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Whether you’re buying a toy for a special child or are a super-fan building your own collection，buying and owing a hobby vehicle should be an exciting, fun thing to do. Today, the model car comes in a variety of models, makes and can be made from any number of materials (a drastic change from the old balsa wood models that originally emerged). As I have mentioned in my last post, there are more than 50 popular brands including Tomica, Altaya, Minichamps,Bandai, Brooklin, CMC, Dragon Wings, Exoto, Guisval, Ixo, Jada, Johnny Ligntning, Kyosho, Lledo, Matchbox, Norev, Plasticos Argentinos, Racing Champions, RCCA, Revell, Tekno, UT Models, Vitesse, and the popular Hot Wheels introduced by Mattel, among others.

When buying a model car, carefully consider what year, model and body style you really want to own. Once you have determined that your model is intact, pieces can be separated off into different sections. If you need assistance identifying them, a good tip is to write the corresponding part numbers on a piece of paper and then set the pieces by the proper numbers. This will allow the builder to dispose of the tray, paint, sand, and not have to worry about forgetting what goes where.

Many radio control modelers get their start in the hobby with an R/C car or truck. That’s a good idea. Getting the hang of a model that stays on the ground — most of the time! — is a little easier than controlling one that also challenges you to beat the law of gravity.

If you prefer playing or racing indoors or have limited space to play, there are small but fast micro and mini rc cars. Popular models are the 1/28 Kyosho Mini-Z and the 1/18 HPI Micro RS4. One of the hottest segment of the hobby, and companies are scrambling to produce their own mini remote control cars and trucks.

Protecting your collection is an important part of the hobby. Keep your collection out of direct sunlight, which can damage the finish. Also avoid storing your collection somewhere with high temperature changes. These can warp or damage the finish, or the car itself. Highly humid locations should be avoided for the same reason.

There are lots of different kinds of toy cars to collect. With more than 50 popular brands including Tomica, Altaya, Minichamps,Bandai, Brooklin, CMC, Dragon Wings, Exoto, Guisval, Ixo, Jada, Johnny Ligntning, Kyosho, Lledo, Matchbox, Norev, Plasticos Argentinos, Racing Champions, RCCA, Revell, Tekno, UT Models, Vitesse, and the popular Hot Wheels introduced by Mattel, among others. Car models come in various scales, the most popular ranging from 1:28 to 1:64 scale, although many collectors prefer focusing their collections on the 1:43 and 1:50 scales.

Diecast vehicles and toys are an example of a collection that is never-ending. When you start collecting these vehicles it is like traveling back in time until the early decades of the 20th century when manufacturers such as Tootsie Toys in the United States, or Dinky Toys in the United Kingdom first produced the first diecast toys. Before you start building your fleet, decide whether you will concentrate on just one particular type of toy car (like Hotwheels or Matchbox Cars) or if you will welcome all kinds into your collection.

Many people may consider eBay when it comes to finding great deals on toy cars or locating that one special car you’ve just got to have. Of course,it’s hard to beat eBay.But there are still other online shops offer good gadgets at a cheap prices, such as Toyeast. It’s the largest HongKong’s model store. With varies of car models for sale every minute, chances are excellent that you will find just what you need here.

In fact, many individuals start collecting cars as a hobby to become dealers at a later date, either turning this hobby into a profession, or as a means to get extremely rare vehicles for their own collections, while they help other collectors in their pursuit of showcase-model cars. In the United Kingdom, there are teams specialized in visiting small and larger toy fairs to acquire incredible cars, in good conditions from Dinky Toys and Corgi, the main British collectibles companies.

Different toys fulfill different developmental and educational purposes, and understanding this variety and the needs of your child will help you in selecting the most appropriate toys for your child. Educational toys take your child to a new way of learning. For toys，many parents would choose radio control plane or car models. This is a good choice. Toys today will teach your child socialization skills, using motor skills and cognitive thinking skills. Your child is able to journey down the road of life while developing new skills that teaches him or her how to become a successful adult.

