Selling your Childhood Hot Wheels Collection

So, you’ve finally dug your old Hot Wheels out of your basement, attic, or storage, but you’re now wondering if these little gems have any value, and, if so, how can you find out. Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place. REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY is the premier appraiser and buyer of the original Redline Hot Wheels that were released by Mattel in the Spring of ‘68.

REDLINE ARCHEOLOGY has been hunting down original one owner Redline Era Hot Wheels Collections for over three decades. I’ve purchased collections from not only in the continental U.S., but also literally all over the world! You may be wondering how purchasing collections from all over the U.S. and world is done. Well, I’m about to tell you…

Back in the early Nineties and all the way up to when the internet and eBay specifically took over, I was only buying collections that I could drive to. This meant that I would drive no further that about an hour or two in any direction from where I lived at the time. My original territory back in the day was the Delaware Valley. The Delaware Valley combines Southeastern PA, Central and Southern NJ, and parts of Delaware. As you now can see, my options were somewhat limited at that time, and I had to depend on all my basic marketing strategies to bring collections in. My main weapon was a simple classified ad in the “Antiques & Collectibles” section that I would place in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Needless to say, it worked fabulously, and here we are three decades later still on the “HUNT.” I haven’t utilized a classified ad in over twenty-five years as print advertising has really gone away; and is a waste of time and marketing dollars in my opinion.

The Process

The first order of business when that call or email comes in is to determine the approximate retail auction value of an individual’s vintage Hot Wheels collection. Owners of these special collections always want to know first and foremost the value of their Hot Wheels and all the accessories, if any, that go along with it. There are always track sets, buttons, and cases with every collection I appraise and purchase. A lot of sellers will typically mention a Redline Price Guide they either purchased or looked at. I’m fine with this as the more information the seller has at their disposal, the better informed they tend to be.

Selling a childhood Hot Wheels collection

Most sellers do a really nice job when sending their cars but this gentleman went over and above.

I always want the seller to be well informed prior to them making a decision to sell. Once I finish my detailed appraisal, I schedule a call with the seller to go over the details, both good and bad. Sellers want to know what Hot Wheels are worth and which ones have little if any value. Condition plays the largest role in individual value of a Hot Wheels car. This approach has always been well received and greatly appreciated by the seller, as it seems I’m the only one in the hobby that takes the time to do this. I really think it’s the fair and honest thing to do, so in the end, everyone can go their own way feeling good regardless of the outcome.

Once the appraisal is completed, and the informative phone call is finished, the offer is made. Once accepted, which most times is the case, the next step is the “Putting Both Parties at Ease” stage of the process. This is one aspect I’ve had to work on over the years due to being robbed one time in 2016 from an individual in Oklahoma. I won’t go into details but it’s why I do things the way I do. Being stolen from is not a good feeling and one I try to avoid moving forward. My method of purchase is so both parties are protected, feel confident, and are assured of getting paid (SELLER) and receiving the collection (ME). This is how it works:

Professional Appraisal
Informational Phone Call
Offer Made
Offer Accepted
Exchange of Mailing Addresses
Shipping Details – USPS Priority Flat Rate
Picture of Check & Addressed Mailing Envelope Sent to Seller
Coordination of Shipping for both Seller and Buyer
Tracking Information Shared
Confirmation of receipt of Package (collection) & Check

Featured treasures from the Oneonta, NY Collection

This has proven, over the past eight years, to be the best and most reasonable way of completing the deal. If you’re still wondering what your Hot Wheels are worth, then look no further. Send me a text, call me on my cell, fill out an Inquiry Form, or email me directly. I’m always happy to talk with those who are in possession of the greatest toy ever produced, Mattel’s Hot Wheels!

Thanks for reading and be sure to stay tuned for more blogs and Redline Archeology YouTube Channel videos of my latest finds. Happy Hunting!

If you have the old REDLINE Hot Wheels and are thinking of selling them, Look No Further!

You now ask yourself the age old question, “How do I sell my old Hot Wheels?”

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 almost 30 years of diggin’ up original one owner childhood Hot Wheels collections from the sixties and seventies, 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 now authored two books: