Interview with Diecastracers

Sometimes some things happen by accident, and sometimes something extraordinary comes out of it. Something that would be just a magazine cover for others, for someone will become a hobby that will last over twenty years. I am grateful and proud to have had the opportunity to speak to a man who has made something that all of us who love racing and collectibles only dream of. This is his story.

First, tell us something about yourself

I am in Tucson Arizona but grew up in Denver Colorado in the United States. I own a small business servicing older Audi's. 

How and why you started with collecting scale model cars?

-When I was young, we had a foreign exchange student who came to live with us for a year, and he brought a racing magazine that had a section covering Le Mans. Specifically, the 1997 Le Mans and the cover page showed the Nissan R390 GT1. I didn't really know much about endurance racing at the time. I just thought it was the coolest looking car I'd ever seen. That is what sparked my interest in race cars. The collection started a year later when Maisto released the Le Mans winning Porsche 911 GT1-98.

What is subject and goal of your collection?

Anything and everything car related. I focus mainly on 1/18 Le Mans, FIA GT, GT3, endurance racing cars but I do have a few road cars and F1. I also have a few 1/64 cars. Mainly Le Mans as well. 

Who is your favorite manufacturer, and why?

I prefer Autoart models but the price tag has gotten a little steep. I have several exoto models which are amazing in quality but they are way too expensive to justify buying them now. I got lucky in getting a few of them way back in the day when they were around $200 new instead of $500+. I have a lot of Spark models because they are one of the only companies that make current Le Mans cars. While they're not too expensive I feel they are still overpriced considering they have no opening parts and no steering. 

Your real and dream car is?

-That’s a tough one. I do own a 2008 Audi R8 V8 manual in real life. I feel that is my realistic dream car because it is one I can afford now. And it is a dream car in some ways. However, I would say if money wasn't an issue then I'd track down and own a Mclaren F1. Who wouldn't right?! lol

You are a long time collector, did you have any time moments of doubt. Maybe you wanted to sell the collection, or you had a pause or something similar, and how did you get over it?

Not really. Even though the collection has thousand of dollars tied up in it, its spread out over 23+ years of collecting so it hasn't been strenuous on the wallet. I've never thought about selling anything. Models I replace with better quality or just don't want anymore I usually give away to friends kids, cousins, or neighbors kids.

What advice would you give to people who want to start with this hobby?

eBay is your friend. I get asked a lot where I get certain models and the answer is always eBay. 

If you wanna see more from his collection you can follow him on his Instagram account