For those with a need for speed and simplicity an electric RC toy would be the best option. There are two options to choose from: toy cars or hobby cars.  A toy car is what usually comes to a person’s mind when shopping for children. They want something with a cool look, user-friendly interface and enough power to amuse a child for awhile. These cars don’t have to be incredibly fast or have any special features, although many of the best-selling models do have a unique twist to make them stand out from the rest.

Hobby cars  and planes are meant for adults or older children with an affinity for collecting and/or model-making and can cost significantly more than a basic consumer car. They are custom built to the specifications the user chooses and often, these are what serious RC lovers will want. Note the differences between a “ready-to-run car” or RTR and a kit car.

If you child has an interest in a hobby, avoid buying a cheap imitation of the real thing it is still a toy. Whenever possible save up money to buy the real thing. For example, will your child get more use out of a real sewing machine instead of the play one they want? Would money be better spent on your budding artist by purchasing real beginning artist’s brushes rather than a cheap watercolor set with hard to control blunt brushes. Often a bad purchase can discourage newly found talents when a child gets frustrated with the end result the product created.

Learning toys will motivate your child to make use of all senses and these toys will multiply the chances of awareness of your kid to sound, touch, color, etc. Some of the learning educational kid toys include RC cars, RC vehicles, musical toys, and many more. Give your children good basement for the future by making them learn using educational kid toys. You can make a difference in the education of your children by providing a little assistance.

According to the Wikipedia, radio control (often abbreviated to R/C or simply RC) is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter. Industrial, military, and scientific research organizations make use of radio-controlled vehicles as well.

History

In 1898 at an exhibition at Madison Square Garden Nikola Tesla demonstrated a small boat which could apparently obey commands from the audience but was in fact controlled by Tesla interpreting the verbal requests and sending appropriate frequencies to tuned circuits in the boat. He was granted a US patent on this invention on November 8, 1898. In 1904, Bat, a Windermere steam launch, was controlled using experimental radio control by its inventor, Jack Kitchen. In 1909 the French inventor Gabet demonstrated what he called his “Torpille Radio-Automatique”, a radio controlled torpedo. In 1917, Archibald Low as head of the RFC Experimental Works, was the first person to use radio control successfully on an aircraft. In the 1920s, various radio-controlled ships were used for naval artillery target practice. The Soviet Red Army used remotely controlled teletanks during 1930s in the Winter War against Finland and fielded at least two teletank battalions at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. A teletank is controlled by radio from a control tank at a distance of 500–1,500 meters, the two constituting a telemechanical group. There were also remotely controlled cutters Iand experimental remotely controlled planes in the Red Army. In the 1930s Britain developed the radio controlled Queen Bee, a remotely controlled unmanned Tiger Moth aircraft for a fleet’s gunnery firing practice. The Queen Bee was superseded by the similarly named Queen Wasp, a later, purpose built, target aircraft of higher performance.

Military applications in the Second World War

Radio control was further developed during World War II, primarily by the Germans who used it in a number of missile projects. Their main effort was the development of radio-controlled missiles and glide bombs for use against shipping, a target that is otherwise both difficult and dangerous to attack. However by the end of the war the Luftwaffe was having similar problems attacking Allied bombers, and developed a number of radio-controlled anti-aircraft missiles, none of which saw service.

The effectiveness of the Luftwaffe systems was greatly reduced by British efforts to jam their radio signals. After initial successes, the British launched a number of commando raids to collect the missile radio sets. Jammers were then installed on British ships, and the weapons basically “stopped working”. The German development teams then turned to wire guidance once they realized what was going on, but these systems were not ready for deployment until the war had already moved to France.

The German Kriegsmarine operated FL-Boote (ferngelenkte Sprengboote) which were radio controlled motor boats filled with explosives to attack enemy shipping from 1944.

