Smaller Scale

Those who love cars are often unlucky. Unlike stamps or coins or old Pez dispensers, cars won't fit in a shoebox. Instead, you'll need a garage. Then there's insurance, upkeep, gasoline prices, and the expensive nature of the finer specimens.On an average budget, you probably won't be able to afford a Ferrari. Your chances of owning an original Cobra are nonexistent. You most likely will not have an Audi R8, and a COPO Camaro is probably not in your future.

But what if there was a way to own any car you want, without gas prices, insurance, or the worry of dents and scratches? What if a Ferrari F40 only cost 97 cents? Wouldn't that make things easier? If you answered yes, then let me introduce you to the world of model cars. It's a place where you can put flames on your Lamborghini, a lift kit on your Riviera, and a machine gun on your Camaro.

To show you the diversity of these small scale machines, here are some pictures of cars from an old box of hand-me-downs. These are some old school cars that didn't cost me a penny, and can be kept in a closet.

If you had a childhood, it's very likely that you owned at least one Tonka truck. These two have very vibrant colors, and look tough enough for any construction site.

A car from this era in pristine condition would cost vast quantities of money in full scale. But if you want to park it on your desk, then this one here will cost significantly less.

These three 4x4's come from a company called Micro Machines. Each of these cars are only a bit bigger than a jelly bean, but they still have detailed bodies and paint schemes. On the left is a classic Chevroley Blazer. A Nissan truck is in the middle, and the pink vehicle on the right is a vintage Jeep.

Owning two Porsche 959s is something most people can't say they've done. These two Hot Wheels Porsches have wild paint jobs, flashy wheels, and weigh less than a pound. Pretty cool.

This is a tank. Try parking one of these in your garage in real life. Then see how long it takes for the police to pay you a visit.

Look at these old-timers! Classics like these have a certain style that hasn't been seen since. On the left is a 1927 Lincoln Touring Car. In the middle is a hot-rodded Ford Woody from the '20s. On the right is a Model T pickup with a convertible top and bed stakes. Quite a unique trio.

Birds of a feather stick together, as evidenced by these two classics. On the left is a Firebird Formulawith T-Tops, and on the right is a 1957 Thunderbird sporting a questionable paint scheme.

It looks like the Cannonball Run is in town! A white Countach, a black Corvette, and a gold Firebird make this a very quick lineup.

A Dodge van with racing paint is pretty unique. Seeing one next to a Bugatti Royale is a bit far-fetched. To throw a powerboat into the mix is just crazy.

I suppose I'll start to hurry things along at this point, but take a moment to look at these crazy machines. Another Blazer, a Nissan in rescue truck form, and a '56 Ford monster truck. Vibrant paint is used everywhere on these machines.

Great Scott! This is heavy! Look at these sweet rides from Back to the Future Part II. There's the Delorean Time Machine, the 2015 Citroen DS taxi cab, and the 2015 Police Cruiser. Movie cars are fun in small scale, because a real one is often nonexistent.

The instantly recognizable Hot Wheels Police Cruiser. Every kid wanted one of these to chase down their other cars. The design is fictional, but it's based pretty heavily on '70s police cars.

A real Bugatti Veyron costs about $2.5 million. A Hot Wheels replica is roughly a dollar, depending on where you get it. I think my point has been made, so I'll leave you to make your own decisions.