Ertl has decided to release their own black version of a Case IH combine. I guess I can feel good that I made and posted the black combine before the boys at Ertl, but it was nice to have the only one out there. Technically this black version of the new Premiere will be "Gunmetal," but it looks pretty black to me. Don't get too excited though, this combine will be extremely limited production, and if the packaging is handled like the other Authentic series tractors (Clear front so you can see whats inside) The dealers will open every one of them so that they can find the limited editions and sell them for hundreds of dollars.
In fact when I was at the national farm toy show in Dyersville I posed this exact problem to Ertl. I said that it wasn't fair that us collectors have no chance at getting a limited edition muddy or "gunmetal" tractor because the dealers get to them first and jack up the prices. The problem is that the dealers pay the same amount for these limited tractors as they do for the normal ones. So they make a huge profit, and we have to pay much more for them instead of just being lucky enough to stumble upon one in the dealership.
Ertl's response to my statement: "We can only do so much." This is from someone representing Ertl at the National farm toy show in the Ertl showroom. Generally I love Ertl and everything they do for the hobby, but this "scalping" of limited tractors is unfair to collectors, and undermines the purpose of the limited edition tractors.
More on the National Farm toy show in future articles.
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