Prices are just quite insane right now
At the recent 2019 Yokohama Hot Rod And Custom Car Show we were shocked to find out that the Japanese Hot Wheels collector (young and old) has taken the Hot Wheels brand to new heights of craziness. Yes, we use the word ‘crazy’ as the asking prices for Hot Wheels ‘toys’ have ballooned and this has become a new business for some enterprising young Asians who buy and trade in used Hot Wheels collectables.
Let us share a simple example with you. A Datsun Hot Wheels limited edition collectable can sell in the used market for as much as RM300.00 if it is still in its packaging and there is no damage to the original packaging and the toy car itself.
Now, the original price for this Hot Wheels Datsun was anywhere between RM8.50 to 16.00 depending on where you bought it.
Then there is the 1990 Honda Civic hatchback which was released by Hot Wheels in 2014. This is now a collectable and in Japan it retails for a cool RM110-120.00.
Next we have a rare 1932 Ford hot rod with MOONEYES livery on it and this little car gets a price tag of RM380.00 and there are not many on sale.
It is not all just Hot Wheels toy cars that are selling for crazy high margins. Some of you older readers might remember Majorette model cars which were made in France. This brand has the Toyota Hiace Series 1 model which is famous in Thailand as a resort town taxi. This little toy which has a new selling price of between RM7.50 to RM8.50 is not retailing in Japan for a hefty RM120.00 and its detailing is not all that great.
This model toy car phenomenon is not only happening in Japan as at the time of writing this article we have been informed that Malaysians and Singaporeans are also getting into this craze and the prices for certain collectable models are rising by the weeks and the number of collectors are also gathering pace.
Are you a collector? Well we have quite a few cars at home and we are ready to part with them at a high price to buy a real working classic car.
