Pros:
- Unlike Hot Wheels, where availability depends on which of the many batches each model will be released in and how quickly/slowly it sells in stores, Tomica has a different philosophy: 140 models available at all times and a new model released on the third Saturday of each month.
- Although Tomica's lineup only consists of 140 models at a time, compared to 250 in a HW lineup, Tomica's lineup consists primarily of real world and licensed models, where HW's lineup is saturated with less desirable fictional HW original designs.
Quality over quantity.
- Tomica's cars are much more solid than a typical HW offering. Most HW cars have plastic chassis with some also having plastic bodies.
Tomica models are usually diecast body and chassis, though some part have to be plastic (like the canopy and lift on #70 Toyota Geneo Hybrid). This results in a heavier model that will likely last longer in the possession of a child and a more desirable model for collectors.
- Tomica cars tend to have lots of detail. Not just headlights and taillights, but higher quality interiors, suspension (like Matchbox), and working parts like doors, hoods, hatches, and other parts.
- Tomica's lineup includes a wide variety of models.
From kei cars to luxury cars. Sports cars to commercial trucks. Plus industrial and agricultural equipment, etc.
Cons:
- Price. From the research I've done, a typical Tomica in a Japanese store sells for around 450-500 yen, or about $4-4.50, whereas a HW car sells in the $.80-$2, depending on the store (Walmart is usually 97 cents, though when on sale, they're usually 84 cents).
This means that for folks in the US, it gets even more expensive buying Tomicas online, where prices for regular Tomica models can get close to domestic prices for Limited Vintage and Limited Vintage Neo models.
- Availability. Tomica doesn't have a solid foothold in the US market.
So far, I've seen three stores offer something Tomica: Toys R Us (very hard to find in stores, and not much selection online), Sears (online only, barely any offerings, and pricy), and Tractor Supply Company (usually 6-12 models offered, mainly consisting of a Mini Cooper, Nissan Diesel Quon with a big fish in the back, a Yamaha ATV, Toyota Geneo Hybrid, Komatsu bulldozer, Toyota Himedic, fire truck, and Mario Kart carts).
That means if you wanna find specific models in the US, you either have to hop to find a diecast shop that carries them, or deal with scalpers on eBay.
Of course, there's some online stores from Japan that offer them at discounted prices (lower than domestic store prices), but I don't know if they ship internationally.
Verdict: Though the cons are rather challenging to deal with, these cars are well worth trying to collect.
They're well made, offer better variety than Hot Wheels, and they focus on quality over quantity.
If you're a hardcore collector (I'm sure most of us here are), it's a brand that deserves a spot in any diecast collector's collection, for sure.