| Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced | | | | (called Juice Machine and Goose Pump respectively). |
| by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the | | | | A 90-second charge of the tiny internal NiCad battery |
| primary competitor of Johnny Lightning and Matchbox | | | | gives up to five minutes of frenetic run time. It has |
| until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the | | | | been said that the 90-second charge time was "the |
| Matchbox brand from Tyco. | | | | longest minute and a half in a kid's life," as they |
| Hot Wheels in General | | | | waited impatiently for the car to charge sufficiently |
| Most Hot Wheels cars measure about 3" in length, | | | | to get back into the race. |
| and are approximately 1:64 scale. The MSRP of one | | | | Through the years, Hot Wheels cars have been |
| car is $.99, with the price varying by each retailer by | | | | collected mostly by children, but in the last ten years |
| only a few cents. The majority of castings are die | | | | there has been an increase in the number of adult |
| cast metal; however, some are cast in plastic. Hot | | | | collectors. Mattel estimates that 41 million children |
| Wheels is best known for its models of custom hot | | | | grew up playing with the toys, the average collector |
| rods and muscle cars. Hot Wheels also makes cars in | | | | has over 1,550 cars, and children between the ages |
| different scales such as 1:43, 1:24 and 1:18 including | | | | of 5 and 15 have an average of 41 cars. Most believe |
| replicas of Formula One and NASCAR cars. The Hot | | | | the collecting craze started with the Treasure Hunts |
| Wheels product line has also included various tracks, | | | | in 1995. Mike Strauss has been widely hailed as the |
| accessories, and other kinds of vehicles such as | | | | father of Hot Wheels collecting; he has organized |
| rechargeable electric cars, construction equipment, | | | | two collectors' events each year in some form since |
| trains (Hot Line), Rumbler motorcycles and Hot Wings | | | | 1986. The first event was the Annual Hot Wheels |
| airplanes. | | | | Collectors Convention, normally held each year in the |
| Related accessories | | | | fall. The convention occurred in various locations |
| Unlike most older brands of toy cars (including | | | | around the country until 2001, when the first Annual |
| Matchbox), Hot Wheels cars rolled well. They were | | | | Hot Wheels Collectors Nationals was put together. |
| designed to run on orange plastic track, which could | | | | Since then, the Conventions are held each year in |
| be placed to make interesting jumps and loops. | | | | southern California. The Hot Wheels Collectors |
| Motive power was by means of gravity, by means | | | | Nationals rotate among cities outside of California |
| of attaching the starting point of a course to a table | | | | during the spring. Mike has also published the quarterly |
| or chair via an included C clamp. A two-lane starting | | | | Hot Wheels Newsletter since 1986 and was one of |
| gate was available, allowing two lengths of track to | | | | the first to unite collectors all over the world. Mike |
| be set up for racing. Later sets had both the starting | | | | also writes the Tomart's Guide To Hot Wheels, a |
| gate and a finishing flag which would be tripped by | | | | book listing history, car descriptions and values. It is |
| the first car. One of the most famous sets was the | | | | used by almost every collector to learn more about |
| 1970 Mongoose & Snake Drag Race Set, which | | | | the hobby and their collection. |
| reached values as high as $500 during the 1990s, but | | | | |
| has since been produced in modified replica form. It | | | | In 2001, Mattel saw how much collecting was |
| featured yellow Plymouth Barracuda and red | | | | affecting their sales and put together |
| Plymouth Duster funny cars, loops, jumps, and even | | | | www.hotwheelscollectors.com as an online way to |
| an apparatus that would deploy drag chutes after | | | | unite collectors by offering limited edition cars, |
| they crossed the finish line, all in a box showing Don | | | | information about upcoming releases and events, as |
| Prudomme and Tom McEwen. | | | | well as chat and trade boards. Each year, they sell |
| Other sets included a Supercharger that had an | | | | memberships to the Redline Club, which gives |
| electric motor and foam covered wheels that | | | | members the opportunity to order additional limited |
| propelled the car around a loop of track as the cars | | | | edition cars, as well as access to areas of the site |
| passed through. Accessories included a lap counter | | | | with information such as sneak previews of new |
| and a speedometer. | | | | cars. |
| Sizzlers were a 1970s Hot Wheels spinoff with a | | | | There are hundreds, probably thousands, of web |
| built-in motor and a tiny rechargeable battery. (The | | | | pages dedicated to Hot Wheels collecting. People are |
| X-V racers of the 90s were similar.) Mattel recently | | | | collecting everything from only new castings to only |
| struck an exclusive deal with Target stores, and | | | | Redlines and everything in between. Most collectors |
| re-released Sizzlers in 2006. They currently sell for | | | | have a love for cars, and since none of us can afford |
| about $8 per car. Sizzlers run on black Fat Track, | | | | all of the old cars (and even if we could, we |
| which is three lanes wide and designed to allow | | | | wouldn’t have enough space to store |
| Sizzlers to run free. In action, Sizzlers display a unique, | | | | them), Hot Wheels fill that void. For the most part it |
| competitive "passing action" when running on the Fat | | | | is a relatively inexpensive hobby, when compared |
| Track, as if each car were piloted by an impatient | | | | with coin collecting, stamp collecting or Barbie |
| driver trying to get ahead of the rest. Sizzlers were | | | | collecting, with mainline cars costing about $1 (USD). |
| (and are) charged with four or two D cell chargers | | | | The price hasn't changed much in almost 40 years. |