I have cracked - I had a sudden rush of blood to my head and have now started to acquire the 1/43 Bburago range that is easily available all over Switzerland. In the last 72 hours, I must have spend over CHF100 on them, but have added around 15 new models the "garage".
As of early 2007, the company has been relaunched. It is now owned by the May Cheong Group which markets Maisto, so the company now has an issue analogous to Mattel owning both Hot Wheels and Matchbox. In order for both lines to be successful they must be differentiated in some manner. May Cheong's answer is to make Burago's offerings more European. A count from the two brands websites in 2011 confirms the two approaches. Out of 64 1/18 scale cars, Bburago only has 6 models that are not European - or 9 percent. Maisto, with 113 total 1/18 scale models, on the other hand, has 53 or 47 percent non-European. May Cheong is betting internal competition will be avoided by having the Maisto brand oriented at more global offerings. Many of the Bburago models being made at the time of the May Cheong takeover are now being produced again in Thailand and China, along with numerous new castings. By 2011, some models, like the smaller scale "Race and Play" series of "garage" scene Ferraris, were again appearing in retail stores like Toys-R-Us.
These are not going on display at all - far from it. For me, these models are significant as they remind me (as prev. blogged) of the 1/36 scale Corgi and Matchbox SuperKings of yesteryear. And more to the point, you can have a damn good play with them!
I don't know how many I will get - there are certain models like the Lambo Gallardo Police I will just avoid - no need.
I will put individual blogs up n each of them rather than a mass picture-fest.
Stay tuned.
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