Both the British and US also developed radio control systems for similar tasks, in order to avoid the huge anti-aircraft batteries set up around German targets. However, none of these systems proved usable in practice, and the one major US effort, Project Aphrodite, proved to be far more dangerous to its users than to the target.

Radio control systems of this era were generally electromechanical in nature, using small metal “fingers” or “reeds” with different resonant frequencies each of which would operate one of a number of different relays when a particular frequency was received. The relays would in turn then activate various actuators acting on the control surfaces of the missile. The controller’s radio transmitter would transmit the different frequencies in response to the movements of a control stick; these were typically on/off signals.

These systems were widely used until the 1960s, when the increasing use of solid state systems greatly simplified radio control. The electromechanical systems using reed relays were replaced by similar electronic ones, and the continued miniaturization of electronics allowed more signals, referred to as control channels, to be packed into the same package. While early control systems might have two or three channels using amplitude modulation, modern systems include 20 or more using frequency modulation.

Radio-controlled models

The first general use of radio control systems in models started in the early 1950s with single-channel self-built equipment; commercial equipment came later. The advent of transistors greatly reduced the battery requirements, since the current requirements at low voltage were greatly reduced and the high voltage battery was eliminated. In both tube and early transistor sets the model’s control surfaces were usually operated by an electromagnetic escapement controlling the stored energy in a rubber-band loop, allowing simple rudder control (right, left, and neutral) and sometimes other functions such as motor speed.[1]

Crystal-controlled superheterodyne receivers with better selectivity and stability made control equipment more capable and at lower cost. Multi-channel developments were of particular use to aircraft, which really needed a minimum of three control dimensions, (yaw, pitch and motor speed) as opposed to boats, which can get away with two or one.

As the electronics revolution took off, single-signal channel circuit design became redundant, and instead radios provided coded signal streams which a servomechanism could interpret.

More recently, high-end hobby systems using Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM) features have come on the market that provide a computerized digital bit-stream signal to the receiving device, instead of analog type pulse modulation.

In the early 21st century, 2.4 gigahertz tramsissions have become increasingly utilised in high-end control of model vehicles and aircraft.

Modern military and aerospace applications

Remote control military applications are typically not radio control in the direct sense, directly operating flight control surfaces and propulsion power settings, but instead take the form of instructions sent to a completely autonomous, computerized automatic pilot. Instead of a “turn left” signal that is applied until the aircraft is flying in the right direction, the system sends a single instruction that says “fly to this point”.

Some of the most outstanding examples of remote radio control of a vehicle are the Mars Exploration Rovers such as Sojourner.

Industrial control

Today radio control is used in industry for such devices as overhead cranes and switchyard locomotives. Radio-controlled teleoperators are used for such purposes as inspections, and special vehicles for disarming of bombs. Some remotely-controlled devices are loosely called robots, but are more properly categorized as teleoperators since they do not operate autonomously, but only under control of a human operator.

According to Wikipedia, the term die-cast toy here refers to any toy or collectible model produced by using the die casting method. The toys are made of metal and plastic, the metal used commonly is ZAMAK (or Mazak), an alloy of zinc and aluminium. Zamak is also referred to as white metal or pot metal. The most common die-cast toys are scale models of automobiles, aircraft, construction equipment and trains, although almost anything can be produced by this method.

History

A Die Cast Boeing 747 model in 1:400 scale.

Diecast (or die cast, or die-cast) toys were first produced early in the 20th century by manufacturers such as Meccano (Dinky Toys) in the United Kingdom and Dowst Brothers (Tootsietoys) in the United States. The first models on the market were basic, consisting of a small car or van body with no interior. In the early days it was common for impurities in the Zamak alloy to result in metal fatigue; the casting would crack or decompose for no apparent reason. As a result, diecast toys made before World War II are difficult to find in good condition.

