I think doorwarmer is one of the most maligned and misunderstood words in the diecast community.  It inevitably brings with it synonyms of scalper, hoarder, or jerk.  While it’s true there are a few unsavory people who doorwarm in a less than honorable manner, I have found that a great majority of people who doorwarm buy for themselves or their fellow collectors in their circle. 

Whenever I am with a group of friends who don’t collect and the topic of my hobby comes up, I have used the term doorwarmer [just in passing] and the universal reaction to everyone else in the room to this foreign sounding compound word was/is a collective “HUH????” It then took/will take me ten minutes to explain what a doorwarmer is and then explain it again after I get the next universal reaction of “Really, there are people who do that?”  Then I get “the look” from everyone like I am crazy for standing in front of a store before it opens to buy little cars but I explain that its is really no different then when people used to begin to stand in line at 5am to buy concert tickets [is that still done?] or go to Wal-Mart/WM at 4am on Black Friday to but a cheap computer that may or may not be in stock when they eventually get inside. I wouldn’t even do that.

I said before I was/am an off and on doorwarmer. This is because throughout the years there have been times when I have been either very near a store on my morning work commute or out of work and had the ability to hit the stores when they open during the week or weekend. When I had the chance I would go each morning and hunt for the newest cars. I am not ashamed of the fact I was/am a doorwarmer. I was able to find the newest cars fast and I was able to send/sell the extra I found to any of my friends that needed them.  Plus I made some great contacts along the way; and now that I am working again, these people still look out for me and we help each other find new cars. My mini network runs from NH to NJ to MD to NC; we all help each other and sell for retail price.

I didn’t really get into doorwarming until 1995. Until then I went to stores but never really as they opened. In 1995 I moved to Jacksonville FL for my job… [Shout out to anyone in Jax Beach, Ponte Vedra or Southside WOOOO!].

When I initially lived in Ponte Vedra, there was a Target only five minutes from my apartment but I never stopped early even though I had the opportunity to do so.  I just didn’t think it would matter.  But near my job was a Toy R Us/TRU and Target so I would go there at lunch and hunt. I started seeing the same guy almost every time I went. 

After a while of seeing that he was just looking at cars like me and not sneaking around; I started talking hobby with him and he turned out to be a pretty decent guy.  A few days later he told me he found some new cars at Target that morning and wanted to know if I needed anything and lo and behold I bought almost the whole bag and inquired how he could go there so early and still get to work.  He said WM opened at 7am and Target at 8am so he got up early and scooped up all the stuff put out by the night crew.  I was fascinated by this; night crews put stuff out before the store opens!!!  [Okay I was a little naïve]. So the very next morning I got up early to hit the Target right by my house and I found two Duesenberg treasure hunts!  It was like the heavens opened up and I was seeing daylight for the first time! I was hooked! I did this every morning and found some great stuff and soon began to trade with my new collector buddy!  I even sent stuff back to my friends in NJ.

On weekends it was worse, I would get up early to hit WM at 7am, Target at 8am, TRU at 9am, and a second WM after TRU and I was finding great stuff.

My new collector friend would also talk about other people he saw in the mornings and call them by names like “Fleaboy” and “FoMoCo”.  He explained why he called these guys those names, “Fleaboy” because he flipped at the local flea market, “FoMoCo” because he only collected Ford cars etc etc.  I began to find other collectors in the area knew these guys by these names as well.  My friend’s nickname was “Neptune Steve” because he lived in Neptune Beach and my nickname soon became “Hot Wheel Joe” because I had found a HW sticker in an auto parts stores and stuck it to my car’s rear window.  This name has followed me to this day.

After six months in Ponte Vedra, I moved to the Southside section of Jacksonville only five blocks from my job with my lunchtime Target smack in the middle of my short commute.  It was a no brainer. I’d get up early to hit Target at 8am and still make it work for 830am, then hit it again at lunch along with TRU and then again on the way home.  This strategy worked well and I was hitting more and more new stuff.  Soon everywhere I would go that required morning travel I would look to see if a store was on the way and leave early to hit it when it opened.  I kept this pace up until 1997 when I moved back to NJ with the same company.  In NJ it was tougher to do this since we had no Targets or WM in my area at that time and no K-MART/KM along my route to work; TRU opened too late.  So I just hit KM and TRU on weekend mornings.  In 2002 I was laid off from work, my wife had a great job so I was able to take some time off and I began to doorwarm everyday again.  Target and WM had finally come to my area of NJ by this time and I began to hit them every morning with a vengeance along with TRU and KM of course!  I would see them same cast of characters each time. 

