It’s always interesting to see other people’s slot car
collections. It’s not uncommon for enthusiasts to have a few
hundred, and some folks have literally thousands of cars on the
shelves. A lot get raced, some never see the track and some people
will buy two of whatever they like—one to run and one to keep in
the jewel case. The hows and whys run the gamut; some folks simply
collect (as an investment) and other keep a strict focus on their
choices and purchase primarily with racing in mind.
As I’ve mentioned
before, I mostly restrict my purchases to endurance type racing cars,
like you’d see at LeMans. It’s not that I don’t appreciate
other kinds of cars—it’s just that I’m not as big a fan of
other types of racing, and most of all, I simply can’t afford to
buy EVERYTHING. But there are those who do.
Beyond that—and
the fact that I run analog-only—I have a few other guidelines for
purchasing:
1) For some cars,
like Classic Le Mans and Group C, I may have at least 2 of every
type, which could simply mean a different livery but better yet, a
slight variation of a model. I also like to have variations on a
model from different manufacturers (like a Jaguar XJS from Scalextric
and Slot.it...or a McLaren 720 from Carrera and Sideways). I like
even numbers.
2) I’m not one for
buying the same exact car in a bunch of different liveries. Maybe two
– but that’s about it.
3) If I can buy a
new car without a case and save some money, I’ll do it. I don’t
need another case for my shelf. My cars are purchased to run.
4) I’m not averse
to buying a gently used car. Again, I’m not buying for investment.
If a car is missing a mirror or two, and is in otherwise nice shape,
I’m OK with it – I can make a replacement on my 3D printer.
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| A recent eBay purchase. Excellent shape except for the missing mirrors. We can fix that. |
5) Driver variations
– some sellers will charge more for a car that’s numbered to
represent a specific (famous) driver. If this is the case and its
stablemate is practically identical (but for the number) I’ll buy
the cheaper option. I don’t feel like paying the premium.
6) If you haven’t
figured out that I’m kinda cheap (I am) then understand I always
look for a bargain. When I first started buying cars, Carreras went
for about $30 and new Scalextrics for not much more. I think Flys
were somewhere between $40-50. Though new cars are much better, there
remains a psychological barrier that makes it hard to feel good
paying more than $60 for a non-digital car. But I have bought some MR
Slotcar, Revoslot, NSR and a handful of others that are closer to
$100. With shipping, my SRC Toyota cost more than that—and the MR
Slotcar Shadow I have on order will be close. It’s a good thing I’m
“caught up” on most of the cars I’ve been wanting, because
whatever is to come will be significantly more expensive than what I
already have.
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| Already put my pre-order in for this baby. Not cheap - but what are you gonna do? |
7) I try to
patronize and support various online dealers. Often you can find
great deals as long as you meet their free shipping requirements. I
do shop price but good service also counts for a lot in my book. I
scan eBay constantly for deals on older cars and used cars—but
prices there can be crazy, too.
I’m curious what
other people’s criteria might be for buying cars. Do you just “buy
what you like” or do you have a special focus? Let me know in the
comments or on Twitter or Facebook.
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