I literally just opened the Elite Kurt Busch Kansas win car (Jordan Brand Camry) after not buying a NASCAR diecast since his Penske days and I am shocked at how the Elite car is basically just an ARC from the early 2000's. I popped on the Elite since I hadn't bought a car in so long and seeing as how it might now be Kurt's last win I'm glad I got it, but damn I was expecting more. Thanks for the video man.
Yup. I got Kurt's elite Jordan win car, his elite Money Lion car, and his throwback Mcdonalds car. The other 2 are okay, but his Mcdonalds car was the shittiest quality ever. Dirt in the paint, runs in the paint, etc. They have no quality control. And IMO, the ARC version is the equivalent of the Winner's Circle cars from back in the day. Very cheap. I have a Michael Waltrip #15 NAPA car from 2003 from Action (not even an elite) and the quality and detail is MILES better than Lionel's cheap "elite" garbage for $120. Complete ripoff.
@@Suburban-United Since this I've gone back and started collecting again but of the previous gen cars and again I'm so surprised in the dip in quality. The bodies, especially on raced versions are really good, but the complete lack of detail in the chassis is so bad. All plastic and no paint apps to differentiate parts. And the trunk doesn't open. How is an opening truck and Elite feature now?
Ive always collected metal chassis cars so arc pre 2018 and elite onwards. My way of saving is I simply just dont get many anymore. I feel like I want to switch to ARC but mentally getting over that its just a plastic car bothers me for whatever reason, you definitely feel the difference as well
@brendan7632 ABSOLUTLY. When I bought Harvick's Busch Light from 2018 I was thinking "what did I just spend $55 on?? Then there a big scratch on the roof and I just noticed a black blemish eight on the right side number. SMH. I did feel cheated.
@@kevinkelley3906 Same here! I had ordered the 2018 Austin Dillon elite & a Chase Elliot ARC Dover chase win. I got them both at the same time. I opened the elite & was shocked that I had an ARC with 2 holes in the top. Then I opened the ARC & was more shocked & pissed off that it was the same as a Winners Circle retail car! Like you said, that’s when I knew diecast collecting was over!
I only have collected a ARCs but it’s still disappointing that the quality on both gets worse each year. Not to mention the prices keep going up with worse quality.
same i wanted to start elite collection but i just cant justify the price vs the ARC the cars are basically the same details are better yes but you'll never see it when their in your case most people wont even know the difference
The quality is due to absolutely NO COMPETITION. We at least need one more if not two more players in the game. Team Caliber made some nice pieces back in the day. Very sad that the product Lionel produces is made in CHINA.
Stop buying them!!! I quit in 17. Haven't since. U will live if you don't buy a few years. If enough people quit they will either go out of business or fix thr problem. The elite are not worth more the 25 bucks now.
Thank you for the video. I am a blind collector, and this video, along with another I saw from another RU-vidr, has helped me make my decision. I think I'm still going to get elites, but as others have commented here, there really isn't a big difference. I would imagine though that the elite would hold its price better, should I want to sell it in the future.
I've been a Kyle Busch fan for a while now, but unfortunately, I haven't had the money in previous years to buy a lot of merch or diecasts. Since the win at Fontana was his first with RCR and the last one at the 2-mile superspeedway configuration, I kinda hesitantly decided to pull the trigger on a raced win version of his car. Didn't know the difference between the ARC and Elite variants, and your video really helped me make the decision. Thank you!
Just got my first Gen7 - Joey’s Clash win in Elite and I’ve got to say I’m pretty impressed with the quality of the new models. Not seen an ARC in person yet, but if you’re just going to put it in a display cabinet I’d guess they are going to look just as good. I do hate the new packaging though, really glad it getting changed again next year
I've come back to this video after getting into 1/24 collecting. I used to get 1/64s from time to time, but the first car that started the addiction was a ARC 2022 Harvick Michigan win that I picked up from the SHR trailer and I couldn't care if it was an elite or ARC because 2 weeks later, I made a crazy trip to Atlanta to meet Kevin Harvick and got it signed there. Makes the difference null because the personal value is so much more. Now I've officially started down the collecting rabbit hole.
