Join me in wishing Pro Diecast Customizer and Diecast Hall of Fame Inductee Bryan Pope a very Happy Birthday! Stay in touch with everything going on at Pope Designs by joining the mailing list, “friending” Bryan on Facebook and “liking” the Pope Designs Facebook page.

Bryan’s next convention appearance will be at the Summer Smash coming up on August 25th thru the 28th. Be sure to visit the official Summer Smash website for more info on tickets and accommodations.

It will be the ONLY way for collectors to get the remaining Pope Designs 5th Anniversary Camaros now that the online sale is over!

Just over a year ago, the DiecastSpace Magical Weekend of Cars rolled into the Swan and Dolphin Hotel at DisneyWorld in Orlando, Florida, and we were fortunate to have Jake and the crew from Tail Fins and Chrome at the event to capture some of the atmosphere and personalities at the convention.

The episode aired on RTV and TUFF TV on May 1st, but the Tail Fins crew has made the full episode available for those who missed it! Segments from the convention include interviews with me, die-cast author Mike Zarnock, die-cast designer Eric Tscherne, DCS Staffer Jason Bennett and female collector, Katerina. As an added bonus, the episode includes a great segment from the Hot Wheels room at the Peterson Automotive Museum.

The convention segments are sprinkled between some cool footage of a pretty impressive police car (1:1 scale!) collection, so make sure you watch the whole episode to see everything from the Magical Weekend!

Be sure to check out the Tail Fins and Chrome website to catch more full length episodes or to see if the show is available on cable TV in your area.

The next Magical Weekend of Cars will be rolling into Anaheim, CA in the Summer of 2012, but there are plenty of great events to attend in the meantime. Check out ToyCarConventions.com for a complete listing of all the DiecastSpace events nationwide.

The Diecast Hall of Fame Class of 2012 was officially announced at the 2011 DiecastSpace Collector Experience in Nashville, Tennessee earlier this month. An incredible number of nominees were on the ballot in each category this year and it certainly created some difficult decision making for the committee.

As in the past, each inductee will be contacted to confirm that they will be accepting their induction into the Hall of Fame. The ability for each inductee to be present at the 2012 Diecast Hall of Fame ceremony will also be confirmed and publicly listed as that information becomes available.

The inductees for each category in the Class of 2012 include:

In addition, the following DCS Staff members will be inducted under the “Intriguing Collectors” category as announced during the 2011 Diecast Hall of Fame ceremony:

Bob Ratliff, Tony Monzon, Jason Bennett, John Kennedy, Tom Brust, Frank Kelly, Paul Wooten and Cullen Lee

The 2012 Diecast Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place during the 2012 DiecastSpace Super Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino from February 22nd thru the 26th. Information on tickets and accommodations to the convention can be found at Diecastspace.com. Admission to the ceremony itself is free and open to the public.

Collectors who regularly attend conventions are most likely familiar with Mattel’s popular Hot Wheels Vending Machine that has become a feature attraction over the years. Standing in a massive line of fellow diecast enthusiasts while waiting for a chance to see what mysterious Hot Wheels goodness will fall from the innards of the giant metal box is one activity that many collectors look forward to at each event.

If you haven’t had a chance to attend one of the many conventions that the vending machine makes a stop at then, picture if you will, a snack style vending machine – the type with spiral bars that moves your selection towards you after making your desired “letter/number” selection. However, the snacks have been replaced with premium limited edition Hot Wheels products that are normally available for members of the HotWheelsCollectors.com Redline Club, and the identity of the item you’ve selected remains hidden behind frosted glass until its pulled from the spring-hinged door at the bottom of the machine. Add in the antics of Mattel’s Chris Parker, who runs the vending machine events and you have a recipe for fun turned up to “11!”

Mattel’s Hot Wheels vending machine has appeared at many conventions over the years including numerous DiecastSpace conventions, the annual Summer Smash in Rhode Island, the Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels and of course, the official Hot Wheels Conventions that occur each spring and fall. Unfortunately, the vending machine is not always available for every event. The team over at DiecastSpace recognized the value that the vending machine has brought to their events and has come up with a solution to ensure that the fun continues on.

This June, the brand new “Diecastspace Vending Machine” will make its debut at the Nashville Collector Experience in Nashville, Tennessee. As you can see from the rendering, it will be decked out in flames and will proudly display the Diecastspace logo – but, while the outside looks great, collectors know that its whats on the inside that counts! Convention attendees can expect to find all sorts of products from the major diecast manufacturers being stocked in the machine. This means collectors could find Hot Wheels products, convention pieces, White Lightnings, Green Machines, Liberty Promotions products, M2 Machines Chase Pieces and much more coming with their pulls. Rumor has it that even the customizers will be getting in on the fun and will be producing limited edition pieces that will be part of the mix!

The new vending machine is certainly an exciting new development for the DiecastSpace family of conventions and I’ll be sure to share photos of it when the vinyl-wrapping process is complete. Be sure to visit ToyCarConventions.com for information on tickets and accommodations for the Nashville Collector Experience so you can be part of the fun!

DiecastAudio is proud to welcome TomsDiecastCars.com as the newest advertiser here on the site. Tom’s offers a wide variety of Hot Wheels products as well as various lines from Johnny Lightning, GreenLight and Racing Champions.

For a limited time, DiecastAudio readers can take advantage of a 5% discount off of all purchases by using the promo-code “DIECASTAUDIO.” Give’em a try next time you’re looking to make a purchase for your collection and let use know what you think!

