Tell us what this hobby means to you? 14 questions answered by you, Bill Chow, Fullerton, California, USA.

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1) What first got you collecting diecast? How long have you been collecting? What is your total model count as of today?

I love cars and models in general but mainly into Mercedes and Porsche racing heritage.  I have been collecting for over 28 years and I have lots of models I think a few hundred in my collection to date.

2) What was your first diecast or memory?

The 1:18 1994 Minichamps Schumacher Benneton Ford world champion then many come after this model!

3) What is your favourite scale, and why?

I like 1:18 it’s not too big and not too small, but I also appreciate 1:12 and 1:43 also, in short, I like them all.

4) What are some of your favourite models to date? Did you share any photos with us?

Racing Legends of F1 and Le Mans especially!!  Race winners and World Champions hold their place in history, the 1:12 Ferrari F2003 World Champion driven by Michael Schumacher by MG models made in Italy are amongst my favourites!

5) Is there a model that has eluded you, a holy grail of sorts?

I have lots of models I really like and appreciate but my most prized would be the 1:8 scale Amalgam Mclaren MP4/22 2007 signed by Lewis Hamilton.  Maybe one day!

6) What is your favourite brand/manufacturer, and why?

I always be a fan of the likes of Minichamps because they offer fetching details and the price is somewhat manageable in today’s scale model landscape!

7) Describe your current theme and what your overall goal is?

My primary focus is mainly on models of  Mercedes, Porsches and some Ferraris in racing themes, there are the odd road cars too.

8) Do you display your collection? If yes, how?

I display only some due to the limited space in my place. Therefore most of my models need to be stored away but occasionally I would check them out and they put a smile on my face.

9) Do you have any other hobbies, passions or addictions?

Besides cars and racing, I love planes as well so I got some jetliner model planes.  These include the 747 and jet fighters like the F-14 and F-18.  In addition, I enjoy sports like F1 and NFL.

10) What do you think about the diecast hobby as it stands today?

It’s getting more popular because many new models are coming out fast and sometimes re-release by other manufacturers, like Minichamps and Spark both produce 1:18 and 1:43 F1 cars of most teams.

11) If you could change one thing about the diecast hobby what would that be?

Try to keep the prices down and somewhat reasonable, so we collectors can keep buying and getting more and more, this will keep the passion going!

12) Do you modify cars? If yes, what are some examples?

No, keep them original like my 1:1 scale cars, stock from the manufacturer.

13) What does your spouse, partner or significant other think of your hobby and your collection?

My partner understands it’s my passion but seeing all the models I have stored away she thinks it’s too much…   she thinks I need to control myself more :)

14) What is your daily driver?

To date: 1995 Mercedes w124 E320 is my daily driver but I have 3 other cars I drive occasionally, they include the 1994 Mercedes E500 w124, the 1999 Mercedes SL500 R129, and the 2002 Porsche  911 Turbo type 996.