diecast model cars, trucks and other toy collectibles

Diecast model cars, trucks, or just about anything else that has ever been manufactured on wheels or even just dreamed of. Those miniature automobiles that often come with precision die cast parts made in some die casting foundry somewhere most likely in China or Thailand or another Asian country have been the fancy of diecast lovers and toy collectors for a long time now.

I didn't have much of an interest in these model cars until recently when a close friend passed away The man had a hobby, we all knew that. But the extent of his passion for replica toys came as a shock to most of us, even to those closest to him. This car collector was a bit of a odd fellow. Let's just say that maybe not all of his affairs were on the up and up. He was not a terrible person but he certainly had an anti-authority personality. Perhaps a borderline sociopath personality even. He lived almost alone in the back forties of the Canadian wilderness with several huge dogs. His love for German Shepherd's was probably the only other thing that kept him happy.

Well maybe there was more to him than that.

Sure he had a girlfriend and come to think of it, hardly a day went by when he didn't have a visitor come by.

He was a sinner. But aren't we all to some degree?

His collection of diecast model cars, trucks, and other collectible toys was large. In all there was somewhere in the area of 1500 to 2000 pieces in all. Each one was stored diligently in a plastic bag and then in a box and finally in one of the many abandoned buses or used vehicle that are found scattered on his acreage.

However good he was at collecting diecast model cars, trucks, and other toys, his ability at keeping an inventory of his collection was less than perfect. Sure he kept a paper journal, or should I say a trail of notes whereby each diecast was recorded and I'm certain that if someone had asked him about a certain make, or model within the collection, he could have found the piece in due time.

But this toy car collector didn't believe in using computers. His brain was wired just the way he liked it.

So at this point I enter into the picture. It becomes my job to seek out every piece of this toy collection and to record it into a database.

This project of making an inventory of my dead buddies car collection started approximately two months ago. I go to his shack in the Canadian woods a couple of times a week with my PC and I work through a few hundred of these diecast model cars, trucks, and other stuff. Ironically enough the property is so far out in the back woods that the only electricity comes from a gas powered generator. This means that everytime the battery runs low on my laptop computer I have to crank up the generator and recharge my PC.

It is truly amusing in a sense.

It is at times fun to look at each of these diecast replica toys and to learn about diecast collecting but at other times it seems like a burden. However I remain certain that he would be glad that someone is taking care of his toy collectible cars.

These cars are by no means extremely valuable as far as a return on investment for collectibles goes but all in all there is most likely 20 thousand dollars worth of diecast cars, trucks, and other die casts. The problem with all of this is that neither the person who inherited these diecast replicas nor anyone else knows exactly what to do with them.

My inventory will at least tell us exactly where to find a certain make, model, and manufacturer when we are ready to dispose of the die cast car collection.

One lesson that I have learned from this experience is that there are so many manufacturers of model toy cars. There is Maisto, Motormint, Johnny Ligntning, The Franklin Mint.....the list is too long too mention. And yes he had diecast replicas from almost all of them.

One of my passions is blogging. I have always liked creatives. My first profession was that of a designer but that was at a time when typesetting meant pasting letters to a piece of paper. Today the internet is bringing a type of revival to my passion for artistic stuff.

So I am attempting to put together a blog which I have simply called REPLICA where I can showcase some of the pieces in the diecast model cars, trucks, and other collectible miniature automobile replicas that was left to us by this person who passed away so unexpectedly.

Whether the blog grows into something bigger is not important really. Eventually we will find the right channel to dispose of this toy car collection. There really is no big rush at this point.

If you are a diecast model collector yourself, or if you simply want to have a look then I invited you to check out the progress thus far.

The link is below.

Diecast Model Cars, Trucks and other things that are worthy of REPLICA.

As for my old buddy who left us with these toys and with 3 beautiful German Shepherds well all I can say is