Eventually I became friendly with a few and found out they had nicknames for other doorwarmers just like in FL.  One in particular became a great friend; his nickname was “Quaker Oats” because he looked like Wilfred Brimley from the commercials then airing on TV. His real name was Rich Intveld.  Rich was in his late fifties and working disabled due to his health.

He had emphysema and smoked like a chimney but he and I formed a great alliance.  So good was our alliance that eventually we would hit different stores in the morning, call each other on our cell phones and meet up afterwards to trade up.  We would pull along side each in a store lot, driver’s windows facing each other and exchange plastic bags.  We always joked that it looked like a drug deal going down.  He truly became like another Dad to me.

Even when I went back to work a year later, Rich would continue to go to stores every morning and call me at work with what he found for us.  At the very least he would leave one of his to the point messages like; “Joe, Target. Loaded. New stuff. Talk to you later.” Even if others were at the store when he hit, nothing would be traded until I saw it first.  It was like a mini diecast shop in the back of his SUV.  We would still meet up on weekends when I was off and doorwarm together.  By 2005 he couldn’t walk to the back of the store anymore and would have to use the motorized scooter. So if others were there I would huff it to the toy department with them to grab what I could and split it up with Rich later, but if it was just he and I would just walk alongside him.  This went on until Rich passed away in August 2006.  To his day when I see the front handicapped parking spot at our local Target I see Rich’s truck.  But another good friend emerged from my alliance with Rich.  Before he passed away, he became friends with a guy named Jay.  Rich said Jay was like me, very fair and always looked out for him.  I began to see Jay on weekends and it turned out Rich was right, Jay was a very fair and honest collector.  He began to hold cars for me that he found during the week and we would look together on the weekend.  In 2008 I was laid off again, this time it was to last two LONG years but my alliance with Jay grew and now that I am back to work in 2010, he still looks out for me everyday.

Throughout all these years I have met some wonderful people/collectors at the doors of stores [too many in fact to mention here] and some not so nice characters; but my point is that we should stop generalizing collectors who doorwarm. They aren’t all hoarders, flippers, or scalpers. Stop calling them all out on chat rooms, it just makes you look like a crybaby because you don’t get the cars first or shifting focus from yourself; “He doth protest too much” comes to mind.  We all know they exist; we all have them where we live, so stop whining about them.  Just don’t trade with them and eventually they will dry up and move along, they always do no matter how long it takes.  Some of us are so prejudice against doorwarmers maybe we’re not even trying to connect with someone outside our little circle and maybe missing a great opportunity to make a collecting contact. Let me know what you think about doorwarmers and doorwarming in general.  Do you agree with me or have another point of view?

I definitely want to hear from you; good or bad.

And yet I am sure it is may be an intimidating task to actually go to one of these small, medium, or especially large events without trepidation or fear of not knowing how to plan ahead or what to do while you’re there. With that in mind, I wanted to share with you my DO’s and DON’Ts list of convention happenings based upon my 8 years of convention going experience. Some of these may seem simple enough that you would think everyone should know it already; but it can take just one thing that you didn’t think of to affect your good time.

There’s a lot to digest, so I’ll be breaking up this advice into a multi-part series. I hope there is something on this list will make even the seasoned convention-goer go “HMMMM” I never thought of that!

BEFORE YOU GET THERE TIPS

DO: PLAN, PLAN, and PLAN ahead.

DON’T: Wait until the last minute.

This applies not only to the individual events at a convention but to any outside events you may want to attend or transportation needed to get to those events. Popular convention events or even popular event times sell out quickly; you may be left out in the cold. This is especially true if you are going with others; it’s great to be at the same event together and not get split up. Also, if you are flying seriously consider renting a car if the venue the convention is at is off the beaten track like an airport hotel If you are going to travel or room with others, the cost will be greatly be deferred. Plus you may want to look up what restaurants/bars may be in the area, most hotels don’t have a great variety of cuisine or price ranges you may like. Once you get to the hotel, the front desk can tell you areas to avoid. I didn’t head the desk clerk’s warning once in Ohio and almost got mugged!

DO: Every event that interests you or you can afford to do

DON’T: Deny yourself or hesitate.

If it’s your first time going to any convention; events are a great way to meet people and feel part of the collective festive atmosphere. Don’t let anyone talk you out of something; see for yourself. Plus don’t forget the price to an event where the event is run for a charitable organization or usually the convention auction bids can be tax deductible!

