Beyond Hot Wheels: Diecast Collector FAQ
What toy car brands do you offer other than Hot Wheels?
While Hot Wheels is the gold standard in 1:64 diecast, several other companies make great vehicles. Keenga Toys carries Johnny Lightning, whose themed military and anniversary series bring serious metal-on-metal build quality; Greenlight Collectibles, producing realistic 1:43 movie and TV cars; Eaglemoss, whose highly detailed Star Trek diecast ships span all your favorite series and films; and good old-fashioned Micro Machines.
What's the story behind Johnny Lightning?
Johnny Lightning was born in 1969 at Topper Toys with one mission: race Hot Wheels. The original cars were built with heavy diecast metal bodies and baseplates—hefty, durable, and famously fast on the track. Topper closed in 1971 and the name lay dormant for 23 years, until collector and entrepreneur Tom Lowe revived it in 1994; today it lives on under his Round 2 brand. Collectors love Johnny Lightning for exactly what made it special the first time: that metal-heavy build quality, lower production runs than the big assortments, and richly themed series—like the military anniversary releases we carry honoring the Army, Navy, and Marines.
When does Eaglemoss release new diecast Star Trek ships?
They don't anymore—and that's exactly why these matter. From 2018, Eaglemoss shipped one new highly detailed Star Trek ship per month, each accompanied by its magazine. Production ended for good in 2022 when Eaglemoss ceased trading, and the remaining worldwide stock has been finite ever since. We carry the designs we expect to be most popular, and when a ship sells through here, we may not be able to get it again—these have become true end-of-the-line collector pieces.
