-Following is the first post from guest author George Bojaciuk in our new "George's Basement" column
What's happened to the diecast industry? I hear it almost daily from collectors that still email me or run into me at shows. You can read this on forums, as well. There is a rather obvious loss of collector interest and excitement that these cars held at one time. The industry has been looking in the rearview mirror for too long and has veered into oncoming traffic, like the picture above shows.
I recently have had the pleasure of hooking up with an old friend from my Franklin Mint days, John McBride. When I first started at Franklin Mint, he popped into my office, introduced himself and said, "I hear you're the muscle car guy!". Instant icebreaker! Over the years, John and I worked on a lot of projects together. He is a fabulous artist and his renderings have been featured in car magazines. Quite frankly, his work is awesome! When he and I worked together, I would think of a concept, explain it to him and he could draw it exactly like I envisioned it in my head! It was spooky! My drawing skills were basic but I had strong 3D skills. We were a good match. We've recently discussed the direction of hobby and we both voiced many concerns.
From where I sit, I see a loss of passion in the hobby, declining sales and a malaise in many companies. Companies relying on just making a buck off that next repaint. Most times, without giving much thought to the subject matter being offered. A lot of have folded and those that have remained complacent are now feeling the pain.
However, it wasn't always like that.
During the early days at FM, we had a very generous budget and were encouraged to push the envelope with product. Personally, I am very customer oriented and never had a problem with getting down on the floor to play cars with the collectors. That's the only way to know what collectors want or how they feel about projects you work on or plan to introduce. You can sense the pulse of the hobby just by listening.
Presentation is everything!
In setting up my basement auction, I get to open new boxes and old boxes. I can honestly say that the initial collector excitement is now lost with many of the newer releases. When I opened the Pierson Brother's Coupe, I was greeted to artwork that was specifically commissioned for the inner box art. The booklet was packed with a history of the car and some vintage pictures. This all gave the model a personality and the "feel" of a real museum piece. It seemed to capture a moment in automotive history. The Ivo Dragster even had a historical DVD included!
First a Booklet, then a Fold-out, then Nothing!
I can also say the same for many of the old FM projects we worked on. There was a nice collateral booklet that had engine and dash schematics, and tech specs on the real car. Special releases had historical background and even some fun stuff included. Case in point, the Bonnie and Clyde car with vintage newspapers and the Ski Lodge Truck with its fictitious travel brochure. All material was designed with that vintage era feel, based on the model. In addition, we use to strive to find never before seen photos and put them in the collateral material. The collateral pieces would help a collector understand why the car had any historical relevance.
When I open a later release, it's just a model. Sometimes, it's even broken in the box, new. If there is paperwork, it's minimal or just ads for other products. In addition, I also see cost cutting, not just by eliminating collateral materials, but with the elimination of essential details. Rushed body shape reviews result in misshapen bodies. Then there is even the worst offense, a complete disconnect with the original car.
A good glaring example of this "disconnect" was the GMP Berger Drag Camaro. This car was iconic in the sixties. To a drag fan, the real car oozed raw power and was very distinctive visually. An expediter of goose bumps! To save a buck, they took a Trans Am Camaro and made it "resemble" a drag car. Sure it looked pretty with the paint job, but you were immediately drawn to the flared wheel wells and the Trans Am specific equipment on the car. The car was historically inaccurate. Unfortunately, they had no qualms in charging a premium price for basically a very incorrect model. Some reviewers have already noted this corporate attitude as "close is good enough". Don't even think of criticizing the model on a forum!
Minimal Packaging
I've had the privilege of sitting in many design meetings and initially it was an exciting time. As different people ascended the ladder in management, I watched with horror what they did to product. In one meeting the group assembled and rubbed their hands all over a model. Anything that fell off, they deleted. One went so far as to flick a spotlight off a model, which found its target in my right eye. Other cost measures involved combining parts as units to save on the parts count and assembly. On some models it really didn't make a huge difference, but with anything management did back then, they took it to excess. I recall the '46 Suburban I did for FM. It had real wood veneer floor planking. Then the "boys" took the knife to it and "made some changes". The newer, later version had at least 100 less parts and quite frankly, was a deception. All the ads showed the first release with all the details. The later models of the same image were less than stellar. I rec'd many complaints from collectors about the decontented model. Management's response was, "Next time, let's not make it so obvious".
I find it sad, that for the most part the industry has been taken over by the bean counter who has no passion. It is one thing to be responsible with projects and know what and when to enhance. What I saw was a disregard for the collectors at large. We can tell you stories of being told to paint a '67 Mustang coupe silver and add black stripes and "Pass it off as Eleanor". Another all time favorite, "Let's change the medium to porcelain. We drive the bus and they will buy what we tell them what they should buy".
Collectors are smart. However, there are those followers who will buy anything and some companies prey on this this attitude. Some manufacturers even fuel it by offering "specials" to the loyal ones. I saw this happen once and strongly voiced my concerns. I was told to suck it up.
The hobby needs voices to speak up and say if model is or is not worth the money. The collector drives this bus, not the manufacturer. You can only sit on your laurels for so long and past accomplishments can soon become a faded memory.
The other issue is a company that makes what they like. When I was asked to consult, I always stressed that a company have a balanced product line. That way, if there was a special R&D project someone wanted to test, it alone would not devastate the company. Ever look at some of the models out there and wonder why would they have spent that money on the tooling?
Even if you look at basic package design, it too has taken a beating. You get a basic box, some 4-color artwork on it and it barely passes the 4-foot drop test. I recently compared an old FM box to a new one. One box contained a small Datsun 240Z model. The other, a '69 Camaro later release. The Datsun box was much larger and the model well protected. The Camaro box was made smaller and the Styro felt less dense.
My former design director Roger Hardnock, taught me that presentation was everything. That detail was our business and that's what our collector craved. He was right! I took those lessons and made a rather nice career for myself making some really cool stuff over the years.
All this being said, there are still some great people out in the industry. These guys have a true passion and they have my respect for what they do produce. If this hobby is to survive, manufacturers need to keep thinking out of the box and remain ahead of the curve. Innovation and passion needs to be put back into their products. This is what keeps the customer excited about buying your product. The client base is shrinking and the industry needs to fine-tune their focus. The manufacturer needs to take their head and hands out of the customer's wallet and focus on making awesome product. If they follow this simple course of action, money will come their way from the collector base, cheerfully. Maybe this hobby we all love can still be viable and we can regain the lost excitement.
An Update:
I have been offered a full time job and I have accepted. I'm very excited about the job and look forward to working with a friend. He hired me knowing all of my eccentricities. Go figure!
The big question you are all asking is "Will the auction continue?" In one word, "yes"! I still have my goals and I will attain them. If I do run into scheduling problems, I will let you all know. I do ask your indulgence and patience. I may not be able to jump on issues as fast as I did before. I doubt they would let me leave my job to handle things! If you call leave a message and I'll get to you as soon as possible. I will not call you from work.
Thanks again to all for your continued support!
