Dylan Mercier was not unlike any number of boys growing up. He loved playing with toy cars and trucks.
The St. Anne man, who recently had his Mack semi-tractor and trailer wrapped to pay tribute to firefighters, is now stepping into a world he never could have imagined.
Mercier, who will soon turn the age of 20, was contacted by die cast toy manufacturer First Gear, Inc. The Peosta, Iowa-based company is an officially licensed custom die cast manufacturer of metal replica cars, trucks and construction equipment. It will be transforming his unique ride into a collectible die cast model.
The die cast will be on a 1/64 scale of his truck, meaning is will be only several inches in length.
If all goes as planned, the first production of the truck will be completed by late February to early March.
And that’s not all. Mercier is not just taking all the cash — one of the die cast trucks would likely sell in the $100 range — and putting it into his pocket.