Franklin Mint 1/43 Diecast Models

Franklin Mint 1/43 Diecast Models history

Franklin Mint Company was founded in 1964 by Joseph Siegel.  The company started with marketing privately-minted collector coins, medals and tokens for the casino. In order to help collectors and ensure a better promotion of the collection of goods, Franklin Mint has established Franklin Collectors Society. 

In 1981, Franklin Mint was purchased by media giant Warner Communications. However, Warner was forced to sell part of its non-core assets to accumulate funds. Franklin Mint was sold in 1985, the family Reznikov ( Linda and Stuart). That's facsimile signature Stewart Resnick is on the certificate model Franklin Mint 1/43 scale. 

In 1983, the Franklin Mint entered the die-cast car market with the 1935 Mercedes Benz 500K Roadster. In the following years, Franklin Mint produced several designs including the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, one of Franklin Mint's better-selling models.

When Franklin Mint comes to diecast collectibles, nobody produces a better product and nothing compares to the quality of a Franklin Mint diecast model.

• •  Working doors and hood.

  •  Accurate paint schemes.

  •  Detailed interior

  •  Under body details.

Start of production models, the company tried to set new standards of quality, at least, they declared, stressing the "precision" of their products. For its time, these claims were well founded and supported by a high level of authenticity really, the complexity of models, estimated (in 1/43 scale) more than 50 parts.  

 For a quality Franklin Mint Models and requested a price high enough - the very model of a scale to 43 and cost $ 49.00,  including delivery cost the American consumers $ 55.00 and later $ 65.00 - the hallmark of FM business has been sending its products by mail, hence the non-standard packaging is in plastic boxes or cardboard boxes, and plastic. Given the high price models (compared to 24 scale models cost about 120, 16th - 135, 6th - 295 dollars), the firm offered to pay in installments for three or five months. 

On the other hand, the high price for this proposed Franklin Mint Diecast collectors really very high quality products, accompanied by all sorts of little things, so nice collector's heart.Each model had a certificate of quality and full-color booklet, which provides a brief history of the actual car, its technical characteristics. Most models are very accurate  in the proportions and sizes, although this respected firm was not without sin, and some models do not fall slightly in the size of the prototype. Many collectors Franklin Mint models valued for having opening parts (talking about 1:43 scale), while for other fans, this feature is regarded as a disadvantage, distort the clarity of line, especially when compared with current models of high-tech era. 

Project of the finest models in 1:43 scale began in 1987. Based on the number of issued and models. Total FM 1:43 released exactly 60 scale models. At the same 48 models were produced by regular series - 4 sets of 12 models. Another 12 models were produced irregularly, the last one - in 2008 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Franklin Mint Precision Models, but it was a completely different model - the "blind" tar Corvette 1963 Christmas ornament, that is, the more likely a souvenir than a traditional for the company products. The models are manufactured in 43 scale, have the following features. All of them, with few exceptions, have opened up the door (as long as they were in the prototype - 2 or 4) and hoods. All models had only one option to paint, it always used to paint the original prototype colors. Models of two vehicles - Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Camaro were released in two colors, but it was not a model of two colors and two separate models.

The models were designed in the U.S. and demanding manual production was entering specialized workshops in Hong Kong, Macau and China.

Production demanding sophisticated models of the Franklin Mint in 1 / 43, unfortunately, after several years proved to be unprofitable. In 2001, Franklin Mint finally ended their production. Therefore, all the Franklin Mint series remain in the world of models 1 / 43 rare. Franklin Mint are still the stars of any collection of diecast models of American cars.