Amalgam models

https://www.amalgamcollection.com/

 

For ANY used/preowned Amalgam or other high end models for sale on the secondary market... well various Amalgam pieces do show up in automobilia auctions in the US and overseas, and I don't know of any forums where you would find any. You will really need to look at many auctions, and all the time. For various reasons, I would NOT recommend eBay.

 

How are their 1/18 models? Most look curbside. How do they stack up against other makers?

 

Depends somewhat on what you are looking for & expecting, and how demanding or critical you are with what you buy/collect. I'm very critical, as are most of my customers, and as the price goes up on a model as well as the manufacturers grand claims, well then… they are going to be subject to being judged very critically. I'm not a fan of their 1:18 models. The positive side is that their presentation is great, but they are much too expensive for what they deliver. All are curbside. None are limited edition, so they will make as many as they can sell, and they are aiming to sell thousands. These are not exclusive models. If they were really very limited edition models, say limited to 100 or fewer of each model, then I could see the price being justified. Some detail parts are so-so, some parts are heavy handed and not good enough for the high price, and I’ve seen some with various detail parts molded in place, which is completely unacceptable at this price point.

While they are better models than some other makers, they do not compare well when you factor in the price. They should be better for the price.

I review, buy, sell & collect many different marques & types of car models, and in price ranges from under $100 to over well over $50,000 (been at it full time since 1982). Their 1:18 Jaguar E-Type Coupe and Roadster are actually great models, and are very tempting, but again price is not justifiable. I was almost ready to buy/order their new 1:18 Jaguar XK SS, but after seeing photos of it I found too many flaws with the interior and exterior parts, so I crossed it off my list. I also wanted their Ferrari 250 LM, some details are not correct, but the deal breaker on that one for me is that the front body shape - specifically the nose area is very wrong - not at all accurate.

These are not Artisan models produced in small editions by enthusiast specialists in Europe. They are models cranked out by a factory in China. My opinion as you can tell is that they are over priced, over produced, and under deliver in detail/quality.

 

Thanks. I thought the price was a little on the high side for models with no opening parts or special features.

 

There is just much to much to write and give input on here with regard to the big 1:8 Amalgam pieces, and other makers. So many variables on giving out information. As for the Amalgam pieces, some are better than others. Historical accuracy is a gray area for them. Quality of materials are compromised. They are impressive in size, overall look, and some detailing, and there are even a few I wouldn't mind owning. I have seen very many in person, and have bought some for/on behalf of my clients, but I do not have any in my collection, and no plans to add any. In my full time model car specialist business, I stay away from taking in any for resale. They typically do not fare well on the secondary market....most sell in auctions at a significant discount. Buy them if you really like them, but don't expect to get your money out of them if & when you go to resell. Feel free to send me a PM for more info.

I have some CMC pieces, and I like the ones I have kept. And again, I have seen and reviewed a lot of them. I also worked directly with CMC for a few years, until I couldn't stand it any longer. They have made some very good models, but ALL have some detail & accuracy issues, some are mildly flawed/incorrect and then there are some that are just terrible....such as their Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato (one of my favorite cars). Their 250 GTO was based on probably the worst choice of all the GTO's to replicate, but it happened to be conveniently located in Germany which is where their office is, hence they went with that car, same thing with their Maserati 300S. Quality and fit issues with many too many CMC models, and the people at CMC are clueless when it comes to historical accuracy, they have made some really bone-headed rank amateur mistakes. They should and easily could be better, but CMC doesn't really care. But as I mentioned, they have made some very good to great models, and I am happy with the ones I have kept.

Now with Javan Smith models, again I have seen many; and through & for my business I have bought and sold some, including a few of his Mercedes W196 GP models. Some of his models are better & more accurate than others, so the accuracy does vary depending on the car, but all are weak on detail. They are big, but very simply detailed - nowhere near the detail level of an Amalgam, and that is also reflected in prices for any Javan Smith model. I do like that his models are all made by him, in England, and collectors/customers like that as well. His models are also much more limited. Javan makes the masters, and does most or all of the builds. Most seem to retain their value, and tend to sell reasonably to very well at auction. They are certainly "hand crafted" models. And do note...for several reasons, you really can't compare them to an Amalgam, all they have in common is being the same scale.

 

Hi folks
What is the general opinnion on Exoto models? Quality, accuracy, value, etc.
Are the manufactured in Italy or elsewhere?
Thanks

 

Some are very good to great, some earlier ones have accuracy problems. All are over priced for what they are, how many made, and where they are made which is and always has been China.

 

Marshal thanks for the reply
Let me ask you a favor
I have a decent collection, all of which bought based on my very untrained eyes and level if detail appearance scale etc, not on price
I would like to learn more about models
If you were to list the top 5 makers of models, using a criteria based on quality of manufactuting, accuracy and overall impression, but not based on price, which ones would you include?
Would that list change if you were to list the top 5 makers based on VALUE? Value meanning "bang for the buck", or getting a decent and acceptable model for the price.
A $500 model that is 95% accurate and acceptable for most has great value, whilst a $5,000 model that is 99,9% accurate and very high quality would be pure art and not a value proposition in my mind.
Also what's the meaning of "curbside"?
Thanks

 

Is this "THE" Marshall Buck who use to race a silver Daytona back in the 80's?

