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New model car from Moulinsart: Lincoln Zephyr Cabriolet

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The Black Island
Member
#1 · Posted: 9 Apr 2010 15:09
Has anyone seen the new car Moulinsart have produced? It is a Lincoln Zephyr Cabriolet. It is taken from The Seven Crystal Balls story where it starts to rain and Tintin and Captain Haddock manage to get the hood up, but only after the rain has stopped and the sun has come out!

Looks a nice model, but as I have all 70 of the Atlas Cars, I don't know if I can justify spending over £500 on it.
mondrian
Member
#2 · Posted: 9 Apr 2010 21:15
It's a nice car indeed and if I understood correctly a limited edition of 2000, but...

I hope I'm not offending Black Island or anyone else who might be collecting these things, but every time I see something like this it raises a few questions.

What is there to justify the price? Is it handicraft? Design? Rarity? Materials?

And how big is the demand for these things? Are there really 2 000 people willing to pay that much? Do these limited editions usually sell out?

I'd be genuinely interested to hear if somebody is able to explain how the market works, this is an alien world to me.

I'm not an expert on these, so I might have a surprise coming. But somehow I suspect there might be a bit of air there. If all 2000 cars sell, that's nearly €1,2m. I doubt if production (+marketing et cetera) costs anywhere near that? If they all sell, it's almost like a license to print money.

My questimation on the immediate resale value would be about 100€ (and that's with ebay and sorts available, at flea market a fraction of that).

Anybody able to explain? (somehow I have a gut feeling I've just made a fool of me and everybody else thinks it's an everyday thing to spend €600 on a model car...)
Balthazar
Moderator
#3 · Posted: 10 Apr 2010 00:54
mondrian:
somehow I have a gut feeling I've just made a fool of me and everybody else thinks it's an everyday thing to spend €600 on a model car...

I don't think you've made a fool of yourself at all! I don't think it's an everyday thing to spend 600 euros on a model car and I agree with your feeling that many of these Tintin models are ludicrously overpriced for what they are.

If each one was individually handcrafted in incredible detail with moving parts, opening doors, etc, then several hundred pounds might be a rather modest price to pay the model maker involved. But looking at the photos of these things it's clear that whilst they're very nicely designed in a stylised sort of way, they're basically fairly simple mass-produced items.

I suppose if there are enough adult collectors willing to buy that sort of thing at those prices, then good luck to everyone involved, but it does seem a shame that there aren't more widely available Tintin toys priced within the range of children's pocket money that can be played with properly by children, rather than stuck on the shelves of collectors. You've been able to get some pretty good yet reasonably priced Thunderbirds toys over the last few decades, for instance.
Tintinrulz
Member
#4 · Posted: 10 Apr 2010 02:03
It seems Moulinsart think Tintin fans are all made of money, like them. Nick Rodwell, get your act together please.
glendale
Member
#5 · Posted: 14 Apr 2010 07:50
I tend to agree with you guys, it is over the top. I don't know what they are trying to prove with this. Like TBI I also have the entire collection and that was not cheap to say the least when you look at 70 units but very nice to own. Even us older generation can not justify buying this car. Looking at the site I think the workmanship is rather poor and does look very much like the other cars.
The Black Island
Member
#6 · Posted: 14 Apr 2010 16:29
There was a tiny part of me that wanted to buy it. However, after reading other Tintin fan's comments, I am not going to now.

It is overpriced, and is not superdetailed etc. It is after all a bigger version of Car no 12 in the Atlas collection (The same car, but 1/43 scale).
number1fan
Member
#7 · Posted: 15 Apr 2010 06:43
The die-cast cars fall apart and are not made very well and children hate them BECAUSE THERE STUCK DOWN.
glendale
Member
#8 · Posted: 23 Apr 2010 06:57
I would have thought the diecast cars would be for collectors showing only, not for kids to play with. Who knows maybe my great grand kids may take them to the Antique Road show !!!
mondrian
Member
#9 · Posted: 23 Apr 2010 18:12
The Black Island:
However, after reading other Tintin fan's comments, I am not going to now.

Didn't mean to put you (or anybody else) off. If it makes you happy, go for it!

I'm just curious to know how this things works. Judging by comments on this thread, Moulinsart probably hasn't chosen the best of strategies. The Tintin logo itself isn't magnetic enough to make collectors fight for anything that's for sale. Maybe it would be better to lower the prices, make smaller editions or improve the design (or combine the three if possible)? As far as I know, original drawings and some first editions are the only Tintin-related items that are contested for in the auctions?

Though personally I won't go for it, can't see myself spending weeks wages on some collectible item in hope its value will rise sky high in the future. A poster or a keyring perhaps, but nothing extravagant. Or one Atlas car, of course I ordered myself one when there was an introductory offer few years back for 5€ or so. Actually I have two, since my dad saw the same advert and bought it as a present for me. Perfect present, I was touched (and no, obviously I didn't tell him I already had the car).
The Black Island
Member
#10 · Posted: 24 Apr 2010 18:43
No Mondrian, you didn't put me off, you just emphasised that lovely though the cr is, it is mass-produced and over-priced.

Can't afford £500 on a car, when I have just spent £300 on a Calculus figurine.

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