DeAgostini Supercars in 1:43. Left to Right: Aston Martin DB4, De Tomaso Pantera GTS and Jaguar E-Type
Hi there, welcome to my diecast blog. This blog is about my hobby of collecting diecast model cars. The blog is for sharing my interest with other diecast enthusiasts and also for honing my writing and photography skills. The excitement I get when I find a car I’ve been looking for is similar now at 50 years of age to when I was 8. I may on occasion reflect on the psychology behind the collecting.
Matchbox is my favourite brand, and has been ever since I was a small boy, but all diecast cars interest me. I notice I get most hits for my DeAgostini and Eaglemoss 1:43 scale models.
Ford GT Racer (Matchbox)
Have a look through the many categories on the right, click on what interests you —->>>>>
My Matchbox Collection
I have more Hot Wheels than any other brand (153 when I last counted). I collect a wide variety of models but sports cars of the sixties and seventies particularly interest me : American Muscle cars like Corvettes and Mustangs, British classics like the Jaguar E Type, French cars with their Gallic charm like the Renault Alpine, the iconic Porsche 911 and the exciting JDM cars like the Nissan Fairlady Z and the Toyota 2000GT.
Toyotas by Hot Wheels
Corgi like Matchbox is a brand I grew up with and has the same nostalgic buzz for me, Dinky oddly doesn’t and I only had one Dinky car in my collection for a long time (now I have three).
Corgis from the sixties: Ferrari 250 LM, Porsche Carrera 6, Renault 16TS, Ghia 6.4L and Jaguar E Type 2+2
Living in the former Soviet Union, gives me access to many old Soviet models so I have a few Ladas, Volgas and Moskvitches rubbing tyres with the Lamborghinis, Porsches and Jaguars in the collection.
1:43 Eaglemoss Ferrari Dino 246GTS, DeAgostini Zaporozhets 968 and Soviet made Moskvitch Pick Up.
Each week I add to my collection. I’m really hooked on this hobby . My finds can be quite a random selection particularly if I visit Drybridge Market.
Drybridge Finds 13 June 2014
Please feel free to add any comments, questions etc…
Living in the former soviet Georgia where the post is unreliable and expensive, I don’t buy models by post. I don’t know current values of models, I know what I can expect to pay here in Tbilisi but this might be very different to prices in other countries.
My preferences when collecting models are:
Diecast Brand: Matchbox is my favourite. This is partly for nostalgic reasons, they were the cars I had most when I was a child. The current Matchbox range only has a few vehicles which interest me, I find more in the Hot Wheels range to excite me. I have more Hot Wheels than any other brand, partly because they are more readily available than other brands (except Kinsmart, which is everywhere).
My favourite brands:
- Matchbox
- Corgi
- Majorette
- Hot Wheels
- Siku
Models: Generally I prefer sports cars from the sixties and seventies, I particularly like the first generation Ford Mustang, second generation Chevrolet Corvette, Maserati Bora, Alfa Romeo Montreal, Citroen SM, Mercury Cougar, Datsun 240Z, Jaguar E Type and Porsche 911.
Scale: 1:64 The scale for Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Majorette. This again is the scale I collected as a child and is usually cheaper to buy and easier to store and display than larger scales. My largest scale models are 1:24, I don’t have any at 1:18.
Car Make: Some makes I prefer to others. I particularly like Porsche, Jaguar and Maserati. In my collection I have most Fords (82), Chevrolets (75) and Porsches (59). I only have 11 Maseratis but that is because they are quite rare, the current Hot Wheels range has only one Maserati an MC12, which I haven’t found yet.
My favourite find of 2016 was this Corgi Citroen SM. It came from the mid seventies, the model is mint, the box less so. The Citroen SM was borne of a collaboration between Citroen and Maserati.
Corgi Citroen SM
If you like this blog, here are some other blogs related to diecasts, which you might like to visit:
Jasmine’s Garage
Joel Reyes Noche
jimholroyd diecast collector 
Hi Jim. I’m a couple of years your junior, and this surely reminds me of my matchboxes way back then (made in either Hong Kong or England). Too bad collecting all those ‘little cars’ never crossed my mind. Aarrghh! 😀
Thank you for your comment. Hot Wheels were made in Hong Kong not Matchbox. I don’t have any of the models from my childhood. Most of my collection has been gathered in the last 5 years from various shops, markets, boot sales etc…. I have a couple of posts reflecting why I collect diecasts. If I weren’t collecting diecasts, I’m sure I’d be immersed in some other hobby.
This excellent website truly has all of thhe information and facts I wanted about this
subject and didn’t know who to ask.
glad you found it to be of some use
seen your comment on Swedish cars … The Atlas series of both Volvo and Saab are inexpensive and good value!! They are also starting to appear in the various IXO series!!
Haven’t seen the Atlas series here or IXO, I would like a model of a Volvo P1600 and a 480ES, I also like Saab 96s and 99s. I did see a Corgi Saab 900 for sale but the price was exorbitant (for me).
