Michael Zarnock - Hot Wheels Accessories: The Ultimate Guide

ACCESSORIES THE ULTIMATE GUIDE MICHAEL ZARNOCK 2005 Michael Zarnock
2005 KP Books photography Published by 700 East State Street Iola, WI 54990-0001
715-445-2214 888-457-2873 Our toll-free number to place an order or obtain
a free catalog is (800) 258-0929. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet. The word mark HOT WHEELS, the Hot Wheels logo, the color Hot Wheels blue and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by and used under license from Mattel, Inc. 2005 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mattel makes no representation as to the authenticity of the materials contained herein. All opinions are those of the authors and not of Mattel. All Hot Wheels images and art are owned by Mattel, Inc.
2005 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Additional product names, logos, and images used herein are depicted for the sole purpose of identification and are the intellectual property of their respective manufacturers. Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2005922953
ISBN: 0-87341-541-8
eISBN: 978-1-44022-550-5 Designed by Brian Brogaard
Edited by Tracy L.

Schmidt Printed in the United States of America Dedication This book is dedicated to all those collectors that have sat on the floor
as a child and sit on the floor still with their children, grandchildren,
nieces, nephews,
and even the kids next door to play Hot Wheels cars. To those who have all the fond memories of the hours of enjoyment
and the friends that we have made over the years
playing with these tracks and play sets making believe
that we were the drivers of these exotic little cars. To my own two boys Chris and Cody, whom I have played with for hours laying track
and building cities from one end of the house to the other. And to my wife Tina, who has to remind us a few days later
that we still need to pick up our toys. This ones for you. Michael Acknowledgments As always, I would like to acknowledge my loving wife Tina and my two sons Christopher and Cody for all of their continued support and understanding towards my obsession with this hobby.

For the endless amounts of time you allow me to spend in my loft typing away and researching all of these toys. I love you and thank you with all my heart! To all of the talented people at KP Books
who make my books a reality. Tracy Schmidt for your hard work and dedication in putting
all of it together and making it look good. Paul Kennedy for your faith in me and what I do. Bill Krause for your faith in Paul and Tracy. And Frank Veres for all the super photos of these toys.

To Marlene Brown and Earl Lewis at the
Childrens Museum, in Utica, New York. Where most all of the toys in this book are
displayed for the whole world to see. And finally to all of the wonderful people I have had the pleasure to meet at Mattel, past and present. Being able to meet and talk with all those that were responsible for those childhood memories and now being able to share it all with others is a privilege that could never be duplicated. Its a dream come true and I thank you all. Michael Zarnock Contents Introduction I would surmise if you ask anyone who collects Hot Wheels cars what some of their best memories about this hobby are, they would say the fun they had actually playing with these little vehicles.

Maybe it was just rolling them across the kitchen floor and watching your mom stepping on them, or teasing the dog by rolling one by him and then watching him run off with it. Either way, I would venture to say you never did see either one of those cars again. Sometimes it was having the living room to the hallway down to your bedroom lined with track for the whole day. But no matter what we did with them, the whole thing was about playing and having fun with these way cool little hot rods. I remember watching all the TV commercials and seeing the ads on the back of comic books and wanting every set and accessory ever made. I tried to set them up just like I saw on TV and do all the things those kids did.

My first track was the Strip Action Set, and if I remember correctly, it came with an antifreeze Custom VW. I used to play in the backyard for hours at a time. I must have spent more time setting up the track than anything else. Remember how tough it was making sure the car would make it all the way to the end without falling off ? One day when I was playing in the driveway, I met another kid in my neighborhood that collected Hot Wheels cars. He rode by on his bike, skidded to a stop and said, Hey kid, you collect Hot Wheels? Lemme see your cars! After we talked for a few minutes, he said he had some track at home and would go and get it and we could race. Well, he came back with a box of track and a 48-car case like mine and we raced all day.

That kids name was Craig and weve been friends ever since that summer of 1968. There were a few other guys in my neighborhood that collected Hot Wheels cars, too. There was a kid named Mickey up the street who had the Sky Show Set, and man, we thought that was just the coolest. I remember his mother telling us not to shoot those things in the house. That was around the time Craig and I each got the Mongoose & Snake Funny Car Set. I do have to say, some of the happiest times I have ever had as a child were playing with my Hot Wheels track and play sets.

Every Christmas I would go through the Sears Christmas catalog circling all the track sets I wanted. I think that catalog came out in September, but whenever it was, it seemed like forever before Christmas came. I remember going to my grandmothers house Christmas Eve 1969 and getting the Talking Service Center, and then Christmas of 1970 and getting the Hazard Hill Race Set. I set it up in her tiny kitchen and played all by myself until it was time to go home. It was truly a great time to be a kid. Those are just a touch of the memories I have from my more than 35 years of collecting Hot Wheels cars and accessories, and Im sure Im not the only one that has experienced this.

All of these sets and accessories bring back all kinds of different memories for all of us. As with a lot of other collectors, my collection is not only cars, but track sets, play sets, comic books, coloring books, accessories, and just about anything else that has the words Hot Wheels on it. In the pages of this book you will see my collection, listings of what was actually made by Mattel, and also many other companies that have paid for the license to use that hot little flame we all know as the Hot Wheels logo since 1968. Now, I dont have everything, but I am working on it. I could go on for hours talking about all the fun we had, but thats what this book is about. Look at the photos, read the captions, and go back to that time in your life when you were playing in the yard with your friends.