think it's achieved that yet. Someone needs
to write a definitive obituary." I could not have put this any
better! Tales of the '61 Pebble Beach Lincoln, The " Emperor's"
Rolls Royce, and most currently, the "Smokey's" Hudson, have
made them LEGENDS to the collecting fraternity. There is an
ending to each one; a great tale to be told, and more then these
two reasons; there is a PRIDE to know you own one of the very
few that were produced! It's a GOAL that many of us aspire to
attain! It is NOT just the high monetary value put on these
pinnacles of diecast collecting, it is the whole presence of all
these factors! I'm talking as if these were prized pieces of
artworks done by the GREAT MASTERS. To many of us, they are!
Holding that piece of metal in one's hands, and admiring it,
feeling it, possessing it, desiring it, is what all true
collectors want from their hobby! When I was deeply involved in
coin collecting, I remember holding and looking at a 200 year
old coin in MINT condition, and wondering how something so
beautiful could stay in that condition for so long! Who FAMOUS
might have held it as I did; and all the places it could have
been in those centuries! Today, I hold a diecast model and
marvel at how precise and accurate this piece is. How FEW were
made, and just how beautiful many of these miniatures are! I
can't believe the PRIDE of ownership I have when a fellow
collector walks into my shop and I watch his chin drop as he
peers at more then 600 models on display! Watching him go from
one model to another, commenting on each one and seeing, perhaps
for the first time, models he's only heard about or seen
pictures of, come to life before him! At my age, its equivalent
to having your first love affair! I actually enjoy the pleasure
they experience in studying these beautiful models. If you can't
relate to this, I must say I feel sorry for you; perhaps in
time, you'll acquire this emotional state. For others of you,
who have felt this, no further explanation is needed! Enough of
WHY we do what we do, on to this weeks "WHAT'S HOT"!Sunday 7/16---From the D4C auction, a F.M. 1956 T-Bird in AQUA brings $220.00 with box & papers from Europe. The model came with its papers written in French and I have always liked the idea of this! Even with $15 postage, a good buy on today's market as these should really be over $300 with the scarcity of offerings out there! A F.M. L.E. Camaro sells at $215.00 and keeps the price above that $200 STRIKE price I've set for it! F.M. 1961 Black Lincoln, box and papers bring $410.00 These have gone higher and I feel that there are some slowdowns popping up in this weeks market! At e-Bay a F.M. '70 Mach I brings $305.00 with styrofoam box only! These will be higher as the scarcity will become more widely known! A B&C Bullet hole car brings $355.00 which is a bit of a letdown as these were in the mid to upper $400 range! Another slowdown here, only explained by those "summer doldrums" suddenly appearing ( many PLAYERS on vacation? It is late July and definitely time to take off for a few weeks!). On the other side, a F.M. 1949 Buick Roadmaster brings $117.56 on a $120.00 FULL RETAIL market from any F.M. outlet! Go figure! A last e-Bay special and a best deal of the day was a PERFECT PAINT (from a D4C member who should know what a perfect one looks like) F.M. 1957 Eldorado at $177.50! The model was missing a chrome strip at the bottom, but yours truly bought it after I opened up my junk draws and found 5 distressed 57 Caddy's laying there, and each one had PERFECT chrome strips! Made my day! Monday 7/17--- A quiet day on the e-Bay auctions except for the F.M. FOP Lambo with box and papers bringing $1151.00 going to a D4C member, Nice buy Julian; a very reasonable price for this seldom offered complete model! D4C had little to offer that night with a PMA 1935 M-B 770K Hirohito in Burgundy bringing only $335.00! This was a BIG drop from the sale of the last one offered on 8/18/99 which brought $500! A final offering that night was a D4C Corvette going cheaply at $505.00! Seems $500 is BOTTOM on these with ALL SELLERS refusing to let them go for anything less! When, the excess models are all finally sold off, this will be one to watch! A 1957 Cadillac Eldorado sold privately at $395.00 with some slight door crazing as PERFECT ones will bring AT LEAST $100 more! Tuesday 7/18--- The D4C has quite a few of the RARITIES out to bid on tonight. A 1973 M-B 450 SL L.E. brings $590.00 plus $25.00 postage to our German seller (more about this particular model at the end of this review). A F.M. BLUE Fomoco 1941 Lincoln brings $760.00 and now goes nicely with the FOP Lambo from Mondays auction! Amazing how much demand there is for this piece! Especially since the REAL mintage is unknown! Also the fact that VERY FEW are offered on auction has caused this model to maintain its current high value! A F.M. white 1992 R.R. with reglued hood ornament (although the seller notes