[Closed] Sorry guys, but the resin model prices are outrageous and not worth the big bucks. Just my opinion.

Ken, you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

I like them a lot. Minichamps, TSM, and BoS do a great job and I enjoy them very much. I don't think that the 1:43 scale is worth the money.

Posted by me on another forum....

I bought a resin model (Porsche) that sells for $100.00 (cheap for them) and despite its outstanding paint finish and photo etched emblems and nice wheels, its a hunk of resin and IMHO no way worth $100 let alone the normal $150-250 or more they are getting for some models now.

Now if the resin model is the only one available then its your only option at any price.

Resin may noy be everyones favorite, but resin did bring us the Chrysler Norseman, several Buick & Cadillac concept show cars, etc'. Very nice cars too. Just my opinion.

Solid opinion - but I must disagree..........

Any 'collectible' is only worth what people are willing to pay for it.

There are many beautiful looking and very well constructed cars out there that can be had for very good prices and I have very few of them because it is not what I'm interested in collecting.

I would venture to guess that the majority of collectors on this board have no interest in owning the race cars that make up the bulk of my collection. That's the beauty of this hobby, we all get to collect what we like.

My collection is based on racing history and that puts me on a track to buy models of specific cars as they looked in specific races. It also puts me on a track to show, through my collection, how race cars from the likes of Ferrari and Porsche evolved race to race and year to year. I'm not looking for 'generic' assembly line cars but rather 'specific' cars.

For me, the resin cars offer an opportunity to fill in the 'blank pages' of my history book with models that have not been made to date in diecast and likely never will.

I will agree they are not great values in the 'bang for your buck' sense but they are well worth the cost to me.

Dont forget that stunning Buick station wagon......

again, if its a model you desire and only resin is available its up to you as to what its worth. I (maybe fantasizing) thought the advent of sealed resin models would bring pricing back to the $50-75 per car range so given my history with these toy cars $200 for a resin piece (for ME) seems too much.

The development and production of models is obviously not cheap

Add the low production numbers we often see and the price to wholesalers reflects those costs. The wholesaler isn't in this hobby for fun. How about a reasonable profit for them? The retailer marks up from there and we either pay or move on. Doing a model has to make financial sense or there is no reason to pursue the project. Perhaps a great and widely known car can generate 3000 units. Many of the more unusual cars cannot. Maybe 3-400 at most. By the time one amortizes the cost over limited numbers, the cost to dealers must go up and then the price to the hobbyist. There probably isn't a collector on this, or any other board who would not like beautiful models at 1999 prices. That's just not the way it works. I don't know why this is often ignored, especially when discussing resin models.

I would be interested to know if the people who question the prices of resin models own any of them.

For me, it's just the desirability of the image....

Resin has offered images that would never have been made in diecast.
The Minichamps Motorama and concepts line comes to mind.
Porsches, Vettes, Camaros and the like are sure wins at high volumes for diecast, but with toolings gone over $600,000 and licensing sharply increased, no one will gamble on that type of investment on the more arcane and unusual.

I don't have any.

same with me. I would prefer diecast, but in every case with the resins I've bought, a diecast hasn't been made to date (& most likely won't). All my resins are either Porsches by GT Spirit or BMWs by Ottomobile.

Jon, the molds wear out FAST, so not many cars made for the inverstment.

I agrtee 100%

I would prefer to collect only diecast metal 1:18 scale cars with all the opening features. However, a lot of cars are not made to my preferences so I have bought any scale and resin to get the model of car I desire.
Lately it has been 1:43 and resin, in that scale it is a great representative of the car and the price is what I am willing to pay for 1:18 cars. In other words: I am not willing to pay more than $150 for any model car, no matter the material detail or model of car, period.
My income is fixed and the hobby is pricing itself out of my reach no matter the reasons.

never thought of this........ given I had been pouring resin parts in some of the same molds for 10 years. When you producing 1000-3000 pieces I can see that happening. I just never thought all in even short run resin cars would cost $200 plus.