Hot Wheels: Where to Buy?

"B_dol" (bdolan40)
02/18/2014 at 18:34 • Filed to: None

Reposting this since I was massively kinja'd before. So, I think it would be neat to acquire a Hot Wheels 1/64 replica of all the sports car I have had a chance to drive in my life. The list is fairly small, yet I would like to acquire a few at one place to avoid shipping costs on a bunch of 1x quantity orders.

Any recommendations besides Amazon/eBay?

DISCUSSION (7)

MrCrash > B_dol
02/18/2014 at 18:41

Pretty much any place that could remotely sell toys or child accessories. Auto part stores as well.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > B_dol
02/18/2014 at 18:44

Make sure to check out TheToyPeddler.com, it's a site that specialized in diecast of all brands and scales and, somehow, you can find some neat stuff in there for less than what people ask on the Bay. I once got an original still sealed on an unpunched card 1982 Datsun 200ZX for 2 dollars.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > B_dol
02/18/2014 at 18:46

Kmart, Kroger, Meijer

Lets Just Drive > B_dol
02/18/2014 at 18:55

What Crash said; literally anywhere that could sell 'em, check.

Don't forget pawn shops, collector stores (for hobby modelers and the like) and sometimes even games stores (comics, cards etc) will have a few. But here's what's really important if you find 'em at any place that isn't a big name retailer; ask if they have any in the back!

No, really. Pawn shops, they'll often buy boxes from estate sales and stick 'em in the back of their warehouse under the "wait til it's valuable" school of thought but 99% of the time that storage space is more important to the owner and if you're willing to take the good with the bad, you can get some great deals.

See, you've got a problem - you're looking for particular cars. The 'current' 1/64 collector is forced to take what's being manufactured and shipped. And the down side, and this is what's going to cost you in the long run. Why?

Because current HW's come in basically two configurations:

Metal on plastic on plastic.

Metal on metal on plastic.

But they used to come in the best configuration possible which was Metal on Metal on Rubber. And they still do, but they're Johnny Lightning, Green Light or special and limited edition Hot Wheels and once you have a taste, you're just fucked.

So, here's what you do as a novice collector - start with new/current HW because they're cheap and abundant and they look quite nice and avoid at all costs ever looking at a nice 1/64 from HW, JL or GL because once you do, you're done fer and then you will be digging through boxes.

B_dol > Lets Just Drive
02/18/2014 at 18:57

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it! I was hoping to keep it just to cars I have driven....we will see how long that lasts.

Lets Just Drive > B_dol
02/18/2014 at 19:01

We all start with, "Well, I do own the real thing, and this is only a buck and a bit, so why not buy the 1/64 scale version?" And end up with, "Oh god, why is my wife leaving me. Please, don't let her take my cars!"

Mochimaster > B_dol
02/18/2014 at 20:03

For me, at Tarjay.