| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Ferrarinut |
Posted - 05/04/2012 : 20:05:16
I thought it was just our friends in Europe and the UK but I am puzzled by the almost non-existent response of collectors recently. Has everyone stopped collecting and picked up crochet or perhaps crossword puzzles? I would love to hear from some of the regulars who have gone into hiding, what is your mindset for 2012? Did I underestimate the global economy? In the immortal words of Pink Floyd, "Is anybody out there?". |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| moriaan |
Posted - 05/18/2012 : 01:06:59
and there are more countries in trouble... |
| LQDA4 |
Posted - 05/17/2012 : 13:32:58
Latest banking news seems to indicate that Grexit has started... |
| ModelJunkie |
Posted - 05/13/2012 : 22:07:10
David, I have been watching your auctions with great interest and have only failed to bid on them because I have several builds nearly ready and some home improvement work on the horizon. I agree completely on your final statement as even with my self- imposed restrictions I was bidding on that same Alberca GTO and wish I had bid more. I believe we have shared interests and I have a few pieces I know I could move quickly if I needed the cash. Others take time. It is really fascinating watching the secondary market on eBay as a guage of the economy. |
| glengorse |
Posted - 05/13/2012 : 02:06:19
I recently had to raise cash in a hurry to meet an unexpected and unwelcome tax bill.... my only resource was to sell a number of my beloved Subers (a sad day!)....
It is curious to note that some sold very well (Aston Martins) and some sold slowly (250 TR's)... i had never purchased them for investment or profit but needed a cash injection quickly. It worked and the Taxman is now off my back.
The moral of this story is it is very difficult to understand this market. At the high end some models sell like 'hot cakes' some do not. I find it amazing that Mike can sell almost anything but even then some models are difficult to push!. Mike's loyal customer base is a comfort but trying to interpret customer needs at the moment is almost impossible.
Quality and rarity will always command a price but in a buyer's market it is extremely difficult to forecast.
I was the underbidder (damn it should have bid more) on a recent ebay auction for a built LP 250GTO by JF Alberca. It shows that Quality builds of iconic marks will always command good prices.
How you can forecast demand is beyond me...... |
| Mazmatt |
Posted - 05/12/2012 : 20:35:06
I think that mass production in China has killed values of cars from the likes of BBR and MR for those that got into collecting relatively early on. It is really disconcerting to have forked out $350+ on discontinued BBR models only to see slightly updated models flood the market and send values of the originals tumbling down. I didn't enter into hand built for investment purposes but at the same time I did not anticipate the notional loss in value that I have incurred.
Still the main reason for my lack of activity is that I have largely built my collection and it stands as a piece of art which I get immense enjoyment from every day which is actually priceless for the soul. It is thanks to people like you Mike that facilitate this fantastic hobby (indeed I credit your website with tempting me into buying my first hand builts ever being a couple of Makeup F40s).
This is one hobby that needs to be fueled by passion and not cold hard economics which unfortunately is the dimension the Chinese have brought to the game (although they are clearly only meeting demand of the market) |
| 250GTE |
Posted - 05/06/2012 : 02:42:20
Luckily I haven't been affected by the ressesion. Well, not directly anyway. I have a steady job that pays relatively well.
In terms of budget I have had to scale down a bit, because the birth of our little boy. Which, off course, I am more than happy to do for this cause.
On the other hand, it is also a question of difficult timing. I have some project standing out at Garage43 and MonzaModels, so I have to keep an eye on future payment obligations. I'd love to pick up one of those "Piper" GTO's done by Peter, but the timing simply isn't there. But that is what you have with a budget that is not unlimited. |
| ModelJunkie |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 11:57:00
This is a very interesting topic. I have been collecting now for about 12 years, and still remember happily meeting Mike for the first time as he got off an airplane at LAX for a business trip when he still had a "day job" (as opposed to his current all day every day enviable endeavor). It was pre-911, so I met him at the gate to trade cash for a high detail Tameo F1 model built by QuattroRuotine (sp?). I too was married recently, and fortunately for me my wife is very supportive of this hobby and contacted Mike directly to buy me a wonderful 1/43 scale Ferrari AMR wedding present. I worry when the economy is bad and sales are down because I am passionate about these pieces of artwork, and because Mike is such a great guy with a wonderful family. My collecting continues at a slower pace currently because of the demands of a new home, plus my tastes have run up to the highest levels and that tends to make me think harder before making changes/additions to my collection. I am glad that Mike is always searching for ways to please us as collectors, and wish we could help him (and therefore us) find a way to bring younger collectors up to this level. I also think it could be helpful to tell Mike what we like and are looking for in future projects with the small cadre of quality builders he has been working with. I have a growing number of kits waiting to be built as well, maybe there is some way to combine our wants and needs. |
| ferrariguy |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 08:26:38
A couple of the factors I see that imo is affecting the hand built hobby is:
1. Young people these days are 'digital kids'. They're more into buying the latest tablets, laptops, video games, etc rather than collecting in general.
