There's been this big question lately so I thought I'd write about it. The question I get is, why do I sell so many JDM and newer type cars? Well, first let's analyze who this question comes from. It's always the older collector. They always have the story of how they collected Hot Wheels cars when they first came out and how they don't make them like they used to. They are always distraught to see a lot of newer type cars in stores. The simple answer? Its just a new generation of collectors. The days of Red Barons and Twin Mills are slowly coming to an end. It will take a diehard collector to see the interest and value in those older vehicles when the newer generation won't give a second look.
So what's the new big thing? For the past 10 years or so its been JDM. I contribute this from all the Fast & Furious movies. You can see the correlation between the time those movies came about to the shift in the type of cars the hobbyist collects. Still today its Nissan Skylines, Mazda RX-7's, Honda Civics, etc. Being a store owner I hear teenage kids all wanting 90's JDM cars for drifting. Im my days its was mini trucks, speaker sound off's and lowriders. So I can kind of understand why the older generation is a bit uptight when they can't find their 1953 Ford Fairlane 500 cream color with red seats. Anything with a big engine hanging out of it basically will sit on my shelves.
Lots of the younger generation have also bought into the climate crisis and are interested in more eco friendly alternatives in vehicles. This also carries over to diecast cars. Teslas are very popular among the diecast community. People are asking for Rivians and Lucids also now. Technology has caught up with the automotive industry so we are basically letting tech drive the market. With that comes a change in collectors. I know, it sounds funny sometimes but what can you do? Just go with the flow and help out the next generation in their buying decisions and smart collecting early on. Let's educate the newer collector and not laugh at them. Yes, we can't expect them to know what a 65 Ford Mustang looks like but we are all car guys. We all can learn a little bit from everyone. Check out this new Delorean from Hot Wheels showing the old and new models.
In this shift of collectors we are seeing a ton of alternative diecast companies making exceptional models of JDM type cars. Those companies are Time Micro, Tarmac Works, Inno64, Mini GT, Tomica, and many others. In these brands you can find authentic style cars with correct wheels, paint, and scale or from radical liveries on super rare cars. These brands have it all! They even make cool dioramas! Here's an Initial D Tofu Shop diorama scene. This thing is pretty cool!
So what are your thoughts on this? Do you miss the old days of big engines vs big turbos and JDM? Personally Im a bit torn. Im 46 so I was driving in the early 90's so I was a Chevy Camaro fan at the time. But, today I'm a 21 year, 7 time owner, of BMW's. Im a future looking kind of guy. I like new tech and I like newer designs. I can appreciate the old and the beauty and craftsmanship that went into making those classic vehicles but I would love for my car to fly me to work one day while looking sexy doing it. Let me know in the comments below what you think and don't forget to add me on Instagram RDDC_Market
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