For Collectors or Profit?

[Glenn]

Being a one eyed Ford collector, I have managed so far to collect every 1:18 Aussie Ford from the Track Red XY to the XC twin Set.

This week I received three mail outs for three 1:18 Fords, namely;
Johnson XE
Moffat City Ford XB
XAGT Coupe

According to the cut off date in the mailed out letter, all these models will be released within a 10 day time frame. As collectors themselves how can Biante do this to serious collectors. They released the twin set just on Christmas, and now they are following with these three shortly after.

I know that I don't have to buy them, but as I have said my collection sar far is complete. As most of you guys can appreciate the model car bug bites hard. Its hard to let go, or to decide which model no to get.

Being an average honest hard working guy, I usually find it hard convincing the wife about this obsession with model cars. I now find it it hard to justify it to myself. Why can't Biante space these model out. Ford one month, Holden the next and so on.

So Biante, why three 1;18 Fords in succession? Is it for the collectors, or is it for mass profits?

[Three_o_seven]

I can understand your point Glenn as I received my forms also.......but Biante is a company just like any other and they do need to produce models to pay staff etc. I do believe the collector is in their best interest thats why they make the models we badger them about.

I'm also trying to juggle the budget to get these cars too.....maybe you could purchase one of the models outright and lay-by the other two. Just a thought then everyone is happy. :D

Jeremy

I was the same as you Glenn.
I had to get ALL of the FORD cars.
It wasn't that I REALLY liked all of the cars, its just that I wanted a complete collection.

It started off good. They spaced the models out so I could save the cash & buy them when released. They then started to become too frequent & I for one could not afford it.
I ended up selling the cars that did not appeal to me anymore & decided that I would only buy the ones that I really wanted.

My whole collection is now made up of just 1/18 Road Cars.
If I dont like a model, I wont buy it & now after buying a house I can hardly afford it.

Cheers

[Tumbo]

It can be so difficult budgeting for all the models we want. Being a uni student doesn't help either. After beginning my Subaru wrc collection in 2000, i'm no only 7 models off getting up to date. But what are subaru doing? they're releasing 3 more prodrive models, probably in quick succession. i've decided to also get a 1/18 HRT VX collection, with the 2001 bathurst set, and skaife's 2002 car, i'm only really missing Bright's 2002 car, and the Sandown set, as the cars are the same as the normal 2001 race car. though still undecided bout whether to get the press release cars, that lot comes to over $1000, a $1000 that i don't have :(
Perhaps they could keep the collectors in the loop and space out the major releases a tad better, not that i'm complaining about the job that Biante do! keep it up.

Just tot make my wallet worse, i see that the 2002 Bathurst car 1/18 of Skaife is in transit, when's this coming in? not to soon i hope! will another twin set be released, could help me budget better if it is!

[john]

Glen, a good point you have raised and a problem, I myself, suffer as well. My credit card from Christmas's Twin pack is yet to be paid off, yet I am really keen to secure myself a Greens Tuf XE.
But on the flip-side, Biante's creditors, Staff wages, rent, and workers compensation costs, can't be put on hold whilst we get our money together. Just hope that we can pick up the ones we miss out on later for a decent price

[fordlord]

hay guys , could you please tell me when to expect to see these 3 models in the flesh? or the release dates?

[bev]

We apologise if there are a lot of models at once. It is nearly Chinese New Year, when the factories close for a few weeks.
They like to empty out the factories to their suppliers before the holiday.

You only refer to the Ford letters, we also sent Holden and 1:43 letters.

While we sympathise with you totally, we have to pay for them by the container load..

For any of our collectors who have received letters from me, who feel that the dates are a little close, please email Richard before the due date and ask him to debit your card another week or 2 later. We cannot hold them any longer, without them being spoken for, as they will disappear on the website sales.

If sending money order, just email or fax and state date you will have it in by, and we can hold your model a little longer, but please no later than 7th March.

While the production lines in China are resting, you will be able to save up during the break.

[the_goldie]

This week I received three mail outs for three 1:18 Fords

You only refer to the Ford letters, we also sent Holden and 1:43 letters

How do you get the letters posted? I receive the newsletter but that's it - is this what you guys and gals are talking about?

[BATHURSTFAN]

I agree too many too soon, but how many post have we seen saying "I cant wait for ...... this model to be made".

The rotation of Ford then Holden is a good idea, but PERSONALLY SPEAKING i would like to see a 12 month list of Australian cars with proposed released dates.

I know that if the models fall behind schedule when stated then biante cop some flak "when's it going to be released, you said..." all the time, but if they amend the dates constantly then i don't see a problem.

While we're at it, the Tango XBGT & Cobra 1:18's have been listed a long time yet the Red Pepper GT (and others) jumps "the queue", why is that?

[frosty]

BathurstFan,

I think Trev or Bev have told us in the past, they do not publish a list of cars to be produced. Because they do not what the opposition to know which cars Biante will making.

[admin]

It is unfortunate that we have 3 Fords in a row.
However, January had 2 Monaro models and the Holden race cars.
For Glenn's information, I think the form said "to have this form back by a certain date"...that does not mean these cars will be coming out in 10 days.
These 3 will be spread out between now and the end of February.
Then there will be some Holdens and some minicars (mixed).
Like I have said a million times on here..flattered as we are that some people want to collect everything, I don't know why this has to be. Not many people collect EVERYTHING that any other company puts out!

