Posted 09 July 2013 - 05:53 PM
When my first book on the subject was issued in 1998, the demand for vintage production slot cars soared and the prices exploded. They tapered some, but are still high today. Only the common items went down.
The new book, that will reveal so much that is still unknown by most, will create a new demand and I expect prices to once again, explode.
The reasons are multiple of course but the argument that the "old guys are dying and no one will care after they pass away" does not hold water.
If indeed, the price of Ford Model T or A collapsed is not because the older collectors died off, it is simply because there are lots of them around and they are and always were boring appliances to begin with. Have you ever driven a T? What a PAIN.
Compare that to driving a Packard inline-eight, and you will grasp that age has no bearing here. New, young collectors are the ones buying these expensive cars today, not old coots.
The only collectibles that will never be worth much at the end of the day are objects DESIGNED to be collectible. Those will always fail to return the investment, regardless of what they are.
Also there are production or manufacturing times that will always determine value: the rather ugly, door-stop shaped "wing" slot cars, despite their incredible performance and cost today, will never be worth anything after they become obsolete, but old pro-racing cars from the 1960s that had charisma and beauty have now come from being virtually worthless 20 years ago to being quite valuable today, if real and in good condition.
In the same manner, production kits or RTR cars that are beautiful do bring more and more, even if common, and the rare ones are getting close to the records of early 2000 when a few collectors were battling for the few surfacing here and there. But to be valuable, they have to be in the exact condition they left the factory. Assemble a kit, and its value plunges 90% or more.
Also watch the depressed prices of the 1/32 scale models made in China by the various slot car companies from about 1995: one can hardly get the price paid for when they were new. Will they ever have any value? Likely none. Too many, simply too many. The few that may retain some value are, of course, models of OLD, CLASSIC racing cars.
Modern cars, including racing cars, are appliances, and few still care. The new generations of collectors do not care either, but see them bidding like mad on the OLD cars, art, toys, and even real estate. Seen the prices of classic and racing motorcycles lately?
The rare, the more exotic, the more aesthetically pleasant, the higher the price, and for a long, long time to come. Even in these times of world economic disaster (and it is only the beginning, brace yourselves) there are more wealthy people than ever interested in collecting those rare objects that they desire.
True vintage slot cars of the classic era will always find enthusiasts, because they are very attractive and odd, and very little of the Chinese stuff or the 1975-to-now commercial raceway cars will ever qualify to be nice enough for those more sophisticated collectors to acquire.
... nobody on here offered 'Dick' for this stuff.
