How to Collect Pedal Cars
People collect pedal cars for a variety of reasons. Some want to build a display with a transportation or automobile theme. Others simply love cars and find these miniature versions more affordable than the real thing. For vintage collectors, it's the nostalgia factor. Collecting pedal cars takes you back to your childhood.
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Instructions
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Education
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Write down what type of pedal cars you want to collect. If you are building a collection to display in a restaurant, it might not matter if you have original, vintage cars that carry a high price tag. If you want authentic, non-reproduction pedal cars, you need to keep that in mind because knock-offs are out there.
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Read everything you can find on collecting vintage toys, especially pedal cars. An excellent online source is the Seiverling Car and Pedal Car Museum's website.
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Write down the criteria you will use when you begin to make purchases. Set limits on price, condition, types of cars and your budget. As you gain more education, modify this criteria to suit your overall plan.
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Visit antique toy museums and antique shops with knowledgeable dealers. Hold metal toys in your hands. Examine the paint, the feel of the metal and the way the manufacturer put the parts together. Only by touching them will you develop that "feel" collectors must learn to be able to tell authentic pieces from reproductions.
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Purchase books on the subject, written by experts. Study them. Know price ranges. Keep the books handy in case you run into what you think might be a bargain.
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Keep your money in your pocket. That's right. If you're after a good collection, don't buy the first thing you encounter. Don't allow unscrupulous dealers to take advantage of you being a neophyte collector to unload their overpriced goods and quell your enthusiasm for collecting from the start.
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Go to antique toy auctions, or at least to the previews. Again, this is your chance to examine the real thing and to gain a feel for prices. Refrain from making your first choice too early.
The Hunt
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Go to yard sales and estate sales, where prices are usually much lower. Buy your first pieces at lower prices if at all possible. You can always trade upwards with some of these finds. If you see a bargain on a vintage toy, purchase it to use in trading with toy collectors who often have a pedal car or two.
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Visit old service stations, country stores and old buildings. People often hang their old pedal cars in the rafters. Even if the cars are not for sale, you'll add to your knowledge base and ability to recognize authentic pedal cars.
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Make friends with other collectors. Pedal car collectors love to talk about their collection, especially with interested people. Hang out with them. Go to a pedal car convention or two with them. Ask their advice about your first purchases. Heed it, too. They will have a stake in your growth and think of you when they come upon that bargain-priced, ideal addition to your collection.
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Make your first purchases slowly. Keep your criteria in mind. Do your homework by knowing as much about the model you are buying as you can.
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Peruse eBay listings and other online sites. You will develop an awareness of what cars are available. You might find a treasure to add to your collection. Be wary of reproductions.
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Display your pedal car collection in ways that do not affect its value. Metal rusts. Paint chips and peels. Elements of nature destroy. Children love pedal cars, and children damage cars. Purchase a few cars just for children to play with. Their parents will appreciate your thoughtfulness and perhaps remember you when they run into someone with a pedal car they are looking to sell.
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Add to your knowledge on a continuing basis by visiting auctions, conventions and museums. Share this knowledge with others coming into the hobby.
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Trade with other collectors. Try to trade up whenever you can. By now you will realize your space and monetary investment parameters and buy only those pieces you know you want.
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Tips & Warnings
Pedal cars first belong to children. Whether for baby boomers in the 1950's or for today's child and their modern cars, pedal car manufacturers first designed them for children. Enjoy your cars with your inner child in mind. Don't let envy or greed enter the picture or your hobby will lose some of its shine.
Reproductions abound in this hobby, as do a few dishonest dealers. Don't allow someone to rip you off. Educate yourself.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit toy image by DXfoto.com from Fotolia.com
