Open a newspaper, and you read about teens that have become sneaker millionaires. Google some random stuff, and you read about eye-popping prices for retro video games. Talk to collectors and you’ll find out that some baseball cards are worth a fortune these days. Without a doubt, everywhere you look, collectors enjoy big paydays for their old toys. Baseball cards and the latest trendy sneakers are gaining momentum. And old toys are also in high demand right now. A collection of Hot Wheels cars from your childhood can turn into an excellent investment. It is not unexpected that collectors would have an interest in owning these Mattel items, given the fact that some Hot Wheels automobiles have skyrocketed in price and demand.

Updated March 2023: Whether you’re a gearhead wannabe with ideas of owning a hot ride or just a big kid at heart, Hot Wheels will have played a big part in your childhood. Famous recreations of the best road cars aside, Hot Wheels is more popular for its wacky custom designs and paint jobs. Whichever way you look at the toy car brand, Hot Wheels are not just toys.

Consider the Hot Wheels Chevy Camaro built by Mattel in 1968, which originally sold for 59 cents and now costs a staggering $100,000. How about the only pink rear-loading Volkswagen Beach Bomb ever created? A collector paid $72,000 and it is now worth $150,000. These toy cars have the same valuation as real luxury vehicles. So, what makes a Hot Wheels car valuable?

RELATED: This Is The World’s Most Expensive Hot Wheels Car

Customers Know Mattel Creates The Most Iconic Collectors Items

As a leading global toy company, Mattel has released some of the most iconic toys

DENVER (AP) — When Kevin Erickson fires up his 1972 Plymouth Satellite, a faint hum replaces what is normally the sound of pistons pumping, gas coursing through the carburetor and the low thrum of the exhaust.

Even though it’s nearly silent, the classic American muscle car isn’t broken. It’s electric.

Erickson is among a small but expanding group of tinkerers, racers, engineers and entrepreneurs across the country who are converting vintage cars and trucks into greener, and often much faster, electric vehicles.

Despite derision from some purists about the converted cars resembling golf carts or remote-controlled cars, electric powertrain conversions are becoming more mainstream as battery technology advances and the world turns toward cleaner energy to combat climate change.

“RC cars are fast, so that’s kind of a compliment really,” said Erickson, whose renamed “Electrollite” accelerates to 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) in three seconds and tops out at about 155 mph (249 kph). It also invites curious stares at public charging stations, which are becoming increasingly common across the country.

At the end of 2019, Erickson, a cargo pilot who lives in suburban Denver, bought the car for $6,500. He then embarked on a year-and-a-half-long project to convert the car into a 636-horsepower electric vehicle (475 kW), using battery packs, a motor and the entire rear subframe from a crashed Tesla Model S.

“This was my way of taking the car that I like — my favorite body — and then taking the modern technology and performance, and

Out of billions of mass-produced Hot Wheels vehicles, there are a select few which are worth more than imaginable. Some of these collectors’ gold mines look amazing while others could be just another car in one’s collection.

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Depending on the year, designer, prototypes that snuck out of the factory, or simply based on iconic cars — the most valuable Hot Wheels cars are not necessarily what you would expect. Some are based on movies, shows, or something in real life, while others were among the first ever created and sold. Here, you can check out some of the most expensive Hot Wheels on the market.

Updated April 3, 2023 by Jacqueline Zalace: No matter how much time passes, Hot Wheels maintain its immense popularity. We’ve added even more valuable cars to our list to make your jaw drop. We would also like to remind you that these cars don’t have set prices; many of these cars will fluctuate in price, which is natural for collector’s items.

13 Hot Wheels 1995 Collector Number 271

Officially known among Hot Wheels heads as the Hot Wheels Collector Number 271 with a blue card, there are only 12 of these in existence. Released in 1995, the Collector Number 271 is likely the rarest model Hot Wheels car from the 90s.

