I agree with Joe, not much for modern stuff out there, at least stuff that is under $20. The market is flooded with good ol’ transition era stuff, like everybody that has a model railroad is doing the transition era. One of my LHS’s has a bin full of Athearn stuff, the problem is that the newest vehicle in the whole bunch is 1957. Oh well, I keep watching the auction and swap sites.
In a pinch, while setting up my every-other-year Christmas layout, I rob vehicles from the grandson’s “Hotwheels” and “Matchbox” collection, as the scene is a busy downtown area. There are a few that don’t look too bad. Just don’t have any people close by.
Still looking for that elusive bulk pnuematic truck and the front discharge redi-mix truck. Yes, I’m very familular with the “1:87 vehicle web site”, but all of that is for display, showing the handi work of many expert modelers and what is for sale is like making a down payment on the full size version.
I think another thread in the forums is "what would you make with a 3-D printer?
Here’s my method…I use what I call the “Hollywood effect”…I place the higher price trucks in the front scenes and the cheaper and cruder looking trucks in the rear…Like a camera I focus your eyes on the front scene while using “props” in the background scenes.
It works since 99% of the viewers only look at the close up scenes and the “actors” the trains…
Dave - Busch vehicles are true 1/87 scale, and, yes, some of them appear to be small, because they are small! British vehicles (bought from Britain) are OO scale, which is 1/76, so they are about 10% oversize.
Sometimes I wonder why we go through pains in making realistic looking scenery and take a lot of care in detailing our locos and rolling stock, and then end up populating our layouts with cheap looking, oversize cars and trucks. I have seen a number of pictures in MR and also here in the forum, showing extremely well made layouts, but populated with rather toyish looking, cheap cars with no license plates, or a figure inside.
Excellent question…One can use the “Hollywood effect” like I mention have the scale cars with drivers and passengers, license plates etc up front the less detailed “prop” cars in the rear.
The thing is to master getting folks to look at the highly detailed front scenes and focusing on the actors(the trains and detailed front scenes) rather then the background.
I read a book on how Hollywood fools the viewers several years ago and tried that method on a HO display ISL that I displayed three times in 94 (95?) and 90% of the train show attendees never saw the truck with a forklift hanging between the dock and trailer in the background even though this ISL was 18 1/2" wide.
While Hot Wheels and other similary “toy” cars are not the most detailed and prototypical they sell for $1-$4 at Wal Mart. They are not Ho scale but it seems to me there would be a large market for them if they would produce a line in 1:87 scale. Like women’s clothing we have allowed the market to push up prices on HO scale vehicles way beyond what is reasonable for the cost to produce them.
Hot Wheels DID bring out a line of 1/87th cars a few years ago. Never heard of them ? - that’s because they fell flat on their face and never made any more of them after the initial release. Too bad, there was some nice 60’s and 70’s cars that just needed a wheel change. Among the initial release was a 64 Galaxie, 70’s Challenger, 70’s Superbird, 70’s Mustang and a 55 Chevey Panel among others. Even when they were new they were hard to find. There were some great cars for the 70’s in the “future releases” list, but they were dropped and never produced
Mark.
Mark,
So, how did they fall flat? The fact they are no longer available could indicate that fact. But, the fact that we cannot find them much for resale and that many of us are looking for cheaper alternatives would indicate there is a market. Not the millions for 3-8 year old boys
I was in Wal Mart today and noticed a new line of 1:64 scale cars and trucks by M2 Machines for $5.88 each. These were highly detailed with opening doors and hoods in both older and newer models. Again, we have allowed the market to drive up prices on HO scale vehicles far beyond what is reasonable. While you can get Classic Metals on sale for around this price on some models they are not as detailed and do not have operating hoods and doors. Many are now in the $10-$20 dollar range with some exceeding $20 especially for fire equipment, buses and specialty vehicles.
I have to call you on your statement that Busch HO vehicles are true 1:87. I went on to the internet and found the dimensions for a 1951 Buick Riviera coupe which is one of the Busch models that I have. Wikpedia states that the ‘51 Buick was 215" long (17.92’). So, I put my trusty scale ruler up against the Busch model and it came out at about 16.5’ as close as I could measure it. That is 1.4’ short (8%).
I then measured a CMW ‘55 Chevy which according to Wikpedia was 195" long, or 16.3’. The CMW Chevy measures almost exactly 16.3’.
Apparently Busch is not as true to scale as you thought, which I sort of knew just by looking at them. However, they will still look fine at the back of the layout. I will have to get a few 1:100 figures to put drivers and passengers in them.
I agree with you that the British 1:76 stuff doesn’t fit well.
Just a heads up - I received an e-mail today from Trainworld in New York. They are having a sale on some HO scale vehicles, most notably Classic Metal Works. The prices are very good. The discounts are selective, not across the board, but those that are on sale are deeply discounted.
I took advantage of this sale last time and picked up some nice trucks and a Greyhound bus. This time, it’s Trailways.
Those were really nice cars, and Model Power even imported/sold them - The problem was that the Chinese manufacturer produced ‘extras’ and they were imported/sold under the ‘Fresh Cherries’ brand - They flooded Walmart with them and they were going for less than $5 each, and sometimes $2 each. Walmart found out when the complaining started and ‘Fresh Cherries’ was no longer was importing. Meanwhile, Hot Wheels and Model Power were sitting on ‘expensive’ inventory until the last of the Fresh Cherries inventory dried up.
I’ve haven’t see a mention on this thread about a company called 3000toys.com. They have a good selection of vehicles in HO and numerous other scales and from different manufacturers. Their prices are pretty much middle of the road. I’m looking for vehicles that would have been commonly seen everyday types in the 1975-80 span of time and they have many that fit.