Lesney began making diecast toys in 1947. Their popular Matchbox 1-75 series was so named because there were always 75 different vehicles in the line, each packaged in a small box designed to look like those used for matches. These toys became so popular that “Matchbox” was widely used as a generic term for any diecast toy car, regardless of who the actual manufacturer was.

The popularity of diecast toys as collectibles developed in the 1950s, as their detail and quality increased. Consequently, more companies entered the field, including the Corgi brand, produced by Mettoy, which appeared in 1956 and pioneered the use of interiors and clear plastic windows in their models.

In 1968, Hot Wheels were introduced in the United States by Mattel, to address the complaint that they had no line of toys for boys to balance their line of Barbie dolls for girls. Because they looked fast and were fast (they were equipped with a low-friction wheel/axle assembly), Hot Wheels quickly gained an important niche in the diecast toy market, becoming one of the world’s top sellers and challenging the Matchbox 1-75 series in popularity.

During the 1960s various companies began to use diecast vehicles as promotional items for advertising. The idea that children can play a large part in a family’s decision as to what products to buy came into wide circulation. In addition, by the 1980s it was apparent that many diecast vehicles were being purchased by adults as collectibles, not as toys for children. Companies such as McDonald’s, Sears Roebuck, Kodak, and Texaco commissioned toymakers to produce promotional models featuring their names and logos, or licensed their use. One early example was an American Airlines London bus produced by Matchbox, an idea other some airlines quickly copied.

Beginning in the mid ’70s trucks and other commercial vehicles took a lion’s share of the diecast market. Matchbox started the trend when they re-launched their Models of Yesteryear range. They made a score of different versions of their Y-12 Ford Model T van, along with other trucks in colorful liveries such as Coca-Cola, Colman’s Mustard, and Cerebos Salt. They also made promotional versions for Smith’s Crisps (potato chips) and Harrod’s department store. Some models were made exclusively for certain markets and immediately became quite expensive elsewhere: Arnott’s Biscuits (Australia) and Sunlight Seife (soap, Germany) are examples.

1:24 Diecast Model of the Honda Valkyrie

Corgi copied this idea when they expanded the Corgi Classics line in the mid-’80s, producing more than 50 versions of a 1920s era Thornycroft van. Some collectors disparaged this development as “collecting paint,” as the castings were identical; only the decorations were different. Other collectors created what they called the “10-Foot Rule” when the collecting of minor variations of the same vehicle got out of hand. The idea was that, if you couldn’t differentiate between two versions of a model from 10 feet away, it wasn’t worthwhile to collect both of them.

Despite their popularity, many diecast manufacturers went belly-up in the 1980s. Meccano (Dinky), Matchbox, and Corgi all went bankrupt within a three-year span, which essentially reflected the economic climate in the UK at that time. It had become virtually impossible to manufacture in England and compete on the world market. (Mattel had also long since shifted most of their production from the USA to the far east.) Matchbox was purchased by a Hong Kong conglomerate named Universal Holdings, which moved production from England to Macau. Later (1997), Mattel bought Matchbox, essentially making Hot Wheels and the Matchbox 1-75 line sister brands. The two brands continue to sell under their own separate names.

Meanwhile, Corgi had been acquired by Mattel, which moved the office from Swansea, Wales to Leicester, England, and moved manufacturing to China. Matchbox also bought the Dinky Toys name, long after the Liverpool factory was closed. Manufacturing resumed in China. In a series of subsequent shifts, a group of Corgi executives bought back the Corgi Classics line from Mattel, and portions of the Matchbox line were sold to an Australian company named Tyco (no relation to the Tyco line of HO scale trains, originally made by Mantua Metalworking in New Jersey, USA).