it was difficult to tell) with box and papers brought $350.00! A FAR cry from the ASTRONOMICAL $1035.00 paid for one of these last week! I stated last week that it should be +/- $400.00 depending on accouterments, and with the small problem present, not out of line with our price quote! Action on e-Bay was less then thrilling as 2 1969 L.E. Camaro's sold for $227.50 and $231.51. slightly lower and another sign of slowness in the market! Then to totally confuse the situation we have the F.M. Stagecoach selling for $187.50 on a $195.00 RETAIL LIST price and the F.M. Datsun 240 Z bringing WAY OVER RETAIL at $133.49! As far as I know, this is an available model at $95.00! I've been watching these and it seem whenever one is offered, it almost always sell for over retail! Perhaps just a great many UNINFORMED (I wouldn't dare call them stupid!) Datsun lovers on e-bay that can't find their way to a telephone? For what its worth, just an interesting situation to watch! Final sale of recognition was a Harrod's Jag selling for $355.00. I keep mentioning to watch this one and it has weathered the slowdown, so far, rather well! A 1996 F.M. Christmas truck sold privately at $695.00 with both boxes, and all paperwork, to an astute collector/investor! For a 3000 issue model, where the heck are they? Wednesday 7/19--- The D4C action was light on this midweek night, as a B&C bullet hole car gets a NO SALE at $450.00 starting price, and a C.M. GT-350 with black motor, BUT slightly loose door and a glue spot in interior, is STOLEN at $200.00 (I arrived 5 minutes LATE to bid on it!) Certainly worth WAY more as the imperfections were slight! E-Bay was selling some good material with a CUTAWAY MOTOR only getting ONE bid at $700.00! I completely forgot about this one, and was in a snit all day over it! GOOD BUY, even without box and papers! A 1961 P.B. Lincoln was bid to $940.00 but did NOT reach the RESERVE (it was later sold PRIVATELY for the sellers price and a VERY DECENT buy.) Try to find one when you want one! A F.M. 1954 Chevrolet convertible goes for near retail at $115.49! One of my personal favorite models! I KNOW, its RED, but sooo beautiful! A F.M. 1955 red/white Chevrolet hardtop was a NO SALE at $250.00. I had mentioned in a previous column that these were GONE, but, as usual, CHECK your sources of information at F.M. 5 times, and determine which answer is given the most! It appears that there are roughly 400 or so still in the F.M. coffers, and I'm STILL picking this as a model to BUY UP, as that number will NOT last long, and is my "WHAT'S HOT" for this week! ( as I write this, one just SOLD on e-Bay at $191.00!). The F.M. 1970 Mach I continues to draw good bids bringing $300.00 to ME! A final sale of interest was another Datsun 240 Z that was SIGNED by the “Father of the Z car”, Mr. Yutaka Katayama! WHO??? The gentleman selling the model was the VERY person that owned the real 240Z that F.M. had made the model from! This model is accompanied by pictures of this elderly (said to be over 90 years old) gentleman actually signing the model! Other pictures and assorted bits of documentation were included. Only one bid at 199.00 by, my buddy, Whizkid3, took this little prize home! I was undecided, but the more I think about it, this will be a UNIQUE model and should have an interesting place in our hobby! The only thing holding it back is the stigma of it being a JAPANESE car! IF it had a significant signature of a well known AMERICAN personality on an American marque, it would have brought much more! (My 1953 Corvette signed by ZORA will NEVER be for sale!). Time alone will tell on this one! Thursday 7/20--- The D4C auction had some powerhouse material out for bidding this night, highlighted by a "Smokey's" Hudson going for $960.00 with some spirited combatants banging that price around! FINALLY, getting the recognition it deserves, and placing itself as one of the MOST WANTED diecasts! A 1955 F.M. L.E. Pontiac convertible brings $350.00, just about current market price! An Airstream gets a bid of $545.00 with box and papers, and I feel was a good buy for the new owner. The prices for this model have gotten a little soft, I believe due to a small group being offered one right on top of the other, and the summer slowdown. Last one for D4C was a 1969 L.E. Camaro at $240.00. These are definitely holding their own with an occasional LOW $200 sale from lack of participation. Just a note, a 1955 P.B. Packard sold privately at $279.00 reinforcing that pricing somewhat. One BIG piece on e-Bay was a second 1961 P.B. Lincoln offered this week and this was also a NO SALE, as the Reserve wasn't met at the $913.00 offered! (Another sale of this model might be immanent privately, parties still talking!). A 1907 Rolls Royce "Sheila" green touring car brought $129.10 on a RETAIL $135.00. Seems to be a very well liked model in the secondary market, and quite attractive when displayed. Another L.E. Camaro was