Collecting diecast scale model vehicles is a hobby that is fun and can be a great way to escape from everyday pressures for a little while. Every collector has his or own specialization and every diecast model car collection has its own personality.

When it comes to model vehicles some people will collect a marque – Cadillac, Jaguar, VW – or they might collect cars they have owned or Formula 1 race winners or 1/43 scale British cars of the 1950s or tractors or - well, anything. Often the theme of a collection is hard to define though the collector will know just what is to be included and what is not.

I collect classic toy cars of the 1950s and 1960s, like Dinky and Corgi, but also modern models of a similar scale of cars of the same era. I also have some smaller models in the collection and a few that are models of newer cars; I can’t quite explain why but they belong there as well.

If you are starting your collection, you may well want to build up numbers without spending too much too quickly. A good way to achieve this goal is to look for bargains. Just because a model is cheap does not necessarily mean that it is inferior and the search for a bargain can be exciting in itself and will improve your nose for a good scale model to add to your collection.

One source of bargains is Ebay where you will find people selling off unwanted gifts and collectors who are thinning out their collection or unloading models that do not quite fit their collection’s theme. Remember that you are unlikely to find everything that you want among the current offerings of the model manufacturers. They have to vary their ranges over time to keep their customers interested so, for example, if you are looking for that exact model and color of Ford that your uncle used to have, the chances are that you will not find it among current models but you may find it among the contents of an old collection.

Another source of bargains is where a manufacturer is unloading excess stock originally produced to sell with part-works. These are often indistinguishable from models that were on sale earlier at a much higher price. The main cost of producing a diecast model is in the design and the moldings. Once the first few hundred have been produced the cost of producing one more is minimal so the manufacturer can sell at a greater profit or a lower price. This kind of bargain may be found on Ebay or among the stock of any diecast model dealer.

Cararama is an inexpensive brand of 1/43 scale model diecast cars which offers great value for money. Corgi Vanguards models of classic British cars also offer good value. Altaya and del Prado models too are remarkably good value. You will soon get to know which model manufacturers offer the best value on your particular specialist area. For example, if farm tractors is your thing, Universal Hobbies has a fantastic range of precision scale models at a reasonable price.

You will also become familiar with the best dealers to buy from. Low prices and good service do not always go together and as time goes on collectors will find their favorite dealers. It is best to buy from a friendly, reliable and approachable dealer like Golden Age of Motoring who have a great range of models which any collector will enjoy browsing and great prices too. The Golden Age of Motoring model shop always has some worthwhile items in the bargain basement as well as examples of the cream of top quality precision models from such manufacturers as Neo, Sun Star and AutoArt.