 

No... everyone gets us confused! He is on the West coast, and I am on the East coast. It was even more confusing for everyone when I was also a member of the FCA back in the 1990s. I've met him a couple of times, and we've both asked each other to stop using our/my name!

 

Claudio,

There is sooooo very much to say on the subject, and it takes a lot of time, bit I'll give you my quick answers.... anything too lengthy & more in depth I can't do now. I also always recommend two things when collecting... buy what you like, and buy the best you can afford.

List of TOP makers of great models in NO specific order, which I have increased to 8, but with some notes since there are still variables to consider with some on the list below, not all fit the bill 100% of the time. Also, I have not included any of the great private model makers such as Glen English, Sean McKenna, Jacques Brauer, and others who make their own limited editions since they are not model 'manufacturers.'

As far as "VALUE" is concerned, and if following your meaning... then I would ONLY include the 6 manufacturers shown in BOLD.

Meaning of "curbside": This refers to a static model - No working parts, no opening panels, etc. As if you are looking at a real car parked at a "curbside" all closed up.

https://www.bbrmodels.it/
Mini Delta - De Conto - 1:43, 1:24. 1:12, 1:10, 1:8, 1:6 scales. NOTE: I believe they retired last year, but you would need to confirm that. http://www.minidelta.be/
CMA Models (my company) - 1:43, 1:24, 1:14, 1:12 scales. NOTE: Focusing mainly on 1:12 scale these days. https://cmamodels.com/
EMC - 1:43 scale - http://emcheritage.com
Ilario - 1:43 and 1:18 scales - https://ilario.pagesperso-orange.fr/
AutoArt - 1:43, 1:18, 1:12 scales - https://us.autoartmodels.com/aamds.php
Amalgam - assorted scales, and you already know my some of my opinion ....but they still do belong in this category, BUT with provisos.
BBR to some degree, Only their 1:18 scale models. Too many problems with their 1:43rds. https://www.bbrmodels.it/
CMC Classic Model Cars - 1:24, 1:18, 1:12. NOTE: They used to make a lot of 1:24 and most were very good. 1:18 depends on the model. 1:12 run away from any CMC in 1:12 scale! https://www.cmcmodelcarsusa.com/

 

Wow thats a great reply Sir Thanks
And since you are a manyfacturer and I really like 1:12 scale models, I will look into your creations for sure
Thanks again

 

You're welocome, glad I could help a bit.

 

Marshall are cmc really that bad in 1/12 scale? i am thinking about getting their 1/12 auto union type c. is there anything wrong with it? thank you

 

Their Auto Union is the definitely the best of their 1:12 models, though overall fit & finish and quality of little details is very good, but not great. Engine detail is ok, but not as good as it should be in this scale, especially when considering the price and quantity produced. Wire wheels should be painted silver, but CMC always resists painting their wire wheels on most of their models. (I always cheer when I see one of their models with painted wire wheels) Can't tell you how many conversations I've had with them about this. With all that said, the Auto Union C is still the best of their 1:12 models, and is a very good display piece. Just wish those wire wheels had been correctly painted.

 

thank you marshall, yes the color of wheels is classic mistake by cmc, but also bbr and amalgam on their 1/18 models do this...

 

Yes... BBR & Amalgam, and many other model companies also make wheel color mistakes. Spark made 1:43rd Scarab Roadsters, lots of problems with them, and also on their "Nickey Nouse" purple version, they incorrectly painted the wheels black because of what they saw in some internet photos when the wheels were just dirty!! Never ever painted black on the real cars! And on the other 2 versions they went with 'aged magnesium' color which is also wrong. Most model manufacturers do not care enough, and do not know how to do good, and thorough research. Careless and stupid mistakes by many are all too frequent.

 

Great list and glad I came upon this website. I’m building f a new house with a dream garage. I wanted to get some large oversized models of some of the cars I own and have owned. Put them in a display shelf that runs the back of the garage. I’m looking at Amalgam and I see you don’t seem to fond of their work. Who else makes 1:8 models of modern cars? Pista, 720, , 3rs? I want big oversized pieces and if I’d an avoid amalgam pricing I would love to do so. Thx for the reply.

 

Well, for 1:8 scale models of modern cars your only choice is Amalgam. As a model collector, and model maker I am not too fond of Amalagm, but they are really your only choice. A few other mfgs. have on rare occasions made a car from 1980s or 1990s in 1:8 scale.... Ferrari F40, and a few LMP cars at much lower cost than Amalgam.

 

Can you explain a bit more about your reservations about Amalgam? Can you also comment directly on their 1/8 F1 models?

I am certainly no model expert, however the Amalgam 1/8 scale models I have seen all looked stunning. Paint finish is excellent, detail seems to be too. And that scale just looks impressive all by itself. I know you mentioned some details have been off but surely most of their 1/8 models are accurate? CAD files are used for newer cars, are they not? The price, if bought at full retail, is a luxury price for sure. I can see that argument against Amalgam; it is not a value purchase and if you need to resell at some point it will be impossible to get your money back. In that sense it is like buying a luxury car... beautiful, but you pay a large premium on something that will depreciate.

I have seen a few of their 1/18 models and I do think they have a tough place in the market. They look lovely at a glance but there are so many other 1/18 choices out there and some of them compare quite well for half the price, or even less.