http://articles.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/rss.xml A blog about diecast-racing-collectibles.com daily 365 1901-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://articles.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/?a=36413 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>In today's online market, there are many ways for the average Joe to buy and sell goods which have added options to the former yard sale generation. Ebay has skyrocketed the possibilities in which consumers can both seek out and get rid of various item from purses to houses to small collectibles. Auction prices are set by sellers and revised accordingly as supply and demand warrants. It is astounding how many items a simple search will provide, even on a focused area such as diecast cars. Since the popularity of diecast cars is increasing exponentially with the new designs that the marketplace is offering, the online demand for the products has increased proportionally. One can find many opportunities to build a collection simply by logging on to Ebay. Alternatively, one can sell parts or entire collections through the same venue. All it takes is a computer, digital camera, and a little know how to become a successful diecast merchant on the internet. <br /><br />Ebay is the most reputable online auction service. It has many safeguards in place to protect both buyers and sellers and to preserve its good name. While using Ebay once may assume they are in pretty good hands. However, vigilance is always necessary in the online auction world. Obviously there are always &quot;bad guys&quot; who are out to get novice consumers and take advantage of their lack of experience. The people at Ebay go great lengths to ensure your protection such as shutting down phony auctions and people who bid fraudulently to increase the bid price. These safeguards are useful, but not perfect. For this reason one must always utilized common sense when buying or selling diecast cars on Ebay.<br /><br />Another website devoted to selling cars is gomotorbids.com, a division of gomotorsports.com. This site operates a bit differently than Ebay in that the cars can only be bought, not sold. Due to this fact, the site is more of an online store with an auction format. The company owns all of the cars being sold and the operators of the website ensure that all sales are completed with accuracy and legitimacy. Also, all bids begin at one dollar, eliminating the &quot;reserve&quot; sometimes seen on Ebay to inflate bidding prices. This site boasts that the consumer will be satisfied with every sale on gomotorbids.com due to its policies and safeguards. <br /><br />When faced with the decision of where to buy and sell diecast collectible cars, one must consider all options. Of course yard sale type business including trading with acquaintances is always an option, but not often feasible. It requires a lot of time and includes traveling to destinations in order to make purchases and/or sales. The alternate option of internet merchandise fits into the lives of many more collectors. It is a personal decision, but once made, collectors find themselves accomplishing their goals of both accumulating and selling diecast cars for display.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida. Find more about this as well as collectible cars at <a href="http://www.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/">http://www.diecast-racing-collectibles.com</a></p> 2006-11-20T00:51-05:00 http://articles.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/?a=36412 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>There are a wide variety of hobbies that people take up to fill their spare time. Hobbies can range from activities such as knitting or drawing to rebuilding computers and cars. One broad hobby that encompasses many walks of life is collecting. It is such a broad hobby because collections can be comprised of almost anything that pleases the collector. A popular collector item is cars, however, this is also a broad topic. Collectors may accumulate luxury cars, old cars to be restored, or even miniature car replicas. The latter being the most wallet friendly and easy to store makes it a very common collectible item.<br /><br />If one's interest lies with miniature cars, diecast cars will certainly be visible on their radar. More specifically, NASCAR diecast cars are often sought after by collectors. However, for the novice collector, the cost of building up a NASCAR diecast collection can be quite pricey. Some collectors argue that spending a portion of their life savings to maintain their collection robs them of their enjoyment. One option these collectors have is to seek bargains on Ebay. While some sellers may hike their prices in order to turn a large profit on the mega internet trading website, others are in it for the love of collecting. Therefore, one stands a decent chance at finding NASCAR diecast at affordable prices so that their desire of owning a collection may be satiated. So how does an inexperienced collector differentiate good deals from rip-offs? <br /><br />Firstly, one must consider the specifications and features of the car before determining its value. The main specification in determining the price of diecast cars is the size, and, as most things go, bigger size means bigger price tag.<br /><br />For a few reasons the 1/64 scale is an excellent way to get started collecting diecast cars: they are low-priced and easy to store. A good way to get started is to buy in bulk lots. In this way one gets a good amount of cars for a reasonable price and they can then be displayed in a case or on shelving without looking bare. If you are on the opposite end of the collector spectrum and are considering selling some or all of your cars, selling in bulk lots is also a great option. Ebay is a great place to get started buying and/or selling lots, just remember to include ample pictures and thorough descriptions in order to get the most bidders.<br /><br />There are options for more savvy collectors who desire a more advanced collection. The 1/24 and 1/8 scale cars are more expensive than the 1/64 scale, but they are bigger and often have movable hoods and doors which add a realistic aspect. There are different styles of 1/24 cars such as the Sprint, Nextel, and Craftsman series. All of these series boast quality detail, but the Craftsman series is harder to find because the demand is lower than those of the other series. The 1/8 scale cars are the most expensive and are much larger than the other scales. If space is an issue, consider where you will store these models before purchasing them.