On a recent Saturday morning, Gil Peckham barely had turned the sign at his Spokane Valley shop to Open from Closed when a patron walked in.


Got any Star Wars cars yet? the eager young man asked.


The question might have sounded like it was from outer space to someone who doesnt follow the world of miniature racecar collectibles, but it triggered a knowing nod from Peckham, owner of Checkered Flag Racing Collectibles. Thats because NASCAR driver John Andrettis stock car soon will be emblazoned with stormtroopers and light saber-wielding jedis to promote the opening of the new Star Wars movie, Episode II: Attack of the Clones. A die-cast, 1/24-scale replica of that car is expected to be one of the hottest collectible cars this year.


Checkered Flag doesnt have the Star Wars cars yetnobody does, Peckham says. He expects, however, that those cars soon will share shelf space with replicas of Jeff Gordons Dupont-sponsored car, Dale Earnhardt Jr.s Budweiser car, Mark Martins Viagra car, and a couple of hundred other replicas of cars driven by NASCARs elite.


Such replicas line the shelves in the small shop, which is located in a strip center at 2901 N. Argonne in the Spokane Valley. Nearly all of the replicas are stock cars, although Checkered Flag carries a small number of dragster replicas as well. NASCAR-related clothing, hats, and other miscellaneous itemsfrom key chains to clocks to beverage holdersalso are displayed around the store.


Peckham and his wife, Diana, opened Checkered Flag late last year, and it already has attracted a small, but loyal, group of patrons who make regular pit stopssometimes weeklyat the shop, Peckham says. He says most are looking for the replica cars, which account for about 70 percent of the stores sales so far.


Most of the cars are 1/24 the size of an actual stock car, or about 8 inches long. Retail prices for such cars typically range from $45 to $150.


Some car replicas are built to 1/18 scale, just under a foot long, and others are at 1/64 scale, which is the size of the familiar Matchbox-type car.


The Peckhams operate the store through a company they formed called Woodland Ventures LLC. Theyre the ventures only employees, though they say the store doesnt generate enough sales yet for them to take away income from it to pay themselves.


Separately, the Peckhams operate GT Framing, a Spokane-based framing subcontractor that specializes in multifamily construction and works exclusively in Western Washington. Gil Peckham says that business basically is subsidizing Checkered Flag for now, although the retail operation is taking steps toward becoming self-supporting.


One of those steps is getting the stores replicas out onto the information superhighway.


Checkered Flag has established a new Web site that sells online many of the same products that it offers in its Spokane Valley store. He believes that online store will prosper.


We do OK with the walk-in, but the key to this business is the Web site, he says. I just dont know if we could make it just selling in Spokane.


Peckham says he plans to bolster the ventures Internet sales by offering replica cars through online auctions. Its common through such auctions, he says, for bidders to become comfortable with a seller and seek out the sellers Web site, where additional merchandise is available for sale.


Also, online auctions can be a good market in which to sell high-end products that might be more difficult to sell in a store. Some limited-edition replicas sell for upwards of $500, and the typical buyer of such a car is more likely to seek out such an item on the Internet than to come into a retail store, Peckham adds.


Checkered Flags retail store is open just three days a week. Peckham says he operates his framing business Monday through Thursday, then tends the store with his wife on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.


Diana Peckham says, People comment on how they cant believe my husband works seven days a week. I say he doesnt. He works four days a week and plays the other three days.


As is the case with many hobby shop owners, Peckham was a collector before he was a purveyor of collectibles. He can empathize with the young customer who inquired about the Star Wars car, because it wasnt so long ago that he was on the other side of the counter at similar specialty stores in the Seattle area, eagerly anticipating rollout of the next hot car.


Diana Peckham says her husband always has been a NASCAR fan. Every year, they travel together to a couple of Winston Cup races around the country.