MODEL cars are certainly a niche market.

Buyers are often in search of a piece of nostalgia or simply fascinated by the motoring world.

Hedingham Models owner Niall Thurogood, 43, has had a love for model cars since he was a little boy.

His family set up the business in Braintree’s Coggeshall Road in 1992.

Now based in Market Place Mr Thurogood continues the family tradition to this day.

With a push towards online shopping and enthusiasts being able to buy their desired model cheaper on the internet some owners would be worried.

But not Mr Thurogood.

He believes good customer service is what is keeping Hedingham Models thriving.

Mr Thurogood grew up around models in the early eighties, with his parents trading collectables and the youngster helping out.

He said: “We got into it as a family with my dad being into die cast metal models.

“My mum and dad did a lot of weekend shows to trade these collectables, they worked full time jobs alongside their hobby though.

“They would do model fairs in village halls, and before long we had our own business.

“My mum decided to open Hedingham Models and we moved to a store in Coggeshall Road in 1992.

“Then we moved here on Market Street a year later, and we’ve been here for over 25 years.”

The store specialises in die-cast Formula One, motor sport and road vehicles, in addition to die-cast aircraft and military vehicles.

Hedingham Models has no online store or a sales page, and has recently set up a mail order system for clients.

Mr Thurogood said: “Online there is a bigger market, but we do not have a sales page because of the nature of model collecting itself.

“Many of the models may be not yet released, they could be sold out or removed from the production schedule.

“We also prefer to speak to our customers personally, because we can then ensure that the information we give is right up to date.

“Many of our shop customers come from around the UK, but with our mail order system we are global.

“Our customers through the mail order system come from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, and Finland.

“We also have a very large market in the US.

“But it is not just people with a lot of money, it is fairly balanced.

“The key ingredient and what motor model collectors have in common is they are all enthusiastic about cars and the motor industry.

“What Hedingham Models wants to do is to provide collectors with the latest models and to make collectors happy at the end of the day.”

MODEL car buyers are a specialist, niche market.

They collect for different reasons, whether they are nostalgic for a bygone car or they are fascinated by the motoring world.

Many High Street shop business models have failed over the years due to the rise of internet and e-commerce.

Enthusiasts can buy their desired model online and for a cheaper price.

This eventually leads to many firms going out of business or switching to an online platform.

But business owner Niall Thurogood, 43, said good customer service is what is keeping Hedingham Models thriving.

His business has been based in Braintree’s Market Place for more than 25 years, and moved into the town in 1992.

Niall grew up around models in the early Eighties, with his parents trading collectables and Niall helping out.

He said: “We got into it as a family with my Dad being into die cast metal models.

“My Mum and Dad did a lot of weekend shows to trade these collectables, they worked full time jobs alongside their hobby though.

“They would do model fairs in village halls, and before long we had our own business.

“My Mum decided to open Hedingham Models and we moved to a store in Coggeshall Road in 1992.

“Then we moved here on Market Street a year later, and we’ve been here for over 25 years.”

The store specialises in die-cast formula one, motor sport and road vehicles, in addition to die-cast aircraft and military vehicles.

Hedingham Models has no online store or a sales page, and has recently set up a mail order system for clients.

Niall said: “Online there is a bigger market, but we do not have a sales page because of the nature of model collecting itself.

“Many of the models may be not yet released, they could be sold out or removed from the production schedule.

“We also prefer to speak to our customers personally, because we can then ensure that the information we give is right up to date.

“Many of our shop customers come from around the UK, but with our mail order system we are global.

“Our customers through the mail order system come from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, and Finland.

“We also have a very large market in the US.

“But it is not just people with a lot of money, it is fairly balanced.

“The key ingredient and what motor model collectors have in common is they are all enthusiastic about cars and the motor industry.

“What Hedingham Models wants to do is to provide collectors with the latest models and to make collectors happy at the end of the day.”