Q&A: Die-cast

Die-cast replicas have proven to be the signature collectibles of the NASCAR memorabilia craze. From the serious collector to the casual race fan, everybody loves die-cast. So, we weren't surprised that most of our questions deal with these miniature reproductions.

We posed this week's round of inquiries to David Wilson of Des Moines, Iowa. David has been collecting all types of die-cast since the mid-1960s. He is a former die-cast dealer who is now content to enjoy his hobby as "just a collector." You can bet he has a firm finger on the pulse of the market. Here are David's observations about some of your favorite collectibles.

Q: I have a question on a rare Snap-On collectible that I have. It is a 1:18 scale porcelain car that sits one a pure marble stand of the car Dale Earnhardt drove. There where only 1333 cars made and I have number 758. Could you please tell me how much it is worth? -- Jody and Ruth Ann

EMAIL  Got a collectible question? Email us!  Please remember to be specific when describing a collectible -- manufacturer, year, etc. Limit your questions to two and check our archives before submitting an inquiry.

A: This car was produced by Integrity Collectibles. I've seen people trying to sell these cars for $750-1000, but I don't think they had any takers. I think this car is more likely worth somewhere in the $400-450 range in terms of collectibility.

Q: I have a 1997 Racing Champions 1:24 scale Chrome Darrell Waltrip die-cast car that I am wondering the value of. It is in it's original box and has never been opened. My husband worked at Western Auto/Parts America when these were released and picked one up. I am not sure if they were limited or not. The box is white on one end and has diagonal bands of gradually darkening blues towards the other. It says "The Official Auto Parts Store of NASCAR" and "Western Auto Parts America Racing" on the front, top and ends. Thank you for any help you can provide. -- Katie

A: Not a bad collectible here at all. This car is worth $30-35, which is about twice as much as 75 percent of the 1:24 Racing Champions cars released in 1997.

Q: I recently purchased a die-cast collectible Dale Earnhardt car and trading card. It is a No. 2 Mike Curb car. Kenner made it. Is there any value to this collectible because I would like to tell my husband? It was his stocking stuffer for Christmas. -- Jacquie Hadden

A: This car was part of Hasbro's Winner's Circle line. There were several versions of the No. 2. If you have the 1980 Oldsmobile, it is worth around $50, give or take a few bucks. If it is the Chevy Monte Carlo, the value is in the $20-30 range.

Q: I recently purchased a 1:24 scale 1997 Jeff Burton Exide Thunderbird made by Action for Mac Tools. It is one of 4,000 made. I paid $15 for this car. I also have a 1:24 scale 1997 Rusty Wallace Miller Special Thunderbird made by Action Platinum Series. This is the car that he ran in Suzuka Japan in 1997. It is one of 7,500 made. Both are clear window cars. Could you give me some idea as to what the value of these two cars are? -- Gary

A: As always, these values are in terms of collectibility. Both have a collectible value of around $50.

Q: I have a 2000 Action Performance Dale Earnhardt Taz No Bull 1:24 scale car. I was wondering what the value would be. -- Mike Peddle

A: Collectible value on this car is probably $250-300. I've seen them sell for more than that soon after Earnhardt's death , and I've also seen them sell for quite a bit less in the past year.

Q: I have a 2000 Action1:24 scale Tony Stewart. Could you tell me what the car is worth? -- April

A: Stewart's sophomore NASCAR Winston Cup die-cast car is valued at $50-75.

Q: Could you tell me what a 1995 Dale Earnhardt 1:24 scale Silver select by Action is worth? It's brand new in the box and has never been taken out. -- Mark

A: Considered the Holy Grail of die-cast by many, there were two versions of this car. The car with the GM Parts decal on the hood probably has a collectible value of $700-800. The car sans the decal carries an appraisal of $850-1000.

Q: have a 1993 Racing Champions Premier Edition 1:64 scale car. It's 1 of 7,500, and it's No. 51. I was just wanting to know how much its worth. -- Todd

A: Racing Champions made three versions of this primered car: Chevrolet Lumina, Pontiac Grand Prix, and Ford Thunderbird. They are generic in the sense that they did not feature a specific driver. Each car was packaged in a PVC box. I've seen a broad range of values on these cars. Personally, I put them in the $25-35 range. Usually, driver specific cars command the greatest values, but this is a very classy set that you seldom see changing hands anymore. A 1:43 scale version of each car was also produced and is worth about $20.

Q: I have a 1991 Racing Champions 1:64 Mike Alexander "Nashville Ford Dealers" die-cast. I know that this car was only a promotional piece. However, on the driver card, Mike is posing next to the actual car but he's wearing his Raybestos's Buick driving suit from 1990. To my recollection, he never even raced this car so I was wondering why it was produced? Also, is this the only Mike Alexander die-cast in existence? -- Aaron Parent

A: I haven't seen one of these cars in years. This was a 1991 promo car in a "Petty Back" blister pack. The car No. was 84 (Alexander's traditional number). After speaking with several people, I am pretty sure that Alexander actually drove this car at Fairgrounds Speedway at Nashville. The value of this car is probably around $15. As far as I can tell, this is the only Alexander die-cast car ever produced.