Jury's out on the rest. Like most everyone else here, I'd like to see the big Jag XJL from Skyfall. I think IXO know where they can put their Morris Minor model (sideways) if that's going to be the alternative.
Like I told maz, the more I look at this list, the more I find it problematic. Most importantly: why, for the first time, are we getting our info from someone who obviously speaks English as a second language when all of our info has previously come from British sources? Further, the order and selection of the cars, save the DB5, just seems FAR too random. You have to figure Eaglemoss has or had someone watching this thread and very likely ones very similar to it...virtually all of the cars we discussed that tended to lean towards "car-centric" wound up as the issues between 110 and 130. But now, from 131-135, except for the DB5, these weren't really cars we asked for that showed up repeatedly on people's wishlists (like the OHMSS Ford Escort, GE UAZ-31512, and OHMSS Rolls-Royce "Proto-Corniche" in terms of stuff that pretty much wound up appearing on everyone's lists).
Until Eaglemoss actually confirms this, I'm taking it with a huge grain of salt.
Have just re-read the wikipedia entry. At the top it says:
Just two months later, GE Fabbri changed the number of issues on their website to 110. However, the collection has once again been extended, this time to 130 issues and will be released at monthly intervals. And now the number has extended to 135 models. The next issue, number 120, will contain Locque's Mercedes-Benz 450SEL from For Your Eyes Only. As at May 2012, the number of issued has increased to 140, which will now be issued fortnightly.
But then we get just five new entries in the table covering 131-135 only and no mention of Eaglemoss takeover of Fabbri. So are there five more yet to be announced which could include the XJR-L and several models keenly wanted such as the Escort or are they cutting back from 140 to 135. It is all a mystery but I guess it will become clear at some point. I will quiz database warehouse when I ring next but often they know as little as we do.....
Yes Mr Smythe a decent warehouse diorama in one of the big boxes would make even the DB5 a must have.
had problems for my payments,going from 8 weeks down to 4 weeks ,but on the phone to GE they say they are defo stopping at number 135
A fellow fifer ! I too spoke to GE Fabbri on Friday of last week as my card needed updated. I asked how many more to go and was told the collection would run until issue 140 not 135 as you were told , who knows we could be still here in 2015 looking forward to another extention taking us to 160, however they did say the collection is to include skyfall and a few surprises????
The latest merc looks amazing cant wait to get mine in the post. Like MCF not to kean on the Morris antcipated issue, a bit of a lame issue, hopefully deleted before it is issued.
Thought I would reply to myself ! Just to underline 140 is the new issue finale. And so far everything i have been told even dare i mention when i posted as an alter ego to avoid the flak has been correct ! ( which resulted in an expulsion, i have not forgotten that).
And so far everything i have been told even dare i mention when i posted as an alter ego to avoid the flak has been correct ! ( which resulted in an expulsion, i have not forgotten that).
Think of it in terms of you having your 'licence revoked' temporarily in order to carry out covert information gathering (!). Taking one for the team and all that.
Off topic, anybody interested in Ford Capri models? I just received Vanguards new Brooklands 280 Capri - it's in a display case and is an absolutely stunning
model, well worth the money.
I would agree. Why would ANY partwork maker stop at an odd number? Think about it for a minute...if they're shipping two at a time and have repeatedly said "no more gifts", then I'm on your side here and we see 140...not 135, and like I said, I'm still not convinced about the five extra cars on wikipedia because directly or indirectly (when Jag got the email with the list in Australia, that was indirectly) coming from the UK and a source that either WAS Fabbri or Eaglemoss or represented Fabbri or Eaglemoss. There's no evidence that's surfaced about those five that says how the person got it or who they got it from, plus the English-as-second language type grammar and spellings casts some doubt on it, I think.
Was having some rather severe relationship problems with my girlfriend's parents and I'll leave it at that...frankly, I shouldn't have been posting. Again, aside from my restated apologies, I'd prefer to leave it at that.
Off topic, anybody interested in Ford Capri models? I just received Vanguards new Brooklands 280 Capri - it's in a display case and is an absolutely stunning
model, well worth the money.
Always have been since I got the Lesney Matchbox Superkings Capri with opening parts. Believe it or not, I actually know of a hobby shop in Russia that sells Vanguards for a song; not as cheap as UK prices, but better than most online shops in western Europe. Any particular color recommendation as to what would have been the most common?
Look at the closeup of when Locque is about to get back into the car in extreme closeup. The seats have changed color and seem to be of a higher trim level, which would mean a 220 of some kind. The rest of the film, though, portrays a 200D.
Thank you for that, much appreciated and interesting!
Also, I've been 'creating' my own unnofficial JBCC featuring 1967's Casino Royale and NSNA vehicles. Just using some of the replacement dioramas from previous issues and cheap replacements bought at model fairs.
From CR I've done an E-Type, Citroen DS19, VW T1 and the Bedford milk float. I've also got a Bentley 41/2 litre and the Lotus but these aren't exactly correct (but only you, me and a passing Bond fan would ever know the difference!)
From NSNA I've put together the Renault 5, a Citroen CX and the Peugeot 505. I also recently picked up a knocked about FRWL Bentley 41/4 litre which I'm going to try and paint black and fill inthe rear arches.
Photos! Post some photos of your models!
You've reminded me that I have a 'home made' Living Daylights Impala and a Camille figure for the Quantum KA underway that I need to finish.
Was having some rather severe relationship problems with my girlfriend's parents and I'll leave it at that...frankly, I shouldn't have been posting. Again, aside from my restated apologies, I'd prefer to leave it at that.
I wouldn't dare to speak for Diecast007 but I assumed he was referring to his problems with the site moderator. Either way I'm pretty sure we're all good mates on this forum now, aren't we?
Off topic, anybody interested in Ford Capri models? I just received Vanguards new Brooklands 280 Capri - it's in a display case and is an absolutely stunning
model, well worth the money.
Always have been since I got the Lesney Matchbox Superkings Capri with opening parts. Believe it or not, I actually know of a hobby shop in Russia that sells Vanguards for a song; not as cheap as UK prices, but better than most online shops in western Europe. Any particular color recommendation as to what would have been the most common?
This is the Vanguards 280 (apologies to Bond fans who won't be interested, although I can't for the life of me understand why such a famous well loved European car as the Capri never appeared in a Bond movie)
I hope the eBay seller who is currently offering this model doesn't mind me showing his photo. The 280 was the very last Capri of this type released by Ford in one colour, metallic Brooklands Racing Green, and was an all-singing all-dancing top of the line special. So much so that some UK owners trailer them around Ford shows almost like art exhibits, so they have no mileage or dirt at all. You could eat your breakfast off the tyres of some of them (although the owner might have something to say about it!).
This is the Renault 5Turbo from NSNA. The bumpers should be painted I know and it shouldn't have the turbo sticker. But I'm pleading artisitc licence! The base was from the AM V8 volante and the background a copy from the Austin Cambridge. My reasoning being that this is the very start of the chase after Fatima has killed the girl and races off.
The back I created by downloading the NSNA logo and adding some translations
Jaguar E-Type. Base and background a straight RR Silver Cloud swap. Reason - this looked a little scottish highlandy when the girl started tailing Sir James (if memory serves - if not its artistic licence again!)
