Is Your Child Ready for Toy Vehicles? Or is it Time to Grow Up?

Toy vehicles in one form or another are about as old as toys themselves. Today, collectors focus on custom toy vehicles and collectible toy vehicles as major items of interest. These collectibles can range from the first die cast cars introduced in the early 1930s to the "Hot Wheels" cars popular in the 1960s. Most collectors tend to specialize in a given timeframe or to concentrate on a particular genre of vehicle.

Some Background on Collectible Toy Vehicles

The first miniature cars were called Dinky toys and also included airplanes, boats, and figures of both people and animals. In the 1950s Dinky received some competition from Corgi, which caused the detail and quality of the toys offered to increase considerably. Hoods began to open up, plastic windows and lights appeared, and the interior of the tiny cars became detailed and sometimes featured tiny drivers at the wheel.

Battery powered toy vehicles and motorized toy vehicles began to be popular in the late 1950s and have evolved today into sophisticated remote-controlled devices enjoyed by children and adults alike. These cars make intricate maneuvers possible and seek to recreate the driving experience.

In the 1960s toy "Hot Wheels" cars appeared and, like their counterparts in the real racing world, proved capable of rolling smoothly over much longer distances. "Racing" these toys cars became an instant hit with boys and girls alike and all manner of peripheral sets with tracks and obstacle courses began to appear on the market.

Factors to Consider Before Buying Toy Vehicles

As with any collecting endeavor, you need to do some research before starting a major collection of toy vehicles. Many kinds are available from toy construction vehicles to unique wind powered toy vehicles. Pick a time period or genre and educate yourself about what does and does not constitute a quality piece. The things you will need to know to judge the authenticity of a heavy die-cast toy car from the 1930s differ greatly from the information required to assess a Hot Wheels car. Custom toy vehicles, which are often the product of a laborious modeling endeavor by an enthusiast are in a class all their own and are often difficult to value.

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