• Discover Hot Wheels History

• Start a Hot Wheels Collection

• Organise and Care for Your Hot Wheels

• Find Hot Wheels on eBay Australia

• Buy Hot Wheels With Confidence

• Need More Help?

• Legal Disclaimer

Discover Hot Wheels History

Discover Hot Wheels History

The following includes some of the highlights from the history of Hot Wheels beginning from 1968.

• 1968: Mattel releases the first line of 16 Hot Wheels cars. Among these is a sneak preview of the 1969 Corvette.    

• 1969: With higher than anticipated sales achieved, Mattel releases 24 new Hot Wheels cars including the VW Beach Bomb.    

• 1970: The famous Snake and Mongoose are produced, along with 31 other Hot Wheels cars.    

• 1974: Hot Wheels use printed graphics instead of decals.   

• 1975: The first Hot Wheels motorcycles are made.    

• 1980: Hi-Rakers are introduced.   

• 1988: Hot Wheels 20th anniversary. Mattel produces gold and silver chrome cars to celebrate.    

• 1990: The first Hot Wheels aircraft are made.    

• 1995: Treasure Hunt diecast cars are introduced. These cars are instant collectables since only 10,000 of each are made.   

• 1996: Mattel purchases the rights to Matchbox cars.

Start a Hot Wheels Collection

Start a Hot Wheels Collection

Collecting Hot Wheels is a great hobby for diecast car enthusiasts and, since they can be relatively inexpensive, it's easy to start your collection right away with several cars. Hot wheels generally fall into one of three categories: Contemporary (1990-Now) Hot Wheels, Modern (1981-1989) Hot Wheels, and Vintage (pre-1980) Hot Wheels.

Firstly, decide what kind of Hot Wheels collector you want to be. Do you only want original Hot Wheels in packages for display or investment? Or do you prefer them loose so that you can play with and admire them close up? Loose Hot Wheels cars are generally less expensive and are much easier to find.

You’d be surprised what you can find in that old box in the garage! An original Hot Wheels car from the late ‘60s can sell for over $100 and some rare models can go for close to $300.

If you would like to collect Hot Wheels by year, 1999 is a good starting point. In general they should still be fairly easy to find, however the 12 Treasure Hunt models and 12 end-run models should make completing the collection a good challenge.

Besides cars, Hot Wheels has also released several Hot Wheels tracks over the years. These tracks vary from simple racetracks, to stunt tracks, to elaborate sets that send cars careening into the mouth of an alien. Find your Hot Wheels accessories on eBay Australia.

Organise and Care for Your Hot Wheels

Organise and Care for Your Hot Wheels

Once you have kick-started your Hot Wheels collection, you’ll need to keep track of what you have and keep them in good condition.

Loose cars can be stored in a multitude of different display cases. There are also Hot Wheels cases available that can store and protect your cars in their original blister packs. Some can hold up to five cars and will prevent the cardboard backing from getting damaged. Several larger cases are available that can hold up to 32 cars in individual compartments.

However you decide to store your cars, it's important that you keep them out of direct sunlight, which can fade cars and cardboard-backed blister packs. Try to limit how often you touch your Hot Wheels with bare fingers. Oils from your fingers can spot your finish or cardboard card over time and reduce their value.

Find Hot Wheels on eBay Australia

Find Hot Wheels on eBay Australia

Once you know what type of Hot Wheels diecast cars you want, go to the Toys & Hobbies portal, click Diecast Cars & Trucks, then Hot Wheels and start searching for item listings on eBay Australia.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Contemporary (1990-Now), Modern (1981 - 1989), Vintage (pre-1980) and Accessories. As you dig deeper into the site you'll also be able to narrow down your choice further by item type.

• Keyword search: Search eBay Australia listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt, type "Treasure Hunt" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Australia's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Australia Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Australia will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Hot Wheels With Confidence

Buy Hot Wheels With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Australia and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Australia (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Australia are not covered by eBay Australia protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay Australia item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay Australia sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Australia and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,500.

• eBay Australia Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Australia's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Australia veteran with just the information you're looking for!

Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

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