Diecast dilemma – Hot Wheels, Tomica or Matchbox?
Shahzad plays with toys and pretends it’s a serious review of pocket model cars
By Shahzad Sheikh
A few days ago, I found a set of Tomica diecast model cars for sale in Toys Ur Us in Sahara Centre in Sharjah. I bought a Mercedes SLS. Outside on the escalator I ripped open the plastic wrapping with some excitement, whilst my 10-year old daughter Leena, studied me.
They she suddenly exclaimed, and rather too loudly: ‘Baba! You’re like so old and you’re just behaving like a baby with new toys!’ Several young women who happened to be on the escalator at the same time, all turned to look at me. Some were smirking. I quietly put the Tomica back in the bag. Thanks Leena.
Nonetheless, I’ve been undeterred by this experience and have continued to buy these popular 1:61 / 1:64 scale diecast cars. They are inexpensive and remind me of when I was a kid and had a load of these – still do in fact, somewhere.
However these days I usually end up getting the prevalent Hot Wheels cars, but my favourites when I was younger were Matchbox models, particularly because they were durable, some had opening doors and most had actual suspension.
I recently found some Matchbox models for sale in Hamleys in Mirdif City Centre. I bought a Caterham 7 R500 and a Subaru WRX and in this video compare them to my recent Hotwheels purchases (an old Dodge Charger and a Dodge Challenger) as well as the Tomica SLS – the only one currently that still does both opening doors and springy suspension.
Plus of course a couple of my old Matchbox models – a Ferrari 308 GTB and a Lotus Elise.
Hope you enjoy this little video and the pictures below. Which would you have, Hot Wheels, Tomica or Matchbox?
Let us know what you thought in the Comments section.
Do you know where in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, I can get a large selection of hot wheels and matchbox cars? I am not a collector but would love to start collecting some 1/64 cars.
Thank you,
George
[Shahzad] I use the Borders in Mirdif City Centre in Dubai, has a pretty large offering of Hotwheels – whilst in there, also pop down to Hamleys too! Not much Matchbox availability here though. And do please let us know if you find any good outlets!