Welcome to Diecast-Cars.US. Your source for information about die cast cars, model cars, die cast manufacturers, and die cast collectibles. We will be covering all aspects of die cast cars and the die cast collecting hobby from manufacturer history to gift ideas and cleaning to collecting so we hope you will continue to visit as we expand our database of information.
Diecast Cars
Everyone has a favorite car. People both young and old love cars, and may have multiple favorites. While they may not be able to own these cars in real life, they can turn to die cast cars to get their fix. Die cast cars are the small scale replicas of the actual cars themselves. These cars come in different scales; some are 1:18, while others can be 1:24, 1:43, and 1:64. These different sizes simply differentiate how small of a scale these diecast cars are on, but with new diecasting technology and methods, doesn't necessarily represent the detail of the specific model. A case in point is 1:43 scale which is quickly gaining popularity among collectors who are out of display space because of the sheer size of their 1:18 diecast model car collection. 1:43 affords incredible and impressive overall detail and a huge range of available products since the cost to produce individual pieces is much less and the manufacturer is willing to take more risks.
Collecting Diecast Cars as a Hobby
While there are many different reasons to collect, there are people who collect diecast cars as a hobby. Those who collect diecast cars as a hobby will simply try to own as much as they can in a certain field. Those who like a certain car company will attempt to collect all of the different diecast cars for that specific brand. Those who like a certain company of diecast cars will try to collect as many of their diecast cars as they can. These people simply collect for fun. While their collections may be worth thousands of dollars, they do not collect for the money, they collect out of their love for cars of all types.
Collecting Diecast Cars As Investments
There are people who collect diecast cars for the money, however. These people realize the potential to make money with diecast cars and purchase them in hopes of making money on them. People will look to find these cars on a steal, and will often try to find the diecast cars in home sales and pawn shops. Once they find the diecast cars, they simply sell them at auctions or to specialty stores who will take them in hopes of selling them for higher prices. Just like trading cards, diecast cars can be used to trade and collect, as well as sell. It is possible to collect for profit with diecast cars but this can be an exacting science and require years of patience to appreciate the largest profit potential.
Different Diecast Car Brands Available
There are multiple different brands available for those who are looking to buy diecast cars. Some of the diecast car companies will offer multiple types of cars, while some only offer a few specific types. Hot Wheels and AUTOart are two of the most well known diecast car companies that exist. These companies have different scale sizes that include the huge 1:12 scale as well as 1:18, 1:24, 1:32, 1:43 and 1:64 (both large and small). Siku, Automodelle, and Shuco are some interesting brands that come from oversees. These companies may specialize in cars that come from Germany, especially VW vehicles.
Diecast cars are often given as a gift. People do not realize the collectability of these cars, and fail to realize that the diecast car that they have now may be worth more money down the road. The best way to understand as much as possible about your diecast car is to research online, and to take the diecast car into a specialty shop that has a great focus on diecast cars. You can better understand how to take care of your car, and if you want to sell it (and how much you should sell it for).
Whether you're a seasoned collector or completely new to the hobby, we hope to cover the basics while still keeping it interesting for everyone. If you are new to the hobby, what are you waiting for? Pick out your favorite car and get started. There are plenty of budget models in various scales from small 1:64 scale to the popular 1:18 scale and larger that won't break the bank. If you've got plenty of money to burn, you may opt for a higher priced model with a little more detail. Some of these models are so close to the 1:1 car that you'll be trying to turn the ignition to take it for a spin!
From muscle cars to exotics, cars to bikes, die cast collecting has something for everyone. If you're passionate about automobiles then you'll certainly appreciate the craftsmanship of these small replicas. Miniature cars are often first assumed to be toys but once you get one, you will come to realize that they are so much more than that. It's better to compare them to a picture. Many of us take photos of our own cars or other cars that we like and a model car is just that...a 3d picture of a car frozen in time for you to enjoy forever.
Instead of squinting to see the details in a photo, you can pick your model up and examine every aspect of it from the fan belts to the brake lines. Many of these die cast cars have working steering, sun visors, folding seats, rotating drive shafts...the list goes on.