I only get elites for race wins and the main primary sponsor scheme of my driver (Elliott), other than that, there's no point in spending the extra money imo
I wanted to say thank you for this video, I tried to find out what the " antenna" was as I'm just a supportive husband for my wife's hobby. I've purchased 24 Chase Elliott Die-cast's and due to this video I now realized what the antenna 📡 is and where it goes. 😳
So good video by the way but I just got a kyle busch arc and a blaney eletie I'm really disappointed in the quality of the arc it's not worth 65 bucks it's a plastic bottom and it just feels cheap the blaney car is nicer for sure....the arc cars remind me of the old pitstop diecast back in the day that team caliber use to make and the eletie reminds me of the preferred car they made...I been collecting nascar diecast for 25 yrs now and this by far the worst I seen them...sure would be nice if another company came out and made good diecast again for under 55 bucks again o miss the old days
I really wanted to collect next gen diecast cars because the teams have been making some really awesome paint schemes with the new car but with how low quality the diecasts and how expensive they are I'm just getting a Briscoe Phoenix elite and maybe a Harvick win if I decide to get that later as far as next gen 1:24 goes
I grew up pining for Roush Racing's Team Caliber diecasts- as an adult depending on the year/scheme they can be shockingly cheap on ebay. Some years ago I picked up Mark Martin's final year with Roush (AAA as the sponsor), Owner's Series in particular and that is pretty much the pinnacle of NASCAR diecasts- suspension actuates, steering wheel works with the front axle, roof flaps, little tiny mesh grille and engine sparkplug wires, it's damn near perfectttt. Imagine my disgust picking up a diecast of Kevin Harvick's gen6 Grave Digger paint scheme to see all the corners Lionel cut nowadays. Very recently I got a throwback raced diecast of Mark Martin from 1997 (Talladega win, sold from the archival website Mark's son Matt runs)- even bigger disappointment because Lionel refuse to update their T-bird molds, it's just... wrong for the '97 T-bird. But ya know what the craziest thing is, I'm developing a weird Stockholm-esque love-hate attachment to this dumb boxy T-bird. I like looking up at it on my desk and fixating on how right and wrong it is, lmfao
In terms of the 2022 Next Gen Elites the only one I've gotten is Denny Hamlin's Coke 600 win because he is my favorite and its a Coke 600 car. I think that will be my Only Next Gen elite. I have mainly been an ARC collector because of price and even more so now with the price increases. I might start to collect more of the Gen 6 Elites though.
Class act last weekend from Denny wrecking someone as usual but when it happens to him he cries like the btch we all know he is. Glad that pos has never won a cup and hope that scumbag never does 😁.
still buying all elites i mean whatcha gonna do... (edit) i wanted to add that the 2024 mustang redesign and camaro leaving in 2024 these diecast will be rare only 2 year run
Does any company make 1:18 diecasts for NASCAR? Started collecting 90s era cars recently, 1:18 from Action and Revell. Not sure if current gen cars are available in 1:18 too?
I am just amazed at the poor quality that Lionel is putting out in the market. Very very sad that the collector is getting the very short end of the stick.....
Ive watched about 10 of these videos now man and you miss one huge thing that im now 100% using to verify. The arcs have a long oval exhaust graphic. The elites have an almost circular exhaust graphic. And every single video ive watched as far back as 4 years ago all of the elites have the circle exhaust and the arcs have long oval exhaust. Swear to good. Check it out 🤷🏻♂️ i noticed it on the kyle bush arc v elite video and on the color types video and the nightvision review. They are all the same across the board. Idk why but its what im using to look for it.
I think another (small) difference between the Next Gen ARC and Elite is that Elite’s have a sticker with gauges on the dash… my ARC doesn’t have one. Can you confirm? Not that that makes an Elite worth the extra money though! 😅
Well, if you want to start a collection, one goes for 75 bucks one is 120. That’s $45 you’re saving every time. If you got the money, yeah get the elite ones. I’m going with the regular ones.
These things are a joke. Fake details, terrible printing quality, inaccurate tooling. Honestly shouldn’t be more than $50. It’s a shame there are no detailed alternatives from other companies. Spark would be a good choice to take the nascar license for collectibles.
I don't like Lionel Racing models, the cheaper ones! To me, they can say all they want on the box. I don't buy the car for the box. I want the details of a more expensive model and I'm willing to pay for it. RCCA boxing is the BEST with the styrofoam halves and a lid and sliding cover . Forget the screwed on bases.
As much as I am sick of Nascar (watch sports care racing...ie. IMSA ) I don't think Nascar is going electric anytime soon. I live in Richmond where RIR used to seat 105,000 and now less than 40,000. Go electric and the stands will be emptier than they are now.
I think the standard should have the standard have a opening deck lid and the elite should have a opening deck lid and the hood vents should be split from the hood
Lionel addressed that last year when they were making prototypes to get ready for the Gen 7 diecasts. They basically said if they made the vents actual cuts the quality would suffer and it would be near impossible to get consistent decal placement over the vent openings.
2017 was the last year of decent diecasts. I stopped collecting around 2018/2019. The quality was just downgraded big time. I'm glad I stopped collecting these plastic pieces of junk. Lionel are a ripoff.
It still utterly escapes me how they got more expensive, with less detail. I would rather be charged more if it meant they kept the same quality as the older ones.
The undercarriages are sad! No detail anymore. It’s actually sad to see how the “Elite” is literally almost the exact same as a standard ARC. My 2000-2004 ARC collection is higher in quality than the current elites👎🏻 Lionel is not doing these cars justice.
If they wanted elite to actually have something worthy of the name, they’d cut holes in the hood & have the actual vents fill them like the real cars, not to mention the tethers they stopped putting on the hood, roof flaps, & deck lid! Elite is basically ARC & ARC is nothing more than the old Wal-Mart/Target retail crap like the old Winners Circle cars & the prices are much higher than when the quality was twice as good! Lionel is greedy & have ruined diecast collecting! It’s a shame that I’ve got, & I know many of you have, cars that are 20 years old that are more deatailed & better quality than the new elites!
Either todays Nascar diecast sucjk compared to those 10 years ago Roush, Elite etc.... Orr the cars underbody and engines have changed to the point that they are boring. No wonder I quit watching and going to races 5 years ago....