And Glenn, I take umbridge at your opening comments.
I have held 2 cars here for a month before releasing them, in fact one of the cars here that arrived early this month, will not be out until April. THAT is not the action of someone who is out to make Quote "Mass profits".

[8713]

ADMIN

LIKE THE GOLDIE - I TO AM CURIOUS ABOUT THESE "MAILS OUTS" FOR MODELS. DO THEY GIVE US FURTHER ADVANCE NOTICE OF WHEN MODELS ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE? IT APPEARS TO BE THE CASE. QUESTION IS, WHO GETS THE MAILOUTS AND CAN ANYBODY BE PUT ON THE MAILOUT LIST?

REGARDS FRANK
:)


FORDS - KEEP ON CRUZIN

[admin]

The mailouts are supposed to be for people who do not have the internet.
Don't forget we have been going since 1992, and email etc then was considered mumbo jumbo, so we had a collectors club.
They get nothing different to you on email, only later.
You have all known about the XE, XA and City Ford for months...they found out last week.
Glenn just wants to know everything !!
The snail mail club will gradually disappear as people get emails and computers.

[the_goldie]

Thanks Admin - thought it must have been what was in the newsletter every Thursday...just checking :)

[8713]

ADMIN

THANKS FOR THE QUICK REPLY AND PUTTING US IN THE PICTURE. WOULD HAVE HATED MISSING OUT ON A MODEL BECAUSE I WAS TO SLOW.

FRANK;)

[Nick Short]

If any of you can scrape together an ounce of sympathy for a poor Pom, think of me staying up in the middle of the night trying to get through to order the XE.....There isn't really an alternative for me, as I can't become a valued customer of a dealer, so if I don't get the XE from the website I'll end up paying through the nose from one of the kind gentlemen who accidentally ordered 20 and who offer to sell their surplus for $500 each.....

[zeitgeist]

Nick -

Sorry, I cannot sympathize with you that much. A 2PM Perth release time means I'm pulling out the credit card at 1:00 AM!

Triking gets the cars a few days earlier AND I can ring Garry about 8:30 PM my time. I've got a great phone deal here. For US$2.95 a month, I can call OZ for $.14 a minute.

BC

[KiwiRallyFan]

The place to be for a Biante new release is New Zealand.

2pm Perth time is 7pm here in NZ.

Just to make you envious Nick and Zeitgeist......I usually come home from work, have a little dinner, then wonder down to the computer with credit card in hand....

Just wish the Kiwi dollar was a bit stronger!

[Aussiecollector]

Nick plenty of dealers have web sites or email newsletters, Iam sure if you contacted one and told them you wanted to spend money on a regular basis they would email you and put you on the regulars order list, its not different these days as you are only as far away as the keyboard.

Try some.

[timbo333]

I only have two words to say...................Lay-Buy................oris that one word, hyphenated?????

Go to your hobby shop and lay-buy or layby or however else its spelt......the better they know you the longer they let you 'spread' your payments......good luck!

[Leigh]

To the O/S contingent (and others who miss-out),

I have often put in pre-orders via email with online merchants (Model Cars of the World), they occasionally charge a little more, but for piece-of-mind, it's worth it, (and through this system I have ordered cars months in advance, sometimes before they know its coming...)

Regards
Leigh

[7Litre]

Ahhhhhhh. Finally something to spend my hard earnt wage on.

I know Dick's XE comes about next week, when will see the XAGT Coupe?

[jamiemann]

hey fellas
get the women out workin to help pay for ya models and maybe the kids too.
ha ha
one model per fortnight would be good
regards
Jamie

[Glenn]

QUOTE]Originally posted by admin
For Glenn's information, I think the form said "to have this form back by a certain date"...that does not mean these cars will be coming out in 10 days.
These 3 will be spread out between now and the end of February. [/QUOTE]

If the 3 cars are to be spread out between now and the end of February, then the mails outs should reflect this. As I have already stated, the mail outs call for their return within 10 days of each other. As a collector, I can only go by the information that is supplied by Biante, or maybe I should just put my Crystal Ball in for repair. I do however appreciate the mail out service that Bev provides, as my access to the net is very limited, maybe once a week/fortnight.

Originally posted by admin
The mailouts are supposed to be for people who do not have the internet.
Don't forget we have been going since 1992, and email etc then was considered mumbo jumbo, so we had a collectors club.
They get nothing different to you on email, only later.
You have all known about the XE, XA and City Ford for months...they found out last week.
Glenn just wants to know everything !!
The snail mail club will gradually disappear as people get emails and computers.

I don't want to know everything. I take offence to this personal slander. I only want to know about 1:18 Fords, otherwise I would of put my name down for all your mail outs!


Thanks to all the other collectors who have replied. It is soothing to see that others can empathise and find themselves in a similiar situation. I have taken your suggestions onboard. The only problem with lay-by is that it tends to have a snow ball effect. You have cars on lay-by, and more keep coming out. It's hard to catch up.

Thanks to Bev for her honest reply. I found it beneficial to see things from her perspective. It was also very accomodating of her and Biante to allow us collectors to reserve models and pay a little later. Maybe I will take this option.

Just trying to juggle this addiction.

[zeitgeist]

Originally posted by Glenn

Thanks to Bev for her honest reply. I found it beneficial to see things from her perspective. It was also very accomodating of her and Biante to allow us collectors to reserve models and pay a little later. Maybe I will take this option.

Just trying to juggle this addiction.

Good point. I can't think of another purveyor of an addictive product offering THAT deal!

But aren't they supposed to offer the first one for free??

BC