Citroen CS19. Base from the white FYEO Lotus, Background is an amended version of the RR above. Reason: This is the car seen at the start of the film, so looks like the countryside. Car should really have a black roof mind.
VW T1. Base from the FRWL Bentley, and again a re-vamped version of the silver cloud background. Reason: Looks a bit like the scottish highlands for the grouse shoot. It does need the weird grouse machine fitted to it, but my modelling skills aren't up to that!
Title on the back - Copy of the logo from an old CR paperback!
Great work, SWJ! I always thought it was a shame the 'other two' Bond movies weren't included in the series. Your photos show what gems the little Renault and the E-Type would have been IMHO. Can't wait to see any more pics you might have. As regards inaccuracies, Bond movies are renowned for their continuity errors when it comes to vehicles and the JBCC have carried on the tradition in many respects, so I reckon we can forgive ourselves a few detail issues when it comes to 'own creations'!
Nice dioramas, SWJ!
Ixo/Ixo Juniors have a 1:43 Ford Taunus model that can be bashed into a NSNA crashing Cortina Mk.5 with a repaint and a RHD conversion (dash from a scrap Vanguards Mk.4?).
MCF, my "Brooklands Green" is going to take a while to join its cousins in my collection but it has been ordered. I have all the other road-going and police versions in the Vanguards Capri range, but not the motorsport or chrome ones (not interested in either). The first two issues (Caspian Blue & Manchester Police) cost me on ebay a fair premium over original retail price, the penalty for not buying them at release time in 2007!
I do like how Corgi has gone back to the 2004-2007 style packaging for the latest releases, although it has pushed up prices slightly - that "loose mirrors" idea was never my cup of tea!
The Capri could have been a good substitute for the GTV6 in OP - although I have an Alfa-mad friend who would strongly disagree! The 1980s as a whole seems to me to be neglected when it comes to partworks - even the marque themed ones like the Opel Collection and the Volvo Collection didn't seem to dwell on that decade. I suppose lovers of 1990s cars have even more to complain about - certainly as far as the JBCC goes, largely due to the hiatus between LTK and GE.
I am also rather suspicious of that 131-135 information on Wikipedia. I can remember some time back (2008?) when someone took us for a ride by posting on that Wikipedia article a list of supposed upcoming releases of mostly Rolls-Royces, which turned out to be false (although we did get some UH ones much later on).
As much as I have enjoyed this collection, I do hope that it does come to an end fairly soon. If this does finish up early in 2013, as currently seems to be the case, it would have run as long as World War Two.
Here in South Africa we haven't had an issue at the newsagents for around nine weeks since Issue 97 and a mate who is a subscriber has only received up to Issue 95, due to "supply problems".
I believe the Moonraker Rolls should be a LWB Silver Wraith, not a Shadow
This has actually been debated quite a bit on imcdb. People concluded it was a '73 Silver Shadow I LWB based on the vinyl roof, which wasn't available as an option on the Silver Wraith. With that said, the descriptions given are pretty spotty...the car that we get may very well be LWB.
and would also much rather have seen the OHMSS convertible.
Same here, but how much you wanna bet Ixo puts it out separately now that they can make R-R's?
Without this, the rally Escort and the yellow YOLT Moke, the collection still has a way to run !
The Rally Escort is certainly way up there, but I still maintain you could do a dozen cars (not the least of which being an UAZ-469B or UAZ-31512, where Bond actively fought off dozens of them) before the yellow Moke. I think we'll continue to agree to disagree on that one. However, IF you do a yellow Moke, you have to do one that wasn't just driving around in the background a la YOLT. You'd have to do it for TSWLM, where we actually see one do something somewhat significant: get blown up in a firefight.
Regarding the Rolls Royce Shadows in LTK and TWINE - apologies if this has been discussed before, but the cars seen on screen both appear to be standard Shadow IIs, whereas the models in the collection have the bigger doors of the LWB cars. The casting used for these models would make a much better basis for the MR car.
And yes, the yellow Moke is featured much more prominently - and memorably - on screen in TSWLM, although it doesn't exactly get blown up, more blown off course !
And so far everything i have been told even dare i mention when i posted as an alter ego to avoid the flak has been correct ! ( which resulted in an expulsion, i have not forgotten that).
Think of it in terms of you having your 'licence revoked' temporarily in order to carry out covert information gathering (!). Taking one for the team and all that.
Off topic, anybody interested in Ford Capri models? I just received Vanguards new Brooklands 280 Capri - it's in a display case and is an absolutely stunning
model, well worth the money.
off topic Yes I am, though bizarrely I owned the Ford Capri Laser and laterly a Ford Probe 16v and 24v. All three were dreadful cars especially the Cr**pee (forgive my language) and Problem 16v as I un-affectionately called them.
However the brooklands was and still is a desirable machine . the big engined fords in their day were the cars to aspire too. The model looks fantastic and certainly will be joining my collection.
And so far everything i have been told even dare i mention when i posted as an alter ego to avoid the flak has been correct ! ( which resulted in an expulsion, i have not forgotten that).
Think of it in terms of you having your 'licence revoked' temporarily in order to carry out covert information gathering (!). Taking one for the team and all that.
Off topic, anybody interested in Ford Capri models? I just received Vanguards new Brooklands 280 Capri - it's in a display case and is an absolutely stunning
model, well worth the money.
off topic Yes I am, though bizarrely I owned the Ford Capri Laser and laterly a Ford Probe 16v and 24v. All three were dreadful cars especially the Cr**pee (forgive my language) and Problem 16v as I un-affectionately called them.
However the brooklands was and still is a desirable machine . the big engined fords in their day were the cars to aspire too. The model looks fantastic and certainly will be joining my collection.
The Brooklands 280 does look good. I have three model Capris; red Mk1 by Detail Cars, Gold Mk3 by Minichamps and Zakspeed racer by Minichamps, all 1:43. When I was born (1980) my first ever ride in a car back from the hospital was in my Dad's Mk3 Capri, so the cars have some kind of meaning. I all know someone with a mint Mk1 3.0 with pretty much every option imaginable, and very low mileage (less than 20,000 I believe). That particular Capri is a nice car.
It's funny how we're obviously all itching to talk about other cars than those featured in Bond but aren't supposed to!! All I would say about the Capri 280 model is that I'd be VERY surprised if anybody was disappointed with it, and if anybody is, I'll bet it will end up selling for a lot more than was paid for it, rather like IXO's Tickford Capris.
Also, thinking about Fords in general, I reckon a 'History of Ford' series would make a very popular partwork, when you think of the sheer volume and diversity of designs Ford has produced worldwide over the years. It would be a great excuse to re-use moulds and offer under-modelled vehicles such as the UK Ford Corsair, modern US Fords and many of the Aussie Fords.
Must get back on topic, must get back on topic.........................
It's funny how we're obviously all itching to talk about other cars than those featured in Bond but aren't supposed to!! All I would say about the Capri 280 model is that I'd be VERY surprised if anybody was disappointed with it, and if anybody is, I'll bet it will end up selling for a lot more than was paid for it, rather like IXO's Tickford Capris.
