Your work considered to be a Diecast a complement?

[JustBill]

I was showing off one of my completed models to someone who isn't in the hobby and he said he thought of my car to be of Franklin Mint quality. I gotta say I'm not sure how that sits with me. So I was just wondering how you folks would feel about that. Don't get me wrong I know the gentlemen really meant it as a complement but I'm thinking to myself that this wasn't purchased, I had to make it. It took a lot of time and effort to complete this thing, I didn't just place an order and kick out some money. How would you think or feel about it?

Edited June 10, 2013 by JustBill

[FIREMODELMAN]

I kind of have feelings I the middle. When you show your work to a MODEL BUILDER, and they say it's as good as a diecast , I take it as a compliment. But when you show your work to those who don't build, and think it's a 'TOY'. No compliment.

[Art Anderson]

Of course, it might be wise to consider that for a great many people, their concept of a really nice miniature car or truck could very well be something from Franklin or Danbury Mint, even some of the other diecast marques.

My model car club, Lafayette Miniature Car Club, has exhibited at the monthly outdoor cruise nights at the largest local McDonald's every year (and every cruise night!) since 1991.

We get all kinds of lookers, from the knowledgeable to the uninitiated, from small children to pretty elderly types. The comments and questions run the full gamut from "Oh, look at the pretty toy cars" to serious questions as to just how did some of our models get built to the level they are; as well as just about anything in between you might imagine.

Of course, if one considers that Franklin Mint had the reputation of making some of the very finest 1/24 scale diecast model cars, I see that as a compliment, certainly if it came from someone whose only exposure to model cars has been prebuilt, prefinished diecasts. And hopefully, one receiving such a seemingly backhanded compliment would do well to keep a very diplomatic mind about it, at least in public.

Art

[Joe Handley]

Depends on the diecast manufacturer, Franklin Mint would be quite a compliment, now some of the Maisto stuff they had at Toy's "R" Us when I worked there in the late 90's

[Blown03SVT]

At a club meeting yesterday I received that very same comment but it was in regards to my paint work which made me feel like a million bucks coming from seasoned vets in the hobby. From that point there was a lot of questions about the products I use for paint, polishing and finishing.

Edited June 10, 2013 by Blown03SVT

[Dragline]

I got this same type of compliment some time ago Mr Bill. I display a car at my place on the counter at NAPA and change it every so often. My 09 Challenger in Tamiya bright green brought the same comment from a model builder no less. When I pulled the box from under the counter to show it was a kit, he kind of smirked and said "Great paint". I consider that a compliment for sure.

FM and Danbury make some excellent replicas and their paint is generally flawless. That's a compliment in my eyes.

Bob

[jaydar]

Diecasts come in all flavors. The statement by itself could be either good or bad. I think it is bad because i believe most people only know the cheap kind and i think i build better than that.

If you knew the statement was made by a person who bought really expensive high quality diecasts then it would be compliment.

How are you going to know which it is???

joe.

[george 53]

Actually, Why does it matter? Are YOU happy with it? the general public does NOT understand the PERSONAL time we spend on our cars. But then, they don't need to.Me, I build for ME! Only family and personal freinds EVER see my builds an the guys in the club. My family is used to them, my grandkids KNOW they are MY toys an NOT to touch them. They are the ONLY folks who's opinions count to me, because THEY KNOW what my models mean to me.

[Jon Cole]

My wife and I removed all the pointless china and teacups in the dining room hutch, with collectibles that mean something to us. Not her grandmother. For me, I stocked it with my Franklin and Danbury Mint cars. Not my built models. The mint cars just look better. And because the subject matter tends to be of 50's and 60's cars (mostly Cadillac), I think guests can relate and appreciate them better.

[sjordan2]

The guy specifically said it was Franklin Mint quality, not just any diecast quality. Definitely a compliment.

I don't see how that implies any lack of understanding that it was your work and how much you put into to make it that good.

