Whether you are a seasoned collector with thousands of cars or just starting your journey with a few favorites on your desk, knowing what you have, and where you found it, is half the fun. Today, we’re looking at some iconic castings and the best way to catalog them for the long haul.

The Latest Haul: From Minis to Mazdas

Every collector knows that some of the best finds happen when you aren’t even "officially" hunting. A quick trip to the store can turn up gems if you know which pegs to check. Here are the three latest additions to the Daily Driver Diecast family:

1. Austin Mini Cooper S (Red)

This classic Austin Mini Cooper S in a vibrant red was a must-grab at Walmart. While many collectors hunt for their own displays, this one was a special pick-up for a fellow fan, my wife. She’s a huge Mini enthusiast, and this casting is destined for a permanent spot on her desk. It’s a great reminder that diecast collecting is often a shared passion.

2. '89 Mazda Savannah RX7 FC3S (Orange)

Found at a Dollar Tree, this orange Mazda Savannah is a personal favorite for two reasons. First, the bright orange paint job is a perfect match for the Daily Driver Diecast brand colors. Second, being born in 1989 makes this specific model feel like a "birth year" car that had to join the collection. This one is staying right here on the home office desk as a mascot for the channel.

3. La Libre (Black) - The Legends Tour Winner

The most exciting find of the day came from a last-minute stop at Dollar General. The La Libre is a legendary casting, and while the white version is common, finding it in black was a thrill. Interestingly, the actual vehicle that won the Hot Wheels Legends Tour was black. It raises a great question for diecast historians: Why did Hot Wheels lead with a white version before releasing the color-accurate black model? We’ll be digging into that mystery in a future update.

How to Organize Your Collection with Die Carz

Once you bring your cars home, the next step is logging them. While the official HW Showcase app is a popular choice, there is a rising alternative that offers more flexibility for power users: Die Carz (diecarz.com).

Tracking a collection digitally is essential for avoiding duplicates and monitoring the value and condition of your hobby. Here is how to get started with a professional-grade digital garage.

Why Choose Die Carz Over the Official App?

While the official Hot Wheels app is a great mobile resource, it has one major drawback: it is restricted to smartphones. For collectors who prefer working on a Windows PC or a laptop with a full keyboard and a large monitor, a web-based solution is much more efficient. Die Carz works seamlessly across both mobile and desktop browsers, allowing you to manage your garage wherever you are.

Step-by-Step: Adding Cars to Your Digital Garage

Logging your cars shouldn't be a chore. Using the Die Carz interface, the process is streamlined and detailed. Here is the workflow for adding new finds:

• Search the Database: Use the extensive search tool to find your specific casting. You can filter by series (like "Then and Now") or by the collector number (e.g., 71/250).

• Set the Condition: Die Carz allows you to differentiate between the car and the packaging. You can mark the car as "Mint" while noting if the card has slight damage (e.g., "Near Mint" or "Very Good").

• Track Your Spend: To keep an accurate financial record, log the purchase date and the price. A pro-tip for serious tracking: record the base price before tax and shipping to see the true "market" cost of your acquisition.

• Choose Your View: You can toggle between a Grid View (to see large photos of your cars) or a Table View (to see data like purchase price and condition at a glance).

The Future of Collection Notes

One feature many collectors crave is the ability to add personal notes, like which specific store a car was found in or the story behind the purchase. While this isn't in the main build yet, Die Carz uses a platform called Canny.io for feature requests. The "Notes" feature is currently in the planned phase, proving that the developers are listening to the community. You can even go to the settings menu in the app to vote on the features you want to see next!

Expanding Beyond Hot Wheels

Another significant advantage of using a platform like Die Carz is that it isn't limited to a single brand. If you find yourself branching out into Matchbox, Pop Race, or Mini GT, you can keep everything in one unified dashboard.

While the database for boutique brands like Pop Race is still growing, the ability to track a multi-brand collection in one place is a game-changer. As the diecast hobby evolves and more brands enter the 1:64 space, having a versatile tracking tool becomes even more vital.