Collectors and fans of the ultra-popular Hot Wheels VW Dragbus casting might be interested in taking advantage of a new special membership offer from DragBus.com. Each membership package will include the following benefits:

• (4) VW Drag Buses – 1 Every 3 Month’s
• 25% Off Coupon Code to use on any store purchases
• (1) 1/18 VW Drag Bus
• (1) DragBus.Com MousePad
• (2) HotCases VW Drag Bus Inserts
• (1) Hot Cases Bag

First 1:64 scale bus ships with the 1:18 scale Bus, the Hot Cases Bag, Inserts and Mouse pad on June 1st. Be sure to act fast as this special offer is LIMITED TO ONLY 30 MEMBERSHIPS and will likely sell out fast!

UPDATE: As anticipated, all 30 memberships are officially sold out. Be sure to sign up for the free account on DragBus.com to stay informed of any additional offerings that might come up in the future.

Click here to jump over to ToyCarConventions.com and take advantage of this special offer.

NASCAR race champion Ernie Irvan was announced as one of the 2011 Diecast Hall of Fame Inductees for the Automotive Legends category during this summer’s Magical Weekend of Cars in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Irvan has officially accepted officially accepted his induction induction and has confirmed his attendance at the upcoming Diecast Hall of Fame Ceremony to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the DiecastSpace Super Convention in February.

Be sure to check out ToyCarConventions.com for more information on tickets and accommodations to the Super Convention and the ceremony.

Here is a look at Ernie’s career as found on his website at www.irvan.com:

Famed NASCAR winner Ernie Irvan began racing at the age of nine and later won the California Championship at age 15. His love for racing gradually grew into a full-time career asErnie continued placing first in competitions. He has garnered 15 career NASCAR Winston Cup Victories and 22 career NASCAR Winston Cup pole positions.

In 1982, Ernie moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to pursue his love of racing. With only $900 to his name upon arrival in North Carolina, Ernie took on various jobs including working at Charlotte Motor Speedway and building racecars. He continued to race, winning nine races at Concord Speedway in the Late Model Series.

Ernie Irvan debuted at the Winston Cup on September 13, 1987 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. Driving a Chevrolet Monte Carlo sponsored by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet, Ernie finished 29th in the race. He went on to compete in four more races and placed in the Top 10 in his last race, winning $23,050. Ernie continued to compete and won his first Winston Cup race in the Busch 500 in 1990.

A devastating racing accident occurred in 1994 during a practice session in Michigan. Erniecrashed into the Turn Two wall at 170 miles per hour due to a deflated right front tire. Erniesuffered lung and brain injuries as well as given a 10 percent chance to live. However, Ernieproved resilient and just two months after the accident, flew to New York to accept the True Value Hard Charger Award from NASCAR. Ernie Irvan also went on to compete in at New Hampshire and Richmond in 1996,ending the season with 12 Top-5 and 16 Top-10 finishes.

In 1999, Ernie suffered through another crash in Michigan at a practice for the Busch Series race. After being diagnosed with a mild head injury and bruised lung, Ernie decided to retire from racing. Ernie’s career accomplishments and highlights include 68 Top-5′s, 124 Top-10′s, 15 victories, 22 poles and over $11 million in earnings.

The Diecast Hall of Fame Class of 2011 was officially announced to the public at the Legends Dinner held during the 2010 Magical Weekend of Cars in Orlando, Florida. DiecastSpace CEO CJ Kramer led the proceedings which can be viewed here:

The Official 2011 Diecast Hall of Fame Ceremony will take place in February during the 2011 DiecastSpace Super Convention at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. Tickets are now on sale for the Super Convention and can be purchased at ToyCarConventions.com.

*- Please note that Sean Taylor from M2 Machines was inadvertently omitted from the verbal announcement, but will be sixth inductee in the Diecast Designers category for 2011.

Wizard Entertainment is well known in the world of all things “pop culture” for publishing Wizard magazine and ToyFare magazine, as well as producing numerous Comic Con events across the United States each year. DiecastSpace has officially partnered with Wizard to strengthen the diecast collectibles presence at their events. Wizard World Comic Cons typically draw between 70,000 and 100,000 attendees over each four day event.

DiecastSpace’s involvement will begin with the Chicago Comic Con running August 19-22, 2010.

Wizard released the this official announcement on their site yesterday:

The world of diecast toy cars will have a strong presence at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con as DiecastSpace.com, the No. 1 Online Social Network for diecast car collectors and organizers of four major conventions in North America, will serve as official diecast partner at the event, August 19-22, at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

DiecastSpace.com will produce limited edition custom collectible cars for the Chicago Comic Con, that will be available at their booth. Their existing relationships with major diecast brands such as Hot Wheels®, Johnny Lightning, Greenlight Collectibles and many others will bring a wide variety of automotive collectible products, events and celebrity to the Wizard World Comic Con. Collectors and fans are invited to check back on WizardWorld.com as the event nears for other exciting news about DiecastSpace’s participation.

DiecastSpace.com just wrapped up its Magical Weekend of Cars convention in Orlando, Fla. This year into next, it will manage events in Niagara Falls, Canada (Sept. 9-12); Dallas (Nov. 4-7); and the “Super Convention” in Las Vegas (Feb. 24-27, 2011) that features the annual Diecast Hall of Fame ceremony.

Chicago Comic Con runs from August 19-22, 2010 at the Rosemont Convention Center. This major pop-culture convention brings together fans of comics, toys, collectibles and offers a chance to see actors, writers, artists that each industry has to offer.

For more Chicago Comic Con guest and programming updates, become a fan of CHICAGO COMIC CON on Facebook!

Save up to 15 percent off the price of tickets by ordering your tickets in advance. Tickets are more at the door.

GET CHICAGO COMIC CON TICKETS NOW!

