[skydriver]

Wow,

I don't remember how I found this site, but am happy I did.

I would like some advice from some of you expert / long time collectors.

I have recently begun collecting 1:72 scale WW2 airplanes. I have some Corgi, IXO, and FOV that I have purchased from Tuesday Morning, Ebay, Target and other online retailers. I also have about 10 of the small Corgi nose art collection, and a 1:32 Stinger VII P-51.

I prefer to exhibit my airplanes in a flying mode with wheels up. Unfortunatly many of the Corgi come with wheels down on a plastic base. For some reason, I just don't like the look of a wheels down aircraft on a base. I know that it should not really matter, because I am the only person who will see and enjoy these aircraft. ( My wife and friends could care less about them ). But I was just wondering what others do.

Also, I know that I am buying these to enjoy and could care less about collecting them as an investment. Does it matter if I do take them out of the box?

Thanks for your input and advice.

Larry (skydriver)

[david cotton]

Originally Posted by skydriver

Wow,

I have recently begun collecting 1:72 scale WW2 airplanes. I have some Corgi, IXO, and FOV that I have purchased from Tuesday Morning, Ebay, Target and other online retailers. I also have about 10 of the small Corgi nose art collection, and a 1:32 Stinger VII P-51.

I prefer to exhibit my airplanes in a flying mode with wheels up. Unfortunatly many of the Corgi come with wheels down on a plastic base. For some reason, I just don't like the look of a wheels down aircraft on a base. I know that it should not really matter, because I am the only person who will see and enjoy these aircraft. ( My wife and friends could care less about them ). But I was just wondering what others do.

Also, I know that I am buying these to enjoy and could care less about collecting them as an investment. Does it matter if I do take them out of the box?

Thanks for your input and advice.

Larry (skydriver)

Hello Larry.
To all but a very very few, it does not matter if you take them out the box. Just make sure you keep the box and all the loose bits to. This will enable you to trade the model for some thing better later.

The Corgi's with the wheels down are the Legend range. The Corgi Warbird range has them fixed up. The normal Corgi AA range has the option for both up and down under cart.

There are a lot of Diecasts out there at the moment, and you can shop around and get very good models very cheap. I would advise you to look around before you buy, you need to find the ones you really like before you start spending. You will find all to often you buy a model with a scheme that looks OK, and then you see a better one.

The down side of low cost die casts, is that they are harder to swap or sell. You could find that you start running out of space, and then shifting your less loved ones into storage.

The motto is to choose carfully and check the prices very carfully. Example A Stinger Mustang has a RRP of around £85 in the UK, and some places still ask this price. However most places sell it for £20.

[djjeffhall]

Skydriver,
Welcome aboard.

RE: Wheels up/wheels down - The Corgi's you picked up from Tuesday Morning sound like their Legends line. Less expensive, but gear down option only. If you are financially able to dive in, pick up the birds you like in their Aviation Archive line. They are gear up, or gear down and the box is much more user friendly. If you want to know if a bird is gear up or down, check our Tricatus's amazing website at www.tricatus.com.

RE: Value - Do you think you'll resell your birds? If so, keep them in a glass case if you can. Keep the boxes nice and pretty and make sure nothing gets broken or lost. The better they are preserved, the more potential for an increase in value.

The variables that make up the back end market have been, and will continue to be debated extensively on the website. Opinions vary WIDELY depending on what side of the bed you woke up on, the phase of the moon and how much the price of tea in China has fluctuated recently. In general, the older Corgi's are more valuable and the more limited the run is the more you can get for it.

Then again, as the market expands and there are more and more options beside Corgi you could make an argument that their values are going to decline. Ultimately, a planes value is how much do you like it and what are you willing to pay for it?

Personally, I'm not an investment guy. If you are not an investment guy, break them out and fly them around the house. Go on some cat straffing missions and terrorise the kids. Keeps them on their toes.

I buy them because I like them and have no problem with them being here next to me on my desk and seeing them gather dust. (Yeah, I clean them occasionally but Sierra Madre seems like the dust capital of the world sometimes.)

[Captain Eddie]

Hi Skydiver, welcome to our little asylum!

I do not have much to add to the previous answers to you post, except this: The Corgi Warbird range may be your cup of tea, as they are wheels up, and they have the lowest list price of any 1:72 Corgis, but do beware as the detail on some of them is apparently lacking. I do not have any of them personally, but I seem to remember a post by someone regarding some of them lacking GUNS! So check'em out carfully before purchase.

[bsmith13]

Welcome Skydriver!

Like you, I prefer to display my aircraft wheels-up when I can. However, and occasional wheels-down model can add variety to a display, especially if you make a runway/revetment/hangar to compliment the presentation.

I also don't collect with the purpose of turning my planes over for a profit later, but it is always a good idea to keep the boxes and fiddly bits. You never know when you might have to move or store some models.

[T-Bolt19]

Hello all,
I used to display mine wheels down as much as possible, but as bsmith13 says, having some up and some down adds variety to the display, which is always nice. Also I found since i am sorely lacking space, you can fit a lot more into a small place by placing the wheels down aircraft under the in flight ones.

[skydriver]

Thank you to everyone for your advice. I only hope that in the years to come that I will be able to offer advice to others, the same as you have done for me.

Skydriver

[mustangdriver]

Welcome to the forum buddy. Get ready to spend more money. I have spent moree since becoming a member of this group for sure.

[easy8]

Welcome to the forum Skydriver...you've found the right place, the folks that hang out here have endless knowledge on just about anything you want to know! Good luck with your growing collection!

easy8

[Cavtanker]

Be careful with certain varieties of diecast. Some wheels-down or wheels-up models commonly have the gears or gear doors fall off.