Ask for "a container model" and you will get a follow-up question: in which scale? The scale decides the size on the desk, the price per unit, the material options and — more often than buyers expect — whether the gift actually gets kept.
Working out the size yourself
The maths is simple. A 20'GP container measures 6.0 × 2.4 × 2.5 m. Divide the real length by the model length you want, and you have your scale.
Want a 20 cm model of a 20' container? 600 cm ÷ 20 cm = 1:30. The model will then be 8 cm wide and about 8.3 cm high.
The scales in practice
1:10 — the statement piece
Aluminium, around 60 cm long. Exhibition halls and office receptions, not desk gifts. When the model itself is the display, this is the scale.
1:20 — the exhibition workhorse
ABS engineering plastic. Big enough to read across a stand, light enough to ship without a forklift.
1:25 — where function meets the gift
This is the scale behind many of the items that made container gifts popular in the first place: tissue-box containers, storage boxes. ABS, printed in full brand colour.
1:30 — the corporate-gift favourite
Zinc alloy, and the most popular choice for mid-to-high-end business gifts. It has the weight that makes a gift feel substantial — the first thing people do when they pick one up is hold it.
1:35 — the economical choice
ABS, for high-volume giveaways where unit cost matters: desk tidies, pen holders, giveaway containers.
1:50 — the collector's scale
Zinc alloy, and the standard for ISO tank models and the containers that ride on 1:50 truck models. Detail tolerances are tight here; so is the QC.
1:87 — HO scale
The railway-modelling standard, and the natural home of alloy truck-and-container combinations. Around 19.5 cm for a full rig, with the container removable.
Material follows the scale
A rule of thumb that holds across almost every programme we build:
| Scale | Typical material | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1:10 | Aluminium | Exhibition and reception display |
| 1:20 | ABS | Exhibition giveaway |
| 1:25 | ABS | Functional gifts — tissue boxes, storage |
| 1:30 | Zinc alloy | Corporate gifts, mid-to-high end |
| 1:35 | ABS | Volume giveaways, desk items |
| 1:50 | Zinc alloy | Collectors, tank models, truck containers |
| 1:87 | Zinc alloy | HO-scale truck and container sets |
What we would ask before quoting
Three questions settle most scale decisions: Where will it sit — desk, shelf or exhibition floor? How many units? And does it need to do a job (hold pens, store things) or purely represent the brand?
Tell us those three things and we will suggest a scale, material and budget band the same week. Start at container models or go straight to a quotation.