Beantown Model Collectors organise seventh Trade Meet 

“The biggest misconception is that these cars are toys,” says Aditya Menon, founder of The Beantown Model Collectors Association, which recently organised their seventh and largest trade meet in Bengaluru.

“The models are an investment, and one that holds sentimental value,“ says Aditya.

The venue saw a wonderful turnout of around 500 visitors during the six-hour event, where over 7,000 models of motor vehicles brought by collectors and sponsors were put on display. Automobile lovers of all ages admired trains, battleships, McLarens, vintage Hot Wheels cars and more at the show that included dioramas of all scales and makes, and included figurines, RC Drifts, off-road models, and official merchandise from car makers. 

Almost every stall boasted a collector with an interesting story to share, one of whom was TR Raghunandhan, a 66-year-old former IAS officer who took “seven years, nine months, and 11 days” to make a full-scale model of a locomotive out of elephant dung paper.

“This piece is an homage to the beautiful memories I had of this train in the early 90s, before it was taken off the tracks,” Raghunandhan said. “I used to travel by train to meet my girlfriend, who is now my wife.” The locomotive is crafted with an immense attention to detail, and something he takes great pride in. 

Collectors hailed from professional backgrounds vastly diverse from the automobile industry. Most fell in love with engines when they were children and began avidly collecting models, often being forced to downsize due to a lack of space in their homes. 

At the Beantown Model Collectors trade meet 2025
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“There is a collector’s curve one needs to understand,” states Ankur Y, one of the sponsors. “It begins with us trying to collect almost everything. This is followed by a burnout stage, and then we figure out what we would like to collect whether by theme, make or model,” says the market growth analyst. 

Not all pieces were for sale and needless to say, the greater the detail, the higher the value of the model.

Rohan Koomar, who has been a Beantown Model Collectors regular over the past few years, said the community was initially an online presence, peopled by those who shared a similar interest, and gradually evolved into a large-scale expos that travels to other cities too.

Aditya Menonsays the name ‘Beantown’ was not only a tribute to Karnataka, but was a unique name that did not  take after any automobile. The association was founded by three childhood friends in 2017, and is one of the few registered scale model hobbyist clubs in Bengaluru.