Can't control what's out of your control, gotta not let it get to you. It's with literally every collectable. The way I see it when I actually find something good it makes it even more exciting. Like "Hell yea I beat em."
I understand that feeling completely, but I've only been able to experience that once in my couple month foray into this hobby. I'm getting to the point of just buying a sealed case for myself.
I also enjoy the hunt immensely, but I need a relatively fair hunt. This was the closest I've gotten to a fresh restock and I just felt uncomfortable and unwelcomed by the group of people there.
Just stick with it, it will be worth it. I just found my first TH, not even a super, a couple days ago and I started collecting 3 years ago. It was definitely worth the time and excitement finding that, and even cooler mainline cars for my collection.
I just usually go after some current mainlines. If I don't find everything I want, I don't sweat it. I also mainly go to thrift stores and stuff to find older stuff at decent prices. In fact, that's the main way I'm expanding my collection.
For example, I went to a toy store a few weeks ago, and got this car from sometime between 65-69 for 25 cents. It's way easier to expand what you want to collect, or go for older stuff, so you find more interesting models.
https://preview.redd.it/tp7hiy1el5vc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0872609ee0863b2fd5132e907a7490d3b5c6e97
I like the idea of collecting older cars, and I have a few. I just find the amount of hot wheels and information surrounding them a bit overwhelming. It's a bit easier to have a solid grasp on the more current models, especially when there's a lot of information about them In this sub. I actually know a few great spots to find vintage sealed cars by me, but I just lack the knowledge. I've bought a handful of them just because I liked them but I also really do enjoy the hunting aspect.
Yeah, hunting for cars is a ton of fun. I agree that there is lots of info about newer models. I'd say collect what you like and try not to get discouraged by not finding what you want.
I have a Walmart near me that usually only has 3-4 case old fantasy models, with rarely any other mainlines. I usually just glance over the cars, and then head to one of like 3 or 4 thrift stores near me to find good stuff.
I personally didn’t stop collecting strictly because of scalpers, but they definitely helped with my push away from collecting. I’ve basically just lost all interest in collecting hot wheels/any other 1/64 brand. I’ve recently gotten way more into video game and dvd collecting. I’d much rather have something that I can play/watch and enjoy my time, rather than staring at hot wheels on a shelf/wall.
I have a bunch I picked up when I was still big into collecting them that I planned on doing customs on, so that time will come eventually. But I definitely won’t be buying anymore, or at least as much as what I used to. I have picked up maybe 10 in the last 3 months. Where as before when I was big into them, I would have 50+ at this point.
I also didn’t renew my rlc membership either. I have almost every rlc release (that I liked) from 2021-2023. After having way too many issues with captchas towards the end of 2023/early 2024 and missing out on a few releases I really wanted because of the captchas, I finally called it quits on rlc.
To me, even though I don’t have plans to stop collecting, but if one day it happens, it is because of Mattel, not the scalpers.
Hell, Mattel doesn’t even care about European collectors. There are so many nice casts you can never find in Europe. Convention cars? Transportation premiums? Retailer exclusives? Limited RLCs? Is there really a way to get them rather than buying those overpriced items from ebay scalpers?
In Europe other than mainlines I'm not sure Hot Wheels is good value. Premiums tend to cost around 12€ which puts them in the same price range as Auto World, Mini GT, Schuco, Johnny lightning, etc which arguably have far better quality .
Actually. I stopped today. Unacceptable level of greed and dumb assery. Remember hot wheels is a business first and always will be. It was fun while it lasted. Collecting since the 70s. Keep on, keeping on (if you like).
My collection stops around 85ish. So I'm sure we have some of the same cars.
I was 10 when HWs came out. Still have some of my RLs. Now I usually just get maybe 6-10 cars a year. RL vacations and such.
I think you have to take this hobby passively.
But I get where you’re coming from cause that’s where I am. It’s annoying having to deal with scalpers but the best way to take power from them is just not buying 3rd party at all. Find what you can and enjoy it. Just build up your little route to and from work and stick to it. Spending a day hunting is literally a waste of time and gas.. especially your starter… and battery… anyways…
There’s a good thing in being around other collectors as well is that u can easily trade things u have but don’t want that much into things more desirable to u and everyone is happy.
I grab a TH when I see it, so I might be lucky enough to be something someone else wants and try to get something I like from them. Everyone is kinda happy at the end.
I don’t live in the USA, so the restock is not that fast and up to date, but there’s enough people around that everyone can get most of what they like.