If it’s not your first time going to a convention; continue to go to events you like rather than backing off since no two events will ever be alike from convention to convention. You may miss out on a great car you want.

This leads me too….

DO: Bring LOTS of CASH and in various denominations.

DON’T: Rely on an ATM.

Even though you more than likely can buy convention cars with a credit/debit card when you register at a convention; 99% of room to room vendors take only cash. Plus any raffles the convention holds; usually for some great stuff; or cars for charity cars are cash only. Going to the hotel ATM [and most hotels don’t have many] can get expensive with fees or quickly runs out of cash. More than likely, your bank is not in the area of the convention and the nearest ATM may be a long walk/drive away with a high fee [especially if the hotel is near the airport; you’re kind of isolated.]

I remember a couple of years ago; the hotel ATM ran out of cash by 1PM on a busy Saturday and the hotel wasn’t prepped to have it refilled until the next day; people were frantic! The hotel was off the beaten path and walking to an ATM wasn’t really an option.

DO: Ask for payment before you leave home from friends for cars you bring back

DON’T: feel bad about it.

Not asking for the cash up front will only cut into your funds while you’re there and make you have to either go to the ATM more often [and we already discussed those pitfalls] or go without. All the prices for the convention cars should be in your pre-received convention packet so you know how much to charge. Whether you add tax or a small profit is up to you. The price of things adds up quickly!

DO: Be realistic if you’re going to be flipping convention/event cars whether it’s back home or at the event.

DON’T: Think every convention/event car is a money maker.

Don’t think that just because a car is from a convention event that it will be a moneymaker if you try to flip it. Some cars aren’t worth the price of admission to an event. If you aren’t a flipper then you’ll be fine and collect the car because of you enjoyed your experience. If you are a flipper be forewarned…you may get burned. Plus there are many more people than just you trying to flip the same car. I don’t flip, I just buy for people back home but I have seen how people have triumphed with flipping and where they have crashed and burned. It’s not pretty.

DO: Bring a diecast price guide like Tomart’s or the very least Lee’s.

DON’T: Think everyone is honest in their valuations.

No matter what anyone selling a car tells you; just have the guide with you to get a good idea of its value. It will give you piece of mind.

DO: Bring good walking shoes!!! Especially the ladies!!!

DON’T: and you’ll be sorry!

You are on you feet from the minute you leave you hotel room in the morning to the minute you head hits the pillow at 1:30am that night, [yes rooms are open that late].

You will be standing in lines for events, walking the floors room to rooming, going to eat either inside/outside the hotel, even sightseeing if you plan to, it all goes back to planning.

DO: Pack accordingly.

DON’T: Overpack; especially if you are flying.

You won’t need to bring a lot of different clothes to a convention. The majority of the time you will see most people in T-Shirts, shorts, and jeans. [Check the future weather cast re jackets/coats]. You may want to bring a polo or buttoned down shirt [especially if it’s a cool diecast or automotive themed one] to wear to the dinner but otherwise don’t load up on clothes. Take it from a confirmed over-packer; you may not use half the stuff you bring. Also, don’t forget to pack your camera/video camera. You won’t regret it later. I’ve forgotten my camera already and I have regretted what I didn’t get a picture of to this day.

Plus, you’ll need the space for cars which brings me to…

DO: Pack a bag in your bag

DON’T: Bring small suitcases

My buddy Mike from NH taught me this trick back in 2001. I went to my first CA Strauss convention and got short on my luggage space. It was just after 9-11 and restriction abounded regarding size/shape of bags and I was scared to bring a really big suitcase, plus I under estimated what I would buy once I was there. If you are a first time conventioneer you will be tempted to buy a lot!!!!! I had to go to Wal-Mart and buy a small suitcase to accommodate what I bought. Most convention cars are in there own protecto paks and are bulky to pack in a suitcase and you don’t want to pack fragile blistercards or loose cars wrapped in toilet paper in a regular case for fear of damage.

Bring one large suitcase with a rolled up duffel bag inside. It won’t take up a lot of space and you won’t be charged for 2 suitcases when you fly out and if you don’t need it, back it goes rolled up. It’ll save you a lot of grief. Now this brings me too…..

DO: Bring a variety of Protecto Paks.

DON’T: Rely on vendors at the convention.

Many of the fragile treasures you buy may not have protectos and can’t be packed by themselves. Some older blisters don’t fit into newer protectos so plan accordingly. I have found that the older full front protectos are great for a carrying a couple of cars in baggies and header cards [like ROAKs]! Protecto pak vendors may not be there or run out of popular sizes early. Most people can sell you a few but its better to prepare beforehand.

