Don't think we're too busy counting our nickels and running our Micro-Racers across the parquet to talk! Pick up the phone and call 1-800-TIN-TOYS right now (that's 1-800-846-8697 for you numerates) or, if it's not during our abnormal business hours, jot us down an e-mail message. We love hearing from you.

You gotta understand that trading in tin toys is an ephemeral business. Their originality and scarcity make these rarities worth having in the first place.

We've got more than a thousand different items in our warehouse; 80 percent are changed from last year, and we'll have the same turnover by next year. Many of these pieces never make it to the Lilliput catalog, and no way are we gonna create a mega-website to hold it all. Besides, it would take hours to look at the whole thing, even with your DSL connection.

No, if you want to get the scoop, you've got to stay in the loop. If you're looking for a category of goods or for specific items, use the Preferred Customer Page. If you just want to grouse about something, you can do it here.

"We just appreciate imaginative and colorful toys, same as you. We enjoy fielding your inquiries, everything from what ever happened to those old tinplate trains that you wound up with a key to what's a good Christmas present for little nephew Dudley (who's now 36) to how do I get a replacement tire for my Schuco Micro-Racer - so get with it. Give us a try, because we don't care how they do it in LA!"