Remember how to find the Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card in the Upper Deck boxes?  It was the bottom pack of cards on the back right side of the box!  Well, that was the story I was told anyway.  Then came assorted limited cards of all shapes and sizes, each with its own unique appeal.  I remember this all too well as I spent the majority of my time (and my money!) hunting for these gems.  Then, as quickly as I started collecting ball cards, I was finished.  There was too much disappointment in the end.  A hobby, something I should have enjoyed, simply got too frustrating.

I always try to learn from my mistakes—and trust me, I have plenty of practice.  When I started collecting Hot Wheels, I took a solemn oath that I would never get caught up in collecting the hard-to-find cars.  At the time I didn’t even know what they were called.  I’d only heard of these so-called “treasure” cars.  This was my solution to prevent the burnout I’d experienced with collecting baseball cards.  I held onto my promise for nearly two years.  Then a funny thing happened; I found one.  You always remember your first—2000 Treasure Hunt #9, Pikes Peak Celica.  Suddenly I was caught in a difficult spot; on one hand, I really liked the casting.  On the other hand, here was this evil treasure hunt I swore never to collect.  I ended up buying it and feeling like I’d just sold my soul.  And the next year, that’s nearly what I did.  I researched every upcoming treasure hunt case code on the internet.  I stalked stores.  I even raided a case a time or two.  When Christmas 2001 hit, our area was flooded with Hot Wheels.  Every store geared up heavy for the holidays and priced them to move.  For whatever reason, much of the inventory didn’t move.  It sat.  And it sat.  Some of it is still sitting.   

I have to admit that I was less than thrilled.  I needed only one treasure hunt to complete my 2001 set and here was all this old inventory just sitting in bins and on pegs.  Then it hit me.  It was my fault.  I didn’t want all the regular cars.  No one wanted them.  We were all after the treasure hunts.  My God, what a vicious cycle!   

Where did I go wrong?  I had no direction to my collection.  I’m not a car guy, probably never will be.  I don’t own a muscle car from “back in the day.”  I find fantasy cars are pretty cool.  The segment series have become a staple in my collection.  First Editions are increasingly uninteresting.  Oh, sure, I still find a treasure hunt every now and then.  The Fat Fendered ’40 is my latest find and it is a beauty!  But tracking down treasure hunts is no longer what my collection is about.  I collect because I like toy cars.  I collect because, deep down, I’m just a big kid.  I collect the cars that I think are cool.  And the joy of collecting is back.

I want to stop and say that I’m not condemning anyone who collects treasure hunts, opens cases, or any of that.  It’s just that, for me, I needed to get a life.  Hobbies are supposed to be a fun, relaxing way to spend your time.  There’s too much stress in the world; I don’t need to make my hobby of collecting diecast a part of that stress.  Everyone is different.  But if you’re like me, I want to let you know that you’re not alone.  Your collection needs to be what you like—not what is limited and hard-to-find. 

I try to write articles that reach out to beginners.  I want to let new collectors know that there is rarely a path taken that is uncharted.  I praise people like Joe, AIR, David, Rob, DU, and others who have websites.  They are such a bank of information.  I was there—heck I still consider myself a newbie in most circles.  But the information and experiences shared on various message boards helped me long before I registered a username.  I always find it a joy to read about other people’s collections.  Some collect one casting.  Others collect only law enforcement vehicles.  Some collect Hot Wheels exclusively.  Many collect the cars they grew up with.  There are several ways to make a collection your own.  I wish you luck in finding a way to make diecast collecting your hobby. 

--hwcrash