Most people start looking for die cast cars because they want a replica of a car they own or have owned at some point in their life. Others are gearheads that love all cars but can't afford to own them all. As the former gospel singer and Car Crazy host Barry McGuiar would say, these people are "Car Crazy" and this passion for cars carries over into the collecting world. All of us can't afford every car that we love or even one car for that matter, but die cast cars allow us to afford most of them in a scaled down version. We get the benefit of being able to look at them and show them off to our friends but we just can't take them down the street, to our local cruise-in, or to the drag strip (yet).
We spend many hours in our 1:1 cars every year and often they represent our personality or interests in life. Die cast cars are just an extension of that and just as the real cars bring us happiness every time we look at them, a model car can do the same. There's nothing quite like waking up in the morning and seeing a room full of cars!
All the Other Diecast Car Brands
The following is a comprehensive list of diecast model car brands that are not necessarily mentioned elsewhere on this website. You might not have heard of most of these companies, but remember that diecast replica collections span the globe and many decades. Some might be out of business or just in countries far away from you. The list will continue to grow as there's a new diecast model car company on the scene quite often!
Lane Exact Detail, Liberty Classics , Mad Models, Magic Models, Majorette, Mamone, Marche, Matchbox, Matilde Models, Mattel, Maxicar MB, MDS, Meccano, Mercedes Classic Collection, MG Models, Minialfa, Miniminiera, Mira, Model Workshop, Mondo Motors, Motor City Classics, Motorhead Miniatures, MRC, Muscle Machines, Norev, Old Skool, Onyx, Option D, Original Classics, Paudi Model, Playmaker Muscle, PMA, Polistil, Precision Miniatures, Provence Moulage, Quartzo, Racing Champ, Racing Dioramics, Racing43, Remco, Revell Monogram Creative Master, Revival, Ricko America, Road Signature, Rosso Rapido, RR, Saico, Schuco, Segem, Shanghai VW, Shelby Collectibles, Signature, SMS, SMTS, Socal Design, Spark 1:43, Sunnyside, SunStar, Tamiya, Team Caliber 1:24, Tin Wizard, TL, Toyzone, Truescale, Vaclav Horak, VC, Verem, Versus Model, Vitess , W Detert Airbrush, Warm Up, Welly, Winners Circle, Xin Qiang, Xonex, & YatMing, 118 Racing, Action, Ada, Anson, Ar Maquettes, AMT, ATC, Auto Place, Auto Rim, Auto World, Bad, BBR, Beanstalk, Beetlemania, Biante, Bigtime Muscle, Brianza, Catalogue, Cavallino, Cavallo Scrimante, Cfagc, Checkmate, China Model, Chrono, Code3, Corgi, Distler, Dong feng, Eagle Race, Edison, Eligor, Exclusiv, F1 Art, Fairfield Mint, Falderal, Fast Women, Franklin Mint, Gaincorp, Gate, Gearbox, Gema, Giodi, Giovanni Modelli, Gm Modelli, Golden Wheel, Greenlight Toys, Guiloy, High Tech Modell, Hobbico, Hot Works Racing, Hubley, Import Racer, Jada Toys DUB City, Jadi Model Works, Jimmy Flintstone, Jl Ertl, Johnny Lightning, Jouef, Jrl, and Kintoy.
Different Model Car Collection Genres
The available categories of collecting diecast models is as varied as the real world and is growing daily and as new interests enter the hobby. Colections might include vintage diecast fire engines and pumper trucks, scale Model Diorama & Accessories, Formula 1 race cars, CART, IRL, Rally Cars, Miscellaneous Collectibles, Drag Racing, Tuners, Jada Toys, Dub City, NASCAR, Airplanes, Motorsports like JGTC, GT1 and drifting, Exotic, Sports, Custom Models, Sedan, Coupe, Verts, Muscle Car, Classic Hot Rod, Motorcycles, Classic, Vintage, Trucks, SUV, Haulers, and more!
