[John Youngs]

For those of you that have collected SpecCast diecast airplane models in the past, or who continue to do so (I'm posting this new thread under "Franklin Mint" as there seems to be no "SpecCast" forum listed...), I've got a hypothetical question for any of you (please, no "SpecCrap" comments at this time... - HA!) who may be interested in something that is quite rare...

A few years ago, or thereabouts, I ordered, from SpecCast, one of their 1/48th scale "Farm Safety - Just 4 U" F-86 Sabre models. It came with a couple parts missing (the nose plug and one of the external (drop) tanks). I called SpecCast & told them what the problem was, and they said they'd fix the problem right away.

Approximately a week later, a large box arrived and when I opened it up, inside was a gloss white, diecast, 1/48th scale F-86 model with black plastic horizontal tail surfaces, black plastic nose air-intake & exhaust plugs, black plastic bombs & tanks, black plastic landing gear tires, and finally, black plastic cockpit accouterments (instrument panel, pilot's seat, joystick, etc.) The black plastic items were not painted black - they were all cast in solid, black plastic from the start. Everything else, with the exception of the clear plastic canopy (front and rear) sections, had been painted gloss white, and were minus any other markings or decals, etc.

Enclosed with the model was a letter from a gentleman named Dan explaining that "While we are completely out of this model & no more are going to be produced; nevertheless, enclosed please find the pre-production model from which I could remove the parts I needed & install them on my current 'Farm Safety - Just 4 U' F-86 model'". Dan went on to further explain in this letter that the model he sent me "in the white", was one of only 6 pre-production models that the Chinese company that mfgr's these models had made (the purpose of these being that SpecCast company officials could see what the models looked like before the different paint schemes & markings were applied & shipped); of these 6, only three (3) were made with the leading-edge slats depicted in the "down" position; the remaining three (3) were mfgr'd with "hard" wing leading edges - no slats. The model he sent me was the one off his desk - it had the slats depicted in the "extended" or "down" position.

One of only three of this particular style of pre-production, 1/48th scale, diecast, F-86 Sabre models to exist - from the SpecCast company - complete with a so-marked shipping box & factory letter (unfortunately, my old digital camera is "on the fritz" - until I can get it replaced, there's no photos - maybe in the very near future...)!!

Question: IF I were to offer it for sale at some point, honestly, what do you folks think it might be worth, conservatively? I haven't decided to sell it yet (understand I never did remove any parts from it - after I realized what it "potentially" represented, I left it as it had been shipped to me!), but would like some idea of it's potential worth - from more experienced collectors like yourselves!! Many thanks for your sincere considerations - John

PS: Shortly thereafter, I called Dan back to see if he'd sell me any more of these "pre-production" F-86 models - "Nope - we're going to keep them for now..." was the reply!

[PappyB]

Interesting story, for sure, though even though I am a Speccast fan and have quite a few I don't think I can answer your question. I just wanted to say that's one heckuva good customer service response and Speccast deserves to be commended for that. Very cool of them to do that.

[John Youngs]

Originally Posted by PappyB

Interesting story, for sure, though even though I am a Speccast fan and have quite a few I don't think I can answer your question. I just wanted to say that's one heckuva good customer service response and Speccast deserves to be commended for that. Very cool of them to do that.

Pappy - I certainly do not disagree with you there... - having said that, I realize that with any sort of "collectable", an item is worth only what someone will offer for it or buy it for. As a weird sort of "test", shortly after I received it in the mail, I decided to try a "test" of my own. Certainly by no means "scientific"; nevertheless, it was interesting, to say the least. What I did was to advertise (list) it on eBay, and put an enormously, rediculously-high "reserve" price on it ($750.00) - the thought here being that if someone wanted to actually pay $750 smackeroos for it, they could certainly have the bloody thing - HA! Over the next several days, however, no one bidded on it until approx. 6 or 7 hours from the end of the bid time. Then it went like mad - the highest bid at the end, ended up being around $250.00, approximately, with a total of approx. a dozen bids all together submitted. You know, I certainly don't care to get a huge amount for it, if someone were to make a decent offer; but if it's as rare as "Dan" from SpecCast claimed, then as a collector's item, it should, in theory, have some significant value - certainly quite a bit above the normal SpecCast F-86 model offerings. The other obvious thing I thought of, in passing, was the fact that as a model that's essentially gloss-white, if someone wanted to do so, they could paint it up in one of the gloss-white (with appropriate decals & markings, of course) finishes that one or more of the prototype XP-86's that flew - the one that George Welch flew quite often, and apparently broke ("un-officially") the sound barrier in - comes to mind! Cheers, John

[flyXwire]

I concur with PappyB's comments. I too own 3 of the SpecCast F-86's models: John Glenn's "Mig Mad Marine", Jim Thompson's "The Huff" and Jim Hagerstrom's "MIG Poison" w/ the LE slats extended + bombs. One thing that endeared me the most to the SpCst F-86s is that the wing chord is actually 'completely molded' unlike the other a/c they did, and the tampo-pad printed graphics are so clearly and vibrantly printed with almost perfect registration, it just puts FM's printed graphics to shame! On the whole, SpecCast F-86s' are on parr with FM/Armour's best!

[John Youngs]

Originally Posted by flyXwire

I concur with PappyB's comments. I too own 3 of the SpecCast F-86's models: John Glenn's "Mig Mad Marine", Jim Thompson's "The Huff" and Jim Hagerstrom's "MIG Poison" w/ the LE slats extended + bombs. One thing that endeared me the most to the SpCst F-86s is that the wing chord is actually 'completely molded' unlike the other a/c they did, and the tampo-pad printed graphics are so clearly and vibrantly printed with almost perfect registration, it just puts FM's printed graphics to shame! On the whole, SpecCast F-86s' are on parr with FM/Armour's best!

To: FlyXwire... - yessir, I don't necessarily disagree with your assessment of SpecCast compared to FM/Armour, with the exception of the landing gear detail - sorry, but that sucks! The main landing gear "struts" are literally molded in as part of the gear doors & then they attach by means of a solid "block" - this is what turns me off so much about SpecCast F-86 models - they do so good in other areas - and yet the landing gear appears to be off of a toy plane!! Even the oleo struts aren't silver - they're molded in the same color as the rest of the plane's fuselage color... - this is a real turn-off to me - the rest of the plane & graphics not withstanding... - Cheers, John

[flyXwire]

To each his own, my friend.