Here are some of those most coveted Hot Wheels whose allure takes different forms – for some it’s their unusual design, for others it’s a historic feature or even error gone extinct; there are those which were highly exclusive by default, and there are those which, to put it simply, are just very expensive, probably for all of the reasons above. Whichever the case, these die-cast cars are united by their uniqueness and the power they hold over any Hot Wheels collector.

1974 Baja Bruiser

  Image source: titillatingtreasures/eBay

What makes the Baja Bruiser special is its historic significance. It’s one of the first die-cast cars to incorporate graphics, called “tampos” instead of the signature “Spectraflame” colors which went out of production in 1972.

1977 ’31 “Redline” Doozie

  Image source: original_redlines/eBay

The “Redline” era of Hot Wheels refers to the period from 1968 to 1977 when all Hot Wheels cars had red lines around the edge of their wheels. Being one of the very last to have this, the “Redline” Doozie is a symbol of a dying breed of cars which will always be Hot Wheels’ founding figures.

1996 Ferrari F50 Spider

 Image source: South Texas Diecast Collectors

What makes this one special is that it’s a Ferrari, as simple as that. Ferrari, especially in the 90s, epitomized speed and luxury like nothing else. This miniature car is imbued with at least a thousand boys’ daydreams for every horsepower it packs.

1983 Classic Cobra

 Image Citation: Hot Wheels Collectors Newsletter

In 1983, Mattel introduced the “Real Riders” collection, bringing back their attention to wheels. The collection is defined by the cars’ big, bad tires which look so real boys could almost see smoke coming from their vicious skid. And this beauty is one of the first, but not of many since the production cost for this collection was too high.

1970 Red Barron

 Image Citation: anestateofmind/eBay

It takes one look to realize this die-cast car is anything but ordinary. Inspired by the German World War I pilot Manfred Von Richthofen, A.K.A the Red Barron, this Hot Wheel is reminiscent of a surreal tribute. It has a German helmet in place of a roof and a pair of machine guns. To make it even more unique, it was produced as a prototype, with less than 10 models known to exist.

1970 Ed Shaver Custom AMX

 Image Citation: Style by Shock Visual 

This model is unique on a few different levels. To start things off, it was available only in the UK and was only produced in blue, making it the blue jewel in the crown of any Hot Wheels collector who is only after blue cars.

But what makes it particularly special is the stickers of Ed Shavers who was an American serviceman based in the UK whose drag racing career was sponsored by Mattel. Those cars were sold on race tracks where he raced and also came in cereal boxes, tying them with different rituals and dreams that left an everlasting trail on many childhoods.

2008 Diamond-Encrusted Custom Otto

 Image Citation: Geocaching

This is a model not any Hot Wheels collector should have, simply because there can be only one Hot Wheels collector to have it. It was created in 2008 by celebrity jeweler Jason Arasheben to commemorate Hot Wheels 40^th anniversary. It has 2,702 diamonds, took over 600 hours of work, and was sold on an auction for $140,000, making it more of a die-cast car any Hot Wheels collector can dream of.

1976 Corvette Stingray

 Image Citation: titillatingtreasures / eBay

Even though this model isn’t exactly unique since Mattel has produced a great number of variations of the Corvette Stingray, this is precisely what makes it a true classic any Hot Wheels collector would be lucky to have. It’s as close as you can get to a must-have, a real stamp of class on any collection.

1974 Blue Rodger Dodger

 Image Citation: Complete Set

With only 7 Rodger Dodgers made in that color, this is the ultimate dream of any blue Hot Wheels collector.

Legend has it that Bob Parker, a Hot Wheels collector, traded off a bunch of his Matchbox cars to a collector in England for all 7 Blue Rodger Dodgers, then sold all 7 to people throughout the United States.

1968 Beatnik Bandit

 Image Citation: Redline Collector

Not only is this a part of the very first 16 Hot Wheels, making it a die-cast car any Hot Wheel collector in his/her right mind would kill over, but it stood out right away even among such a dreamy squadron. It’s re-created from Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s concept car for Rod & Custom Magazine from 1961 that featured futuristic elements such as a big bubble over the driver’s seat and a joystick instead of a steering wheel. It looks like a car that has come out of a video game, and after all, it has never been a real car, the Beatnik Bandit embodies an invaluable chance which few collectible items could ever offer – to really blur the lines between toys and their real counterparts.

