Scratchin’ my head over thisun !

Posted by: @kevins

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mint in the box example will bring maybe a quarter of its original price. I truly don’t get it.

It's very simple: NO ONE wants these! 

There's only a few dozen 1/24 DMs & FMs that will net "big money"  today; all others garner LITTLE demand.   Younger folks & "the kids"  simply have no interest in these replicas - regardless of scale fidelity. 

No or little demand will ALWAYS generate bargains.  

yep as Chris says supply and demand underscores it all. I'm wondering though if ebay practices over recent years maybe having a strong disincentive for buyers. Its become very very difficult to buy models on the US ebay from Australia, I dont know about other countries. Since ebay have only allowed their own shipping its become terrible. Huge excessive prices in most cases. Lengthy delays and frequent transit damage. Also since they removed listing fees there are many many 'sellers' who list models at ridiculous prices with no hope of selling. No idea why people waste their time doing this. I've seen some list over and over again for months, even years. So how many prospective buyers would now say why bother? I used to check nearly every day, now I dont care if I miss days.

A lot of the 1953 Corvette's (White only for that year) were made. FM made it first in April of 1989. An open run, plenty were produced.

DM made their first white '53 in April 2003 as a LE but limited only to the production of the car in that year ('03). So it was a sizeable run. They later issued it again in April of 2011 but this time as the EX 122 Concept Car and as a true limited edition. Many buyers looking at the two may not discern the difference. 

Add in the availability of  FM's lesser detailed model and those who are not familiar with the intricate detailing of the DM are not as knowledgeable about the model's greatness.

@perrone1 OK, I’m getting a clearer picture now, many thanks. I think one of my roadblocks was my extreme favorable bias towards the ‘53-‘55 Corvettes. I think a really interesting and informative poll would be to determine what the top 5 or ten DM and or FM models are most desirable as far as rarity, resale price, popularity, etc.. in other words, what are the top models people would want in their collection?

@kevins  There's literally NO ONE better on any Forum who better understands 1/24 DMs & FMs.  Tony has expert status.

Kevin, Tony's explanation is right on. As a collector and forum member of many years, I have come to realize what experts on 1/1 cars and the miniatures we have amongst us. Unfortunately very few young people share the small details these models have because their love of old cars just isn't there. Truth be told, the value of the 1/1 cars is following the same downward trend trend.

@bob-jackman +1

Posted by: @bob-jackman

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Truth be told, the value of the 1/1 cars is following the same downward trend.

Yes sir!  And it's been like this for a while now.  MANY 1950's/'60's cars, including convertibles, that were once "small fortunes"  no longer are.   

As YOU know, the rule used to be that the most valuable/expensive cars were always those 25-35 yrs old - because collectors NOW have the means to purchase cars they once longed for.

Most Baby Boomers & Gen X-ers are now liquidating (for somber, obvious reasons ) and Millennials, Gen Z, Alphas & Betas, by and large, care little about cars.   Add to this that NO ONE understands NEWER cars - "shade tree mechanic" is now just an antiquated phrase.          The Party is Over.  

The Heyday  of autos and auto-culture is behind us all.   😔 😔 😔 

It’s sad and depressing, but so true. On my part at least, I’ve never been a speculator in my collecting though it would be nice if my models would retain reasonable value. A model has to strike a chord with me in order for me to go after it, unlike my past habit of buying everything that had wheels. I figure as long as I’m obtaining models that I enjoy and make me happy, that’s pretty much all that matters. As a matter of fact I think I’m right where I want to be in my collecting. I’ve got all the models on my wish list brought about by my latest acquisition, the DM ‘49 Merc surf wagon. I have loved the model for years but never thought I’d be able to get one as they come up very seldom and are priced way out of my league. Needless to say, when one came up that I could rationalize I jumped at it. Good things come to those who wait as they say.

@kevins Congratulations on the Merc Kevin.  Been the proud owner of mine since it first came out. Wonderful details the more you look.

@kevins and the others on this set of posts and replies.

Though I do not collect 1/24 scale models, I do see this trend in another area of model building and collecting, trains. If you look at any model railroad magazine, the people you see with their models and layouts are primarily from the baby boomer era. You see relatively few “young” people. This is probably due to the same reasons as for model cars.

However, I do see some bright spots. First, 1/64 scale appears to be doing well with models ranging from under $10 to over $50. Second, are kits and scratch built items using LEGOs. If you have ever been to one of the major LEGO shows, such as the annual Brickworld show in The Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, you will be amazed what can be built. Unlike many of the model car shows I attend, there are hundreds of attendees with lots of young people. If you are wondering, at my age I build things with LEGOs and enjoy it.

Posted by: @ed-davis

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Second, are kits and scratch built items using LEGOs

https://brickville.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOoosC2okln6j87PT2yF47fH73wEFkc9zFaoDrTCZUPQ3uqrGPF2d