[Guest]

I need some clarification on some things about Ertl.

I have been spending a lot of time trying familiarize myself with the Camaros, Chevelles and as recent as to night the Mustangs.

I keep running into these models with different packaging and different pricing as well. Some of these Ertl models can get to be really expensive, a lot of them are in the $30 range.

Can someone please give me a brief class on the differnt lines of Ertl's :feedback

So far I have identified these:
American Muscle
Street and Strip/Supercar Collectibles
Ertl Precision Collection 100

I'm sure there are some I missed, but these the ones I ran across that have caught my eye.

Also, the colors of some the packaging is different from others. I recall seeing 3-4 different boxes.

Then there are some that are limited editions within a limited edition. One auction I am looking at now, states 2,500 units made, 400 of those were a special color combo. Is there any way to tell which models are limited editions?

And then how do the Yenkos (Camaro, Chevelle and Nova) tie into all of this.

Al has given me some pretty comprehensive explanations in the past in regards to these questions. Now I'm looking for whole shabang :lol

Thanks for any feedback anyone can provide.

 

[acisne]

I am not a pro but here is a try.
Ertl started with the "wedge box" where the front was angled, then the green marble-look box, then the black and gold box and then several variations of that black box.
There has been Regular Editions "RE" and Limited Editions "LE". The LE typicaly had more detail, but not always. Ertl made LE cars that were "commisioned" by third parties (paid up-front to have them made). Nutmeg, Diamond Collectibles, Supercar Collectibles, Exoticar, Evergreen are just a few that have done this. Some of these third parties have licenses to do certain cars like SC has with Yenko.
Ertl has also made "event" cars like the Mopar national, Buick Nationals, etc..where a show or event commissions the car.
They have also made cars for stores like the TRU cars where there was just a gold seal on the box and the Kmart Route 66 cars that came in different looking boxes and you got an extra like a key chain or gold coin. These are LE in a sense that they were only sold at that store, but they were a long production run 1/10,000+.
RE were supposed to be for general retail release and the LE were supposed to got to Hobby Shop stores, but Ertl considers TRU a Hobby shop and some LE were sometimes found at Target.

As far as detail, the bottom would be like this:
REs
LEs
Commissioned LE's
Mint (they were LEs that came in a Lane style box and were better detailed)
P-100 ( cars that are in a higher level like AUTOart or Lane, but because of the higher production run so they are cheaper then AAs and Lane)
The newly relaased Authentics line.

Mudding the water are the more recently relased "brand" releases that are nothing but repaints of older (and at once pricey) releases like Koni, Creager, K&N filters...releases.

Another tread of Ertls are the Entertainment and "BodyShop" kit that are also bringing down the price of some original releases.

Ertl also has made their own LE without being commisioned like the "Fastest 10" line.

Also there are the "chase cars" to look for. These are the ones that have a special finish like chrome, black chrome or gold and are randomly inserted in the 6-pack shipping cartons and sometimes go for high dollars like the Superbird.

That's it for tonight. I am sure I forgot several thing so please add to it.

Al

 

[LUW]

Thanks Al, that was very informative.

 

[Guest]

Then there is the "Authentics" line with lots more detail. Nice for the money, and also their older "Mint" editions, which came in photo boxes with no plastic window.

Ertl is much maligned. They have put out some excellent models.

 

[Ronan]

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:iagree Very comprehensive! Generally I think the Precision 100 and the newer Authentics range are absolutely superb models, better than AUTOart I think, but the rest of the ERTL range is relatively crude, not high end at all. :mine :cheers

 

[LUW]

I make Ronan's words mine. I consider their "normal" line to be as good (or as bad) as Hot Wheels and YM.

 

[acisne]

Couple of thing that I forgot to mention is that a couple of companies got started in the 1/18 muscle market by commisioning Ertl cars: Lane and GMP (Peachstate).
They are basid repaint, but at one time commanded higher dollars due to the low productions.

The other is that some ertl models sold through TV shopping channels like QVC.

The point about the quality of older Ertls has to be considered with a grain of salt. It was impressive for the time of how dead-on some of the details were and all for around $20. They built the market to make it possible for the $120 Lanes that we have today. I am not being an Ertl appoligist (as they have made some terrible blunders like the Dodge Demon front end), but they sure have come a long way in American Muscle in the last 13 years. A mayority of these models will never be reproduced by any other diecast company so it will be all we have.

I see sort of like the Mustang is to me. The early models are neat to have and own, but they can't beat any of the speed, safety and comfort that the modern ones have, but without the older one we would not have the new ones.

 

[LUW]

Al, as you said when I posted the review of the Stingray, if that car was 1st released in the early '90s, it was a great model back then.

 

[Guest]

I'm sure most here already know of the website, but JIC, here's a link:

RC/ERTL Weblink

They seem to be doing a better job of keeping it updated than they had in the past.

