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