1:43 Diecast Vehicles Cost

People can ask what they like in America that's what so great about our country. But you don't have to pay the ridiculous price they are asking and the more people don't buy the more they will have to come down in price to unload there stockpile of stuff that are not selling.

Funny you should ask.  I actually owned two Pinto station wagons back in the early 70's.  I drove both of them until the doors fell off.  About four years each before they rusted through, and I had to tie them shut with ropes and bungee cords.  But, they did what i needed them do do for a time, even though they went through oil like crazy.  Most of it leaked out on the street and in the garage.  No amount of seal replacement ever worked. 

If you had asked me 10 years ago whether I would spend $150.00 on a diecast I would have given you a strange look wondering what you were on.  Attitudes change as time goes on. I'm at the stage in my life that if I can afford it & want it, I buy it. You only go this way once & it's not a test run. In the last couple of years I've had a couple of medical scares & realized that tomorrow is not guaranteed. Besides, as the old saying goes:"whoever dies with the most toys wins"

Bob,

Are you trying to stir up a hornets nest here? Anyway, on with it. While I was buying I did reach my desired 175 diecast vehicles. I decided on buying the better pieces from the start. My cars and pickups ran in the $60.-$90. range. My delivery trucks $85.-$120. The most expensive would be fire engines & emergency vehicles in the $75.-$180. The cost did not seem excessive when buying. I put a small sticker on each showing the price paid before putting on the layouts. When wrapping them for storage, a inventory was made. A true "Sticker" shock occurred. 

I don't need expensive models for the layout but for a collection a car with lots of detail might be worth it. However I would not spend $100.00 for a 1/43 scale car.

Edit: I forgot, I did spend 50 once for a 1/43  1953 Oldsmobile, no one else offered one.

When I read "Funny you should ask."  Then "I owned two Pinto station wagons," I  thought for sure this was going to end with "and now I drive a Bentley convertible."

Unfortunately, a lot of the cheaper 1/43rd is for recent models, or uncommon, not

often seen on streets, open or luxury cars.  If you model steam era, and have exhausted the few Ertls and Rextoys, you are left with Brooklin, and some of their

also pricey competitors with few choices.

That Pinto wagon must have been popular....I worked with somebody who also drove

the wheels off one and swore by it.  I even rented one, in Arizona, long ago, with

a V-6 and air, and camped in it around the area.  It worked while I had it.  It was

the only V-6 version I was aware of or had heard of.

AHH, were that the case.  I put a bid in on one a couple of years ago.  It was a 59 Bentley, very low miles, but I didn't get it.  

Yeah its strange how diecast is priced.... kinda like real cars.  You can buy $2 cars all day long at the dollar store but the ONE MODEL you want is $65!  I think it boils down to the casting used to make the car.  If its one developed over here and sees limited use then you're gonna pay a lot more for the R&D used to make it versus the same about being spread out over a run of a million little diecast vehicles distributed to the dollar stores and sold for $2 apiece!  I think the more expensive ones tend to be licensed and more closely guarded/protected from copying than the cheap ones too.  

Found myself a few Dodge-style 1940s fire trucks some years back - a small pumper and a ladder truck, near perfect O scale. Heavy enamel, all plastic, Chinese, friction motor, $5 each. Bought 2 of each, horse-traded a pair for some 0-27 switches.

I say go for the toys, unless you are a die-cast collector. A lot of hobbies seem to lean towards the collector side,(no train manufacturers mentioned, cough, cough) and each hobby's pricing seems to make an attempt to draw all available disposable income.

This is why I love to go to our monthly train show at DuPage to see if I can find any bargains.  I was recently wanting a Corgi Greyhound Scenicruiser for my layout and didn't want to spend $100 or more for one.  I saw two at the show one for $100 asking price and another for $120 when I came across a man unpacking his and it had a $30 sticker on it. Needless to say I bought it before he changed his mind or someone beat me to it.  I see high prices on the bay for many die-cast vehicles too, but I don't have to have any of them they are just scenery details for me.

Art

It all depends upon the application, your budget, and what your personal tastes are. The GM Futureliner is a good example to use. it represents a piece of history, and though certainly not cheap in price, it will be popular and probably will be a sell out at about $ 150.00. Over the years, Brooklin models have developed a substantial following and they sure are not inexpensive.