Edited June 10, 2013 by sjordan2

[Dr. Cranky]

I've always set out to build models that look different than those someone else might build or build in duplicates like most diecast companies. As a matter of fact, I've always been proud of the fact that even some magazines (remain nameless) would not photograph my models because they were too dark and disturbing and they'dinfluence children all over the world into picking up bad habits like Rock and Roll, smoking cigars, wear black, etc . . .

[Matt T.]

Sure, it's a compliment.

Consider the source. Someone outside our hobby remembers a model kit from childhood, perhaps. A box full of parts, all in one color (save for chrome), that was probably assembled, painted with a brush and a glue finerprint on the windshield.

Saying your build looks like a Franklin Mint diecast means it looks like a miniature replica, not what I just described above.

Model on!

[JustBill]

Thanks everyone for your interest and comments so far. Skip, it's not that I didn't understand the guy was paying me a complement when I do know that to him he was. Dave, I have to say that if a builder was to say my work looked like a Diecast I don't think I'd take that as a complement as I feel a builder would know the difference. My altimate personal goal is to build at the point of realism. To me the altimate complement would for someone to look at my car and go, it looks like I could just jump in and drive that thing! So I say I don't know how I feel about someone calling the car a Diecast cause it doesn't give me a point of reference as to how far I am from my goal.

[Guest Johnny]

Just take it in the spirit it was offered.

Sounded like he was trying to pay you a compliment in the only way he maybe could do a comparison.

Most people assume that if an item is "Franklin Mint" it is a top quality item.

[Tom Geiger]

The difference is that if he understood that you started with a bunch of plastic parts, and complimented that your end results were as nice as a Franklin MInt diecast, then it's a compliment. IF he thought your model was a Franklin Mint diecast, then he's clueless.

I once was giving my wife's youngest brother a tour of the model room. He saw my very detailed and weathered models in my display case. Then he looked at my closet full of unbuilt kits and wanted to know if we could snap one together before dinner. He actually thought all those parts came prepainted, preweathered and that my involvement was snapping together a dozen or so pieces. So I pulled out my '59 Chevy convertible junker and a fresh kit of the same model. His eyes nearly popped out.. his comment was that this looked like real work, and why would I want to do work in my time off? Obviously he's much more comfortable in front of his TV, so we're not going to pull him into the modeling fold!

[cruz]

It's always a compliment guys, specially when they compare it with a Franklin Mint or something along those lines. It's usually heard from guys that don't have a long time building models, at least that has been my experience but other than that, I consider it a compliment....

[cartpix]

I'd take it as a compliment, even though I try to build mine better than FM or Danbury quality. LOL

Jeff

[grayghost]

I've always set out to build models that look different than those someone else might build or build in duplicates like most diecast companies. As a matter of fact, I've always been proud of the fact that even some magazines (remain nameless) would not photograph my models because they were too dark and disturbing and they'dinfluence children all over the world into picking up bad habits like Rock and Roll, smoking cigars, wear black, etc . . .

Now Doc you know your builds rock.

Some just don't have the same pallet as you.

[Tom Geiger]

The last three guys who called my models diecast are buried under my trailer!

And there's room for plenty more under there!

[Kaleb]

Considering my talent, I have to say I have the quality of the dollar store cars. So yes a Franklin mint would be a compliment, from someone who didn't build. Now a builder on the other hand, that's a different story. I have had a lot of people compliment my builds and say they look real. Now I don't know if there is a blank behind that real or not.

[Jantrix]

For me? No, not a compliment. And it's not because the diecast quality is bad, some of it is quite good. It's just because most of what I do, a diecast company would never think of doing because it won't appeal to a large market. My stuff appeals to me. Anyone else who likes my work is my kind of crazy, but it's not for everyone.

[Jeremy Jon]

I think also he meant as a compliment

Die cast increase and cheap price - lots from China - is killing the model & built hobby to some degree IMO

There are of course some of the better detailed die-cast, like the Franklin mint cars, GMP, CMC, etc., which demand a greater - if somewhat high - price too!