Effectively from the ashes of Matchbox’s bankruptcy arose Lledo, a company created by former Matchbox partner Jack Odell. Odell believed that British collectibles for British collectors could still be profitably produced in England. Lledo took over part of the Matchbox factory in Enfield, and introduced their “Models of Days Gone” line of diecast vehicles in 1983. The first series of Days Gone models included re-makes of some of the most popular and respected first and second-generation Matchbox Models of Yesteryear. Lledo models were very popular collectibles in the ’80s, leading to a period of diversification (incl. the Vanguards line of classic post-war British vehicles), but by the ’90s they were eclipsed by other brands, and by 2002 Lledo went broke. Parts of their line were purchased by Corgi, which moved production to China.

In addition to trucks, Corgi produced hundreds of versions of their 1/64 scale Routemaster bus in the ’80s and ’90s. Like other collecting and promotional model trends, it started as a trickle and soon became a flood. Many versions were made to be sold exclusively in the stores whose advertising appeared on the buses. Harrods, Selfridges, Gamley’s, Hamley’s, Army & Navy, Underwood’s, and Beatties were among the British stores employing this idea. A South African chain called Dion was one of the few overseas firms to follow suit.

A die cast Yamaha motorcycle model in 1:18 scale.

Then 1/76 scale buses became very popular in Britain in the late ’80s and early ’90s, with competing lines from Corgi (the Original Omnibus Company) and Gilbow Holdings (Exclusive First Editions, or EFE) fighting for the market. The 1/76 scale fits in with British ‘OO’ scale model trains.

By the 1990s NASCAR enjoyed increasing popularity and a large number of racing-related Nascar diecast cars and trucks, painted in the colors of the different racing teams, appeared from various manufacturers. Racing Champions was a leading brand of such models, but there were many others.

In addition to cars, trucks, buses, agricultual implements, and construction equipment, diecast aircraft and military models were popular. While Dinky had made such models decades earlier, new companies entered the field in the ’80s and ’90s. One producer was Dyna Flites, which went bankrupt in the 1990s, but their market share was quickly taken up by their competitors, including Schabak, Gemini Jets, Herpa, and Dragon Wings.

