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Archive for the ‘Diecast Cars’ Category

The term die-cast toy here refers to any toy or collectible model produced by using the die casting method. The toys are made of metal and plastic, the metal used commonly is ZAMAK (or Mazak), an alloy of zinc and aluminium. Zamak is also referred to as white metal or pot metal. The most common die-cast toys are scale models of automobiles, aircraft, construction equipment and trains, although almost anything can be produced by this method.

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	Maisto Special Edition 1:27 2002 Dodge Ram Quad Cab Reviews My 6 year old wants to buy a real Dodge Truck, so for Christmas I decided to buy him this one. He loves it! It's very life like (for a small toy). It's a good product and fun and worth the price. I'm very happy with this purchase. Average Rating:
	One 2002 Black Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab die-cast precision replica by Maisto

	"ABC Products" Wooden Dinosaur Assembling Skeleton Kit (Brachioaurus)
	Easy push out pieces ~~ Wooden puzzle assembling kit Brachiosaurus (skelton) ~~Large color picture to help assembly ~~ Pieces are numbered on instruction for easy assembling ~~ All wood can glue if desired ~~ Helps kids develop coordination and problem-solving skills ~~ NOT for children under 3 yrs old

	Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Sprint Series National Guard Citizen Soldier Diecast Car by The Hamilton Collection
	Dale Jr. Memorabilia Champions National Guard's Citizen Soliders! NASCAR(R) Diecast Car Tribute to Hometown Heroes! - After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the coast, the National Guard sprung into action, inspiring the Three Doors Down song "Citizen Soldier...

	12" Die-Cast Aluminum Alloy Cone Subwoofer Driver
	Lanzar developed a line of products that suit the needs of both the professional competitor and the street competitor. Cutting edge design and manufacturing, eye-catching cosmetics, all come together in Lanzar products.

	LANZAR VBPW1236D 12'' 2000 Watts Die-Cast Aluminum Dual Channel Subwoofer
	Custom Tooled Die-Cast Aluminum Basket Non Pressed Paper Cone Massive Butyl Rubber Surround 3'' High Temperature Dual Voice Coil 95 Oz x 3 High Density Barium Ferrite Magnet Power Handling: 2000 Watts Peak Frequency Response: 26- 800 Hz Impedence: Dual 4 OhmsEfficiency: 88dB Includes Installation Hardware and Template

	Boss Audio LA694 6x9-Inch 4-Way Speaker with Diecast Aluminum Frame - Single
	You must have Outcast speakers for your system. The diecast aluminum frame baskets provide maximum strength for a speaker platform. Coated paper cones are added for optimum sound reproduction. Rubber surrounds ensure linear performance.

	New Ray Die-Cast Truck Replica - International 9900IX Double Deck Car Carrier, 1:32 Scale, Model# 13473
	1:32 scale heavy-duty truck replicas feature die-cast cab and functional door, moving wheels and lifelike details. Each with authentic colors, realistic graphics and various moving parts. Ideal for both collectors and kids...

	Disney Cars Smart Tiles Stick-On Light Switch Cover (Rocker)
	Bring Disney magic in your home! Smart Tile's innovative self-stick concept allows you to give your walls a bold and unique touch. Smart Tiles light switch cover is ideal for 'rocker' style light switches.

	Dale Earnhardt Jr Amp 1/24 2009 Kids
	Dale Earnhardt Jr Diecast Amp 2009 1/24th scale Nascar Collectible produced by Motorsports Authentics under the Action Kids Series. This is one of Dale Earnhardt Jr's two main sponsorships that he will drive for nearly half the year...

	Set of 12 Cars: 5" Pull Back Action Diecast Dodge Viper GTSR (Kinsmart)
	Set of 12 Dodge Viper Diecast Metal with Pull Back Action

	Set of 4 Trucks: 5" Dodge Ram Monter Truck 1/44 Scale
	Great for boys Birthday Party

	Set of 12 Buses: 6" Diecast Classic School Bus (Pull back action)
	Set of 12 Buses: Pull Back Action

	Red Convertible Sports Car 3D Diecast Cufflinks w/ Gift Box
	These Red Diecast Convertible Sports Car cufflinks are perfect for the Sports car enthusiast. Each pair is set in a silver bullet back setting and designed to ensure the highest quality.******* Details * Height: 1/2 inches * Weight: 30 grams

	Black Die Cast Mini Cooper British Union Jack Flag Cufflinks w/ Gift Box
	These Black Diecast Mini Cooper Union Jack Flag cufflinks are perfect for the Mini Cooper enthusiast. Each pair is set in a silver setting and designed to ensure the highest quality.******* Details * Enamel Plated * Height: 1/2 inches * Weight: 30 grams

	#11 Denny Hamlin Lite Steel FedEx Adult Tee Shirt
	100% pre-shrunk cotton, LT. Steel (Gray) Denny Hamlin FedEx tee. Front of tee features Denny Hamlin with name screen printed tribal design, back of tee features photo of Denny Hamlin, FedEx car with signature and tribal design

