Who Actually Collects?
Model enthusiasts between play, nostalgia and technology
Collage of several scenes: children, teenagers, a young woman and an older man sit in warmly lit rooms and occupy themselves with model vehicles – they build, paint and drive small cars and bicycles; in the background, shelves with more model cars can be seen.
Whether it is a child with their first toy car or an adult searching for a rare miniature – models hold a special appeal for people of all ages. According to the specialist magazine MODELL FAHRZEUG, readers invest an average of €2,500 per year in their hobby.
Around 60 per cent of all die-cast models are bought by adults between 25 and 60 years of age. Men still make up the majority, but more and more women are discovering this passion. Children are also an important part of the market. For many of them, the joy of playing is the first step towards a lifelong interest in collecting.
The collecting community is international. In Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region, and indeed wherever cars are firmly rooted in culture, enthusiasm is growing. Through online communities and social media, model fans are now connected worldwide, and these platforms, in particular, are attracting more and more younger audiences. The result is a diverse collector community that brings together nostalgia, an interest in technology and unites the generations.
What Does it Mean to Collect?
“A model collection should be like Cologne Cathedral – it is never really finished.” - Andreas A. Berse
Almost everyone collects something at some point: stamps, toy cars, books or cards. A collection does not come into being by chance. Objects are deliberately brought together, kept, organised, and given meaning.
Collecting is more than owning. It means recognising connections, putting things into context and asking questions: why does this piece belong in my collection? What does it say about me, or about a particular period in time? Collections can be tiny or vast, entirely private or publicly accessible. In the end, every collection tells the story of a unique view of the world.