Looks pretty nice! Definitely a limited run. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...102751926&rd=1

 

That is a good looking raced version diecast, better than what Action did with the Daytona Raced Vette. Ah but sadly, Exoto are among the highest detailed Corvettes (or any other diecast for that matter next to CMC) but so is the price. The only other thing in this world higher than all this is the ego of the head of the Exoto Company. Sadly, his comments to his own customers make it an unworthy ownership of their diecast. Many have sworn off buying them and for just cause. I will no longer review them for articles.

 

That is pretty good looking for a raced version. I was unaware of the Exoto ban, what gives? Would you explain this. I'd like to read about it, but don't expect me to give up my Exotos that I already own. :)

 

It's a long story but I'll try to be brief. Over the last few years the diecast world has seen higher and higher detail coming from various diecast companies. Collectors are also seeing more and more companies coming out of the woodwork with all new tooling and fresh ideas. Up to a few years ago, special limited edition cars were done by ERTL for 3rd party companies that commissioned ERTL to do a special run of cars. Some were simply repaints while others wanted something special that required a mold change to some extent. All of this got very expensive. 2 such companies saw fit to branch out on their own. First was Peachstate Motorsports. Peachstate was a sister company to Georgia marketing promotions (GMP). GMP was well known for the series of Winged Sprint Cars and NASCAR haulers among others. The Peachstate side was known for doing repaints of ERTL cars and had their own subscription based motorsports club selling limited editions of ERTL production 1/18th scale diecast. Eventually they branched out with their own molds and ideas and started with the Buick Gran Nationals then a series of Novas. Eventually, the Peachstate moniker was dropped and the company held tight to it's GMP name. Since then they have produced various models in all venues of automobilia in various levels of detail culminating n the new 1/12th GT-40 series.

Lane automotive has a similar story that has also gotten away from the ERTL limited editions and started up their own Exact Detail Series with new ideas and high levels of detail.

Fred ERTL branched out after selling out to Racing Champions with Highway 61 and started to rock the diecast world with high detail in a moderate price range and a wide array of subjects.

Minichamps increased their level of detail to meet the demands of collectors as did AutoArt, Kyosho and the list goes on and on.

As detail increased ideas ran rampid! We are now seeing all diecast makers entering street musclecar, police and fire service vehicles, Can Am, Road Racing, drag racing, Formula 1, Indy and so on.

Meanwhile, Exoto sat out there with just a tick more detail in their cars than the average ERTL, Bburago, Maisto and so on in the beginning and as each new model was produced by other companies they increased the level of detail to keep ahead of the competition. Brand new innovative ideas, detail so real it was unbelievable. But as the detail raised, so did their ego.

Most collectors do not stay with just one brand of diecast. Comparisons are made between brands stemming from collectors own opinions. Collectors would buy GMP, Lane, Hiway 61 and the rest and compare it to Exoto. The biggest one is always price. More recent Exoto diecast run in the area of $169 to $189 retail for 1/18th. The 1/10th scale is destined to be $1,000 or more.

So that much is OK, right? It get's better.

As long as people give good reviews to Exoto, everything is honky dory. However, give a bad review or suggest how to improve something or a detail that you would like to see in an Exoto diecast and suddenly the owner of the company, Tony Keusseyan, will gut and cut you to shreds, publicly ridiculing the very same person that already has boasted buying 30 or 40 cars from Exoto with hopes of buying more. We're not talking 1st grade type comments either, we're talking grade a, full blown, 4 alarm vile angry nasty comments to include threats. No rhyme or reason and he appears to not care because he knows people will come back for more. After a rather nasty personal attack on yours truly, I said forget it.

I still don't get it though. Comparisons end up being good for the hobby and collector. Diecast companies are charging us more for the diecast but higher and higher levels of detail are being put into these small cars. Every company making diecast cars welcomes the critic since that improves their diecast, keeps customer satisfaction high and creates return customers. It appears that Exoto however, does not care. The very same people that put money into their company that gives the employees a chance to put food on the table, nice homes and so forth, they rip to shreds and publicly humiliate them.

There is more to it than all this. It's deep, It's convoluted, more over, it's just plain ridiculous. If you want a prime example of what I mean though, read through these posts at this link (and mind you, this is very, very mild for him). The person that Tony Keusseyan is primarily ripping apart is George Bojaciuk but he eventually turns it on to everyone.

George is currently a diecast consultant to GMP and other companies as well as author of various modeling books and has done more for automotive hobbies than just about anyone ever has. He has columns in all of the top automotive hobby magazines, as well.

And Yes, there are shots back at him but you need to remember, Exoto's comments like this have come across unwarranted in the past and it has been going on for a very long time, years in fact. People are tired of the fecal matter he spews out and the anger hits a hard boil almost immediately whenever he posts something.

Here's the link:

http://www.diecast.org/diecast98/html/asp/forums/forum18/viewMessage.asp?id=3938&start=3938


[Modified by DiecastCollector, 7:11 AM 1/1/2003]

 

Thanks. I just read most of that and all I can say is :rolleyes: . I guess all the forums suffer from the same things.... :sad:

 

I never bought an Exoto...too$$$$ I thought...and now I never will.....I hate pompas A Z Z holes :smash: :smash:

 

I have a number of Exoto's including a "clean" #50. I love their detail but would like to see what they can do with some of the other years of Corvette.

Just my .02 worth.

I always wave :flag

 

I like that but not for $200 bucks

 

:iagree: I was a distrbutor for Exoto back before they started making any of the Gran Sport Corvettes.
This is how dealeers get treated: placed order for these items, 18 months later still no sign of life, customers getting anxious.
24 months later, sent memorandum that cars would be here soon :nopity but there will be a 30% price increase and this is for all back orders also. This causes the prices we were advertising cars or sale at to be under our cost now.
A year or so go by and we find we can order Exoto items from Europe and have them shipped here for a considerable less amout than direct from the
"God" of Diecast "Sir Tony" :jester
Few months later get a call from John K., Tony's :crazy: brother wanting to know how I am selling ther items at prices that low and thay show that I had not ordered from them.
I tell them to isert finger in body cavity. Call back telling me :yawn: that if don't tell them where I am purchasing Exoto product they would sue me.

I think you can guess the rest of that conversation :mad :boxing :smash: :cuss :hurray:

This is just one of the stories about them. There are more including marketing plows etc,

I love their products, but with the BS from TK, We will not keep the new versions.

 

:cool:

 

If you have time, I'd like to hear more of the various problems encountered. Personal Curiosity

 

nice car, but way to much to money to pay for astock model which has been resprayed!!!!!!!!!! :mad