Caddycollector

Ну вот, замочили Петю... Алик, ты ведь сообщишь эту радостную новость коллегам на американском форуме? У тебя английский намного лучше моего ;)

Для тех, кто читает с интерактивным переводчиком ;) Neo Models Neo are one of the newer names to the 1:43rd model industry but in a few short years have established themselves as producers of very well finished resin cast models. Early in September Jaap van Dijk (Managing Director) and Mark Asbreuk (Product Development Manager) called in to see us and filled us in a little on what the company is all about. FSW - How did you start in the model business? Jaap - I trained as an industrial designer and worked in various fields, from furniture to the motor industry with Volvo. I am one of four boys so naturally there was always some interest in cars from a young age. I sort of fell into model cars as I was looking for an alternative business opportunity and started with model distribution, founding my main company Replicars which specializes in the wholesale supply of model cars. Mark - I have been involved in the model business for over 20 years in sales, marketing, product development, all aspects really. I started modeling as a child with my first Monogram kit and liked to improve the plastic kits that I was building. By the age of about 12 I was finding the plastic kits to not be enough of a challenge and built my first 1:43 metal kit, a Grand Prix Models Ford Escort. From 1998 to 2003 I had my own company making 1:18 scale Austin Healeys and then I joined a German shop Modelissimo, helping them with promotion before being invited to join Replicars and help create their own range. FSW- What prompted the move from wholesale to manufacturing? Jaap - It started initially as an idea to have a brand that was exclusive to Replicars, We had already had a few models made for us by other makers such as Spark, with subjects like including the Donkervoort and Spyker. We created Neo in 2006 (or was it 2007?) and the first few models were made for us by Spark. Spark was a very important range for us as distributors but then they signed the deal with Miniichamps for European distribution and that cost me hundreds of thousands of Euro in lost turnover. This was when we found our own factory and, though we don't own it, they work exclusively for us. FSW - Your subject choice can be someцhat, errm, eccentric. How do you decide what to make? We have often wondered whether it is input from clubs? Jaap - Being a distributor as well as a manufacturer means that we are in a good position to see gaps in the market. We work as a small team within Replicars to try and choose what we think will sell and Mark can advise if we can actually make it. Some choices are based on suggestions from outside, for example a Swiss dealer says to us 'no one makes Swiss cars. Why not?'. We did some research and started to make the Monteverdis. ft is a difficult line between having a passion for a subject and wanting to make it and knowing if it will sell. Mark - One consideration is how many versions that we can get from a pattern with some small changes. FSW - You're based in Holland, the factory is in China. How much of the development work is done at home and how much over there? Mark - This is what I do. The planning and research is done mostly in Holland. Once we have collected all the photos that we can and created drawings, these are sent to China for the pattern making, I spend about half of my time between the two countries. Working with the Chinese has many advantages but you do have to keep very close control and give clear instructions. Once the Chinese have the information, it usually takes about two weeks for the first 3D pattern to be ready. If I am in China I check it there, otherwise it is sent to me in Holland. There will usually be some adjustments to be made, it is not unusual for us to need to modify the pattern as many as ten times. Sometimes it is details that need to be changed, sometimes it is to ease production. It usually takes about six to eight weeks from the start of a project to have a mock up ready for production. With all the adjustments it usually takes three to four months to have a production model from the first prototype, though it can be quicker Overall we are looking at maybe four to six months from the decision to make a model to the model being ready to ship. FSW- You use a lot of photo-etch. Is this done in house or subcontracted? Mark - The drawing for etch and decals is done in house and we then outsource the actual production of these parts. The pieces are usually returned in a couple of days. Our Chinese partners organize the subcontractors. FSW - How many models do you need to make of a subject for it to be viable? Jaap - We aim for 1500 - 2000 pieces per pattern. This includes all colour options, so for a road car we might make three or four versions in different colours with left and right hand drive, 500 of each. We do not make more than 1000 pieces of a single subject in the Neo range but we have a range of models made exclusively for Russia and some of those have done nearly 10,000 pieces! FSW - How many employees do you have in the factory and how many new models a month are they making? Mark - We currently employ about 200 in the main factory and this is limiting production to about 10,000 piece per year. Our aim is to double that but at the moment we don't have the capacity. We make 6-8 new items a month but it takes 2-3 days to train the assembly line staff to make each new model and this reduces flexibility. What jobs the factory workers do depends on their skill levels. The most skilled are the paint sprayers and these are our most expensive employees. We have created a system where everyone checks on each others work as it is very easy to miss problems when doing a repetitive task and it helps everyone to learn something new. This is something that we are very keen on. FSW- How do you plan to increase capacity? More shifts? Mark - No, our workers typically do a 48 hour, 6 day week on normal daytime hours. Like most factories in China, we provide accommodation for the workers on site so we cannot have the factory working around the clock with them sleeping above. This is usually in a shared room but they can pay a little and have a pnvate room if they wish. We have two other factories that do subcontract work for us and these are working on potential new projects. FSW - Is this just extra capacity to carry on along the same lines or will you be taking new directions? Jaap - We are looking at all sorts. Neo is working very well for us so we will carry on along this line. Also 1:18 and 1:87 cars. Trucks are interesting, maybe some racing cars, 1:32 agricultural vehicles. All of these are items that I know we can sell if we get the right subjects. Mark - Station wagons too. There are not many models out there and there are some great looking subjects, especially some of the older American ones. Fords, Buicks etc. FSW - We've seen a big shift from kits to ready made models over the past few years, what do you see as the future for model collecting? Both - Resin. Mark - For the collector market the resin models as they can be made faster and in smaller numbers. There will still be traditional diecasts but we see these being more for the toy market, not the model market. Some people will still want to build kits but for us it is the resin collector's models that we believe are the way forward.