Pixar Cars: Cruisin' McQueen Reviews My two year old is very much into the movie "Cars" and he loves this car. If he were rating it, I have no doubt he would give it five stars or more. I gave it four stars due to the fact that it is a little bit bigger than hotwheels and matchbox cars, so occasionally it gets stuck in the Little Tykes train and track table, which frustrates my son. Additionally, he slides this car across the floor to hit it into things. He doesn't throw the car, but after only a couple times, the car looked like it needs a new paint job. Although he does this to all his cars, this is the only one that has had the paint chip off like that. So I can't help but wonder if they used a lesser quality paint on this one. But all in all, he does love this car, and I would buy it again. Good quality car with nice shiny paint job. Unfortunately it looks more like a collectors item than a childs toy. The paint can scratch easily and it's about twice the size of a normal matchbox/hotwheels car. This car can not be used with hotwheels/matchbox playsets due to it's larger size from what I've seen so far. Average Rating:

Pixar Cars Supercharged: Cruisin' McQueen

Pixar Cars: Bug Mouth McQueen Reviews To be true, I have not yet given this to my son yet he has a donzen of these already in his barn, I am waiting for his next set of point collection when I pass it on to him, some one just gifted him his 6 Mater. I saw this prod and love the price went for it, never short of praise for this series of models. I myself love cars.. Our son had to have it for his collection. He lines the cars up to watch the movie and lets everyone know when the feature on the car appears in the movie. My son had to have this toy. We searched all over town to no avail and I finally broke down and paid a ridiculous price for it. Anyway, it's just a regular Lightening McQueen car with "bugs" stamped into the white of his teeth. (I could have done this with some small tools, black paint and a tiny paintbrush.) But my four-year-old is fascinated with this car so he gives it five stars -- it's definetely a favorite for kids. Average Rating:

These diecast cars are smokin' hot! Collect your favorites from the cast of CARS with these approximately 1:55 scale die-cast action-sized vehicles! Collectors are scooping these up and some are getting very hard to find! Lock in now!

Matchbox 10 Pack - Styles May Vary Reviews My son is 3-yrs old and he is infatuated with cars. I bought this for him because he loses them a lot since he has to carry one or two EVERYWHERE he goes. So far the cars perform well, they roll great on smooth surfaces. My only complaint, and this is a very small complaint, is that some of the cars are raised as if they are on hydraulics. My son likes to crash and smash his cars together so the ones that are raised slightly higher off the wheels have become damaged and by damaged I mean the wheels are kinda bent inward. Really small though since there are only one or two cars like that in the whole package of ten that he got. Overall I think the set is wonderful as far as sets of cars go. My 5 year old grandson loves matchbox cars. I purchased the cars for him and he loves them. The cars are well made and safe for children to play with. Wal Mart has these packs, plus 5 packs, and single packs for $1 per car. Save your money. Average Rating:

Each of these 10 packs of Matchbox vehicles contains a variety of ten vehicles.

	Speed Racer Movie Car Diecast Backpack School Bag Size: Large Reviews This item isn't a toy. The backpack is great. Plenty of room for lunchboxes and homework. My son loves it. Average Rating:

	Disney Cars 'Radiator Springs Cup' Junior Backpack Reviews My 2 and 1/2 year old son looks so adorable with this backpack on and it fits him perfectly. Average Rating:
	Race to school with Lightning McQueen and his friends from Radiator Springs! This backpack is made from sturdy 600D polyester and is the ideal backpack for preschoolers. Measures approximately 12" (L) x 10" (W)

	Disney Cars McQueen & Mater Backpack
	Race to school with this cool Cars backpack! Made from sturdy 600-D polyester, backpack measures approximately 15" (L) x 11" (W) and includes a big zippered main compartment for books, two front zippered pockets, side pouch and mesh water bottle holder...

History

Diecast (or die cast, or die-cast) toys were first produced early in the 20th century by manufacturers such as Meccano (Dinky Toys) in the United Kingdom and Dowst Brothers (Tootsietoys) in the United States. The first models on the market were basic, consisting of a small car or van body with no interior. In the early days it was common for impurities in the Zamak alloy to result in metal fatigue; the casting would crack or decompose for no apparent reason. As a result, diecast toys made before World War II are difficult to find in good condition.

Lesney began making diecast toys in 1947. Their popular Matchbox 1-75 series was so named because there were always 75 different vehicles in the line, each packaged in a small box designed to look like those used for matches. These toys became so popular that "Matchbox" was widely used as a generic term for any diecast toy car, regardless of who the actual manufacturer was.

The popularity of diecast toys as collectibles developed in the 1950s, as their detail and quality increased. Consequently, more companies entered the field, including the Corgi brand, produced by Mettoy, which appeared in 1956 and pioneered the use of interiors and clear plastic windows in their models.

