Brian Schindler
THE DEFINITIVE STORY
By Brian Schindler
Oct 25, 2006 - 7:40:47 PM

Revell 1/20^th scale Creative Masters LTD. 

“THE DEFINITIVE STORY”  

In a small dark and dirty warehouse office cluttered with debris somewhere in the industrial area of Germany, a large man sits under a single dim light bulb suspended from the ceiling by a long cord.   The smoke from his cigar curls up around the wide brim of his hat that cast shadows obscuring his face.   He sits, checking his watch impatiently as he furiously puffs his cigar.

Suddenly, the door to the warehouse office opens…a thin man bursts into the room smelling of sweat and cheap gin, carrying a box.  

He pauses nervously looking in the direction of the cigar smoking man.   The impatient man glances at his watch and says, “YOU’RE LATE!”   The thin man replies “I-I-It couldn’t be helped…I-I-I was followed, but I lost them”.   He walks to the table where the cigar smoking man sits and presents a box to him.   The box is marked Revell-Monogram and hand marked in red letters are the words “Destroy”.

He opens the box and retrieves one of the 8 white boxes contained inside.   The white box is opened to reveal a small pristine yellow Camaro, contained in Styrofoam and wrapped in tissue paper.

The large man with the cigar smiles and asks him where he got the cars from.   The skinny man replies “I was told to take this stack of boxes to the crusher and to destroy the product in the boxes.   When I looked in the boxes and saw what was there, I knew they would be worth a lot of money on the secondary market to the right person…there’s 187 of them just like this.   Naturally, I thought of you.   You are the biggest diecast distributor in all of Europe”

This sounds like a cheesy plot to a movie about industrial espionage in the diecast industry, doesn’t it?   But is it true?

This is one of many legends that follow a small line of 1/20^th scale diecast known as the Creative Masters LTD series that was conceived in 1986 by the Revell-Monogram Corporation.   The concept was to build a marketable diecast product that collectors would immediately fall in love with.   The target competitor at the time was the well known diecast manufacture known as The Franklin Mint.  

The Franklin Mint had deep seated roots with collectors for building higher end, well detailed diecast in 1/24^th scale.   The larger 1/18th scale diecast from Bburago and ERTL that are so prevalent in the diecast market today were barely being recognized by the collecting public as being little more than a toy in the 80’s.

The series consisted of 7 different models all representing a significant contribution to Automotive history with all but 2 of the production models having had the mystical hand of Carroll Shelby waved over them.   The diecast models from the Creative Masters line were extremely high detail for the time in diecast history and commanded a high price tag as well.  

Collector response to the series was excellent but still some stood off in a corner at scoffed at the scale, which was and is still considered obscure. The price was steep, costing more than The Franklin Mint at $129.95, and competing companies swore the cars would never catch on with collectors due to the odd scale and high price.

As the questions and concerns mounted for a majority of collectors, many more realized the remarkable detail that was packed into this line of diecast even at the price they commanded.   Before long though, the line was halted leaving 7 models to form its legacy that left collectors and fans of the series feeling like they had been sitting all the way through an Alfred Hitchcock movie, only to have the film break at the most suspenseful part.

Never before in history has a line of diecast cars captured so much passion in both the men that designed them and the collectors that became obsessed with them.  

So how did this series come about and what led to its untimely demise?   Who were the key players at Revell-Monogram and what cars were developed?

Well, hop in, give your seat belts an extra tug and hang on…were going to explore the entire line from the idea behind it all and the men that designed them to the reasons why they were shut down.   We’ll also take a closer look at every one of the models and explore the myths and urban legends that have been created behind the Revell-Monogram line of Creative Masters Limited diecast cars.

THE MEN BEHIND THE MAGIC  

Five men had direct involvement in this series.   The idea was born from the creative cooperation of Jack Stoneman, Bob Johnson and Roger Harney but later included the collaboration of Ken Merker and Ed Sexton.

