Collecting Diecast Model Cars As a Hobby
Whether you like the 1977 Black and gold Pontiac Trans AM from the famous Smokey and the Bandit movie or a classic Formula One race car you can find it in diecast model cars. If they\’ve made it in real life or in the movies, you can be sure they make a scaled down version of it.
The best ever diecast model car is one that you can enlarge and drive away in. We know that won\’t happen, so the next best thing is to find one that has plenty of moving parts. Doors and trunks that open and close, a totally wired engine compartment, steerable steering wheel and moving tires, and a detailed interior are preferred. The way the car fits together and the finish should be in top notch condition. A top notch model car will not have any imperfections in the finish, no paint drips or chips, no glue marks on it and no gaps anywhere on the body of the car.
There are several fundamental definitions that are advantageous to know about when collecting model cars. Hand Assembled means that the models are built with mass produced parts while Hand Built actually means that one person has cast, painted and built it on his own. Limited Edition models are cars that only a certain number of them have been made. This creates value as there will be less of them on the market. Mint in Box means that the model is in the same condition as a new one in the box, with all the original papers and packaging. Mint Condition is what it implies, very excellent conditions with no flaws. Out of Production means that it is no longer being made but could be again someday and not permanently retired. The Papers are very valuable to collectors and should never be considered trash. They are the Certificate of Authenticity and the parts sheet and specification sheets.
There are more ways to display your model collections than you can imagine. People have used breakfront furniture, old sound equipment cabinets, curio cabinets, department store show cases, and custom designed wall units and display stands. All of these things are a good way to show your cars and they keep out the sun and dust. Some take a different approach and prefer to construct a diorama for their models. Model railroad scenery and buildings make good backgrounds for your cars. Dollhouse catalogs have a variety of accessories that can be used in a diorama.
Polish your models every so often to keep the finish shiny and new. Any brand of wax from the hobby shop will work along with a soft piece of flannel and some qtips for the small areas. Waxing is very good for hiding imperfections in the finish, getting rid of fingerprints, and keeping the dust off. Dusting is still necessary, but not as often. On those times that you do have to dust, using a brass instrument cloth does the job nicely. They are treated with a small amount of wax for getting the fingerprints off of the instruments. They also work very well at getting the fingerprints and dust off of your models. You can purchase one at any music store.
A Price Guide can be very useful in determining how much you should be paying for a model and how much you should be asking for one. Limited Editions and discontinued models are both more valuable because they are less available and harder to find. When a model has all of its original papers and packaging it is considered very valuable to the collector.
These little vehicles come in different sizes. The 1:24 and the 1:18 offer a good size to detail compromise. The 1:43 is smaller and therefore they do not have moving parts. However, they do offer a large variety of cars to choose from which is why many choose to collect them anyway.
Whatever size is right for you, as long as you choose the cars that you love you can never go wrong. Many collectors pick cars from their all time favorite movies, others choose cars from good times in the past. These kinds of models will always have a place in you heart and memory which in a way is, priceless. If however you do choose to sell one day, it is very reasonable to expect to gain a profit from your original investment.
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Category: Entertainment
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