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Topic starter
01/11/2024 12:45 pm
I recently purchased a 1967 Buick Wildcat by Altaya (I believe) at a very reasonable price and was very suprised at the great detail at such a reasonable price.I also have a 1970 Buick by Stamp which cost almost 4 times the price of the 1967 Wildcat and decided to do a comparison. Right off the bat, the display case for the Stamp model is much fancier that the Altaya case but this is where things get interesting.
Next, I compared the front detail. Both have well detailed grills, proper headlight lenses, Buick script on the hood and the Altaya has realistic license plates while the Stamp model simply says 1970.
Comparing the back end of each, both have clear tail light lensing, nice script and well chromed bumpers. In fact, I prefer the detail of the 1967 Wildcat over the 1970 Electra.
Both models have the same style wheels and my eye cannot find much difference between the two.
Finally a side profile. Both models have captured the lines of these two Buicks and the paint is well applied on both.
So what does this mean, are we overpaying for models such as the Stamp Buick when Altaya can produce something similar for 1/4 the price? You be the judge. Just my two cents.
01/11/2024 2:14 pm
Very good comparison, Ken. The altaya looks like a screaming bargain. Think I'll go looking for one.
Steve Jacobs and John Kuvakas reacted
01/11/2024 2:18 pm
Here are a few others from Altaya. VERY nice for the price!
Barry Levittan
Long Island, NY
01/11/2024 2:34 pm
A nice comparison for sure. I guess, if you want it, you'll pay the price. I have them both and I appreciate the details and quality of both.
John Merritt
South Lyon, Michigan - USA
01/11/2024 2:37 pm
I like all of these and would be delighted to have any or all of them in my collection. And, of course, they are Buicks !
01/11/2024 10:43 pm
I recently purchased a 1967 Buick Wildcat by Altaya (I believe) ...
Yep, from their American Cars series released in multiple countries.
This would make an excellent MAR Online article! A great modern diecast vs resin comparison. What do you think?
This post was modified 2 months ago by Karl Schnelle
01/11/2024 11:08 pm
I'm not the greatest of photographers but here's an interesting and on-point comparison:
Barry Levittan
Long Island, NY
02/11/2024 12:40 am
The added details and chrome trim of the Stamp makes it a better model. The Brooklin Wildcat is very basic and the body lines are very rough and not well defined. If I would have to add one, this would be the Altaya by far.
02/11/2024 1:05 am
The Altaya Buick Wildcat was supposed to be a Premium X release. That's probably why it has a great fit and finish. Diecast Direct had it listed as a coming soon item for an extremely long time. The Altaya Olds Toronado was listed in the 2013 IXO catalogue as an upcoming Premium X model, it too is a great end product. The 1969 Altaya Pontiac Grand Prix caught me by surprise, but I wouldn't doubt it was supposed to be released as a higher end model. IMO those three are the tops of the American Car series. There's a possibility this series may go up to 140 models, unfortunately there seem to be too many duplicates, particularly with the last twenty releases.
02/11/2024 5:48 am
Thanks for the comparison Ken. I have both and agree with your findings on these two examples. Generally speaking I find the Altayas to be inconsistent in their details while the Stamp/GLM are much better. IMO you occasionally get a bargain but most of the time you get what you pay for.
07/11/2024 10:26 am
What is being referred to here is better described as DeAgostini, not Altaya, though the latter has issued many subscription series over the years.
https://www.deagostini.com/us/collectibles/american-cars
07/11/2024 11:49 am
I agree with Bob on this. That Buick is beautiful. But the DeAgostinis were not consistent. Some had thin paint, questionable plating, and awkward graphics, while others were over-the-top excellent. It's better to see one in person before buying.
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
07/12/2024 10:56 am
This is a cracking model and superior to many resins. Their Oldsmobile 442W is also very nice.
07/12/2024 1:19 pm
@bob-jackman I agree with you Bob. I have many Stamp/GLM and Altaya models and generally find the former to be much more consistent with quality and accuracy. But generally of course, you get what you pay for. There are a number of Altaya models however which I must say left me very pleasantly surprised quality for money-wise and this Buick is one of them. Altaya generally does produce great value for money IMHO.