Jack Stoneman was the President of Monogram Models Inc.   Jack had a strong background in assembled diecast replicas with his previous association with The ERTL Toy Company.   Jack left Revell-Monogram in the early 90’s for Liberty Classics but the Creative Master line continued under the capable hands of Bob Johnson and Roger Harney.

Roger Harney started his career with Revell in 1957 as a model maker.   Through the years, Roger was able to grow as Revell grew.   With each changing of guard that Revell-Monogram underwent, Roger survived each rebirth of and put common sense into his general business practices.   In nearly 50 years, Roger has certainly seen his fair share of changes in the Hobby industry and is currently Sr. Vice President in charge of Tooling & Manufacturing.

Bob Johnson was the “idea guy” that combined his talent with the expertise of Jack Stoneman in the diecast industry.   Together, the Creative Masters line was born from analysis that this was an area that would help Revell-Monogram grow together in the hobby industry without competing against each other.   Revell and Monogram were and still remain 2 separate companies under one roof.

Hired by Roger in October, 1973 Johnson stated, “I started as a draftsman...  I was the only degreed person in the company at the time because so much of this business was "hands on" learning.  My degree was in Industrial Design and I figured that Monogram was a great place to learn the art of injection molding design.”  

In 1991, Johnson resigned his position as Director of Product Development for Revell and Monogram.   For all of the positions that he held at Revell-Monogram for over 18 years, Bob states, “I am most proud of being a good student of Roger Harney's.”  

Bob went on to form his own company, International Racing Technology and later became one of the 3 original founders of Accurate Miniatures where he designed the infamous 1/24^th scale Corvette Gran Sport model kit.   He is also an outside consultant to other diecast companies such as 1320 Inc., Carousel-1, Classic Metal Works, and headed the Design Team for the Revell Collection NASCAR and Drag Racing diecast lines.   Many collectors will remember his appearances on the cable TV shopping channel, “QVC” working along side show hosts as diecast models were featured.   Bob provided a huge amount of insight into the hobby and being a “car-guy”, was able to relate a lot of unknown stories and trivia about the real cars represented in diecast.

Ed Sexton was already employed with Monogram as the Assistant Product Manager at the time the series started.   Ed’s involvement with the series started during the Research and Development of the Corvette.   Ed was transferred to the Revell division and worked along side Bob Johnson.   After Bob decided to leave the company, the project was given to Ed.  

Ed’s duties were realigned after Bob left Revell-Monogram.   Soon afterward, Binney and Smith (then owners of Revell-Monogram) had stopped the program cold and Ed was now in the position to initiate and recommend new and different programs.   After the powers that be at Binney and Smith had left the company, Ed revisited the Creative Masters line and recommended reinitiating the program using the existing molds but different cars in more limited quantities to include the Signature Series.   The recommendation was well received and soon the second generation was born.   Ed is still with Revell-Monogram as the Vice President of Business Development.

Ken Merker was heavily involved with the Creative Masters project just after the beginning stages of the Cobra tooling.   During a majority of the series, Ken was in charge of all Creative Masters products being produced in Hong Kong.   Revell had been primarily a plastic kit company until the Creative Masters series was started.   As a result, it was quickly discovered that die casting plastic was far and away different than die casting in Zamac; “There are just things that just cannot be done with metal that can be done in plastic.”   Thanks to Ken’s innovation and design, the die casting issues were soon resolved.

THE HONG KONG CONNECTION
At the time, Jack Stoneman identified that 1/24^th scale diecast replicas would be an important venture for Monogram.   The plan was put into motion for a 1/24^th scale diecast program that was to initially launch with a Firebird and Camaro.   These plans later were put on hold when the company was bought by Odyssey Partners.   After Stoneman was retained to be the president of the new company, Revell-Monogram Inc., the project was revisited. 

During a trip to Hong Kong to seek out information on entering the automotive diecast replica market, a dinner meeting was had with Leo Kowk, who was experienced in the die-cast business, and Carl Tong, a Hong Kong banker.   Between the 2 of them, they had created a company named "Master Creative Limited" to do the manufacturing of a new product range.

