FAKE GOLDVARGS

Excellent summary, John - thank you.

@jkuvakas I am wondering why resin models are not branded on their base plate as FM and DM were back in the days I was active in the 1/24 scale. Brooklins have always been as MC and others. None of the few models I have as GLM, GIM, Stamp,TSEM are. The only exception is the Automodello 1937 Packard Victoria.

 Is it too prohibitive about cost to have them stamped?  After all, they are just resin.  Also, if an entire production order is not up to specs, I presume they are supposed to be destroyed. In this case, it seems they have been salvaged or reassigned to another project

I don't know what are the typical runs for resin models for a company like Goldvarg but I don't think they are really hurt by a few back door drops but of course they should negotiate with their manufacturer.

@jkuvakas 

I thought the Goldvarg models were made from white metal in Argentina. Why would Sergio preview a model that was then produced by a Chinese company? Just curious.

I also thought they were metal until recently. I have none from this company but I have one on order to see how they compare with others like GLM and STAMP. I have no interest anymore in metal models.

Posted by: @nickies

I also thought they were metal until recently. I have none from this company but I have one on order to see how they compare with others like GLM and STAMP. I have no interest anymore in metal models.

That is what the Goldvarg collection website says, at least they started as white metal models ...

I also don't own any Goldvarg's. I mostly buy prewar cars in 1/43.

This article says: made of resin in China, which makes more sense considering their features and price.

A look at the Goldvarg Collection | MAR Online

When doing business with China, one has to assume some level of copyrights violation and stealing of intellectual property; that is the tradeoff of getting cheaper manufacturing. 

@chav He reads this board and has many friends here. I hope he will step in to clarify where his models are from. Are they from Argentina, China and/or the USA is just a store front for marketing purpose? What is up in Florida as stated on his packaging?

Way back in the 90's, Goldvarg models were in hobby shops in Canada when I first saw them. They were crude by today standards but they were appealing. I always though they were from Argentina and not on par with the European brands.

The first generation of Goldvargs, released in the 1990s, was made of white metal in Argentina. Goldvargs were out of production for a while. Then, according to hobbyDB, in 2017, Goldvarg relaunched with three resin models developed here in the states and produced in China; a 1958 Ford Fairlane, a 1956 Mercury Montclair, and a 1961 Ford Country Squire. We should understand that, as with most other resin coming out of China, the models produced over there are comissioned and refined by their makers. This is not a matter of some nondescript factory making a bunch of '58 Fords available to anyone willing to buy the production run. A maker like Sergio has to chose a factory then spec out a model with them. The maker is in full control of the production process, evaluating each step and finally approving the final, refined prototype. As such, the model is developed and fully funded by the maker, not the factory. It's a very expensive and time consuming process.

Current production runs are relatively low with two colors typically available for each new model introduction. I can't tell you if the bases are branded on the bottoms (I try to avoid removing any of my resin models from thier bases) but each model comes with a plaque that shows the Goldvarg logo, and number of models produced in that color/configuration. Many releases are individually numbered. As most of us have come to realize, many of the models made in China have similar bases and packaging. I would think molding a maker's name into the base with such low production numbers would increase the cost of production. The current market is far too competitive to make that feasible. So, most makers apply a plaque that can easily be seen inside the packaging. 

I think those who own Goldvargs will agree that Sergio's models are every bit as accurate and well-executed as models like GLM and Stamp, most frequently surpassing them. Those who have been following the hundreds of Forum 43 threads focused on him and his line of models know what distinguishes him from most other makers. It is his painstaking devotion to detail, his willingness to share the developmental process with the hobby community and the passion he has as, not just a maker, but an avid collector as well with one of the largets colleections in the world. 

As far as a "few back-door drops" not affecting a model maker, those drops are a significant problem. They amount to knock-offs that bear the brand's identity but have no accountability to the maker regarding quality control or pricing. If they are of inferior quailty, they can be a bad reflection on the maker. If the maker has paid for the development and manufacture of the model and, like Goldvarg, has paid the hefty licensing to produce them in low quantities, it can be devastating to his business and to his dealers as well.

Yes, we all know manufacturing in China has its pitfalls. The unfortunate trade off for relatively low labor costs is the danger of being ripped off and the lack of protection for intellectual property. It's a reality of doing business over there. But we don't have to like it and we certainly should not support it. This is why discussion like this one are important. 

Posted by: @nickies

I don't think they are really hurt by a few back door drops but of course they should negotiate with their manufacturer

Really???????? 

I disagree with this statement 100%

Let's just say that one doesn't have to have products manufactured in China or indeed elsewhere for copying to take place.

The Far East has been a hive of copying products for decades. A few examples:

"The cameras that first made Nikon famous were broad copies of products from the German company now known as Carl Zeiss."

Ref: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/technology/circuits/to-get-a-lens-for-an-old-nikon-go-to-zeiss-and-buy-a.html

"The imitators, those who based their cameras on the Leica or Zeiss Ikon designs, saw the potential in the German cameras and wanted to get into that market. They used the originals as the basis of their designs. They did not copy exactly, but the results were very similar. As we shall see, this is how Canon began."

Ref: https://flynngraphics.ca/history-of-canon/

Relating to toys Hong Kong copies of famous British manufacturers products from Britains to Matchbox came onto the market in the 1950's to 1970's. In the mid 1960's Britains used a Hong Kong based factory to produce lower cost range of figures. Guess in their case if you can't beat 'em join 'em.

I have a couple of Goldvarg models which I purchased from an authorised supplier in the UK. So even though one has very minor QA issues I am assuming that this was a genuine Goldvarg.

John K;

Thank you for your thorough explanation of how the process works regarding manufacturing our models in China.  Thank you to everyone else who contributed to this discussion as well.  What I take away from it, aside from being generally enlightened about the subject, is a heightened appreciation for the logistics and expenses involved in the production of our models.  I also now fully appreciate the importance of buying from a trusted dealer and-or as Sergio suggested regarding his models, a dealer he has listed on his company web site.  In my small way I will follow this exclusively from now on to help keep the manufacturers of our beloved models economically healthy.

@jack-dodds I would not buy a model from China no matter it would be cheaper. Check at the way they try to rip us on shipping. I am "very" uncomfortable even buying from authorized dealers in Europe and Canada. It's not worth the hassle unless it's a rare model out of production that cannot be found anywhere else. 

@jkuvakas Thank you for your informative and concise answer to the question.  I feel like I've just read the correct answer.