Ты мне правдоподобный сценарий развития событий не рассказывал ;)

Ну вот ;) А мне тоже интересно :P

Каких таких бабок? Имеются в виду ставки, сделанные знакомыми и родственниками для придания большей ценности "эксклюзивной" модели? Это уже проходили...

Как обстоят дела с душевным здоровьем? ;)

Любителям BMW ;)

Барби-кар ;) А тетку Париж звать, а не Пэрис ;)

И при этом не ломаются ;)

Декали долго лучше не хранить.

;) ?

А на третей фотографии "ноздри" явно нарисованные уже на снимке.

Что значит реклама CIA? Титульный спонсор - ЦРУ? ;)

Трудно сравнивать, ракурсы, все же отличаются. По-моему, с длиной переднего и заднего свесов все в порядке, просто на фотографии модели виден радиатор, который визуально удлиняет передний свес. А вот высота кузова сразу за колесной аркой у модели маловата. Сзади же картина противоположная: высота кузова за колесной аркой больше чем на реальном автомобиле.

По-моему, НЕО чуть получше будет.

Иероглифами написано КАВАСАКИ, что может означать либо производителя мотоциклов Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd, либо город в предместье Токио, либо японскую фамилию.

Уменьшение высоты оконного проема, возможно, происходит из-за неправильно рассчитанной высоты травленых рамок. Так, как было на Премиумском Кадиллаке флитвуд 1966 года, аналогичный косяк на НЕОвской модели с ходу не вспомил (пропорции кузова китайцы считают по живым машинам, потому, чаще всего, они получаются правильными). Такой косяк при большом желании можно исправить самостоятельно ;) А что касается покупать или нет, то разве проблема продать свежевыпущенную модель НЕО если она не понравилась?

Реально музыки не хватает ;) Может, кто поможет соседям? ;)

Необычная машина ;) А вопросов к монтажу заднего колпака нет? Такие детали обычно непросто точно изготовить, если это не заводские формы. Пластик толстый?

Очень интересно смотрятся машины в "боевой" рекламной раскраске ;) Меня, правда, всегда привлекал первичный дизайн автомобиля, чтобы яркие наклейки не отвлекали от линий и плоскостей, задуманных автором(ами). В связи с этим сугубо личным отношением вопрос: никогда не было желания поставить рядом на полке гражданскую версию, например, той же Лянчи? Ведь это две разные машины по восприятию! По-моему, интересно ;)

Van Vooren Странная закономерность имеет место в Ваших сообщениях ;)

Сегодня день рождения автомобиля!

Это тот, который с двигателем от танка? ;)

;)

Египетский миллиардер на аукционе Bonhams распродаст коллекцию Ferrari... Не опоздайте, до 5 февраля осталось мало времени ;)