What are considered the Two “Rarest” & “Most Desirable” REDLINE Hot Wheels?”

April 15th, 2020

The age-old question in any collector hobby is “What are the rarest and most desirable pieces?” In the world of Hot Wheels, it’s no different. I get asked this same question on a fairly regular basis from other passionate collectors and friends of mine. Everyone wants to know which Hot Wheels are the rarest ever made, and what makes certain models more valuable than others.

Rare pieces in any hobby are truly a matter of opinion, and this holds true for the old REDLINE Hot Wheels. Over the past thirty years, I’ve purchased literally hundreds of original one-owner rare Redline Hot Wheels collections that have equated into thousands of cars. In all those years, I’ve come across some amazingly rare pieces like the Orange Peeping Bomb with painted headlights, unpainted ZAMAC Custom VW and Classic Nomad, Blue Power Pad, Purple Short Order, Orange Classic Cord, Hot Pink Classic Cord, Rear Louvered Custom Mustang, Open Hood Scoop Custom Mustangs, Chocolate Brown Nitty Gritty Kitty, and many more. As rare as some of these are, they still pale in comparison to the rarest of the rare REDLINE Hot Wheels.

Some collectors over the years have ranked the rarest Hot Wheels, but I’m gonna resist that temptation and base it on my over three decades of experience collecting these little gems. So let’s get started with what, in my opinion, are the rarest REDLINE Hot Wheels in no particular order, prototypes included. Keep in mind that this list is not an exhaustive list by any means. Next month I will cover what I think are the toughest cars to find in the original one-owner childhood collections that most of us had as kids.

Below are some of the rarest Hot Wheels ever produced, based on decades of collecting experience.

The Rarest!

OLDS 442 A Rare Redline Hot Wheels Icon

Probably the most desirable and rarest of the regular production cars is the OLDS 442. What makes some of this casting extremely rare are a few of the colors that it was released in. This casting had a very brief run in the stores prior to it being pulled by Mattel for legal reasons. The OLDS 442 is a rare period, but especially rare in Purple, Lite Blue, Hot Pink, and Lite Green. There is also an extremely rare OLDS 442 prototype that was produced in Red with a Black Interior. Even the collectors’ buttons (Plastic & Metal) that came with the car back in the day are going for $100+ each on any given day. The “STAR”sticker Sheets that also came with the car are now fetching over $300 a piece. Needless to say, this is the car every REDLINE collector wants as a centerpiece in their collection.

Rear Loading Beach Bomb – One of the Rarest Hot Wheels Ever Made

Another extremely rare and desirable piece is the Rear Loading Beach Bomb Prototype. I only mention this casting because of the desirability of the piece both as a prototype and as a full production as the Side Loading model. About 50 examples of the Rear Loader prototype in all colors are known to exist, in all different types of condition. Hot Pink, Lite Blue, and Antifreeze tend to bring the biggest bucks when one does trade hands, which rarely happens. The Rear Loading Beach Bomb was only produced as a test car and was pulled from the line due to its inability to hold the track through the Super Charger (Top Heavy), in lieu of the Side Loading Beach Bomb. Pictures of the Rear Loading Beach Bomb showed up late in 1969 and early in 1970 as a car that was part of the new line of Hot Wheels for that year, but never made it to the production line due to its issue of not being able to hold the track. One example actually made it to the Antiques Road Show recently on PBS and was valued by their resident Toy Expert at $100,000.00 – $150,000.00.

In my opinion, all the original REDLINE Hot Wheels are rare and only becoming more so as time goes on. Finding these beauties in near mint to mint condition is becoming more difficult with every passing year. First produced in 1967 and released in 1968, a lot of the cars are now over 50 years old. Time is not kind to the spectra flame paint, depending on how they are stored and in what climate.

As these rare Redline Hot Wheels continue to increase in value, many collectors start to consider selling their collections. You now ask yourself the age-old question: “How do I sell my old Hot Wheels?”

LOOK NO FURTHER!

Here at REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY, we will appraise your collection, at NO COST and NO OBLIGATION, and make the highest offer in the hobby for your cars, if they are from the years we are looking for 1967 – 1977.

Ready to find out what your rare Hot Wheels cars are worth? Call us anytime at (856) 912-2463 or complete our contact form to get started.

With over 30 years of diggin’ up original one-owner Hot Wheels collections, REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY is the only place to have your old Hot Wheels appraised by one of the most successful collectors in the hobby, Bob Young. Bob has recently authored a book titled “REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY: A History of Diggin’ Up Original Hot Wheels Collections” now available on AMAZON and Barnes & Noble. Call us anytime at 856.912.2463 or complete our contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

The rarest Hot Wheels include early Redline models and limited prototypes like the Rear Loading Beach Bomb and OLDS 442 in rare colors. These rare Hot Wheels cars are highly valued due to their scarcity and strong demand among collectors.

Certain rare Redline Hot Wheels become valuable due to factors like limited production runs, unique color variations, condition, and historical significance. Collectors often seek out these rare models because they are difficult to find in original condition.

The value of rare Hot Wheels can vary widely, from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on rarity, condition, and market demand. Some of the rarest Hot Wheels have achieved exceptionally high prices in private sales and auctions.

If you own rare Hot Wheels cars, the best way to determine their value is to have them evaluated by experienced buyers or collectors who specialize in rare Redline Hot Wheels and understand current market trends.

/by

“What is a ‘REDLINE’ Hot Wheels?”

April 1st, 2020

You’ve probably just either, A) Cleaned out your attic; B) Straightened up your basement: C) Been handed a box of old toys from an older relative; OR D) Come across some really cool and old Hot Wheels at a Yard Sale/Garage Sale/Flea Market. Now you ask yourself the question: “What are these very cool toy cars?”

