Model Trucks

Model truck collecting is a popular hobby for millions of Americans. As children, today's collectors spent countless hours assembling model car and truck hits, and this old childhood pastime has become a passion for many adults. Even those who didn't assemble models as children may be looking to break into the hobby, and there are lots of guides on the market advising the best ways to break into the market.

Some of today's most popular collectibles come in two scales: 1:18 and 1:43. Prices are usually linked to the finishing details on the car and the number of working parts. Many manufacturers create limited runs of certain types of cars, which later are sold as limited editions. Other companies create serialized limited editions. Slot cars for racing model cars are available in a variety of scales, depending on how the user will use them.

Tracks vary depending on the scale, though large competition tracks for 1:24 scale cars are too large for most homes. Slot car scales come in sizes for large competitions and for home racing. The most popular size for homes is the 1:32 track because the tracks only take up about eight feet of space.

If your child is the collector in the family, a good starting scale is 1:43, which is similar in size to most toy trains. Cars in this size are about four inches long. Children's tracks usually run on plastic slot-together track sections.