Hey Mattel, Remember When Regular Treasure Hunts were Actually Worth Hunting For?

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Hey Mattel, Remember When Regular Treasure Hunts were Actually Worth Hunting For?

Hot Wheels Treasure Hunts are always a hot topic of conversation among diecast collectors. Back in 2007, Mattel switched to a regular/super Treasure Hunt program. Instead of one Treasure Hunt per case code, there is now a Super Treasure Hunt, with Real Rider tires and Spectraflame paint for each case code and a Regular Treasure Hunt for each case code that's little more than a mainline with a 'circle flame' logo on it.

After finding the 2017 Hot Wheels 'C' case on the pegs recently, I was less than impressed with the Regular TH. Couldn't Mattel do better than the Dragon Blaster? Were regular Treasure Hunts always this bad? I decided to do some digging through my collection to find out. Sure enough, as I go back through the years, the Regular Treasure Hunts seem to get better and better. Here's the disappointing Dragon Blaster:

Now, check out this 2007 Regular Treasure Hunt '69 GTO. Better, right?

Or how about this 2012 Regular Treasure Hunt Studebaker Avanti? It's even got a metal base for Pete's sake!

2017 actually started on a promising note for Hot Wheels Regular Treasure Hunts. The Winning Formula is a fairly realistic F1 car with a nice deco. The Fangula Treasure Hunt also has a nice deco and a metal base. But the Dragon Blaster? Come on Mattel.

The GTO and Avanti are perfect examples of what Regular Treasure Hunts should be. Frankly, most collectors don't find a ton of supers, especially collectors living outside the US. For those collectors (myself included), the Regulars are a consolation prize. But it's hard to call the Dragon Blaster a 'prize' of any kind! Look at the Avanti. It's worthy of being called a consolation prize. Clean deco. Metal Base. Intricate lettering and insignias. Same goes for the GTO. Painted taillights, a fantastic deco and a popular muscle car casting all go a long way to make a Regular Treasure Hunt worth actually hunting for.

So Mattel, why not make your Regular Treasure Hunts a little nicer than the average mainline, or at least licensed models, so collectors have a little something to look for when the supers elude them? Enjoy...