Have you just found your old Hot Wheels from your childhood? They were a lot of fun to race around the track when you were a kid, and now some of those classic cars can be sold to collectors for hefty sums. Hot Wheels that are from specific series or have unique features are worth more than others, and we’ll make sure you know how to spot them right away. When you’ve finished reading and perusing your collection, you’ll be able to check out Hot Wheels that might net you some cash.

[Edit]things you should know

• Check out any classic Hot Wheels cars with “redlines” or red stripes on the tires made from 1968-1977 that cost up to $200 USD.
• Look for “Sweet 16” cars from the first production run, such as custom Camaros or custom Volkswagens without a sunroof, that cost up to $200 USD.
• Look for treasure hunt cars under $200 USD that have a flame decal or the letters “TH” inside a circle because they are rarer than other cars with a similar look.
• Check your collection for a 1969 pink rear-loader Beach Bomb ($175,000 USD), a 1969 Brown Custom Charger ($13,000 USD), or a purple Olds 442 ($5,000 USD).

[Edit]step

[Edit]Which Hot Wheels series is worth the most money?

1. Redline Cars {endBold} Redline cars have red stripes on the sides of each wheel and were the standard look for the first 10 years of Hot Wheels. They also have “Spectraflame” paint, which has a glittery look like glitter. Since these cars are classics from 1968-1977, they are worth more than more recent models.^[1]
   
   • More common redline cars, such as the King Cuda or Chevy Nomad, sell for around $15–20 USD, while rarer models, such as the Bi Focal or Six Shooter, cost around $200 USD.
   • Some vintage re-releases of Hot Wheels also have red stripes on the tires. The original Redline cars were manufactured only in the United States and Hong Kong. If the “country of origin” label on the underside of the car indicates any other location, it is not authentic.
2. The “Sweet Sixteen” cars {endbold} also known as the “Original Sixteen”, were the first of 16 models that came out when Hot Wheels launched in 1968. Since they were the first Hot Wheels that were ever released, collectors typically spend anywhere from $50–200 USD to get their hands on one in good condition. The Sweet Sixteen cars are:^[2]
   
   • beatnik bandit
   • custom barracuda
   • custom camaro
   • custom corvette
   • custom cougar
   • custom eldorado
   • custom firebird
   • custom fleetside
   • custom mustang
   • custom t-bird
   • custom volkswagen
   • Deora
   • Ford J-Car
   • hot stack
   • Python
   • silhouette
3. Treasure Hunt Cars {endbold} Treasure Hunt Cars were rare editions that began to be released in 1995. Since these cars were randomly mixed with the regular ones on the shelves, they were difficult to find. Some treasure hunt cars are labeled “Treasure Hunt” directly on the packaging, either on the top or back of the car. If you don’t see it listed on the packaging, look on the car for a symbol that looks like a circle with a flame inside. That symbol means you have a rare collectible Treasure Hunt Car.^[3]
   
   • The emblem may be hidden on the logo or on the spoiler on the car, so carefully inspect the entire model.
   • Treasure Hunt Hot Wheels usually sell for around $15–30 USD.
4. Super Treasure Hunt Cars {endBold} Super Treasure Hunt cars are even more rare because they have rubber tires and bright Spectraflame paint. To make sure this is an authentic Super Treasure Hunt car, look on the side of the car for a decal with the letters “TH”.^[4]
   
   • Super Treasure Hunt cars can sell for anywhere between $30–$200 USD.
   • If the car is still in packaging, look for a gold circle on the back of the car with a flame inside it, indicating it is part of the Super Treasure Hunt series.

