Hmmm, its a touchy one this question, and a very good one to ask.
Personally, I don't have a problem with re-issues. They are a way of letting collectors obtain that car they always wanted, but either couldn't find, or couldn't afford. I sympathise with Gary in that he might spend big money on completing his UT Porsches, only for a re-release to wipe that value out.
But will it?
To the general 'collector', the re-release will be like manna from heaven. They can get the cars they need, the company makes more money, the model shops move that stock and make thier share, and most people are happy. Excpet that now people like Gary have cars that everyone now has, except his are older, maybe not as mint etc. But I contend that the re-issues do not necessarily equate to a reduction in the original's value.
Example: Kyosho released their range of Group A Skylines in Calsonic, HKS, Unisia Jecs and STP Taisan. They were going for ridiculous prices on ebay, but then Toyzone resurrected these cars and re-issued them in a limited run of 400 per car. This was great for collectors who missed out on the first releases whether that be from lack of funds, not collecting models at that time etc. Yet, the original releases still represent the 'holy grail' if you are serious enough and want the whole set. No re-issue or re-release will ever take away from that. Try and find an original Kyosho #12 rather than the 10th Anniversary release, and they are still as rare as they ever were. It make not matter to the casual collector that the packagaing on the new ones is different, but to the hardcore true collector, getting the Toyzone and 10th Anniversary cars simply will not mean the end of their search. Admittedly the Toyzone cars were in different boxes with certificates, but the cars were the same, and as such constitute a re-issue of those original Kyosho cars.
Now, if a company buys UT's assets and moulds (assuming they have not been destroyed), and re-issues them, many many more people will be able to share in the pleasure of owning a car that they really really want. At the same time, the speculators and sharks will be burnt because they will no longer be able to make money off serious collectors who desperatley desire a particular car. That has to be a good thing. Unfortunately, the collector who has shelled out big $$$ to obtain the original cars won't be feeling so happy, but at the same time, do utilitarian principles apply? I would say yes, whereas others might say no....
Does the fact that the original cars' value might drop because of the re-issue mean that re-issuing in itself is a bad idea? What if that serious collector who paid the big $$$$ for the original never intends to sell anyway? Would a drop in dollar value mean the same in emotional terms? No. Would a drop in dollar value REALLY devalue the original release? Probably not, although it is indisputable that the collector who paid serious money would feel personal disgust and anger that they had paid so much for a car that was re-released in essentially the same form later at a cheaper price. But they could then buy the re-issue as well, and have a truly complete collection - one that people who buy the re-issue only can never hope to own unless they go through the same financial pain and find an original release as well.
Does the 2nd and 3rd publication of a book mean that the first edition is worth any less or any easier to find? No.
Hardcore collectors will still desire the first editions in the same way that serious collectors who want say, an original UT Porsche, or original Kyosho Group A Skyline will still seek out those cars. Delta_Farce (on these forums) searched ebay until he found an original Altaya (I think) release of Mazda's 787B in 1:43. The IXO version was plentiful, and more often than not, cheaper, yet he wanted the original release. Some collectors are like that, so re-issues don't necessarily doom the demand for the original cars.
Now, I will put my own personal cap on here. As members may or may not be aware, I have been wracked with frustration at not being able to complete my collection of Ebbro's 1:43 R32 GT-R roadcars. They are the central aspect of my collection, and the two I do have are my prides and joy. As anyone who desires a complete collection will know, having it in a state of 'incompletion' is agonising. I am not one who generally subscribes to the idea that the thrill is in the chase - to me, the thrill is in seeing your complete collection sitting proudly in a display case to be admired. Having gaps in it drives me to distraction. I missed getting the whole collection because I did not realise they were even manufactured until the last ones were disappearing off the shelves of the only (at that stage) stockists of Ebbro models in Australia. So, I feel I can be forgiven for not realising the 'gravity' of the situation. If I had my time again, I would have bought the lot.
Now, it is not necessarily a case that I cannot afford to complete my collection of Ebbro R32 GT-R roadcars (although that is certainly pertinent considering the prices they fetch when they reach the international market, as well as my financial stautus as a student), but that they don't reach the international market. They circulate (even for high prices) in Japan, and Japanese sellers (on yahoo auctions) as I have found, don't ship worldwide. If Ebbro were to re-release the range, it would make myself and many other collectors very happy indeed. If you ever see an Ebbro R32 roadcar come up for auction, if it fetches less than double its rrp, then you have seen something truly remarkable. The fact they don't appear makes them so much more desirable. They were the first cars to be released by Ebbro, from 1997-2000, and so have long been discontinued and thus, are now, unattainable. Re-releasing them will mean that I (and Japanese collectors no less), will no longer have to see prices reach up to 16,000 yen (as I saw an R32 Nismo car realise last week on Yahoo Auctions Japan).
I have emailed Ebbro asking if they have plans to re-release the R32 range, and the response was a "no". I am confident there would be a market for these R32's, even if only limited to a release of 1,000 of each colour, and I would happily snap them up (well, not all 1,000!!! :giggle ). I desperately want the remainder of the collection, and a re-issue would be a dream for me.
However, would I still buy the original releases? Well, not immediately, simply because I could not afford them straight away, but in the future? My word, yes. My collection might be completed with re-issues, but not the original releases that started the range, and where the entire Ebbro story begins. They would be the focus of a future search when I had more money to devote to it. A complete collection means alot to me.
So, my point is that re-issues would spell the death for speculators who prey on the serious collectors, the desperate, and occasionally, the stupid. But after the initial rush was over, the desire to find the first releases remains. Re-issues can offer improvements on models, or simply an opportunity to let the fiscally challenged (poor), or the desperate collector the chance to complete their collections at a price far more agreeable. They may not have the history or occupy the 'mythical' space the first runs have, but they are, in my mind, a good thing.
I understand that there are perfectly sensible rebuttles to my points, and that's cool, but for me personally, I know what it feels like to be on the wrong side of the fence.
Just my :mine