2. I find that diecasts receive a lot of exposure, much more so than hand builts. They're not only getting better in detail, costs much less but also featured in articles in the mainstream automobile magazines or have their own magazines themselves. I rarely find if ever any articles or advertising of exclusive hand builts in any periodical. |
| PeterW |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 08:01:57
quote:
Originally posted by Ferrarinut
Good advice Peter on the marriage front, and congrats on 33 years!
Your models have been doing very well, it may just be a matter of offering a better array of higher end models. Once I get through the remaining consignment collection listings, I will be stopping all consignments in the sub-$300 range, simply not worth the time and effort. I am encouraging guys to sell their own models on ebay and at least net a bit more. It is a buyer's market now and will continue most of this year I predict.
Thanks, and as of a few hours ago grand kid #3 is on the way! And trust me, I am not THAT old ;)
I do spend a lot of time searching and researching models that need to be done to try and fill a void. I only worry about running out of subjects but with kits like Esprit43 being released I remain optimistic.
Stick with what you have always done Mike and I think our hobby will continue to stay alive! |
| Ferrarinut |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 07:52:08
Good advice Peter on the marriage front, and congrats on 33 years!
Your models have been doing very well, it may just be a matter of offering a better array of higher end models. Once I get through the remaining consignment collection listings, I will be stopping all consignments in the sub-$300 range, simply not worth the time and effort. I am encouraging guys to sell their own models on ebay and at least net a bit more. It is a buyer's market now and will continue most of this year I predict. |
| PeterW |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 07:50:06
quote:
Originally posted by PeterW
After 33 years of marriage keeping anything from my wife is not a good idea...the more transparent you are the better your marriage will be. Hey, if it's a few bucks here or there no need to get into it but bigger dollars is another thing...that's all I have to say on that issue.
I too see there is a bit of a "blur" and what I see are a lot of the same presentation mimicking what BBR started...same bases, same cases, it all looks the same to me. It's a bit boring IMO.
As a builder I am pretty busy these days and it appears to stem from the type of presentation I have and the passion I put into each piece. I have my critics of course but when you work at the higher end it get's more critical so one needs to pay attention to the details. Either way I think collectors are seeking more unique models these days.
As far as the US economy is concerned I have seen some efforts recently to start easing up on some of the regulations, i.e natural gas, fracking and just yesterday I heard a second submission will be made for the pipeline from Canada so the "experts" feel gas prices should start to ease here...the per barrel price has already dropped. I am cautiously optimistic ;)
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| PeterW |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 07:40:42
After 33 years of marriage keeping anything from my wife is not a good idea...the more transparent you are the better your marriage will be. Hey, if it's a few bucks here or there no need to get into it but bigger dollars is another thing...that's all I have to say on that issue.
As a builder I am pretty busy these days and it appears to stem from the type of presentation I have and the passion I put into each piece. I have my critics of course but when you work at the higher end it get's more critical so one needs to pay attention to the details. Either way I think collectors are seeking more unique models these days.
As far as the US economy is concerned I have seen some efforts recently to start easing up on some of the regulations, i.e natural gas, fracking and just yesterday I heard a second submission will be made for the pipeline from Canada so the "experts" feel gas prices should start to ease here...the per barrel price has already dropped. I am cautiously optimistic ;)
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| Ferrarinut |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 07:19:42
Excellent input all, thank you. I will keep tweaking the business and will keep it interesting. :-) |
| LQDA4 |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 04:01:27
I concur with a lot of points already made here. I start getting bored with the high volume releases by many brands. You might disagree but I feel that the line separating diecasts such as Spark models and high volume handbuilts is getting blurred. Besides, most of my models are in boxes (handbuilts and diecasts) due to space limitation so what's the point of buying them in high frequency? Nowadays I mainly try to focus on the super-builts by true Artisans. I am also looking at the flood of used high performance cars (most with very low mileage) out there - I need to save up if I decide to pick up a weekend car, perhaps a 911...
For the newly-wed, get a separate account for your play money. I also have a post office box. As long as it's not drug, booze or woman, I don't feel ashamed about it!
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| moriaan |
Posted - 05/05/2012 : 03:12:31
quote:
Originally posted by Cloud 9
Hi Mike,
When I received my latest model several days ago, she demanded to know what I spent. Lucky for me, she is not the biggest model car fan and knows nothing about it's worth. I simply replied back that I paid half of what I actually did, and she fell for it. Got off the hook this time around, but dont know how long I can do it for.
Keep a separate budget for your hobby!
I have a separate account, that way there are no questions asked, and everybody is happy..
A happy wife is a happy life! ;-)
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