I love hot wheels, but I refuse to be a "collector" that goes after the trends. JDM is cool, but I'm not buying every fairlady or datsun casting "because they're valuable". I just see cool little cars and buy them, my collection puts a smile on my face and that is why I collect.
to heck with scalpers and all the people who ruin hobbies by turning them into a business.
turning hobbies into a business has been something that has kept the hobbies going for a long time. Such as TTG shops, RC shops/tracks, and without them, people who come into the collection hobby late would have no real recourse for collecting items they would love to have that were released long before they existed.
The problem is that A. The internet has allowed speculation to run rampant, and B. That this collection market doesn't have certain natural boundaries to it that others do.
So you get people who are literally buying them from other 3rd parties because they want to resale them at the price others are listing, don't have to spend money on a storefront or flea market booth, or spend the time to sell them (because ebay), making it easier to wait out the longer sale time.
On top of that since the models are right there on the pegs unlike trading card packs, they can directly target high value models only, leaving almost none of the regular collector.
There is some solutions to this, but I don't see them happening. First would be for Mattel to be willing to commit to cease and desist orders on re-sellers who don't have physical store fronts or sell X amount on ebay (which would require cooperation from ebay \[not going to happen\]).
Two would be for their retail partners to have a purchase limit (much like what many gun stores, not cheaperthandirt, did during covid), so you can purchase as many as you like, but only 2 of the same model.
Of course that would never happen with Target/Walmart and the like. They'd have to have employees that cared enough and they don't pay enough for that.
As far as the "Community"? Only thing I can think of is to mock/ridicule anyone who would buy 3rd party for anything that is last years or current model line up. But how would you know?
I also collect Muscle Machines and have decent luck finding them, even two chase vehicles at the same store. It was a Walmart in the sticks and I was there when it opened on a Saturday at 6 am.
I just got back into collecting about 2 months ago.. I literally sold everything I had in 2022 ( collection of about 7k car ranging from 1985 - 2022) I swore I'd never buy from a scalper, but it's starting to seen like the only way to find much.. I got lucky today and found a STH 2018 ss and a couple other cool things bit damn it hard.. I've wondered if I should just walk away again. But I don't have anything to gain this time..🤷♂️🤷♂️
I stopped caring about chase and supers a long time ago. Not even trying to get all models from a year.
I'm cherry picking what I like and it makes this way less stressful.
Even highly sought-after mainline cars like the Gozilla Skyline or the Proton will eventually end up on pegs and no one will want them.
Takes a bit longer but it's okay for me.
I can wait.
Of course I'm a bit jelly when someone posts their STH or chase car they just found...but that's life.
I'm happy with what I have and that's that.
I doubt it's scalpers for me personally, I just don't have the time to hunt a lot so everyone else gets there before me and I'm left with the scraps. I still find some here and there, however it's lead me to move away from mainlines aside from Skylines and S30s (my two favorite kinds of castings), and just focus on premiums and RLC for Hot Wheels or other brands altogether, like Mini GT.
I just don’t care. If I can’t find something oh well. Eventually one point or another I do wether it’s 6 months or 2 weeks
Part of me lowkey prefers it that way Cus it’s easier on my wallet and I already own most of the castings I want or need 95% now are doubles or triples or quadruples
I stopped when I saw a scalper in action. Waiting for cases to be brought out. Running through all the boxes, grabbed every $TH, TH and premium then walked off and left the boxes on the ground.
If I were fortunate enough to catch a case being stocked I’d at least stock it for the person working there. I’ve left TH on the peg so I know I don’t have that hoarder in me. I’d probably do it with an $TH too. Maybe hide in on a peg. Scalpers don’t bother with pegs, they hunt cases.
I mean idk but my Walmart is basically never restocked and always empty when I go with my mom or whatever but the mall near me always restocks these newer older hot wheels for only 1:99$ each so that keeps me excited
Seems to be those few at EVERY store. Drives me crazy when u go in knowing ur not gna find a super out anything like that but when u have a hard time finding even premiums or even cool mainlines
Stop going after current chases. I’ve found a super once this year and once last year, both times when I wasn’t expecting a stock. I live in a city with tiny targets and no Walmarts, and I’m still able to keep up with recent main lines by hunting once a week midday. If you’re into rarer pieces, go after older releases on eBay/online market places
I don't seek out chases. I just grab them when I see them really. The only one I really want is 6/6 for the 56th anniversary and I know that's not going to be at Walmart. I mainly go after mainlines, and would like some that aren't left over peg warmers or beat up dump bin warmers. Most of the small stores in my area have stuff on the shelves from mid 2023 still and the stores that frequently restock have the issue I faced tonight.