Congratulations to Paul Biddle at The Toy Peddler who recently announced some impressive milestones for the site that will be achieved this month. There will also be some nice deals on listing credits over the July 4th holiday weekend. Here is the low-down from the latest Toy Peddler e-mail blast:

I have some very exciting news to share with you. This July we will have our 500,000th sale here at The Toy Peddler. In celebration, I am going to be offering some great deals over the 4th of July weekend. First, if you purchase listing credits in any amount on Saturday the 3rd, or Sunday the 4th, you will receive DOUBLE credits. I rarely offer this opportunity, so take advantage of it if you are a seller or planning on selling in the future. Second, on Saturday you can relist any item back to the front page, (where most sales occur) for just .25 cents. Third, on Sunday the 4th of July, you can list any item for just 1/2 the normal listing fee. So, if you take advantage of the listing credit offer and list items on the 4th, it is like you are paying just 1/4th the normal fee! (see how that ties in?) I would love to see us all celebrate our independence from Ebay this weekend and show our support of TTP.

Along with our 500,000th sale this month, we will be seeing our 1 MILLIONTH listing sometime from late July to mid September. I did some calculating and with relistings counting as a new listing, that means we have an actual sale rate of somewhere near 75%! That is huge! Have you ever listed items at Ebay and not had them meet reserve or even get bids? These figures show just how active the buyers are and how reasonable the sellers prices are. SO, I want to have a little contest to see who can guess the closest to when that 1 millionth item will be listed. The winner will receive $100 in cash, $50 in listing credits AND a Johnny Lightning TTP Challenger which will be released this month to Toys R US, Target and possibly Walmart stores. I will personally autograph the card. To enter, just reply to this email or contact me NO LATER than JULY 15TH. Give me your best guess as to date, and exact time of day (pacific time) that the millionth item will be listed. (1 entry per member) Good luck!

For those of you planning on attending the upcoming 24th Annual Hot Wheels Collector Convention Oct. 13th through Oct. 17th at the Marriott Los Angeles Airport, we will be doing something special. I plan on bringing my 1970 TTP Challenger with me and will have it displayed in front of the hotel for the week. You can have your picture taken with it and I will be autographing any Johnny Lightning TTP Challengers that you were lucky enough to find and bring with you. I will also plan a photo op for an all members gathering and will have LOTS of prizes to give away. This is going to be a very special event and I would like to gather as many TTP members as possible. I will have more details on what will take place in an email to follow in the near future.

  If you are a member who has never tried selling here at The Toy Peddler, and has never received free listing credits, please reply to this email with your user ID and I will add $5 in free listing credits to get you started. It’s very easy to list your items for sale here at The Toy Peddler. As always I appreciate your support of TTP and suggestions on how to make The Toy Peddler an even better place to buy and sell your toy cars, collectibles and other items.

Collectors who also frequent Facebook now have the ability to let their fellow Facebook friends know about DiecastAudio posts they like. Each post here on the site now has a “Like” button that allows you to automatically share it in your Facebook news stream. You’ll be prompted to log into your Facebook account if your browser doesn’t remember your login information.

Give it a try and let us know what you think, and thanks for helping support DiecastAudio!

Its time for another road trip! This time the Diecast Ratpack is gathering in Holbrook, NY for another Saturday Nitro/Car Room TV mash-up show that you won’t want to miss!

Join Jeff Glasson, Joe Kelly Jr., Mike Zarnock and Ralph Riccardi (running the tech!) on the live video stream starting at 7pm EST (4pm PST) on Saturday March, 27th over at the The Car Room TV page on TheCarRoom.com.

While the live broadcast isn’t until Saturday night, you can always catch archived recordings The Car Room TV via the link below!

Click here to jump over to The Car Room TV page

Back in January I shared the new cover design for the all new 4th edition of Mike Zarnock’s Hot Wheels Variations, The Ultimate Guide. While there’s still a short while longer until collectors can have the book in-hand, collectors can ensure they have their copy as soon as its release by pre-ordering a copy directly from Mike!

This new volume contains 5,500 listings, 3,100 color images, secondary market pricing, and weighs in at whopping 504 pages! It truly is the biggest and most complete identification and price guide on Hot Wheels cars variations found in blister packs from 1989-2008.

Pre-order now directly from Mike’s website (via PayPal) for just $25.00 (in the USA). Shipping outside to Canada, Mexico and elsewhere is available. Please note that PayPal purchase will come up as “The Krellman Group.”

If you grew up in the 70’s or early 80’s with die-cast cars in your toy box, then chances are good that you also experienced screwing a plastic clamp to the side of table in order to form the top of the orange race track that would cascade down to the floor. These days those fun lengths of track are getting harder and harder to come by. Collectors with access to a local die-cast club track might get to enjoy it once a month. There are also sites like Redline Derby that provide useful information on putting together your own track for those who are good with their hands.

Now, thanks to Fireball Tim, collectors will have easy access to a downhill track that takes racing to the the next level! Fireball debuted this two lane drag strip style downhill race track at the Super Convention and it was very well received. Each set features:

- 17 feet of track

- Christmas Tree Start-up Lights

- Digital Scoring Read-Out Finish Line 

- Digital Race Sound Effects

- Remote Foot Pedals to start the race!

The Dragtracks set is designed to fit all 1/64th scale die-cast cars and is available for order directly from Fireball Tim’s website for $79.95. A power pack accessory and extra track is also available. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Make the jump over to Fireball Tim’s Dragtracks page here!

Just on the tail of being able to share pictures of the upcoming limited edition Diecast Hall of Fame Dairy Delivery, comes this preview of MiQ Willmott’s limited edition 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention poster.

