| Collecting diecast vehicles consists of | | | | along with Dinky Toys, and the American |
| acquiring specific items based on your | | | | Tootsie Toys, which is one of the most wanted |
| particular interests, such as airplanes, | | | | brands of collectors worldwide. However, |
| cars, trains, ship models, etc. Although some | | | | there are many other popular manufacturers |
| people just accumulate them, this is a | | | | from the United States, Japan, Germany, |
| passionate hobby for most folks, in which the | | | | France, Italy, Spain, etc. |
| genuine collector organizes carefully those | | | | |
| items to catalog them and proudly display | | | | Rarely a diecast collector completes a |
| them. The depth and breadth of every | | | | collection because new models of cars are |
| collection is as unique as every collector | | | | always available, and collecting never stops, |
| is, and they are the ones that determine if a | | | | you can always expand or start an entirely |
| collection will focus on a specific subtopic | | | | new collection in a subtopic, such as cars, |
| within their area of general interests or if | | | | then sport cars, vans, etc. From Hot Wheels |
| they only want to accumulate determined | | | | to Matchbox and from Bandai to Tomica, |
| items. As an example, a collector may collect | | | | including all the other brands, diecasts |
| diecast vehicles trying to accumulate any or | | | | models include popular automobile marques. |
| all of them, while another individual could | | | | Packard, MG, Morris, Hillman, Austin, Alfa |
| prefer collecting only a model, brand or | | | | Romeo, Bentley, Citroen, Opel, Triumph, |
| marquee. | | | | Talbot, Gwynne, Vauxhall, Reliant, Singer, |
| | | | Bristol, Wolseley, Innocenti, Healey, |
| Diecast vehicles and toys are an example of a | | | | Siddeley, BSA, Darracq, Crossley, Jowett, |
| collection that is never-ending. When you | | | | Frazer Nash, Northern, Renault, Ford, |
| start collecting these vehicles it is like | | | | Chrysler, and the classics Jaguar, Mercedes |
| traveling back in time until the early | | | | Benz and Rolls Royce, just to name a few. |
| decades of the 20th century when | | | | |
| manufacturers such as Tootsie Toys in the | | | | Broadening a collection is not that hard, |
| United States, or Dinky Toys in the United | | | | even when focusing on a single marquee, |
| Kingdom first produced the first diecast | | | | because there are different models from the |
| toys. Because the term "diecast" refers to | | | | twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, |
| any product produced using the casting | | | | sixties, seventies, etc. Hence, every diecast |
| method, the first models on the market were | | | | Collector has a world of possibilities when |
| small cars or vans without plastic windows. | | | | gathering diecast models from almost any |
| | | | period of time as early as models from 1885, |
| Over time, the vehicles were made of plastic | | | | when the first automobile driven by internal |
| and metal, more commonly an alloy of zinc and | | | | combustion was introduced by German inventor |
| aluminum, including not only cars but also | | | | Karl Friedrich Benz, to actual models in |
| scale models of airplanes and trains, | | | | modern car showcases. |
| although automobiles are still the favorites | | | | |
| among all of them. With more than 50 popular | | | | Diecast vehicles come in various scales, the |
| brands including Altaya, Bandai, Brooklin, | | | | most popular ranging from 1:28 to 1:64 scale, |
| CMC, Dragon Wings, Exoto, Guisval, Ixo, Jada, | | | | although many collectors prefer focusing |
| Johnny Ligntning, Kyosho, Lledo, Matchbox, | | | | their collections on the 1:43 and 1:50 |
| Minichamps, Norev, Plasticos Argentinos, | | | | scales. Diecast toys were originally designed |
| Racing Champions, RCCA, Revell, Tekno, | | | | for children, but the collecting boom started |
| Tomica, UT Models, Vitesse, and the popular | | | | during the 1950's when grown children stated |
| Hot Wheels introduced by Mattel, among | | | | to keep their cars instead of throwing them |
| others. | | | | away and adults discovered them as valuable |
| | | | collectible items. |
| Like with other popular collecting fields, | | | | |
| diecast collecting has specialized commercial | | | | There is computer software that is made just |
| dealers that trade vehicles and related | | | | for collecting diecast vehicles. Anyone who |
| accessories. In fact, many individuals start | | | | has a small or large diecast vehicle |
| collecting cars as a hobby to become dealers | | | | collection can easily keep track of what |
| at a later date, either turning this hobby | | | | vehicle they have, the color, condition, |
| into a profession, or as a means to get | | | | cost, value, scale and lots of other info for |
| extremely rare vehicles for their own | | | | each record (vehicle). This is the most |
| collections, while they help other collectors | | | | easiest to use software of it's kind, and it |
| in their pursuit of showcase-model cars. In | | | | is made 100% for diecast collecting. The |
| the United Kingdom, there are teams | | | | software is described in detail and you can |
| specialized in visiting small and larger toy | | | | download a free demo version of it at this |
| fairs to acquire incredible cars, in good | | | | website address: |
| conditions from Dinky Toys and Corgi, the | | | | |
| main British collectibles companies. Dinky | | | | By Robert W. Benjamin |
| Toys was first introduced in early 1934 by | | | | |
| Meccano Ltd of Liverpool, England, presenting | | | | Copyright 2006 |
| a new line of modeled miniatures, as diecast | | | | |
| vehicles were first known. | | | | You may publish this article in your ezine, |
| | | | newsletter or on your website as long as it |
| Corgi Toys began producing scale model cars | | | | is reprinted in its entirety and without |
| until July 1956 under the supervision of | | | | modification except for formatting needs or |
| Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in Swansea, Wales, | | | | grammar corrections. |