Lets make it harder for these crims !!!!

[loste_treasures]

Hello all,

I've noticed on these posts that there has been alot of theft happening around town regarding our beloved Biante models.

I think its time for Biante (with our help) try and make it difficult for these people trying to off load them on the black market.

Or, on the other hand lets make it difficult for some low life collectors trying to rip others off by supplying fake certificates or even models to unexperienced collectors.

As an example, the certificates that come with the models arent really flash are they? I mean, anyone with a good scanner can reproduce them or even alter them (giving them a diffirent serial number etc...) to suit their own selfish gains. Whats stopping someone altering the scanned certificate (eg: removing the signature) and then trying to sell it off as a 'variation' to someone who isnt totally familiar with Biante?

Why doesnt Biante look at having some type of small 'hologram' on the certificate with cant be reproduced? Better still, provide a mailer whereby you have to mail it in to get your certificate. That way shop owners can keep them in a different place to where the models are kept and will ensure that Biante keeps track of who has what model. Something like a central vehicle registry.

The cars themselves. Why not have the serial number on the underside of the vehicle which matches the certificate. I remember, a certain shop owner who would gladly open up several boxes of the same model to find a particular numbered certificate and swap them around to suit his needs (not all models are built exactly - he would choose the best put together model and the 'best' numbered certificates).

Why not have a safety seal on the box to ensure that mint - still in box actually means that. Its never come out of the box. I mean you can still have the car displayed out of the box and when your ready to sell put it back in (even the straps can be put back) and then claim its never come out.

I think that its time for Biante to look at these type of issues generally and address some of them. Biante models are not toys (try tell my 2 year old daughter that) and should not be treated at such. Some Biante models fetch big dollars on the second hand market.

Why not try and protect our investment by ensuring that what we have in our display cabinet are genuine articles and that should something happen to them (heaven forbid) at least there is something to work from.

Currently there isnt and i beleive we need to take action now !!

[ferrari fan]

This lead will go the same old way that other,previous leads have gone.
The purpose of these items is for the collector io.e. a hobby/toy
this is not a shareportfoilo and is also not marketed as such,
Some collectors like myself don't care about the box as this is a packaging material only and is discarded as soon as the model is safely home.
I would like to see some more I.D. if possible with the models but "y'rr gonna pay for the privaledge" and futher more some sort of safety product is about to be launched by Biante
Please do whatever you like with your models and also keep them safe ,but lets keep in perspective what they are... Toycars,modelcars collectables etc.
happy collecting and do consider to take a model out of its wrapping ,you will admire the model MUCH more .just my oppinion

[perry]

Hmmm, lets add all these safety features, jack the price up so no one can afford the models any more, bla bla bla....

Seriously, are model cars really targetted by theives?? What do you guys do about your videos/tv/jewellery?? You "real" cars?? Your shed?? Tools??

Most people that buy model cars dont have internet access at home, so an online registery isnt going to help much.

I would rather spend $1000 upgrading the security of my home, than spending $20+ more on each model car for the rest of my life.

Even a $5 lock on your cabinet (of all the cabinets ive made, only ONE person has requested a lock) will stop theft. Criminals dont have time to pick a lock, let alone package the models back up into there boxes and find the relevant certificate...

Who cares if a retailer swaps a certificate from one IDENTICAL model to another.... does it REALLY matter?? I ALWAYS insist on seeing the model out of the box prior to purchase, and with the number of models i buy, my retailer grants that request.

As for your comments about "fake modified certificates" - Buyer Beware i say, know your products!

As for mailing into to get your certificate, that will add to the cost of your model: $1 for a stamp, $1 for handling, $1 for filing systems, 50c for the mailing form, 50c for the factory worker to put it in there.... Thats $4.00 already, and then Biante will want a 50% markup for there troubles (far enough too). It goes on and on. What happens when someone sends in a false/copied form?? Oh, lets add a hologram (not cheap), add $3.00..... We are up to $9 so far.
Add a stamped serial number on the bottom of the car, add $4.00 plus markup, thats $6, plus the $9 = $15... or $16.50 with GST.
Times that by 50 models in your collection = $825.. hmm, thats equal to a home alarm system with monitoring for 18 months, and you'll get $$ change too!!

Purely, "as i see it".

