ROCKET CITY HOT WHEELERS: The passion for collecting Hot Wheels cars knows no age limit
The number one selling toy brand in the world can be something of a passion for anyone, no matter their age, location or financial situation. The Hot Wheels brand is easily recognizable by style of the toy cars that are filled with color, shiny brilliance and realistic to the automobiles in which they are copied down to many of the small details of the automobiles in which each represent.
For many in Huntsville, Madison and surrounding communities that make up North Alabama, Hot Wheels is more than a hobby. The toy makes up a good part of the lives of at least 30 members of the Rocket City Hot Wheelers, the local club where members talk Hot Wheels, trade and sell Hot Wheels, and just admire the toy that was introduced on May 18, 1968 by Mattel, one of the top manufacture of toys in America with iconic lines such as Barbie, Fisher Price and, of course, Hot Wheels.
“Hot Wheels are more realistic than anything else at the time the toys came out as each had details, vibrant colors and seemed to be as close to the cars you saw on the road,” said Keith Sapp, president of the Hot Wheelers and who indicated more than 600 people attended each of the two Hot Wheels conferences held in Huntsville this year, which are the largest Hot Wheels shows in Alabama.
Dwayne Gilpin of Madison has around 3,000 Hot Wheels in his collection that got underway in the 1970’s only to get revived in the collection of the toys the last few years. He always seemed to like the noisy, smoky muscle cars and trucks and would build model cars as his way to being close to his fascination with muscle cars. Then Hot Wheels came out.
“They’re already built and look good,” said Gilpin, 60 and retired who has lived in Madison for 21 years. “As a young boy I got my first Hot Wheels and played with them in the backyard and lost most of them through the years, but in my late 30’s I got back into collecting. I love the style of cars. I know I’ll never be able to have a 1970 Dodge Charger, but I can dream of owning one with my Hot Wheels.”
Hot Wheels were developed as a toy line that would appeal to boys similar to the way Barbie Dolls had to girls. The first original 16 cars were a Red Line Series and were so named because for the tires on the cars which had a red pin stripe instead of white walls.
For Sapp, he began collecting baseball cards, but soon migrated to Hot Wheels as he thought the cars were realistic, colorful and loved the speed. “I had a Hot Wheels track setup around my house including the living room and kitchen,” added Sapp. “Today, I have them scattered around the house as I have roughly eight to 10-thousand cars in my collection and I have 11 of my original 16 that were first available. My collection is still evolving.”
Gilpin has been a member of the Hot Wheelers for six years and helps setup tracks for the club at certain events such as the annual Octane Car Show at the Von Braun Center where thousands of people dropped by to see the cars on display and actually race the cars on the tracks that were setup.
The Hot Wheelers gave away over 500 cars and hosted close to 500 races on the tracks.
The 60-year old Gilpin has been a resident of Madison for 21 years and has watched his collection grow and feels the appreciation and passion for every car among his gathering of toys. His most valuable car in his personal collection of packaged and loose Hot Wheels is his hotrod fashion 1932 Ford, which today, is worth about $120. “I paid $35 for that one,” said Gilpin. “I’m looking for the Redline Series Dodge Cobra as the car is very detailed in the body and wheels.”
“Just so many people in the U.S. just love cars and Hot Wheels are certainly cheaper than the real cars,” said Sapp, whose collection is worth $150,000, fills his basement and has at least 300 individual cars displayed in his bedroom. “I had an office in the third story of my house and it is a Hot Wheels room of sorts. I’ve stayed steady for the most part in my collection over the last three to five years as I do buy and sell on somewhat a regular basis.”
A collector’s Hot Wheels can come about in many different ways and from just about anyone, any age. Sapp indicated a good part of his stash came from a phone call. He said, “I got a call from a 70-year old man whose new wife made him sell his collection. I ended up buying 14 display cases from him that were in his bedroom. I found out these cars can come from anywhere at any time.”
Avid collectors of Hot Wheels will admit the urge to deal in the toys is something that goes way beyond just being a boy loving toys. It’s the sight of the vivid colors and magical look of each individual car. Sapp said of what he knows to be the most valuable Hot Wheels automobile to be the original 1969 Hot Pink Beach Bum VW Bus. A collector in Maryland has his displayed in a local museum and is been calculated to be worth $150,000. There are only three to known to exist.
So, when you see a collection of Hot Wheels, understand there’s a boy resembling a man who always dreamed of having a hotrod-type car, but settled on a smaller scale of the real thing with the allure of vibrant color, high speed and a touch of realistic looks that can in some way satisfy that need for speed.
For more information on the Rocket City Hot Wheelers club, which meets the second Sunday of each month at 3:00 p.m. at Good Sheppard United Methodist Church in Madison, e-mail at info@rocketcityhotwheelers.com.
