If you were like me growing up, then your closets were full of bins and bins of matchbox, and Hot Wheels cars.
If you were like me growing up, then your closets were full of bins and bins of Matchbox, and Hot Wheels cars. I'd hazard a guess that my collection was in the thousands, and ten-year-old me could have told you every detail about each one.
But depending on your collection, you might have been sitting on a gold mine, and not even known it.
Here are the 10 most valuable Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars.
1
The 1965 BP Dodge Wrecker was supposed to come with a yellow cab, and green bed. However, a brief run of mistakes left a few tow trucks with reversed coloring. A mint, box version of one of these sold for just under $10,000.
2
The “Mighty Maverick” is an iconic Hot Wheels. However, it was originally named “Mad” Maverick, and early versions have this name engraved on the bottom. One of those early “Mad” versions can go for up to $15,000.
3
Most versions of the 1961 Magirus Deutz Crane come in silver, with an orange crane hook. However, a few were made with tannish yellow bodies, and red cranes. Currently only two are known to exist, and depending on who you ask, they’re worth anywhere from $10,000, to $15,000.
4
As part of a hauler gift set, a unique turquoise 1967 Opel Diplomat was available for a limited run. Although readily available in different colors, the turquoise version is exceedingly rare. They have been sold for as much as $9,000.
5
This purple version of the Hot Wheels car was built exclusively in Hong Kong in 1971, and is therefore exceedingly rare. Expect it to go for around $12,000.
6
The 1967 Lensey 230 SL Mercedes-Benz comes with white, and yellow exteriors, along with red interiors. However, a few versions exist with apple-green exteriors, as part of 1967 prototypes. In 1999, one sold for $6,765. However, they are so rare there is no known one currently for sale.
7
This 1968 Hot Wheels Over Chrome Mustang was one of only two created solely for marketing purposes. It was purchased for $40,000, after its previous owner passed away.
8
Like the Mustang, this 1968 Hot Wheels Camaro was produced to appear in an advertisement, and only 20 were ever made. Versions have gone for $25,000.
9
The Major Quarry Truck was originally supposed to be part of the larger, 11-inch Matchbox “major” collection. However, the project was cancelled, and only a handful of prototypes were ever built. All were lost, aside from one, which was kept by Lesney Products. It was only sold once in 2015, and went for $15,000.
10
There are allegedly only two versions of this 1969 Hot Wheels truck in existence, and one was bought in 2000 for $72,000. In 2018, it was valued at $150,000.
