If I had a nickel for everytime I have been burned on an Action Diecast car, I would have about 25 cents now! I am sick of being burned on these things and i want to make sure that you don't get burned on them.  I included one point for sellers.

The Guide:

1. If the listing doesn't include a box that the diecast comes in, be leary! Winner's Circle Diecasts and even the lesser Action Diecasts come in boxes with a see through portion. These are not the collectible diecasts, but are the ones you give you kids to play with. I was burned not to long ago with this. The car looks great in the pictures, but then when it was sent, well it wasn't what I expected. Most sellers know to put the box in the listing, so buy from those that have it there.

2. Be especially leary with Pre-Orders! Most pre-orders state that the car is supposed to come out within 30 days, however, more often than not this is by far not the case. Paypal protects you for a certain amount of time, I believe 30 days, so if the item isn't shipped to you within that time frame you may want to ask for your money back.   Make sure that you send friendly reminders so they don't forget about the transaction. This leads me to a further point, only pre-order from reputable sellers, many that are there just to rip you off will do the pre-orders thinking that you will forget (this is from my own experience).  Look at past feedback and see if they have pre-sold in the past.

3. Ask questions! This is true for any auction, but if you want more pictures of the die-cast, ask! Many sellers are willing to email you pictures because they know you are more than likely to bid on it. If the seller never responds, move on! Remember Ebaying is a business and customer service is the main part of keeping a business afloat. If they can't serve the customer before an auction ends, how will they deal with them after the auction is done?

4. Be Patient! This one is for those of you who want a diecast, but don't want to work overtime to get one.  When a diecast first comes out the demand is high and there will be many people bidding on the same diecasts.  I have found that if you can wait for a couple months (your best bet is wait until the next year, but I know it can be hard to wait!) your chances increase of getting a diecast for much less than the "retail price."  There are some diecasts that will only go up in price because they are so rare (such as white gold cars), but if you are going for some of these, you are probably willing to spend.

5. Autograph, real or fake? If you question it at all don't bid. Certificates of authenticity usually prove that an autograph is real, but people make copies of these and put them with the car. Once again the reputable sellers are the ones to stick with (this does not mean that someone may have a legitimate autograph, it is just safer).  Check prior feedback and see if they have sold other autographed diecasts lately. 

6. Bid Safe and Smart!!! Once again this is for any auction, make sure you read the complete description before you bid. If a diecast is going for a lot less than normal, there is usually a reason why and this may be in the auction description. If you have been misled make sure you file with ebay or paypal if the seller won't work with you!

7. For Sellers: Include boxes in the pictures, this further proves that what you have is a genuine Action Diecast Collectible and not some cheap plastic car.  Do not include pictures of the Diecast Indentification Number, someone could register that online. Make sure you list the features of the diecast and the production numbers, this helps buyers to know you are selling what they are looking for. 

I hope this guide helped you out! If you have anything that you would like me to add, please send me your comments!

rawdog_24