List of die cast toy brands
• Abrex: Czech firm, Škoda models
• Action
• American Highway Legends (AHL) - see Hartoy and Tonkin
• Altaya : publisher of European partworks which include models vehicles
• AUTOart : High quality range of model cars in 1:18, 1:43 and 1:64
• BBR
• Bburago
• Bandai
• Bang : Italian-made range of 1:43 European sports cars
• Brooklin Models - handbuilt 1/43 white metal models (with sub-brands Lansdowne, RobEddie, U.S. Model Mint, International Police, Buick Collection ‘34-’39)
• Brookfield Collectors Guild
• Buby
• BuddyL
• Checkered Flag Sports
• Cigar Box
• Classic Carlectables
• CMC
• Code 3 : American range of emergency vehicles in 1:64 scale
• Conquest - handbuilt 1/43 white metal models
• Conrad: Germany maker of construction, truck and bus models in 1:50 scale
• Corgi
• Crescent Toys
• Crown Premiums: Manufacturer of diecast promotional cars and trucks
• DA Graphics
• Danbury Mint- primarily 1/24 scale models
• DG Productions
• Diapet: Japanese cars, mostly in 1/40 scale.
• Die Cast Promotions (F.F. Ertl III)
• Dinky Toys : Classic toy cars made in England and France
• Dragon Armor
• Dragon Wings
• Durham Classics - handbuilt 1/43 white metal models
• Dyna Flites
• Ebbro : Quality range of modern and classic Japanese cars
• Efsi
• Eligor
• Ertl
• Exclusive First Editions
• Exoto
• First Gear
• Fairfield Mint
• Franklin Mint - High-priced collector models, primarily in 1/24 scale
• Forces of Valor
• Gear Box
• Gemini Jets
• Golden Wheel
• GreenLight Collectibles
• Great American Dream Machines - handbuilt 1/43 white metal models of mid-20th century Detroit showcars
• Guisval
• Hartoy : Range of 1:64 American trucks
• Herpa : German-produced range of plastic vehicles in 1:87 scale
• Hobby Master
• Hot Wheels
• Husky/Corgi Juniors/Corgi Rockets
• Ixo : Varied range of quality models in 1:43 scale
• Jada Toys
• JLE Scale Models (Joseph L. Ertl)
• Joal : Spanish range of mostly construction vehicles
• Johnny Ligntning
• Jouef
• Kaden - Czech firm, Škoda models
• K-Line
• Kyosho
• Liberty Classics
• Lion Car
• Lledo: Models of Days Gone, Vanguards
• Lego
• Madison - handbuilt 1/43 white metal models (from Conquest)
• Maisto
• Majorette
• Matchbox
• Mercury: Italian Manufacturer
• Minichamps
• Minimarque 43 - handbuilt 1/43 white metal models
• Motor City USA - handbuilt 1/43 white metal models (with sub-brands Design Studio, American Models, USA Models)
• Motorworks
• Motorsports Authentics
• MTH RailKing
• Norev
• NZG: German maker of construction models, trucks, buses in 1:50 scale
• Ozlegends Manufacturer Of Australian Die cast models.
• Penjoy
• Plasticos Argentinos
• Playart
• Precision Engineered Models (PEM) - see Hartoy and Tonkin
• Precision Miniatures: Manufacturers of Quality 1:18 Scale Diecast Model Cars
• Quartzo
• Racing Champions
• RCCA
• Revell
• Red Line
• Rextoys
• Road Champs
• Schabak
• Schuco
• Siku
• Solido
• Spa Croft Models
• Spark Model
• SpecCast
• Spot-On : 1960’s British range in constant 1:42 scale
• Team Caliber
• Tekno
• Tomica: Japanese diecast, about Matchbox size.
• Tonkin : high grade models of American trucks in the unusual 1:53 scale
• Tootsietoys
• Trax : Australian model cars in 1:43 and 1:24
• Trofeu: Made in Portugal, 1/43 scale range specialising in rally cars
• TWH Collectibles: Museum class replicas. 1/50 Scale
• UT Models
• Western - handbuilt 1/43 white metal models (with sub-brand Small Wheels)
• Winner’s Circle
• Winross
• Vitesse: Wide range of 1/43 scale European and Japanese cars.
• Yatming
• Von Dutch

Tiger I is possibly the most widely known tank in the world. It is original the common name of a German heavy tank of World War II. The initial official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H, Ausführung is German for “version”) but the tank was redesignated as Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E in March 1943. The tank also had the ordnance inventory designation SdKfz 181.

The Tiger I was in use from late 1942 until the German surrender in 1945. At a meeting with Hitler on 26th May, 1941, the planning for the development of a new heavy tank begun. During that meeting, Hitler ordered for the creation of heavy Panzers which were to have an increased effectiveness to penetrate enemy tanks; possess heavier armor than was previously achieved; and attain a maximum speed of at least 40km/h. These key decisions led to the development of a new heavy tank, the Tiger 1 tank and ultimately the King Tiger.It was given its “Tiger” nickname by Ferdinand Porsche (the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II was produced). The design served as the basis for other armoured vehicles, the Sturmtiger heavy self-propelled gun and the Bergetiger amoured recovery vehicle. It had armor between 25 mm and 100 mm in thickness.

The Tiger differed from earlier German tanks principally in its design philosophy. Its predecessors balanced mobility, protection, and firepower. They were sometimes outgunned by their opponents.

The Tiger I represented a new approach that emphasised firepower and armour at the expense of mobility. Design studies for a new heavy tank had been started in the late 1930s, without any production planning. The real impetus for the Tiger was provided by the quality of the Soviet T-34. Although the general design and layout were broadly similar to the previous medium tank the Panzer IV, the Tiger weighed more than twice as much. This was due to its substantially thicker armour, the larger main gun, and the consequently greater volume of fuel and ammunition storage, larger engine, and more solidly-built transmission and suspension.

