[jjw724]

Been reading through the posts & thought to start a new thread on this, I'm not a big poster here but been collecting since 2008, Have learned alot by reading these posts on here & want to thank all of you for what i have learned about this hobby over the last few years, I think these three diecast company's all have there strengths & weaknesses, so thought i would express my opinion of the three as to what i feel i have learned & would love to hear your opinions as well,
Let's start with the Pro's
M2: I love that they have the older pre 60's cars (auto-thentics), there detail & perspective such as the wild cards i just seen is awesome, i am also very impressed with there customer service even just the fact that Sean is
regularly seen on these boards simply awesome
GL: I have to say i really like there stuff, The true scale, the detail & quality is second to none, i mostly display there pieces & do so proudly
JL: is in this because of the amount of differant castings i can get from them truly amazes me, i can get a vega, grandprix, grand national, monte carlo etc... that i cannot get from the other two.
Ok here comes the Con's:
M2: Bigger scale then i prefer & even though there cars are beatiful i have a hard time with the door gap issue's
GL: I would just love to see more castings out of them like JL can offer me, you can only do so many paint jobs on the same one, i my self have never had any customer service issues but have read other people have
JL: Just feel that detail & quality are lacking, some of the earlier stuff is nice but when i see a casting i would like to have i have to go to Wyatt's site (Thank You for your reference site) to look for the one that looks best quality to me.
Thank You Again Everybody

John

 

[kmotudo]

I only own GL and JLs:

Pros:

GL: GREAT detail and friendly customer service. I considered becoming a retailer for my country and they were really supportive with the info I requested them.
JL: LOTS of variety, they are always innovating

Cons:

GL: Lacks more models and they are difficult to find in South America
JL: I have been noticing that my JL models are smaller than they should be.

 

[Full Flaps!]

Hi John, good topic!

I really like M2 for all the reasons you mentioned. They're not perfect, some of their castings are better executed than others of course, but when they do something well, they knock it out of the park I think. And for better or worse, they push the envelope of what kind of detail can be offered in 1:64. They are a small company, so I'm actually a little impressed at their level of output as far as new castings. They aren't Hot Wheels, or even JL, but they always seem to be working on something new for us which I appreciate. I Love that they are dedicated to vehicles no older than early 70's. Sean is an enthusiast himself, so that impacts many things in a positive way also... My kitty knocked one of my M2 '66 Chargers off the shelf this morning and it fell about four feet to a hard tile floor. Besides the rear bumper flying off in one piece - an easy fix, it didn't have a scratch on it. Somehow I think if it had been a Hot Wheels, the paint and chrome would have suffered.


I haven't touched many of Greenlight's most recent castings, but they seem to be better than ever. GL takes a lot of heat, at least around here, but regardless of why they're in this business, the quality of their products are fairly consistent - even if the subject matter doesn't always interest me. And they have made strides in bringing a higher level of realism to their diecast products, such as the use of light lenses and better scaled tires than in the
past. I don't think they try as hard as they could sometimes, but each Greenlight casting always seems to be a solid effort nonetheless.


I appreciate Johnny Lightning for the very eclectic choices that they have traditionally offered, especially in the past. They are lilliputian by any standard besides HO scale, but I guess that's part of their charm. Someone at JL obviously did or does think about car's from an enthusiast perspective. The realism of a JL isn't in the same class as an M2 or GL, and their plastic wheels aren't the smoothest around, but for a basic diecast car, the detail and features are exceptional most of the time, if somewhat inconsistent. The current state of JL really has more to do with management than the actual product, so I can't fault the cars for that. But I do wish someone in charge would recognize the untapped potential of the brand and tap into it before it goes extinct.

 

[Stangfreak]

You guys can all speak for me... Everything I read here are my thoughts exactally... Still love em all though !!!
Back in the 90s, JL flooded the marked with every kind if car you could imiagine... Quality was also 2nd to none... They went to the dogs for awhile there and I quit buying... Their Hollywood on Wheels series were great... Now that Tomy has their hands in the pot, the quility has improved 110%... Since I started buying them again, veryone I have purchased I have been more than satisfied with... This is the absolute best hobby out there !!!

 

[Diablo_Fire]

When I first started collecting Die-Cast I was just going after Code 3, Matchbox, Corgi, and Hot Wheels. Then I started adding Signature Die Cast and Yat Ming Die Cast. Now I have the M2's, JL, GL, HW, MBX, etc.

They all have their pro's and con's. For me my collection is about what I like. I will say of all the 1/64th scale cars that I have the M2's have the best detail and are the ones that I am adding each payday. I just wish I had a check list of all that they have put out so I could start trying to get them all.

Of my collection I still have to say the Code 3 Collectibles are still my favorite.

 

[BrashTaters]

Ive purchased some M2's and thought they were really solid pieces. My 5 yr old fell in love with a blue Mustang Boss I got and I told him if I found another one Id get him one. Upon finding one for him and getting it opened, within a few min he comes back and says the front bumper was loose. OK, maybe not his exact words. LOL. I look at it and the bumper pops right off as I try to push it back in. Same way for the rear.
I know these diecast are more for collectors than play, but I thought for almost $4 a car, quality would have been better.

 

[Full Flaps!]

I just wish I had a check list of all that they have put out so I could start trying to get them all.

If you go to the M2 website, they have checklists with pics of every vehicle from every release. :thumbsup:

I know these diecast are more for collectors than play, but I thought for almost $4 a car, quality would have been better.

You're luck you spent only $4, they usually go for more than that. $4 for adult collectible level detail and kid-proof is a very tall order. Like you say, they're not toys.

 

[Diablo_Fire]

If you go to the M2 website, they have checklists with pics of every vehicle from every release. :thumbsup:

Thanks bro will check it out.