As talks continued in the US and Hong Kong, it was decided that the line would target The Franklin Mint and would mimic the direct marketing program they used.   It was during this time that the brand name of this new line of diecast by Revell-Monogram would be called “Creative Masters Limited” and the line-up would consist of well known automobiles that had a significant impact in automotive history.

The goal was set to surpass the 1/24th scale Franklin Mint replicas in terms of detail and finish. Because the selected cars were primarily 2-seat autos and relatively small, it was apparent that 1/24th scale would not support a retail cost of $129.95.  So the decision to make the line 1/20^th scale was made as a compromise to the larger 1/18^th scale that was held primarily with Bburago and ERTL and to the smaller scale of 1/24^th held tightly by The Franklin Mint.

MYTHS, LEGENDS AND MISCONCEPTIONS  

Although Revell of Germany, the sister company to Revell-Monogram, also sold Creative Masters diecast they decided to add highly detailed Jouef replicas in 1/43rd and 1/24^th scales to the line (Ferrari P4 and Ferrari GTO including racing liveried cars).

According to Bob Johnson, there were never any plans on doing this line in 1/43^rd or 1/24^th scale.   This decision for 1/20th scale as the “official scale” was made early on in the research and development stage.   No tooling was ever created in any other scale for the Creative Masters LTD line of diecast.

The numerous Ferrari’s that were marketed in scales other than 1/20^th scale under the Creative Masters brand name were actually made by Jouef Inc.   Although they were touted as being a part of the line even in the name on the box art, later on, it was required that the box art be changed and remove the Creative Masters name from these models.   As a result, there are cars that appear to be part of the Creative Masters LTD line of diecast but are nothing more than re-boxed Jouef.   These diecast are not to be misconstrued as an error, but more of an attempt to piggy back on a well respected line of diecast.

All of the cars that were made in the Creative Masters line were originally made for the American markets with a certain amount exported overseas.   The story of the Yellow Camaro Z/28 that opened this article is one of the many myths that surround this one particular car.

The truth is that the yellow Z/28 Camaro was the last of the Creative Masters cars to be done.   When Binney and Smith had purchased Revell-Monogram, it was decided by the new owners that the line was not profitable enough to continue and the decision was made to stop production of the line.   The only problem was that all the Research and Development had been completed and the cars were to go to production.   Revell of Germany had already ordered 200 of the yellow Z/28’s and production of that order was already underway.   So it was decided to fulfill that order then shut the production down.   All 200 of the yellow Z/28’s were sent to Germany and little by little, this model drifted from its Germany point of origin and found its way into the happy hearts of collectors around the world making it one of the rarest diecast ever produced.

Many of the yellow Z-28’s have been discovered to have tampo printing in place of the photo etched emblems on the bodies.   This has led to the speculation that these cars were not a part of the production run that went to Germany and were pre-production samples.   The fact is that these tampo’s that were discovered were actually placed on the car to assist the line workers in the factory in Hong Kong on where and how to place the photo etched emblems on the cars.   Remember, these were American cars replicated in scale and hand assembled in another country.   Many of the line workers that assembled these diecast never knew the real cars ever existed let alone set their eyes on pictures of the real thing.   The tampo's increased production times and ensured the emblems were installed on the diecast correctly.   The absence of the emblem was due to either not applied fully and/or the adhesive that held the emblem on had failed causing it to fall off over time.

Collectors have also had misconceptions of the Certificates and associated paperwork that was to be included with all of the cars.   Although the second generation all had numbered certificates that matched up to a serial number on the chassis, the original series did not  

One rumor states that if cars were ordered direct from R-M, they would have all associated paperwork included but if a customer ordered theirs from a dealer/distributor, no paperwork was included as if it was some sort of penalty for not buying direct from Revell-Monogram.

