Michael Zarnock - Pickers Pocket Guide--Hot Wheels

An array of Custom Volkswagens in orange, magenta, antifreeze, rose and lime.

Hot Wheels cars, track sets and accessories have been a part of childhood memories for millions of boys and girls around the globe since they were released in 1968. Whether its Ed Roths Beatnik Bandit with its see-through bubble top or Tom Daniels Red Baron with its large chrome WWI German helmet for a roof, there arent too many people who can say theyve never heard of them or that they didnt have one if not both of them when they were young.

As it turns out, both the Red Baron and the Beatnik Bandit along with the Silhouette (Bill Cushenberry), Paddy Wagon (Tom Daniel), and the Twin Mill (Ira Gilford) are the most recognized Hot Wheels cars of all time, with the Red Baron being number one. These cars were early Hot Wheels designs and were released between 1968 and 1970. They are not only the most recognized toy cars in the world, but are still highly sought after by many who have started to collect again and for some who are starting to collect for the very first time. Some collectors old and new have even gone as far as stating that theyre trying to buy back their childhood.

These little metal cars manufactured by Mattel Inc. are no longer just kids toys. Collectors now range in ages from 5 to 85, and even older. Gender holds no boundaries either. Male and female alike collect with the same vim, vigor and tenacity in their search for that one special piece that will set their collection above all others. When Hot Wheels were first released, we bought them from the local merchants and of course didnt realize that there were color and design differences within the toys released. It was a toy and all we cared about was ripping it open to play with it as soon as we got out of the store.

Mattel put a lot of thought into these little cars and would give pre-production designs to their employees to take home. They were asked to have their children play with them so Mattel could discover the toys play value. Such things as how well the child liked the car, its color and overall look were measured. Mattel wanted to know how well the cars worked on the Hot Wheels track and how long the cars kept the kids interest. Of course these pre-production pieces were made in very limited quantities and in odd colors too.

After a few days of play, the children would tell their parents what they did and did not like about the cars. The parents would then report back to work with the information and a lot of times, these pre-production cars would end up in a shoe box in the closet and eventually to the attic or basement and forgotten.

With the advent of the Internet, collectors from around the world are now able to search out and communicate with each other making it easier than ever to acquire those extremely rare items. Collectors travel across the country and some even across the globe searching for a forgotten collection or maybe just to see an ex-Mattel employee shoe box full of cars that theyve heard about to try and persuade them to sell. These types of collections are quite valuable to collectors, as some cars have sold for tens of thousands of dollars each. Yes, collectors have paid tens of thousands of dollars for one Hot Wheels car!

The amount of money spent can be mind-boggling. How about $72,000 for an ultra-rare, pre-production, rear-loading pink Volkswagen Beach Bomb! (See for more on this rare find) Another example of a pink Volkswagen Bus with a different base design sold for $32,000 and then was resold for $55,000! Just like collectors of fine art and antiques, Hot Wheels car collectors come from all walks of life, with all kinds of different incomes, some limited and some unlimited! Ive been a collector from the start and I can tell you with no uncertainty youd be surprised to know what celebrities and captains of industry and real estate moguls are hard-core Hot Wheels collectors.

This rare pre-production 1969 VW Beach Bomb sold for $72,000.

(Courtesy Bruce Pascal)

Although named Hot Rod when Larry Wood sketched this 1932 Ford roadster-based car in July of 1975, the Hot Wheels car was released as Street Rodder in 1976.

(Illustration courtesy Larry Wood)

Just like other collecting communities, there are many toy shows and conventions around the world were collectors go to buy, sell, and trade with each other. Some of the larger events are in countries such as Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and of course in the United States. One of the larger U.S. conventions is held every Fall in Los Angeles and there is even a Diecast Hall of Fame Ceremony every February in Las Vegas honoring individuals and manufactures who have done so much for the hobby.

As one might understand, collectors plan their vacations around these events and of course include their families. Collecting Hot Wheels as a family is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the hobby. As it turns out, Hot Wheels collectors have created a whole new sub-culture of their own just like Trekkies and those who collect Action Figures and Comic Books. Theres no age limit and there are definitely no rules as what or how to collect. Its all about your passion and what you do with it!

This guide will show you some of the important things to look for when coming across Hot Wheels cars and accessories, along with an idea of what things sell for on the secondary market. Prices can fluctuate wildly depending on market conditions, supply and demand and the health of the overall economy. Prices on the secondary market are not set in stone. The prices within the pages of this guide are just that, a guide to what someone may be willing to pay for an object that they want for their collection. Keeping that in mind, be aware of what you are buying, its condition and what you plan on doing with it.

When looking to buy or sell Hot Wheels cars, keep in mind that condition is everything. Chips and wear can devalue cars. There are many collectors that count the number of chips and grade cars accordingly. If theres no paint, bent wheels, broken windows or missing parts, the car is junk and has no value. Things that make one car more valuable than another are things like different colors, windows that are clear or tinted, interior colors, country of production and of course details like stickers, decals or tampos (painted graphics).

The authors very own Hot Wheels car, a 2009 Altered Roadster.

Another very important piece of information to remember is that the date on the bottom of the car does not mean that it is the year that car was produced. The date on the bottom of the car indicates when that casting design was first copyrighted. Many uninformed people make this mistake and put a big value on a fairly new car because the date on the base shows the 1960s or 1970s. Castings have been used over and over since the tools were created and keep the original copyright date on the base. The only way to tell the actual production date is to have the car in its original package, do the research on it with the help of a guide, or actually be knowledgeable enough to know because you bought one when it was released. I cant begin to count how many times Ive been contacted by people wanting to sell a collection telling me they have cars from the 1970s and 1980s, only to discover theyre all cars from the 2000s.