Only 200 of these are being printed and each will be signed and numbered. This poster will only be available to Super Convention attendees on a first come, first served basis.

Be sure to visit the official Super Convention website for more information on tickets and accommodations.

Collectors now have an additional online resource for die-cast model information with the launch of the all new Car Room Magazine website. The site’s initial set of features offer information by scale and brand, a photo gallery, die-cast oriented videos and the ability to subscribe to the print version of magazine.

The site has launched with content that can be found in previous issues of the print magazine. Moving forward, collectors can expect to see a great deal of new information that goes beyond the printed page. In addition, a good deal of exciting new functionality is already in the works, and will be rolled out during the first half of the year.

This new site along with some “yet to be announced” surprises are just a part of what is looking to be a banner year for The Car Room Magazine.

As 2009 comes to a close, I’m proud to announce the addition of an all new regular column here on DiecastAUDIO! My friend and fellow collector, Joe Altieri is joining the team to provide a thought-provoking look into what it means to be die-cast collector.

Joe has collected a wide variety of die-cast for the last 29 years. His collection includes Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightning, Corgi Jr., Tomica, GreenLight, Playart, Impy and everything else in-between. In addition to die-cast, his near 3 decades of collecting, conventions, club meetings and meeting new collectors have allowed him to gather a great number of stories to share with fellow collectors. Those adventures will be shared through “Diecast Stories from The Average Joe Collector.”

What excites me the most about Joe’s new column is that its the first on the site to focus on “collecting” instead of the cars. Collectors will clearly identify with Joe’s stories, and my hope is that his posts will inspire readers to leave comments and share their own experiences with the rest of the community.

I also need to send out a special thanks to Bryan Pope who managed to pull off a fantastic cartoon likeness of Joe for the logo. It rocks!

Thanks and enjoy the first installment of the column.

Keep on collecting!

-Jeff

2009 marked the launch of DiecastSpace.com’s special VIP Platinum membership program. No, its not a credit card offer as the program’s logo might indicate – but rather a collector program that’s benefits far outweigh the price of admission.

Membership packages for 2009 sold out in a very short amount of time and many interested collectors were unable to take advantage of the program. This week DiecastSpace has announced the availability of their VIP Platinum memberships for 2010.

2010 memberships will feature the following benefits for $200:

• - One Custom Car Each Month FOR 12 TOTAL MONTHS: $250 value
• - 25% Off ALL DiecastSpace.com Purchases
• - Access to a VIP Platinum Members ONLY Lounge on DiecastSpace.Com – where you will be able to purchase all of the online sales 3 days prior to
  the regular membership, enter exclusive chat rooms, read exclusive
  material and information
• - One Convention Car from EACH DiecastSpace Convention a total of 4 cars for the year a $100 Value
• - One Platinum Member 2010 December 2 Remember Final e VW Drag Bus: This bus
  will only be available to the platinum members who purchase the
  membership, not the general membership. The bus will be customized by
  the 2010 Customizer of the Year at the 2010 Super Convention, each
  will be individually numbered and stickered. $150 value

Some changes we have made to the program in 2010:

• - We will notify the membership of what car will ship each month so you can keep track of what cars are coming for each month
• - We will send out a shipping email to let everyone know when vehicles ship
• - We will be shipping each month on or before the 25th
• - We will continue to provide free 24 hour email support
• - Toll Free Phone Support Option 24 Hours a Day

2010 membership packages are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Be sure to act fast if you’re interested in taking advantage of this great offer!

Click here to jump over to the order page.

The Toy Peddler is giving collectors some special deals to help thin those collections after (hopefully) adding a bunch of new pieces this holiday season. In with the new, out with the old, right?!?!

On New Years Eve, existing Toy Peddler members will be able pop their current inventory back up to the top of the pile by relisting for just .25 cents per item. Relisting is a great way to put your inventory in front of a fresh set of eyes.

If listing some new pieces is more your thing, then the Toy Peddler’s New Years Day offer is definitely worth paying attention to. Through-out the day on January 1st, 2010, collectors will receive two listing credits for the price of one. Its an offer that’s only happened once before in TTP history and  might not come around for another year!

The Toy Peddler is a great alternative to eBay with almost 14,000 members dedicated specifically to toys and die-cast collectibles.

A local NBC affiliate in Utica, NY dropped by the Zarnock residence about 30 minutes before Mike Zarnock, Joe Kelly Jr. and I began the first ever live broadcast team-up between Saturday Nitro and The Car Room TV. The result of his short visit was this great segment that aired on the local news on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

This coming Saturday night, November 21st will mark a first for the live die-cast radio show you know and (hopefully) love! We’re going video! Yes, that’s right! Saturday Nitro will be joining forces with The Car Room TV for a special video edition. We’ll be broadcasting the standard audio stream over on BlogTalkRadio AND at the same time we’ll be making a live video stream available on The Car Room TV.

If that weren’t enough, both Joe Kelly Jr. and Mike Zarnock will be joining me as special guest co-hosts, while we broadcast from Mike’s Hot Wheels Hobby Room in Utica, NY.

The show will be starting at 7PM EST (4PM PST) and will last as long as as we have something to talk about! Use the links below to jump to the audio-only or video stream versions right before show time on Saturday night!

Click here to catch the video-stream on The Car Room TV

Click here to listen to the show’s audio stream (better for low bandwidth connections)

Remember – the show will start on Saturday, November 21 at 7pm EST!

The Car Room Magazine gets a visit from “The Prince of Darkness” who reveals the winner of their latest die-cast bundle giveaway that was available to subscribers. Congrats to collector Steven Lenz who ended up winning the 1:12 (THATS HUGE!) Sunstar VW bus, patterned after “Light”, a famous Volks Transporter that was at Woodstock. Too cool!

