![]() When Mattel started producing the reproduction Redlines, they either stamped the bases with the Hot Wheels logo or placed a small Hot Wheels logo TAMPO on the body of the cars. Redline reproductions can still be found on the pegs to this day. Secondly, you have to make sure that they are not the reproduction Redlines that we produced years after in the nineties in celebration of the original line. You say to yourself, “I’d like to sell my old Hot Wheels, but how do I tell if they are the true REDLINE Hot Wheels?” So, here’s how you tell:įirst and foremost, you look for the thin “Red Line” around the outside of each of the tires where a whitewall would normally be expressed. Hot Wheels just blew away the competition, Matchbox, and as they say, the REST IS HISTORY! They were an instant hit with their California Custom designs, Spectraflame Paint, Cool packaging, and the most innovative accessories for any toy line at the time and still to this day, in my opinion. □ They were produced for the following ten years, until 1977 and also switched from the shiny Spectraflame to the Enamel paint for the most part in 1973. I think they timed it just perfectly for my 8th birthday celebration in July. Hot Wheels were first released by the Mattel corporation in the summer of 1968 June ’68 to be more accurate. You will get an argument from some hardcore mainliners, but for the most part, these puppies are what every Hot Wheels collector truly dreams about. REDLINE Hot Wheels are considered the most desirable of all the Hot Wheels, but also the most expensive across the board. Now you ask yourself the question: “What are these very cool toy cars?”Ĭhances are that, if the Hot Wheels Gods are shining down upon you, they are what we call in the hobby, “REDLINE Hot Wheels” and you may have just hit the motherlode! “But how do I tell if they truly are the Holy Grail of Hot Wheels?” Well, it’s kinda sorta simple looking at it from 40,000 feet. This is probably one of the reasons Mattel switched to strictly enamel paints after 1972.You’ve probably just either, A) Cleaned out your attic B) Straightened up your basement: C) Been handed a box of old toys from an older relative OR D) Come across some really cool and old Hot Wheels at a Yard Sale/Garage Sale/Flea Market. So, the condition of the Zamac can influence a color significantly resulting in a new shade or color all together. Since the Spectraflame is transparent, such flaws cannot be hidden. Paint does not tone, the metal casting tones. Toning is not a flaw in the paint, but a flaw within the metal or tarnish on the metal's surface. What most collectors fail to realize is that the appearance of the paint results from what is underneath. ![]() Those cars just happen to have a better plating, or a better batch of metal or had fewer imperfections. This is why sometimes cars have an "over-chrome" appearance. If the Zamac that was used was not properly polished or was impure, the tone and shade of the Spectraflame is greatly affected. Since it is transparent, the base that it is being applied to must be consistent and pure. Spectraflame paint is a transparent paint. ![]() Of the 24 found, this does not even include shade variations.Īside from the painting process, the preparation of the casting itself plays a huge role in shade variations. By the end of 1972, there were at least 16 distinct colors found, but to date, as many as 24 distinct colors have been documented. By 1970, new colors were being introduced and existing colors were reformulated or phased out all together. Mattel's color pallet changed several times during production. Spectraflame redlines have been found in a number of different colors and shade variations that were not listed in the 1969 catalog.Īlong with the original color pallet, Mattel had several experimental colors that were used in the early years of production. This color listing shows 12 different colors being used, but as time would tell, it is far from accurate. Mattel never officially released this color pallet to the general public, but the closest thing to an official release can be found in the 1969 Collector's Catalog. When the first engineering pilot samples arrived from the factory, there was one color pallet from the beginning. But exactly how many different colors were used between 19 is still unknown. All of the cars in 1968 have been found in at least nine colors, and for some models, as many as 16 different colors are known to exist. When sales exploded, that quickly changed. Spectraflame redlines were originally listed in the 1968 catalog as being available in two colors each.
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