What's in your garage...Diecast vehicles collection?

I've always been fascinated with toy cars and trucks. It probably started with Tonka trucks and evolved to plastic model cars before my 10th birthday. As an adult, my toy car obsession was reignited when I bought a few diecast vehicles from Hemmings and Eastwood. When I first put my hands on a GMP diecast GTO I could not believe the quality and detail put into that small vehicle. And I don't exactly know how it started, but I became interested in the trucks produced by First Gear. So now my growing diecast collection has a selection of GMP cars, First Gear tow trucks, and an assortment of vehicles from Hemmings, Eastwood, Mac and Snap On tools, AUTOart, and Hot Wheels. I'm in the process of evaluating display products for this growing collection. Got a diecast collection? Tell me what's in your collection and how you display them.

Garage Clutter...who's got it...everyone!

Your neighbor has it, you have it, and I have it. Even the neat freak and organizational fanatic has it. Garage clutter is in every garage. Some have it all the time and some have it occassionally. Nothing will help more with garage clutter, even if it's just to hide it, than cabinets. Base cabinets, wall cabinets, and wardrobe cabinets are available from a number of manufacturers. You can get steel, aluminum, or wood-based cabinets in an array of finishes and colors. Want a powder coated steel cabinet? You can get it. Or maybe a bare aluminum finish? It's pricey so open up your checkbook and get your pen. Alright, you prefer wood and you want it to look like metal so you get black melamine cabinets with a silver color powder coated MDF door. The availability of materials and finishes can satisy any taste and budget. So forget the recycled kitchen cabinets. They won't look as good and they aren't strong enough to hold tools and car parts. Besides, do you want your garage to look like a kitchen? Are you baking cupcakes or doing brake jobs?

When you plan to hide, I mean organize, the clutter are you adding a workbench? You can certainly build one yourself, but if you can't, check out the Gen

eva Garage Gear workbench. Butcher block top and steel legs tell you this workbench is built for work. It's stable thanks to bracing and adjustable feet. Add a couple of their roll-a-round base cabinets and youre ready to work on your latest home or car project.

Garage Mahal, Man Cave, or Dream Garage

Do you want a dream garage? Thought so. Well, it's not out of reach. If you have a one-car or a six-car garage, your dream garage is possible. If you don't have a big budget, get creative. Stickers and decals, brand and model emblems, and license plates and hubcaps all make good decorations in the garage. Flooring options include epoxy paint from the local big box store to professionally applied polyaspartics. There is something for every budget. I'm sure you can look around and find items of interest all around you.

Die-cast collections

Are you a die-cast car collector? Most of us have a few replicas of our favorite race cars or dream cars. Some of us have hundreds. Whatever your interests are there is likely a replica being produced by someone. There are several manufacturers who rate very high with collectors including AutoART and GMP. Both of these companies have race cars, sports cars, muscle cars, and classic cars. Looking for a classic BMW, AutoART probably has it. Looking for a vintage '32 Ford Hot Rod, GMP probably has it. If your interests lean toward commercial vehicles, then you probably are aware of First Gear die-casts. Do you want to add a classic tow truck or stake bed truck to your collection? Check out First Gear. But don't think you're limited to replica vehicles. There are die-cast clocks, motors, and all the accessories to create your own diorama garage or drag race. If you've limited yourself to Hot Wheels, you should check out some of these companies. The quality will blow you away!

The first step to creating your dream garage is creating an organization plan. We all have stuff we don't use, don't need, or don't know we have. After you inventory the contents of your garage you have to decide what you don't need. Letting go of the things you REALLY don't need can be difficult. I know I can justify keeping everything in my garage the first time I look at it. So I suggest having three piles for your stuff. The stuff you will keep, the stuff you might keep, and the stuff you are sure you'll eliminate. You might actually make some money during this phase. Craigslist, eBay, yard sales, and any other way to sell your stuff could help pay for your new floor or cabinets. Once you know what you'll keep you can start woking on where you will keep it. Cabinets, shelving, open storage, and even hanging from the ceiling are a few options for storage. Every garage is different. Your garage will suit your lifestyle and your interests. Tell me how you would handle this phase.