In 1968, Hot Wheels were introduced in the United States by Mattel, to address the complaint that they had no line of toys for boys to balance their line of Barbie dolls for girls. Because they looked fast and were fast (they were equipped with a low-friction wheel/axle assembly), Hot Wheels quickly gained an important niche in the diecast toy market, becoming one of the world's top sellers and challenging the Matchbox 1-75 series in popularity.

During the 1960s various companies began to use diecast vehicles as promotional items for advertising. The idea that children can play a large part in a family's decision as to what products to buy came into wide circulation. In addition, by the 1980s it was apparent that many diecast vehicles were being purchased by adults as collectibles, not as toys for children. Companies such as McDonald's, Sears Roebuck, Kodak, and Texaco commissioned toymakers to produce promotional models featuring their names and logos, or licensed their use. One early example was an American Airlines London bus produced by Matchbox, an idea other some airlines quickly copied.

Beginning in the mid '70s trucks and other commercial vehicles took a lion's share of the diecast market. Matchbox started the trend when they re-launched their Models of Yesteryear range. They made a score of different versions of their Y-12 Ford Model T van, along with other trucks in colorful liveries such as Coca-Cola, Colman's Mustard, and Cerebos Salt. They also made promotional versions for Smith's Crisps (potato chips) and Harrod's department store. Some models were made exclusively for certain markets and immediately became quite expensive elsewhere: Arnott's Biscuits (Australia) and Sunlight Seife (soap, Germany) are examples.

Corgi copied this idea when they expanded the Corgi Classics line in the mid-'80s, producing more than 50 versions of a 1920s era Thornycroft van. Some collectors disparaged this development as "collecting paint," as the castings were identical; only the decorations were different. Other collectors created what they called the "10-Foot Rule" when the collecting of minor variations of the same vehicle got out of hand. The idea was that, if you couldn't differentiate between two versions of a model from 10 feet away, it wasn't worthwhile to collect both of them.

Despite their popularity, many diecast manufacturers went belly-up in the 1980s. Meccano (Dinky), Matchbox, and Corgi all went bankrupt within a three-year span, which essentially reflected the economic climate in the UK at that time. It had become virtually impossible to manufacture in England and compete on the world market. (Mattel had also long since shifted most of their production from the USA to the far east.) Matchbox was purchased by a Hong Kong conglomerate named Universal Holdings, which moved production from England to Macau. Later (1997), Mattel bought Matchbox, essentially making Hot Wheels and the Matchbox 1-75 line sister brands. The two brands continue to sell under their own separate names.

Meanwhile, Corgi had been acquired by Mattel, which moved the office from Swansea, Wales to Leicester, England, and moved manufacturing to China. Matchbox also bought the Dinky Toys name, long after the Liverpool factory was closed. Manufacturing resumed in China. In a series of subsequent shifts, a group of Corgi executives bought back the Corgi Classics line from Mattel, and portions of the Matchbox line were sold to an Australian company named Tyco (no relation to the Tyco line of HO scale trains, originally made by Mantua Metalworking in New Jersey, USA).

Effectively from the ashes of Matchbox's bankruptcy arose Lledo, a company created by former Matchbox partner Jack Odell. Odell believed that British collectibles for British collectors could still be profitably produced in England. Lledo took over part of the Matchbox factory in Enfield, and introduced their "Models of Days Gone" line of diecast vehicles in 1983. The first series of Days Gone models included re-makes of some of the most popular and respected first and second-generation Matchbox Models of Yesteryear. Lledo models were very popular collectibles in the '80s, leading to a period of diversification (incl. the Vanguards line of classic post-war British vehicles), but by the '90s they were eclipsed by other brands, and by 2002 Lledo went broke. Parts of their line were purchased by Corgi, which moved production to China.

In addition to trucks, Corgi produced hundreds of versions of their 1/64 scale Routemaster bus in the '80s and '90s. Like other collecting and promotional model trends, it started as a trickle and soon became a flood. Many versions were made to be sold exclusively in the stores whose advertising appeared on the buses. Harrods, Selfridges, Gamley's, Hamley's, Army & Navy, Underwood's, and Beatties were among the British stores employing this idea. A South African chain called Dion was one of the few overseas firms to follow suit.

Then 1/76 scale buses became very popular in Britain in the late '80s and early '90s, with competing lines from Corgi (the Original Omnibus Company) and Gilbow Holdings (Exclusive First Editions, or EFE) fighting for the market. The 1/76 scale fits in with British 'OO' scale model trains.

By the 1990s NASCAR enjoyed increasing popularity and a large number of racing-related Nascar diecast cars and trucks, painted in the colors of the different racing teams, appeared from various manufacturers. Racing Champions was a leading brand of such models, but there were many others.

In addition to cars, trucks, buses, agricultual implements, and construction equipment, diecast aircraft and military models were popular. While Dinky had made such models decades earlier, new companies entered the field in the '80s and '90s. One producer was Dyna Flites, which went bankrupt in the 1990s, but their market share was quickly taken up by their competitors, including Schabak, Gemini Jets, Herpa, and Dragon Wings.