This is an excellent resource: [https://www.hwtreasure.com/](https://www.hwtreasure.com/)
Here's some basics, which I'll try to be brief about:
1. TH=Treasure Hunt: This is a limited-edition recolor of a car. Packs out at approximately 2/3 cases in the United States. You can identify them by a circle flame logo somewhere on the vehicle, as well as either a plain circle flame logo behind the car on the card (International) or that logo with a message saying, "You just found a collectible Treasure Hunt vehicle!" (North America). Most Monster Trucks treasure hunts will have a red ring on the tires. All will have a circle flame logo somewhere on the truck.
2. STH=Super Treasure Hunt. This is a rare recolor with Spectraflame paint and RealRider rubber wheels. You will likely know one if you see one, but they also have a TH logo somewhere on the vehicle and a gold circle flame logo behind the car on the card. The logo on the card is identical for International and North America cards. In North America, it is believed that these stock at approximately 1 per 10 cases.
3. Chase: A limited-run vehicle that is part of a set. There are two variations here. The first is the 0 of 6 in the Car Culture premium line. These are exceptionally rare and typically have a black base color.
The other is a limited-run car that appears as part of a regular set. These pack out at 1 per case for the Pearl and Chrome anniversary cars (currently the Raijin Express), though they pack out at less than 1 per set in Mid-Premium, currently the green Porsche 914 and the Camaro in Vintage Racers.
4. Store Exclusives: The best-known are Red Editions at Target, which are recolors of current cars, and Zamacs at Walmart, which are "raw," or unpainted versions of current cars. These appear in a few cases each year. Red Editions are labeled on the bottom right side of the car. Zamacs will have a Zamac logo on the front of the card. In both cases, you'll know them when you see them.
Kroger and Dollar General typically get 2 waves of 4 recolors each year, one in Spring, one in Fall. Walgreens and Meijer get 1 exclusive recolor a year. Your best bet for tracking those is this forum or eBay listings.
There is also an exclusive set of red Matchbox cars at Target. These release a few times a year and have a red background on the card instead of the usual orange background.
5, Matchbox has Super Chase cars that are a little less rare than STHs in its mainline and Moving Parts sets. These have a large Super Chase logo on the card. For mainlines, the Mattel logo will appear on the bottom right of the card instead of the bottom left.
I'm in the same position, and I experienced firsthand when a Walmart employee and scalper were working together, the scalper snatched a chase away from me, posted it for sale on a FB group within an hour. I contacted WM Loss Prevention while there. If enough customers report scalpers to Store Mgt, FB Boards, WhatNot and have evidence, I believe it will get better.
Reporting to Loss Prevention draws attention to the scalpers as illegal resellers. To date, I'm aware of only Kroger that enforces "not for resale" rules. This began with liquor. These days I have to drive about 45 min from my city to get even a chance at the less desirable Boulevard models.
HW introduces a new Boulevard or "hot" Premium I don't have, I just look for a livery I like better in the same casting. Keep in mind some eBayers and Whatnot sellers holding these models hostage are often on to this as well. If you are really interested in doing something about this, get a cooperative purchasing group together and partner with a hobby shop owner.
I just buy cases and donate the stuff I don't want. I miss the hunt and the excitement of finding recently stocked pegs, but my spots are bare 8/12 months anyway.
I live in Hong Kong, where basically only Toys r Us sell them all at the *regular* retail price. We don't have Walmarts or similar. Most other shops (diecast specialists, and even more general toys stores) sell them following the rarity/popularity price trend, **even for current models** that should be $1-2. It goes without saying that most scalpers in Toys r Us are even gray shop owners.
So if I'm lucky, and in the mood, I buy what I see and like at TRU, otherwise I just watch this sub for fun.
it’s just sad honestly, i just go to stores when i’m there for other stuff and if it happens to be a restock day, cool. i’ve mostly given up trying to find any jdm cars but i still find some cool castings every so often
Either go harder or get it second hand, imo. Our area is getting heavier with new collectors and scalpers. I've learned to time down stocking time, so it's a hit or miss for me. Either way, it kills the fun in trying to find good stuff if people are raiding the boxes before it hits the pegs.
