Photo: Mattel
I could easily blow through $10,000 in sixty minutes by buying Hot Wheels cars online. And I'm sure anyone collecting for more than a few years could do it in half the time. You just have to know what you're looking for.
I have seen some pretty impressive Hot Wheels collections over the past few years and shared some of the stories with you, too. You'll rarely find a serious line-up without at least a few Red Line Club exclusive items inside. It has been complicated for some time now, but perhaps the Overdrive membership will help fix the situation for some members. I won't dive into that topic again, so let's focus on an upcoming collectible.
Earlier today, I discussed the Flippin' Fast Mainline casting that's coming up ahead of Autism Acceptance Month. While that has a Suggested Retail Price of just $1.25, moving to the RLC line will increase the costs to $25 per item. Every year, Mattel reveals a special Membership Car, and the 2024 model goes live today, March 26. Before we look more in-depth at the Kawa-Bug-A that Dwayne Vance designed, let's see what things were like in previous years.
The '67 Camaro was the first RLC Membership car back in 2002, and the original design featured a limited run of just 5,000 units. I spotted one on eBay with an asking price of $230, but how did the following models fare? Fast forward to 2018, Mattel used the Datsun Bluebird 510. It should have been a big hit without the outdated Red Line wheels and the uninspiring paint job. Still, some people will ask $200 for it, while you can still find more affordable options for less than $45.
The Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) was the Membership Car for 2020, and it looked fantastic in Spectraflame Purple. The '70 Ford Mustang Boss 302 that came next was equally as impressive. Last year, the diecast manufacturer gave us a Spectraflame True Black version of the 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra R. Worst case scenario, this will cost you $90. We've seen the Kawa-Bug-A before; it debuted in the 2022 RLC series.
Then, it popped up in the 2023 sELECTIONs line. Both variations had a roof rack with a surfboard, but I was happy that the second one switched to Real Riders Steelies. I would still pick the Spectraflame Aqua finish on the first model. But I haven't convinced myself to pay for them so far. And I'm frankly shocked at how good the latest iteration is. The Membership Kawa-Bug-A does away with the roof rack for a cleaner look.
The White Wall Steelies are even better than was previously available. Spectraflame Dark Green with white accents is the perfect choice for a vehicle with "Kawa" in its name. I was already into the idea, but there's more. Buying the car also gets you the 2024 RLC Membership Patch and the Kawa-Bug-A Pin, which is always a nice bonus.
As you would expect, the purchase limit is set at one item per user, so good luck buying one when it goes live at 9 AM PT. The best part about it is that you won't have to wait up to one year or more to get your delivery: the Kawa-Bug-A is set to ship out on April 26, 2024, or even sooner! With previous iterations trading for up to $250 these days, I wonder how well this model will fare in the future.
Earlier today, I discussed the Flippin' Fast Mainline casting that's coming up ahead of Autism Acceptance Month. While that has a Suggested Retail Price of just $1.25, moving to the RLC line will increase the costs to $25 per item. Every year, Mattel reveals a special Membership Car, and the 2024 model goes live today, March 26. Before we look more in-depth at the Kawa-Bug-A that Dwayne Vance designed, let's see what things were like in previous years.
The '67 Camaro was the first RLC Membership car back in 2002, and the original design featured a limited run of just 5,000 units. I spotted one on eBay with an asking price of $230, but how did the following models fare? Fast forward to 2018, Mattel used the Datsun Bluebird 510. It should have been a big hit without the outdated Red Line wheels and the uninspiring paint job. Still, some people will ask $200 for it, while you can still find more affordable options for less than $45.
The Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) was the Membership Car for 2020, and it looked fantastic in Spectraflame Purple. The '70 Ford Mustang Boss 302 that came next was equally as impressive. Last year, the diecast manufacturer gave us a Spectraflame True Black version of the 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra R. Worst case scenario, this will cost you $90. We've seen the Kawa-Bug-A before; it debuted in the 2022 RLC series.
Then, it popped up in the 2023 sELECTIONs line. Both variations had a roof rack with a surfboard, but I was happy that the second one switched to Real Riders Steelies. I would still pick the Spectraflame Aqua finish on the first model. But I haven't convinced myself to pay for them so far. And I'm frankly shocked at how good the latest iteration is. The Membership Kawa-Bug-A does away with the roof rack for a cleaner look.
The White Wall Steelies are even better than was previously available. Spectraflame Dark Green with white accents is the perfect choice for a vehicle with "Kawa" in its name. I was already into the idea, but there's more. Buying the car also gets you the 2024 RLC Membership Patch and the Kawa-Bug-A Pin, which is always a nice bonus.
As you would expect, the purchase limit is set at one item per user, so good luck buying one when it goes live at 9 AM PT. The best part about it is that you won't have to wait up to one year or more to get your delivery: the Kawa-Bug-A is set to ship out on April 26, 2024, or even sooner! With previous iterations trading for up to $250 these days, I wonder how well this model will fare in the future.
Google News