I've been collecting racing diecasts for over 11 years and have purchased most of them on Ebay because I can get a much better deal than through any retailer, on most diecasts. When collecting diecasts the condition of the box is just as important as the condition of the diecast itself, so make sure You know the condition of the box before buying. A bad box can bring the value of the diecast down very quickly.

 Certain diecasts, (not very many), can be purchased cheaper through a retailer if and only if they are from a very low production run of a top driver.

 Different brands of diecasts climb in value faster than other brands. Most Action brand diecasts climb in value very slowly, often losing value in the first 4 years. Other brands like Racing Champions and Winner's Circle can climb in value very quickly, especially when they are from a top driver. The quality of these diecasts has risen greatly in the last 10 years to the point of being just as high quality as Action brand diecasts.

 The production run for a diecast can have a dramatic effect on it's value, no matter what brand it is. Usually the smaller the production run the higher the value. In some cases though, as in Action's RCCA program, You'll pay more for the low production run diecasts than they will ever be worth, unless You get a great deal. This is kind of a scam on Action's part as they are almost always the same, or very close to the same, diecast as the regular production runs are. And if You want to purchase them directly from Action expect to pay top dollar as well as be forced to join the RCCA club and pay a fee, (something like $25 per year just to be able to buy RCCA products), as well as very high shipping rates. Watch out when buying these direct from Action, (as well as from anywhere else), as You might receive a damaged box so always get insurance or your item will have lost a lot of value immediately.

 Don't let different brand names scare You away. Winner's Circle is owned by Action and their diecasts are made in the same place and are almost identical.

 Often times smaller companies offer diecasts not even offered by the big Action brand. Racing Champions makes a lot of diecasts that Action doesn't even offer and often in a lot smaller production runs making their value go up very fast, A great example is the gold plated, gold painted, 24K gold plated, platinum plated, and other speciality diecasts only offered by Racing Champions.

 Very often buyers will purchase Action diecasts direct from Action, and hold on to them for 5 years only to find out they are only worth half the price they paid.

 If You're just starting to collect racing diecasts do some heavy research before buying. Check out Beckett's for the true value of a diecast before buying. Check Ebay's going prices and then check the price of getting them direct from Action and often times Ebay's prices are less than half the price of buying direct from Action.

 Watch out for junk sellers, a bad box equals a bad value. Some sellers buy these in bulk because the boxes have been crushed, as have the value of the diecast itself.

 Always remember: The older a diecast the higher the value, as long as the diecast and box are in excellent condition. Huge production runs almost always mean the value of your diecast will take many years to increase in value at all.

 If You go to races take your diecasts with You and try to get the driver to autograph it. An autographed diecast is an excellent keepsake and it will up it's value a lot too. How many autographed Dale Earnhardt diecasts do You have????