[Edit]Most Valuable Hot Wheels Cars

1. 1969 Pink Rear-loader Beach Bomb {endbold} While other colors were made from Mattel’s first attempt at making a Volkswagen bus, the pink version was not popular and did not sell well. Surfboards stick out the rear window, but make the car top-heavy. There are only 2 known in the world, but if you have one, it can sell for over $175,000 USD.^[5]
   
2. 1968 Over Chrome Camaro {endbold} While many Hot Wheels sport a bright lime-green paint job, the Camaro with the chrome finish was built only for commercials. Since there are only about 20 cars in the world that have the chrome finish, they can cost up to $25,000 USD.^[6]
   
3. 1969 Brown Custom Charger {endbold} The Custom Charger was one of the most popular models between 1969-1971, but many people were put off by the brown version. Since they didn’t sell well, Hot Wheels only made a limited run. For a brown custom charger in the right condition, you can get it for around $13,000 USD.^[7]
   
4. 1969 Ed Shaver Blue AMX {endbold} The blue model of the AMX was only released in the United Kingdom when Mattel sponsored racer Ed Shaver. The only difference between this model over the standard AMX are the Ed Shaver decals on the side panels, but an authentic car can bring home $10,000 USD.^[8]
   
5. 1971 Purple Olds 442 {endbold} Although the model car is fairly common, the purple color was very rare. In mint condition, you can get up to $5,000 USD for selling one.^[9]
   
6. 1995 Treasure Hunt ’67 Camaro {endbold} The Camaro was part of the original Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt series and is one of the most popular cars from the set. If you have one of these cars still in its packaging, it could be worth anywhere between $1,500–3,000 USD.^[10]
   
7. 1968 Volkswagen Custom (no sunroof) {endbold} While most Volkswagen Customs in the Sweet Sixteen have a sunroof, the version without a sunroof was only available in Europe. While most models without a sunroof are blue, they can also be orange, red, green, or copper. These cars can easily sell for over $1,500 USD.^[11]
   
8. Vintage Racing John Morton BRE Datsun 510 {endbold} The Datsun 510 Hot Wheels model was released in early 2010, but the rarest model surfaced in the 2011 Vintage Racing set. This white card with racer John Morton’s number “46” could sell for anywhere from $700-1,500 USD.^[12]
   
9. ’55 Chevy Bel Air Gasser “Candy Stripper” {endbold} While all Chevy Bel Air Gasser models go for a few dollars more than the original selling price, only about 4,000 copies of the bright pink “Candy Stripper” edition were made and may When you sell it, it is worth over $1,000 USD.^[13]
   
10. 1970 “Mad Maverick” Base Mighty Maverick {endbold} The Mighty Maverick was based on a popular Ford vehicle, and the first production had the word “Mad” stamped on the bottom base. When they learned that another line of toys already had a car named “Mad Maverick”, Hot Wheels put a stamp on future runs. An original “Mad Maverick” can sell for between $100-200 USD.^[14]
    

[Edit]What Affects the Price of Hot Wheels?

1. Condition {endbold} Collectors want their model cars in perfect condition, so Hot Wheels that have no damage or wear will sell best. If your cars have dents, dings or peeling paint, you can still sell them, but not for as much money as you would normally pay.^[15]
   
   • Hot Wheels sell better when they’re still in packaging because they’ll stay in mint condition, but people will still buy them when they’re open.
2. Variations{endbold} While most Hot Wheels that are the same model look the same, they also make smaller variants that have different colors, wheels, windows and graphics. Since fewer Hot Wheels variants are produced, the ones you can get are worth more.^[16]
   
   • Variant prices can vary depending on how many were made, so try searching eBay for the specific model and color you have to see what they’ve sold for.
3. Manufacturing Defects{endbold} Defects occur when there is a mistake in production, such as mismatched wheels, incorrect decal placement, or incorrect packaging. Since it’s really rare for these errors to make it through to manufacturing, having a car with them in your collection makes it one of a kind.^[17]
   

[Edit]How do I check the value of my Hot Wheels?

1. Search the model on eBay to find the selling price. Type the make, year, and color of the Hot Wheels car you’re selling into the eBay search bar. Sort the results by “sold” so you can see the transactions that actually happened. Scroll through the prices to find out the value and see how much people were willing to pay for the car. If your car is in similar condition, it will likely sell for roughly the same price.^[18]
   

[Edit]How do you sell Hot Wheels?

1. Post your Hot Wheels for sale online to sell to collectors. Take clear pictures of your Hot Wheels car from all angles to show it in perfect condition. Create a listing on eBay and fill in all the information including model, color and series. Set the starting price to the price you’ve sold other similar models for and make the post public so buyers can find it.^[19]
   

[Edit]Reference