The collection continues in Thornton

The move may still be a work in progress, but the model car collection has officially begun taking root at our new Thornton home.

I've not even gotten all the boxes from the old collection unpacked and moved into the basement yet, but that hasn't stopped a few new arrivals from finding their way here. This latest group includes releases from Stamp Models, Matrix, and AutoCult, along with several smaller Oxford models. More importantly, these are the first models I've had shipped directly to the new house, making them the unofficial beginning of the Thornton chapter of the collection.

In theory, moving should be a good reason to pause new purchases until everything else is unpacked and organized. Collectors know it doesn't always work that way, though. Many limited-production models have a relatively short window of availability. Wait too long, and they disappear from retailers, only to resurface later at considerably higher prices on the secondhand market. When something unusual or especially appealing becomes available, sometimes the only decision is to buy it now and figure out where it will go later.

This group offers exactly the kind of variety I enjoy. There are distinctive one-offs, specialty vehicles, beautifully detailed luxury models and some wonderfully obscure subjects that probably would never be produced by a mainstream die-cast company. That is the appeal of manufacturers such as AutoCult, Matrix and Stamp. They frequently explore the less obvious corners of automotive history, producing models that help tell stories beyond the familiar muscle cars and showroom standards.

The most unexpected arrival may be the large 1:25-scale camper sitting in the middle of everything. It was 3D printed and offered by a seller on eBay for just $25. At that price, I couldn't pass it up, particularly after seeing how well it had been finished. The printing was nicely done, and the model was carefully painted and detailed. The seller clearly invested at least a couple of hours into producing it, which makes the price seem even more remarkable.

The camper will join what I can now call my “new” camper collection here in Thornton. Apparently, moving to a new house also provides an opportunity to re-establish collecting categories!

There's still plenty of unpacking, organizing, and display planning ahead. For now, though, this first delivery feels like a small milestone. The shelves may not be ready, and much of the existing collection may still be boxed up, but the next phase of the Randy Rusk Camper Collection, as well as the rest of the model car fleet, is already underway.