This basement is for family fun for sure, but the room off to the right, well, that’s just for dad and his love of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars.
That love affair started when he was 9-years-old.
“I really wanted to have one bad. So I took my allowance, started buying them,” explained toy collector Dan Spedowske.
And buy he has done.
His love of Matchbox shifted more to Hot Wheels when they came out because of the muscle car stylings. But with 7,000 or so cars, does he remember the very first one?
“It was an airport fire truck, bought it in Cadillac. I think it was at a Ben Franklin all the way in the back,” said Dan.
Dan loves creating the dioramas, putting those cars into fun settings. He does dabble in other items, like Star Wars and super heroes, but cars are king.
So, why does he do it?
“The excitement of going to a toy show and finding one I’ve never seen, or a flea market and finding some in a box and buying all those that I never could before,” explained Dan.
He is also quick to say that his wife Gretchen is a saint for allowing him to obsess.
He handles all the dusting and he doesn’t like people messing with his cars.
His now grown daughters knew not to mess with dad’s toys, but every once and a while he’d find one moved.
“They messed with me quite a bit, and even my wife messes with me once and a while. That’s OK,” said Dan.
Dan’s basement and his toy room are full of memories, memories he loves to share with family and friends.
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