Interview
On May 8th 2025 my friend László Balogh interviewed me and posted this interview on his blog. Because it is in Hungarian, I have uploaded a translated version on my site.
Thanks to László for sharing and the interview. Take a look at his site here.
Collectors – Ivo Beuken
May 8, 2025 – The Collector
I'm expanding my series with a new installment, where I interview fellow collectors like myself. This time, we're going international, because the main subject of this article is a Dutch guy who not only runs a webshop for model cars but also owns a massive personal collection.
There are plenty of good webshops out there, but most of them only offer new products. Sure, you can find older releases on buy-and-sell sites, but I always feel safer buying from a webshop. What's special about Ivo's store is that he sells both current and older releases. Now that Little Wheels is temporarily closed, his webshop clearly has the largest stock of used model car products. They have a large number of Minichamps cars from the '90s through the 2000s, and they also sell some very rare Romu models that were only sold in Japan.
And his collection... it's hard to put into words. Unfortunately, I couldn't see it in person, but I wanted to show it to you all and introduce the owner of this collection. Like most collectors, I met Ivo during a purchase: there was a small issue with an Alesi model, so I contacted him. He handled the situation very correctly and professionally, and eventually, we got to talking about collecting model cars. It turned out we were on the same wavelength. A good relationship developed between us, and we still keep in touch to this day.
Did you ever think that a complaining customer would end up having a conversation with you? 😄
Haha, that's a good question to start with. I'm a collector first and a dealer second. As such, I fully understand buyers' expectations. They want quality with good value for money. As a dealer, I try to communicate with them the way I would expect if I were on the other side of the table. This works very well if you can offer truly suitable solutions. Sometimes, during a purchase, a conversation arises between me and the customer about collecting, and sometimes friendships develop from these conversations. That's really a nice feeling.
That's good to hear. Let's move on to your webshop! Besides your collection, you also run a webshop: https://www.yuui.nl/nl. When did you start it?
In 2013.
That's a long time ago! Here in Hungary – but also elsewhere – I often miss the real stores where you can see the models in person. Have you ever thought about opening a physical store?
No, because I run the webshop only as a side job. I can't afford to open a physical store. That would involve entirely different costs and opening hours. I have a full-time job that I don't want to give up to open a model store. I agree with you that physical stores shouldn't disappear. When I'm in a new city, I like to check out the local offerings to see if I can find the model I've been looking for for a long time...
Totally understandable. When and how did your passion for Formula 1 begin? The Netherlands has given the world more F1 drivers than Hungary. Was there a Hungarian participant you cheered for, or was there someone else who had a big influence on you?
My passion for Formula 1 started in 1991. I was watching TV, and suddenly there was a man driving his McLaren in an amazing way: Ayrton Senna, who eventually became world champion that year. From that moment, he was my hero. The 1992 season was tough for me, but I hoped that 1993 and 1994 would be better. And unfortunately, we know how his story ended...
Anyway, I really enjoyed playing MicroProse Grand Prix with my friends on the PC, trying to beat each other's lap times.
Absolutely, Grand Prix 2 was also one of my favorites as a kid! But let's get back to the main topic: when did you start collecting Formula 1 models?
I started collecting around 1991-1992, initially 1:20 Tamiya models that I assembled myself. I really enjoyed the assembly itself, but I liked the painting and the stickers less. I have bad memories, especially of the stickers on the Goodyear tires, which kept curling up. The other reason I stopped was that after about 25 different cars, I couldn't find any newer models in the stores near me.
Later, I visited a fair in Aachen, Germany, where I ended up not buying a Tamiya model but two 1:43 models: a 1993 McLaren and a 1994 Williams – both Ayrton Senna's cars, of course. Then I set myself the goal of acquiring all the cars from the 1994 season. Eventually, I succeeded with Minichamps and Onyx models, and thus my new hobby was born.
So 1:43 is your main focus, but in the beginning, you also had 1:20 models. Do you have any other scale cars in your collection?
No, I don't. As a kid, I didn't have the money or space to collect 1:18 models. Now I have too many 1:43 cars, so I don't have room anymore. The 1:64 scale never really appealed to me. Although I find 1:12 scale models beautiful, I'm happier with fifteen 1:43 scale models than with one 1:12 scale model.
Based on the photos, you have a lot of models, but do you know exactly how many?
No, and that's pretty lame, right? I'm currently rebuilding my F1 database. You can check it out here: https://f1models.site/F1database/index.php. Once it's ready, I can finally upload exactly which models I have in my collection. I estimate the number is somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000.