Not surprisingly the Tiger 1 has secured a place in military history not only as the most feared tank of its time but also as a revolutionary design. Many of its best design features can still be seen in modern tanks. With its many variants the Tiger makes a very interesting model in 1/6th scale and the perfect scene in which to set-up your Dragon tank commanders!

Investing in a wardrobe for work is a good investment in yourself and your future.  Remember that casual wear doesn’t always work for the office, and accessories that look smashing for a night on the town may not be appropriate from 9 to 5. You can’t go wrong with neutral colors such as gray, navy, and black. If you start with an outfit that is well tailored and looks put together, then you can add accents and accessories that still let the you shine through.

Here are some ways you can add some personality to your work wardrobe:

Choose shoes, jewelry, watches and belts from such classic materials as leather, silver and gold. You can add some spunk to your suit with what you put on underneath it. Choose a blouse or shell in a contrasting color or a fun print.

Purchase a couple versatile pieces: build a foundation with a tailored, all season suit in a neutral color (black, chocolate brown, slate gray), a pair of black dress pants, a couple of white blouses, a pencil skirt, as well as some other tops, trousers and skirts.

Knee-length, short sleeve dresses are always in style and are the quickest way to get pulled together in the morning. Pair them with a different jacket or sweater and you can sport the same dress once or twice a week with creative accessorizing.

The right bag and shoes can add panache to an outfit that is otherwise less than exciting. Choose colors that pop against the more neutral tones of your base garments.

While it is important your shoes are comfortable you can still pick a shoe that sets itself apart with a special touch such as a buckle, bow, or bright color.

Your fabulous fashion sense will peek through when you top neat hair with a funky flowered or beaded headband.

Making slight changes in your hairstyle freshens up your look. If you usually wear your hair in waves, try straightening it for a day, or vice versa. This can be a noticeable change and prevent you from looking the same everyday.

Minichamps is a die-cast car producer founded as Paul’s Model Art GmbH in 1990 in Germany. The first Minichamps diecast model was created in 1990 (scale 1/43): Audi V8, driver Hans-Joachim Stuck, German Touring Car Champion 1990. The company officially changed its name to Minichamps GmbH in 1996. It produces die-cast models of the following categories: Formula 1, Racing cars, Street Cars, Motorcycles, Trucks & Buses, Military vehicles.

The excellent quality of Minichamps’ die-cast models has been appreciated not only by car manufacturers, many of whom, like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche and BMW, have entrusted Minichamps with the production of official car replicas, but also by model car collectors. In fact some of their 1/43 scale models are amongst the most sought after and most expensive die-cast cars. Maybe the best example is the McLaren F1 GTR West Promotion model made by Minichamps as a promo for the West cigarette company and which trades for well over $1000 on ebay. Another rare item produced by Minichamps was the Michael Schumacher Benetton B195 #17 which was recalled after an error was found: it can fetch over £1000.

A small line of 1:64 models was introduced but later discontinued. The line was  called “Micro Champs” and included a series “Michael Schumacher”, “McLaren”, but were sold separately as well.

RC toys are a popular kind of toys that are funny and educational. RC for kids is a very fast-growing (pardon the pun…) sector of the radio control market. Getting your child a radio control product at an early age is a great way to get the co-ordination and reflexes going - in much the same way as gaming consoles do, but without the damaging strain on the eyes!  They can spark the imagination, help develop manual dexterity, and teach cause and effect.

Often in the market there are toy-grade RC toys and hobby-grade RC toys. They are designed for different age groups’ children. Toy-grade RCs generally cost less, are less complicated and are often designed with kids in mind. Hobby-grade toys are comparatively more expensive and require skill to operate. For kids about 6 years old, it’s best to start with a basic RC toy car or truck. These are the most basic RC toys available. A large majority of hobbyists start off buying RTR models and then move on to purchasing more advanced models. If your kid just can’t get enough of trucks, choose a nitro, monster, mini or and electric model. Smaller RC toys, including micros and minis, fit little hands, are easy-to-store and make good take-along toys for vacations and trips to grandma’s house - as long as the child is mature enough not to put them in their mouths and to keep them away from much younger siblings.

