DIE CAST MODELS--A RACE FAN'S COLLECTIBLE
I only have about 20 and I don¹t care whether they are 1/18 or 1/43 scale as long as they are well made and they are the car that I want." He has purchased models from several different manufacturers.
A veteran vendor, who does twenty-four events a year where sportscar fans gather, says "I don¹t sell any NASCAR items because I will not sell anything you can buy at Wal-Mart." I asked him which of his lines sold the most and he told me "It is without a doubt, the UT and Autoart models from Gateway Global, USA, 1/18 scale. They are all popular models, well chosen, well executed and all made in limited runs so they are a great collectable. They come in the vintage and current models that collectors want."
He mentioned as an aside that purchasing die cast models may also ultimately represent a good investment since limited editions foster a supply and demand issue. Since the advent of the internet and sites like Ebay.com , which he calls "the garage sale of the future" people are able to go online and find models no longer available. Some of the cars have appreciated 300% in value over the past two years.
Die Cast models are then, a toy, an art form, a collectible , a fun idea and a way to save for the future. It may be that die cast collectibles are the "beanie babies" of the future.
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