ENCICLOPEDIA DEI DIECAST

The Diecast Encyclopedia is a series of paperback volumes, currently five, that catalog in great detail the production of diecast toys made in Japan between the 1970s and 1980s. The volumes are divided by "Manufacturer." The first three catalog the enormous production of toys made by POPY (born as a branch of the parent company Bandai). The fourth volume catalogs smaller companies (BULLMARK, ARK, NOMURA, and NAKAJIMA), which nonetheless made history with models that are still highly sought-after and expensive today. The fifth volume is entirely dedicated to the TAKATOKU company, Popy's main rival, whose production was very extensive, reaching the pinnacle of worldwide success thanks to the MACROSS series.

The paperback volumes can be purchased directly from this site, or they can be read online for free, but only by users with a PREMIUM subscription. They can be read in two ways: by flipping the pages online using a reader that simulates a book with page-turning, or through a unique Dynamic version. As you flip through the pages, you can click on the photos of the models and 3D reproductions of the actual model will appear, down to the last detail. You can also download high-resolution scans of the advertising booklets that were included in the toy boxes and the instruction sheets.