That's wonderful! There are a lot of rarities among them that other collectors would give anything for. Unbelievable, but there's even a 1987 Minardi. I'm really jealous of you! 😄 Is there one that's your absolute favorite?
I would distinguish between the rarest and the most favorite models. I would count two Schumacher models among my rarest pieces: the 1995 Benetton (French GP, MSC#17) with a marble base and the 1992 Benetton with a race circuit inlay. I'd like to tell you briefly about the latter: I bought it in Germany for just 5 Deutsche Marks because it wasn't licensed and therefore couldn't be officially marketed. Later, it was released as part of the Michael Schumacher collection (#1) – with a different inlay.
My two favorite models:
- The Team Modena 291 Lamborghini from 1991 – a beautiful metallic blue car.
- Andrea Moda S921 – a black car that moved more like a brick on the track, but the story of team boss Andrea Sassetti makes this team really exciting.
Yes, those are really special models; everyone would be happy with them. Is there something you've been longing for but haven't gotten yet?
Currently, my focus is on the Senna era: I'm collecting Spark models from the 1984-1994 period in 1:43 scale. I really want to get the Eurobrun cars of Gregor Foitek and Roberto Moreno released by Raceland. If anyone has these and wants to sell or trade them with me for something from my store, please send an email to info@yuui.nl 😊
The eternal question: Minichamps or Spark? Do you have a clear favorite? How do you know if both manufacturers offer the same model car?
I started with Minichamps and collected only that for a long time. However, fewer classic F1 cars are being released nowadays, so I increasingly choose Spark models. I don't really have a favorite. The prices are comparable; sometimes Spark is nicer, and sometimes Minichamps.
As a store owner, I receive many more damaged models from Minichamps than from Spark. From this perspective, Spark is the winner for me.
As a collector, I prefer Minichamps boxes: they're transparent on three sides and can be easily stacked.
And one more classic question: what do your family, partner, and friends think of your hobby? Did they support your passion, or did they look at you strangely?
My Formula 1 fan friends appreciate my hobby much more than my family. My family would be happier if I stopped collecting and the webshop so that I could spend more time with them. Moreover, the store and the pickup area take up quite a bit of space in our house, and they're not too happy about that either.
Have you ever thought about organizing an exhibition of your collection?
No, but if you come to pick up your order in person, you can already view my collection. Part of it is on display.
In our country, collecting high-quality Formula 1 cars is seen as a narrow subculture, even within the subculture itself. What's the situation in the Netherlands? Has your Formula 1 fever increased with the arrival of Max Verstappen? Moreover, he's not just an average participant but a multiple world champion in the sport.
In 1994, when Jos Verstappen entered Formula 1, there was some interest in the Netherlands, but the real breakthrough came with Max's debut in 2015, and in 2016 he won his first race. That's when the popularity of the sport really exploded.
Minichamps – and to a lesser extent Spark – have released too many different Verstappen models in recent years. Minichamps, for example, has released almost all race-winning cars. The year 2023 was ridiculous in this regard because Max won almost every race, and collectors just couldn't keep up. Many people now choose to buy only 1-2 models per season.
As a result, many people gave up the hobby and sold their collections on various marketplaces. This ultimately led to a price drop.
Do you have any other Hungarian customers besides me?
For privacy reasons, I can't name names, but it could very well be Gábor, Csaba, Tamás, or Zsolt. If they read your blog, they'll probably recognize themselves. I want to thank them – and all Hungarian visitors!
Is there anything you'd like to say to other collectors before we wrap up?
Collecting models should be fun, not an obsession. Don’t spend ridiculous amounts – be patient. When the right moment comes, go for it. And maybe the most important thing: it’s a hobby you can pause or even quit anytime. Don’t forget about your friends and family – they’re way more important than these little things.
Get out and explore the world – or even just your own country – before it’s too late. I was lucky: I first visited Hungary in 1988 with my parents, in 2007 for work, and this August I’m going again – this time with my kids and my wife. You have a beautiful country. As a kid, I was fascinated by the Danube bridges, the Parliament building, the summer weather, and the friendly people.
And if you ever visit the Netherlands – like József Kiprich or Balázs Dzsudzsák did – I hope you’ll have as great an experience here as I’ve had with the Hungarians.
Wishing all readers of this blog the very best!
I’d like to thank Ivo once again for the interview and wish him the best of luck with his webshop and collection. It wasn’t a short interview, but those who made it to the end definitely deserved the reward.
