Didn’t get what you really wanted for Christmas? Are you a serious collector looking for an incredible assortment of rare die-cast cars and vehicles? Or maybe you want to share your childhood love of Hot Wheels with your children? If any of those apply to you (or even if you just want to walk off some holiday weight!), you need to come down to the Pomona Swap Meet on Sunday, January 13th, to see the Burning Rubber Toy Company!

Paul and Katie Meck, owners of the Burning Rubber Toy Company, have been coming to Pomona for seven years. You’ll find them on Road 25, Spaces 62 and 64. Paul and Katie refer to themselves as “the King and Queen of Toy Cars”. You’ll soon see why… we spoke to Katie to learn a little more about them and their toy collection:

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

Pomona Swap Meet:  When and how did you get started in this industry?
Katie Meck:  Paul started in Pennsylvania by selling die-cast cars, Hot Wheels mostly, at age 15. He eventually bought out the market in Northeastern Pennsylvania from others dealers and kept expanding from there.

PSM:  What’s the best part of your job?
KM:  We get to make people happy. We get to meet people from all over the world. We sell them a memory, a dream, a hobby. It’s the best!

PSM:  Have you always been interested in classic cars?
KM:  Not for Paul. He got into cars through die-cast, but I always loved cars. Unlike Paul, I grew up around cars, building them with my Dad and going to car shows all over. I had a collection of die-cast cars which grew into several real ones as I grew up. My favorites though were the VWs. 

PSM:  Do you currently own a classic car?
KM:  No. Unfortunately, with our business and having four kids between us, we don’t really have the time to have a classic car. If we did though, we love old trucks so we’d love to have a ’62 Chevy or a ’70 Ford F100. I’d love a Notchback as well. But, really the list could go on!

PSM:  If you won the lottery tonight, what kind of car would you buy?
KM:  How can you pick just one? We love cars. We would not buy one… we would buy many!

PSM:  Any favorite memories of the Pomona Swap Meet that you would like to share with us?
KM:  I’ve been attending the Pomona Swap Meet for over 30 years. I grew up in Southern California and started in the car scene as a kid. Together though, our favorite part is meeting people from all over the world but also connecting with our local customers as well. We get to share the car culture and that’s pretty awesome!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMPANY

PSM:  How can customers contact you?
KM:  Customers can contact us in several ways: by email at [email protected] or by phone at (909) 921-0864. They can also visit our website at www.burningrubbertoycompany.com or visit our eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/burningrubbertoycompany.

PSM:  Tell us a little bit about your company and its history.
KM:  We are the largest mobile die-cast company with the world’s only Toy Truck! We do major car shows, street fairs, fairs, and meets all over California. We are the best in the industry for 1:64. We have the knowledge, the product, and we do consulting with the manufacturers to get the cars made that people want.

PSM:  What makes your products different than your competitors? How are your cars different than what you can find on the shelves at Target?
KM:  Selection, customer service, and knowledge. We also create an experience that you just don’t get at a store. We build relationships and family.

PSM:  Do you get a lot of limited edition items that can’t be found elsewhere? Do you carry discontinued models or hard to find items?
KM:  We get coveted Chase pieces from all of the major manufacturers every month. Those pieces can be purchased directly from our eBay shop. They are listed immediately when they come in. We also purchase large “New in Package” collections from collectors throughout the year, so at any given time we could have hundreds of rare, hard to find items on hand.

PSM:  How long have you had the Toy Truck? Did you decide to make it for the ease factor of driving from show to show?
KM:  We’ve had the Toy Truck for about 7 years. It is the only toy truck of it’s kind. Paul had the idea to convert a beverage truck into a toy truck that could be loaded with product and taken to shows all over California and Nevada. People now look for it at big auto shows. It’s a huge draw!

PSM:  How is your truck organized? Are the toys grouped in any way to make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for?
KM:  Make, model, year. You come up and ask for a ’59 Chevy Impala and we will send you right there.

PSM:  What brands do you offer?
KM:  We carry the largest selection of 1:64’s in one location. Johnny Lightning, Racing Champion, Auto World, Greenlight, Maisto, Jada, Majorette, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and many, many more. We offer all the top brands in the die-cast world.

PSM:  How often do you have new releases?
KM:  We get new inventory all the time. Every week we have new items coming in our warehouse to go out to events on the Toy Truck and to be listed on our eBay store. The best way to keep up with what we have in stock is to follow our eBay shop.

PSM:  Do you do special orders or one-offs? Can customers ask you to make a specific car for them?
KM:  We don’t do custom cars per customer specification, but we can often find them what they are looking for in our huge inventory. We do create exclusives for big events. Each year we consult with die-cast manufacturing design teams to create exclusives for the LA Auto Show and also for Hot August Nights in Reno.

PSM:  Do you carry all of your products at the Swap Meet?
KM:  We carry over 4,000 items on our Toy Truck. However, we have over 100,000 items at our warehouse. To see our full inventory, it’s best to go to our eBay shop.

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PSM:  What is the most popular item at the swap meet? What sells the fastest?
KM:  Pomona has a huge Chevy and VW audience so those tend to sell the fastest.

PSM:  Do you offer any swap meet specials or discounts?
KM:  We offer the same special at all shows: buy any 2 items, get 1 free grab bag. 3 or more, get 2 free grab bags.

PSM:  Any new products that we should know about? Any changes on the horizon?
KM:  There is always something new coming. With our consulting work, there are so many awesome new things to come that have been missing in the industries.

PSM:  Anything else customers should know about your company or your products?
KM:  We are the most passionate, knowledgeable people in the industry and we LOVE what we do. We are family!

Whether you’re a serious collector, you want a miniature version of your classic car, or you’ve got kids who would love to check out the world’s only Toy Truck, come out to the Pomona Swap Meet on Sunday, January 13th, and stop by the Burning Rubber Toy Company’s booth on Road 25, Spaces 62 and 64!