# of each Vintage Car Made?

[sparky(2)]

Hi Guys,

Any idea how many of each Vintage Car Tamiya made? In other words, do you think there's a just a few thousands SS's out there or 10's of thousands?

Anyone know which of the older cars/buggies/trucks there are fewest of?

Just Curious and maybe something interesting to consider or talk about - especially when paying such high $$ prices. [8D]

Regards,

Joe

[WillyChang]

Hard to say - Tamiya is a private company and never published any figures. As we all know, these things don't have serial numbers either.

Then there is also kits VS spareparts... early on I'm sure many kits were scavenged for spareparts; conversely many cars today have since been built from spareparts alone.

There are also the odd "commemorative" cars that Tamiya did to celebrate certain production records... although I doubt if these numbers were ever independentally audited. (Enron? [])

But just talking to the oldtimers who were in the trade back then, the sales numbers bandied around are massive - especially in the 'developed' countries that had strong Tamiya representation.

[DJTheo]

I think some models where sold in many 100.000s as the Black 934 was released only 1 year after the first Tamiya RC (934) was sold, to celebrate 100.000 pieces sold!!! So imagine how many SS where sold, which now seem to appear at least 10 times more often... Or even worse, Grasshoppers, Blackfoots, Frogs, Clods...

[SJoerD]

There must be zillions of Super Hornets out there as well. They are as common as air! [] Even I got one... No, it was an accident, NOOO! [] LOL

I think when talking about an SS will be 10's of thousands, maybe 100.000? [] The Sand Scorcher is not a rare car in my opinion, there are sooo many around. [] I bet the market value will start to drop rapidly within a few years or so. Same happened to the tulip market here in Holland! Ppl used to trade a house for 1 bulb! You know what happened to those... [xx(]

I cetainly hope the SS will be released in 2004 or so, on it's 25th birthday. I see all those collectors taking them away from kids in LHSs, just to save the value of their SS investments... [)] LOL

Sjoerd

[Shodog]

Regardless of any re-releases the value of a sand scorcher or a Bruiser for that matter would stay nearly the same. We can keep wishing but Tamiya will never re-release the Scorcher or Bruiser with all the metal parts. I think they have been testing the waters with the current re-releases. I would imagine that those sales have been disapointing.

If Tamiya does re-release a scorcher for their 25th, you can bet the body will be slightly different body than the original. Look what they did to the willy, the grill is different. I would bet they used a slightly modded Monster Beetle/Blitzer beetle body. Most likely it would have some kind of sedan chassis modified to looks off road. a nice TB-01 4wd would be cool.

Jim

[WillyChang]

Remember guys - these are all toys made to be trashed by kiddies. So regardless of how many were made, its likely that a majority of them would have been used/abused then long since scrapped. Very few of them were bought 'just to be stored away'.

They were affordable, yet expensive enough to limit most kids as to how many RC they have/had. They were fun, they were great to showoff to your friends & neighbours (heck, you HAD to play it outdoors) and were an excellent self-promotion in itself.

Todays nostalgia brings the 'collectors' back; high prices due to collective demand for the limited stock. Just remember - it *had* to be truly popular (not just a marketing fad) when new, to be popular today.

Otherwise (God forbid!) we'd be collecting Cabbage Patch... [xx(]

[J3cubfan]

Bite your tongue. I think if that where the case, I'd soley do 1/48 scale airplanes only....[]

[DJTheo]

Also early onroaders and expensive kits like 3 speeds although propably sold in much smaller quantities then more popluar cheap cars, exist nowadays in similar quantites as they were mainly bought by experiences modellers and collectors and not trashed by kids. Also due to their initial high price people wheren't having the courage to trash them so easily. You can see for example that most 934s and Hiluxs are still in relatively acceptable condition compared to much newer Mad Fighter...

[WillyChang]

Too true, Theo.

Knew a kid who bought Grasshoppers by the case. [:0]

(Yeah, "case" - they come 6 to a case like good wine.)

This kid also had too much free time, too much free money and too much free fireworks. [}]

And lived on a hillside property with a 30' cliff.

So one could also say, too much free flight. [xx(]

[sparky(2)]

Willy you crack me up![]

Do you live in Japan? or So Cal?

I've been to Kyoto twice.

Regards,

Joe[]

[WillyChang]

quote:Originally posted by sparky

Do you live in Japan? or So Cal?

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I wish... no where close, Joe.

Its just my toys coming from all those places, and more.

I'm DownUnder, stuck in Australia with pet Kangaroo. []

[sparky(2)]

What'ya think of this Willy?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=1783406972

Good buy?

Sparky[8)]

[WillyChang]

quote:Originally posted by sparky

What'ya think of this Willy?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=1783406972

Good buy?

Sparky[8)]

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id="quote">id="quote">

Bit too early to tell; would be good buy if < $100, decent if < $150 but the sky's the limit - wonder what's the reserve: $150? $180? $199? I'd just predict some nil-fb fella will probably put in a $1 bid real soon, just to get spoil the BIN option for everyone. []

(and no, won't be me bidding)