Also, thinking about Fords in general, I reckon a 'History of Ford' series would make a very popular partwork, when you think of the sheer volume and diversity of designs Ford has produced worldwide over the years. It would be a great excuse to re-use moulds and offer under-modelled vehicles such as the UK Ford Corsair, modern US Fords and many of the Aussie Fords.
Must get back on topic, must get back on topic.........................
Maybe by discussing the much-wanted Mk6 Escort and Mondeo? !!
Talking about Fords, there was this survey once on tje 1/8 DB5 page if people were interrested in, for example, an 1/8 Mustang GT390 "Bullitt"... Now thát's a partwork i'd subscribe to without a doubt.
Either way I'm pretty sure we're all good mates on this forum now, aren't we?
Of course! I just don't think I ever really explained myself well is all. Also, thanks for the color and background of the Capri...I'll make sure I get one!
Regarding the Rolls Royce Shadows in LTK and TWINE - apologies if this has been discussed before, but the cars seen on screen both appear to be standard Shadow IIs, whereas the models in the collection have the bigger doors of the LWB cars. The casting used for these models would make a much better basis for the MR car.
The thing is, those cars were cast from moulds done by Universal Hobbies, not Ixo. If Ixo makes a Rolls-Royce, it would be quite different. Also, remember, Ixo has a license to make R-R's, whereas UH did not and still does not, which means UH could lower their detail standards and get away with it, whereas Ixo is putting its license on the line. Basically, Ixo would start from the ground up.
But I do agree and for a Bond-centric vehicle, even though I have about 9 or 10 cars that come before it, I think a yellow Moke would be an awesome addition to the collection. Put it this way: if we see the Morris Minor replaced by one, I wouldn't be in the least upset!
I have just received the Volga and the 450SEL. I am very happy with them, even if the the wheelbase is not quite right on the S Class. Good models, and two new dioramas. I think someone is listening to our comments!
Steering clear of the Capri conversation, although that was an interesting interlude, I was thinking about the Bond/ car centric thing. I like cars and model cars a lot, and would be unlikely to buy figures or (much) other Bond memorabilia. I thought I was a car centric and in my general collecting habits I very much am. However, I have realised that in the context of this collection, I am actually about 60/40 Bond/car centric. I display the Bond cars all together away from my other models, I keep all of them on their diorama bases, something I would never do with any other model car, and I enjoy reading the magazines; it doesn't take long, but there is usually at least one thing I didn't know per issue.
At £8 a hit I continue to have a nice treat when they arrive, and it makes me happy - and surely that's what collecting is all about. If it goes to 200, and the cars are still nicely made, I'll keep buying them. If buying some more storage units means I need to go to the pub less, so be it. In for £7.99, in for a pound.
BUT keep it 1:43 scale please! And please do the BMW bike from Tomorrow Never Dies, it's a big omission now. It's now at the top of my list - invisible Vanquish now in no.2 spot.
My point is this - it's made of some sort of resin, and a similar technique could perhaps be employed to get us an invisible/ almost invisible Vanquish.
AMEN! The "Dinky 48'ing" that went on all too often under UH as well as the 1/72 scale Bondola were annoying and turn-offs to models that I'd otherwise have REALLY enjoyed (like the Bentley and the Hispano Suiza).
And please do the BMW bike from Tomorrow Never Dies, it's a big omission now.
I've given this some thought as to how to respond to this, but simply put, unless you're making a 1/43 scale bike from resin, the detail comes out very poorly. I think we learned that the hard way with the Kawasaki. Even diecast 1/35 scale bikes tend to be slightly problematic/low on details. A resin bike offered by a different manufacturer WOULD be awesome (that's how Ebbro gets its detail with early post-WWII Japanese three-wheel vehicles...by using resin detailing), but resin makes the model somewhat difficult regarding its cost effectiveness. Is it something a manufacturer like Spark Models should consider doing? Yes. But would it wind up looking good if done in diecast? I doubt it.
My point is this - it's made of some sort of resin, and a similar technique could perhaps be employed to get us an invisible/ almost invisible Vanquish.
Again, we're left with kind of a sticky issue. You could use a VERY thin resin to make an invisible Vanquish, but that 1) would cost quite a bit of money even for a resin car and 2) achieving transparency with resin is not as easy as it looks. If you notice models like Spark and Neo, they're all extra-thin for that very reason: the thicker the clear resin, the more distorted/milky the final product winds up being. You'd get a neat car, but it wouldn't be invisible.
Still, I think you're onto something. Why not commission Neo or Spark to do something for you and then sell it as a "Deluxe Gift to Subscribers Only". You could even have a resin DB5 with all the details.
I was thinking about the Bond/ car centric thing. I like cars and model cars a lot, and would be unlikely to buy figures or (much) other Bond memorabilia. I thought I was a car centric and in my general collecting habits I very much am. However, I have realised that in the context of this collection, I am actually about 60/40 Bond/car centric. I display the Bond cars all together away from my other models, I keep all of them on their diorama bases, something I would never do with any other model car, and I enjoy reading the magazines; it doesn't take long, but there is usually at least one thing I didn't know per issue.
At £8 a hit I continue to have a nice treat when they arrive, and it makes me happy - and surely that's what collecting is all about. If it goes to 200, and the cars are still nicely made, I'll keep buying them. If buying some more storage units means I need to go to the pub less, so be it. In for £7.99, in for a pound.
Same here, about half and half. That was why I was interested to hear from D110 about how widely collectors create their own diorama layouts in The States. To most of us across the pond, the principle of having a diorama is largely unheard of, so seems to be of far more interest to us in relation to the JBCC than to our US cousins. I've never seen or collected anything like this before, other than Corgi's 'weathered' WW2 and Vietnam vehicles. All my other models are the usual 'pristine car in a trophy presentation type box', which is what makes the JBCC so different and interesting. I just hope that when the series does finish, the major non-partwork model manufacturers might take note and get a bit more creative in how they present their models, even if it's just sitting on a base that looks like a road or grassy track. And background cards, so cheap and easy to produce - imagine the Vanguards 60's UK vehicles in display boxes with comtemporary scenic backgounds of the British countryside, towns, seaside or houses, how effective would that be?
BUT keep it 1:43 scale please! And please do the BMW bike from Tomorrow Never Dies, it's a big omission now. It's now at the top of my list - invisible Vanquish now in no.2 spot.
I think the BMW R1200C bike was one of the major lost opportunities by Fabbri and UH, they really should have done it instead of the Kawasaki. I assume they didn't because the Kawasaki was available at The Bond Museum in the UK at the time so they had full access in researching a custom 'movie special', as against a stock BMW, and thought we'd be more impressed. IMHO the Beemer, complete with figures of Bond and Wai Lin, a debris strewn base and helicopter shown on the background card would have been not just a great companion piece to the TND Range Rover but a real standout issue in its own right. Same thing again with the yellow Moke, they really should have gotten UH to do a YOLT Moke instead of the Blunderbird, it would have been so easy using the LALD moulds and a very welcome addition to the series.
