Just for the Heck of It: The Hot Wheels Entertainment '66 TV Batmobile!

Sometimes my favorite blog posts are ones like this. There's really no particular reason for the post, other than that I found a cool 1/64 scale diecast car to crack open and take photos of. Take today, for example. This Hot Wheels Batmobile was given to me as a freebie thrown into an eBay purchase. The package was badly damaged (hey, it's free right?) and I have another one, so why not crack it open and do a photo shoot?

Like most collectors, my favorite Hot Wheels Batmobile has to be the George Barris-designed '66 TV Series Batmobile. While I'm not going to pay sky high prices for a zamac Hot Wheels Batmobile on eBay, I will pick them up when they show up on my local pegs. (Or when I get them for free) According to Wikipedia, the late George Barris is a custom car builder famous for his built-for-Hollywood designs. What Magnus Walker is to Porsches is what George Barris was to Hollywood cars. Of course Barris' legend is far greater.

The basis for the '66 TV Series Batmobile was the 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept Car. Legend holds that Barris bought the Futura for a measly $1 before going on to whip up the Batmobile in 3 weeks time. Not bad, eh? The massive rear exhaust pipe is actually a customized 5 gallon paint can. Crazy. If you go to 1966batmobile.com, you'll find yourself down a rabbit hole nerding out over this one-off movie car that's a customized one-off Lincoln concept car. I killed a lot of time reading about it and I'm not even a huge Batman fan.

So yeah, the real '66 TV Series Batmobile is mad cool, but what about the Hot Wheels version? Popularity among collectors suggests that this casting is one for the ages. I tend to agree. The '66 has already done the Hot Wheels world tour: RLC, Comic Con, Convention, Mexico Convention, Mainline, Zamac, Super Treasure Hunt and (Retro) Entertainment have all been done. What's left? Not much, honestly. Can we ever have enough Hot Wheels '66 TV Series Batmobiles, though? I have a sneaking suspicion collectors will continue to buy this casting every time Mattel releases it, and with good reason.

The Hot Wheels '66 TV Series Batmobile checks a lot of boxes for collectors. It's got the Batman/pop-culture connection. It's got that childhood/nostalgia vibe, it's a one-off custom and it's got a very cool story behind it. Top that off with mean looks and a black and red paint scheme and it's no wonder every collector has to get their hands on every release. I know I sat and stared for a few after cracking this Hot Wheels Batmobile open. Enjoy the photos!

Happy Collecting!!

From : thewesterndiecastreview.blogspot.com

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...

Happy Collecting!!

From : thewesterndiecastreview.blogspot.com

Greenlight 'Lost' Film Reel (feat. Green Machine)!

While I'm a huge Greenlight fan, I don't normally pick up Greenlight Film Reels. In fact, this is the first one to join my collection. There are two reasons for that. The first is the sticker shock I get when looking at the price tag. Although Film Reels are actually not a bad deal when you factor in getting 4 different Greenlight models and a collectible film reel tin and all the licensing that goes with it I find myself shying away.

The second reason I tend to pass up Greenlight Film Reels is the vehicle selection. Often the 4-car sets only feature 1 car I might pick up were it a single. The recent Greenlight Lost Film Reel is different, though. 2 of the 4 cars are massive winners, a 3rd isn't far behind and the 'worst' car in the set is actually quite nice. I'd undoubtedly buy 3 of the 4 cars as singles.

The first car to note is the Volkswagen Van. The VW van is easily one of the most underrated Greenlight models in ages. It hasn't received much attention on social media or blogs, but I'm going to say on the record that it deserves it. Yeah, Greenlight did a similar 'Dharma' bus in the Hollywood line, but this thing is next level. The wear/rust/patina/barn find look on the air-cooled van is impressive. Greenlight's done the whole patina thing before, but the level of detail on this van is mind boggling and far more realistic looking than any faux-rust/wear thing Greenlight's done previously. The Lost Film Reel VW Type 2 is one of the coolest things in 1/64 diecast this year. Put some respeck on it!

Next is the Ford Bronco. Yeah, it's cool because it's a Green Machine, but the regular version is nearly as spectacular. The nondescript beige/brown color combo isn't exactly eye-popping, but it's perfectly fitting for a Bronco from this era. Custom Broncos are great, but the stock look is even better. Stock decos lend uniqueness in a diecast world where nearly everything has a 'custom look'. The details on this Bronco are also above average. The California license plates front and rear, opening hood and other details are all fantastic. On top of all that, this is the first time we've seen these wheels on this particular casting. Bonus.

Third place is the 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. This is an older Greenlight casting, but doesn't appear to have any gray hairs. It's stout and sturdy like many of the early Greenlight castings are. It gets an opening hood, fat rubber tires and shiny chrome rims. It doesn't get much better for a 1/64 scale Camaro from the '70's.

The VW Bug is what I consider a good-but-not-great model. Nothing really stands out beyond the detailed license plates. The paint scheme is muted and clean, but the plastic base and lack of flair hold it back. Not a spectacular model, but certainly not too shabby for the 'worst' car in the set.

If Greenlight keeps putting out Film Reels like this, I may become a repeat buyer. Enjoy the photos!!

Happy Collecting!!

From : thewesterndiecastreview.blogspot.com