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Always been MOPAR

7K views 47 replies 29 participants last post by  MarcosAmbrose 
#1 ·

So here's my trip down memory lane...


My collecting habits started in the late '60's when California Shell stations would give away Redline Spectraflame Hot Wheels on a fill up. I remember getting these with my dad as a kid. Of course, all of those childhood cars are long gone, lost in the sandbox of time. I've always enjoyed watching racing too. Indycar and NASCAR from the 1960's and 1970's with drivers like Bobby and Al Unser, Johnny Rutherford, Richard Petty and David Pearson.

When Plymouth and eventually DODGE pulled out of NASCAR in the early 1980's my interest went with it. This was the time my service in the Corps began so I didn't have time to pay attention anyway.

Spin the clock to 1996... NASCAR was running DODGES again! Albeit in the Truck Series. And a cool little company called Racing Champions was producing replica diecasts of them. With my new-found employment as a teacher and some extra cash, the collecting game was afoot... I also discovered a little diecast collector's magazine called "Diecast Digest." They had a website with a chat and bulletin board which eventually became a forum. There, I met David (DavidinFL who is a member here now too) and Brewster Ben of BDTB. We were CHC to the bone and had many members with additional involvement from Pat Meyer, CEO of Racing Champions NASCAR Marketing and Lonnie Boutte', VP of Action-Performance NASCAR Marketing. In 2001, DODGE made their Cup return and all bets were off with my collecting habits... LOL!

Eventually, the Diecast Digest magazine folded (no pun intended) and the forum was moved to a private server to become the Diecast Warriors. Our "Chief" quit collecting and involvement and handed the reigns of the Warriors over to Mike. Soon thereafter the leadership of that forum broke our longest and most sacred cardinal rule... NO ADS WHATSOEVER (ebay or otherwise). From that point on, the Warriors site's focus became a place for people to primarily shuck their goods, rather than a place where collectors helped collectors. And with the huge influx of those types of members, the situation was irreversable. The death of Diecast Warriors was slow and painful.

I found this site in 2005, at least that's what my join date is, (it seems earlier than that to me... I thought there was a rendition of The Collector's Lounge in '04, but anyway...) as an alternative/addition to the Diecast Warriors. Overall it is was a good decision to become a member. I have met many good folks here in addition to my friends I had and still have from the Warriors site. Much like the DCD forum, I have spent a great deal of time building relationships and friendships with folks in the diecast industry, and ultimately asking them to sign on as members here (i.e. John Ludwig of Mattel NASCAR Racing, Jeff Gilbert of Checkered Flag Sports, Thomas DeBoyance of RCCA/Lionel, Tom West and Brian Gittings of Milestone Development, Allie Rudd of Greenlight Collectibles, Peggy Haverland of Round2/Autoworld, Jim Hannigan of Toolbox Treasures, and Phil Blount and Brian Shore of University of Racing). My approach to my membership and collecting may seem "overly direct" to some and make them feel uncomfortable, but I have always tried to balance that with heavy emphasis on CHC, the welfare of this site, and having an independent mind whether it is topics like RCCA or assisting members to find that one, true MOPAR gem. Sadly as of 2013, us MOPAR faithful are kicked to the curb (AGAIN!) and have no NASCAR teams to cheer for or current NASCAR diecasts to collect. It's like 1977-1995 all over again. Our only hopes are series and products from the NHRA and hopefully some old-school DODGE diecasts forthcoming from the University of Racing @Plan B Sales. Otherwise we're screwed and will need to find another hobby. Sorry for the long-windedness, I missed a lot, I'm sure, but far be it from me to say it in one sentence. :tease:


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#7 ·
Even though we havent always seen eye to eye here lately,good to have you here and appreciate your contributions to this site.
 
#8 ·
Glad you are here Bob. I have loved Dodge and Mopar ever since the 2002 Daytona 500 with Ward winning. Also I was a huge Kahne fan from 2004-2007 until he switched to Bud and later Ford. But I'm getting back into Kahne now that he left Bud and Ford. But I really wish he would get back in a Dodge!!!
 
#9 ·
Bob, you are by far my favorite critic of the diecast industry. The word critic can have a negative connotation, but I mean that as a compliment. Your interests and comments are about what would benefit the collecting community. I always enjoy reading a "lively" thread in which you've posted some comments as I find that I nearly always agree with your points.
 
#20 ·
So glad that I get the privilege of being a part of the forums with you on here. I loved seeing your comments on TSH forums and can't wait to see what goodies you show off on here. Already have me drooling for a few of your cars (like the GS one)
 
#23 ·
I wanted to thank you for the post Bob, but for some reason the option to do that is not available.
You Sir have been nothing but a class act, and I appreciate your friendship immensely. So glad your back!!
 
#24 ·
I just joined this site and Bob has been lots of help. It's nice to have a place where collectors and race fans come together and chat. I'm just as old as Bob, also remember Diecast Digest for it's informative columns. This was were I picked up on how rare some diecast were, and I started collecting. I went to most diecast shows in my area (thanks to Diecast Digest) and now miss them. True fans of racing, stories told, diecast bought, sold and traded. Now we have our own place to share thoughts, ideas, Etc. Thanks again Bob.
 
#26 ·
Nice Bio Bob. You've been at this game much longer than I. My interest in diecast began probably in the early 90's. I hadn't paid any attention to Action, as I didn't like their products at that time. They had no competition and didn't care that their bodies were way off kilter, detail was almost non existent. Then along came Revell. I started buying them by the boat load. Any driver, it didn't matter. They didn't have a different paint scheme for each race back then, so you only had to buy 20 or so and you had them all for that season. Action really didn't take Revell too seriously and didn't start improving their molds until around 98 or so which was about the time Team Caliber came out. Team Caliber was primarily a Roush product at first, so it really didn't give Action much competition in the beginning, but as Team Caliber started signing more drivers, Action did what they had to do ..... bought TC which is basically the same way they got rid of Revell. Anyway, my point to all this is ...... with what Lionel has done to Action products, and the ever rising cost of good quality diecast, I have quit buying. That includes my Franklin and Danbury Mint collecting as well. I'll never forget the friends I made over the years.
 
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