The Collector Number 271 is worth around $3,500. The only catch is that if you don’t have the packaging, it can’t be verified as authentic. There are also some fake packaging versions too, so don’t get click-happy if you happen to see one on eBay. As of 2016, only around seven have been officially authenticated, leaving five Hot Wheels Collector Number 271 cars out there that might be collecting

Could there be more of these than the real thing? They’re die-cast toy cars, and if you no longer have yours, for sure you had some. In this country yours were almost certainly Matchbox, Dinky or Corgi, and there’s a non-stop trade in them. (By the 1980s American Hot Wheels had strangled the UK makes and they have their own collecting world, but that’s beyond my period.) We’ve all heard of the precious rarity that sells for thousands, but what’s in that box in your attic is unlikely to contain one of those gems. For most of us their value lies in transporting us back to the magical days when that Volkswagen camper and Ford Capri on the carpet weren’t toys, they seemed the real thing. Rich in memories, they are likely to be intermittently exhumed and exclaimed over and then consigned to the dark once more.

“A Diamond T tow vehicle sold last year for £2750 – and I have one!”

Yet there are people who trade in these metal miniatures and while you’re unlikely to get a great offer from a dealer you can make something on private sales. David Harper, often seen on BBC’s Antiques Road Trip, has a YouTube video in which he reckons there is money to be made on Matchbox cars. But he counsels that the key is to buy in bulk and sell separately, and that profits won’t be rapid. Having bought an assorted boxful, Harper reckons it could take a couple of years to realise the individual values. So if you can bear to part with them, your box of childhood favourites can net you a decent return online, but it will take patience.

You won’t be surprised to hear me mention the phrase ‘mint and boxed’ – this is one

Remote control cars are one of the most popular motoring hobbies – and many people even consider it a sport, racing their cars against other owners. As with real vehicles, remote control car aficionados are often willing to spend a lot of money to get the best equipment, as well as spending time making their own modifications to the way the cars perform and how they look.

There are even world championships in different types of remote control car races, from track racing to off-road competitions, just as you get with the real thing. Competitors from around the world take part in these events, with drivers and teams from the US and Japan often dominating events.

The same goes for the manufacturers of remote control cars, with foreign-based companies producing many of the best remote control cars on the market – and also the most expensive. Most people unfamiliar with the world of serious remote control car competitions might think of the models they have seen in their local toy shop, which can sell for as little as $20. While this may be a good way to start out, if you want to win the world championships, you are going to have to be prepared to spend a lot more money.

In fact, many of the best remote control cars can actually cost more than real cars – as you can see from the expensive, hi-tech, not-to-be-played-with toys on this list!

20 Freefly Tero

The Freefly Tero is not only the most expensive remote control vehicle on this list, but it is also different from the other model cars. While the likes of the Vektra 5 and the various Kyosho creations are designed for racing and for enthusiast

[This is a sponsored article with RC Paragon Universal.]

Toy cars were often found in my house during my childhood. My brother and I had a large box of Hot Wheels Cars, and would also race our AA battery cars around our living room.

As we grew up though, we also grew out of these interests, but for some people, this hobby continues into adulthood. Some may even only discover this interest in adulthood.

Others even take it one step further, by immersing themselves in the remote control (RC) cars community, which is a more serious take on toy car modification and racing.

Small but mighty 

RC car competitions are played in three different categories:

• Competitive racing; 
• Speedrunning;
• Leisure bashing.

To elaborate, competitive racing is usually categorised based on skill levels, the scale of RC cars, and types of surfaces such as dirt, astroturf, and on-road, to name a few. 

These tracks are specifically made for RC car racers to test their abilities in manoeuvring through the tracks, with some examples being the Kota Raja on-road track, Putrajaya P6 off-road track, and more.

Meanwhile, speedrunning is where things get serious for RC racers. It challenges a racer’s modification abilities and capabilities in keeping control of their cars at high speeds. 

Fun fact: Within Malaysia’s RC cars community, the current national record for speedrunning was set in 2022, when a competitor managed to get their toy car speeding from 0km/h to 260km/h on a track that was under 1km long. According to Malaysian hobbyists, it was a feat that put Malaysia on the map for the global RC community.

Leisure bashing, on the other hand, is where most players start. Bashing in RC generally means racing without rules or

Every car fanatic’s obsession started well before they were old enough to get behind the wheel. So a radio-controlled car was just about the next best thing. But just because you’re old enough for the real thing doesn’t mean that zipping around the backyard and racing your buddies with an RC car isn’t still loads of fun. And being an adult means you finally have your own money to spend on all the things you wanted as a kid. Plus, radio-controlled cars have gotten a lot more awesome than they were when you were a kid.