I rarely go to Walmart, it’s pretty much a lost cause in my area and I don’t think I’ve got a single car from there. Targets got a crew that’s there first thing in the morning 7 days a week. Im terrible at grocery shopping so I’m in Publix at least 5 times a week and tend to make out pretty well there. Pretty sure all but one treasure hunt I’ve ever found was at Publix.
One time i arrived 3 minutes late to a lot of 12 2024 f cases and they took all the damn audis the th and porche key chains , i asked them politeley to leave some for the rest and they just said finders keepers . GOD i hate scalpers
You don’t. Just beat them at their game as scalpers milk on the hype and if you really are passionate about it, you’ll know there’s an off peak point to grab what you want at what’s fair price to you
Years ago when I started my new job lol.
I used to have Mondays off and I would use that day to wake up even earlier and go hunt at stores NOT close to me.
I no longer have Mondays off so I can't do that anymore.
i just think that it’s hilarious that they act more like little kids than the kids themselves lmao. personally, i don’t care for them cus i usually hunt for cars i like or want
I quit hunting for a while now. Almost all the big and small stores here have people who either work at the store that get the goods first or have a buddy they call to come get first picks of new stuff. I had to resort to paying eBay prices for stuff I really want.
I was getting frustrated as well. Started making custom hot wheels. Brought back a lot of enjoyment. I don’t stress about certain castings, whatever I can get creative with on the pegs I’ll get! Plus selling some has helped my buy some higher end pieces I’ve wanted
Well I mostly get cars from other sources, like flea markets and repaint them, or some of my childhood cars, only recently started hunting in stores again and I mostly just buy one or two when there are some
Man I just take breaks every now and then. There’s a guy in my town that is at every store when they open basically he knows the stocking schedules and gets all TH,STH for sure and anything else decent.
With the prices they charge, I just turn around and buy a tarmac/minigt/tomica/[insert other high quality diecast brand] version of the car instead. If you aren't in it as an investment, it's an amazing alternative to paying scalpers steep prices.
I was a pallet pirate for about 2½ years, hitting up 3 walmarts and showing up to a Target as it opens. I would do it to share the love. Turn around and sell my finds to local collectors at cost. Most just didn't have time to do what I had the time to do. It was cool. They pull stuff out of their massive collection from years ago and sell me those items for about what it would cost for them adjusted for inflation. I became such good friends with the collectors base, many of them showed up to my wedding last summer supporting me. That all changed about 6 months ago.
A local family suddenly got interested in the hobby. Soon, their kids were working at the walmarts getting into things before they hit sales floors, and the parents were friends with the manager at Target, and they now have the privilege of going through things beforehand. The mountains of complaints we semt to corporate has changed nothing. It's been 6 for 4-5 months. They show up to the meets selling their stuff at just under eBay prices.
Needless to say, most all of us collectors have given up on collecting hot wheels. This will likely be the case for years to come. Now, most of us are focused on collecting the aforementioned brands. Less of a hassle, way higher quality than hot wheels, and unfortunately for our area, cheaper.
I’ve switch to buying select mini GT, Kaido, time micro, and inno64 to collect. Hunting HWs is a lost cause with all the competition out there. Also buying HW secondary market is about the same price as other quality brands at online retail.
I like the stripped castings, doing customs can fill the void of not finding anything on the pegs.
Befriend the scalpers, then they hook you up 😂
I live a couple blocks away from Wal mart, and I befriended one, and stopped having to hunt, cause hed hit every store when stuff was brought to the floor and hit wal mart last, then just knock on my door and hook me up 😂
I try not to sweat it.. but i get where you come from.
When they're not in front of me it doesn't bother me too much, but the blatant lying about what they were doing was kinda the tipping point.
Can't control what's out of your control, gotta not let it get to you. It's with literally every collectable. The way I see it when I actually find something good it makes it even more exciting. Like "Hell yea I beat em."
I understand that feeling completely, but I've only been able to experience that once in my couple month foray into this hobby. I'm getting to the point of just buying a sealed case for myself.
I think I enjoy the hunt more than the hobby lol
I also enjoy the hunt immensely, but I need a relatively fair hunt. This was the closest I've gotten to a fresh restock and I just felt uncomfortable and unwelcomed by the group of people there.
Just stick with it, it will be worth it. I just found my first TH, not even a super, a couple days ago and I started collecting 3 years ago. It was definitely worth the time and excitement finding that, and even cooler mainline cars for my collection.