Chances are that, if the Hot Wheels Gods are shining down upon you, they are what we call in the hobby, “REDLINE Hot Wheels” and you may have just hit the motherlode! “But how do I tell if they truly are the Holy Grail of Hot Wheels??” Well, it’s kinda sorta simple looking at it from 40,000 feet.

Here we go:

REDLINE Hot Wheels are considered the most desirable of all the Hot Wheels, but also the most expensive across the board. You will get an argument from some hardcore mainliners, but for the most part, these puppies are what every Hot Wheels collector truly dreams about. Hot Wheels were first released by the Mattel corporation in the summer of 1968; June ’68 to be more accurate. I think they timed it just perfectly for my 8th birthday celebration in July. 😉 They were produced for the following ten years, until 1977 and also switched from the shiny Spectraflame to the Enamel paint for the most part in 1973. They were an instant hit with their California Custom designs, Spectraflame Paint, Cool packaging, and the most innovative accessories for any toy line at the time and still to this day, in my opinion. Hot Wheels just blew away the competition, Matchbox, and as they say, the REST IS HISTORY!

You say to yourself, “I’d like to sell my old Hot Wheels, but how do I tell if they are the true REDLINE Hot Wheels?” So, here’s how you tell:

First and foremost, you look for the thin “Red Line” around the outside of each of the tires where a whitewall would normally be expressed. Secondly, you have to make sure that they are not the reproduction Redlines that we produced years after in the nineties in celebration of the original line. Redline reproductions can still be found on the pegs to this day. Do not confuse them with the originals. When Mattel started producing the reproduction Redlines, they either stamped the bases with the Hot Wheels logo or placed a small Hot Wheels logo TAMPO on the body of the cars. Another way of identifying the originals is to look at the base to see where they were produced. The original Redlines were only produced in the US and Hong Kong. Newer reproductions were produced in Malaysia. Also keep in mind that even though a car may have a date of 1968 stamped on the base, does not make it an original. The date is the first year of production for that model/casting.

So you’ve done your homework/research and everything points in the direction that you have the original Redlines. You now think to yourself that you may have hit the jackpot, and you have what all of us passionate Redline collectors are looking for, the original REDLINE Hot Wheels! You now ask yourself the age-old question: “How do I sell my old Hot Wheels?”

LOOK NO FURTHER!

Here at REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY, we will appraise your collection, at NO COST and NO OBLIGATION, and make the highest offer in the hobby for your cars, if they are from the years we are looking for 1967 – 1977.

With over 30 years of diggin’ up original one owner Hot Wheels collections, REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY is the only place to have your old Hot Wheels appraised by one of the most successful collectors in the hobby, Bob Young. Bob has recently authored a book titled “REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY: A History of Diggin’ Up Original Hot Wheels Collections” now available on AMAZON and Barnes & Noble.

Call us anytime at 856-912-2463 or complete our Contact Form.

 

/by

“ARE MY OLD HOT WHEELS VALUABLE?”

March 12th, 2020

How do I tell if my old childhood collection of Hot Wheels from the sixties and seventies are worth anything? So you’ve come across your best childhood memories in the attic, basement, closet, storage, etc. called HOT WHEELS. You open the original and very colorful case(s) and all the smells and visuals bring back all those great and fun filled memories that you hold so near and dear to your heart from your childhood. You assume that they must have some value after all these years, but how much value and how do I tell if any or all of my old Hot Wheels are worth anything?

The first and most important thing to note is not only the overall condition of the cars, but all the individual condition of each and every vehicle. Condition plays the greatest part in value of the old Hot Wheels for most cars, if not all. Casting and Color come in a close second and third place in regards to valuing your old Hot Wheels. Some castings, like the Olds 442, were produced in much smaller numbers than most of the original Hot Wheels line from 1968 – 1971 and is considered the most desirable of the original Hot Wheels (Redlines). What about the color of each of the cars? There are some more desirable and rare colors than others. Examples of some of the rarest and most desirable colors, taking into account each individual casting are as follows; Hot Pink, Salmon Pink, Lite Blue, Antifreeze, Purple, and Orange. There are also some cars that are called “Over Chrome” cars where their final coat of spectra flame paint was applied over a chrome finish on the car. Examples of “Over Chrome” cars are what is known as the SPOILERS; Heavy Chevy, King Kuda, Boss Hoss. The “Over Chrome” cars are very rare and demand a huge price. Very few are known to still exist in their original packaging known in the hobby as a BLISTER PACK and demand an even higher number depending on the condition/casting/color of the car and condition of the BLISTER PACK.

So let’s recap. Value is determined by 1. Condition 2. Casting 3. Color

How do I rank my individual cars condition? Condition is ranked on a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 being the BEST condition car or in other words, one that just came off the factory line, or what we like to call either “Factory Fresh” or “Blister Pack Fresh.”

Color is exactly what it is, Color. The rarest and most desirable colors in the hobby for the most part across the board are 1. Hot Pink 2. Salmon Pink 3. Lite Blue 4. Antifreeze 5. Purple 6. Orange

Keep in mind that even some of the common colors like Blue are considered very rare in certain castings as common, as for example, as the POWER PAD and SHORT ORDER.

Here at REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY, we will appraise your collection, at NO COST and NO OBLIGATION, and make the highest offer in the hobby for your cars, if they are from the years we are looking for 1967 – 1977.

With over 30 years of diggin’ up original one owner Hot Wheels collections, REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY is the only place to have your old Hot Wheels appraised by one of the most successful collectors in the hobby, Bob Young. Bob has recently authored a book titled “REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY: A History of Diggin’ Up Original Hot Wheels Collections” now available on AMAZON and Barnes & Noble. Call us anytime at 856.912.2463 or complete our contact form.

/by