1969 Pink Rear-Loading Volkswagen Beach Bomb

 Image Citation: Complex

Hot Wheels collectors and experts, with all their different tastes and personalities, have reaches a somewhat universal consensus – this is the most coveted die-cast car by any Hot Wheels collector. After all, money isn’t really subjective, and this one was sold for $125,000.

The reasons for this staggering cost are two. First, it is pink, not the most boyish of colors, making it one of the very few pink Hot Wheels. Most of all though, it was built as a prototype and is distinguished by the actual released version by the fact that the surfboards are loaded in the back of the van rather than on a side pod.

This van remained a prototype because it was too narrow for the Hot Wheels race tracks and Super Charger. The most expensive testament of how costly errors can be in the Hot Wheels world, but certainly not in the traditional sense.

And there you have it – some of the most desired die-cast cars virtually any Hot Wheels collector would love to possess. Their Exclusivity and high cost are certainly their main common denominators, but don’t get discouraged by – what makes Hot Wheels so collectible is the boundless chance for self-expression they offer, and unless your collection is driven by strictly materialistic goals, you can always find ways to re-create your individuality into a material form that is defined by its class and distinctive style rather than its price.

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Who are the collectors

Despite Hot Wheels becoming the cultural phenomenon that it is, the popularity of any brand with five decades of history is bound to eventually reach a plateau.

“For the first 15 years, I just did my job, and no one cared,” Larry Wood, Hot Wheels head designer of many years, tells Car and Driver. “Sales went up. Sales went down.”

But then, something changed.

“Then, about 20 years in, the kids who’d bought the original cars started to become dads, and these dads started buying the cars for their kids, and things just went through the roof,” Wood continues.

This is the motivation behind a fair portion of Robb Bellon’s collection. A father from Missouri, How Wheels drives him and his son to “conventions and Hot Wheels car shows monthly”, as well as closer to each other and other people who share both their passion and family-related lifestyle.

“Gives me a chance to bond with other single fathers. Bring our children… It’s mostly dads and their kids,” Robb explains.

Nostalgia

But as much as Hot Wheels may fuel Robb’s relationship with his son, it wasn’t fatherhood that started his collection, but the nostalgia for his own childhood.

“Mostly, I collect because it reminds me of my childhood,” he explains. “Back in 1995 Treasure Hunts came out and I could never find one. Eventually, when I started making more money with my job, I started to go after them just because I couldn’t find them when I was younger.”

Not only can collectors ride Hot Wheels down memory lane, but also extend it with memories which were once only dreams. Collecting is a chance for a wholehearted: “This one is for my younger self.”

An Expression of Individuality

With their overwhelming diversity, the Hot Wheels cars offer a means of self-expression that constitutes perhaps the most frequently recurring theme among any type of collection. While manifesting your individuality in real cars might come at a certain price, Hot Wheels collectors can generally do it for far less. Unless they’re after some extremely rare gem, all they need is some knowledge, time, and drive. Some Hot Wheels collectors go after special, limited series and editions, like the coveted Treasure Hunts series. Others can create their own series, collecting the miniature versions of their dream cars.

Robb likes to do both.

“Mine [my collection] definitely reflects my individuality. I do tend to collect Hot Wheels versions of cars that I really like. Like Exotics. Ferraris. Lamborghinis. I mainly collect the Treasure Hunt Hot Wheels,” he says.

Distinctive Historic Details

And then there are those really, really rare Hot Wheels which can cost more than actual cars. They are usually one-or-very-few-of-a-kind. Sometimes, only a tiny difference separates them from another, much less valuable die-cast car, yet to Hot Wheels collectors, this tiny difference makes all the difference. For example, only the very first 16 Hot Wheels cars that came out in 1968 had redline wheels, and even the most exact replicas without those red lines wouldn’t be worth much in an expert’s eyes. It’s not the aesthetics of the design what many Hot Wheels collectors are primarily after – it’s the historic period of Hot Wheels and sometimes even the U.S. that the design was born out of. A rare die-cast car is like a unique photo of an era Hot Wheels collectors might have never even experienced.

