My Whys & Rants

The first hot Wheels Die Cast to look like a Dirt Late Model...

Let's see... Where do I begin... I've notice over the past 10 years that people collect many things, but the Hot Wheels collecting landscape has drastically changed. Well, let me go a little further back.

I've been a circle track fan for as long as I can remember. So, as a young kid a would go with my parents to the track and they would buy me pictures of the cars and driver's of those locals drivers for those tracks. As the sport evolved, so did the souvenirs that could be purchased. I'm not talking about t-shirts or photos, but actual die-cast replicas. these die-cast replicas weren't cheap and I soon realized that this was going to be an expensive undertaking... Hot Wheels!!!

Hot Wheels, an inexpensive alternative, for me, to the stock car die cast replicas that I could afford to buy one or two of a month. Now, Hot Wheels die-cast were priced just right. Most of the time they could be found at the less then a dollar and I could afford to buy ten to twenty times as many of these.  To be completely honest, I did!

As time went on, I noticed that there were some slight differences between cars that were of the same casting. One would have a slightly different color, or graphic on it and some would have different wheels. I started collecting just the ones I liked.

Now, to the point... as if it took me too long to get here! I love that I can shore this interesting hobby with my son. The caveat is that there are so many new people getting into this hobby for all the wrong reasons and it's mostly profit driven. This simple fact makes the hobby somewhat aggravating and difficult for the true enthusiast to stay with. another issue that i have is there are so many different releases. Mattel has started to flood the market with so many different types of series outside of the mainline blue cards that I actually grew up with. They have Classics, Larry's Garage, Since '68, Cop Rods... Just to name a few. The most sought after die casts are part of the main line series, but they make people a little crazy in my opinion... The Treasure Hunts. I've seen grown men standing at the front doors of the local big box stores waiting for the doors to open so that they can rush back to the toy isle and snatch up the harder to find cars before anyone else can. Now, don't get me wrong... if this is something that you decide to do because you have a free day here and there... go for it, but these are toys... for the kids. I drive by that local big box store every morning on my way to work, and every day for the past month... same guy... That's a little excessive!

Anyway... it's a great activity for me and my son... looking for our holy grail of Hot Wheels medal... The Deora II. That is the casting that my boy likes the most.

So that's my rant for now... Stop the door warming and hoarding... give someone else a shot to find their holy grail. Unless you're picking it up for that special someone and you have to have more then one... Thanks... Parking it for now... wave when you drive by!

Oh, and this was found not door warming!!!