The ADDICTION BEGINS!

Super presentation George and one many of us can relate to. My addition started a couple years earlier with the FM  Rolls Royce.

Mine started in 92 with the FM Porsche Targa

My addiction started around 1992 with these two FM models which I ordered from an ad in my San Francisco Chronicle Sunday magazine section: 

Honestly, I never anticipated that buying that first car that there would ever be any more of them.  At the time, I remember that Danbury Mint and Franklin Mint sold things like novelty plates and other such knick-knacks. 

I thought the '57 Chevy diecast was just a one-time thing of a car that has held iconic status for decades.  When I received the model, I went to a center called Bandana Square in St. Paul, to a store called Miniature Merchants and purchased a small wood/glass/mirror case for $50. 

I figured the model was a collectible and it deserved a nice display case.  A couple of months passed, and I saw another DM car in the Sunday paper Parade magazine.  It was the '49 Mercury Black Club Coupe!  I remember thinking that DM was evidently doing replica's of a few of the cars that raised eyebrows.  I still never envisioned new models would just coming.  

A great choice. My 1st two were FM models, the '54 Mercedes-Benz 300SL and the '63 Chevrolet Corvette in 1989 & early 1990. I didn't discover DM until 1992, the '49 Mercury was my 1st from them. The '57 Bel Air came along in 1992 too, but I think it was my 3rd or 4th model. My early record keeping was not as accurate as it was about a year later.

• My first was the FM 1933 Duesenberg Twenty Grand. I was about 22-23 (32years ago).  I had seen the ad for it in several car magazines and cut it out.  I think it was $90 payable in 3 installments.  Months went by I kept looking at the ad and I pulled the trigger!  I was a kid not making much money so this was a stand alone model until 1999 when I went online and discovered Ebay and D4C etc.  the rest is history!  So my “addiction” started in 1999 lo

Not sure what year it was but mine began with the FM 1957 Cadillac Brougham. Shortly afterwards I was at the Pebble Concours and FM had a display at the double tree hotel. On display was the white 61 Lincoln and many others...I was in trouble...my wife was with me and spending $120 on a model car in front of her was not something I wanted to do. The next morning while she was getting ready to go to breakfast I snuck downstairs and Roger Hardock (spelling) and Raffi were there at the FM desk. I got one and they signed mine. We were later shopping in Carmel and she wanted something she found that was about the same price as the Lincoln....hmmmm...350+ models later I am still hooked. Wish someone was making 1/24th again besides the occasional found at Diecasm

Posted by: @1961linc

Not sure what year it was but mine began with the FM 1957 Cadillac Brougham. Shortly afterwards I was at the Pebble Concours and FM had a display at the double tree hotel. On display was the white 61 Lincoln and many others...I was in trouble...my wife was with me and spending $120 on a model car in front of her was not something I wanted to do. The next morning while she was getting ready to go to breakfast I snuck downstairs and Roger Hardock (spelling) and Raffi were there at the FM desk. I got one and they signed mine. We were later shopping in Carmel and she wanted something she found that was about the same price as the Lincoln....hmmmm...350+ models later I am still hooked. Wish someone was making 1/24th again besides the occasional found at Diecasm

Great story!  Glad it worked out for you and were able to be addicted along with the rest of us.  I have to say I was blessed to have a very understanding wife, as she never complained or questioned me buying these little cars.  She is in to Disney figurines, to which there seem to be an endless production of them, so my buying the cars was okay.  Neither of us ever took food off the table or neglected our regular bills and finances, so all was good.  We put two daughters through college, have our home paid for now, are both retired...life is good.