In a couple of previous posts I’ve gone into some detail about 1:64 and HO car storage, since I use the same methods for my slotties as I do for my diecasts. This has always worked out very well, but as I expounded upon in this post, the problem I’m running into is that acquiring the types of 48-car cases I prefer is becoming an expensive prospect; these cases are very pricy to buy these days since they are now out of production, and the postage of having them shipped is also very high, and getting higher all the time. I don’t want to buy really crummy, filthy, battered cases for my cars, and its getting to the point where finding a decent one of the vinyl covered cardboard 48-car cases with the plastic “egg crate” inserts at one of the usual online sites, paying the tax and the shipping, is costing-in many cases-nearly $100 per case.
As you know from some of my other recent posts, I’ve gone a little nuts lately on buying Hot Wheels and other die-casts, because I’ve got just about all the T-Jets I’m probably going to buy, and the constant flood of new releases from Mattel, combined with my friend Jason’s new-found interest in the hobby, and his proximity to the famous Colorado Diecast, is causing a little avalanche of Zamac in my house!
As you can see, this is getting so out of control because I haven’t opened probably 90% of the models I’ve bought since late last year, and the reason for that is simple: I have no place to store them! I’m buying cars faster than I can buy car cases, and at the price they are getting these days, its not really feasible to buy another stack of 3 or 4 or more of those classic 48’s.
A while ago, Jason found something on a Reddit thread that piqued his interest and he looked into it and then shared it with me, and since I’m blogging “remotely” today from his lovely top-floor apartment in Parker barely half a mile away from Colorado Diecast, I thought I’d reveal this to you, dear readers: a nifty new affordable solution to this 1:64 “housing crisis!”
Hobby Lobby is selling these 2-sided plastic cases made for little sewing or craft knicknacks. I have never really liked these types of “flipper” storage cases because inevitably half your collection is always upside-down, and I worry sometimes that the act of flipping them might cause some damage to the cars. But, these are made of durable material and are divided into exactly 48 compartments that are the perfect size for Hot Wheels, Matchboxes, and all your favorite 1:64 brands. While I would not keep my Thunderjets in these, and probably wouldn’t use them to store my most valuable “mint condition” classic die-casts either, they seem just about perfect for newer, less valuble but still cool “mainline” releases. They stack neatly, transport well, the lids stay closed until you want to open them, and here’s the best part: ONLY $10 EACH! Beat that, Amazon!
And as if all that weren’t enough, here’s an added bonus: they are even made here in the good ol’ US of A…which means even the impending tariffs shouldn’t affect the price!
Best of all, there seems to be a good supply; they are readily available, and often when I hit an HL store I find at least one of these in stock and sometimes more! So while I admit they are not ideal for your best cars, I’m in a position where I need a lot of storage now, and these seem to fit that need perfectly! After driving around town hitting a couple of Hobby Lobby locations (they’re everywhere out here), I’ve got enough storage space now to start opening some of these blister packs that are stacking up 4-deep on my dining room sideboard and threatening to bury me alive! What fun! Nothing makes a cold wintry day better than opening some new toys!
So then, now it’s time to fire up The Cylon and head over to Colorado Diecast, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from where I am right now! What happens there will, no doubt, be the subject of an upcoming post, so as always, stay tuned!
This is a clever find and option for your storage problems. At least it looks like this will do the trick for part of the collection and still easy access and I like that you kinda see what is inside instead of playing the which bin did I put something in game like I do.