1-269-685-3557
Since its inception in 1968, Hot Wheels cars have been a favorite among children and collectors. So what is the current market for Hot Wheels collectibles like? What determines value in the market? Let's find out!
The Power of Nostalgia
For collectors like Steve Ellison, the love of Hot Wheels grew from his childhood. He tells the Toronto Star that while he'd owned a few toy cars as a kid, decades later, he had the chance to get all of the cars he never had growing up.
Today, he has amassed a collection of roughly 700 of these toy cars, all manufactured from the period of 1968 to 1972. Ellison's collection pales in comparison to other super-collectors like Bruce Pascal, whose collection of 7,000 Hot Wheels cars is insured for $1.5 million dollars.
Mike Strauss is widely regarded as the "father of Hot Wheels collecting," having organized the first Hot Wheels convention for adult hobbyists in the late 1980s. Since then, Mattel launched its own paid membership club aimed at collectors, which has since grown to more than 100,000 members.
The Value of Hot Wheels
According to Car and Driver, the five most valuable Hot Wheels cars in the world are as follows:
- 1969 Pink, Rear-Loading Beach Bomb – $175,000
- 1968 Over Chrome Mustang – $40,000
- 1968 Over Chrome Camaro – $25,000
- 1969 Mad Maverick Base on Mighty Maverick – $15,000
- 1969 Brown Custom Charger – $13,000
For serious collectors like Bruce Pascal, though, the most valuable Hot Wheels cars are those that were never released, prompting devoted collectors to track down Mattel employees who might be willing to part with extremely rare prototypes.
What Determines the Value of Hot Wheels?
Does this mean that the toy collection in your attic might provide the down payment on a beach house? That depends.
Like any commodity, the value of Hot Wheels cars depends on the laws of supply and demand. The demand is found almost exclusively among serious collectors, who look for the following:
- Rare, low-volume models
- Original condition with no modifications
- Unreleased colors or wheel combinations
According to Pascal, Hot Wheels has been known to use 30 different sets of wheels per year. Occasionally, collectors can find a car that's been assembled with different wheel combinations that increase the car's uniqueness—and therefore raising its value.
Investment Potential?
Still, this doesn't necessarily mean that Hot Wheels represent a lifelong investment. Again, their value tends to be confined to the community of dedicated collectors.
Steve Ellison tells the Toronto Star that if he wanted to invest, he'd be better off playing the stock market than buying children's toys. If anything, he believes the rise of online auctions and shipping charges has artificially inflated the price of these collectibles.
Still, collectors are driven by the love of the hobby, and these online auctions only testify to the enduring power of nostalgia.
In Conclusion
Hot Wheels collectors place high value on older, rare cars. Today, the rarest cars can be priced into the six figures, showing that these toys have indeed become the treasures of serious collectors.