Think about bringing a pair of scissors [in your checked bag only please] and a couple of sheets of bubble wrap for cars in acrylic case; DOLLAR TREE stores offer small rolls that work great. My buddy Bryan has shown me that blue painters tape is a better alternative to any other tape in wrapping cars up since it is designed to come off easily from what it is stuck too without damaging the car, plus its strong while its in use. But this brings me too….

DO: Invest in a HOT-CASE.

DON’T: Think it won’t help.

This is not a shameless plug for HOT-CASES but an actual testimonial. They help you out a lot! The 24 cars carry case for loose cars is great to carry around if you plan to buy loose cars for it protects them as you go rooming. Believe me, toilet paper, tissue, or paper towel wrapping quickly shred or unravel and plastic shopping bags get banged up and torn in elevators and doorways faster than you think. The carry case fits into any carry on or checked bag. Invest in an actual HOT CASE box and carry bag for that HOT CASE. It fits into any airplane overhead compartment or under the airline seat in front of you and can hold a lot of convention cars. You can carry it on the plane as a carry-on. I usually have my backpack and the HOT CASE bag as carry-ons or the case will fit flat into most 30-32” suitcases.

DO: Invest in a good, compact, multiple bulb LED flashlight.

DON’T: Think it won’t help.

Again a learned tip from my NJ collector buddies Kenny and Carl. A nice, compact LED flashlight with multiple bulbs can assist greatly in determining the condition of loose cars especially REDLINES!!! Hotel room lighting is awful and don’t rely on vendors to bring a good light either. First ask permission to examine the car you are looking at, find a shadowed part of the room [or even hunch over with the car in you palm], and shine the flashlight over every nook and cranny of that car because every flaw, toning, chip, etc., etc., will immediately pop out. It can save you the annoyance of realizing later you bought a dud.

DO: Create a floor list to write down what rooms you’ve been in or where contacts are staying.

DON’T: Rely on your memory.

Simply put; it gets overwhelming. Even in a small convention, you will never remember all the rooms you have been in, want to go back to, or have no need to see again.

I’ll give a great example. Three years ago the Strauss west coast convention was held in Garden Grove CA in a hotel that had two towers. The North tower was where the official convention room block [cheaper rooms] were which stretched from between floors 4 thru 8. There were a lot of seller’s rooms on floors 3 and 9 as well as a smattering of rooms on higher floors. So you figure 7 floors [3 thru 9] with approximately 20 [conservatively] rooms open on each floor; that makes 140 rooms just in the North Tower. Plus the South towers had at least 60 rooms open as well so add those together you get 200 rooms of Hot Wheels. Unless you have a documented photographic memory; you won’t remember everything/everyone you saw/met and where it/they were! Some conventions now give you a small pad with your welcome package to help you navigate the hotel; but I have attached a floor sheet spreadsheet [at the end of this article] that really works. My wife came up with it in 2002 in Irvine CA after she couldn’t stand walking into the same room over and over again and hear me and my buddy say “Oh we’ve seen this before, nothing here”. Plus I have tinkered with it over the years. Use it, learn it, live it, know it, it works! It’s best to 3-hole punch the floor sheets I have provided and put them in a binder. The binder will give you a strong base to write on, those little pads won’t.

Well, that’s it for now. Like I said, its a lot to digest, but I hope you’ve enjoyed them so far. Join me next time in Part 2 where I’ll reveal all my DO and DON’T tips for after you arrive at the convention.

Got a tip of your own to add? I encourage you to share them wit the rest of the readers via the comments section below.

Download the Floor Sheet file here [Microsoft Excel Format]

In recent years I’ve noticed something interesting happening to me every time I attend a die-cast show or convention; I am approached by a fellow collectors [whether I know actually know them or they are brought over to me by a friend] to either take me over to a vendor’s table or room to get my opinion on an impending sale, to show me a just purchased treasure to get my opinion on the condition or price paid, or to ask a question about products from any of the many 1:64 scale manufacturers of die-cast. I have been frequently told that I was the deciding factor either for or against a particular purchase. I am not trying to “toot my own horn” or boast about what I do or do not know about die-cast, but it always gets me thinking about how and what I collect now as opposed to when I began collecting and throughout the interim years.