[admin]

As mentioned on a previous thread, we will be launching a security system shortly that you will be able to use on ALL brands of models and even allow you to check swap meet and market stock to see if it has been coded by someone.
We will maybe even include it as a preorder item as soon as we have checked out the final sample, due next week.
Cost will be under $15 and even under $10 if we can do it. Depends on how many people want it.

[chups]

as i collect my models to admire and not as an investment, i dont care about little things like the ltd ed # and little minor things like little scratches that can only be seen under a microscope and stuff like that. i do however want to keep my models, so with most of my cars, i write my d.o.b on the bottom discretely so they can be proven mine if stolen. although it does take some time to write these numbers on the bottom but it saves me $820 (minus the $5 for a fine tipped permanent marker) to spend on more home security to protect my other assets.

[loste_treasures]

If you think that having Biante models is not big business is then you are simply kidding yourself.

You only have to look at the prices some of the models are fetching. You try and buy some of the original XY that were released. Let me know if you find someone who is willing to part with a Track Red XY for $170.00 or a White XY with the two mirrors for $170.00.

A more recent example is the Johnson Sierra. That was only 'sold out' a short time ago and yet it has doubled in price.

As far as an investment goes, you speak to your local financial advisor. He will certainly advise you that some collectables are actually worth having for the purpose of a financial investment.

I collect Biante (apart from many other things) for two main reasons. One is that i have a passion for diecast and that Biante make good diecast and two is that i hope the collectables i have (as i said i collect alot of things - not only diecast) will increase in value over time and will be worth a few bob when it comes time to hand them over to my kids.

As far as the swapping of certificates is concerned, there is a 'reputable' dealer selling his stock and trying to pass them off to potential customers with the scam....the lower the serial number the more value it has. You imagine what the 05 VR Brock will be worth with the serial number 5 or the 17 with the Johnson Sierra on the second hand market. You might not think that it will add value but i bet you $100.00 other will and will pay for that priviledge.

As far as adding purchase cost to the original price...so be it. I doubt it will be a big cost, but it will be well worth it. I fair dinkum collector would not have to tamper with their collectable (such as permanent ink on the bottom) if they could avoid it. Tampering with collectables (intentional or not) only lowers the value of a collectable.

As far as not keeping the box.....You ask any good collector the question. If there are two identical collectables side by side, one has the original packaging and one doesnt. Which one would be more desirable and therefore more valuable. What do you think they are going to say?

Again, i state that these models are not toys and should never be treated as such. They are made by adults for adults. They are worth alot of money in the store and in the second hand market. They are highly sought after by criminals (look at the previous posts) as they are very desirable by the general public and therefore can be sold off very quickly down at the local pub.

[Donny05]

Well we won't have to worry about trying to get number 5 or 17 because Brocky gets 5 and Dickie gets 17 unless they want to part with them.

Cheers, Jason :D

[loste_treasures]

ahhhh....

you might have a point there...but...

there are other race cars, what happens to the corresponding serial numbers??

i have seen some others fetching a high price because of this

[perry]

Loste... since this board has been up, we've seen what, two threads about stolen models?? Both were retailers if i recall correctly.

Hardly a niche cat burglar item is it??

Since this board has been up, my local Holden/HSV dealer has been busted into three times, and raided of all merchandise ($40-60k each time). Would you suggest we tag, itemise, colour code, and data dot each t-shirt or jacket??

"Real" cars with VIN tags, chassis numbers, number plates, and registration documents are stolen every single day.

Adding a serial number will not deter a theif from stealing your model. Same as the serial number on your TV, video etc doesnt stop them being found in your local cash convertors store.

I FOR ONE, DO NOT WANT THE PRICE OF THESE MODELS GOING UP DUE TO THE ADDITION OF USELESS "SECURITY" SYSTEMS/REGISTRY'S.

[loste_treasures]

OK, i agree with you about the t-shirts and other small items. i dont agree with you about the larger and more expensive items. so you are telling me that i $700.00 model should not have any security features at all?

at least your video (which can cost as little as $100.00) has some sort of security feature on it. whats the difference?

speak to your local house insurer about this. let say you have 10 Biante models worth $200.00 each. you reckon they are going to replace them if:

1. You dont have them specifically listed in your insurance policy.

2. You dont have some sort of indentifying marks on them.

The answer is no! I know that because ive approached them. Alot of insurance companies will actually lower their insurance rate if you can have some sort of I.D. on it.