Same here, about half and half. That was why I was interested to hear from D110 about how widely collectors create their own diorama layouts in The States. To most of us across the pond, the principle of having a diorama is largely unheard of, so seems to be of far more interest to us in relation to the JBCC than to our US cousins.
Come to think of it, this is why I tend to be so extremely car-centric, I suppose. On this of the pond, you tend toward "DIY" dioramas. Need figures? You go to Woodland Scenics or Bachmann or Preiser or even a smaller company that makes poses you would not ordinarily find from the "Big Three". Need a background? Either go the Woodland Scenics route and get it really expansive, the Mountains in Minutes route for something much smaller, or try your skill with papier mache. Need a roadbed? Woodland Scenics with some construction paper. Need a vehicle that doesn't exist but something close exists? Code 3 it!
Very rarely do I encounter guys that both make dioramas AND keep their cars in boxes, as well. Sure, you'll encounter some guy who keeps some of his stuff boxed for resale, but his other stuff will be out on display. The advantage that you enjoy on the other side of the pond, though, is obvious: you don't have to repeatedly dust off the cars once a month or so! But still, going through your collection and dusting it is actually pretty relaxing.
I suppose it's just a different hobby culture. To go even further off-topic, in the 1930's, when highly-detailed lead toy soldiers were all the rage (since they're something else I collect), in the UK, you had Britains, Johillco, and Crescent, all with an eye toward being displayed in a box or cabinet. "Action poses" existed, of course (the Anti-Aircraft Gun-related poses come in first place and of course you had guys standing firing rifle, kneeling firing rifle, prone firing rifle, plus machine gunners all existed), but the main focus was soldiers on parade. Now let's look at the American soldiers.
On the whole quite a bit larger than Britains and a decent bit larger than Johillco, you had a sort of "Big Four": Barclay, Manoil, Grey Iron, and Auburn Rubber, each devoted almost exclusively to action poses. Sure, you had marching men, but you also had poses as innovative as the guy peeling potatoes (Barclay), the guy literally diving for cover (Barclay), the motorcycle with sidecar and machine-gunner in said sidecar (Auburn), the wounded soldier on a stretcher with stretcher bearers visibly beating a hasty retreat (Manoil) and the mess hall cook (Manoil). All of those manufacturers with the exception of I believe Grey Iron offered dioramas, as well, and usually encouraged you to make your own.
The reason I mention all of this is to show the difference in the attitude of the manufacturers that ultimately probably led to a difference in attitude with the collectors. Britains designed their soldiers with an eye toward display, albeit not really diorama display. Barclay designed its toy soldiers for action shots and dioramas. There really were no model cars then, with Dinky Toys in its infancy, but the way each type of soldiers was marketed was a foreshadowing of things to come. Sure, you had great action poses from Britains Dee-Tail during the 1970's, by the way, but even then, they were dwarfed by the incredible realism of the post-WWII, unpainted Auburn Rubber figures (they expected you to paint them). Yes, the British Tommy is now throwing a grenade, but the American GI is now lighting up a cigarette! The Tommy may now finally have a submachine gun, but the US Marine (who is being given orders by another Marine) now has a scoped, selective fire M3 Carbine for close-in sniping at night!
I'm beginning to think the whole "display vs. DIY diorama" cultures you can find that go back to the 1930's tends to make American collectors a whole lot more car-centric if for no other reason than "okay, great car...now lemme get it off the diorama stand, put that into storage if I ever want to sell it, and make my own diorama" seems to be the predominant attitude here.
At one point, many years ago, kids in the US got model kits of horror movie characters like Dracula and Frankenstein's monster, super-heroes like Batman and Spiderman, TV and movie characters like The Lone Ranger, Man From Uncle and even James Bond. They got dragsters, custom cars, sci-fi ships and dinosaurs. Do you know what exciting figures were made for UK kids by the likes of Airfix at that time? - apart from garden birds and kings and queens (sarcasm), a rubbish model of Bond and Oddjob. That was about it, and it certainly backs up what you were saying about the difference between US and UK model soldiers back in the day. Thankfully, Aurora and Revell re-released much of their catalogue in the UK back in the 70's!
Dalko. Early Dinky Toys were all displayed on layouts incorporating houses, trains, animals etc. and were adjuncts to O gauge railways (UK 1/43 ish) I wonder at what point cars became objects to display on their own? Corgi toys were displayed in front of back scenes in toy shops. Only Matchbox were pretty universally displayed on displays with no "diorama" element.
Whoops off topic. Though Corgi Bond DB5 box incorporated diaorama aspects...
When I was a kid 1.43 scale Dinkys, Corgis etc were usually taken into the playground and played with to near destruction, not generally used in elaborate home made dioramas or layouts. The only serious layouts I remember seeing were either huge Scalextric sets or Hornby train sets with tiny cars. Toy shops sometimes displayed 1.43s in layouts in their windows and toy companies did make garages for 1.43 scale toy cars but that was about it. It's possible some kids/adults built 1.43 scale layouts in the UK but it would have been rare, nothing like as widespread as it appears to be in the States.
Dalko. Early Dinky Toys were all displayed on layouts incorporating houses, trains, animals etc. and were adjuncts to O gauge railways (UK 1/43 ish) I wonder at what point cars became objects to display on their own? Corgi toys were displayed in front of back scenes in toy shops. Only Matchbox were pretty universally displayed on displays with no "diorama" element.
I would quibble here because as can be demonstrated by countless companies in countless countries for countless hobbies, the difference between a retail display and the actual product sold is often very, very substantial.
It's very true what you say about early Dinky Toys (pre-"American Car Series" prior to WWII, since that was their first all-out effort to get REALLY detailed cars), but the problem was, prior to the introduction of the "American Car Series" (i.e. the Packard Super Eight, Lincoln Zephyr, Chrysler, Studebaker Coupe, Buick, Oldsmobile, etc.), Dinky was basically Diecast Renwal. Renwal, in case anyone is wondering, was an American firm that made pretty solid but not overly detailed representations of cars immediately after World War II in plastic. Cars like a Nash, a Ford, a Mercury, and a Packard were all represented in subdued colors for better realism. But Renwal was going for accessories; window dressing for your Lionel model train layout. Tootsietoy initially tried the same approach with diecast, too. It's not until you get the "American Car Series" that you get really detailed, stand-alone vehicles from Dinky. While they were marketed in both the US (often via Canada) and UK, there wasn't really the same kind of attempt to link these cars to Hornby that there was with earlier Dinkys. Also, Dinky's early military series comes out around the same time, giving us things like the (roughly) 1/64 scale Austin Lorry. Again, these cars were more or less designed to be displayed in a case (if not played with until they fell completely apart).
The really interesting thing, though, is that Dinky DID try (unsuccessfully, but I'll email you some pics if you want) to have stand-alone dioramas and promoted them and instructions on how to build them through a newsletter (something like "Dinky Toys Collectors' Club") that was available during the early 1950's-mid 1950's. Some of the dioramas are downright spectacular (one that depicts a raceway and part of an adjacent town is particuloarly magnificent), but there just never was any enthusiasm to create these things or market the buildings that we see in the newsletters.
