Anyone Know Whats Hppened To Dinkum Classics

[teambrock50]

Anyone know whats happening with Dinkum Classics? I went to go and have a look at there website but its gone www.dinkumclassics.com.au

Are they still in business or not?

[inter]

I have heard ( not sure if it is true) that the guy stopped making them in fear of being sued?

inter

[Nick Short]

Sued for misrepresentation? As in "you said it was supposed to be a Falcon, but look at it". I was shocked when I saw one for the first time. It may be that with models now being released that actually look like the cars they're supposed to be, Dinkum can't get away with it any longer.......

[biante1478]

I think thats unfair. Dinkum Classics were the pioneer of Australian Racing car models. Long before Biante and CC were even ideas. Sure, they weren't high tech castings like you enjoy today, but they were a product when there wasn't anything else available.

Of course if you thought they were so bad, you always had the choice not to buy them. But unless you could show that you could do something better, I don't think you should criticize.

[Nick Short]

There's a lot of things I can't make, but I can still, as a consumer, say "that's crap". If something is supposed to be a scale model of something else, then the idea is that it's dimensionally accurate and not a wild guess, irrepsective of whether there's anyone else making any. Otherwise anyone with a monopoly on anything could produce utter garbage and say "unlucky, it's us or nothing".

[biante1478]

Except they didn't produce "utter garbage". Some of their models (VN Commie and EB Falcon) were not the best representations, but they produced some pretty good models of most other cars. In fact, they produced a model of every Australian touring car ever produced. Biante and CC have a long way to catch up.

My reaction to your criticism is that I sense on this forum that anything that is not produced by Biante is bucketed. You don't have to go to far into the archives to see criticism of CC, Trax, Exoto, Dinkum Classics, Welly, just about everybody except Biante.

I think Dinkum Classics played an important part in the development of this hobby and industry, and to see them disappear would be a shame. Not to mention they are the only manufacturer of Australian models that actually made the models in Australia. We need to protect small businesses like that, even if you don''t like their product.

[Mark H-M]

This looks like the Falklands conflict...round 2. I'm with Nick, I thought they were over-priced and were poor resemblances of the model they were mimicing...look at the VL for example.

[VXfan]

I don't agree that other manufacturers are 'bucketed' on this forum.
I regularly visit the Cc forum and I have to say that the members of the Biante forum show a lot of decorum (hey,that rhymes!) compared with some of the antics over there.
Many many members here (myself included) have a selection of Trax,dinkum and CC models along with Biante models.
I think the Dinkum ones are a tad overpriced but they have contributed greatly to this 'hobby' of ours and were definitely the forerunners and most likely the inspiration for the likes of Biante and CC so let's not be so scathing of them.
We are very lucky to have such a big choice in what we buy so as the old adage goes - if u don't like it,don't buy it!

[Nick Short]

Biante has copped criticism on this forum for its XYs (doors, hinges, gaps), XBs (front end), XCs (ditto), VLs (tyre height, decals), various inaccuracies with badges, grilles, V8 Supercar camber etc, so I think it's fair to say that it isn't free from criticism at all. There are some knowledgable members of this forum who know if a badge is wrong, so Biante have that in mind I'm sure!Classic Carlectables used to be pretty poor quality, but they have raised their game enormously and now produce some stunning models (their E49 has yet to be beaten by Biante in my opinion). Dinkum may well have been the only manufacturer years ago, but they're not now and if they want to survive they need to do likewise and make models that are the same shape as the cars they're supposed to be. Dinky and Corgi only survive in the UK because nobody else makes Morris Minors, little old vans and Austin Maxi police cars, but if somebody came along and made better versions they would have to improve or go under.
Dinkum may have made more classic Aussie models than other manufacturers, but that could only appeal to completionists, who have to have that gap filled, even if the model is very poor. And in this day and age that's no way to do business.

[inter]

I must say with all the faults that have been mentioned here of dinkum, i have found that the quality of their paintwork on the models is second to none. Your thought please ?

inter

[Nick Short]

Maybe I have been a bit harsh, and if I'd been collecting when there was no other choice (at least regarding Aussie cars - there were lots of European makers) then perhaps I might have bought Dinkum. I will admit I haven't seen everything produced but those I did see were enough to put me off, so I didn't take note of the paint! If Dinkum could get their shape as good as the paint then we would see another quality manufacturer on the scene, and that would be good for choice.

[biante1921]

Well seeing you had only seen a few i think your comments stink.
Dinkum Classic made a great model of heaps of aussie race & road cars.
And to be all hand made i really loved them.
I had 180 1/43 Dinkum Classics & only just recently sold them due to financial reasons.
I believe that they will no longer be made due to the fact that the bloke who founded Dinkum's is very ill due to heart problems & i am hoping he gets well soon.

[Graeme]

Nick, you'd better look out for Corgi and Dinky, for the Germans are coming !!
You may have noticed that Minichamps has various versions of the ubiquitous Morris Minor planned in 1:18 scale, and surely 1:43 will follow.

[VXfan]

Don't worry Nick,the germans have a bad history of invading the poms:D
Oops,did I mention the war?:)

[Nick Short]

It does seem like a strong personal reaction to criticism - I'm guessing that spending a fortune on 180 poor models rankles a bit, otherwise why would you defend the brand to the hilt? I may not have seen everything produced, but it seems unlikely that the ones I saw happened to be the only crap ones made.
If Minichamps are moving in on Corgi etc (yet another GErman takeover, as you say) then they will also struggle unless they improve, although I doubt Minichamps will make too many UK-specific models. Corgi's awful movie-related cars (various James Bond stuff etc) will also suffer if Minichamps start crowding that market.

[teambrock50]

So does anyone know whats happened to them?

[VXfan]

I believe Biante 1921 mentioned that the guy who runs Dinkum is wery ,very ill and it looks like they will no lomger be producing any more models.