Stumbled across this via your other blog. I have one of those Superfast cases full of these somewhere in the loft so it made me smile and remember those days as a child… I was born in ’63 so I guess that came from the same era as your childhood.
I was born in ’64….like the Ford Mustang, Porsche 911 and Meyers Manx Beach Buggy….Matchbox cars have a nostalgic buzz for me…
The Mustang was my favourite as a kid. And that Shelby in Bullitt probably still is. An early 911 RS is pretty good too. I’ll have to dig out that collection now! My current nostalgic buzz – well, for the last 11 years – is my full-sized 1973 VW Westfalia ‘Kombi’.
Have you got that book ‘My Dad had one of those’? … Oh the memories come flooding back… Our kid neighbour being sick in the back of Dad’s mk1 Cortina estate….
I don’t have that book but I do have a 1968 Ladybird Book of Motor Cars….which I had as a child…my Dad had a Mk 1 Escort estate
He he! A couple of weeks back I passed a mk1 Escort fully rally specced. I slowed down and waited for it to come by going through the Southwick tunnel. As he approached I waved him on and he floored it. The noise was great!
What a nice blog! I started buying random diecast models a couple of years ago, my collection is way too big these days…I try to limit the number of cars that I buy, but it is difficult. They do not cost a lot, but when you add it al up…And what a coincidence: I focus on (sports) cars of the sixties and seventies as well (along with hot rods, pickup trucks and modern day super cars). Good luck with collecting!
it can get quite addictive…particularly when connected by social media to other collectors…good luck with your collecting!
Jim I inherited about 275 die cast cars from 1969 to 1983. Most of them are from the 70’s. Most are made in England and a few Hotwheels from Hong Kong. There are about 20 with original boxes in excellent condition. A few have been played with. I want to try and find a buyer for the entire collection. I live in the Fort Worth, TX area. Can you give me a resource to find local collecters? Maybe a blog or chat room? I am not interested in selling the collection on ebay or in a garage sale.
Thank you. BTW, your pictures are really good.
I don’t know any collectors in Texas…but there are groups on Facebook like MCCH – The Matchbox Collectors Community Hall…which may have interested collectors in your area…good luck with selling them.
Hi super LOVE your blog! If I may ask, Would like to know where I can get a majorette Toyota liteace van? My dad owns a car and it’s now 25 years old. Would be great to give one of those for Christmas 🙂 hope you can help me 🙂
I have a Lite Ace van, I found my here at Drybridge Market. https://jimholroyd365d.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/majorette/
E bay is a good source for particular diecast models.
Glad you like the blog.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=Toyota+lite+ace+mahorette&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XToyota+lite+ace+majorette.TRS0&_nkw=Toyota+lite+ace+majorette&_sacat=0
I was interested to find your web site. I am considerably older than you and remember the Dinky and Matchbox toys of my youth and unlike many people I kept every one I bought! I have been to your lovely country in 1971 (a few years back) when it was part of the Evil Empire but a beautiful country that I remember fondly. David from Canada (Toronto)
I wish I still had the Matchbox cars of my childhood, this hobby reconnects me to my childhood.
Hey, Jim. I came across a set of metal miniature cars from Japan that looked like some sort of giveaway with Instant Coffee. I can’t seem to find anything on them anywhere. I’m asking around to different blogs to see if anyone has seen them. Shoot me an email and I’ll send you a pic!
Hi Jim. I have been a collector of Corvette diecasts for many years. I currently have 81 cars I am looking to part with. Please contact me if interested.
Thank you for your comment Meagan, living in Georgia (former USSR), the postal system here is unreliable and expensive, I only buy my diecasts locally. I have around 30 Corvettes, one of my favourites.
I’m finding, so far, that it is definitely more fun, finding and buying these little cars, in stores, locally, rather than on ebay (sometimes necessary though). You can’t beat the thrill of finding something unexpected out in the wild, coupled also to the simple practicality of actually being able to inspect it there and then for any damage or paint/tampo errors (just in case). Having said this, I did recently bring home a decent looking Hot Wheels (69 Dodge Coronet Super Bee) which looked great in the blister, only to discover, once opened, that the blind-side unfortunately had a bit of the flame tampo missing.
I don’t use ebay, or buy any models online. I find them locally or occasionally trade with other collectors, but the cost of postage here in Georgia is crazy. Hot Wheels are mass produced and someitmes errors go through, especially with the tampos. My Toyota 2000 GT has badly printed tampos. Some collectors actively look for models with errors. The main thing with the hobby is to enjoy it, have fun collecting.
Yes, I agree. Although I am a relatively new collector, I strictly only pick up models that I can afford and genuinely appreciate aesthetically or those race models that have some kind of historical significance. I do tend to avoid some of the more outlandish fantasy designs out there. Having said that, the Hot Wheels ‘Formula Flashback’ strangely falls in to that catergory, but just looks so good to me, with its huge rear-wing. My current favourite model is the 1/64 scale Porsche 934, 1976, Minichamps, Vaillant/Kremer Green, #6. I have always liked that livery and may try to collect it across as many models as I can.
