At Toys 'R' Us...

"Goggles Pizzano" (gogglespizzano)
03/19/2014 at 13:56 • Filed to: Hot Wheels

...Hot Wheels consume you! Aside from posting a few as I'd found them, and some bait for $kay, I've not posted the collection. Thought this might be a good time as lately I've noticed a few posts regarding the starting of a collection. This is both a warning and also to show what spending far too much time over a 10 year period can do. None of these were found the easy way (ebay). I don't find much fun in that. It's about the hunt.

Searching Craigslist on a weekly basis led me to find a guy that acquired a lot of junk at and auction. Pictures showed lots of loose Hot Wheels and a few in packages, but none that caught my eye. Called anyway and drove 25 min to his house. In the garage were the Hot Wheels in the pictures he posted (meh) and one that wasn't in the pictures. This dealership was sitting by itself. "How much?", I asked. "$10", he said. "Would you take $8?". "Yep".

Picked this up at a Diecast shop. They weren't difficult to find at the time, but required a real want as they were expensive for just 2 cars.

These six 1/43 cars are my favorites of the collection. Where I was working at the time wasn't far away from a Toys R Us, so I'd go once a week at lunchtime. On the shelf was this complete collection of six, another 250 GTO (which I bought and opened) and maybe three others. $7 or $8 if I remember correctly. If you can find them on the internet now they're $15-$25 a pop. I figure since I have the whole collection they'd be worth $25 each. $150 return on a $45 investment. Yes!

Can't remember where I found the 5-pack on the right. All red, so awesome! It's not one of the rare ones in which the 348 is plastic, but has gained considerable value just the same. The rest seem to have held their value.

Color Shifter

F40s

Found this Super Chrome P4 at a toy fair held here 3 times a year. Paid $10 for it thinking if it wasn't worth it, it would be someday.

I find it strange the least valuable are the Schumachers, then the Massa and the most valuable is the generic GP Car. One Schumacher I found at the Toy Fair, another traded with a friend, Massa found at a toy trading shop, and the GP car at a tourist-trap toy store. More on this tourist-trap thing later...

1:87s found at the Toy Traders, Toys R Us, and Walmart.

Some of these I found at Toys R Us and the Toy Traders. More than a couple though came from Tourist-trap shops in Europe. Some in small towns and others at train stations.

Can't even remember. 246 GTS is the only one I have. :-)x.

The Usual Suspects.

Brown

10 years ago I started by buying what I like. Only production vehicles, and as few flaming paint jobs as possible. After a few years I took them all out and was overwhelmed. I looked at what I had and decided to cut the collection into Ferraris, Mopars, and Odds & Sods. Gathered up all the duds accumulated (hindsight is 20/20), and most doubles and sold what ended up being 125 or so for $1 each. This freed up considerable closet space and the money helped justify what I'd done.

Tomorrow I'll post the Odds & Sods, and on the third day God created Mopar.

DISCUSSION (19)

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 13:58

You have a Ferrari collection I strive to have ;_; I hope that I could even have a fraction of all the Ferraris here :P

EL_ULY > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 14:01

Kinja'd!!!

sooo much want!!!!

*dead*

Goggles Pizzano > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
03/19/2014 at 14:02

It was your post yesterday that sparked the idea to post. Your collection looks along the same lines and heading in the same direction. :-)x

Takuro Spirit > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 14:04

Yo dawg, I herd u leik Ferarris.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 14:08

I actually have only about 10 Ferraris and I opened all of them o-o I got yesterday's from one person :3 And that's going to start my nonopened collection YAY.

Goggles Pizzano > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
03/19/2014 at 14:16

To give you an idea about how much closet space to set aside...

Above just fits in a 21 X 15 X 10 inch box.

PushToStart > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 14:45

So jealous. That's a crazy awesome collection.

mycarneverruns87 > EL_ULY
03/19/2014 at 14:45

Where the hell do you find these pics that so perfectly fit the emotion?!?!?!

mycarneverruns87 > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 14:47

Holy mother of epic Ferrari Hot Wheels batman!!!! I like how you buy just what you like. It is much more fun that way instead of just going after treasure hunts because they are treasure hunts.

Goggles Pizzano > mycarneverruns87
03/19/2014 at 15:02

Funny story actually. I have no $uper Treasure hunts. Once...I walked into a Toys R Us and started browsing. Another guy approached and started looking too. All of a sudden he exclaimed, "Yes!". I looked over and he had one in his hand. There was an immediate meeting of the minds and it was as though we were friends. I cursed him, he laughed. I continued looking and found the same car he had but a regular Treasure Hunt version. Good enough. I think the majority of $upers are taken off the shelves by employees and sold on e-bay...

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 15:06

Kinja'd!!!

HOLY FUCKING SHIT! you have by far won the internet for today. I thought I was doing good in my collection...NOPE! NOT EVEN CLOSE!. this is amazing! those 1:43 are really nice!.

Goggles Pizzano > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/19/2014 at 15:09

Just takes time, patience, and dedication. How long have you been collecting?

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 15:13

I might as well get a second home O_O

mycarneverruns87 > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 15:13

Lol that could be very possible. I have one STH, it is a Jaded from around 2007. It was too cool to pass up. I don't buy to sell.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 15:20

Not very long I only started collecting in January but I have about 200 cars so far.

Goggles Pizzano > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/19/2014 at 15:26

HOLY SHIT! That's close to a thousand a year!

What are you gonna do to store them all?!? :-)x

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 17:52

I'm not buying nearly that many now but at first I would go to walmart and not have any of them so it was easy to buy 25-30 at a time but now when I go to stores I'm lucky to find 3 or 4 cause I have them all. so I might buy 15-20 a month now.

I only buy either production cars,production race cars,concepts or movie cars I don't buy any of those fantasy models(I really hate fantasy models). but it seems hotwheels makes as many fantasy cars as they do production cars.

CiiNubbin > Goggles Pizzano
03/19/2014 at 19:57

My favorite thing about this post isn't the collection (which is spectacular) it is these simple lines:

"None of these were found the easy way (ebay). I don't find much fun in that. It's about the hunt. "

Amen, amen.

Buy the cars/trucks/planes/construction equipment that you like. Don't buy for future value because, honestly, unless you get lucky there won't be a high resale value. Buy things that make YOU happy.

Goggles Pizzano > CiiNubbin
03/19/2014 at 20:11

Aw shucks. Thanks, man.