It has been almost 26 years since I began collecting die-cast and over 19 years since I truly caught the die-cast collecting “bug” and met my first Hot Wheels collecting comrade, my great friend Bill, who was and is my mentor of all things Hot Wheels. So I guess I have seen a lot of collectors, trends, and die-cast companies come and go, wither and resurrect, or completely change themselves altogether. I have always been a history buff; whether it’s the real life history of the world around us or the history of the cars I love to collect. I love to absorb this knowledge as much as I can, but find myself having to omit a lot of information for lack of brain space or for want on that knowledge.

I can’t be a variation almanac like so many of today’s collectors are [God bless your memories] with all the wheels changes, window colors changes, body color changes chassis color/material changes and point of origin as I would like to be.

I don’t seek out variations for my collection unless they are physically pointed out to me while standing at the rack or at a show, and I can’t rattle off things like “the Muscle Madness ’68 Nova comes in all small wheels, all big wheels, and large front wheels/small rear wheels” or vice versa. But, I can pretty much rattle off every ’57 Chevy variation since 1977 or what each Dream Halloween or Toy Fair car has been or how much I did or didn’t pay for a particular car.

I’ve come through a succession of models that I’ve focused all of my attention on as well. First, it was old and new Matchbox. Then I added old and new Hot Wheels and new Johnny Lightnings when they were reintroduced in the 1990’s. All the while I kept up with new and old Majorette and Tomica models thrown in for good measure. It all became maddening! Yet, I would still buy any model, old or new, from any manufacturer that caught my eye. I was a full “completist” and had to have every model I could afford from those aforementioned manufacturers. During that time I was able to keep every model I had in my head as well as on ancient Apple computer spreadsheet. At times I thought my head would explode or at the very least brain matter would start to ooze from my ears!

In 2001 I attended my first Hot Wheels convention – the Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 2 in Connecticut – and my mind was blown wide open!  There were so many people collecting what I did all together in the same place, with special events and best of all; the room to room trading!!!  That was something I had never experienced before. I was then completely hooked on conventions from that point forward.

While at WWHW2 I heard about larger convention that meets every year in California run buy a guy named Mike Strauss. I got some info while in CT and hurriedly sent in my application to the event as soon as I got home. Unfortunately 9/11 happened that September, and I thought I may never be able to go to this Hot Wheels Mecca I had begun to believe in. Fortunately, the restrictions were lifted and off I flew to Irvine California, all by myself; intimidated, but ready to learn!  During the convention I was lucky enough to meet my buddy Mike from NH – someone who is still one of my best friends in the Hot Wheel and real world.

Mike had been going to Strauss conventions since 1998 and knew all the in, outs, and quirks associated with them. We became fast friends and my feet were set upon the path of convention knowledge. Needless to say, the rest is history for I have attended every east and west coast Strauss event since Irvine 2001 (save for Dallas 2004 when my son had just been born). After Irvine 2001 I attended the Wild Weekend of Hot wheels 3 in 2002 where I got to know another best friend of mine, Bryan from NC. I have also attended the Wicked Weekend of Hot Wheels 1 and 2, the annual Macungie PA outdoor toy event, as well as more recently introduced conventions like Summer Smash in Rhode Island, the Mexico City Hot Wheelers convention, and the DiecastSpace.com Super Convention in Las Vegas and Atlanta.

When I was still a completist, conventions were all about “the hunt” for everything I didn’t have.  But since having divested myself of over 3000+ pieces of Matchbox and over 1000+ pieces of Johnny Lightning I have been able to enjoy collecting even more. I no longer need to have every mainline Hot Wheels. I now prefer nice redlines or special limited cars like convention and toy fair pieces. I also have grown very fond of collecting discontinued “orphan makes.” Those include the cars I had as a kid like Playart, Zylmex, and Corgi Junior, as well as makes with limited availability in the U.S. like Tomica, Majorette, and Siku. Likewise, convention-going has changed from hunting for everything I can get my hands on, to meeting up with old and new friends and talking about the state of collecting, about other collectors who have come and gone or just sitting around eating, drinking and making each other laugh!

Many things affect the way we collect. The economy, die-cast companies’ fortunes and product decisions, to the size of our own wallets change the way we collect; and that’s not a bad thing. Any changes should be accepted and embraced if you want to keep on doing and collecting whatever you love.

So have I changed as collector? That answer would have to be a resounding YES!  I’m glad I have changed, evolved, backed off or whatever you want to call it. Its made me a happier collector and a more grateful one at that.

How have/haven’t you changed as collector since you started out in this great hobby? Let’s hear you story via the comments section below.

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