For those of you here in the US, I hope you are all enjoying a relaxing, happy Thanksgiving. This is one of my favorite holidays. Fall colors, crisp weather, long walks, good food, and a time to gather. Pure bliss.
The funny thing is how that quiet gathering time turns to complete mayhem the next day on Black Friday. I am not one to battle the crowds for a no-name $50 TV, but there is no denying this is the time to grab a few deals.
Thankfully, collectors – and those gift-givers that love them – can take advantage of those deals without leaving their house. Hallelujah.
So let Lamley help. There are a ton of deals to be had, and over the next few days, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, I am going to share as many of them that I can. Some are deals offered to everyone, others are specific to Lamley Readers, generously offered by Lamley Partners.
So throughout the weekend, and through December for that matter, I will share gift ideas and deals as I am made aware of them. And be ready. Some items made available will sell quickly. I will try and get the word out as best I can.
Let’s start with a few items that I think every collector needs.
It starts with 1:64 displays. I swear by the Carney displays, and so do thousands of other collectors. You collect diecast cars, and you need to display them. Loose. Carney makes the best displays by a mile. The folks there know collectors, and know what they need. The plastic is sturdy, they have clear plastic covered to protect from dust, and they look awesome on a wall. I use the 108-car displays, and they are available here:
Carney 108-car Diecast Display
They are available in clear or mirror-back, and you can get them before Christmas if you buy soon.
Next, storage cases.
These are nothing short of vital. The majority of my collection is loose, and I obviously have a lot more than I can display on the wall. The Creative Options Cases are what I use, and I know many of you do as well. They are marketed as thread organizers, but they have been used as diecast storage for years. The plastic is soft enough that the cars can bounce around a bit without getting damaged, and placing the cases side-by-side doesn’t take a ton of room. I am always buying more, and this is a great price (with free shipping on orders over $49):
Creative Options Diecast Storage
Next, you need a photo studio.
Some of you have asked about my photo setup. That’s proprietary. But, today’s collector needs something for photos. Taking photos is as vital a part of collecting as anything else today. I know a few people that use these portable photo studios, and they take very nice photos. Rob Graves, formerly of South Texas and now the main Hot Wheels Curator at hobbyDB uses one when he travels, and the photos come out great.
You get the box, background cloth, and USB cable to power the LED light. It is truly a must. This is the best deal I found on Amazon:
Table Top Diecast Portable Photo Studio
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| Sterling Protectors on Amazon |
And for you readers who have made this far, a little bonus. I will be doing a full feature on these tomorrow, but Sterling Protector Cases, the best Hot Wheels/Matchbox protector there is, is offering a special deal for Lamley Readers only from now through December.
Follow the link below, pick the pack of protectors you want, and add the “LAMLEY10” promotional code at checkout for a special discount. This is only for Lamley Readers, and lasts through December only. How cool is that?
Sterling Protector Cases on Amazon
Grab them now before I do a full post on them. These protectors are fantastic.
Lots more to come. Stay tuned…
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Lamley there are 2 cars I've been looking for. The lamborghini murcialargo sv and the maclaren f1 gtr can you help me
Would happily buy some Sterling cases but they don't ship to Canada and they're not available direct via Amazon.ca…
That's unfortunate
I would try to email and see what you can do.
The portable photo booth is neat for on-the-go shots!
For my photo booth I converted the Hot Wheels master case box from K-mart, lined the inside with printer paper (doesn't produce glare), made the top and one side panel hinged for easy access to the booth and to protect the booth from dust when not in use, and finally after years of trying to find a solution to great photo's with proper lighting, I found the Natural Light Desktop (or floor) lamp from Big Lots is the best; it uses a large, fluorescent-like lamp to produce natural light that the camera will accept.
Had my booth for years now and works great! And as an added plus the large size of the master case will allow larger scale models up to 1:24 scale, with 1:18 in a tight squeeze.
Try Ebay or a few fellow collectors. There are plenty out there, but unfortunately thanks to the popularity and limited release of both castings you won't find both cheap very easily; however, keep checking around every so often and you'll find a good deal. Recently I found the Speed Machines Mclaren F1 in orange for $10 bucks (I believe all of them have sold out by now' there were several when I got mines).
Cool man
Ok thanks
John, do you know of anything like the Creative Options cases that fit larger models well, like 1:43 and 1:24 models?