Several companies (Altaya, Hachette, Atlas, M6...) make collections available through newstands or subscription. Models sell from 10,50 to 14,95 euros each.

Manufacturers :

- Mostly Ixo, Norev, Universal Hobbies, Eligor... Former "press models" may eventually be part of those manufacturers regular ranges, prices won't be the same. Example : Altaya Ixo Rallye de Monte Carlo = 12,95 euros, same model in the Ixo range = 23,50 to 30,00 euros...

Newstands :
- New model every two weeks
- Two weeks after release, unsold models are likely shipped back to the press distributor (a few months later some old issues are then sold to wholesalers all over Europe, prices can drop down to 2,00 euros each !)
- Not all newstands stock all the collections

There is a small newstand in Paris which stocks almost every models from every collections : this shop is quite unbelievable, don"t miss it when you are in Paris !

Subscriptions :

- You get the models at the same price as newstand price + shipping charge + free models
- You must be a French resident to subscribe, same for the Spanish and Italian collections : a French resident can't subscribe to those Southern Europe collections

Sold out :

- Some models are so successful (the Monte Carlo Lancia Aurelia for example), they sell very fast and become very hard to find

Thanks for the info! I managed to find some models at the newsstands in Italy, when they were selling American car collection. Models are made by Yat-Ming and I wasn't very pleased with the quality. These IXO, Altaya... models seem to be of a much better quality and have more details. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the info! I managed to find some models at the newsstands in Italy, when they were selling American car collection. Models are made by Yat-Ming and I wasn't very pleased with the quality. These IXO, Altaya... models seem to be of a much better quality and have more details. :thumbsup:
You're right Superbird77 ! The Yatmings are kind of "basic" and were previously released in the Yatming range even cheaper than the press collection ! We really are missing a serious "American Classic Cars collection" ! Please Mr. IXO, do something !

That sounds like a wonderful deal. I wish we had a system as easy as that to get new die cast model cars. I can not imagine how the inventory can be managed so carefully - were you to see the disarray of the die cast section in an American store you'd see how unbelievable it is that those French releases can be sold and re-stocked in such an orderly manner.

At the huge annual collector car show in Essen earlier this year I saw many of those "news agent" releases on sale cheap - perhaps three to five euros each. They were piled in bins at various vendors' stands in the two or three halls where model cars showed up. They seemed just like you report - returned, resold and discounted.

I have no reliable retail merchant for direct purchase of 1/43 scale model cars. I can buy the American 1/64 scale cars at retail stores - but the supply is limited and unreliable. Some models can be bought by mail order, but I can't find multiple lines from any one retailer and can't ever expect to find the specific releases I want.

I'd love to have a new stand where I could go buy freshly released new models every couple of weeks but I doubt that such a scheme could ever find enough buyers in the USA - much less where I live in the Rocky Mountain west. Guns & fishing tackle, maybe - but model cars, no.