This is my F1 collection, proudly displayed in my new apartment. The only items missing are any pieces of F1 clothing I have, like shoes, jackets, and shirts. That and a few books and magazines are also not pictured.
Getting all of this in the US is harder than it should be. 
You might be asking me why it’s so much harder, and the simple answer to that question is that even as the popularity grows, there simply isn’t enough demand for mainstream stores to carry F1 merchandise. The rare exceptions to all that are the Lego F1 sets that have come out recently, and Puma stores, which usually carry the branded F1 gear that they themselves produce. Minichamps and other models though? Your best luck is usually Ebay and a lovely website called Speedgear. They carry all the F1 and racing stuff you could ever want. And they usually have great deals going on.
But say you live in 1994, and you hate online shopping, where do you go then? The place where I’ve had the most luck getting books, magazines, DVDS, and games related to F1 is Half Price books. They get so much stuff that you will be sure to find something every time you go. Just last night I grabbed a sealed 2007 Season Review DVD. That sort of find, mixed with classic books about older drivers, plus vintage seasons makes it a hot bed for the F1 fan that doesn’t mind a bit of a hunt. That, and of course, most books stores will carry brand new F1 books, and the official F1 magazine. Be warned though, the magazine retails for 10 bucks here in the US, similarly to the Top Gear mag.
You might be asking me then how I got my models. The answer to that is simply that I went to races. I wish it were easier than that to grab a Minichamp in person, but hobby shops and the races seem to be the only places that you can get them in person without shipping and the like. At the races, there usually seems to be an air of haggling, so if it’s an independent shop owner, tell them what you want, and try to make a deal. Oh, and one last avenue of Merch and Models is your local Ferrari Dealer. Usually they have a small boutique area that has F1 models, and Scuderia Ferrari Merch. That and you get to gawk at whatever they have in their show room.
All of this, combined with the games being available everywhere, and older games being pretty easy to find at Mom and pop game shops, should help you get your F1 collection kickstarted. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send me a message on twitter @PartyPat116, or comment here.
Next week we get back to racing at the Circuit de SPA Francorchamps!