Corgi Toys during the 1950's and 1960's is a bit of a different story and can probably be viewed as analogous to Lionel Trains' dioramas provided to dealers. Basically, if you wanted to sell Lionel (or Corgi), you had to purchase a diorama or instructions to build a diorama from the manufacturer.
Since both products flew off the shelves, the dealers considered it worthwhile, but at least in the case of Lionel, there was virtually no effort made at promoting the dioramas themselves by the company unless an individual dealer, such as the legendary Madison Hardware, owned by Lou Sher and Carl Shaw (they were brothers, but Carl was in show biz and changed his last name), took it upon themselves to actively promote diorama-making and say "well, you can have this at your house, too!" In the history of Corgi, there doesn't really seem to be a Lou Sher or Carl Shaw type figure that went all-out to the point of promoting dioramas with the actual backing of the company (this arrangement started up just after WWII). Of course, it wasn't just Lou and Carl.
Other Lionel dealers came to see their success and wanted a piece of the action, too. Therefore, it became more widespread. Companies like Renwal and Tootsietoy began to give way to Dinky and Corgi (which Lou and Carl had sitting on their dioramas), purchased through Canada, and eventually Solido and other "scale" 1/43 manufacturers. Devoted layouts to accessories, like buildings, people, and of course cars started to become widespread themselves by the 1960's.
I guess my point is that there's more to it than the diorama element. There are two other things. First, there's the existing hobby culture (as illustrated in the "Britains vs. Barclay" post above, since it wasn't just kids that collected either type of toy soldier). Second, there has to be an active "push" from somewhere to get that diorama element to become something desirable to the collector as well as a responsive audience. Dinky's gorgeous "newsletter dioramas" of the mid 1950's just did not seem to meet with a responsive audience for whatever reason.
D110 - What happens when models used on table top layouts become valuable through age or rarity? Do you say to yourself 'Woa, that one's worth too much money to leave there" and put it away safe somewhere, or do they remain on open display? I'm guessing if a table-top layout with all of its cars, trains, accessories is left long enough, it must eventually become worth a heck of a lot. Does anybody over there have really old displays with vintage die-cast still in use?
D110 - What happens when models used on table top layouts become valuable through age or rarity? Do you say to yourself 'Woa, that one's worth too much money to leave there" and put it away safe somewhere, or do they remain on open display? I'm guessing if a table-top layout with all of its cars, trains, accessories is left long enough, it must eventually become worth a heck of a lot. Does anybody over there have really old displays with vintage die-cast still in use?
It depends whether you play with andscratch to bits your model cars, or look after them and put them away in the boxes afterwards. Probably 90% of kids had toy cars compared with those with a train set.
Also what used to happen is that the model toys/cars that no one wanted didn't sell much in the shops, so years later they are scarcer and so go up in value due to the lack of availability.
The trouble is that nowadays more people are collecting and realise what value the models might be.
This means that "everybody" has got an example-so they're dead common and consequently not worth much.
That brings me to the James Bond Car Collection !! I'm just getting it for my own satisfaction.
Does anybody over there have really old displays with vintage die-cast still in use?
Yes, and it's actually so common that it's a recognized sub-genre of O gauge collecting. I keep my pre-WWII Lionel running, although I don't exactly run the heck out of it. Post-WWII Lionel up to about 1969 actually makes up the bulk of my collection and I run it all the time. Again, I'm very well stocked with spare parts, though I find that locomotives made after WWII tend to be extremely durable and I rarely have to replace said parts.
If an engine part goes kaflooey, I just buy a junked version of the same locomotive. Well over 90% of the time, most of the internal parts are still intact. For example, with my pre-War semi-scale switcher, I have FOUR spare motors for it in various stages of falling apart. For my Lionel M10000 Streamliner (which is really an M10001 Streamliner), I have one extra motor, tons of spare lights for the passenger cars (i.e. coaches), and some spare vestibules.
I keep a great deal of my non-mint condition Dinkys and older Corgis (if they're roughly 1/43-1/50 scale) on my layout, too. The mint-in-box condition ones, I admit, I put into a cabinet. However, if they're less than mint in box, my basement is exceptionally clean, large, furnished, and temperature-controlled, which is actually pretty common for the average model railroader. Sure, you dust the Dinkys and older Corgis a bit more often than Minichamps/Spark/Neo/Ebbro/Ixo/Trax/etc., but there's no real danger in doing so. You look at the paint, examine where the small chips are, and you apply an appropriate amount of pressure when dusting those areas with a (SOFT!) rag. I have plenty of displays where I try and keep my Dinkys and Corgis together because they tend to be a bit smaller than my modern stuff and will gladly post pics if you want.
Comments
Like I told maz, the more I look at this list, the more I find it problematic. Most importantly: why, for the first time, are we getting our info from someone who obviously speaks English as a second language when all of our info has previously come from British sources? Further, the order and selection of the cars, save the DB5, just seems FAR too random. You have to figure Eaglemoss has or had someone watching this thread and very likely ones very similar to it...virtually all of the cars we discussed that tended to lean towards "car-centric" wound up as the issues between 110 and 130. But now, from 131-135, except for the DB5, these weren't really cars we asked for that showed up repeatedly on people's wishlists (like the OHMSS Ford Escort, GE UAZ-31512, and OHMSS Rolls-Royce "Proto-Corniche" in terms of stuff that pretty much wound up appearing on everyone's lists).
Until Eaglemoss actually confirms this, I'm taking it with a huge grain of salt.
Just two months later, GE Fabbri changed the number of issues on their website to 110. However, the collection has once again been extended, this time to 130 issues and will be released at monthly intervals. And now the number has extended to 135 models. The next issue, number 120, will contain Locque's Mercedes-Benz 450SEL from For Your Eyes Only. As at May 2012, the number of issued has increased to 140, which will now be issued fortnightly.
But then we get just five new entries in the table covering 131-135 only and no mention of Eaglemoss takeover of Fabbri. So are there five more yet to be announced which could include the XJR-L and several models keenly wanted such as the Escort or are they cutting back from 140 to 135. It is all a mystery but I guess it will become clear at some point. I will quiz database warehouse when I ring next but often they know as little as we do.....
Yes Mr Smythe a decent warehouse diorama in one of the big boxes would make even the DB5 a must have.
Thought I would reply to myself ! Just to underline 140 is the new issue finale. And so far everything i have been told even dare i mention when i posted as an alter ego to avoid the flak has been correct ! ( which resulted in an expulsion, i have not forgotten that).
sometimes less is more ....
Think of it in terms of you having your 'licence revoked' temporarily in order to carry out covert information gathering (!). Taking one for the team and all that.
Off topic, anybody interested in Ford Capri models? I just received Vanguards new Brooklands 280 Capri - it's in a display case and is an absolutely stunning
model, well worth the money.
I would agree. Why would ANY partwork maker stop at an odd number? Think about it for a minute...if they're shipping two at a time and have repeatedly said "no more gifts", then I'm on your side here and we see 140...not 135, and like I said, I'm still not convinced about the five extra cars on wikipedia because directly or indirectly (when Jag got the email with the list in Australia, that was indirectly) coming from the UK and a source that either WAS Fabbri or Eaglemoss or represented Fabbri or Eaglemoss. There's no evidence that's surfaced about those five that says how the person got it or who they got it from, plus the English-as-second language type grammar and spellings casts some doubt on it, I think.