hammered down at $227.50, and a SIGNED Shelby Mustang was sold at the OFFERING price of $445.95 from what appears to be a F.M. INDEPENDENT RETAILER! (Better not let those F.M. Police catch you doing this!) Friday 7/21---Yahoo auctions (yes, there are other auctions OCCASIONALLY!) had a F.M. Airstream with box and papers out for sale! Apparently no one noticed until D4C member Jim Thwaite, on post # 8277, noted that it was due to sell shortly, and was only at $300! Well sure enough, bids did start coming in, and it finally sold for a very good buy of $490.00! Was that the power of the D4C Forum, or what? At D4C that night, quite a few good models were set to sell. A 1982 LE Corvette went for $685.00 with what the owner described as "some papers"! I feel that this was a real good buy as I was under bidder and just didn't make it back to the auction in time to bid higher! One of the BIG FIVE of F.M. diecast, a RED 1988 Porsche Targa did NOT SELL with a starting price of $2200.00! I've handled ALL of the RARE F.M. cars over the last 4 years, and I can state that the RED Porsche has been the HARDEST model for me to find out of ALL the F.M. diecasts! I must make a note here that I had over 6 members ask me my selling price (which is slightly lower then this). They were ALL interested in purchasing it! Perhaps in the fall or early winter this model MIGHT command this price as collector/investors see that there are FEW to be had! A quick run through of other sales of note were the 1934 L.E. Packard getting a LOW BALL sale at $100 (This is one sweet looking model and when gone will be $300+ within a year!!). a P.B. Packard sold at $235.00 and one of my favorites the 1970 Mach I L.E. brought $350.99! (someone must be reading my column!) E-Bay was quite light today with a B&C bullet hole getting $397.55, A NOT AVAILABLE Tulipwood Hispano-Siuza in styrofoam box hit $298.55 (can you imagine the price for this superb model once it is RETIRED!) and 2, 1969 L.E. Camaro's fetched $233.52 and an even $200.00! (this last sale is the low watermark for this model, since becoming available on the secondary market!) Saturday 7/22---Two cars of note on D4C. A 1957 Corvette with WHITEWALL tires brings $206.00 (still too early to say if this is a HOME RUN, or just a base hit!) and a L.E. 1973 Mercedes Benz 450 SL, SLOWS to a DEVASTATING $515.00! I must admit, I NEVER thought this model would sell this cheaply! I was in for $500.00 but held back waiting to see if there were other players out there! There was ONE! I feel this was the BUY of the week and I believe that all current owners of this model will be keeping them off auction for quite awhile, or until they feel that the market for this model has rebounded! Having now talked to some of the TOP TIER market makers for this, the consensus was that they will wait to see who sells the next one, and if possible, one of them will pick off that model at these low prices! There are now more then 150 of these is investors hands and they are in NO RUSH to flood the market! E-Bay was again relatively slow with only a P.B. Packard selling for $256.01. I'd like to say something about D.M. here, but there hasn't been a SOUND heard from this once dynamic company! Perhaps diecasts have taken a back seat to butterfly dishes, and models of Prince Charles commode! If I could, I'd simply ask them to inform us of what's in store! It seems like months since anything worth reporting POSITIVELY has come out of their Connecticut Headquarters! I'm not going to NAIL them any further, just a shame what's happened to a once great name in diecasts! An overlook at the market this week shows that there is some slowdowns on certain models, and summer has definitely taken away some of the constant bidders that usually show up for the auction excitement! Still, the volatility is there, and it's an overall more active and higher priced arena then it has been for the 3 previous years! I note that personal tastes, and preferences do play a large role in what will garner high bids and what won't. The knowledge that particular models are rare sometimes doesn't enter into the equation. You have to have at least 2 people interested in a model in order for it to bring a good price! There are still many GREAT bargains to be had while searching the different internet sites, and no matter if you are a collector or investor, time and effort will always pay off in the end. Sorry I was a little long winded tonight, but I felt that there was much news to get out to you. Perhaps a few extra minutes spent here will increase both your pleasure in collecting and the profitability that you can gain from smart investing! As always, comments and criticism are always welcome! Hope you enjoyed our weekly get together and I shall return next week with some more insight into this fascinating hobby! Regards, Roy Return To franklindanbury.com |
roy@franklindanbury.com |
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