[via thecarroom.com]

The diecast collecting hobby recently suffered a great loss with the recent passing of Shane Whittenbarger on August 5, 2009. While I personally had only know Shane for a little more than a year, the impact of his presence in the diecast community was unsurpassed, and it became readily apparent how amazing Shane was only after knowing him for such a short time. I’m proud to have had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.

Many people might have known Shane as an up-standing collector, a tireless worker, a dedicated father and as someone you could always count on to get the job done. Not only was he a major force in helping ensure that the 2009 DiecastSpace Super Convention was as successful as it was, but he was also the producer for Saturday Nitro and always made sure there was an amazing guest lined up for me to interview for your entertainment. I am honored to have called him a friend.

Now that Shane’s battle with cancer has ended, the reality of his funeral expenses has come to light. Its an expense that without financial assistance, would force Shane’s parents to mortgage their home to cover. In honor of Shane, members of the diecast collecting community are stepping up to bare the financial burden. Amazing companies such as GMP Diecast, Liberty Promotions and GreenLight Collectibles have donated some amazing pieces to help raise funds at several upcoming charity auctions.

Beyond that I am asking you, my fellow collector and DiecastAudio reader, to consider donating to our cause via the Chip-In widget on the right column of the site. Clicking the Chip-In button will bring you to PayPal where you can contribute with a credit card or your own personal PayPal account. The Chip-In donations are being managed by Mr. Jerry Yates who is an Administrator at DiecastSpace.com.

Please get in touch with me personally via the contact page if you are not comfortable donating with that method, but would still like to contribute. I would be more than happy to provide you with my mailing address to apply a donation via personal check to the cause. Each an every dollar gets us closer to our goal of making sure Shane is remembered in a way that he and his family deserve.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Jeff Glasson
DiecastAudio.com

Up until now, we’ve only been able to see the e-sheet for the limited edition Pope Designs Camaro that will be part of the Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels Ladies Lunch honoring Shirley Wood. The run is now complete, and I’ve just received these shots of the final piece. All I can say is WOW!

Now all I have to do is convince my wife to attend!

Click either image to see a larger version

Be sure to visit the official Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 web site for more information on tickets and accommodations for this event coming to Connecticut on July 30th thru August 2nd 2009.

In celebration of the July 4th holiday (here in the states), Paul Biddle from The Toy Peddler is bringing back 1/2 price listing fees on July 4th & 5th. Not only is this a great deal for sellers listing new merchandise, but it also means that buyers can look forward to lots of fresh new listings to browse all weekend long!

If you’ve never sold anything on The Toy Peddler before, Paul is still offering 5 free credits to get you started. Simply register for a free account on thetoypeddler.com and then email your User ID to pb@thetoypeddler.com.

In addition, Paul’s team is working on many new features and improvements to make buying and selling on the site even more enjoyable. Soon you’ll see a newly freshened home page with easier to use navigation. They are also working to make the site more search engine friendly so listings will be more prevalent in search results. New features will also be added to the member profile pages to allow the addition of a short bio and a profile picture.

In the latest Toy Peddler newsletter Paul mentions “These changes will be taking place over the next couple months, with the revised look of the home page coming very soon. I think that you will really like these new features and changes we are working on.”

[via thetoypeddler.com]

I’m VERY excited to announce that I’m officially published in an international magazine! Joe Kelly Jr. and I have taken the interview style content you know from my live Saturday Nitro show and have extended it to the pages of The Car Room magazine. The new column is called “10 Questions” and will start by featuring guests that have been on previous episodes of Saturday Nitro. My very first “10 Questions” guest was Carson Lev and the column’s debut appears in issue #6 which is shipping now.

The Car Room magazine is now available at select Barnes & Noble and Borders locations. Both individual issues and subscriptions are also available from the official Car Room Magazine website. Here’s a digital sneak peek for DiecastAUDIO readers!

Click the images to see a larger version

My Carson Lev interview on Saturday Nitro is also available here if you haven’t had a chance to give it a listen!

[via thecarroom.com]

The popular Team100 diecast forum on Yuku got into the April Fool’s spirit this year when the entire site switched to this all new and exciting look and feel. I don’t know…maybe it ‘ll grow on me.

[via the Team100 Diecast Forums]

Clothes? Check. Video Gear? Check. Laptop? Ch…oh wait, I’m still typing on it! Its definitely be a heck week as I’m finishing up preparations for the convention. The recent sparseness of posts on the site has been directly attributed to finishing up all the final details for Diecast Hall of Fame visuals. However, I don’t think there will be ANY problem providing you with great posts to peruse with everything thats going on during the convention over the next 4 days.

So what can you expect from the convention coverage? Pictures and video are a definite. Live video streams will depend on the quality of the internet connection at Circus Circus. Thats one of the main things I’ll be testing tonight and tomorrow. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to stream quite a few of the events including the Ridemakerz Designers Luncheon round-table. That would definitely kick up Saturday Nitro to the next level!

In any case, be sure to come back here frequently through-out the week to see all the updates from the convention.

Until the its Vegas or Bust…!

I already know that you love cars (both big and small!) by the fact that you’re reading this blog. If you also have a love of movies, then The Hollywood Car Show podcast will be right up your alley! Hosted by Fireball Tim and DB, this great show covers a variety of topics from movie reviews, to films that will be coming out and of course, plenty of talk about the REAL stars of most films – THE CARS.

