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Why I like collecting 1:64 diecast car models: Story behind the passion

22nd May 2025, 11:00 by Deepankar Sadekar

I’m quite careful with my models, I store them with their boxes in a dedicated space at home.

BHPian hey.rudey recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hello there Team BHP.

It has been a long hiatus since my last thread, and the itch to write suddenly hit me again. After a few adventures with my 3 (more updates on that in the future), I wanted to re-explore a world that I had forgotten: blogging and die casts. The last few years in the watch and car community have taught me that gas is actually a number, and passion often works in a different way. What was once seen as toys or indulgences, can be someone’s way of expression or passion. Here is a story about my passion for cars away from the driver’s seat and from my study desk.

Die cast or scale model collecting

The definition of a car guy/gal is pretty vast. There are some who find pleasure in a simple drive or daily commute, while there are some who are after the next big garage addition. Purists and tuners; vintage, modern classics, and modern cars; Sunday racers and track day weapons; city explorers and off road maniacs. Car guys come in all shapes and sizes, but there has been one thing that has fascinated almost all of them: shrinking their cars.

Die cast collecting is an age old hobby that many collectors have engaged in over different eras or in different genres. As a petrolhead, it was natural that I would engage in such a pastime, but what I could never fathom was how much I would enjoy it and take it up like other peculiar hobbies such as watch collecting, and indie video games. The world of die cast collecting is pretty fascinating: the community that it has fostered, the other side of passion for cars, and the pecuniary lengths some collectors go to get a certain model. I never thought that I would be returning to such a hobby, but I'm really glad that I did.

My collecting journey before 1:64s

I started collecting die casts when I was six years old. The first model to join my collection was a silver 1:18 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Cabriolet by Maisto, and I remember being in awe of a "toy" sized "real" car when I had seen it Lifestyle Phoenix Mills (a bygone place of a more simpler and older Mumbai). Something in me sparked and I went on to collect plenty of die casts over the next 8 years. There are plenty of memories associated with each model: some snagged in secret, some birthday presents, and some gifts from grandparents who largely supported my hobby. I somehow even managed to get one of my dream mobiles, a Ferrari Enzo, in the form of a 1:18 Hot Wheels; finding this model proved quite difficult. The last model I got before I took an unknown and involuntary break from collecting was a 2013 Chevy Camaro SS in Racing Yellow with black stripes. I am a Transformers nut (I collected Transformers as well), and with Bumblebee being my favourite character from the franchise, I knew I had got the one that I was chasing after.

Following the Camaro, I never ventured to get an another model. Life went on, and I was transitioning to video game consoles. There weren't any good models that I thought were collection worthy must haves. I went more into academics, and was more inclined towards collecting sneakers, buying watches, and driving actual cars. The prices of 1:18s cars also increased, and the thought of spending more than what I was paying did not sit with me.

All this changed one day when out of the blue, I found a 1:18 Datsun 240Z on Amazon. The price was right and it sat perfectly with my other cars, so I pulled the trigger. When I got the 240Z, it made me feel like a child again. I hadn’t felt the joy of getting a proper die cast for quite a while, so it felt quite refreshing. I had missed collecting, and getting this model had kindled a spark.

Return to collecting

Getting back into collecting had presented two challenges: space to store model cars, and brand vs cost of models and brands. I’m quite careful with my models, I store them with their boxes in a dedicated space at home. As someone with 50+ 1:18 models, I had no issue storing more. Problem was would I be able to maintain 50 more without troubles such as paint rash, rubber wear, fortnightly wipe downs, and so on; a problem many many collectors face. The second problem was the spread of models available to for purchase in the market. I used to collect Maisto, Welly, and Bburago models (fun fact my Welly Lamborghini Muira SV was model No. 5 in India), but with rising prices, limited supply, and similar selection with sellers, I did not find the latest 1:18 offerings unique or intriguing. Nor were the details on the models sharp or special enough for the asking prices. Brands like Solido, the next new affordable range of models, did not excite me. The line up is really good, but the lack of an opening bonnet and boot does not justify the price when compared to Bburago and Welly models. For an example, take my 2006 997.1 Carrera S by Maisto. It had replica Michelin Pilot Sport tyres and Mobil 1 stickers from factory on the car.

