If you’re getting into die-cast model cars and aren’t really sure where to start, then first of all, don’t take chances.
It’s not like you’re trying to learn trigonometry here, you’re just collecting some toy cars, so this is the main thing you want to know, make it your motto: collect what you like.
When you go to a hobby store, most sell price guides so you can find out how much your collection is worth. Look, forget that those price guides even exist. Trying to study them and find patterns and figure out what will make you a millionaire when you retire is a fruitless quest.
You should treat collecting die-cast model cars for what it is: a hobby, not a second job. Listen to your inner child, not your inner responsible adult.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s the second most important thing to keep in mind about collecting die-cast cars: take them out and play with them once in a while.
Don’t be an old fool, don’t be one of those guys who buys toys and then puts them behind glass to make sure no one ever has fun with them, take them out, make them run across the coffee table next time. You watch races on TV, and again, you obey the inner child.
Because let’s be honest, they’re toys. You are collecting toys here. Collecting toys and never playing with them is like collecting real cars and never driving them.
What it all boils down to is that you should only collect die-cast models if you’re into motorsports or classic cars or whatever. You should only collect them if you have a true appreciation for automotive excellence and scale model perfection and attention to detail.
If you think you’ll get rich turning your diecast collection into a retirement fund, better invest in something safe. If you think you’ll just display them on a shelf and impress people with rare toy cars, forget it, we’re not that impressed. But, if you’re going to put those toy cars to good use, start collecting them today.
Collecting is a hobby, and a hobby is supposed to be fun. If you make it a chore, you have no one to blame but yourself. So do yourself a favor and start enjoying life for what it is, get out your toy cars and play with them. Planning for the future is great and all, but you don’t want to spend all your adult years thinking “Wow, I can’t wait until retirement when I’ll really allow myself to have a little fun every now and then for a change!” True collectors collect because they like it, not because they are trying to get rich.
