The purpose of this list is to have fun....everybody likes lists! These are my favorites, the ones I would never sell or trade. Something about them makes them special, whether it be the subject matter, the execution, the rarity, or simply some personal reason. There are quite a few models in my collection that don't make this list, but that definitely doesn't make them bad models. Many are, in fact, superb diecasts that would probably rank in someone else's top-10. We each have our own reasons, don't we.

Keep in mind, I don't own any Exotos (yet) or Highway 61 (until the chrome problems are fixed), or Carousel. My collection is predominantly Lane, GMP, Kyosho, Autoart, Minichamps and UT. With that, here goes...

1 - GMP 1972 Pontiac GTO Arizona Gold: my favorite model of all! As many of you know, it's hard to get a "perfect" model, one without even the slightest blemish, or imperfection. On even the most expensive CMC and Exotos, it's possible to have specks in the paint, or wheels just a couple of degrees out of alignment, or a part that fits well but isn't completely tight. But my Arizona Gold GTO is absolutely flawless. I've gone over it with a fine-tooth comb, over and over, because I just can't believe that humans, in a big factory, could put something together wiithout ANY blemishes of any kind. Not to mention that it's a gorgeous model anyway, with amazing detail and exciting subject matter. If my house catches fire, I'm grabbing the GTO on the way out the door.

2 - Kyosho Ferrari 365GTB/4 "Daytona" in Red: Holy cow, what a great job Kyosho did on this model. This was a case where I went to a diecast shop just to look around. But I didn't want to go home empty handed (you diecast addicts out there know what I mean!), so I looked around for something to buy...anything! I grabbed this red Kyosho Ferrari Daytona, and took a chance on it. I just wasn't excited about it when it came out, but I figured what the heck. Man, was I blown away when I removed it from the package. They did so many things right on this car. From the silver insulation on the underside of the hood, to the silky-smooth pneumatic hood rods, to the gorgeous engine, to the red paintjob which looks like it has 30 coats of gloss on it. I fell in love with this diecast...in the same way it's easy to feel passionate about a real Ferrari, it's easy to feel passionate about Kyosho's replica of the Daytona. Those of you who have this model, again, know exactly what I mean.

3 - Lane Maize Firebird Coupe: I had to work for this one. What I mean is, I ordered 2 from Legacy Motors on pre-order, only to get 2 cars with serious paint defects. They had many tiny paint bubbles/blisters, and one even had some crusty grey stuff on the passenger side. Yuck. I promptly returned them, and Legacy was kind enough to hand-pick a replacement for me. Trust me, it was easy to lose that bad taste in my mouth (the one you get when a diecast manufacturer's quality control really lets you down) once I had a perfect specimen in my hands. I'm very big on paint quality, as you probably noticed from my reviews. I value highly a model with good paint, versus one with toy-like or cheap paint. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, comes close to the paint on the Maize Firebird. I've heard one person call it the "wet look", and that description works well. It looks like nail polish, it's so thick and glossy. It's also unusual, and I appreciated that Lane went out on a limb with this color. Beyond the paint, of course, is a diecast with some incredibly intricate detail. It's true what people said about this car...Lane has always made some nice diecasts, but this Firebird set a new standard for them. I love mine.

4 - UT Porsche Carrera 996 Coupe, in Black: Surprised by this one? I bet most readers will be. Except those that have held one of these. This diecast, in my opinion, is the "sleeper" car of the entire diecast industry. The one that everybody should own, but I bet very few people do. I see them on ebay all day long for $20, and people can't give them away, which is a real shame because it's hard to believe that UT could actually replicate a car so well, with so much detail, and so accurately, for so little money. How many $20 cars do you have in your collection that have felt-like carpeting on the door panels as well as the interior? How many have detailed brake calipers? How many have silky-smooth metallic black paint? How many do you have that you think, "I'm glad I own this, just because I like the subject matter, but I sure wish someone could pull it off better like Kyosho or Autoart." Speaking of Autoart, have you seen their updated 996 models? You might have noticed that they messed up the angle on the front underside of the car (underside too sloped). That's right...if you want the base 996 in your collection, the black UT 996 will actually give you a better representation than Autoart's $50 model.

5 - Kyosho Ferrari 365BB/GT4, in Black: This is the one that started it all for me. Wife and I made a trek into NY City, to Exoticar, on Park Avenue. I went specifically for this car, as my first 1/18 purchase. So it has some historical value for me. Oh, and by the way, it's a stunning model. Difficult to find now, and out of production, I think it should be in every Ferrari 1/18 collection simply because the real car itself has great lines and proportions. The Kyosho nails that look, too, and it's a pleasure to hold. It's because of this Kyosho Ferrari that I'm now a demanding collector. Honestly...who could get excited about Bburago or Maisto after seeing the fully wired engine of the 365BB?

6 - Lane Oldsmobile 442 W30 Viking Blue Convertible: So much to appreciate....gorgeous wheel detail, intricate engine detail, fully working suspension, excellent proportions. But the best thing about this model is simply the subject matter. Lane should be commended for doing this model...it's a car that deserved to be replicated. General Motors made a lot of ugly cars in the '70s. The 442 Convertible was an exception, and Lane captured the essence of the real car wonderfully. Lane earned all kinds of credit with me, as a collector, when I first got this one out of the box. If you don't have one, get one, your collection will be better for it.

