[Closed] Attention Franklin Mint haters.....

Brother................You summed it up nicely

franklin mint haters absolutely spot on!!!!!!

Bob, I couldn't have said it better myself.

TFM has brought us some real beauties in their hayday. And, I bet, we all started collecting precision diecasts with a Franklin Mint product. I did with a red 35 Mercedes Benze 500k. They are trying to make some money, which is the American way, so they can come back and bring us some great cars again. Hopefully, anyway.

I also agree Bob.....I have taken advantage recently of TFM sales and have not been disappointed.

Technical Clarification

I'm certainly not going to get in the middle of this discussion! Just wanted you guys to understand the terms we used at FM. New Image: self expalnatory. Repaint: Using an existing image in another color with no tooling changes other than a tool clean up, possibly adding minor details like engine wires as an upgrade. Retread: Modification of an existing tool to make a variation. Retreads could be minor or involve many changes-would depend on how much money you wanted to spend. So, "repaint" is a valid term.

Bob, I agree, in part, with your dissertation. But it is suspect and evident, by your initial discussion on the competition that you are a DM hater. I have an abundance of DM models and I've never had that many problems with their product. Besides, they make it so easy and friendly for you to return any problematic model. You've either overstated the maladies or you're buying junk from the secondary market. That said, I do agree that it is tiresome, at best and redundant and boring, at worst, to continually hear the boo-birds bash anything and everything that comes from FM. I sure wish we could all follow mom's advice: If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.

and on that note...I would like to add....

it also would be nice not to get anymore "catfight" between some members...I know it is a free country and a board is there to say what you have to say...but in some cases ..it is going a little overboard....it's a matter a fact, there seem to have been a lot of negative thoughts, one way or another latetly (bashing of FM, DM , Preferred partner, members, etc)....and everyone else gets automatically involve in it by reading the messages...which , truthfuly, if I was a potential new member , would turn me off....
so let's start to drink decaf... enjoy life , the people we have met on this board, and remember this is only a hobby...
I look at my kids every morning...and they always remind me how lucky I am ....and at that point, I could careless about my little cars...:)

Great post Bob!!!

I take back almost everything I ever wrote aboutcha!

Bob, your point is well taken. However, I think the disses that are being leveled at TFM are due in large part to the way that Franklin has acted in the recent past and not necessarily the fact that most of their recently issued cars are repaints.

It's sort of like filing bankruptcy. One can be the finest person in the world prior to filing, however once the deed is done a scarlet "B" is placed upon them. From that point on it is up to the filer to redeem their credibility through sacrifice and hard work and by explaining their situation. It takes a while, but reputations can be regained.

Unfortunately TFM did and is doing exactly the opposite. They ducked and ran and hid, created uncertainty and stress in their dealer network and among their own staff. They farmed out customer service to people who had little grasp of the English language, let alone the die cast industry or of the company that hired them. They turned the tables on their own dealers, offering them new product, then refusing to let them advertise it and instead of offering their dealers fire sale prices on various models for resale, they dumped them on the open market through a discount store, which is not part of their dealer network.

Then, instead of lowering the price on the flurry of repaints, which it seems they could easily have done, they proceeded to gouge the market, using words to proclaim that TFM is still the marque that all other die casts are measured by.

As far as I'm concerned, TFM has earned and contiues to deserve all of the flack that is being directed toward it. One can forgive, but not forget. When being humble would be appropriate, they continue to be cocky and brazen, attempting to justify the unjustifiable.

Instead of enlisting support from its loyal customer base (the ones who made the company famous in the first place), TFM has chosen to spite it in favor of creating a new customer list and many of us are mortified about that.

Unless Franklin Mint finds humility among its ranks, it is just a matter of time, in my opinion, before the company goes down for the third time - with at least one dealer continuing to scream and holler about how poorly and unfairly the company has been treated.

I'm off my soap box now.

Frank I must very respectfully say...

...that you have just taken "out of context" to new and dizzying heights. A little (way) too much spin.

And like I've said a thousand times before...from my perspective...the disregard that you speak of for dealer and customers well-being is a lot more isolated than you exaggerate. It has happened...but there are changes already...some slow...some very fast. One can hardly ask for more than that.

Well...one COULD ask for more than that, and then be silently thankful that the positive side of all of this...and there are many...ever existed in the first place. That way everyone stays honest and we can all realze that this is all a wonderous little complicated hobby that was pretty much re-invented by TFM not too long ago. In all of this TFM is by far the most unique in making these items on levels that DM would never even remotely consider in a million years...I know...I've asked.

You want blatant disregard for dealers well-being??? Let's talk about Mattell, Lladro', and Enesco for a minute... 😉

Wait...better make that several hours...

It is exactly the exchange of ideas, thoughts, and different points of views that makes this...

bulletin board or any forum interesting to join, read, and participate. I joined this group exactly for its freedom of expression. We are all adults and share the same hobby and/or passion and will at one point or another agree in a different thread with whom we now disagree. I am sure none of us take any comments personally, its just a hobby, we are supposed to enjoy it even the catfights, lol.

Really? Well, I think we are closer to being....

on the same side than you might think.

Thanks for that clarification Bob. You've apparently been cursed by less than normal luck of getting perfect DM product. Judging, purely, from what I have read here since 1998, DM has continually presented high quality product. I don't mean to deify the DM but their quality has always been top notch and my 126 DM models prove that to me each time I examine them. I have 249 FM's and love each one. I can find good quality in all but the oldest of them. Like you, as I stated, I am tired of the bashing, whether it be DM or FM product. We're more in agreement here than not. Thanks again for your response.