Nothing was further from the truth.   The concept was to have some sort of documentation provided to the customer that the replica had been inspected and/or given some type of blessing to make it authentic.   The only problem was that this was the early days of Limited Edition diecast and fulfillment of the documentation was hit or miss.   Naturally, those cars that have the paperwork with them these days garner higher values than those without.

Another misconception lies in the Shelby Mustang GT-350.   This was the third car done in the line and some of these were built with the black 289 Hi-performance blocks while others had the typical 289 block painted Ford Blue.   The question that surrounds the collectors of the Creative Masters Diecast is which block is the rarer?   Some say it was the black block while others swear the blue is the rarer one.   The fact is, nobody really knows.   There are no records to support how many were built with either the blue or the black engine blocks.   One fact is clear; the correct color for the Shelby Mustang GT-350 was the black block.

Historical information on the Shelby engines says this

"Aside from an alternator in place of a generator, the 289 High Performance rolled into 1965 with a black block, heads, and intake with chrome valve covers and air cleaner. This is the 306-horse Shelby 289 High Performance with the Cobra dress-up kit, high-rise intake manifold, and Holley carburetion."  

The second car done in the line was the 427 Chevrolet Corvettes.   On the bell housing for the power train, it was painted the typical orange color then carefully over-sprayed with silver paint to replicate the real car.   On the full-sized Corvette, the bell housing had been attached to the transmission and then the transmission was painted silver without masking the bell housing.   The result was that the bell housing was orange with silver overspray.

During a trade show, a sloppy paint job on the engine was brought to the attention of the Revell-Monogram Exec’s.   Once it was explained that this is correct for the particular car, the complainant was satisfied but it sat in the back of Revell-Monogram’s mind and the decision was made to change the car on a subsequent run so that no over spray was apparent on the bell housings.  

So which one is the rarer version?   Like the GT-350 engine blocks, there are no records to indicate numbers of over-spray vs. non over-sprayed bell housings.   The fact is the correct bell housing is the one that has the silver over sprayed on the orange.

Another misconception surrounds the Guardsman Blue Racing Cobra.   Approximately 7 years ago, a collector/dealer surfaced stating that he had just received several complete cases of the Creative Masters Racing Cobras without any sponsor logos nor did they have the “meatballs” with the car’s number 98 that were tampo’d on the bodies.

This would have been possible if these cars had been preproduction samples but those pre-production sample cars were few, as in less than a case of cars.   None of the production models of the Creative Masters Racing Cobra’s came from the factory without sponsor logos or the “meatballs”.   I do personally know of one collector that wanted to test the theory if the tampo’s could be removed without harming the paint on the body.   Sure enough, a little nail polish remover and a Q-tip provided all the proof that was needed.   Since there is no additional evidence to provide otherwise, it proved itself to be a potential scam to take a car and attempt to make it worth much more than necessary.

The sixth car in the series was the red Dodge Viper R/T10.   Although the Creative Masters production car came with the characteristic “blacked-out” headlamp lenses, some collectors have questioned whether or not a handful of these were produced with clear lenses stating these were rare cars along the like of what has lately been deemed a “chase car”.   All production Creative Masters Vipers were built with the blacked out lenses.   The only possibility is that maybe a pre-production sample was released from a private collection or employee of Revell-Monogram.   None of the production versions came equipped with clear lenses.

PERFECTION IN SCALE

For the time that the Creative Masters line was produced, the level of detail was well in advance of what was considered state of the art in other competing diecast models.   CAD design software was not as widely used in this industry as it is today.

Painstaking detail was built into the Creative Masters line.   A generous use of photo-etched detail was used throughout many of the cars for that added touch of realism.   This was a time when this level of detail was nearly unheard of.

The process of chroming various parts on the cars was performed in the very same manner that your full sized, daily driver sitting out in your driveway was.   For the time, however, electroplating model parts in this manner was rarely done.

