The Genius Behind $0.89: Hot Wheels Hobby

Hobbies are a strange thing, sometimes they are cheap and fun; something to come back to on a boring weekend, or try for a while just to change to another, and sometimes, a hobby is a life long endeavor that wouldn't be considered a hobby until you take a look back and realize how much time and money it has drained from your life. In my mind hot wheels are the beginning of one of the most expensive hobbies on the planet.  According to Forbes Magazine, Mattel (the company that makes Hot Wheels and Barbies) recently had a yearly profit of 768.5 million, that is a lot of cash, and to think that a majority of that came in eighty nine cent increments. (Disclaimer: These photos were all taken with an iPhone 4s, love it or hate it that is the question)

That goes to show how much twelve year old boys, in this case, love their little Air Pumps, and by twelve year old boys, I don't mean twelve year old boys, I mean three year old twelve year old boys and nineteen year old twelve year old boys and thirty seven year old twelve year old boys and fifty two year old twelve year old boys, the list goes on.

Boys love Pumps and if the budget (or the family member) doesn't allow for full sized ones, these boys will buy ones that are cheaper and smaller and in reality a whole lot more practical. Anyways maybe this is me trying to justify the fact that a large portion of my room is taken up with these little fellers.

And that every time I get stuck at Winco or Walmart I'm on the lookout for that semigloss blue cardboard stand holding all my automotive dreams, for only eighty nine cents! That right there, is why I think so many of these are bought. It is because Mattel Inc. Has taken every boys dream and put it into a eighty nine cent package. This is the way to make money. Over three quarters of a million of it a year.

So I'll get off the soap box now and tell you a bit about these Hot Wheels you've been reading past, if you have indeed been reading and not just cruising thru the pretty pictures.

The little Morris mini I showed earlier is currently my favorite opened Hot Wheels. Because the body comes off and reveals the race peeped right hand drive caged monster that is it. I traded this little feller for a yellow gto back in grade school, still have it, still proud of the trade, because I made up for it by buying two other Goats. More on that later..

The gold '69 'vette is the very first Hot Wheels that I bought of my own accord an kept in its case, trust me that was quite the feat for a 12 year old. Since then I haven't opened a Hot Wheels.. except one. The way I see it, they are a very tiny investment. If they aren't opened then the price stays up, and that I like.  

Now despite making a great selection of cars over the years. Mattel has also made some pretty great looking trucks. Case in point this slammed Nissan Titan. A kid in grade school wanted to trade me  for this one, I gladly declined. Maybe just because of the way Nissan Titan rolled off the tong, but either way. Still glad I have it.

Another great I'm glad I still have. This viper and especially the one in the back have seen their fare share of track time and have the paint chippings to prove it. 

That brings me to this car, the "Fire Eater" was probably one I took everywhere, probably one that has been dropped out of my pocket one to many times, and probably one I'll never get rid of.

Along with these guys that have lost, or almost lost their wings. 

And this fella that I probably tried to make all black by sanding down the silver paint and decided to stop because sanding is hard or something. 

These cars show how much love and fun a twelve year old can get out of eighty nine cents. This skyline makes me really happy despite the bent roof line i think the car still looks so great, with the carbon hood, the faded matte black livery on charcoal flake paint, the mad body kit and wild wing. This thing has seen a lot of miles and I still love it. 

Here's another car that I really like, it's a Toyota Altezza. The Japanese equivalent to the Lexus is300. The turbo sticking out of the hood is way over the top but gives the car a presence like no other.

Another car that I really enjoy is this Pikes Peak Toyota Celica, the cage, the livery, the wheels another one of the winged favorites. 

If there is one thing I really like to do when I get these Hot Wheels it's to make them sets. And I did it with this set by accident. Turns out the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Rocket Oil Special cars were in a series called Roll Patroll. Some Hot Wheels city series run back in 2004. Fun stuff. 

You may have noticed, but I turned out with quite the collection of Murcie's, these two and the poster. I guess I really liked the back then.

Another set I found out I had was of the Track Ace run back in the later 2000's. The orange car in the background isn't a track ace officially but it might as well have been. I remember setting up a jump all the way across the living room and having this Phantom Racer be the only car that could make it. It's a track ace in my book. 

Another mini collection I have is of Pontiac's GTO The Judge. 

In all I have three of these cars, and a poster I need to find a place for. 

This brings us to more muscle cars. And what are muscle cars with out some impromptu cotton ball burnouts. 

Found out about this trick from around the web and thought I'd have a go at it. What do you guys think?

Tried to set up a drift scene with these two fellas. 

Wasn't sure where to put in this Carrera GT and an ancient 911, but these are a couple more pumps I really like. 

Muscle cars are one thing that Mattel loves to make. This is the muscle cars side of my display. All unopened and in mint condition. 

I've always loved the Ford GT 40 it's a real American super car that looks Italian! When I saw this car I knew it had to be mine. 

This Chevy Bel Air Nomad is officially my dad's but he doesn't have a killer display that will do it justice, so I'm taking the reins on it for now. 

This is another car I'm glad graces my wall. Ken Block's Gymkhana three replica, this has been the dream of to many twelve year olds to not be on my wall. 

Here's the last of the Muscle cars I'll show, I love that ford brought back the iconic 302 and I was even more stoke to find it at the local Winco. 

Now onto the imports side. There a fewer because Mattel is an American company so bias is next to impossible. 

I'll start off with the first famous car I fell in love with. After seeing the first fast & furious movie I was hooked on the series and on this car. It was fast it threw flames it was orange, very close to my favorite color yellow, and it wasn't Italian! Because rich guys in Black Ferraris are always ready to get "smoked" no matter what the retail was.

Next we'll see a classic GTR. It's on the wall, it's staying there, dreams were fulfilled. Smiles were had, joy ensued. I'm happy. 

Third we'll come to a car I originally thought was just a neat looker, but turned out to be a famous one. More info on it here. This whole finding cars that look neat and turn out to be famous seems to happen quite often. Nothing wrong with that!

Here's another Nissan I have always like since the first time I saw Paul Walker, may he rest in peace, driving one thru Rio in fast five. This one has an exterior oil cooler, front lip and only a drivers seat, nothing but love for this one. 

I bought this flat white 993 GT2 along with the black Skyline just because it had matte paint. Now every time I look at it I like it more. Maybe its because it remind me of a really special Porsche I got to meet in person

 I'll finish up the imports with this Fb Mazda Rx-7. I love the throwback to the classic ISMA GTU racing days with this paint livery. And there have been a couple full scale examples made of this car. With a bit of  savvy they should be easy enough to find. One which would look like a car I would build, and one professionally built.

Here's the center piece of the car collection. All of these cars have stories behind them, some were McDonald's happy meal scores and other were traded for two or more cars just to get my hands on a certain chassis. I'd tell them all, but I'd be surprised if you read all the way thru the post, and didn't just glaze over the Hot Wheels. If you did read it all I commend you. But if you didn't it because you were probably dreaming about owning one or more of them just like I was when I got them. Or you may be thinking wow you have a problem with collecting hotwheels Josh... Watch this and run that thought by your head again.

So my commission to you is to find a  way to take someone's dream, and make it a reality for only eighty nine cents. This is the way one company has risen to the pinnacle of an industry and become an inspiration to anyone who has a dream as big as the one that started Mattel Inc. 

Joshua Sewell

Instagram: josh_sewell_photo