This week I was stoked to find out that Fireball was kind enough to give diecastAUDIO a shout-out during the last few minutes of Episode 20! You can use the audio player at the bottom of this post to listen to the show. I definitely encourage you to make you way over to their site and listen to their other shows as well. Be sure to leave a comment if you like what you hear and tell’em that diecastAUDIO set ya!

Click here to jump over to the Official Hollywood Car Show Podcast site or use this audio player to listen to Episode 20:

As of today, you can share diecastAUDIO posts with other people via e-mail or friends on various social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon and many others. Simply click on the “Share This” button located at the bottom of the post you would like to share and a window will appear allowing you to select from all the different sharing options. Please note that the bottom of the window has a link to sign in. Creating an account IS NOT required to use the widget and share die cast information with your friends.

If you’re a fan of diecastAUDIO, then I encourage you to give this new feature a try. Its a great way to help me spread the word about the site and your help is greatly appreciated!

The look and feel of the diecastAUDIO site has been the same for quite some time. In preparation for next weekend’s Summer Smash, we’ve decided to mix things up and launch something brand new! When its finally complete, this new design will be much more functional and will do an even better job at presenting collectors with the best of whats happening in the world of die cast cars.

Not all of the new sections are 100% functional yet, so please bear with us as we put the finishing touches on the site this week. Let us know what you think of the changes by leaving a comment or sending us a email.

Stay tuned for more announcements on the new site changes as they become available!

Thanks!
-Jeff

Its with great pride and pleasure that I introduce to you, the first ever diecastAUDIO VW Drag Bus! This ultra-limited piece is the result of the hard work and incredible talents of Bryan Pope of Pope Designs and had been designed to appeal to diecastAUDIO and VW Drag bus fans alike. Not only is this the first time I’ve ever commissioned a piece of die-cast that will be available to collectors, but its also the official debut of the brand new website logo that was also created by Pope Designs!

The diecastAUDIO VW Drag Bus sports a sun-kissed silver custom paint job, hand painted details and will be mounted in an acrylic case – all for only $80.00! We also couldn’t let these special debuts go by without cranking up the exclusivity of the bus by making sure that there’s a Diamond Edition as well! The Diamond Edition will feature white letter, Real Rider tires to set it apart from the standard edition.

Unlike the traditional offerings from Pope Designs, there will be 2 ways that everyone can try to obtain this exclusive bus. It will be sold ONLINE and LIVE at this year’s inaugural SUMMER SMASH Convention in Rhode Island. There will be a total of 25 buses produced in all, with 20 available for sale. We will hold back (1) Diamond Edition and (4) Regular models for special guests. Here are the details of the sale:

Online
• Date: Friday, August 22nd 2008
• Time: 9PM EST, 6PM PST
• Where: eBay, Seller Name: pope-designs
• Sale Name: diecastAUDIO VW Drag Bus
• Quantity: 8 Standard; 2 Diamond
• Price: $80.00 + $10 S/H

Summer Smash

• Date: Friday, August 22nd 2008
• Time: 10PM EST
• Where: Hotel Room TBA
• Seller Name: Bryan Pope
• Quantity: 8 Standard; 2 Diamond
• Price: $80.00, Cash Only!

Pope Designs guarantees all sales of the Diamond Edition version (both online and live at Summer Smash) to be completely random and fair so that everyone has a chance at obtaining one. Once all the buses are sold, no more will be produced, so we hope that everyone interested will be able to purchase one.

Special thanks to Pope Designs for all the time, effort and hard work that went into making this bus a reality!

Take care and we look forward to seeing you at SUMMER SMASH!

[via popedesigns.net]

In honor of the July 4th holiday tomorrow here in the United States, Paul Biddle at The Toy Peddler is bringing back a special deal! For tomorrow, Friday July 4th only, all listing fees will be half price. Paul had this to say:

“I realize this time of year many people are out enjoying the sun and spending less time on their computer. Historically, May-July are the slowest months here at TTP, but this year, listings, sales and visits are up from past years. We continue to grow and expand even in these hard economic times. I hope you like the new features we have added, along with much faster loading speed. We are currently working on new features and hope to have the wanted and trade section up and running soon.”

As always, Paul is offering $5 worth of listing credits to those collectors who have yet to try out the site. Simply create an account and email Paul at pb (at) thetoypeddler.com with your user id. With offers like these, there is simply no better time to try out The Toy Peddler

Thanks to Paul for bring back this great incentive to try out and use his site!

[via thetoypeddler.com]

Hello…..Hello…? Is anyone there…? To tell you the truth, I have only myself to blame if there isn’t…

First off, my most humble apologies to all the readers and listeners who have been coming back here to diecastAUDIO for the last month looking for new content. Its been forever and a day since my last post, and I feel horrible for letting you all down with the lack of posts. My current daily schedule and responsibilities are making it extremely difficult to focus on digging up the “very best of” diecast goodness you are used to seeing, much less produce the podcast on a regular basis. With that being said, this is certainly not the end of diecastAUDIO.

This summer will bring about quite a few changes in both the site and its content. First off, you’ll notice the brand new logo at the top of the site courtesy of Bryan Pope of Pope Designs! Bryan’s fresh new logo will be the first part of an entire overhaul of the site including a completely new site design that will be launched later this year.

You’ll also note the new Summer Smash banner on the left column! If you have the means, I highly suggest making your way to Rhode Island for the first ever (and annual) Summer Smash. Its the single largest diecast convention on the east coast this year, and from the looks of the activity list and special guests, its not to be missed! I’ve got my ticket purchased and room reserved, so you can count on a lot of lot of audio interviews and video footage being created from the show. And…there might be a special-super-secret diecastAUDIO related surprise being revealed there as well! If you have any intention of going, be sure to get your ticket and book your room asap, as space is limited.

