Hello again my WA family, friends and followers!
It’s only been a few days, but I have been busy trying to get more chapters done for Die Cast Diaries. It is time for another peek behind the curtain of the customizing world of Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks. So, for the fourth installment of Die Cast Diaries, I am pleased to introduce you to the man behind raggedymancustoms on Instagram, he is none other than Marc Lee. Here is the question and answer session between us for your reading pleasure and for your viewing pleasure there will be plenty of pics of his incredible custom Hot Wheels. Enjoy!
Me: What is your name and where are you from?
Marc: My name is Marc Lee and I’m from San Diego, CA. I currently reside in Oregon.
Me: How old were you when you started playing with Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Marc: I started playing with Hot Wheels at about age 11 if my memory serves me.
Me: How old were you when you started collecting Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Marc: I started collecting Hot Wheels at age 26 when the 1995 First Editions came out. I used to hunt down variations.
Me: When did you start customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Marc: I started customizing back in 1998 and did it for 3 years, then customizing seem to die out so I stopped. I then started back up in 2016.
Me: What got you interested in customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Marc: I have been an artist all my life who used to draw and paint, then I saw that people were chopping up and painting Hot Wheels and thought I’d give it a shot. Some of their creations were mind blowing, from the details like custom made wired up nitrous bottles to metallic paint jobs with designs in them.
Me: Who was your inspiration or influence that got you into customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Marc: My early influences were following the work of many customizers, the top 2 being V-Man Customs and Night Stalker Customs.
Me: How long have you been customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Marc: I’ve been back at it since 2016 and still going.
Me: What is your specialty in customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Marc: My specialty is drag stuff and graphics. I like making stuff that looks like it would haul ass down the track. I’m an old muscle car fan. I also make my own water slide decals which gives me the freedom to create just about anything that I think would look cool on a custom.
Me: Is customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks a hobby or a full time job for you?
Marc: For me, it’s a hobby and a challenge to make some of my ideas happen. It just happens that people out there who follow me appreciate my work and would like to own it, so I sell my customs to them. I am very grateful for my fans support, they keep me going. I get to meet and chat with many people from all walks of life who share the love for Hot Wheels which is priceless.
Me: If it’s a full time job for you, what is the name of your business? If it’s a hobby, what are your social media outlets where people can view and possibly buy your customs?
Marc: For anyone interested in seeing my work or purchasing a piece, I’m on Instagram @raggedymancustoms or on Facebook – Raggedy Man Custom Hot Wheels.
Me: How much success have you had selling your customs?
Marc: I have had good success in selling my customs. I constantly try new graphic ideas and find new ways to modify castings to look dragged out. Selling the customs helps to fund this hobby and put gas in the Jeep to go rockhounding to find those treasures buried in the ground.
Me: Which casting is your favorite to customize?
Marc: My favorite casting to customize has to be the Dairy Delivery because it has so much out side space for decals and can be chopped up 50 different ways to look good.
Me: Finally, what are your top 5 Hot Wheels of all time?
Marc: My top 5 Hot Wheels would have to be the Dairy Delivery, ’62 Chevy, ’57 Chevy Nomad from the 100% series, Pro Street Camaro from the 100% series and the ’55 Chevy Gasser. Thanks for your interest in my work bro, I’m honored to be in your blog, rock on!
Me: Thank you for participating in my blog and helping spread the world of customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks to the general public. I appreciate you, your time and your customs are wicked cool. I’m proud to own so many of them. I look forward to seeing more incredible creations from you in the near future and possibly being the proud owner of some of them.
For all you fellow Hot Wheels collectors and customizers, for all of my family, friends and followers, here are some of @raggedymancustoms incredible customs for your viewing pleasure:
If you see anything on Die Cast Diaries that interests you, please feel free to contact me or any of the contributors to the Die Cast Diaries. We would love to hear from you about the customs, the stories and backgrounds of each contributing customizer, and any feedback you may have regarding the content on the website. You can reach me, SRQ Diecast, directly on all my social media outlets. You can also leave a comment or feedback here at srqdiecast.com.
Thank you for joining me for another exciting chapter of Die Cast Diaries. Stay tuned for upcoming chapters with more great interviews and pics of some incredible custom Hot Wheels.