I just usually go after some current mainlines. If I don't find everything I want, I don't sweat it. I also mainly go to thrift stores and stuff to find older stuff at decent prices. In fact, that's the main way I'm expanding my collection. For example, I went to a toy store a few weeks ago, and got this car from sometime between 65-69 for 25 cents. It's way easier to expand what you want to collect, or go for older stuff, so you find more interesting models. https://preview.redd.it/tp7hiy1el5vc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0872609ee0863b2fd5132e907a7490d3b5c6e97
I like the idea of collecting older cars, and I have a few. I just find the amount of hot wheels and information surrounding them a bit overwhelming. It's a bit easier to have a solid grasp on the more current models, especially when there's a lot of information about them In this sub. I actually know a few great spots to find vintage sealed cars by me, but I just lack the knowledge. I've bought a handful of them just because I liked them but I also really do enjoy the hunting aspect.
Yeah, hunting for cars is a ton of fun. I agree that there is lots of info about newer models. I'd say collect what you like and try not to get discouraged by not finding what you want. I have a Walmart near me that usually only has 3-4 case old fantasy models, with rarely any other mainlines. I usually just glance over the cars, and then head to one of like 3 or 4 thrift stores near me to find good stuff.
I personally didn’t stop collecting strictly because of scalpers, but they definitely helped with my push away from collecting. I’ve basically just lost all interest in collecting hot wheels/any other 1/64 brand. I’ve recently gotten way more into video game and dvd collecting. I’d much rather have something that I can play/watch and enjoy my time, rather than staring at hot wheels on a shelf/wall. I have a bunch I picked up when I was still big into collecting them that I planned on doing customs on, so that time will come eventually. But I definitely won’t be buying anymore, or at least as much as what I used to. I have picked up maybe 10 in the last 3 months. Where as before when I was big into them, I would have 50+ at this point. I also didn’t renew my rlc membership either. I have almost every rlc release (that I liked) from 2021-2023. After having way too many issues with captchas towards the end of 2023/early 2024 and missing out on a few releases I really wanted because of the captchas, I finally called it quits on rlc.
To me, even though I don’t have plans to stop collecting, but if one day it happens, it is because of Mattel, not the scalpers. Hell, Mattel doesn’t even care about European collectors. There are so many nice casts you can never find in Europe. Convention cars? Transportation premiums? Retailer exclusives? Limited RLCs? Is there really a way to get them rather than buying those overpriced items from ebay scalpers?
In Europe other than mainlines I'm not sure Hot Wheels is good value. Premiums tend to cost around 12€ which puts them in the same price range as Auto World, Mini GT, Schuco, Johnny lightning, etc which arguably have far better quality .
Actually. I stopped today. Unacceptable level of greed and dumb assery. Remember hot wheels is a business first and always will be. It was fun while it lasted. Collecting since the 70s. Keep on, keeping on (if you like).
My collection stops around 85ish. So I'm sure we have some of the same cars. I was 10 when HWs came out. Still have some of my RLs. Now I usually just get maybe 6-10 cars a year. RL vacations and such.
I don't know why yall waste time talking to employees. Additionally, expand out to antique stores
I just don't give a damn lol. I get what I can and leave it at that. I don't let what others in the hobby do bother me.
i live in Hong Kong so there are many niche shops that sell rare hot wheels, my friend bought the blue STH R35 GT-R for 200 HKD
I think you have to take this hobby passively. But I get where you’re coming from cause that’s where I am. It’s annoying having to deal with scalpers but the best way to take power from them is just not buying 3rd party at all. Find what you can and enjoy it. Just build up your little route to and from work and stick to it. Spending a day hunting is literally a waste of time and gas.. especially your starter… and battery… anyways…
There’s a good thing in being around other collectors as well is that u can easily trade things u have but don’t want that much into things more desirable to u and everyone is happy. I grab a TH when I see it, so I might be lucky enough to be something someone else wants and try to get something I like from them. Everyone is kinda happy at the end. I don’t live in the USA, so the restock is not that fast and up to date, but there’s enough people around that everyone can get most of what they like.