Key Takeaways for Collectors

• Diversify Your Hunting Grounds: Don't just stick to big-box retailers. Dollar Tree and Dollar General often have different stock rotations that can yield surprising finds like the La Libre or Mazda RX7.

• Record the Details: Use a digital garage to track the condition of both the car and the card. This is crucial if you ever decide to trade or sell parts of your collection.

• Use Desktop Tools: If you have a large collection, logging cars on a desktop browser via Die Carz is significantly faster than tapping away on a small smartphone screen.

• Engage with the Community: Follow other collectors (you can find us under DD Diecast) to see what others are finding and stay motivated.

Conclusion

Diecast collecting is about more than just buying toys; it’s about the stories, the history of the cars, and the community we build around them. Whether you're hunting for a gift for a loved one or looking for that one specific model that matches your brand's aesthetic, every car has a place.

By using tools like Die Carz, you turn a pile of boxes into a curated, organized gallery that you can be proud of. Thanks for joining us for this pilot episode of Daily Driver Diecast. We have plenty more hunts, reviews, and deep dives into diecast history coming your way soon!

Happy hunting, and we’ll see you in the next one!

Scarlet & Violet—151

Team up with the original first partner Pokémon—Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle—as a new day dawns in Kanto. This new day ushers in opportunities to reunite with old friends, make new partners, and capture every last one of the original 151. Discover the extraordinary Venusaur ex, Charizard ex, and Blastoise ex in special cards with captivating illustrations, and explore the cities and countryside of a reinvigorated land—you might even find the elusive Mew ex in your travels. New adventures will unfold and new horizons will be revealed in the Scarlet & Violet—151 expansion!

• Over 160 cards

• 12 new Pokémon ex

• All 151 Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region—in Pokédex order

• More than 10 Trainer cards

• Illustrations featuring a single artist capturing an entire Evolution chain

Source: Scarlet & Violet—151 | Trading Card Game | Pokemon.com

Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift

Dive into the clouds and explore a land that appears to be unbound by time! With ferocious attacks, Ancient Pokémon like Roaring Moon ex and Sandy Shocks ex appear alongside artificial Future Pokémon like Iron Valiant ex and Iron Hands ex. Meanwhile, Garchomp ex, Mewtwo ex, and others Terastallize to gain new types, as Armarouge ex, Gholdengo ex, and more Pokémon ex join the fray. Adventure awaits as timelines collide in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift expansion!

• Over 180 cards

• New Ancient and Future Pokémon

• Type-shifted Tera Pokémon ex with a crystalline appearance, including a Water-type Garchomp ex

• More than 15 brand-new Pokémon ex

• More than 20 Trainer cards

• Dozens of Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations

Source: Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift | Trading Card Game | Pokemon.com

Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates

The spotlight glistens on Shiny Pokémon making their fated return to the Pokémon TCG! Shiny Pikachu blazes the path forward as Tinkaton, Ceruledge, Dondozo, and more than 100 other Shiny Pokémon follow. Meanwhile, Great Tusk and Iron Treads appear as Ancient and Future Pokémon ex, and Charizard, Forretress, and Espathra show off their own unique skills as Shiny Tera Pokémon ex. Shed some light and discover sparkling wonders in the Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates expansion!

• More than 240 cards

• More than 100 Shiny Pokémon

• Brand-new Pokémon ex

• A handful of full-art Supporter cards

• 6 hyper rare cards

Source: Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates | Trading Card Game | Pokemon.com

Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces

The ranks of Ancient and Future Pokémon continue to grow! Walking Wake ex breaks free of the past alongside Raging Bolt ex, while Iron Leaves ex delivers high-tech justice with Iron Crown ex. Outside Area Zero, Wugtrio and Farigiraf shift types as Tera Pokémon ex, and Pokémon Trainers everywhere prepare for the return of ACE SPEC cards with uniquely powerful effects. A rupture in time brings wild beasts and cyber visions to battle in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces expansion!