To fill a parking lot or roadways, it is always nice to find inexpensive models. Mot of us are in the hunt for these. But it is also really nice to be able to have a terrific scene  with a beautiful Brooklin model (as an example).

It is a choice.......influenced by opinion and funds available.

For me I do not think I have ever spent more than $10 for a car. I have a Corgi bus that was given to me at Christmas one year....I think it was about $30 at the time. Cheap mass marketed cars re-worked fill my needs just fine and leave me cash to spend on other stuff.

While a 1:50 scale bus offered for $75 generated zero interest.

Corgi buses can be found on the secondary market for under $50, and they are quite nice looking. Most of them are GM prototypes, but I think there's a Flxible in there too. I've got a couple for sale myself that I haven't posted in a while; contact me offline if you are interested. I don't recall exactly what's in the For Sale pile, but it's all 1930's-1950's. I know there are a couple of Lionel City items. 

Here you go...

http://store.ferrari.com/us_en...lectibles.html#more2

I try to buy nice cars and trucks for my layout so when I am in Europe that is where I buy them and the detail is better and they are not from China as the people in the store will tell you,1/43 vehicles have a large market in Europe.

Mikey

The Cheaper the better! My son is into playing with them and sometimes one gets broke. All the "hard to find ones" are hidden under the layout. As he gets older I will roll them out...

Right now he is dying to play with these K line cars, but I told him no, they have to stay on the train cars right now...

I clicked on the above link.  I can pass when a model car is more expensive than a VL Big Boy.  The model car doesn't even have smoke or a whistle.  

Wow!  I had not idea that model cars were so pricey.  It was fun looking.

Joe

Die cast can be very pricey!  The Futureliner is the most expensive 1:43 I have purchased, but "had to have".  Sometimes there doesn't seem to be ryhme or reason with pricing.  Like the Ertl cab over truck tractor that was $40 by itself, I think it was red.  Same Ertl truck cab only blue, as a garbage truck, $13.  Remove the garbage dumpster and exactly the same as the red, only blue, $17 cheaper.

Rich

There are about fifty 1/43 1950's era cars and trucks on my layout and I still need to buy more. Towns and roads without people, automobiles and trucks are not very realistic to me.

My most expensive piece is an MTH New York Central bus at $35. The cheapest ones being made by Yat Ming in the $5-$7 range. Then I have a few  Corgi cars and Lionel trucks bought at Greenbergs maybe in the $10-$15 range. Point is that model cars and truck prices are all over the place. Since my layout needs many, and I am not a toy collector, when all is said and done, (even when trying to keep costs down), I'll probably have $600-$700 spent on vehicles 

Well, the average loco on my layout is probably in the $600 range and I agree I would not pay that for a single vehicle - well, unless it were a model of a '55 Olds Super 88 sedan in the right two-tone blue (my Dad's first car.  Very important in my "formative years.").  Other than that about $150 our so is my limit.

I ordered one of those $150 GM buses.  Too interesting, even if high priced.  Normally, I have not paid more than about $50-$60 for a bus, although I did pay $90 for a Greyhound  Scenicruiser.  and there are several buses - that GM is one, andI would pay even more for a model of one or two other rare models (the two-story "plywood" articulated buses made during WWII). 

More generally, I was initially very opposed to spending more on diecast.  At first,  I bought a lot of inexpensive cars, many costing much than $10(New Ray, Amer_Hobby)to fill up my layout.  Over time I have slowly replaced most - at least those near the aisles where you can see them well, with more detailed.  I most like IXO, NEO/american Excellence, Spark and Vitesse model cars in the $70-$90 range - super detailed: I would rather have one of those than three or four from cheaper sources like American Hobby. As to big trucks, I buy a lot of SpecCast and Corgi in the $50 - $80 range for tractor trailers, and generally feel I get good value. 

GM tried the same marketing ploy for the Vega.  When I was going to school, a friend of mine had a Vega hatchback.  When I rode in it, I could look through the rust holes in the floor, and see the street going by beneath me.  Not exactly a warm and secure feeling.

