"Detour Dave" Nicholson's Model Car Gallery
It's safe to say that "Detour Dave" Nicholson likes cars. In fact, Detour Dave is on an American muscle car like ugly is on an AMC Gremlin. In Dave's Model Car Gallery you'll find Lane Exact Detail, GMP, Ertl, Highway 61, SuperCars and more diecast car reviews with incredible insight into the history of the car along with the best model car images you've ever seen, and lots of 'em! From a '34 Rat Rod to the 2008 Dodge Challenger Concept, you'll get lost in his wordy articles and dead-on opinions of some of the best diecast releases in existence. With industry-insider status and renowned magazine author credentials, Detour Dave is the source to check for all breaking news and info on upcoming products from the makers you trust. Along with pictures of his personal collection, be sure to check Dave's archive of thousands of images from manufacturers like AutoArt, Classic Carlectables, Exoto, Maisto, MIC, Precision Miniatures, Welly, Yat Ming, and more from Lane Exact Detail, GMP, Highway 61, and Ertl RC2. You can also find DetourDave on many of the diecast forums we link to on the right side of this page!
February 04, 2007
Zinc Alloy Costs Through the Roof!
The cost of zinc alloys on the metal trading markets continues to skyrocket, soon to break the US$7,000 per ton barrier. With the emerging Chinese economy come higher demands for construction materials and resulting higher costs. The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing have prompted unheralded new construction projects; according to China’s Ministry of Construction, China plans to start work on 4.1 billion square feet of new housing projects in 2007, with 53 billion square feet to be built with government funding by the year 2012. Government programs do not tell the whole story; private-sector construction is now on the rise.
The bottom line? Do not expect a decrease in zinc alloys (the main material used in diecast cars) cost anytime soon! The impact on this market and others will be interesting to see.
Ertl RC2 To Cease Production of New Diecast Cars
Ertl Corp. has announced that they will suspend production of new diecast cars but will deliver all 'Authentics' models currently in development. Apparently the market is no longer profitable enough to sustain production. While some exciting new products are forthcoming, it's a shame to see one of the pioneers of American diecast muscle cars put the brakes on further work. Many collectors felt this coming and had hoped to see more limited editions and less mult-color, unlimited releases from Ertl but it's apparently too late. It should be interesting to see what this does to the market and how other makes respond. Will others step in to fill the void, or will the demand for second-hand Ertl models increase? In related news, Maisto has similarly announced their intention to abandon new production for 2007 and will deliver only those products presently in development but they reportedly do intend to resume production if supply costs ease up in the future. Those days of vast production numbers and multiple colors per mold appear to be over. Is that a bad thing?
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