Originally, the first 2 cars in the series (1965 427 Shelby Cobra and the 1967 427 Chevrolet Corvette) were to be produced at the same time.   These cars were chosen first as they were the 2 most well known 427 cubic inch, high performance cars in the US that were direct competitors to each other.   Since these 2 cars were direct competitors in the automotive world, Revell assumed collectors would have been lining up to purchase both diecast at the same time.

However, common sense prevailed in that with the overall price point of $129.95 per car, collectors were not willing to part with nearly $260 dollars in one purchase to obtain both cars.   So the decision was made to split the cars and market them separately.

The decision was made to release the Cobra first then at a later date, release the Corvette.   This would later prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Corvette as problems with the resin prototype model were nearly destroyed prior to the manufacture of the tool that would be used to cast the Corvette.

Cobra – The original idea came from the creative mind of Bob Johnson.   Marketed in such magazines as Road and Track and Car and Driver, the car was an overnight success selling out over 10,000 copies which persuaded Revell-Monogram to go back to production with a second round.

Done in a classic Rangoon Red with black interior, no other car on the road at the time said “mean and nasty” better than the 427 Cobra.

Corvette – The original idea was to tool the coupe instead of the Roadster.   A pre-production version of the 427 coupe car was done but Revell determined that the Roadster would be more popular with collectors.   With that in mind, the Coupe was shelved and the Roadster was pushed to production.   The resin mock up of the car seemed to be doomed to failure though.   Most diecast cars start off with a resin mockup but by the time this mock up was received in Hong Kong, it was nearly destroyed.   After an emergency call was placed stateside, the car was reassembled piece by piece in a very painstaking manner.   The end result was obviously worth the wait.

Done in tuxedo black with red interior and Stinger stripe and a 427 with the triple carburetor setup, this gave the Corvette Roadster that sophisticated sports car demeanor that represented raw power.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT-350 – Most agree that this version of the car is the most accurate Shelby Mustang done to date in diecast metal.   The Shelby Mustang GT-350 is one of automotive histories greatest stories.   The Creative Masters model in Wimbledon White with black interior and the classic Shelby Racing stripes in blue are amazingly accurate.   Even the stripes have the correct taper to them on the hood.

#9 GT-40 – No other car in racing history said winning better than the GT-40.   Just 40” tall from the road, the GT-40 set records both here in the US and abroad.   This GT-40 was built to replicate the 1968 Lemans’ winning car with Chassis #1075.   This car led the race for over 17 hours of the 24-hour endurance race.

Done in the classic Gulf Racing colors every little detail is perfectly replicated from the “basket of snakes” to the expert tampo printing on the body.

Racing 427 Cobra #98 – Done in Guardsman Blue with white stripes, wheels and exhaust, Revell Monogram captured the pure essence of the race car with this 1/20^th scale beauty.   The “meatballs” proudly proclaim #98.   A member of the Shelby Racing stables, the car was piloted by Ken Miles and Ronnie Buckman through many a race campaign with great success.

Dodge Viper R/T 10 – The Dodge Viper RT/10 was a venture between Chrysler and Carroll Shelby.   The fit and finish on the Creative Masters Viper is magnificent as in all of the Creative Masters line but this one went the extra mile.   Since this was the newest “Dream Car” in the automotive world, Revell-Monogram went so far as to put a sales sticker on the front glass as if you were taking one home from the dealership.

The diecast was a painful endeavor to have done.   First, it took Chrysler forever to approve the final car and grant the rights to have it done.   And second, the diecast was difficult at best to render in 1/20^th scale.   First test shots reportedly were horrible and it took a lot of finesse by Ken Merker to finally get the body shape down to the perfecting standards that the series was.   But in the end, it was well worth the hassles and wait as to this day, it still sets the standard for all other diecast companies to mimic.

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 – This was one of the most popular cars to ever hail from the halls of Detroit automotive design.   The one car alone had more appeal to both young and old than any other Chevrolet besides the Corvette.   The Z/28 version was among the fastest of the pony car set and gave the Ford Mustang Boss 302 a run for its money both on and off the track.