Lastly, I’d like to say that prior to the recent lull in posting, the number of comments being left on my posts was really starting to grow. Back when I started diecastAUDIO, I chose the blog format because as we all know, there are more than enough diecast forum sites to enjoy out there. Plus, its the best platform for distributing podcasts as well. The ability to comment on a post is the sole way for you (the reader) to participate in the conversation and lend your opinion to what I’m posting. I truly cherish each and every comment that you leave – partly because its a validation that someone is actually reading, but mostly because I really want to know what you think and converse with you more!

So as I get things rolling again, I encourage you to speak your mind and let me know what you think of the posts by leaving comments. What do you wish I was doing more or less of? Are there diecast companies that I’m not covering that you’d like to see more posts on? More video? More audio? Or how about new authors? Now there’s a thought. Do you have the knack for spotting the cool stuff thats happening in the world of diecast? Would you like to contribute to this site? Send an email with your ideas and thoughts to blog [at] diecastaudio.com and we’ll see if there’s a fit!

Thanks for sticking with me. You won’t regret it!

diecastAUDIO wishes Hot Wheels author, Mike Zarnock a very Happy Birthday!

If you happen to be attending the Hot Wheels Nationals in Chicago at the end of this week, then you’ll want to pay attention to this special offer from Bryan Pope and Pope Designs!

Download the survey by right-clicking on the following link and selecting “Save As”:
Pope Designs Survey Form

[via popedesigns.net]

Paul Biddlle from THETOYPEDDLER.COM sent out the following information in his latest email newsletter:

This weekend, April 12th – 13th, we will be running a .25 cent re-list special at The Toy Peddler. IMPORTANT! We will be doing some housecleaning, clearing out old listings. In phase 1, we will eliminate all listings older than 5 years. That will happen next week, so if you have any older inventory, now would be a good time to re-list. If you drop the price slightly, items tend to sell quicker. If you are a buyer, this will be a good opportunity for bargains. In phase 2 we will be deleting listings older than 4 years, and eventually have a 3 year time limit on items that are listed for sale. This should keep our inventory current and available for sale, while eliminating stale listings.

We will also be deleting older “sold” and “hold” listings, which should clear out approx. 50,000 items not currently available for sale. This should also speed up the page loading for the site.

This is obviously good news for both sellers and buyers as fresh listings should be popping up all weekend long. Be sure to check it out!

[via thetoypeddler.com]

Hmmmm…what’s that little play button doing down there..? Wonder what will happen if you click it..?!?!

In a post on HOTWHEELSCOLLECTORS.COM, accomplished Hot Wheels Author Mike Zarnock announced that he will begin writing a new column for Die Cast X Magazine now that Toy Cars & Models Magazine will be closing its doors. Its unfortunate to see the end of Toy Cars & Models as it was a great source of information for die cast collectors and enthusiasts. On the other hand, its good to see that we’ll all still be able to enjoy Mike’s articles in Die Cast X. Here is what Mike had to say:

“As some of you may already know…. Toy Cars & Models Magazine’s last issue published was the February 2008 issue. It’s with a heavy heart that I have to say goodbye to my column in Toy Cars & Models. I’d like to thank you all for your support over the many wonder years that we’ve spent there together! From the first time that my column appeared between those pages in the March 2003 issue to it’s very last issue of February 2008. We’ve talked about a lot of different things in those years and I hope that I’ve helped to make you all more knowledgeable collectors, saved you from making some costly mistakes and helped you to find some really great pieces for your collections! I’ve made many new friends and have had the pleasure of meeting many of you in person in my travels across the country. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and I remember it all forever!”

“I have been talking with other publications about doing my Hot Wheels Variation Column there and we are still working out the details. I do know that I can now tell you that I will be writing for Die Cast X Magazine, I actually just wrote a nice piece on the 40th anniversary for them, so look for that in an upcoming issue! I will be writing more for them in future issues also, I can’t say what I will be writing about yet, but I can say it is about Hot Wheels! So, I hope you pick up a copy of Die Cast X Magazine and check it out!”

“Of course I will be still writing my Variation Books and the Warman’s Books too. It was just Toy Cars & Models that stopped being published. Keep checking my website for updates!”

“Thanks again for the support and keep those emails coming!”

-Mike Zarnock

Best of luck to Mike and Die Cast X Magazine on their new collaboration!

[via hotwheelscollectors.com]

Are you tired of listing on ebay with all the fees? Are you loosing money rather than actually just getting what you paid? Then you need to check out Collectors Web! Collectors Web is a new collectibles auction site that allows you to sell you items with no item listing fees. You only pay small percentage fee if your item sells.

As an incentive to try out the site, you can sign up with Collectors Web and the first 5 items you sell have no fees! Simply use the special voucher code “5free” when you register for your account. In addition to selling individual items, you can also set up a free Collectors Web store with up to 50 items!

diecastAUDIO is not directly affiliated with Collectors Web in any way – we just think its a cool new service that deserves your attention! No matter if your looking to sell diecast, comics, trains or action figures, they are definitely worth a look!

[via collectorsweb.net]

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the readers and listeners who have stuck with diecastAUDIO for the last few years. Both the site and the show have gone through a lot of changes and believe it or not, there are more changes to come as I continue to find the perfect balance between my love of the hobby and real life obligations. There hasn’t been much “audio” from diecastAUDIO lately, and I’m working on a few ideas which will remedy that. Stay tuned for the results in early 2008!

