Hey beautiful people from around the world reading this. We’re sorry, it’s been soooo many drinks between our first blog post and this one. We don’t have a valid reason besides the fact that we’ve been busy… busy creating, busy refining, and busy dreaming – dreaming up all the magical realms of possibility that our system can bring to the 1:18 model car universe and community

We’re Dreamers Too

Speaking of dreamers, we found one in our CDS community. He’s cheeky, quirky and fully immersed in all things 1:18 model cars. And, he was the first person to embrace us and the concept behind the Concourse Display System. He became a cog in the engine of our community. This was important to us. The 1:18 model car universe is what us three co-founders are all about. So we asked Ben, from Malaysia five simple questions. Here are his answers.

Q & A with Ben

Ben, tell us how you got into collecting 1:18 model cars.

“About 20 years ago I got a diecast Mini Cooper S from my brother as a birthday present. The next one was also a birthday gift from mates: an Alfa Romeo Spider. Over the next few years I received a couple of Ferraris and a Pagani Zonda too (I have generous friends).

“My interest spawned at the time, which led me to buying some myself… mostly Ferraris, with a mix of Lambos and Porsches.

Collecting for Ben then slowed when he realised as his collection grew, his display space “kind of ran out.” But two years later, Ben says his desire for collecting 1:18 model cars was “reignited” through his friend who customises diecast cars.

“I had two Gallardos in two different colours. I thought: ‘Hey, why not make it more kick-ass?’ Also, having a sea of red Ferraris would awesome in real but in scale model form sitting lifeless on a shelf it can look mundane and boring. So I renovated the display cabinet with more shelves added and the mirror on the base added with customised lighting and secured glass doors.”

Ben, what’s a car you really want but haven’t obtained?

“Can’t put a finger on just one. They’re not cheap: the Kyosho Rolls Royce with LED lights (any model, I don’t mind); various Amalgam models – all with LED lighting and with open parts (none of that sealed body nonsense); CMC; Bauer or Exoto. I guess any of their exotic masterpieces comprising of thousands of parts each would do.

“I would just be happy and fascinated in owning them and being able to marvel at all the little details.

“It’s something I look forward to and it’s a fascinating hobby, that for now, I derive pleasure from. There is something I don’t particularly fancy but it’s something inevitable: depleting display space.”

Ben, describe the feeling of unboxing a model car.

“I suppose excited would be an understatement… ecstatic would be more appropriate. In fact, the butterfly in the stomach feeling starts when I receive a package containing a model and it keeps building up before reaching a crescendo upon the model being freed from its box where I am able to pour over it, of course there have been some killjoy moments and anti-climaxes as well, when I discover a defect or two and when I hear a rattling sound while the model is still in the box and there is visual confirmation of loose parts.”

Ben, how do you display your car collection?

“Most of the models are removed from their bases and displayed on glass shelves in a lockable wood/glass display cabinet with self-installed controllable LED lighting. Some are in individual display cases with LED lighting and are also housed in standalone wooden/glass cabinet. Also, some older and less expensive models had to make way for newer ones and these are currently placed partly hidden on glass shelves behind some audio video equipment, and… collecting dust.”

What can we say, Ben. We get it. The struggle is real. But don’t stop dreaming about that perfect car, or that perfect display space. We certainly haven’t… #Seriously!