Holiday weekends can be a nice thing.
You start with all kinds of excitement, with a well thought-out plan of all the great things you are going to accomplish. By the time it is done, you are more tired then when the weekend started, and you didn't accomplish all you had hoped.
So this time I kept is simple. Among fireworks and grills and what not, I had one job. That job was to organize my Hot Wheels collection. And by golly I did it. DONE!
It took a good part of two days, but it is done. I have a lot of cars, but many are extras I acquired for one reason or another. And if you are following the eBay sales I am doing with my daughter, you know I am trying to get rid of most, if not all of my extras. I just want what I actually want to keep.
The actual Hot Wheels collection I have is very streamlined. Loose only, and only of models I really want. And when you look at the actual collection, trends emerge. There are a few models that I give the completist approach, and they are diverse. From the Datsun Wagon to the Gran Torino Sport to the '55 Gasser to the BMW 2002. There are others I just want one or two examples, and that usually means the first release, which typically based on a more stock design or color. And with very few exceptions, I only want one of each.
I sold off all of my variations, except for those I opened, so they are there, but other than that, all I am keeping is what is in my Jammer cases.
And oh does it feel good. I am freeing up space, and starting to feel the collection is not the burden I sometimes appears to be. With cards gone, the entire collection, along with my Matchbox and TLV collections, fit in my office closet. Peace and joy. I am at one with my collection...
It was also a blast to go through things. It was fun to take a look at some of the models I hadn't thought about it awhile, and it was cool to see all versions together. There is no doubt Hot Wheels has done some awesome stuff the last few years.
So here it is. My entire Hot Wheels collection. As I photographed it I realized there are a couple of holes to fill, but for the most part this is it. Now to add one here and one there as more stuff is released...
I organize alphabetically by carmaker, and keep each casting together chronologically.
Enjoy.