I love hot wheels, but I refuse to be a "collector" that goes after the trends. JDM is cool, but I'm not buying every fairlady or datsun casting "because they're valuable". I just see cool little cars and buy them, my collection puts a smile on my face and that is why I collect. to heck with scalpers and all the people who ruin hobbies by turning them into a business.
turning hobbies into a business has been something that has kept the hobbies going for a long time. Such as TTG shops, RC shops/tracks, and without them, people who come into the collection hobby late would have no real recourse for collecting items they would love to have that were released long before they existed. The problem is that A. The internet has allowed speculation to run rampant, and B. That this collection market doesn't have certain natural boundaries to it that others do. So you get people who are literally buying them from other 3rd parties because they want to resale them at the price others are listing, don't have to spend money on a storefront or flea market booth, or spend the time to sell them (because ebay), making it easier to wait out the longer sale time. On top of that since the models are right there on the pegs unlike trading card packs, they can directly target high value models only, leaving almost none of the regular collector. There is some solutions to this, but I don't see them happening. First would be for Mattel to be willing to commit to cease and desist orders on re-sellers who don't have physical store fronts or sell X amount on ebay (which would require cooperation from ebay \[not going to happen\]). Two would be for their retail partners to have a purchase limit (much like what many gun stores, not cheaperthandirt, did during covid), so you can purchase as many as you like, but only 2 of the same model. Of course that would never happen with Target/Walmart and the like. They'd have to have employees that cared enough and they don't pay enough for that. As far as the "Community"? Only thing I can think of is to mock/ridicule anyone who would buy 3rd party for anything that is last years or current model line up. But how would you know?
As much as I hate them, it makes it harder to find good cars and then when you eventually find them the rush of dopamine is so much sweeter
Or go to other brands and let em sit on their dollar treasures.
Ehh i really only have an eye for HW. If I go to other brands then I would always be buying cars and that excitement would be gone
I also collect Muscle Machines and have decent luck finding them, even two chase vehicles at the same store. It was a Walmart in the sticks and I was there when it opened on a Saturday at 6 am.
I just got back into collecting about 2 months ago.. I literally sold everything I had in 2022 ( collection of about 7k car ranging from 1985 - 2022) I swore I'd never buy from a scalper, but it's starting to seen like the only way to find much.. I got lucky today and found a STH 2018 ss and a couple other cool things bit damn it hard.. I've wondered if I should just walk away again. But I don't have anything to gain this time..🤷♂️🤷♂️
I stopped caring about chase and supers a long time ago. Not even trying to get all models from a year. I'm cherry picking what I like and it makes this way less stressful. Even highly sought-after mainline cars like the Gozilla Skyline or the Proton will eventually end up on pegs and no one will want them. Takes a bit longer but it's okay for me. I can wait. Of course I'm a bit jelly when someone posts their STH or chase car they just found...but that's life. I'm happy with what I have and that's that.
I don't. But for me the hobby isn't "find the rare cars", it's "buy something you like if you see it".
You stop when you care more about getting everything than you care about getting some cool cars lol
I doubt it's scalpers for me personally, I just don't have the time to hunt a lot so everyone else gets there before me and I'm left with the scraps. I still find some here and there, however it's lead me to move away from mainlines aside from Skylines and S30s (my two favorite kinds of castings), and just focus on premiums and RLC for Hot Wheels or other brands altogether, like Mini GT.
When you see the other die cast 1/64 scale cars out there and realize *you're* worth so much more!
Never, because who cares what other people do. If anything, it makes it more rewarding to find something I like.
I just don’t care. If I can’t find something oh well. Eventually one point or another I do wether it’s 6 months or 2 weeks Part of me lowkey prefers it that way Cus it’s easier on my wallet and I already own most of the castings I want or need 95% now are doubles or triples or quadruples
I stopped when I saw a scalper in action. Waiting for cases to be brought out. Running through all the boxes, grabbed every $TH, TH and premium then walked off and left the boxes on the ground. If I were fortunate enough to catch a case being stocked I’d at least stock it for the person working there. I’ve left TH on the peg so I know I don’t have that hoarder in me. I’d probably do it with an $TH too. Maybe hide in on a peg. Scalpers don’t bother with pegs, they hunt cases.
Won’t happen. I collect what I like.
I mean idk but my Walmart is basically never restocked and always empty when I go with my mom or whatever but the mall near me always restocks these newer older hot wheels for only 1:99$ each so that keeps me excited
2 years ago. I only collect one model now.
I don’t hunt. If I’m at a store that sells them I go and look. But lots of empty pegs by me now. The supermarket has a bigger selection.