The selection of remote control cars available for the RC enthusiast now is broader than it ever was, too. You can get hardcore on-road remote control car racers in both battery-electric and nitro fuel (i.e. gas-powered), two-wheel-drive stadium trucks and buggies, monster trucks, drift cars and even rock crawlers with locking differentials and portal axles. For the more aesthetically inclined and fanciful, there are the wild creations from firms such as Tamiya, and that’s before we even talk about the vehicle’s size and scale.

Read more: Turning a Real Car Into a Hot Wheels Toy Actually Takes a Lot of Tech

Getting into remote control cars can be intimidating, but we’re here to help, so strap in, charge those radios and get ready because these are our favorite radio-controlled cars. Our best remote control car picks range from a high-speed toy car to a rough terrain rock crawler.

Amazon

Kind of like real cars, RC cars are specialized. On-road radio control touring cars are low to the ground and fast as can be, while rock crawlers are slow and capable of climbing up just about anything. Somewhere in the middle of those two extremes lies the Traxxas Maxx. This monster truck has big tires

Driving remote control cars is a hobby enjoyed by many. Racing other cars, showing off stunts, and controlling vehicles in challenging terrain all contribute to the excitement of the RC car world.

There are many quality remote control cars for adults and even more for kids with various themes and features. These features become more complex as drivers level up. After a long RC career, you may have become a seasoned pro driving advanced vehicles and upgrading components.

Here are the best RC cars available today.

American toy maker, Mattel, introduced us to the fascinating world of Hot Wheels in 1968, bringing to us a range of model cars. Since Hot Wheels came on the scene, many carmakers have had scale models of their cars made under license. As they are scale models, they get made using original designs from carmakers to ensure as much accuracy as possible. Although Hot Wheels were originally intended to be for children and young adults, they have become popular with adult collectors, for whom limited edition models are available.

Updated February 2023: Hot Wheels cars are a constantly evolving and the popularity of certain models fluctuates with the various trends. As such, this list changes to keep up to date with the most popular of toy cars. Hopefully this awesome collectible will continue to be popular among fans – even after the automotive world has gone electric.

Most people see Hot Wheels cars as toys found for a buck at any local store. However, now and then, a toy meant for kids ends up becoming a highly collectible item. It’s usually because of how rare they are, as Hot Wheels has had a few models produced in minimal numbers, making them hard to find. A few were also one-of-a-kind collector items that shine nicely. Original packaging really helps increase the value of these collectibles.

There have been scores of such Hot Wheels that are now worth thousands of dollars. And others are easily hitting five figures among serious collectors. A few even crack six numbers at major auctions and collector’s items. These are the top 10 Hot Wheels scale model cars that cost more than some actual cars.

RELATED: Check Out This 1963 Ford Anglia That Is Now A Hot Wheels Diecast Model

Finding the right subject is a struggle for many photographers. That’s why some get creative with what is available to them. 15-year-old photographer Anthony Ryan Schmidt uses his ever-growing collection of vintage miniature cars and his iPhone to capture images that use forced perspective and fool the eye into thinking these tiny cars are the real thing.

Schmidt’s interest in automobiles can be traced back to when he was just a toddler. “Most people on the autism spectrum have a special interest, and for Schmidt, it has always been cars,” Ramona Schmidt, his mother, tells My Modern Met. “He just loves everything about them and immerses himself into everything about them.” This passion quickly grew, and by age 6, Anthony was photographing the models in his collection. Since then, his skills have only improved, resulting in pictures of vintage cars in parking lots, gas stations, and more.

In behind-the-scenes images, we see how Schmidt composes his illusionistic shots. The different cars are laid out in a miniature setting that is set against a “real” lifesize background. After the picture is snapped, these different elements seamlessly meld into a cohesive image that makes us see the model cars as real ones.

Schmidt began sharing his work online and gained a supportive following. His fans helped him fund his first coffee table book, Small Cars, Big Inspiration. He has since collected more photographs that are featured in his second book, Shifting Perspectives. You can purchase prints, calendars, and books of his work via his online store and keep up to date with his latest projects by following the artist on Instagram.

15-year-old photographer Anthony Ryan Schmidt makes miniature cars look lifesize in his charming photos.

He has been photographing his collection of model cars ever since he was six.

Anthony