Was having some rather severe relationship problems with my girlfriend's parents and I'll leave it at that...frankly, I shouldn't have been posting. Again, aside from my restated apologies, I'd prefer to leave it at that.
Always have been since I got the Lesney Matchbox Superkings Capri with opening parts. Believe it or not, I actually know of a hobby shop in Russia that sells Vanguards for a song; not as cheap as UK prices, but better than most online shops in western Europe. Any particular color recommendation as to what would have been the most common?
Thank you for that, much appreciated and interesting!
I'll try. I have some photos somewhere
I wouldn't dare to speak for Diecast007 but I assumed he was referring to his problems with the site moderator. Either way I'm pretty sure we're all good mates on this forum now, aren't we?
This is the Vanguards 280 (apologies to Bond fans who won't be interested, although I can't for the life of me understand why such a famous well loved European car as the Capri never appeared in a Bond movie)
I hope the eBay seller who is currently offering this model doesn't mind me showing his photo. The 280 was the very last Capri of this type released by Ford in one colour, metallic Brooklands Racing Green, and was an all-singing all-dancing top of the line special. So much so that some UK owners trailer them around Ford shows almost like art exhibits, so they have no mileage or dirt at all. You could eat your breakfast off the tyres of some of them (although the owner might have something to say about it!).
This is the Renault 5Turbo from NSNA. The bumpers should be painted I know and it shouldn't have the turbo sticker. But I'm pleading artisitc licence! The base was from the AM V8 volante and the background a copy from the Austin Cambridge. My reasoning being that this is the very start of the chase after Fatima has killed the girl and races off.
The back I created by downloading the NSNA logo and adding some translations
Jaguar E-Type. Base and background a straight RR Silver Cloud swap. Reason - this looked a little scottish highlandy when the girl started tailing Sir James (if memory serves - if not its artistic licence again!)
Citroen CS19. Base from the white FYEO Lotus, Background is an amended version of the RR above. Reason: This is the car seen at the start of the film, so looks like the countryside. Car should really have a black roof mind.
VW T1. Base from the FRWL Bentley, and again a re-vamped version of the silver cloud background. Reason: Looks a bit like the scottish highlands for the grouse shoot. It does need the weird grouse machine fitted to it, but my modelling skills aren't up to that!
Title on the back - Copy of the logo from an old CR paperback!
Will look to post some more later if possible.
Ixo/Ixo Juniors have a 1:43 Ford Taunus model that can be bashed into a NSNA crashing Cortina Mk.5 with a repaint and a RHD conversion (dash from a scrap Vanguards Mk.4?).
MCF, my "Brooklands Green" is going to take a while to join its cousins in my collection but it has been ordered. I have all the other road-going and police versions in the Vanguards Capri range, but not the motorsport or chrome ones (not interested in either). The first two issues (Caspian Blue & Manchester Police) cost me on ebay a fair premium over original retail price, the penalty for not buying them at release time in 2007!
I do like how Corgi has gone back to the 2004-2007 style packaging for the latest releases, although it has pushed up prices slightly - that "loose mirrors" idea was never my cup of tea!
The Capri could have been a good substitute for the GTV6 in OP - although I have an Alfa-mad friend who would strongly disagree! The 1980s as a whole seems to me to be neglected when it comes to partworks - even the marque themed ones like the Opel Collection and the Volvo Collection didn't seem to dwell on that decade. I suppose lovers of 1990s cars have even more to complain about - certainly as far as the JBCC goes, largely due to the hiatus between LTK and GE.
I am also rather suspicious of that 131-135 information on Wikipedia. I can remember some time back (2008?) when someone took us for a ride by posting on that Wikipedia article a list of supposed upcoming releases of mostly Rolls-Royces, which turned out to be false (although we did get some UH ones much later on).
As much as I have enjoyed this collection, I do hope that it does come to an end fairly soon. If this does finish up early in 2013, as currently seems to be the case, it would have run as long as World War Two.
Here in South Africa we haven't had an issue at the newsagents for around nine weeks since Issue 97 and a mate who is a subscriber has only received up to Issue 95, due to "supply problems".
Regarding the Rolls Royce Shadows in LTK and TWINE - apologies if this has been discussed before, but the cars seen on screen both appear to be standard Shadow IIs, whereas the models in the collection have the bigger doors of the LWB cars. The casting used for these models would make a much better basis for the MR car.
And yes, the yellow Moke is featured much more prominently - and memorably - on screen in TSWLM, although it doesn't exactly get blown up, more blown off course !
off topic Yes I am, though bizarrely I owned the Ford Capri Laser and laterly a Ford Probe 16v and 24v. All three were dreadful cars especially the Cr**pee (forgive my language) and Problem 16v as I un-affectionately called them.
However the brooklands was and still is a desirable machine . the big engined fords in their day were the cars to aspire too. The model looks fantastic and certainly will be joining my collection.
The Brooklands 280 does look good. I have three model Capris; red Mk1 by Detail Cars, Gold Mk3 by Minichamps and Zakspeed racer by Minichamps, all 1:43. When I was born (1980) my first ever ride in a car back from the hospital was in my Dad's Mk3 Capri, so the cars have some kind of meaning. I all know someone with a mint Mk1 3.0 with pretty much every option imaginable, and very low mileage (less than 20,000 I believe). That particular Capri is a nice car.
Also, thinking about Fords in general, I reckon a 'History of Ford' series would make a very popular partwork, when you think of the sheer volume and diversity of designs Ford has produced worldwide over the years. It would be a great excuse to re-use moulds and offer under-modelled vehicles such as the UK Ford Corsair, modern US Fords and many of the Aussie Fords.
Must get back on topic, must get back on topic.........................
Maybe by discussing the much-wanted Mk6 Escort and Mondeo? !!
Of course! I just don't think I ever really explained myself well is all.
The thing is, those cars were cast from moulds done by Universal Hobbies, not Ixo. If Ixo makes a Rolls-Royce, it would be quite different. Also, remember, Ixo has a license to make R-R's, whereas UH did not and still does not, which means UH could lower their detail standards and get away with it, whereas Ixo is putting its license on the line. Basically, Ixo would start from the ground up.
But I do agree and for a Bond-centric vehicle, even though I have about 9 or 10 cars that come before it, I think a yellow Moke would be an awesome addition to the collection. Put it this way: if we see the Morris Minor replaced by one, I wouldn't be in the least upset!
And SWJ...TERRIFIC JOB!!!
I have just received the Volga and the 450SEL. I am very happy with them, even if the the wheelbase is not quite right on the S Class. Good models, and two new dioramas. I think someone is listening to our comments!
Steering clear of the Capri conversation, although that was an interesting interlude, I was thinking about the Bond/ car centric thing. I like cars and model cars a lot, and would be unlikely to buy figures or (much) other Bond memorabilia. I thought I was a car centric and in my general collecting habits I very much am. However, I have realised that in the context of this collection, I am actually about 60/40 Bond/car centric. I display the Bond cars all together away from my other models, I keep all of them on their diorama bases, something I would never do with any other model car, and I enjoy reading the magazines; it doesn't take long, but there is usually at least one thing I didn't know per issue.