• Over 160 cards

• ACE SPEC cards return: 6 Trainer cards and 1 Special Energy

• More new Ancient and Future Pokémon

• More than a dozen brand-new Pokémon ex, including type-shifted Tera Pokémon ex

• Dozens of Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations

Source: Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces | Trading Card Game | Pokemon.com

Scarlet & Violet—Twilight Masquerade

Welcome to the land of Kitakami, where people and Pokémon live harmoniously with nature. Uncover the mystery of the masked Legendary Pokémon Ogerpon, appearing as four fearsome types of Tera Pokémon ex, and team up with more newly discovered Pokémon, like Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex and Sinistcha ex. Growing in power, Greninja, Dragapult, and Magcargo dazzle as Tera Pokémon ex. Last but certainly not least, more ACE SPEC cards round out the festivities in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Twilight Masquerade expansion!

• Over 160 cards

• More than a dozen new Pokémon ex

• More than 30 Trainer cards

• Dozens of Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations

Source: Scarlet & Violet—Twilight Masquerade | Trading Card Game | Pokemon.com

Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable

Rumors swirl and memories deceive as the march of time beats on in the land of Kitakami! Prepare for nightfall and discover a malevolent presence as Pecharunt ex commands the Loyal Three—Okidogi ex, Munkidori ex, and Fezandipiti ex—to do its nefarious bidding. Meanwhile, Revavroom ex plugs into the grid to Terastallize into a Lightning type, and Kingdra ex makes a royal splash in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable expansion!

• Over 95 cards

• Pecharunt makes its Pokémon TCG debut

• The Loyal Three appear for the first time as Pokémon ex

• More than 30 Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations

Source: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable | Trading Card Game | Pokemon.com

Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown

Descend into a world below the surface and discover the true potential of the Terastal phenomenon! The Legendary Pokémon Terapagos takes the throne, joined by Cinderace ex, Lapras ex, and Galvantula ex, all wielding brilliant new powers as Stellar Tera Pokémon ex. The newly discovered Hydrapple ex leads even more Pokémon ex into battle, and ACE SPEC cards continue to shake up the game in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown expansion!

• Over 170 cards

• More than a dozen new Pokémon ex

• More new ACE SPEC cards

• More than 20 Trainer cards

• More than 30 Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations

Source: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown | Trading Card Game | Pokemon.com

Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks

Terawatts of electricity crash down from the sky in a tropical paradise, setting the stage for the supercharged Pikachu ex! With the power of a Stellar Tera Pokémon ex, it lights up the shoreline, revealing a parade of dragon Pokémon led by the towering Alolan Exeggutor ex! Archaludon ex and Latias ex round out the horde, while new ACE SPEC cards and more new Pokémon ex bring surprises of their own. Currents crackle and dragons roar in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks expansion!

• Over 250 cards

• New Tera Pokémon ex

• ACE SPEC cards

• Electrifying Lightning-type Pokémon

Source: Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks | Trading Card Game | Pokemon.com

October 19-20, 2024

Registration closes

October 19, 2024
06:30 CEST (Europe/Paris)

List submission closes

October 19, 2024
07:30 CEST (Europe/Paris)

Tournament start

October 19, 2024
08:30 CEST (Europe/Paris)

Junior division:  October 19, 2024
09:00 CEST (Europe/Paris)

Senior division:  October 19, 2024
09:00 CEST (Europe/Paris)

Price

Junior division:  €40.00
Senior division:  €40.00
Masters division:  €60.00

Refund policy

All registrations are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Non-transferable

Registrations are valid for the named player only, and are not transferable between players and/or tournaments.

Venue

Lille Grand Palais
Hall Bruxelles & Hall Londres
1 Bd des Cités Unies
Lille, France 59777
https://www.lillegrandpalais.com

Event organizer

Fanfinity
For more information: https://www.fanfinity.gg/event/pokemon-regional-championships-lille-2
For event-related questions: https://support.pokemon.com/hc/en-us/categories/360000090033-Play-Pokemon