DLM - Diecast Liberation Movement
The term has been around quite awhile now, well before I got into collecting. Yes, you can call it a movement, but it has taken on a life as a verb. You DLM a model. Free it from its packaging prison.
"Shit, did you see that guy DLM'd a '95 Camaro Super?"
The king of DLM in our world has always been David Tilley. The term DLM was born in the Matchbox collector world, and DT was its strongest proponent. There isn't a model he won't open, from preproductions to one-off models like his Ambassador Bus.
But Tilley only collects Matchbox. He won't open a rare Hot Wheels or the like, because he doesn't collect them. So it is always fun to see an extreme "non-Matchbox" DLMing.
Well, here is one. Lamley reader Ben Kiehn opened an Auto World Ultra Raw. Yeah, an Ultra Raw. Not an Ultra Red Chase, but a 1-of-10 Ultra Raw. Even I don't think I could do that. But now that I have seen him do it, I just might if the opportunity ever presents itself.
Ben provided these pics and a little write-up about the model and the experience of busting it open. Weak of heart you might not want to go any further...
(Thanks Ben.)
When Auto World first came out, I was thrilled with the prospect of a new company offering model quality true 1/64 scale cars here. I have been bitten by the Kyosho and TLV bug big time and true scale is something that I have really grown to appreciate. I still purchase plenty of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars that follow the 3" rule, but if given the choice, I'll pick a model that is actual 1/64 any day of the week. My favorite things to collect are exotic cars, namely Ferrari's. But I love any sports car or any race car. So naturally, the Ford GT40 is among my favorite vehicles. I love the history of the actual car, particularly in relation to Ferrari and how Ford set out to show Enzo who was boss. When Auto World first announced the GT40 to their lineup, I was doing a great big happy dance. Then the sneaks started coming of the casting itself in both colors. Then the Ultra Red. Then the Ultra Raw. I was in love.
I knew I had to have all four versions. I quickly found the two regular ones in the store once they were released. I hunted relentlessly in hopes of finding an Ultra Red version. I have had decent luck finding Ultra Red models and I just knew I'd find it. And I just knew that somehow I'd find the Ultra Raw too. Surely the universe must have sensed how much it belonged in my collection. Alas, I was not that lucky. I got my Ultra Red off of Ebay, and watched as the first few Ultra Raws were listed and sold. I pulled up Ebay constantly hoping for one to be listed with a price I could live with. Two sold for very low Buy it Now's, within minutes of being listed and before I could find them. Two more sold for a price well out of my budget. I found someone online who had one for trade and offered up almost everything I had to trade, but he had traded it hours before. I sensed that another would likely get listed, and I still wanted it badly. I've never had a car call my name that loudly before. As luck would have it, I was in the process of thinning my collection, as I do from time to time to keep things fresh. I had just sold several hundred cars. I had the money burning a hole in my wallet. Look at that Kyosho that I need! Look at that Tomica Limited Vintage I've been wanting! Nope, I knew what I'd be spending it on. And another came up, so I jumped.
Now I open everything I have, I've never made an exception, but this proved to be a pretty big dilemma even for me given that they only made 10. If I opened it, what would people think? Shouldn't I try and be preserving history? What if something happens and I need to sell it? I understand those questions, and I understand why people keep things carded. No judgements from a die hard opener on those that don't. But I needed to hold it in my hand. There wasn't anything different about the packaging from the regular release, the packaging didn't hold any historic value. And when would I ever sell it? I wouldn't. And I still won't. When it gets sold to another collector at some point, how much it's worth will be the last thing on my mind as I'll be singing a heavenly tune at that point. So I did what I always do with any car I buy, I opened it.
I keep it in a plastic case, but I get it out almost weekly. More than any other car, I play with it. It's still a toy car after all. I load it up on my Greenlight Hitch and Tow trailers. I roll it around the desk. I hold it under the light to admire how the light reflects off of it. I've gotten my money's worth out of it already and then some. And I must also admit, that despite not judging those that want to keep their collection carded, I get a sense of pride when someone scoffs at the fact that I opened it. Well of course I did.
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