At £8 a hit I continue to have a nice treat when they arrive, and it makes me happy - and surely that's what collecting is all about. If it goes to 200, and the cars are still nicely made, I'll keep buying them. If buying some more storage units means I need to go to the pub less, so be it. In for £7.99, in for a pound.
BUT keep it 1:43 scale please! And please do the BMW bike from Tomorrow Never Dies, it's a big omission now. It's now at the top of my list - invisible Vanquish now in no.2 spot.
I bought a very strange model recently, something I would never have bought normally, but it is like nothing I have ever seen and was about 70% off list price. It's a Minichamps 1:43 model of a real stone sculpture of a Mk2 VW Golf. Seriously bizarre, and it's a real item - someone really made a solid stone lifesize mk2 Golf. I guess they were making a comment about the hewn-from-solid VW quality. Here are links to the real car and the model, and no I'm not the guy standing next to it! http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=stone+vw+golf&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_enJE436JE436&biw=1344&bih=646&tbm=isch&tbnid=EyG5dTi-xr9VVM:&imgrefurl=http://www.zoopedup.com/blogs/vw-golf-stone-carved-11-may-2010-55&docid=foNRTi0zZqplVM&imgurl=http://www.zoopedup.com/blogs/uploads/image12.jpg&w=560&h=420&ei=Dx3qT-Ny1LjyA8f2uJMB&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=177&vpy=148&dur=188&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=157&ty=102&sig=100322515647706201632&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=177&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:72 and http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=stone+golf+1:43&um=1&hl=en&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_enJE436JE436&biw=1344&bih=646&tbm=isch&tbnid=puEKpfPMnWzD5M:&imgrefurl=http://www.bks-tuning.com/OEM-VW-Stone-Golf-MK2-Model-car-143-Woerthersee&docid=0aUCjvNm8GLRLM&imgurl=http://www.bks-tuning.com/WebRoot/Store9/Shops/17141421/4DC1/D98A/06B0/CB81/C2E6/C0A8/29BB/49A7/191099300c_Y7U.jpg&w=450&h=300&ei=Sx3qT6riB8eu8AOcvfV0&zoom=1
My point is this - it's made of some sort of resin, and a similar technique could perhaps be employed to get us an invisible/ almost invisible Vanquish.
AMEN! The "Dinky 48'ing" that went on all too often under UH as well as the 1/72 scale Bondola were annoying and turn-offs to models that I'd otherwise have REALLY enjoyed (like the Bentley and the Hispano Suiza).
I've given this some thought as to how to respond to this, but simply put, unless you're making a 1/43 scale bike from resin, the detail comes out very poorly. I think we learned that the hard way with the Kawasaki. Even diecast 1/35 scale bikes tend to be slightly problematic/low on details. A resin bike offered by a different manufacturer WOULD be awesome (that's how Ebbro gets its detail with early post-WWII Japanese three-wheel vehicles...by using resin detailing), but resin makes the model somewhat difficult regarding its cost effectiveness. Is it something a manufacturer like Spark Models should consider doing? Yes. But would it wind up looking good if done in diecast? I doubt it.
Again, we're left with kind of a sticky issue. You could use a VERY thin resin to make an invisible Vanquish, but that 1) would cost quite a bit of money even for a resin car and 2) achieving transparency with resin is not as easy as it looks. If you notice models like Spark and Neo, they're all extra-thin for that very reason: the thicker the clear resin, the more distorted/milky the final product winds up being. You'd get a neat car, but it wouldn't be invisible.
Still, I think you're onto something. Why not commission Neo or Spark to do something for you and then sell it as a "Deluxe Gift to Subscribers Only". You could even have a resin DB5 with all the details.
Same here, about half and half. That was why I was interested to hear from D110 about how widely collectors create their own diorama layouts in The States. To most of us across the pond, the principle of having a diorama is largely unheard of, so seems to be of far more interest to us in relation to the JBCC than to our US cousins. I've never seen or collected anything like this before, other than Corgi's 'weathered' WW2 and Vietnam vehicles. All my other models are the usual 'pristine car in a trophy presentation type box', which is what makes the JBCC so different and interesting. I just hope that when the series does finish, the major non-partwork model manufacturers might take note and get a bit more creative in how they present their models, even if it's just sitting on a base that looks like a road or grassy track. And background cards, so cheap and easy to produce - imagine the Vanguards 60's UK vehicles in display boxes with comtemporary scenic backgounds of the British countryside, towns, seaside or houses, how effective would that be?
I think the BMW R1200C bike was one of the major lost opportunities by Fabbri and UH, they really should have done it instead of the Kawasaki. I assume they didn't because the Kawasaki was available at The Bond Museum in the UK at the time so they had full access in researching a custom 'movie special', as against a stock BMW, and thought we'd be more impressed. IMHO the Beemer, complete with figures of Bond and Wai Lin, a debris strewn base and helicopter shown on the background card would have been not just a great companion piece to the TND Range Rover but a real standout issue in its own right. Same thing again with the yellow Moke, they really should have gotten UH to do a YOLT Moke instead of the Blunderbird, it would have been so easy using the LALD moulds and a very welcome addition to the series.
Come to think of it, this is why I tend to be so extremely car-centric, I suppose. On this of the pond, you tend toward "DIY" dioramas. Need figures? You go to Woodland Scenics or Bachmann or Preiser or even a smaller company that makes poses you would not ordinarily find from the "Big Three". Need a background? Either go the Woodland Scenics route and get it really expansive, the Mountains in Minutes route for something much smaller, or try your skill with papier mache. Need a roadbed? Woodland Scenics with some construction paper. Need a vehicle that doesn't exist but something close exists? Code 3 it!
Very rarely do I encounter guys that both make dioramas AND keep their cars in boxes, as well. Sure, you'll encounter some guy who keeps some of his stuff boxed for resale, but his other stuff will be out on display. The advantage that you enjoy on the other side of the pond, though, is obvious: you don't have to repeatedly dust off the cars once a month or so! But still, going through your collection and dusting it is actually pretty relaxing.
I suppose it's just a different hobby culture. To go even further off-topic, in the 1930's, when highly-detailed lead toy soldiers were all the rage (since they're something else I collect), in the UK, you had Britains, Johillco, and Crescent, all with an eye toward being displayed in a box or cabinet. "Action poses" existed, of course (the Anti-Aircraft Gun-related poses come in first place and of course you had guys standing firing rifle, kneeling firing rifle, prone firing rifle, plus machine gunners all existed), but the main focus was soldiers on parade. Now let's look at the American soldiers.
On the whole quite a bit larger than Britains and a decent bit larger than Johillco, you had a sort of "Big Four": Barclay, Manoil, Grey Iron, and Auburn Rubber, each devoted almost exclusively to action poses. Sure, you had marching men, but you also had poses as innovative as the guy peeling potatoes (Barclay), the guy literally diving for cover (Barclay), the motorcycle with sidecar and machine-gunner in said sidecar (Auburn), the wounded soldier on a stretcher with stretcher bearers visibly beating a hasty retreat (Manoil) and the mess hall cook (Manoil). All of those manufacturers with the exception of I believe Grey Iron offered dioramas, as well, and usually encouraged you to make your own.