The Creative Masters version of the 69 Z/28 sadly met an abrupt end to the series as was mentioned earlier and to this day, it is one of the most accurate models of the real car known to exist.   Done in Daytona Yellow with Black Z/28 stripes and black interior, this single diecast is one of the most highly sought after and rarest diecast collectibles available on the secondary market.

THE SECOND COMING  

After Binney and Smith ordered the shut down of the Creative Masters line, many collectors of diecast that had shunned the awkward scale were hurriedly trying to acquire the entire lineup that had been produced so far.   With only 7 cars in the line it seemed like a possible venture.   Values soared on the secondary market and soon everyone that complained about the scale of the cars was feverishly trying outbid current prices on eBay.

As the coveted Yellow Z/28 had hit a high sales record of $5,300, the rest of the line started to climb in value, as well.   The #9 GT-40 hit the $1,200 mark; the red street Cobra went for upwards of $400 and the Shelby Mustang was also hitting record sales for the model of $350 and more.   But the Racing Cobra, Viper and Corvette were met with much more lack-luster sales figures barely breaking the MSRP of $129.95.   Many speculate that these three had been over produced and the collector market had been completely saturated.   So many of these three cars were done in such great quantity with the original series that Revell-Monogram still had these in stock, quietly tucked away in a dark corner of a warehouse.  

After Revell-Monogram was bought out by an investor group, the record setting secondary market sales figures were looked at and the motions were made to get the line rolling again.   But this time, things were done much differently.

Revell-Monogram had the existing molds and contrary to popular belief; all of the molds were 100% intact and useable.   The four most popular cars were scheduled without any real changes to them with the exception of paint.  

The second generations of cars were to be more limited for marketing reasons.   Given that, a firm commitment to 3,000 pieces of each of the cars in the second generation was made.   Each chassis was modified to receive a small photo-etched plaque to show the number of the series for each model.   That number also was matched to a certificate of authenticity that was included in each model.

So the plans were set to reuse the Camaro, GT-40, Cobra and Shelby Mustang molds.   The Camaro mold would now churn out a Lemans Blue and a Hugger Orange with white striping;   the GT-40 was to be produced with the sister car to the #9, the #6 that was driven to victory by Jackie Oliver and Jacky Ickx.   The Rangoon Red Cobra was repainted Black.   The only other car in the second generation was the Shelby Mustang. But rather than just a repaint to one of the more unpopular colors of the car, Revell Monogram opted to do something special and with the help of Hertz Rent-a-car, turned the 65 Mustang into a 66 Shelby Mustang GT-350H.   In 1966, Shelby did a number of cars in a specific Black with Gold striping solely for Hertz, hence the “H” in the GT-350H namesake.

Collectors were ecstatic of the second generation of the line.   Rumors on the internet spread like wildfire in anticipation of the Lemans’ Blue Z/28; the first of the new releases and the cars were almost an overnight sellout.
 

CREATIVE MASTERS SIGNATURE SERIES  

The resurgence in the Creative Masters second generation of diecast was indeed wonderful news for Revell-Monogram.   As a special incentive to collectors, two of the second generation cars were selected to have a special run of 250.   Deemed the “Signature Series”, these cars both came with a finished walnut plank suitable for a museum with a brass plate that could be affixed to the plank for display purposes.

The first of the two cars was the GT-40.   250 of the production run cars were isolated for the addition of the plank and brass plate and along side the printing on the plate was the signature of Jackie Oliver and Jacky Ickx.   These were not pad printed signatures either.   The brass plates bore the actual signature of both drivers with a black permanent magic marker.

The second car was taken from the run of 3,000 Black Cobra’s.   These were done differently than the #6 GT-40 Signature Series cars.   For the GT-40’s, the cars were the exact same cars as the remaining 2,750 cars but on the Signature Series Cobra, the bodies were finished to replicate brushed aluminum with the black massive side pipes.   The brass plate was signed by non other than Carroll Shelby himself.

