Rebirth of the Lamley Blog: A new team of writers, more brands, a new look, and the return of the Lamley Daily

If you are a regular visitor of the Lamley Group Blog, you have seen this happening over the last few weeks.

Also, if you are a regular visitor of the Lamley Group Blog, I owe you an apology for the last year or so. The blog, Lamley’s bread and butter for so long, took a back seat to all the other Lamley stuff I was doing. Lamley is a side project for me, that means the time I can and want to commit to it is very limited. I have a full-time job that I really enjoy, a family that I enjoy even more, and everything else. Between the Lamley Channel and other diecast-related endeavors, my time is full.

But it has been bothering me that the blog is not at the level it should be. For years I have taken a lot of pride in focusing on features, decent writing and photography, and Lamley being a place to celebrate the hobby. I just haven’t been able to keep up.

So one of my goals for 2020 is to revive the blog, but to do that I need help. Daily content is key, but Lamley also needs new voices and different brands covered. So a few weeks ago I put out a request for writers. I was blown away by the response. Far more than I thought, most with passion for the hobby and something to say. I took on the difficult task of narrowing the list down to a group of diverse writers from different parts of the world, with different interests, and I like what we have. A lot.

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There were so many good submissions, and honestly the blog would probably benefit from everyone’s contributions. It really came down to creating a group that had different interests and perspectives. I still hope everyone who did inquire keep in touch, as there will be opportunities to expand or bring on guest writers in the future.

Bringing on a new team definitely spurred a rebirth at the blog. Hopefully you have noticed not only a lot more content, but content about brands not regularly covered on Lamley before, like Greenlight, M2 Machines, Inno64 and more. Along the same lines, you will see different perspectives. These writers share my feeling that Lamley should be more about the joy of the hobby than pure diecast reviews, and you will see that come out. We write as collectors, not critics, so each writer will cover elements of what they collect or find interesting.

With that, here is a short introduction of the new Lamley Team:

• David Tilley – I really shouldn’t include DT in this list of “new” writers. He is the “ley” in Lamley, ever since we casually formed the name years ago as Matchbox collectors. David has always had an open invitation to contribute, and now he will on a regular basis, covering Matchbox new and old every Monday. Long-time Matchbox collectors know DT as one of the most knowledgeable Matchbox gurus around, and he is known for opening EVERYTHING no matter how rare, and going nuts for even the slightest of shade variations.
• Chen Yilong aka Hot Kustoms – Bringing in Chen from Singapore was a no-brainer. He has established a loud voice on Instagram with his beautiful photography and knowledge of Asian brands, particularly Tomica. I was thrilled when he agreed to contribute regular Tomica posts on Lamley in between working on his fantastic YouTube Channel.
• David Kiley aka Championdjk – Speaking of YouTube Channels, the championdjk channel has become a go-to for me and many others for a plethora of premium brands, including Greenlight, Auto World, and Johnny Lightning. I am stoked to have DK bring his expertise here, particularly with Greenlight.
• Doug Breithaupt – Doug is to obscure brands what Tilley is to Matchbox. He knows a ton. He ran the “Tales of Toy Cars” Webzine from his home in the Northwest US for years before moving it to Facebook, and will be contributing a weekly feature on diecast well-known to not-known-at-all.
• Bryan McCarthy aka beardedmugmedia – Bryan from Jersey comes on with passion for all kinds of diecast from a definite car guy perspective. A talented 1:1 car photographer – you can see his work on Instagram – and witty writer, I’m already a fanboy of his features. Look for him to cover all kinds of brands with an emphasis on M2 Machines.
• Guillaume Maillard aka willdiecast – Another collector with an incredible collection you can see on Instagram, Guillaume was an easy choice just based on his knowledge of European and Asian premium brands. Based in France, he has already written about Inno64, Timothy & Pierre, and Hobby Japan. There will be a lot more.
• Alex Winson aka diecast13 – Alex brings a unique perspective that will add a nice dimension to the blog. He collects all kinds of stuff, but his passion for European and Eastern European brands will be something completely new. He’s out of the UK and has been able to find some cool and obscure models, which he will share here.
• Sam McConnell aka 64wheels – I noticed Sam based on his knowledge of cars large and small, his excellent photography, and interest in a lot of brands I don’t have. Things like Revell Lowriders. Rad, right?

Yeah, the Lamley Blog won’t just be about Hot Wheels and Matchbox anymore. I will of course still write predominantly about both, along with the other brands I collect like Tomica Limited Vintage and Auto World, as well as many brands and models I find interesting. Seeing the blog alive again has definitely got my writing juices flowing, so look for jtl46 posts dropping pretty frequently.

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This new approach also required a new layout for the blog. I’ve created one, still in the blog format, but posts should be visible for longer. Content will be dropping at different times, so check back a lot.

Finally, after seeing what the blog can be, we are bringing back the Lamley Daily feature. I started it a few years ago to showcase one model each day in addition to normal content. The model could be well-known, more obscure, totally forgotten, or highly-desired. Just one a day, chosen from my collection practically at random.

Considering the diversity of collections among the Lamley writing team, the Lamley Daily is back. Short posts, once a day, focused on one model. You never know what will drop, so always check back.

I am stoked for this new chapter of the Lamley Blog. I think it can become a resource when needed, but even more so a home for collectors of all kinds. I hope you read what is written, enjoy the photographs taken, and comment a lot. Cut the new writers some slack at first, but then go for it. And I am always game for a little “Lamley only hypes JDM” ribbing. Bring it on.