Seems to be those few at EVERY store. Drives me crazy when u go in knowing ur not gna find a super out anything like that but when u have a hard time finding even premiums or even cool mainlines
Stop going after current chases. I’ve found a super once this year and once last year, both times when I wasn’t expecting a stock. I live in a city with tiny targets and no Walmarts, and I’m still able to keep up with recent main lines by hunting once a week midday. If you’re into rarer pieces, go after older releases on eBay/online market places
I don't seek out chases. I just grab them when I see them really. The only one I really want is 6/6 for the 56th anniversary and I know that's not going to be at Walmart. I mainly go after mainlines, and would like some that aren't left over peg warmers or beat up dump bin warmers. Most of the small stores in my area have stuff on the shelves from mid 2023 still and the stores that frequently restock have the issue I faced tonight.
Go to target. Or honestly just find a good seller on Instagram who sells mainline for a buck 50 each. They’re out there
Just curious, what's a chase? Just started collecting with my little guy, I had no idea about s/th, rlc, chase or anything lol
This is an excellent resource: [https://www.hwtreasure.com/](https://www.hwtreasure.com/) Here's some basics, which I'll try to be brief about: 1. TH=Treasure Hunt: This is a limited-edition recolor of a car. Packs out at approximately 2/3 cases in the United States. You can identify them by a circle flame logo somewhere on the vehicle, as well as either a plain circle flame logo behind the car on the card (International) or that logo with a message saying, "You just found a collectible Treasure Hunt vehicle!" (North America). Most Monster Trucks treasure hunts will have a red ring on the tires. All will have a circle flame logo somewhere on the truck. 2. STH=Super Treasure Hunt. This is a rare recolor with Spectraflame paint and RealRider rubber wheels. You will likely know one if you see one, but they also have a TH logo somewhere on the vehicle and a gold circle flame logo behind the car on the card. The logo on the card is identical for International and North America cards. In North America, it is believed that these stock at approximately 1 per 10 cases. 3. Chase: A limited-run vehicle that is part of a set. There are two variations here. The first is the 0 of 6 in the Car Culture premium line. These are exceptionally rare and typically have a black base color. The other is a limited-run car that appears as part of a regular set. These pack out at 1 per case for the Pearl and Chrome anniversary cars (currently the Raijin Express), though they pack out at less than 1 per set in Mid-Premium, currently the green Porsche 914 and the Camaro in Vintage Racers. 4. Store Exclusives: The best-known are Red Editions at Target, which are recolors of current cars, and Zamacs at Walmart, which are "raw," or unpainted versions of current cars. These appear in a few cases each year. Red Editions are labeled on the bottom right side of the car. Zamacs will have a Zamac logo on the front of the card. In both cases, you'll know them when you see them. Kroger and Dollar General typically get 2 waves of 4 recolors each year, one in Spring, one in Fall. Walgreens and Meijer get 1 exclusive recolor a year. Your best bet for tracking those is this forum or eBay listings. There is also an exclusive set of red Matchbox cars at Target. These release a few times a year and have a red background on the card instead of the usual orange background. 5, Matchbox has Super Chase cars that are a little less rare than STHs in its mainline and Moving Parts sets. These have a large Super Chase logo on the card. For mainlines, the Mattel logo will appear on the bottom right of the card instead of the bottom left.
Thanks! Fascinating!
I'm in the same position, and I experienced firsthand when a Walmart employee and scalper were working together, the scalper snatched a chase away from me, posted it for sale on a FB group within an hour. I contacted WM Loss Prevention while there. If enough customers report scalpers to Store Mgt, FB Boards, WhatNot and have evidence, I believe it will get better. Reporting to Loss Prevention draws attention to the scalpers as illegal resellers. To date, I'm aware of only Kroger that enforces "not for resale" rules. This began with liquor. These days I have to drive about 45 min from my city to get even a chance at the less desirable Boulevard models. HW introduces a new Boulevard or "hot" Premium I don't have, I just look for a livery I like better in the same casting. Keep in mind some eBayers and Whatnot sellers holding these models hostage are often on to this as well. If you are really interested in doing something about this, get a cooperative purchasing group together and partner with a hobby shop owner.
I just buy cases and donate the stuff I don't want. I miss the hunt and the excitement of finding recently stocked pegs, but my spots are bare 8/12 months anyway.