The Formula Flashback does look pretty good for a fantasy car, it captures the spirit of the era. I like some of the oriental inspired fantasy cars like Mad Manga and Time Attaxi.
Yes, I like the look of the Mad Manga, too. That one is on my list! I also like the look of the orange coloured ‘Tooligan’, and I think that is because, in some sense, it reminds me of the wedge shaped Can-Am McLaren cars in some way. It is a funny old business this association by aesthetic ☺
I have three of the Mad Mangas… https://jimholroyd365d.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/mad-manga/ … I bought another fantasy car because it reminded me of the De Tomaso Pantera (La Fasta) and a third because it looked similar to a Citroen DS….
I had no idea that there are four different versions of the ‘Mad Manga’. Blimey!
the Hot Wheels Wikia lists seven versions… http://hotwheels.wikia.com/wiki/Mad_Manga
Just did a quick search on the ‘La Fasta’ that you mention, and I agree, it looks great, especially the Yellow version, the shape reminds me also a bit of the Alfa Carabo. I’ve added the yellow ‘La Fasta’ to my to get list now. I’d better stop now, else the ‘to get’ list will get too long.
My Hot Wheels’ Wants List is continually being updated… https://jimholroyd365d.wordpress.com/2015/08/11/hot-wheels-wants-list/
check Fredstoys store on sellzo. https://www.sellzo.com.au/products/toys-games/diecast-cars-bikes-trucks/386/518
I have a very large collection of diecast vehicles including trains. There are several hundred and were collected by my father. They are currently in Texas. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to possibly sell this collection?
You could contact South Texas Diecast…they have events and message boards, they’re a big name in the diecasting world… http://www.southtexasdiecast.com
Very nice blog and a great collection!
Thank you for the comment.
Awesome models!!
Greetings from Argentina
http://retroautosminiatura.blogspot.com.ar/
Very Nice Collection, a great source for me to start my collection 🙂 .
Greetings from India.
Satish
Greetings Satish, good luck with your collection.
Dear Jim,
How nice to discover your excellent and extensive blog about doecast cars. How unfortunate it is though, that I discover it when only three days are left for us in Tbilisi…
I would love to take home some of the great USSR cars we’ve seen in 4 weeks around Georgia, even if they are only a miniature of the real ones 😉
Could you point me towards the best place to pick up some diecast UAZ, VAZ and ZIL models in Tbilisi? (My budget would be around 10 lari each)
Thanks again and keep up the great work!
Drybridge Market in Tbilisi, would have some diecast Soviet models but they tend to be more than 10 lari…. the last Soviet Truck I bought was 40 lari. I have bought some cars like Moskvitches for 15 lari. Different sellers can offer different prices.
Thank youfor your quick and kind reply!
Dry bridge needs to be on the list then 🙂
Do the Pepela shops that I found in Google sell Chinese made Russian cars too?
And the nice DeAgostini cars, are they still to be found near the central station?
Chinese made models of Russian cars can be found all over Tbilisi…often in shops in the subways….
Isaak in Vagzlis Basroba has some DeAgostini models but his stall is not easy to find….
You are only likely to find Models made in USSR at Drybridge
Sounds like a challenge 😉 Do you have any directions on how to find Isaak?
Tomorrow ‘s the last day and chance this year 😉
Found some Lada’s with light and sound in Varketili today, but the quality was too poor…
He’s not on the street he is inside the bazaar, you can access it from Tevdore Mghvdeli Street. Coming from the station, just after the left turn to Dinamo Stadium, there is an entrance to the covered bazaar, you go down and turn right at the bottom. Here is what the market entrance looks like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nArJiYN-iIE you can ask people that you are looking for model cars… “patara manquanebi” good luc….
Did it! 😉
Isaak was quite easy to find with your directions. Thanks for that. At the Vagzlis Basroba I could not find Lada, ZIL or UAZ models. Isaak currently has only Moskvic and some European cars.
It was quite an experience at the Dry Bridge market: finding nice 1:43 USSR cars (that looked so brand new, they might have been reproductions). The asking price of 80 Lari is above what I am willing to pay though.
Also many DeAgostini’s there. All around 50 Lari each, asking price. In the Netherlands they are sold for €1,- sometimes, so I’ll wait for those again 😇
Thanks again for your help and virtually joining me on my search 👍
Wow, I’m glad you found Isaak. I heard Deagostini models often appear in NL for 1 Euro….I also found some in UK for £1… I have never spent 80 lari on a model…a couple of times I stretched to 50 lari for Soviet Models I really wanted….August is the peak time for tourists and prices may be higher…taxi drivers here often have one rate for Georgians, a slightly higher rate for Russian speakers and the highest for customers who speak neither Georgian or Russian.
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This makes me feel nostalgic. I had been collecting diecast since grades school too. The brand that I have is the only matchbox since that is the only available brand in my place way back when I was in grades school. the other diecast available don’t have a brand.
100 000 hits!!!