I’ve been collecting Danbury Mint die-cast cars for years now. I have complete collections of the Corvettes and Mustangs they offered plus a few other models. Sad to see them go out of business. Too bad they couldn’t bring it back home and make a go of it. See my article “When You Just have to have that Classic/Muscle Car?…Think Small!!!!”
The Vettes
The Mustangs
I recently ordered their last car – the 1935 coupe, even though it doesn’t match my collection.
Up against an industry-wide trend of rising costs and difficulties dealing with overseas factories, Danbury Mint – the company best known among gearheads for its high-quality, 1:24 scale, shelf-topping classic cars – has exited the die-cast car business.
“Like Packard, Duesenberg and Pontiac, so too has our journey come to an end,” wrote the Danbury Mint’s Die-cast Product Manager, Art McKenna. “For more than 20 years, the Danbury Mint has been proud to offer what many deem to be the finest 1:24 scale replicas in the world. Unfortunately, our last 1:24 scale replica has rolled off the assembly line.”
McKenna said the decision to discontinue the die-cast car line came after the factory in China that produced the models for the company closed. Two years ago, the Danbury Mint’s main factory in China closed, leaving it with only its secondary factory to produce a limited lineup of die-cast cars. No reason was given for either factory’s closing. “We didn’t own the factory, so we couldn’t control much of what happened,” McKenna said.
Pricing of the models also appeared to play a role in the decision. In a letter that McKenna sent to members of the Danbury Mint’s Classic Car Preview Society late last year, he noted that the company was no longer able to cost-effectively produce enough models for that program. Retail prices for the company’s die-cast cars had also sharply risen over the last couple of years from about $150 to about $250.
While the Danbury Mint was founded in 1969, it didn’t begin producing collectible die-cast vehicles until the late 1980s, starting out with a range of sporty Full Classics like the Duesenberg SSJ and Packard V-12 LeBaron Speedster. McKenna said that over the next quarter century, the company produced hundreds of different vehicles, but that they wanted to make their last die-cast car release – a 1935 Ford DeLuxe three-window coupe – an all-new design and not merely a re-paint of a previous design. Limited to 2,500 pieces, the coupe has already sold out.
Die-cast cars were only a part of Danbury Mint’s overall offerings, however, so the company will remain in business selling sports collectibles, coins, and figurines.
– See more at: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/04/09/danbury-mint-discontinues-diecast-car-line-after-more-than-a-quarter-century/?refer=news#sthash.vJODwAKd.dpuf
Thanks for reading.
Tim
1986 Silver Screen Danbury Mint Porcelain Doll Shirley Temple Wee Willie Winkie http://t.co/axc2glAQRg via @eBay http://t.co/N0jxjBxa7t
#cars #chevy http://t.co/u6b0eaiSBP 1975 Corvette Chevrolet Convertible Danbury Mint 1:24 DieCast Model Car In … http://t.co/O8J0etmJEm
This is a repeat – it got lost in the move to the new domain – I had to add it back to the archives so I could refer to it in my up and coming post on Model Cars.
I should throw “collecting” in the title of this blog (but it’s really long enough), because, although it’s about 2.5 months old, I have mentioned collecting a bunch of times. But really that is part of hobby as well.
Of course if I were to list all the cars I’d love collect, it would be fairly long and in reality (my reality) unaffordable..unless you are Jay Leno… I hate that guy. Ok..I don’t hate him…not really..the green-eyed monster made me say that.
Since I’m not as funny as Jay and I have to work for a living….what?…..ok..ok….I’m sure Jay works very hard…I guess…it’s tough reading funny newpaper clips….ok…Sorry Jay, I have “substituted” this alternative method of obtaining the cars I’d love to own.
You all figured it out yet? I’m talking about models, scale diecast replicas. There is an entire industry out there that produces, imports and markets these items. Some of them are extremely well done.
Here are some shots of my collection. I’m concentrating on the Mustangs and Corvettes in the sizes 1/18 or 1/24 scale.
These are a few of Mustangs
And these are a few of the Corvettes.
A Few of the Vettes
Most of these are Danbury Mint and GMP pieces, I do like what they produce, lots of details and they are affordable (around $100.00 each).
Here is a few shots of the 1967 GT 350.
GMP 1967 GT350 Interior
GMP Mustang GT350 Engine compartment
The Franklin mint produces cars, Greenleaf, Motormint, just to name a few.
It’s fun and affordable and they do increase in value. It’s gotten so popular that even the mainstream car magazines like Hemmings (they normally have at least one article in every Motor News edition), Mustang Monthly and Corvette magazine have articles that discuss this portion of the hobby and even rate the quality of individual brands and their offerings.
If you collect already or want to get started drop a comment to this post. Toss in some pic as well.
If I were able to collect any number of cars, I’d need 3 football fields just to park them side by side and end to end (length and width). Since I don’t have that kind of acreage, I collect a few die-casts, mainly from the Danbury Mint and 1/8 or 1/24 scale.
Here are a few pics of my 1965 T-Bird:
1965 T-Bird
Love the white walls and red stripe tires.
Tails lights are great.
The detail is pretty good. In the first image you can see all the trunk hardware.
I’m not a photographer and got some tips from my son.