7 - CMC 1938 Mercedes W154 #28: I love some of my Lane and GMP models, and figure they're made in a big factory by people that are basically like me, only with training in making great diecasts. The CMC is different though....it looks like it was made by experienced craftsmen in a facility where it's so immaculate you could probably eat off the floor. And after they finish making automotive replicas, they probably produce semiconductor wafers, or $20 million MRI scanners. CMCs are just different. They are expensive...fortunately I got mine on sale at Replicarz for only $80. It's just the least toy-like replica I own. And I couldn't care less about the subject matter, or the racing history of that particular Mercedes. But when you hold it in your hands (gently!), you realize what's possible when a group of people with IQs of 170+ decide to produce automotive replicas.

8 - Kyosho Lamborghini Countach LP500 Red: The Countach is the ultimate exotic sports car. They weren't the most comfortable, or the most reliable, or the fastest, or the best handling. They were just awe-inspring. And they looked completely different from everything else out there. With scoops, and wings, and funky angles everywhere. I don't even know if you could call them aerodynamically efficient, because of the esoteric shape. But that's exactly what makes Kyosho's replica so great. It's such a quirky, unusual car that there are endless ways for a diecast manufacturer to screw it up. Let's just say it was an ambitious undertaking to reproduce this automobile. Forget about the engine and the interior...just capturing the exterior proportions is a miracle of diecast manufacturing. I'm happy to report that Kyosho pulled it off beautifully. Everything is where it should be....and there are so many "everythings" too! Should win model of the year for 2003, if there is such an award.

9 - Ertl Precision 100 Ford Thunderbolt in Maroon: Here's all you need to know about this diecast: opening glovebox, opening ashtray, opening fuel filler door, keys dangling from the ignition, and a dash-mounted tachometer that actually has the wire running out the back and down into the dashboard. Plus the sweetest diecast interior I've ever seen. Don't let the Ertl name scare you...it's 100 times better than any Ertl ever made.

10 - UT Porsche Boxster S, Yellow and Blue: Another winner from UT. These models however, unlike the 996 Coupe mentioned above, are difficult to find now. They don't have Kyosho or Autoart-level detail, but they're beautiful nonetheless. But this endorsement applies strictly to the "S" version of this model, which stands out from the non-S version for the following reasons: interior carpeting, titanium-look air intake accents, low-profile high performance tires, red brake caliers, and titanium-look front lower grills. Considering the importance of the Boxster to the financial resurgence of Porsche in the late '90's, the car doesn't have extensive representation in the diecast industry. I think only UT and Maisto did this car. Fortunately, UT hit a homerun with the "S" version.

11 - Minichamps BMW M1 "Denim": Many of you younger collectors out there might not be familiar with the M1, BMW's attempt in the 1970's at a sportscar to go up against Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, etc. For various reasons, including financial difficulties of Lamborghini (whom I believe BMW contracted to do the body manufacturing), the project was scrapped. It's a shame, because I think it was a beautiful design. Given BMW's engineering reputation, I believe the M1 would likely have been more street-friendly, reliable, and easier to maintain than many other supercars of the time. Minichamps did an outstanding job with their Procar series of racing livery BMW M1 models. I've got the "Denim" blue and white...from what I've seen this appears to be the least popular of the series. I guess most other collectors want the Red BASF, or the Carte De France versions. But I discovered something very cool....the blue and white Denim version looks great displayed next to the blue and white paint scheme of Minichamps' newer BMW M3 GTR Petit Le Mans car. On its own, the Denim M1 is a beautiful model, with stunning exterior graphics that are perfectly applied, a well-detailed engine, and an overall excellent look to the car. As you'll read often when I talk about a great model, "it sits right", meaning the stance and proportions are dead-on. I'm just glad Minichamps did these cars...no other diecast manufacturer has done the M1 in 1/18 scale, so Minichamps is the only game in town.

12 - UT Porsche Carrera RS in Red, and UT Porsche GT2 Street in Speed Yellow: First off, let me say that these are both beautiful models. The RS especially because of the color scheme: bright, glossy red paint with matching red brake calipers, matching red backing on the sport seats, and red RS lettering on the back facing of the package shelf. They're hard to find, and out of production, but worth the effort of locating. The Speed Yellow GT2 is easier to come by, and can be found on ebay regularly in the $30 range. Also a nice model, with 2-tone seats, big fat performance tires on 2-tone alloy-look rims, and a sweet paintjob. But that's not why these cars make the list. They're on the list for personal reasons. All of us have our favorite hobby shops, or online vendors, where we get most of our diecast. But have any of you ever gone on vacation, or business travel, and thought while you were there "I wonder if I'll come across any diecast shops while I'm here?". I guess that's probably reserved only for the truly addicted collectors among us. Well, my wife and I were on vacation in England, and we decided to take a day trip out to the Cotswolds, north of London. We went to this little village called Bourton-on-the-Water, beautifully quaint and charming. While strolling through the village, we come across a tiny hobby shop. Inside, I find these two cars sitting on the shelf, and while they're only UT models, to me it felt like finding a cold coin on the bottom of the ocean. So while most visitors to London come back to the states carrying their Harrod's bags full of goodies, I came back carrying my UT diecasts.