Populating a layout with expensive diecast wouldn't make sense to me because I wouldn't be able to appreciate their quality; i.e. I have no interest in them outside of the layout.

OTOH, creating a vignette scene at a focal point of the layout would justify greater expense for a primo vehicle.

I'm admittedly a bottom feeder (those who know me better understand why) but it is surprising what you can find for $6 e.g. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...p;smid=AP0O9M9QATNRT

I have one of these and it looks great to my untrained eyes. Oh, and like J Daddy, I too have to contend with my little girl playing with them! 

I think you already know the answer.  At the end of the day it comes down to how much money you want to spend to accomplish the same end result.

Actually, if you have ever seen these models, you might agree that while you would not buy one, it some sense they are worth the asking price.  Those $1150 1:18 models are highlyu detailed jewels, just incredible, and the $8,500 GTB is unbelieveable.  I saw one on display at a dealer and it was a) big (1/8 scale) and seemed to have every detail and part on the real car.  

Car models and the like......one topic here on the OGR forum I can almost claim knowledge!!! I have been into model cars and truck since 1960 when I moved to the car center of the universe Southern California.
I also work in the model car hobby....have since 1983.

And while I don't buy the high dollar 1/43 scale models I do appreciate them and get to inspect many of the best because a good buddy wrote a 1/43 scale column in a magazine for years. 

They do produce some fantastic but expensive models. And they produce models of cars that are available any other way but hand made fantastic $300 models.  But hand made limited edition cars made in Europe (many Italy) are priced like a Ferrari scale wise!! If you can afford them Bravo! But I do not think they are necessary for a good looking O scale layout. If I get time I will do a 'How I do it' thread on converting $3 cars to layout stars. 

I can fully understand and appreciate the quality level of the higher-priced creations.  But except for a few cars that I really wanted, mine have been in the $6-12 range.  I'm a train collector primarily.

Its all about quality and detail and a little nostalgia. Why would someone pay $1100 or more for a highly featured and detailed locomotive when you can by a Lionel 1130  for $for $50 or a 2037 for $75?  I wish I could purchase an American Excellence NEO 1/43 for $15 but if I want the detail I have to spend $70.

Often I find a good buy for Brooklin on Ebay.

I think my limit for O scale compatible cars is in the $10-$15 range (maybe $20 for one I really wanted?) and my range for trucks, buses, construction and other larger vehicles would be in the $20-$35 range (again maybe $40 for a really nice one I just had to have?). Unfortunately, die cast prices, like train prices, seem to all be headed up.

I also try to limit my train prices to my own comfort zone. One reason I went with diesels only. I can do without steam for several reasons, price, track and layout size required, I actually like the modern diesels etc. However, I am becoming more attracted to Tinplate so some adjustments may also have to be made in train pricing comfort levels.

So far, I have spent over $2,000. on 3-D slides that people took of their family during the 1950s,  about $300. on tin sand pails, $350. for a old archery bow...but I would not pay 50 cents for a pro football game box seat. What is your point?

Not Really. I enjoy std gauge and I prefer the electric profile engines over the steam locomotives. With std-gauge the more affordable 1:32 diecast look better. With the larger std-gauge the 1:24 diecast look nice. The cost of the larger diecast cars is lower.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

THAT would be cool.  Even if, say, you pushed and allowed $8 cars, I doubt anyone would criticize you!

My biggest issue with high cost 1:43 scale die cast cars, is that the rest of my railroad is 1:48 scale. Now if you wish to scalp me with a 1:48 scale car... now that is something I would give some consideration.

But don't expect me to fork out big bucks for off-scale stuff.

For cars I opt for 1:18 scale, but then they don't look very much like they belong on my layout either.

Actually, if you have ever seen these models, you might agree that while you would not buy one, it some sense they are worth the asking price

Perhaps. Certainly they are exquisite, hand-built models. But half the price, at most, is in the workmanship - the rest is markup. These are not collectors' models, they are status symbols, made to allow Ferrari owners to show off their wealth and taste, and Ferrari wannabes to pretend. The price is part of the prestige. 

"Please allow me to introduce myself,

I'm a man of wealth and taste."

    -- The Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil