[%-)]From time to time I see something (usually in Wally World) that looks interesting, but I know it isn’t scale, but maybe close enough. I know that the cars are too big, but some of the trucks seem to be close. I never have my scale rule on me so I either make a guess or don’t go for the “low” price. Somethings would look ok in the background. Do you have a way of “eyeballing” things like that?
If youR answer is “That’s all junk and I wouldn’t clutter up my layout with it,” or something like that, save us some time and don’t bother replying.[V]
If your talking about the Wal Mart and DHL semis, I believe they are 1/96 scale. Sometimes the scale is marked on the bottom of the vehical. Some of the other trucks are 1/72. You can also look on the yellow price tags on the shelf. A lot of times the scale is marked on them. As mentioned, the Malibu tractors are 1/87 and a great looking truck for $5!
I’ve gotten pretty good at just eyeballing them.
You can always stick a vehicle you know is scale size in your pocket and then use it to compare to what’s on the shelf. I’ve found that about 1/72 to 1/100 usually still look ok, depending on the vehicle. A small car needs to be closer to scale to look right than something like a Cat bulldozer. It’s also a matter of placement. I have one 1954 Chevy pickup that’s probably about 1/70 and it looks way too big if it’s placed next to a scale size pick up. It’s too nice not to use though, so I put it by the loading dock at the feed mill. With no other point of reference, it looks fine.
Thanks for the replies guys! [:)]I had wondered if anyone had used the idea of the space between the wheels of a truck to match the space between the rails in your scale.[:O] Autos do have the same distance between their wheels as a train does - don’t they?[?]
Any one else out there have some ideas on the subject?
Size is very subjective, if you view a, say, 1\64 scale truck or car by itself, it will look like it’s HO scale, put a figure next to it and it will look larger. same thing goes for 1\87 scale, put the vehicle by itself, it looks HO scale, put a figure next to it and it MIGHT look too small, I have some true HO scale vehicles and when paired with Preiser figures they look like go carts! But the Matchbox 1\64 vehicles look more like a real vehicle.
One reason is the unformity of figures, adult figures almost always measure out to a scale 6’, this isn’t what you see everyday, like a short person next to a huge 4x4 will make the truck look bigger, and a tall person next to a Toyota makes the car look smaller. I buy lots of ‘‘non scale’’ vehicles, Matchbox, Maisto and Road Champs, plus any off brand stuff that looks close, I stay away from the ‘‘scale’’ vehicles because they look too small next to the non scale stuff.
I’ve been building armor and aircraft models for 25 yrs or so, and I’ve developed a good eye for ‘‘scale’’ so I don’t really need to measure anything, I buy what looks ‘‘right’’ to me. Obviously something huge isn’t going to look right, but the Matchbox offerings are really close, [some are 1\64 some are 1\76 according to the scale on the bottom of each vehicle] and unless a rivet counter shows up and starts nit-picking everything, no one is going to notice.