As a collector, it has been a very disappointing month, I have only added three models to my collection, one new, one secondhand and one was a gift. All three are Hot Wheels models. This compares to 38 last month (Monthly Acquisitions : January 2018).

I have been looking in the usual places but pickings have been pretty slim. I found the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) in Super Toys in Galleria, the first diecast I have found there I actually wanted, it had been on my Wants’ List. Also on the Wants’ List was a Renault Sport RS 01, which I also saw but I didn’t like the wheels and I wasn’t too enamoured by the silver version (I’d prefer to find the blue or yellow variants). The stores in Tbilisi haven’t had any new Hot Wheels after the 2017 G case… and the Matchbox stock is older still. In Pepela I was told they may have new stock next month, but I won’t hold my breath.

In the cheap secondhand toy shop near the Central Station, I found a Hot Wheels Jaguar D Type, a previous user had marked it with a blue marker or something but it was only 2 lari and it is a Jaguar, so I got it. The base is metal, the model is from around 1998, I have another slightly later variant.

The final model was a Vanster, this had been a peg warmer in Carrefour a few months ago. This was a gift from Dima one of my students. Strangely, the day before I’d been watching a video of the Ford Transit Supervan (Video Link). Like the Vanster, the Ford Transit Supervan is a van with an engine in what is usually the load area. Hot Wheels have made a model of the Ford Transit Supervan, which is on my wants’ list.

On the subject of gifts, two models left my collection, a Hot Wheels Corvette Stingray and a Matchbox Aston Martin DBS Volante. My wife’s godson and his brother visited and I gave them the cars as they were leaving which seemed to thrill them, maybe we will have future collectors in them.

Not diecasts but toy vehicles; I did find a couple of Zambonis driven by the Peanuts character Woodstock. As the Zamboni is pushed along Woodstock rotates, I think these may have been Happy Meal toys.

Totals: 3 Models: 3 Hot Wheels

1 bought new, 1 bought secondhand, 1 gift

Outlets: 1 Cheap Secondhand toy store, 1 Super Toys and 1 Gift from Dima

Total cost: 8.90 lari ($3.61)