Like any car guy in their childhood, I had collected and played with Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars as a child. Thanks to Dad, I also got his vintage Matchbox and subsequent collection which added on to the garage strength. I could never fathom them as collectables and played with them till the chrome on its wheels blacked out. Now that I’m older, they sit either in dedicated display or in storage boxes, but what I didn’t I know was what I was getting myself into.

Thanks to Instagram and Youtube, I was introduced to a newer world of 1:64 models. There was a full fledged community that collected, modified, and photographed these models in realistic dioramas or in outdoor scenery. It was fun to see detailed Hot Wheels sized cars; these models defied the “realism” of bigger models, but were fun enough to collect. Models from Mini GT, Tarmac Works, and Inno64 seemed tempting, the search to get one of these models began.

The search led me shops such as Karz and Dolls, Miniature Toy Shop, and many more. One thing that caught off guard was the price of these models. Back when I was a child, Hot Wheels cars used to be Rs. 50 and increased till it was Rs. 110 (before Covid, currently 180 that is if you get them). I could never fathom paying Rs. 1000 and more. Prices varied with brands, but all of these models seemed pretty expensive. Still curiosity got the best of me, and I got a Mini GT TRD Supra 3000GT.

At first glance, it looked like 1:18 car shrunk down, but the details were impressive. The plastic bits didn’t feel shabby, and the interior (or whatever I could see) was better than Hot Wheels. It wasn’t anything like my bigger cars, but it felt right. And that led to a new obsession.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Not as big as 1:18 models, and therefore easy to store
Compared to 1:18 models, less expensive and easy to pursue
Many manufacturers make 1:64 models, including prominent 1:18 scale makes
Wider variety of models: whether it is a factory stock car or tuner modified like LBWK, Top Secret, HKS, etc
Many imaginative models (models that don’t necessarily exist in reality)
Shrunken details such as disc brakes, sirens, joints, engine dioramas are more interesting
Many supporting accessories and dioramas are also available like 1:18s

Cons:

Not all models are inexpensive. Some models can range from 3000 to 10000 excluding big rig trucks
Shrunken details may be flawed such as headlights and A pillars
Wheels and tyres don’t often replicate the quality of 1:18 or other bigger scales
Quality control vastly varies, especially in more introductory offerings from Mini GT and Tarmac Works
Only select stores and sites keep detailed 1:64 models
Not all brands are easily available in India and therefore have to be imported. For example, Tomica Premium Neo Vintage often sell at premium rates over Facebook and private groups

The collection:

To simplify what you will be reading further, I refer my The TRD Supra as the first model in my new realistic 1:64 scale collection. This was followed by the Mini GT. The Calsonic No. 12 R32 GT-R and the Tarmac Works Mazda A Spec FD RX-7. I thought that I was turning into a JDM collector, until I started exploring into European models. I have yet to explore into the American side of things, but that does not exclude them.

Most of my collection is focused on historical race cars or their production versions, tuner specials, Mercs, JDMs, and interesting cars like the Lexus LFA. My search for these models have often led me to cross borders over the internet and search for cars in the UK, Germany, Australia, and the US. I am also trying to get into dioramas and have got a mat. I do want to get a Ferrari collection, and improve on my movie car collection.

This is where I stop writing for a bit and let the pictures do the talking

What I think I did better as a collector this time around:

It is no secret that anything and everything excites me. I believe in quality over quantity, and that has led me to be more selective of what I purchase. More than the brand, I focus more on the model and its details; what is a Ferrari without its prancing horse. I do try to space out purchases (who am I kidding), and avoid pre-orders to avoid funds from being stuck incase something pops up. I also do meet other collectors and we exchange a lot of good info on releases, prices, sellers, and maintenance. I do have a price cap on what I spend, and always avoid spending over MRP even on Hot Wheels (Dear Scalpers, F* You).

Coda:

There is truth in the saying that the journey or the chase is sweeter than the result. The people I have met and interacted with due to my models has doubled since I became more public about my collecting. The exchanges, stories, and passion are congenial, and even non car guys get pulled into this. If I had to do this all over again, I don’t think I would do anything different.

Till then, happy collecting to other connoisseurs and I will be back with more blogs from this year.