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Tesla Spacecraft Sparks Hot Wheels Roadster Gold Rush

There is no greater feeling than owning a little piece of history. For centuries, humans have done battle and spent fortunes to get their hands on valuable items, be it a piece of wood said to have come from the Holy Cross or Hitler's car.
Hot Wheels Tesla Roadster sells for $175 on eBay 4 photos
Photo: Mattel
Tesla Roadster in SpaceTesla Roadster in SpaceTesla Roadster in Space
So when SpaceX launched a Tesla Roadster into space, opportunists all over the world tried to see how they could make a buck fast and easy. And since a real-size Tesla Roadster or a Starman spacesuit are not easy to come by, they went for the next best thing.

As all the world knows by now, together with the Roadster Elon Musk sent into space a series of items, including a Hot Wheels toy model Roadster on the car's dash, complete with a mini-Starman inside. That, fortunately, opportunists have easy access to.

According to Collect Space, the prices for the toy Roadsters exploded on eBay following the launch of the Falcon Heavy on February 6. Officially, the car was sold by Hot Wheels in 2016 for as much as $1.09. Now, you can get one for ten times that much on the web.

There were two versions of the Roadster released by Hot Wheels, a Mainline version, and a Super Secret Treasure Hunt. The Mainline can set you back some $50, while the Treasure Hunt sells on eBay for prices that range between $26 and $175, shipping not included. They are all listed as “factory sealed” and "rare.”

It is unclear how high the demand for the die-cast models is. What is certain is that there are hundreds of such classified ads online.

Interestingly enough, most of them are factory sealed, which means that either their owners started buying the toy after the Falcon Heavy launch, or most of them were able to predict one or two years in advance that Musk will be sending his car into space.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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