History of Scale Model Diecast
Diecast (or die cast, or die-cast) toys were first produced early in the 20th century by manufacturers located in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The first scale model diecasts on the market were basic, consisting of a small car or van body with no interior. In the early days it was also common for impurities in the alloy to cause the casting to distort or crack for no apparent reason. As a result, diecast toys made before World War II are difficult to find in good condition. The high-purity alloys used today avoid this old problem. The popularity of diecast toys as collectibles developed in the 1950s once their detail and quality increased. Consequently, more companies entered the field and began adding interiors and clear plastic windows in their scale model diecast vehicles.
Matchbox and Hot Wheels Diecast Cars
In the last 1940s, the popular Matchbox 1-75 series got its name 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.
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. In 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.
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. In 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.
Racing Diecast Model Cars
by the 1980s it was apparent that many diecast vehicles were being purchased by adults as collectibles, not as toys for children. 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. By the 1990s NASCAR enjoyed increasing popularity in the USA, 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. By the mid-1990s, other manufacturers became aware of the money-making potential spurred on by the popularity of 1:18 scale model diecast.
Diecast Cars are Highly Prized & Affordable Collectibles
From about the year 2000 on, the quality and accuracy of models improved dramatically. Around 2005, "premium" manufacturers began to offer very high-quality, highly-detailed models at higher prices. Today, many features are now found in mainstream, low-priced diecasts that were once only found in models costing upwards of $100. Engine wiring and plumbing, carpeting in the interior, detailed instrument panels, seatbelts, and photo-etched details are common even in models costing under $50. Today, the lower-priced models are easily obtainable from a number of diecast merchants, both online and in brick-and-mortar stores. Premium models are typically offered on the Internet, and often these online stores such as MotorMint.com and DiecastModelsWholesale.com offer the models at discounts from list price.
You've come to the right website if you are looking for collectible scale model diecast cars and trucks from all over the world. You'll be pleased with the quality merchandise and wholesale pricing of 1:18 scale and other sizes provided by DiecastModelsWholesale.com. If you're a diecast model car collector or buying a gift for one, in addition to 1:18 scale model diecast cars, browse the huge selection of 1:24 and 1:32 and many other scale model diecast sizes manufactured by MotorMint.com.