Joe

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the follow up on this, it was great.

However, some of the information you posted leads me to another question :giggle

The LE cars Ertl had commissioned by third party players cush as Exoticar, Supercars Collectables, Exoticar and Evergreen, are these companies retailers or manufacturers?

I see a lot of the Yenkos associated with SC and not much else, are these the only models that SC put out or do they have other models as well?

Exoticar, I see in their catalog that they have their own line, but I thought quite the opposite, I thought that they commissioned a company to make these for them. I never knew they manufactured their own models.

Thanks for the class on this as it has been educational for me :happy

 

[JSB 33]

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Darrick, Most Diecast "Makers" are only "marketers".
Exoto, DM, Some FM, GMP, Lane and many others do not manufacture anything.
They come up with an idea, do research to see if it will sell, then either measure up a 1:1 car themselves or hire a design/prototyping company to do it for them.
Then they contract with a company in China to finish the prototype into a car that can be produced and sold for "X" amount of dollars.

When you here about a company such as Lane going back and forth with the factory with various prototypes going back and forth from China until the design is "locked in" this is whats going on.
The company that makes a product for Lane will also make it for others such as GMP and/or others.
The same company will also make many, many different product that have nothing to do with diecast.
Part of the "deal" for diecast companies is to be able to secure production time in the factory.
It can be difficult.

If we hasd some connections and some capital, we could go into the model business! :giggle

I have no idea what Ertl does, not sure if they own their own manufacturing plant of not.
I would think that it is a combination of both.

To answer your question about Exoticar, their "Collection" seems to be basiclly Ricko product.

I am no Supercars expert but I do know that they commision lots of other cars other than Yenko.
I think I remember hearing that they have an exclusive deal to do any car that is a Yenko.
Supercars also does cars made by HW61.

All the others that you mentioned all contract with Ertl and have cars with existing moulds made to their specifications such as color and wheels.

 

[Guest]

I can understand the Lanes, GMP and Exotos of the industry are marketeers in all of this.

However, I think there is a clear distinction between...say GMP and Exoticar. GMP is a model company who has their models manufactured for them(for this reason I labeled them a manufacuter). While Exoticar is a retailer who has a few model cars with their branding(This doesn't label them a manufacturer in my eyes like the GMP example I used).

So based off that above example, are Evergreen and Supercar Collectibles retailers or manufacturer(manufacturer=based on ideaology). I have pretty much classified Exoticar as a retailer. However, if Evergreen and Supercar Collectibles are manufacturers, I would like to learn more of their line up, particularly the SC as they have some nice subject matter.

 

[JSB 33]

Evergreen and Supercars do not own or develop their own moulds.
They go to an existing company like Ertl (or in SC's case HW61) and take an existing product and have Ertl handle the manfg. of it and then they handle the wholesale/retail of it once Ertl delivers it.

If we started the DX model car company, we would go to Ertl and say we want the 1970 Chevelle painted bright blue with a flat black hood and dog dish wheel covers.
Ertl would tel us there was a minimum of XXXX units and the price in a custom box would be xx per car and then we would write the check and wait 6 months to a year for our cars.
There would have to be an approval of the color sample and final details by us before we could ever think about production.

Then the DX Model car company would be just like Evergreen or Supercars.

I have made the process a lot simpler than it really is and I would have to say that Supercars really stands out among the others as being very, very proactive in securing the rights to do cars such as the Yenk's. Sox & Martin and whatever else they handle.
They are not just picking different wheel/color combo's and callong it an L/E :cheers

 

[Guest]

Jeff,

Thats the information I wanted/needed.

Al mentioned that they were commissioned thrid party companies, I was trying to figure out if they made their own cars or used existing molds.

FYI, we already have a DX Car, limited to only 1 and guess who has it :lol

 

[acisne]

Great job Jeff! :nicejob :nicejob :nicejob
I would had wrote alot more last night but it had been a long day on the road. Jim at SC does great job securing the rights to do the right car that up until now, no one else can do or has done. They have done several Mopar B-body top-up convertibles.

One of the thing that I would suggest to do would be to go to www.scale18.com and search the huge list. Do a search by keywords like "Ertl" and "Supercars" or "Campbell" or Evergreen". You would get an idea of when the particular ertl was made and most important, how many were maid.

I see diecast companies as more of a licensing company like and SC as a sub-licensing company. Ertl may have bought the rights to do the likelyhood of a '69 Camaro from GM in 1/18, but SC has it to the rights to use the Yenko name in 1/18. Without each other contributing, the car could not be made.

 

[Guest]

Thanks guys, this has been tremendous for me as I venture down another road in my collecting.

Hope to stay on the right side of the road this time, as I have occasionally crossed over the center line and driven up and down the median while collecting this past year :lol