For many, the Hot Wheels cars might be the ultimate collectible items – they carry so much personal and collective history within such little space. And not just any space, but the boiled-down outer and engineering beauty of real cars.

Funnily enough, perhaps some of the people who own the actual cars don’t cherish them half as much as Hot Wheels collectors treasure their die-cast versions. And this is what collecting is all about. This, and passing the collection and passion on to a loved one.

The post Hot Wheels Collectors: Collecting Memories and Family Moments appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Do the Research

Hot Wheels celebrates its 50-year anniversary this year, which means the brand has been through a lot – and what fuels a collector’s drive more than a rich history and a medley of periods? History and different periods of designs are perhaps the two engines of all Hot Wheels collectors’ treasured selections.

If you’re starting out, the first thing you need to do is read up on Hot Wheels’ history and development throughout the years. You will learn about the different series, the cultural and historical period they are the reflection of, as well as Mattel’s continuous strive for innovation every design is driven by. Some of the designs’ historic characteristics, especially ones that turned out to be errors for one reason or another, make for some of the most coveted Hot Wheels today.

This knowledge will become the foundation of your collection’s theme, it will give your individual taste a more concrete and refined expression.

Hot Wheels Themes

In the spirit of Hot Wheels’ diversity of styles and Hot Wheels collectors’ diversity of personalities, collections’ themes can be almost as many as the actual cars. Here are a few starting off points:

Colors

This is probably the simplest one, but it’s not a bad way to start out. If you have an affinity for a certain color, just like many people always go for a specific color of cars, you can not only create a vibrant theme for your Hot Wheels collection, but also an unlikely decoration for your home.

Series

Over the years, Mattel has come up with a variety of series. One of the most famous and sought after ones is Treasure Hunt series which first appeared in 1995. It can be recognized by the circled flame which is placed somewhere on a door or a spoiler.

Then, there’s the Super Treasure Hunt Series. Those Hot Wheels cars are even less in production numbers and can be recognized by the letters “TH” somewhere on their body. They have often tuned versions of the basic cars, with better paint jobs, more eye-catching artwork, as well as Real Riders (rubbers wheels instead of plastic).

But series don’t end there. There are the Formula One series that was the result of Mattel’s collaboration with 5 Formula One team. There’s The Beatles series which is pretty funky, the Japanese Historics, Planet Micro, and many more. Generally speaking though, The Treasure Hunt series, in the spirit of their name, are harder to find and respectively of greater value.

Errors

There’s another theme which offers an invaluable chance – to celebrate errors. Ironically, errors make for one of the most unique, interesting, and respectively expensive collections. Because such models naturally went out of production pretty soon after designers realized their mistakes, those models are very few in numbers and very big in cost.

Redlines are also models that pose a universal appeal for Hot Wheels collectors. They are the models that feature a red line on their tires and went out of production in 1977.

The Debate: In or Out of the Package

This is a debate that has pervaded not only the circles of Hot Wheels collectors but toy collectors as a whole. Some say toys are meant to be enjoyed and played with, others like to preserve them inside their shells, protected from all the dangers our world poses for them.

If you’re collecting with the main idea to sell toys online one day, keeping them in the package will certainly increase your profit. If not, there is an undeniable beauty in a collection, spread out somewhere in your house like your very own bad-ass squadron, waiting for its captain to raise some hell. If you’re unsure if one day you might want to sell, a good idea is to keep the package as intact as possible in order to prove your cars’ origin.

Hot Wheels Shops

Even though most big shops like Walmart and Toys R Us will always have a variety of Hot Wheels, you will always have a better chance of finding something special at smaller and more exclusive shops. A good idea is to join forums like hotwheelscollectors.com for news, tips, and trends. The beauty of being a collector is the sense of community that comes with it and there’s no shame in being a newbie.

And there you have it – a couple of tips for aspiring Hot Wheels collectors, and just some of the countless themes you can come up with. You can go after specific brands, years of the model, muscle cars, sports cars, or anything else that feels right.

In short, the rule is one – try to have a theme, whatever it may be. But in the end, even if the only theme and purpose of your collection is the randomness of your taste, who can judge you. Your cars certainly won’t.

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