How To Know If Your Hot Wheels Cars Are Valuable
Open a newspaper and you read about teenagers becoming sneaker millionaires. Google some random stuff and you’ll read about mind-blowing prices for retro video games. Talk to collectors and you’ll find that some baseball cards are worth a fortune these days. Without a doubt, someone everywhere gets a big payday thanks to their childhood collection. But not only video games, baseball cards and the latest trend sneakers are on the rise, old toys are also in high demand at the moment. For example, a collection of Hot Wheels cars from your childhood can turn into a great investment idea. It’s not unexpected that collectors would be interested in owning these Mattel items considering some Hot Wheels automobiles have skyrocketed in price and demand.
Think the Mattel-built 1968 Hot Wheels Chevy Camaro that originally sold for 59 cents and is now a whopping $100,000, or the only pink rear-loading Volkswagen beach bomb ever bought by a customer for $72,000 and is now worth $150,000 – these toy cars have the same value as real luxury vehicles. So what makes a Hot Wheels car valuable?
Customers know that Mattel makes the most iconic collectibles
As a world-leading toy company, Mattel has brought to market some of the most iconic toys in history. Of course, Barbie remains the company’s most famous product, but the American concern has also released American Girl, Cabbage Patch Kids, Harry Potter games and Hot Wheels cars. It’s safe to say that this global company knows exactly what children want and need. And they also design beautiful toys that have the potential to become timeless classics. Some Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars are already fetching insane prices. For example, experts have valued a 2010 Stefani Canturi Barbie at $302,500, and collectors have sold certain Hot Wheels cars for record prices.
Series and manufacture date make Hot Wheels cars valuable
There are various forums, magazines, websites and publications dedicated to Hot Wheels and explaining what makes certain toy cars so valuable while others are better left in your child’s collection. Obviously the production date and series of the toy car are very important and this principle also applies to a real collector’s car. Of course, the toys have to be in mint condition to fetch top bucks. And if the seller has even the original packaging, they could expect to collect a higher amount than the competition. With this in mind, collectors know that date of manufacture is important as it tells you whether a Hot Wheels car is rare or not. Meanwhile, the series provides accurate information about the toys, so you can easily check whether your Hot Wheels car is valuable or not.
Rarity matters
This is a no-brainer, but rare models are more expensive. For example, Mattel only made 4,000 units of the 1955 Candy Striper Chevy Bel Air Gasser Hot Wheels car that was released in 2014. This means that while the toy is relatively new compared to models from the 1970s, it has a high value due to its rarity. Another example is the Magenta Sugar Caddy from 1971 – the fact that Mattel didn’t sell it in the western world and only customers in Hong Kong enjoyed it meant the toy’s value has increased over the years. Another rare collector’s item is the 2018 MEA Candy Cane 1955 Gasser, which is being made in a limited run of just 425 pieces. And some lucky millennials could get rich by bringing home one of the 12 Collector No. Find 271 Funny Car from 1995. There’s still hope of raking in $7,000 as six of the Collector No. 271 Funny Cars from 1995 are not known according to information work and money.
The “Redline” era
“A ‘Redline’ Hot Wheels car is one that was made for the first ten years of production from 1968 through 1977,” he says Online Redline Guide. “The term ‘Redline’ derives from the fact that during this period cars were made with a red stripe on the tyre.”
However, the online publication notes that not all cars with a red line are true “redline-era” Hot Wheels. Therefore, it is important to verify the date of manufacture, serial number and country of origin as Mattel assembled all cars in the United States and Hong Kong during the “Redline era”. This means if you see a label with a different country, you should question the authenticity and value of your model.
“In 1978 the red stripe was abolished and cars made after 1977 are commonly known as Basic Wheels or Black Walls,” he says Online Redline Guide. “In 1993, the red striped wheels on the ‘vintage’ reproductions of the original red lines returned to the product line and have been used intermittently ever since.”