I have over $20,000.00 in collectables and need to catalogue all of them for insurance purposes. A requirement they placed on me was that most (they actually said eveything!) had to have some sort of security feature on them or else they would not cover me. I had to mark them (and the original packaging) with a permanent (invisible) marker which took a long time. Why shouldnt Biante like many other manufacturers out there have serial numbers. At least it will reduce my catalogue time and make me less tamper with the item not running the risk of reducing the value of it.

your also telling me that your not prepared to pay an extra $5.00-$10.00 for this feature?? C'mon this is nothing. you probably pay more for a packet of smokes (which is going to kill you anyway.... !)

i know of at least 5 seperate (and reported to police) events where there has been thefts of these models. without any markings on the model how do you know who is the rightful owner of the model.

[perry]

$5-10 per model is equal to a 10% increase in cost.

As far as im concerned, the models are already too expensive if your an avid collector.

Upgrade your home security, its much more efficient.

[loste_treasures]

security???

my house is like fort knox already!!

no matter how secure you make it, you are still running the risk of getting your items stolen. did you read the part about being covered by insurance?

check with your insurance. will they cover you?

ive also noticed that admin has also responded to this post. obviously they take the issue of security quite seriously, or else they wouldnt be planning security features for future releases.

i aplaud them for that!!

and yes i am an avid collector who is prepared to spend the extraif its going to make a difference. your telling me that your going to stop buying them if they increase in price by 10% ??? i think not. try buying a Dinkum 1:24 model which is $300.00 (straight from the shop). Now thats expensive considering what you get for your money!

[loste_treasures]

Hello all,

This post resulted out from another one i have listed....

Most of us have alot of collectables in our homes. What happens if you are unlucky enough to have your house broken into and your beloved Biante models stolen?

Are you covered?

Most of you might think that yes, they are covered under the general house contents insurance. Are you??

In my experience (im insured with RACV) I found out that NO, i wasnt covered under that. This ment that i had to list all my items seperately from my general contents so that RACV knew exactly what i had. This also ment i had to do some work to get my collectables ready for insurance.

It basically ment that i had to catalogue everything (and in some cases, supply photos of my collectables) detailing serial numbers (if they had any) or other security measures i had taken to ensure their safety.


Now you might think that this is extreme but consider this. With the value of some collectables reaching astronomical prices, it pays to ensure that they are covered against theft, damage or indeed fire.

Heaven forbid if someone breaks into your home and steals that prized possesion of yours. It will only make you sicker to find that your insurance will not cover for its replacement

[VRSS]

Loste_treasures,

In one post you argue that the costs should be REDUCED on packaging and such. Then in this post you want them INCREASED by things such as serial numbers on the chassis. I know that security is an issue and that is why Biante is doing something about it in a cost-effective way.

Let's just see what that measure is before we all start arguing about what, to many of us, is a hobby and not so much an obsession.

Let's face it, a lock or other security measure only stops the "HONEST" thief.

[loste_treasures]

Originally posted by VRSS
Loste_treasures,

In one post you argue that the costs should be REDUCED on packaging and such. Then in this post you want them INCREASED by things such as serial numbers on the chassis. I know that security is an issue and that is why Biante is doing something about it in a cost-effective way.

Let's just see what that measure is before we all start arguing about what, to many of us, is a hobby and not so much an obsession.

Let's face it, a lock or other security measure only stops the "HONEST" thief.

Yes, you are correct. I want to reduce the costs in packaging. I also want security features built into the various models as well. This will probably increase the price.

However dont you agree that by reducing the costs on wasteful packaging and having some cost imposed due to new security features will overall keep the costs of purchasing the new model roughly the same???

Im in favour of a higher price in a model provided it is FULLY justified. You need to look at the whole picture. Both the box and the item(s) it contains makes up the overall product that Biante is trying to sell.

Biante should look at allocating its 'production' funds where it will think the collector will have the most benefit in. Having a snazzy box box means nothing to some collectors. They simply put the box (in some cases) up in the roof, however having proper serial numbers will benefit us all, not matter if you think so or not.

[oldxr]

What about someting like a "DataDot" ink pen where you just paint a small line somewhere under the car which is invisible to the naked eye,
It wouldn't have to be your licence no. or chassis no. just random no's. with one no. only to be issued to one customer, Bianti would only need to issue about 12-15 thousand no's. to cover the maximum no. of cars for any release.
With the added bonus of being able to use it on our TV, video, or any other valuables.
And concidering 00 motorsport has "Datadot" as a sponsor it should be fairly easy to arrange.
What do you think Admim?:D