[Closed] Will Danbury/Franklin Mint ever return?

George I was actually commenting on HIS comment BUT

I just read yours and agree too that it MIGHT happen some day! All DM has to do is find someone, ANYONE that has a factory and cheap labor and can produce an affordable product. There are still many countries out there that get paid FAR less then USA workers or other people.

Your last statement is EXACTLY what I said when I got word that DM and FM is no longer making 1:24th

I said I felt in an odd way relieved because A) I cannot really afford to spend $125-$150 on models that often anymore and the way DM was spitting them out at one point I couldn't keep up. Then I live in a modest home and I already have about 280 1:24 die-cast models, so I was starting to realize that once they are all displayed that I won't have too much room to add new ones! Then there was the thought "when will this end??" Meaning in about 15 years I've acquired a collection of 280 1:24th, 5 1:12, about 20 1:43s, 45-50 1:64th models and about 5 1:18ths. At some point unless I get a wall stretcher OR there's nothing to buy I would have run out of room! Flip side is there were still MANY models I would have liked to see made in 1:24th scale. 67-8 Cougar, 65-7 Riveras, mid-late 60s Bonnevilles, Mid 60s to mid 70s Cadillacs, Continentals also from that time period, 66-7 Toronado, Grand Prix starting from the 1967 with the hideaway lights till the mid 70s. A Ford LTD/Galaxie line from 65-70 would have been welcomed as would a full size Mercury line up, Montery, Marquis, etc... But fast forward to TODAY and this more then likely WON'T happen!! Bitter Sweet moment

Phil, I hear you and agree with you. At it's peak, I was buying up to 14 (sometimes more) DM cars a year. And at $120 to $140 (or so) a car, well you can do the math. It does get expensive.

But then I chuckle at some here who say to me and others, that we should be supporting Automodello 1.24 production at costs upwards of $300+ a car. Seriously? Sure they are not producing 14 cars a year, but I just can't justify buying even one car at those prices.

Here's the deal for me. If the price of 1.24 is really going to cost $300 (and higher), then I 100% agree with you, 1.24 is dead. At least for me!

And the real sad thing that so many here don't talk about is that, America can't produce a 1.24 car for an affordable price. That is a problem much bigger than just our little cars, as it says that America is completely out of touch with the very thing that made it such a great country. "Made in America" used to be important, and "Made by American Workers" used be equally important.

NOT ANYMORE! And to be honest, I find that more distressing than us not having our little cars anymore!

Michael, I wonder the same thing. And I also wonder like you do, why some folks prefer 1.18 over 1.24. Though I will agree that some 1.18s are of decent quality and detail, I've yet to see one that can match 1.24 in their prime from DM and FM.

And on the smaller scale 1.43, that can also be said when attempting to compare to 1.24 quality and detail.

Simply put, 1.24 was the one scale that gave us the best car at an affordable price. And they certainly didn't take up as much space as a 1.18, or be so small (as in 1.43), that we have to squint and get up close to even see them.

So why would anyone prefer 1.18 (or 1.43)? I just don't know!

Is the reason we all Love 1/24th because we built kits of 1/24th 1/25th & are used to the size?

1/24th is my favorite and I built lots of AM Kits so am most familiar with that size.

DM or FM can not take the old molds/Tooling out of the counry so all would need tooling.

Yeah it is dissapointing that the public doesnt support USA made...

..sure it may be a bit more pricey but look at the huge huge margins supported by the public on any number of things sold in big box stores. One example...think about the huge markeup on some junk unproven vitamin...they sell them by the truckloads. No doubt a margin that's large enough for US production of other goods.

But pricing is far from meager. I going to spend my $ elsewhere.

Dave, I think that's the underlying reason I like 1.24 the best.

Between the model kits and promotional models, that's all I had as a kid.

But then, I really do think they are just the size. When holding them or displaying them, they are perfect. IMO.

Some tooling for other items FM sent to China years ago from other factories including the USA. ALL is gone and not by choice either.

That IS very true! Most people look at cost rather then quality and that's one of the reasons

Hardly a damn thing is made here in the USA anymore! We built great products that LASTED here in the good Ole USA. Refrigerators that last almost literally forever! There are still refrigerators that were made in the 50s and 60, early 70s that are STILL funtioning and keeping things cold and they were NEVER serviced! I have a GE Flo-filter washing machine that is almost as old as I am! It was made around 1974 and it actually STILL works, but as of a year ago cannot be used due to oil leaking from the transmission into the "Tub" If I got a new transmission or was able to find a seal it would probably last another 10-15 years! Just about ANY new washer or dryer made today will have issues within 2-3 years! Be it a circuit board, motor, relay, etc.. I hear it from everyone I know! They definitely won't last 18-25+ years like the old ones! I have my first and ONLY Refridgerator that I bought for my first apartment around 1994. Still works perfectly and aside from a drip tray that rusted out there's nothing else wrong with it! I have a cut down disposable foil cooking tray under it now for the past 3 years and it does the same job as the original and cost me 99 cents! LOL No need to replace what still works with inferior crap in my mind!

You are thinking as I. I loved putting kits together. I used to cut doors open & make operational

I still have some kits from 1961-62. Bonneville, Corvettes, Buick Electra. I know you don't show your cars with things open but it is fun to be able to use those features. Most of my models went to my brother or were stored at my Mom's house in the attic.

When Mom's husband died the house got cleaned out before the jerk notified me he was in a rest home ( 2 years empty house) his son was a big collector of Promos. It may be interesting to go to his home. I don't want to think of the legal ramifications if my cars are there but having any identifying marks that are mine would be a real problem so I let the sleeping dog lie. He will get his. God has a way of dealing with these types.

There were some 4-500 Dinky and Meccano 1/43 to 1/48th cars stored there. My brother destroyed the Kit's as he would heat them and stage crashes.