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida. Find more about this as well as diecast collectible cars at <a href="http://www.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/">http://www.diecast-racing-collectibles.com</a></p> 2006-11-20T00:48-05:00 http://articles.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/?a=36411 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>The diecast marketplace gained a new member seven years ago with the unlikely appearance of Jada Toys. The beginner brand began humbly but swiftly gained astounding interest due to the development of its style and trendy new design concepts. You might ask, what drove the company into the spotlight of the industry? The answer is simple: adding flashy new designers Luis Tanahara and Kevin Thaxton to the payroll.<br /><br />One half of the new design team, Luis Tanahara first joined Jada Toys solo after leaving Mattel in 2001. He exposed Jada Toys founder Jack Li to the new and upcoming trend of &quot;dubs&quot;. The term &quot;dubs&quot; referred to the addition of large wheels to smaller cars that had been lowered for aesthetic effect. Following the dubs trend, more and more car customizations began to take place ranging from massive music systems to fancy DVD players installed into the headrests. Luis Tanahara applied this notion to diecast cars and the concept took off into a new line called &quot;Dub City&quot;, modeled after the dub phenomenon of car customization.<br /><br />Soon after Luis incorporated custom diecast car design into Jada Toys, his long time friend and colleague Kevin Thaxton joined the Jada family. As high school classmates, Luis and Kevin started as sketchers and from there moved on to more sophisticated art forms such as airbrushing. Years later they were professionally reunited and their synergy skyrocketed the success of Jada Toys. Together they took diecast to the next level of exquisite design and flare. Working from their extensive design experience together, the two made a stellar design team and utilized a well built process of diecast car production.<br /><br />Luis and Kevin start the proverbial ball rolling by sketching their own paper designs of custom diecast cars. After extensive editing, the designs are applied to a three dimensional model from which realistic versions soon arise. The refining process continues until the designers are satisfied with their creation. From computer to reality: both clay and resin models are formed to allow for further design cultivation in a practical matter. Finally, a metal copy is updated, painted, and sent off to Hong Kong for factory production and visually enticing packaging meant to attract consumer attention. After mass production these cars find their way into the hands of car lovers and collectors around the globe.<br /><br />Success stories are inherently good natured, and this story is no exception. With the addition of two artistic high school buddies, Jada Toys was able to launch itself right into the mix of the diecast world. What began as a sketching hobby blossomed years later into a successful design career that earned diecast cars a nice fit in the pop culture scene.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida. Find more about this as well as diecast collectible cars at <a href="http://www.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/">http://www.diecast-racing-collectibles.com</a></p> 2006-11-19T16:23-05:00 http://articles.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/?a=36410 <p>by Gregg Hall </p><p>For all of those who retire to the television for hours at a time to gaze at colorful machines whizzing around an asphalt track, the idea of taking a front seat to the action is quite enticing. However, for most this is just a childhood or even grown up fantasy which is unlikely to result in the shifting of gears and pit stops to frantically change smoky tires. For some, there may be a way to quench, or at least wet, the thirst for first hand NASCAR excitement: diecast cars.<br /><br />In today's modern market of video games and computer overuse, there is a concept being revived in popular culture: the collectible car. While many may remember the days of the matchbox car, few children today can appreciate the true popularity that was once there. With the dawn of a new miniature car series, this notion may change. Kids may just hang up their joysticks and stop to take in the most recent release from Racing Champions.<br /><br />Who can turn down a good duplicate? Americans everywhere enjoy the hobby of collecting valuables, and sometimes not so valuables. Mini cars are no exception. In the Ebay age, collections have ranged anywhere from Beanie Babies all the way to cigars. In an almost revival effort, Racing Champions has introduced a new mini car line geared at both a collector's audience as well as an audience of kids who like cars.<br /><br />NASCAR driver Rich Bickle partnered with well known restaurant Popeyes Chicken &amp; Biscuits in announcing a new line of diecast collectible cars which will feature the signature #91 style renowned to Bickle fans. The new series is targeted at NASCAR fans of all ages who can appreciate the value of striking miniature reproductions. <br /><br />Youngsters may value the cars for the cool look or simply to crash into their other matchbox cars or slide down their car racing tracks. The vibrant animated appearance will surely please the eyes of kids while the fine detail will tickle the fancy of serious car lovers. The reproduction is uncanny and the vivid colors and movable parts will entice even the most discriminating collectors. Bickle has partnered with Ed Smith of Ironworks and Jon Luther of Popeyes to create the line, and the shared expectation is that cars will fly off of store shelves and into collections nationwide.<br /><br />This type of pop culture memorabilia gives character to a society. While some families pass down fine jewelry, other pass down collectible cars. To some it may seem frivolous, but to the man who watched NASCAR with his father and grandfather, these items are priceless. <br /><br />For anxious collectors these cars can be purchased online at a variety of sites.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida. Find more about this as well as collectible cars at <a href="http://www.diecast-racing-collectibles.com/">http://www.diecast-racing-collectibles.com</a></p> 2006-11-19T16:20-05:00