Vintage Toys -Toy Reviews -Toy Discount

Posts Tagged ‘Diecast’

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.

Click on the picture below for more information:

	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...

	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

	Disney Pixar Cars Supercharged Pullbax Luigi
	Asst Inspired by the hit Disney/Pixar movie, CARS, each Pullbax vehicle has a signature driving motion. Pull em back and let em rip! Lightning McQueen speeds and spins, Luigi zips along, Ramone features lowrider rockin action, and Mater goes backwards

	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

	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

	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.

Toy Car Collectors Guide: Identification and Values for Diecast, White Metal Other Automotive Toys & Models Reviews Do not spend your money on this and all Dana books.Unless you want to see a bunch of letters and photos of listed cars that are not a collector items.Majorette items do half of the book.If you are lookin for a book on die cast models cars,buy something by an english. I've just seen this book at a local bookstore. I was pretty excited when I found it and started to browse. But then, I became a little disappointed! The author gives a few pages to companies like Corgi and Dinky, and far too many to Majorette. I would say that the Majorette part is almost one tenth of the book! Overall the photos are pretty good and there's some good information too. I didn't buy it, but maybe I would later, and only if I find it at a very, VERY, low price! The books has many companies listed and gives histories but gives a generic price range. I mainly purchased this book for 1:18 scale models and was sad to see that a roughly half of my collection is not even listed in the book. This book has a review on almost every kind of toy car, but leaves out the prices of a lot of them. There is almost no selection for hot-wheels, but there is a lot of selection for matchbox. My problem is that I have cars with no model numbers, which makes this book useless. I was able to find ERTL and a few others I had though. A great new, year 2002 softbound 336 page volume. There are more than 800 brands of cars included, from 1910 to 2000. An interesting history is provided, as well as current values and buying and selling tips. The book covers Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Corgi, Johnny Lightning,Tomica and more. There's detailed information about scale, evaluating models, and insights into buying and selling. Comprehensive guide for the collector. Average Rating:

Over 800 brands of diecast, white metal, and related automotive toys and models from 1910 to 2000 are represented, in all sizes, ranging from 1:144 to 1:8 scale. Collectors will find Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Corgi, Johnny Lightnings, Tomica, and more...

Hot Wheels: Warman's Companion Reviews Hot Wheels: Warman's Companion I found this book to be well worth the money. This is a handy smaller sized book from the maker of the great Hot Wheels Variation guide books. The first 2/3 of the book is all color pictures of loose older Hot Wheels cars that really seem to be more of a "Here's a sampling of a nice older collection" than a identification guide. Anyone with a Tomarts guide, (even an old one) really does not need this entire first 2/3 of the book as it is disappointingly incomplete. The price guidance of the older cars is a little deceiving as some of the pictures are of very pretty rough shape cars and all the prices are for near mint vehicles. However, the last 1/3 of the book is fantastic, albeit with no pictures. This is Michael Zarnock at his finest, listing very accurate pricing for an incredible number of variations from 1995 all the way up to recent years. The bottom line is that if you know nothing about collecting older Hot Wheels it can get you in the ballpark of knowing what one could be worth if you run across a loose one. If you do know what you're doing you can still get value in the most recent price guide of practically every known variation out there. This long awaited book has finally arrived and is well written and helpful to beginner and seasoned collectors. The book provides many high quality photos and has alot of information packed inside. The author is a very highly recognized expert in Hot Wheels and writes for Toy Cars and Models Magazine monthly. The book's size will help people when shopping for or selling these fine cars and is easy to understand. I truly enjoy the books that Mike Zarnock writes and it helps me with understanding and documenting the cars I have in my collection. For additional information on the subject be sure to check out his "variations" and "accessories" books as well. Average Rating:

"Appeals to more than 15 million avid Hot Wheels collectors - both young and young at heart Fun and informative format that gives collectors an edge at sales and shows Written by the Guinness World Record holder of the greatest variety of die-cast car Sleek, fast, and cool...

NASCAR Die-Cast Collectibles: Collector's Value Guide (Collector's Value Guides) Reviews The book was very well written, with much research. Very useful for for all Nascar cars collectible's fanatics. Much information on each Nascar driver.A good source to keep track of value of current and older cars .Being able to keep track of your own cars with space provided for each car with driver . It also has a lot of history about Nascar Legends , living and decseaed . The only part that disappionted me was,that ther where only NINE drivers listed,with pictures of there cars. Granted these were the Top ones , I was still not 100% happy with the book .To me ,there are way, way more than NINE great NASCAR drivers that sould have been mentioned . Average Rating:

The thrilling world of NASCAR racing is captured in the Collector's Value Guide! The guide includes an overview of NASCAR Winston Cup racing, die-cast collectibles for some of the top Winston Cup Series drivers, biographies for some of the biggest names in auto racing and up-to-date secondary market values! Be sure to check out our other fun titles such as: Hot Wheels, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and more!

	Board Games - Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Dominoes, Jigsaw, Word Search...Much More!! {Windows - 98 or Higher ..XP Compatible}
	Board Games - Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Dominoes, Jigsaw, Word Search...Much More!! {Windows - 98 or Higher ..XP Compatible} Factory Sealed.

	CINDERELLAS CASTLE DESIGNER
	Disney Cinderella Castle Designer Princess..design the castle of your dreams , rooms..& details....When yo're finished then the adventure begins...PC CD-Rom {win 98, ME, XP} Factory Sealed.

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.