Sometimes I wonder if I had a kid just so I could play with toys again…
My son has been inundated with everything car-related from the day he was born. From car-print onesies to a stuffed MINI Cooper pillow and toy steering-wheels to mount on carriages and car seats, Big O has been raised on cars. And why not? Every week he rides in my press vehicles with me and so “tests” them along with me. He’s been in Porsches, Priuses and everything in between. This kid is bound to know a thing or two about cars.
However, now that he’s gotten a bit older, he’s entered a new level of toys. And I must say, I’m perhaps more excited than he is.
A few weeks ago, I brought home Owen’s first Hot Wheels car: A bright orange Lamborghini Reventon that he chose himself.
First launched in 1968 under the Mattel brand, Hot Wheels started their 1:64 collection of die cast cars with only 16 models. Mostly American muscle cars, there was a Vdub in there for good measure. Designed to scale, the Hot Wheels fad was a hit from the very beginning, and it’s only grown since ’68.
Today, children aged 5-15 have (on average) 41 Hot Wheels to call their own -- and that’s just an average. When you start looking at collectors (actually, I think most of the auto journalists I know fall into this category) the average is 1,550 models.
What’s great about Hot Wheels (besides the fact that they’re damn cool) is the price. At about $1 a pop, they won’t break the bank. Throwing 3 (or 10) in the cart on any given shopping trip is no big deal. Of course, if you’re really into collecting you could spend as much as $72,000 on one model. Yup, someone paid that much for one Hot Wheels: a 1969 Volkswagen Beach Bomb, a microbus with surfboards jutting out the back. Clearly a limited edition model, it was purchased for the astronomical price in 2000.
No, Owen will not be getting anything like that to add to his collection.
Personally, my workspace is littered with Hot Wheels models; some are still in the packaging while some have been released to roam around my phone, on my laptop, ride along my books, and line the edges of my cubicle wall. I even find some in my purse (thanks to Owen, of course). I try and collect only “real” models: cars I’ve driven or want to drive.
I distinctly remember playing with Hot Wheels when I was a kid. My Mum has confirmed that, yes; I preferred to play with miniature cars to dolls: loved the detail in them and racing them against one another.
When I was at the Canadian International Auto Show, I was once again reminded how I’m not the only car nut fascinated with Hot Wheels. On display was the Camaro Hot Wheels vehicle, and not just the 1:64 scale model, the real deal. Exactly the same as its Hot Wheels counterpart, it stood beside a vending machine that would dutifully produce an actual Hot Wheels version of the Camaro if you Tweeted you were at the show.
As Big O’s collection grows (‘70s Camaro, ’12 Subaru WRX STI, ’12 VW GTI, ’12 Camaro ZLI…) so does mine. I find myself spending entirely too much time perusing Hot Wheels at any store I visit with a toy section… but it’s for Owen, not me. I swear.
My son has been inundated with everything car-related from the day he was born. From car-print onesies to a stuffed MINI Cooper pillow and toy steering-wheels to mount on carriages and car seats, Big O has been raised on cars. And why not? Every week he rides in my press vehicles with me and so “tests” them along with me. He’s been in Porsches, Priuses and everything in between. This kid is bound to know a thing or two about cars.
However, now that he’s gotten a bit older, he’s entered a new level of toys. And I must say, I’m perhaps more excited than he is.
A few weeks ago, I brought home Owen’s first Hot Wheels car: A bright orange Lamborghini Reventon that he chose himself.
First launched in 1968 under the Mattel brand, Hot Wheels started their 1:64 collection of die cast cars with only 16 models. Mostly American muscle cars, there was a Vdub in there for good measure. Designed to scale, the Hot Wheels fad was a hit from the very beginning, and it’s only grown since ’68.
Today, children aged 5-15 have (on average) 41 Hot Wheels to call their own -- and that’s just an average. When you start looking at collectors (actually, I think most of the auto journalists I know fall into this category) the average is 1,550 models.
What’s great about Hot Wheels (besides the fact that they’re damn cool) is the price. At about $1 a pop, they won’t break the bank. Throwing 3 (or 10) in the cart on any given shopping trip is no big deal. Of course, if you’re really into collecting you could spend as much as $72,000 on one model. Yup, someone paid that much for one Hot Wheels: a 1969 Volkswagen Beach Bomb, a microbus with surfboards jutting out the back. Clearly a limited edition model, it was purchased for the astronomical price in 2000.
No, Owen will not be getting anything like that to add to his collection.
Personally, my workspace is littered with Hot Wheels models; some are still in the packaging while some have been released to roam around my phone, on my laptop, ride along my books, and line the edges of my cubicle wall. I even find some in my purse (thanks to Owen, of course). I try and collect only “real” models: cars I’ve driven or want to drive.
I distinctly remember playing with Hot Wheels when I was a kid. My Mum has confirmed that, yes; I preferred to play with miniature cars to dolls: loved the detail in them and racing them against one another.
When I was at the Canadian International Auto Show, I was once again reminded how I’m not the only car nut fascinated with Hot Wheels. On display was the Camaro Hot Wheels vehicle, and not just the 1:64 scale model, the real deal. Exactly the same as its Hot Wheels counterpart, it stood beside a vending machine that would dutifully produce an actual Hot Wheels version of the Camaro if you Tweeted you were at the show.
As Big O’s collection grows (‘70s Camaro, ’12 Subaru WRX STI, ’12 VW GTI, ’12 Camaro ZLI…) so does mine. I find myself spending entirely too much time perusing Hot Wheels at any store I visit with a toy section… but it’s for Owen, not me. I swear.
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| Photo: Chevrolet |