EVEN MORE LIMITED EDITIONS  

As limited as the second generation of the line was, there was one car that was completed but never sold to the general public and was executed in 2 separate runs for 2 very special reasons.

130 retiring employees from Revell-Monogram were given a polished chrome Cobra as a small token of the companies appreciation.   Although I have never seen nor heard of one being offered for sale, the quantity produced for the designed purpose of this car is surely to make this one of the most highly sought after diecast cars made.

But it does get better.   Revell-Monogram was purchased by the RM Investment Group, LLC on November 15^th, 2002.   As a special commemoration to the 13 people that make up this Investment Group a very special Creative Masters Cobra was built complete with a display case like none other offered to anyone in or out of Revell-Monogram.   It is very likely that collectors may never see nor ever get the chance to purchase one of these 13 museum quality Cobras.

UNTIMELY DEMISE

Collectors all over have chimed in and yes, those that collect the line are deeply passionate over it.   The line had great potential with collectors since so few cars had ever been produced in the odd but perfect 1/20^th scale.   This is a scale that allows you to take in all the wondrous detail that these cars possess without taking up excess room as larger scales do.   The technology behind the creation of the cars was top notch and actually more realistic than most collectors can fathom.

There were many more cars on the horizon that had been chosen for the line such as the Cobra Daytona, a number of Ferraris, Viper GTS and the list goes on and on.   Sadly though, the list was cut down in its prime and like the oil paintings of the Old Masters of Rembrandt and Da Vinci, the Creative Masters series demand was heightened after line was dead.

Bob Johnson summed up this way:

“There was never any "rocket science" connected with the CM line; only an attempt to develop a superb line of scale models and market them in a unique way.   It succeeded on quality product and failed on the marketing side from a lack of company commitment and follow-through.”  

With the second generation of the Creative Masters line, the marketing aspect had been streamlined to only produce a total of 3,000 copies per model released.   Several repaints were slated for the line such as various racing liveries for the GT-40’s but the cars did not sell that well at all.

Had they been kept to a tighter dealer/distributor network, things might have been different. But the market became flooded with cars overnight with each successive release.   Many dealers and distributors loaded up eBay with them and started their value at $1.   The plentiful supply on eBay kept the collecting market from direct ordering from Revell-Monogram and authorized Dealers of Revell-Monogram products had considerable trouble in making sales.

Sadly for the business side of the program the profit margins started falling apart and the decision to once again stop the series was put into play.   Sales were down and the longevity of the line seemed doomed to fail, again.  

When the original cars were being released in the late 80’s/early 90’s, the Internet was in its infancy and not as popular as it is today.   EBay was not a factor in the collectible market as it is today and collectibles maintained their worth.   It is the opinion of many that eBay is the world’s largest flea market and whatever you may be looking for can usually be found at cut rate prices.

This is a problem that most manufactures are faced with these days and it has caused more creative thinking for Marketing divisions than one can imagine.   Dealers that buy into a manufactures product line are held to a sales agreement to offer the products at Manufactures Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for a predetermined amount of time.   Those that violate this agreement are moreover subject to penalty and/or lawsuits from the manufactures.

THE FUTURE  

Many have hoped the line would continue while others feel that it was a fitting end to leave the collecting world while remaining on top.   But what if a third generation was produced?

Collectors have told me that if the line was revisited and produced, many wanted to see new subject matter while others said that unless it was done in either 1/24^th or 1/18^th scale, there was little or no interest.  

When this question was poised to the Executive Management at Revell-Monogram, the answer at the time was simply put “there is always that chance but there are no plans at the present time”.

But where is the Creative Masters line-up to go from here?  Will collectors shun their noses at the odd scale?   Will new molds be tooled to meet the demands of collectors today?   Will the Creative Masters Ltd diecast once again reset the bar for high end detailed diecast?

Only time will tell.

Brian Schindler