The reason I mention all of this is to show the difference in the attitude of the manufacturers that ultimately probably led to a difference in attitude with the collectors. Britains designed their soldiers with an eye toward display, albeit not really diorama display. Barclay designed its toy soldiers for action shots and dioramas. There really were no model cars then, with Dinky Toys in its infancy, but the way each type of soldiers was marketed was a foreshadowing of things to come. Sure, you had great action poses from Britains Dee-Tail during the 1970's, by the way, but even then, they were dwarfed by the incredible realism of the post-WWII, unpainted Auburn Rubber figures (they expected you to paint them). Yes, the British Tommy is now throwing a grenade, but the American GI is now lighting up a cigarette! The Tommy may now finally have a submachine gun, but the US Marine (who is being given orders by another Marine) now has a scoped, selective fire M3 Carbine for close-in sniping at night!
I'm beginning to think the whole "display vs. DIY diorama" cultures you can find that go back to the 1930's tends to make American collectors a whole lot more car-centric if for no other reason than "okay, great car...now lemme get it off the diorama stand, put that into storage if I ever want to sell it, and make my own diorama" seems to be the predominant attitude here.
Whoops off topic. Though Corgi Bond DB5 box incorporated diaorama aspects...
I would quibble here because as can be demonstrated by countless companies in countless countries for countless hobbies, the difference between a retail display and the actual product sold is often very, very substantial.
It's very true what you say about early Dinky Toys (pre-"American Car Series" prior to WWII, since that was their first all-out effort to get REALLY detailed cars), but the problem was, prior to the introduction of the "American Car Series" (i.e. the Packard Super Eight, Lincoln Zephyr, Chrysler, Studebaker Coupe, Buick, Oldsmobile, etc.), Dinky was basically Diecast Renwal. Renwal, in case anyone is wondering, was an American firm that made pretty solid but not overly detailed representations of cars immediately after World War II in plastic. Cars like a Nash, a Ford, a Mercury, and a Packard were all represented in subdued colors for better realism. But Renwal was going for accessories; window dressing for your Lionel model train layout. Tootsietoy initially tried the same approach with diecast, too. It's not until you get the "American Car Series" that you get really detailed, stand-alone vehicles from Dinky. While they were marketed in both the US (often via Canada) and UK, there wasn't really the same kind of attempt to link these cars to Hornby that there was with earlier Dinkys. Also, Dinky's early military series comes out around the same time, giving us things like the (roughly) 1/64 scale Austin Lorry. Again, these cars were more or less designed to be displayed in a case (if not played with until they fell completely apart).
The really interesting thing, though, is that Dinky DID try (unsuccessfully, but I'll email you some pics if you want) to have stand-alone dioramas and promoted them and instructions on how to build them through a newsletter (something like "Dinky Toys Collectors' Club") that was available during the early 1950's-mid 1950's. Some of the dioramas are downright spectacular (one that depicts a raceway and part of an adjacent town is particuloarly magnificent), but there just never was any enthusiasm to create these things or market the buildings that we see in the newsletters.
Corgi Toys during the 1950's and 1960's is a bit of a different story and can probably be viewed as analogous to Lionel Trains' dioramas provided to dealers. Basically, if you wanted to sell Lionel (or Corgi), you had to purchase a diorama or instructions to build a diorama from the manufacturer.
Since both products flew off the shelves, the dealers considered it worthwhile, but at least in the case of Lionel, there was virtually no effort made at promoting the dioramas themselves by the company unless an individual dealer, such as the legendary Madison Hardware, owned by Lou Sher and Carl Shaw (they were brothers, but Carl was in show biz and changed his last name), took it upon themselves to actively promote diorama-making and say "well, you can have this at your house, too!" In the history of Corgi, there doesn't really seem to be a Lou Sher or Carl Shaw type figure that went all-out to the point of promoting dioramas with the actual backing of the company (this arrangement started up just after WWII). Of course, it wasn't just Lou and Carl.
Other Lionel dealers came to see their success and wanted a piece of the action, too. Therefore, it became more widespread. Companies like Renwal and Tootsietoy began to give way to Dinky and Corgi (which Lou and Carl had sitting on their dioramas), purchased through Canada, and eventually Solido and other "scale" 1/43 manufacturers. Devoted layouts to accessories, like buildings, people, and of course cars started to become widespread themselves by the 1960's.
I guess my point is that there's more to it than the diorama element. There are two other things. First, there's the existing hobby culture (as illustrated in the "Britains vs. Barclay" post above, since it wasn't just kids that collected either type of toy soldier). Second, there has to be an active "push" from somewhere to get that diorama element to become something desirable to the collector as well as a responsive audience. Dinky's gorgeous "newsletter dioramas" of the mid 1950's just did not seem to meet with a responsive audience for whatever reason.
It depends whether you play with andscratch to bits your model cars, or look after them and put them away in the boxes afterwards. Probably 90% of kids had toy cars compared with those with a train set.
Also what used to happen is that the model toys/cars that no one wanted didn't sell much in the shops, so years later they are scarcer and so go up in value due to the lack of availability.
The trouble is that nowadays more people are collecting and realise what value the models might be.
This means that "everybody" has got an example-so they're dead common and consequently not worth much.
That brings me to the James Bond Car Collection !! I'm just getting it for my own satisfaction.
Bleuville.
Yes, and it's actually so common that it's a recognized sub-genre of O gauge collecting. I keep my pre-WWII Lionel running, although I don't exactly run the heck out of it. Post-WWII Lionel up to about 1969 actually makes up the bulk of my collection and I run it all the time. Again, I'm very well stocked with spare parts, though I find that locomotives made after WWII tend to be extremely durable and I rarely have to replace said parts.
If an engine part goes kaflooey, I just buy a junked version of the same locomotive. Well over 90% of the time, most of the internal parts are still intact. For example, with my pre-War semi-scale switcher, I have FOUR spare motors for it in various stages of falling apart. For my Lionel M10000 Streamliner (which is really an M10001 Streamliner), I have one extra motor, tons of spare lights for the passenger cars (i.e. coaches), and some spare vestibules.
I keep a great deal of my non-mint condition Dinkys and older Corgis (if they're roughly 1/43-1/50 scale) on my layout, too. The mint-in-box condition ones, I admit, I put into a cabinet. However, if they're less than mint in box, my basement is exceptionally clean, large, furnished, and temperature-controlled, which is actually pretty common for the average model railroader. Sure, you dust the Dinkys and older Corgis a bit more often than Minichamps/Spark/Neo/Ebbro/Ixo/Trax/etc., but there's no real danger in doing so. You look at the paint, examine where the small chips are, and you apply an appropriate amount of pressure when dusting those areas with a (SOFT!) rag. I have plenty of displays where I try and keep my Dinkys and Corgis together because they tend to be a bit smaller than my modern stuff and will gladly post pics if you want.