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Topic starter
23/10/2018 1:44 am
Question about our little cars
Watching NEO as they nearly single-handedly changed the industry then seemed to slide into mediocrity has raised some questions in my mind about our cars, particularly in light of the excellent work we've seen coming out of Goldvarg.
I'm curious about the relationship between the makers and the factories in China. Clearly, the makers are contracting with one or more factories over there but are not owners of the production facilities. Do the makers have any control over the process? Who determines the level of detail on a model? Is this simply a matter of a maker asking a factory to make a 1967 Bulgemobile and leaving all the details up to the factory? Are there different factories offering different levels of craftsmanship and detail?
I know Sergio has been meticulous in his planning at the prototype stage. But, once the product is made and shipped, do the makers have any recourse against the factory if there is a flaw? What about "intellectual property?" Who owns the design and plans for a model, the factory or the maker?
Finally, where the heck is Waldo?
photo no longer available
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
23/10/2018 2:32 am
All good questions. You don't hear too much about this because I assume...
that most of these decisions are company confidential. I can imagine that all combinations of the activities you mention can be sub-contracted out.
Spark is one of the few that use their story for marketing their models: https://www.sparkmodel.com/about_us
Large diecast toy car companies like Siku probably do their own design and development. See https://www.siku.de/en/siku/company.html
And here is a great video: youtube from German TV.
Perhaps the smaller firms that we tend to collect do not have the resources to do all that.
23/10/2018 4:01 am
Dear John Kuvakas,
In my personal experience, I have control of the process since the very beginning. Not only because I am a car fanatic, but also because I am obsessed with details.
I determine the level of detail of each model, and I am in touch with factory many times every single day, by Skype, conference call and of course an average of 20 email a day with photos, etc. I have a strict contract that I make sign to Factory, so, all my requirements are in written, so factory has no excuses.
Once the model is shipped, It goes to Miami, were I personally check models one by one. If there is something wrong-not until now- I have the right to send models back, or destroy. Regarding the design,molds, etc, is my property.Hope that I answer all your questions, my friend. Best regards!
23/10/2018 4:03 am
It's also curious that a very specific subject put out by one model producer will suddenly appear from another model maker. This cannot be coincidence.
23/10/2018 4:34 am
Intellectual property rights? In China? Bwahahahaha!
Good one John!
Matrix (and maybe others) vs. Neo/BoS. All I need to say.
23/10/2018 4:51 am
I'm no expert, but in the past I have browsed Chinese model producer websites
It seems that they can either cast, detail and finish models where the basic design research and mastering has been done by a model producer with the technical resources to do so (like Sergio) or they will do the whole project from scratch - they can either work from photos and blueprints of the real car or can send a team with laser scanning rigs to capture the real car and create CAD files which, increasingly these days, are used to produce 3D printed masters from which the moulds are made.
I think you can also specify a target price point for the finished model, and that may determine, for example, whether brightwork is done with silver paint, P/E, hot chrome moulding or even BMF, and whether things like tail lights and turn indicators are clear or coloured plastic or just painted on, whether some details like wheels and tyres are fairly generic or custom-made, etc.
People like Sergio can obviously exercise a good deal of control over the progress of production. I think the big problem they can sometimes encounter is that Chinese producers may have a heavy production schedule and if you are not a major customer you may have to wait in line, or your project may be put on hold while another contract is fulfilled.
Shipping also seems to be a problem over which the customer may have little control, and one suspects that finished batches of models may be held up until the producer has put together a convenient container load for shipping half-way round the world. (I am still waiting for my Kess 1960 De Soto which was shown in apparently finished form about 18 months ago, but an e-mail I got from the main Kess distributor implied that they were waiting as anxiously as I was and apparently had little say in when the models would be delivered).
By the way, I looked at Karl's links. The information on the Spark suite was fascinating but when I looked at the Siku video I also spotted a YouTube video by SMTS - a model-making outfit that will be familiar to many - and it is well worth watching for its detailed illustration of pattern-making, moulding and painting (plus a quite dazzling little sequence towards the end showing how an real expert applies decals!)
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
23/10/2018 5:12 am
I forget! (Don't we all?)
It was some time ago now, and I think I was just wandering through the sites of Chinese toy and model wholesalers and somehow found my way to some manufacturers' sites.
I had a quick look just now and if you check out the link below (I googled "china diecast model cars") that should give you a starting point, but some are more informative than others about the services they offer so you need to browse around a bit if you're interested.
Clicking on images of their models shows detailed product manufacturing specifications
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
23/10/2018 7:03 am
p.s I just found this manufacturer's website describing the services they offer.
See "Overview", "Prototype & 3D", etc.
Also see "Product Show" for sample products.
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.