When buying a RC toy, look for RC toys with flashing lights, colorful paint jobs or decals (especially ones the child can apply). Honking horns, ringing bells, or engine sounds are extras that kids enjoy. RC toys with a popular cartoon / TV show theme — like Batman, Barbie, or the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard — or that look like alien craft appeal to some children more than true-to-life models.

Durability is another vital factor of RC toys. Toys with heavy-duty tires and bodies are long-lasting. In general, trucks and cars are more durable than airplanes.

Be aware of the types of conditions that the toy can handle. Some RC cars are built tough to tackle grass, rocks, dirt, snow and other conditions while others are really only meant for racing on flat pavement. Often you can tell what kind of conditions a toy can handle based on the tires it has; the large, knubby ones are best for rougher conditions (off-road cars ) and the small, smooth ones are meant for street use (on-road ).

Tamiya Incorporated (株式会社タミヤ Kabushiki gaisha Tamiya?) is a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits, radio controlled cars, battery- and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and various modeling tools and supplies. The company was founded by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, Japan in 1946.

The metal models were produced from plans which had the concept of being “easy to understand and build, even for beginners.” Even the box art was consistent with this throughout the company. It had the best developing power in Japan. In the same vein as everybody being able to build the models, they made the parts accurate and with a high degree of detail.

The company has gained a reputation among hobbyists of producing models of outstanding quality and accurate scale detail, a philosophy reflected directly on the company’s logo “First in Quality Around the World” as well as winning on a regular basis each year, the prestigious Modell des Jahres (Model of the Year) award, hosted by the German magazine Model Fan.

At first, Tamiya produced metal molds, but had delays and unclear pricing, which led to trouble. Then they scouted metal mold craftsmen and in 1964 started their Metal Molds division. Starting in 1966, they transferred a number of craftsmen to the Mold Manufacturing Factory. They slowly gained the know-how and came to make molds for Tamiya. Today, CAD has also been introduced into the process.

Tamiya was known by their extremely high accuracy of their molds, and that influenced even the condition of the products after they were assembled. In a time when Tamiya manufactured plastic models using mold craftsmen’s skills and earlier plans, other companies’ products’ detail bolts were represented by simple hemispheric protuberances while Tamiya represented bolts more accurately as hexagonal posts. This level of detail and thoroughness with which they produced their models earned them a reputation even overseas.

In 1976, Tamiya entered the RC market with their first RC model, the Porsche 934 Turbo RSR Now, having just passed the 30th Anniversary of the first Tamiya RC model, they are sold in markets both within the country and worldwide. Cultivating skill by all the RC cars they had made until now, they decided to revive the experience in a limited release of models to commemorate their 30 years in the RC business in December 2006. They recently released their flagship model, mustering all their skill into the Porsche Turbo RSR 934 Racing Edition, which had been a part of the developing phase of Tamiya’s RC career.

Individual Wikipedia articles exist for each of the following models: Countach Competition Special, Super Champ, Ford F-150 Ranger, Toyota Hilux 4×4, Chevrolet Blazing Blazer, Hilux 4×4 High-lift, Mountaineer, Ford F-350 High-lift, Can-Am Lola Racing Master Mk.1, Subaru Brat, Lancia Rally, Grasshopper, Mighty Frog, Wild One, Hornet, Hotshot, Desert Gator, Sand Viper, Avante, Avante 2001, Top Force, Dyna Storm, Dark Impact, Keen Hawk, Avante Mk. II, Twin Detonator, Wild Dagger, Double Blaze, Blackfoot Xtreme, Clod Buster, TXT1, Tamtech Series, Terra Crusher, TNX (Tamiya), TNX 5.2R, Nitrage 5.2.