I’m Arek “Artie” Lepkowski, and I am a photographer and die-cast car models collector.
I am sure that you had heard someone before saying,” I was into photography since I can remember.” But in my case, I can say that the world of art has always been a significant part of my life. In the beginning, I was passionate about pencil drawing, later I have taken a quick plunge into the music. Eventually, the only thing that allowed me to find my inner voice and unleash creativity was photography. If you’re would like to see my photography click here .
Love What You Do. Do What You Love
Why do I even mention art? Shouldn’t this website should be about classic car miniature models? The answer is simple: DiecastModelFever.com is a place where I combine two of my great passions: the passion for classic miniature cars and Photography. Unfortunately, I can’t yet afford to collect real automotive relics of a bygone era, which is why I collect die-cast models. It is way cheaper, more comfortable, and I don’t have to rent plane hangars to protect them from the rain. Oh, and waxing is not necessary.
I mainly collect model car replicas from 1937-90. Of course, my collection includes several miniatures of newer cars. However, I think of cars produced today only as an easy and quick tool to allow you to move from point A to point B. Yes, their design can be beautiful, and the speed they can drive can be breathtaking, but my heart goes towards classic cars anyway.
At the moment, I have over 1000 models in my collection. Around 90% of my collection are models in the 1:43 scale. Sometimes I make an exception and look kindly towards 1:24 and 1:35. Recently, it happens that I make more and more of these exceptions and I guess I won’t stop anytime soon 🙂
Is this real life or just a fantasy?
When you are browsing subpages of DiecastModelFever.com, do not be misled by the way models appear on my pictures – I mean these pictures with a black background and perfectly lit die-cast models on them. To create the images that you can see on the website, I use advanced photographic techniques, widely used in automotive Photography. As I mentioned earlier, I combine the love for Photography with a passion for collecting die-cast models. I aim to shoot the best images I can hence some elements of the models in the pictures come from real cars. I mean details such as lamps and grills. The main photos on the website are supposed to reflect the principle
closer to the ideal the better.
I am mentioning this, so please don’t be surprised or disappointed if the same model you see on your seller’s site looks completely different from the images on my website. 🙂
How do I rate die-cast car models?
While I assess models, I take into account five factors that affect their final assessment. Here they are:
- Quality of construction
- Details
- Paint quality
- Cleanliness
- Subjective boost
The most crucial factor that I take into account when assessing car models is the degree to which they reflect the real car.
Let’s keep in mind that it is the details that distinguish the model from ordinary toys. I pay great attention to the build quality of the die-cast. I distinguish two types of variety here: the quality of the model’s construction and the quality of the paint.
When I asses paint quality, I take into consideration how accurately the colour covers the die-cast model. The number of blisters on the varnish, and the flaws or inaccurate positioning of the varnish significantly affect the quality. The paint shouldn’t overlap the edges of the model; it should not be too thick or too thin, and so on.
The fourth aspect I pay attention to when I review the die-cast model is how clean the model is when I take it out of the box. Unfortunately, it happens from time to time that the model has numerous fingerprints, especially on plastic windows and also which is much worse on varnish. The presence of dirt will decrease the final score.
The fifth element of my assessment is whether or not I can see that “something” in the model. Most of the models in my collection are the ones that I bought after many months of searching. These die-cast models come from an absolute top of my list “to buy.”
There is also a lot of models that I have received as a present, and also you can find quite a few models in my collection that I bought as a supplement. Yes, sometimes I even buy stuff only for photography.
Anyways, “Subjective boost” is, without a doubt, the most personal component of the overall assessment. The main criteria I take into account is the sentimental value of a real-life car.