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Cheers,
Jeff

First off, my apologies to all the faithful readers and listeners for the lack of content over the last month or so. I’ve recently gone through a major career change that has required me to put my hobby efforts on the back burner for a bit. Add this past weekend’s Thanksgiving holiday family time (here in the United States) into the mix and you’ll hopefully understand why this is the first new post you’ve seen in over ten days.

With that being said, I hope to be getting back into the swing of things this week – regardless of the fact that we are all rapidly approaching the next holiday season! As part of ramping back up, I will be sharing some cool diecast happenings that have popped up over the last two weeks. While a few were time sensitive, I’m sure that many readers will enjoy knowing about what was available and now sold out – the posts are always good for the pictures, right..?!

Thanks again for sticking with diecastAUDIO..!

-Jeff

Its been a while since we’ve done a Pick of the Week, so here’s a short video featuring Debra and George Barris taking a look at some of the more popular diecast cars in Mike Gray’s shop. For more diecast-oriented videos, be sure to head over to WWW.DIECASTVIDEO.COM.

[via diecastvideo.com]

In honor of this weekend’s Hot Wheels convention out in Garden Grove, Paul Biddle at The Toy Peddler is offering another great deal on listing fees! From Friday October 5th through Sunday October 7th, all listing fees will be half price. Paul reminds collectors by saying:

“If you aren’t going to the convention, this is a great time to list items for sale or to pick up some of those convention cars that will be available online. Many people at the convention list them for sale at The Toy Peddler right from their rooms!”

If you are planning on attending the convention, be sure to look Paul up as The Toy Peddler will be there in full force giving away TTP logo balsa wood planes, ring flings, and logo bags to hold your loot! Also be sure to enter his special drawing where you could win $250!

Thanks to Paul for providing another great incentive to try out and use his site!

[via thetoypeddler.com]

A short while ago, Paul Biddle over at The Toy Peddler announced the addition of a “non-toy” category to expand the offerings available to visitors of the site. While the new section has been getting a few posts here and there, Paul is giving sellers an opportunity to kick things into high gear with a special offer!

Starting on Friday September 28th, all listings in the NON-TOY category will be 100% FREE for a period of 24 hours (Pacific Time)! This offer is for non-toy items only. Any toys listed in the non-toy category will be deleted. You can post items such as old trading cards, sporting goods, collectibles, stamps, coins, and just about anything else you can find in your basement, garage or attic! Alcohol, firearms, or pornographic materials are prohibited.

If you’ve never tried selling at The Toy Peddler, now would be a great time to try it out. It’s super easy to use and you’ll be sellng your stuff in no time with fees that are MUCH LESS than eBay! Thanks to Paul for providing this great opportunity to try out the site!

[via thetoypeddler.com]

Just a quick reminder to those interested in participating in the DIECASTLIVE.COM/Jada Toys “Review” contest. The deadline for submitting your review is Sunday night, September 23rd. The poll for the contest will start after that and will run through Sunday September 30th at which time the winners will be decided.

Best of luck to all participants and thanks to DCL and Jada Toys for putting on some great contests!

[via diecastlive.com]

Check out this vintage commercial for the Johnny Express from Topper. Man, that thing is huge!! Now thats when toys were really TOYS!

Be sure to check out all the other diecast related videos over at WWW.DIECASTVIDEO.COM.

[via www.diecastvideo.com]

Collectors who frequent THETOYPEDDLER.COM might have received a recent newsletter announcing the start of a new section on the site called “The Vault.” This new section became available to registered TTP members at the beginning or August and features listings of high-end collectibles selling for $1000 and higher. After first reading the announcement it was difficult to believe that there would be many items available for purchase since the number of collectors that can deal at that level is fairly small. Low and behold, there is some serious action happening there!

Posted items are ranging from gems like minty red lines for $1000 to $2000 each all the way up to a sealed case of 96 blister-packed red lines for $27000! While prices like these are virtually unobtainable for most, there are definitely items moving at these prices. At the time of this post, the most recent piece sold was a rose colored hybrid custom Baracuda red line for $1250! Many of the rare cars listed are owned by well known collector Bruce Pascal. diecastAUDIO sat down for an interview with Bruce during the 2006 Rhode Island Diecast Expo which is definitely an episode to not be missed!

If you haven’t checked out THETOYPEDDLER.COM yet, then defintely make sure you do. Not only is it a fantastic place to buy and sell (ie – cheaper than eBay and garners a niche audience) diecast and action figures, but The Vault is a perfect place to go check out some uber-rare diecast to keep the collecting dreams alive!

[via thetoypeddler.com]

Collectors who are planning on participating in the DIECASTLIVE.COM/Jada Toys “Know Your Jada Toy” contest should be aware that the start of the contest has been pushed back to to Friday evening, August 7th. The first pictures to identify for the contest will be posted during a two hour window that night. Be sure to check the contest post in the Contest Corner forum on DIECASTLIVE.COM for any additional updates during the week.

Good luck to those who are partcipating!

[via diecastlive.com]

Jada Toys and DIECASTLIVE.COM are teaming up to give you an opportunity to win some FREE diecast! They are running two separate contests that will have a total of five winners. The prizes will come in the form of Jada’s Road Rigz which are big enough to fit a 1/64th scale vehicle in – perfect for displays and dioramas! Here is a glimpse at the prizes:

Details and instructions for each contest are located in the DIECASTLIVE.COM “Contest Corner” forum, but here are some direct links right to them:

Contest #1: Jada Toys Review

Contest #2: Know your Jada Toys

**NOTE** You must be a registered member to access the forums and to participate in the contests. Registration is FREE! Special thanks to Jada Toys for providing the great prizes and to DIECASTLIVE.COM for sponsoring the contests. Good luck to all who are participating!

[via diecastlive.com]