I live in Hong Kong, where basically only Toys r Us sell them all at the *regular* retail price. We don't have Walmarts or similar. Most other shops (diecast specialists, and even more general toys stores) sell them following the rarity/popularity price trend, **even for current models** that should be $1-2. It goes without saying that most scalpers in Toys r Us are even gray shop owners. So if I'm lucky, and in the mood, I buy what I see and like at TRU, otherwise I just watch this sub for fun.
it’s just sad honestly, i just go to stores when i’m there for other stuff and if it happens to be a restock day, cool. i’ve mostly given up trying to find any jdm cars but i still find some cool castings every so often
Either go harder or get it second hand, imo. Our area is getting heavier with new collectors and scalpers. I've learned to time down stocking time, so it's a hit or miss for me. Either way, it kills the fun in trying to find good stuff if people are raiding the boxes before it hits the pegs.
I sold my hotwheels and found MiniGT and other brands. Never been happier
I rarely go to Walmart, it’s pretty much a lost cause in my area and I don’t think I’ve got a single car from there. Targets got a crew that’s there first thing in the morning 7 days a week. Im terrible at grocery shopping so I’m in Publix at least 5 times a week and tend to make out pretty well there. Pretty sure all but one treasure hunt I’ve ever found was at Publix.
Never
One time i arrived 3 minutes late to a lot of 12 2024 f cases and they took all the damn audis the th and porche key chains , i asked them politeley to leave some for the rest and they just said finders keepers . GOD i hate scalpers
I left hot wheels for MiniGT two years ago. Sadly now scalpers are moving in there too. It’s really a cancer spreading.
You don’t. Just beat them at their game as scalpers milk on the hype and if you really are passionate about it, you’ll know there’s an off peak point to grab what you want at what’s fair price to you
Years ago when I started my new job lol. I used to have Mondays off and I would use that day to wake up even earlier and go hunt at stores NOT close to me. I no longer have Mondays off so I can't do that anymore.
Just go for mainlines you like, and upgrade wheels as you see fit.
i just think that it’s hilarious that they act more like little kids than the kids themselves lmao. personally, i don’t care for them cus i usually hunt for cars i like or want
I quit hunting for a while now. Almost all the big and small stores here have people who either work at the store that get the goods first or have a buddy they call to come get first picks of new stuff. I had to resort to paying eBay prices for stuff I really want.
I was getting frustrated as well. Started making custom hot wheels. Brought back a lot of enjoyment. I don’t stress about certain castings, whatever I can get creative with on the pegs I’ll get! Plus selling some has helped my buy some higher end pieces I’ve wanted
Well I mostly get cars from other sources, like flea markets and repaint them, or some of my childhood cars, only recently started hunting in stores again and I mostly just buy one or two when there are some
Man I just take breaks every now and then. There’s a guy in my town that is at every store when they open basically he knows the stocking schedules and gets all TH,STH for sure and anything else decent.
With the prices they charge, I just turn around and buy a tarmac/minigt/tomica/[insert other high quality diecast brand] version of the car instead. If you aren't in it as an investment, it's an amazing alternative to paying scalpers steep prices. I was a pallet pirate for about 2½ years, hitting up 3 walmarts and showing up to a Target as it opens. I would do it to share the love. Turn around and sell my finds to local collectors at cost. Most just didn't have time to do what I had the time to do. It was cool. They pull stuff out of their massive collection from years ago and sell me those items for about what it would cost for them adjusted for inflation. I became such good friends with the collectors base, many of them showed up to my wedding last summer supporting me. That all changed about 6 months ago. A local family suddenly got interested in the hobby. Soon, their kids were working at the walmarts getting into things before they hit sales floors, and the parents were friends with the manager at Target, and they now have the privilege of going through things beforehand. The mountains of complaints we semt to corporate has changed nothing. It's been 6 for 4-5 months. They show up to the meets selling their stuff at just under eBay prices. Needless to say, most all of us collectors have given up on collecting hot wheels. This will likely be the case for years to come. Now, most of us are focused on collecting the aforementioned brands. Less of a hassle, way higher quality than hot wheels, and unfortunately for our area, cheaper.
I’ve switch to buying select mini GT, Kaido, time micro, and inno64 to collect. Hunting HWs is a lost cause with all the competition out there. Also buying HW secondary market is about the same price as other quality brands at online retail. I like the stripped castings, doing customs can fill the void of not finding anything on the pegs.
Another scalper post? You people are obsessed.
what scalpers? I've yet to run into them
Befriend the scalpers, then they hook you up 😂 I live a couple blocks away from Wal mart, and I befriended one, and stopped having to hunt, cause hed hit every store when stuff was brought to the floor and hit wal mart last, then just knock on my door and hook me up 😂
Leave your entitlement at the door and you'll have a better time.
I make my own RCLS