Japanese Tomica: How Do Regular, Premium and TLV Differ, and How Much Does the Box Matter?

Regular, Premium and Limited Vintage: what separates them

Regular Tomica are the small die-cast cars Tomy (now Takara Tomy) has made since 1970. They are toys first, and mostly model cars that were on sale at the time. The scale is not fixed, so proportions differ from car to car.

Tomica Premium started in 2015. It is still Takara Tomy, but aimed at adults: famous cars old and new, dedicated tooling, and noticeably finer paint, wheels and printing than the regular line.

Tomica Limited Vintage, TLV to collectors, is made by Tomytec, a Takara Tomy group company, and began in 2004. The main line is 1/64 (there is a separate 1/43 series), and the focus is older Japanese cars; the TLV-NEO sub-line, from 2006, covers the 1970s onward. TLV is built for display.

Japanese sellers usually put the line at the start of the listing title. If you see TLV, it is the Tomytec line. If you are not sure which line a car belongs to, send the link to an admin on LINE to read the title for you; no guessing from photos needed.

Models made once and never again

The cars people actually chase from Japan are the ones that were never on general sale for long.

• •The first-run special edition of a new monthly release, in a different colour or livery from the standard car. It is made once in limited numbers, and some sell out on the day pre-orders open.
• •Models sold only at Tomica Expo events or only at Tomica Shop could be bought new only during the event or in store.
• •Discontinued models: unless they are reissued, the resale market is the only place left.

For all of these, the box moves the second-hand price about as much as the car does.

Checking the box in a listing

Almost every seller states the box in the description: boxed or not, never opened, or worn or crushed. Tap "translate description" on the item page to read it, and if you are still unsure, send the link to an admin on LINE to read it for you.

Bulk lots are mostly loose cars with no box.

Boxed does not mean the box is clean. If a seller says it is boxed but shows the box from one side only, ask for photos of the corners and the bottom before you order; dents and water stains tend to be there.

If you are buying to play with or to display out of the box anyway, an unboxed car is the cheaper route and the car itself is no worse. For the condition terms Japanese resale shops use, see our guide to second-hand condition grades.

Where to buy

Models still in production can be ordered from Takara Tomy Mall, the maker's own shop, which is on our list of Japanese shops. If you want a first-run edition, be there the day pre-orders open.

Discontinued and event models live on the resale market. Mercari is where people in Japan clear out what is at home, both single cars and bulk lots; the ordering steps are in our Mercari ordering guide. Suruga-ya buys stock in, inspects it and grades it itself, so its prices are steadier.

A single Tomica is small and light, so you can buy from several shops and have everything shipped together in one box. For how sea and air compare, see our shipping services page.

Frequently Asked Questions