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Real collectors still exist but they are the true minority, most just seem to be out to make a fast buck, sneaking, faking & overcharging their way though the hobby. It appears to be that rather than helping the fellow collector gain seems to be the order in 2014, the fun has gone for me and I feel no longer happy to participate in a hobby full of mendacious leaches & classless charlatans.

A huge glut of fake models have come to market in recent years, toys that were never reported at the time they were new have appeared en masse and though appearing to be rather erroneous to the seasoned eye are being accepted as the real thing by those that are new to the hobby.

Sadly those that are bringing these models to market are plucking our feathers & stuffing us, I am going to jump ship before somebody bungs me in the oven. My apologies to the real collectors, those that help others and are truly passionate for the hobby, those people will know who they are & will not be offended by my words.

I can't be the only one that feels like this?

the market is what you make it...gain knowledge and you wont be duped buy fake models...as for everyone else...you cant look out for everyone to not be taken...all you can do is be the best collector you can...whether that means helping out people not to get swindled or to let the seller know its a bogus model

if its not fun for you anymore that one thing...but if youre fed up with the fakes...that can be overlooked and just focus on the real stuff

I am a simple collector and hobbyist.
Just rejoice in the boyhood memories - series 1 and 2. Pre SF.
I only want one of each model - in fact don't even want all of them.
I don't like the military stuff and find the number of construction vehicles overwhelming.

I like the family cars - from the Morris Minor to the Cadillac and commercials like the Tate and Lyle truck.
Some of my cars I've had since 1950s. Some my brothers painted in the 60s. A local restorer has returned my Anglian and MG to their 1950s glory.
I can fill a few gaps in my collection for half the price of a MIB original. I just enjoy looking at them, not interested in castings or tread patterns. Cos I like to display them I am now not even ordering repro boxes.

Anyway, I have a few originals, few MIB I've saved and bought, and a few repros. I would never attempt to pass of a repro as an original. I don't sell - except for a few army ones I wanna get rid of - thats another topic.

The joy and fun of collecting for me is the hunt. I don't enjoy buying off of eBay or buying one specific car at a time from a dealer. That is why I buy mostly at flea markets, boot sales, garage sales or Craigslist. I tend to buy collections or multiple cars at one time. Over the years I have found some really cool and unique vehicles that are legit. While that leaves me with a lot of extras I have also found many variants of basic models. At the same time I am building a network of fellow collectors and people I trust to sell me good items. If I doubt it I don't buy it unless I am willing to take the risk on losing the money.

Don't lose to much trust and keep it fun

Greg

Hello SCMCollection. I am afraid you are at the wrong place on this Forum to say that there are few 'Real Collectors' left, We in fact are all HERE! If you are feeling a bit lonely in our Great hobby, spend some time here and share thoughts as you have today. We are all quite different, from all walks of life, and having different languages and personalities is sometimes very challenging for us. Slow down a bit, relax, and study both the people and the diecasts we collect. Collect what you like, share it with us, and you will realize you are not alienated, just involved with a bizarre crowd of madmen/ madwomen who still enjoy their childhood dreams many years later than most had ever thought possible......kwakers

I dont get involved with the online market for rare variations which is where the fakers and fraudsters seek to dupe those who arent able to correctly evaluate what they see in photos. My fun with vintage diecast comes from finding them in my hands at flea markets and toyfairs,always for a fraction of the ebay price in a totally unstructured way of collecting whatever I like of the toys which have fallen through cracks in time to come up for sale when I pass by..........

SMS88 wrote:I dont get involved with the online market for rare variations which is where the fakers and fraudsters seek to dupe those who arent able to correctly evaluate what they see in photos. My fun with vintage diecast comes from finding them in my hands at flea markets and toyfairs,always for a fraction of the ebay price in a totally unstructured way of collecting whatever I like of the toys which have fallen through cracks in time to come up for sale when I pass by..........

couldn't put it any better the hunt is the most enjoyable bit for me ,to find a rarety in any condition gives me a bit of a buzz , can't wait for the bootsale season to start

Where there is money to be made you will always find fakers and fraudsters lurking waiting to prey on the unwary. This is not unique to diecast collecting it happens in all collector markets right up to multi million pound fine art pieces, paintings etc.

The first bit of advice i would give to any new collector would be to take your time and do lots of research into your chosen area of collecting and learn your subject to the best of your ability. The second bit of advice would be to join a forum such as this where you can seek the advice of many experienced collectors and experts before committing big money on a particular model.

The forum should not be undervalued by anyone (i have been disappointed to see what i perceive to be some negative comments appearing recently on another thread) for i have widened my knowledge no end by posting questions and personal messages to fellow collectors and experts in the Matchbox arena and feel that i am now so much more informed and better equiped to be able to go out and collect without worrying too much about being a victim of a faker or fraudster. Just my thoughts

This post does strike a cord with me. I came back to this hobby in about 1998 after I left it when I discovered girls in about 1987, lol. These cars meant a lot to me in my youth and I finally had some extra money to rebuild my childhood collection. I love collecting these cars and I did so very passionately for the next 15 or so years. I was an eager contributor to share my latest finds online, I was having a blast and learning a lot with the help of forums like this along the way. But there was a point about a year ago when I got very sad with the hobby and considered selling my models and leaving it. In looking back, there was not one specific event that triggered it. It was a combination of acquiring enough knowledge so you really start to know what to look for, the amount of money you see people throwing at bad models and seeing mentors/senior collectors in the hobby start showing fake cars on websites and passing off bad models as genuine. It is just depressing and sad.

The current climate of the hobby did trigger me to start selling off a large amount of my collection, with the intention to only keep a smaller, nicer group. These revelations also allowed me to shake that compulsion to try and have ALL the models. Now when I buy models I am much more selective and I will only do so from a small group of collectors/dealers who I trust. Buying rare models on auction sites has become as unsafe as walking through a field filled with landmines unless you know the person behind the username and where the car came from. I feel badly for new collectors coming into the Superfast hobby at this time, it takes a lot of time and often numerous bad purchases to learn who to trust and what to look for.

However, the hobby has also introduced me to many honest people and “real collectors” who I am proud to call friends. I have become more quietly content with my knowledge about these cars, my collecting has gone down to a slower pace and I have a smaller group of very nice cars I am happy with. By enjoying the hobby in more moderation, it has become much for fulfilling for me.

Hello scmcollection once again. You now have some excellent Feedback from a group of hobbyists who share the same feelings as you do about the Fakes in our collecting world. One of the strengths of this Forum is to search out and share such fakers and thieves who have always preyed on 'newbies' to our hobby. We have forced refunds from some Sellers, and actually sent many away from our Toys to practice their criminal activities in other hobbies. As you can see, no one was offended in any way by your comments, we all equally detest the charlatans and fraudsters as you or any collector would, but we do not stand by and allow them to ruin our hobby. Hopefully you will continue to enjoy your diecasts knowing that you can also become a Sheriff on our Forum by outing a faker rather than just feel sorry for their victims. I have my shelf of well-done as well as some poorly done re-paints to remind me to investigate carefully before I buy now.......Cheers! kwakers