For anyone who wants to introduce themselves, step right up and answer these questions three (or more) (or make up your own- we’re not picky other than answering the FIRST one so we know who you are) 🙂

SIGNIN NAME?

BIO?

WHEN DID YOU START?

WHAT WAS THE FIRST CAR YOU GOT?

HOW LONG BEFORE YOU HAD CAR #2?

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE/REALIZE YOU NEEDED MORE THAN ONE?

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD TO GO BIG INTO THIS THING?

WHAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT COLLECTING THESE CARS? (NEVER YOU, SOME OTHER PERSON’S CRAZY STORY 🙂 ).

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CAR?

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION?

Send an email with photos to: metroxing@takefiveaday.com

(If you’re under 18 and sending a pic, be sure and include a note of permission from parents/adult, etc … thanks!)

SAY HI TO Loolar McQueen – Son Logan makes a pretty fierce Batman 🙂 – Not that scary with the mask off 🙂 … from the story below also, Too cute!

SIGNIN NAME?
LoolarMcQueen

BIO?
We are 37, Logan is 2.5.  I am a high school English teacher in Los Angeles Unified School district, teaching primarily Latino kids.  We love watching all the Pixar movies, but CARS, FINDING NEMO, and MONSTERS, INC. especially.  I look forward to the day I get to introduce Logan to Star Wars; I already have a big box full of Galactic Hero stuff I’ve been picking up for just that day.

WHEN DID YOU START?
My mother-in-law (Logan’s “Noni”) was buying them for our nephew (wife’s sister was doing the same for him), and we got a bunch of the extras.  We had north of 30 or so stuffed into a Pamper’s box.  I didn’t pay too much attention; just put them in a box, figuring “when he’s older.”  He got a taste of playing with diecast cars whenever he went to Noni’s house, and he loved walking around with fistfuls of cars.  We started watching CARS with him, though, and pretty soon his Grammy gave him some pajamas and some framed small posters of McQueen and Mater from Target.  It wasn’t too long before he was pointing to “Ma-KEEN” and “Toe-MAYer.”  That’s when we actually opened those two up and let him have them.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST CAR YOU GOT?
Not sure, so we’ll go with the first ones we gave Logan:  McQueen and Mater.  But the first car WE bought is a tale told below…

HOW LONG BEFORE YOU HAD CAR #2?
I think the big deal is when we actually bought some ourselves, rather than gratefully accepting the extras and doubles from family.  We were at a local swap meet (my mother, his Grammy, was in town, and lives for garage sales).  There was a dealer with a bunch of colorful racers – what I would later learn were the K-Mart racers.  I said to my wife, “we don’t have any of those.”  Well, five minutes later, we did – at $5 a piece, I think it was fair, given what retail+tax+gas would have been.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE/REALIZE YOU NEEDED MORE THAN ONE?
I got home and started to scour the internet for a checklist – if they made these racers, what else was out there?  I had done some toy collecting years ago, and had largely gotten rid of all but a few pieces, so I knew my way around news groups, ebay, and blogs.  That’s when I stumbled on TakeFiveADay, and realized there was a whole LOT I didn’t know about the CARS line…  I made the mistake of showing some of the great pics on this site to my wife, and it was like the swap meet all over again.  “Ooh, let’s get those!”

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD TO GO BIG INTO THIS THING?
I think the big moment was seeing a picture of the Motor Speedway of the South, and researching all the racers.  We’re not into car racing, had never collected cars of any sort, but it was just stunning seeing all those race cars.  That was when the “collect them all” bug hit us.  I tell you, we were getting a little tired of watching the movie, good as it is, nearly every day – but now we had the fun “game” of playing spot the car, thanks to the research we’d done about which toys were out.  We’ve spent the last two months making the rounds to WM, TRU and Target, as well as the occasional KMart.  I used to do this back when I collected Star Wars figures, so I’m an old pro – but it was totally fun and new to have my wife along, just as excited as I was.  Even more chaotic to have the boy grabbing at cars, too.  My wife actually grabbed a few Hot Wheels and started her own collection of cars.  So far, she has (in her words) “a purple one” and “an orange one” and “a blue one.”  You can guess her criteria for selecting Hot Wheels.  But she loves getting new CARS to add to Logan’s (someday) collection, and has been a very bad influence on me – when I see an ebay auction of a lot (I always try to stick to that $5/per price point), she never says no.

WHAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT COLLECTING THESE CARS? (NEVER YOU, SOME OTHER PERSON’S CRAZY STORY 🙂 ).
People driving hundreds of miles across state lines with only the faintest hope of finding something… yikes!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CAR?
My wife’s favorite color is purple, so I got her an N2O Cola off Ebay at a pretty sweet price (we came along too late to take advantage of the promotion – didn’t even know about it except from what I read here – trust me, we’ll get in on the next one for Gask-Its!).  Sure, we had a Transberry Juice, but that one will go to Logan.  N2O belongs purely to her, so I’d say it’s my favorite because of that.  My personal favorite in terms of sculpt and capturing the character is probably Filmore.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION?
I have the Hauler case with Jerry on the way from Traver, from whom we got the last case of launchers.  I’m all for supporting the “little guy,” and his markup is incredibly reasonable – he’s a great resource for this community (and I know, having been a collector of many lines, and dealing with the real slimeballs out for an easy buck).  We can’t wait to give Logan the haulers – he loves trucks and gets so excited when one passes by on the street (“Big RUCK!”).   We’re just waiting a little longer past the oral stage (and yes, we know not to give him Sarge).   Personally, I’d say I’m real excited for Sven (since we live in California with the real Governator), Pizza Planet truck, and seeing all the racers available (we’ve got 19 of them!).  As for what’s supposedly out right now, I’d love to get Elvis and Chuck Manifold and all those new ones; but it’s slim pickings here.  I ordered a Mega case just to get Dustin Mellows, which I’ve never seen on the pegs (luckily, Logan was really into Al Oft and Marco, too).

Sorry this is so verbose – damn English teacher can’t say anything succinctly!

SAY HI TO Darth N8er. Very funny photo of Brett – who could resist a cute baby mechanic  🙂 … Nice lightsaber effect on Christopher’s pic 🙂 plus of course, dressing up for a Colts game 🙂 … okay, I’m guessing it’s for the Star Wars Fan Day in Indy a year or two back. And very cool customs – amazing paint job on the authentic “King,” dressed as the original meep-meep Roadrunner street car and a great US Army custom … he’s working on some new customs – he’ll surprise us down the line – looking forward!

SIGNIN NAME? Darth N8er

BIO? I am a 29 year old father of 2 boys.  Christopher is 7 and is a 1st degree black belt in ATA Taekwondo.  Brett is 3 and LOVES cars.  I am addicted Star Wars and CARS (thanks to Brett).  We live in Williamston Michigan, a small town near Lansing.  I collect 2 of every thing.  One for Brett and one for me.  My oldest, Christopher doesn’t really like cars.  Ever now and then there will be one he wants, but that doesn’t happen that often.  His addiction is Star Wars and G.I. Joe.  I also enjoy restoring old cars and am currently working on 1977 Ford Granada and a 1966 Ford Fairlane for my Mom.  In the pictures Brett is working on my Geo (lol), Christopher is the karate kid and little Anakin Skywalker, and I am….. Darth N8er.  The guy standing next to me is my younger Brother Brenton.

WHEN DID YOU START? Black Friday 2007

WHAT WAS THE FIRST CAR YOU GOT? Dinoco 400 set

HOW LONG BEFORE YOU HAD CAR #2? I’m not sure, I bought every car I could that day.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE/REALIZE YOU NEEDED MORE THAN ONE? When I bought the Dinoco 400 set.

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD TO GO BIG INTO THIS THING? When I bought Brett his first pack of minis and I wanted them.  Those darn thing are SOOOOOO CUTE (as my wife says).

WHAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT COLLECTING THESE CARS? (NEVER YOU, SOME OTHER PERSON’S CRAZY STORY ). Besides what I read here, nothing.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CAR? Darth Mater!!!!!!!!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION? DARTH MATER (I know, only in my dreams), Pizza Planet truck, and all of the Mater’s tall tales