Last updated 7th December 2009
WHAT ARE WHITE METAL MODELS?
I
am often asked, "what are white metal models, and why are they
so expensive?". To answer this it is necessary to explain the
production of white metal models. Spa Croft Models, and the
other white metal model manufacturers, generally produce models
which are not considered commercially viable by the diecast
manufacturers such as Corgi, as they often have a limited
appeal. The metal used in the die casting process is a hard
metal, and can only be cast in steel dies. The tooling costs
are, therefore, extremely high, and because of this, the
manufacturer has to be sure that his investment will be
recouped. Subjects, therefore have to have a wide appeal, and be
capable of being produced in a variety of forms and liveries,
with little, or no alteration. Plastic is used to produce many
of the smaller items such as radiator grilles, bumpers etc., and
interiors, because this is also cheaper. Generally the only none
metal parts used in white metal models are rubber for the tyres,
and acetate for the windows. Everything else is metal which
contributes to the weight of the model and its overall
impression of quality.
Whilst the production of white metal models is still not cheap,
because the metal used has a low melting point, rubber moulds
can be used to cast the models, by means of centrifugal casting,
and it is this process that is much cheaper than die casting,
because tooling costs are much less. "Why is the end product so
much more expensive?", I hear you ask. There are several
reasons. Because of the limited appeal of many of the subjects
of white metal models, for instance, they may only be known in
the UK, and therefore have no interest world wide, the recovery
of tooling costs is spread over a smaller number of units, very
often no more than 600 pieces. Each model is also hand built,
and hand finished, and in some cases, hand polished. This is a
very labour intensive part of the production of white metal
models, and because production is wholly in the UK (or America
and Europe), the white metal manufacturers cannot benefit from
the much cheaper foreign labour available to our colleagues in
the diecast model industry.
"Why should I buy white metal models then", you may ask. Because
you are getting a special model which more often than not no one
else produces. None of the models produced by Spa Croft Models
is currently available in 1/43rd scale from any other
manufacturer, die cast or white metal. White metal models are
very often more accurate and have more detail than their die
cast counterparts, although the die cast manufacturers are now
recognising the demands of the discerning collector, and things
are definitely improving; the finish of white metal models is of
a greater quality because they are handbuilt; your collection
will be more unique because there are fewer examples of each
model around, and I suppose, to be a little light hearted, you
will not be filling you cabinets as quicky, because you will be
buying less of the more expensive models, unless of course you
are a lottery winner. Ultimately, the value of your collection
may increase more, because of the desirability of these little
gems, but that's a bonus. Collecting is for the fun of it, and
the intrinsic value of your collection.
Happy collecting. |