Car Collecting

The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting is a one-stop, detailed guide to emerging collector cars from the 1970s to today for both new and experienced collectors.

In the 1960s, model kit building was a huge hobby. Kids built plastic kits of planes, tanks, race cars, space ships, creatures from scary movies, you name it. Before baseball card collecting, Pokémon, and video games, model kit building was one of the most popular hobby activities. Car and airplane kits were the most popular, and among the car kits, muscle cars, as we know them today, were one of the most popular categories. Many owners of real muscle cars today were not old enough to buy them when the cars were new, of course. Yet kids of the 1960s and 1970s worshiped these cars to an extent completely foreign to kids today. If you couldn’t afford or were too young to buy a muscle car back then, what could you do? For many, the next best thing was to buy, collect, and build muscle car kits from a variety of kit companies. Hundreds were made. Many of these kits have become collectible today, especially in original, unassembled form. Although people still build kits today, there is a broad market for collectors of nostalgic model kits. People love the kits for the great box art, to rekindle fond memories of building them 40 years ago, or even as a companion to the full-scale cars they own today. Here, world-leading authority Tim Boyd takes you through the entire era of muscle car kits, covering the options, collectability, variety availability, and value of these wonderful kits today. Boyd also takes you through the differences between the original kits, the older reproduction kits, and the new reproduction kits that many people find at swap meets today. If you are looking to build a collection of muscle car kits, interested in getting the kits of your favorite manufacturer or even just of the cars you have owned, this book will be a valuable resource in your model kit search.

Collects true stories about eccentric car collectors, including a take of an English nobleman who buries his horde of Ferraris in an insurance scam and a woman who loved her car so much she wished to be buried in it.

In today’s market, Businessweek recently remarked, “it’s hard to get hurt buying a good collector car. If you do your homework, buy the right car, and enjoy it sensibly, you'll maximize the return on your investment.” This book is aimed at making just such a rewarding purchase possible. For anyone considering buying a collector car, whether for profit or pleasure, veteran appraiser and restorer Steve Linden clearly outlines the pitfalls to avoid, rules to follow, factors to consider, and terms and procedures to know. His book provides an introduction to the process of buying a collector car, with sections looking at the special issues that arise before, during, and after a purchase, as well as a chapter devoted to general questions. Choosing and locating the right model, budgeting, purchasing at auctions (on-line, local, and out-of-state), insuring, restoring, and maintaining; Linden addresses all of these topics in an expert and accessible way. His book also contains helpful checklists--covering questions for sellers, documentation, and inspections--as well as a glossary and a complete appendix of resources. The result is a unique and invaluable reference, one that no prospective collector should be without. See Motorbooks author Steve Linden interviewed by Jay Leno on JayLenosGarage.com: http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/steve-lindens-car-collecting/816381/

Covers slot racing cars and tracks, how to duplicate real race tracks in scale, troubleshooting and performing maintenance on slot cars, racing terms, and how to organize a race event.

Learn how to maximize your profits and savings when buying and selling collector cars! The dealership model is an American institution, and auction houses can trace their roots back to the days of dusty cattle sales. Both have remained unchanged. Since the early 2000s, the internet has shaken up these legacy methods of finding, buying, and selling vintage cars, as a global online marketplace that is open to anyone. CarTech, in conjunction with Patrick Krook of REV! Muscle Cars, introduces a proven process drawn from 20 years of experience building some of the world’s most significant classic car collections. Whether you are a first-time buyer or an established collector, this book shows you how to locate and buy your dream collector car stress free. Get the car you are expecting every time, creating positive cash flow and keeping the hobby fun for years to come. Inside this book is an easy-to-follow, heavily illustrated step-by-step method to find, evaluate, negotiate, close, fund, and take delivery of a collector car safely over the internet without leaving your living room. It also includes how to avoid costly purchase mistakes, such as overpaying, fakes, or buying someone else’s headache. Better yet, it delves into details about how to always sell out of advantage, minimizing the overall amount you invest as you build your collection over time. Lastly, it provides all the tools you need for buying and selling when you have that person-to-person driveway transaction. Why spend tens of thousands of dollars on dealership retail markup, auction fees, and failed purchases when you can obtain your dream car, keep more money in your pocket, and spend more quality time enjoying the hobby? How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars takes you from being a novice to a seasoned buyer/seller while you enjoy the adventure of car collecting.

Personal stories of collecting and restoring classic cars - Packard, Lamberghini, GTO, Studebaker, Cadillac, Thunderbird, Mercedes-Benz, and more. Includes 32 full color photos of restored classic cars. "... a 'must read' for those of us who truly love the automobile." -- Jay Leno. From the Introduction: This book is not about Zen. Nevertheless, Zen pervades its pages. Anecdotally, it's about the hunt for and occasional capture of unique motorcars by one man over a period of six decades. This book details a lifetime of searching, finding, buying, transporting, restoring, enjoying, and eventually selling the products of a hobby gone wild. Reading these true stories of one man's lifelong car-collecting avocation, you'll find the journey seldom follows the anticipated path. As with life itself, there are sudden turns, frequent stops, and frustrating conditions, events, and outcomes. It's probably better to recognize these through others' experiences, rather than stumbling into the pitfalls and darker elements of car collecting on your own and without preparation. As I did. After you've read the car stories, and had an opportunity to observe mistakes made, and the adverse results that often follow, the book's concluding chapter will offer lessons learned across a -car-collecting lifetime. Take heed. These lessons could help prevent similar mistakes in your own collecting pursuits. Who knows, they might even save you from yourself.Looking back, I wish I'd found something similar sixty years ago to better prepare for the hobby's rigors. Many wasted hours and dollars might have been saved. Above all, these stories should illustrate the difference between learning as you go - flying by the seat of your pants - or gaining information and knowledge before stepping into the rewarding, but also daunting, hobby of collecting old cars. Take the lesson. -- Bruce Valley

Poster Art of Cars collects more than a hundred posters and graphics from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering. The images inside have been selected for their significance as a key marketing tool or their rarity as something that has seen limited-to-no prior public limelight. Each are gorgeous pieces in their own right, carefully crafted by talented artists, designers, and story creators who endeavored to deepen the themes and subtleties of all three Cars films or the Cars Land attractions at the Disneyland Resort. The book includes three interior gatefolds and two double-sided, punch-out sheets featuring original posters created specifically for this deluxe collector's volume.

Car values fluctuate wildly, never more so than in our current economic environment. Pricing information is a must for collectors, restorers, buyers, sellers, insurance agents and a myriad of others who rely on reliable authoritative data. With well over 300,000 listings for domestic cars and light trucks, and various import vehicles manufactured between 1901 and 2012, this is the most thorough price guide on the market. This invaluable reference is for the serious car collector as well as anyone who wants to know the value of a collector car they are looking to buy or sell. Prices in this must-have reference reflect the latest values, in up to six grades of condition, from the esteemed Old Cars Price Guide database. New information for the most recent model year will also be added to our new Old Car Report database.