We all know that in the internet age, we are overloaded with information. Of course our wonderful gov is working to “fix” that for us, but even so, there’s so much out there now that it’s overwhelming. Slot car racers and toy car collectors could spend weeks, months, even years, watching videos on YouTube and, if you’re like me, you probably have! Some of the stuff out there is mediocre but some of it is really good; question is, how do you sort the wheat from the chaff?
Well fear not, dear readers, for your humble blogger has done a little of that work for you! Not that I profess to be any kind of an “authority” on these things; after all, here I am just doing a blog post that’s little more than a collection of links to other people’s work, so it’s not like this is a big contribution to the discourse; even so, I do have some knowledge about these topics after decades of collecting, and there are a few videos floating around on the web that stand out to me as exceptionally well made, meaning: they have both high production values, and are packed with interesting and accurate information.
For example, I’m sure that a lot of you are already aware of the YouTube channel called “Little Car.” When I first found this channel I was pretty excited, and their videos are well made and don’t deserve to be put down. But honestly, the information in them has always seemed thin to me; though enjoyable to watch, they rarely told me anything I didn’t already know. If, like me, you’re looking for those vids that go the extra mile, here are some suggestions…
The best documentary on Hot Wheels I’ve ever seen
There are probably thousands-perhaps tens of thousands-of videos on the web about Hot Wheels, and I’ve watched an embarrassing number of them! This one really stands out:
Its long, but you should expect that, because this video tells you everything! It starts off with the narrator promising “I’m not going to tell you things you already know,” and he keeps that promise with exhaustive detail covering the beginnings of the brand, the personnel behind the cars, the design process, the production methods, the successes, and the misfires; he even gives you details about Mattel as a company that are amazing (for instance, did you know that the company’s founders were almost jailed by the SEC in the early ‘70s for cooking their books? I didn’t know that!)
One of my favorite bits is toward the beginning, a discussion of the myriad different shades of paint used in the early “Spectraflame” era complete with an illustration of each, so that you will finally know the difference between “light blue” and “windex” or “lime green” vs “anti-freeze,” and as all Hot Wheels collectors know, these differences are important! So if you want to know the ins and outs of Hot Wheels’ 60 year history, this is the place to learn it; if they left anything out, I can’t put my finger on it!
And for fans of the early Hot Wheels, an in-depth analysis of the original “Sweet 16”
I think nearly every die-cast collector on earth lusts after those special first ones, and if you want to know virtually everything there is to know about them, check out this series of 4 excellent videos that profile each of the original 1968 Hot Wheels we all affectionately refer to as the “sweet 16.” Every casting is covered here in exhaustive detail, with special attention paid to the significant differences between the US and Hong Kong versions (the differences are even more significant than I realized!) and a discussion of the most common and the most rare variations, some of which are very surprising (for instance, did you know the Mercury Cougar is very hard to find in red? I didn’t know that!) The examples of each car shown are top drawer quality and you really get a feel for what these toys are like watching this. I own very few of these original HW’s due to their extreme value, but this video makes me want to start spending some big money on those examples that have “gotten away!”
The most valuable Hot Wheels collection in the world!
A great interview with Bruce Pascal, one of the world’s foremost Hot Wheels collectors; this in-depth visit to his digs shows you his collection of behind-the-scenes factory artifacts, including original drawings and blueprints, early concepts, and marketing materials that is just fascinating! And of course there’s the main event, a close-up look at the most valuable toy car on earth, the pink “rear loader” Beach Bomb. Not to be missed!
OK, that’s great stuff for Hot Wheels fans…what about my fellow Matchbox collectors?
Fear not dear readers, we got you covered! There are countless videos on this topic as well, and while I’m no more qualified than anyone else to say which are the best, I can tell you which I most enjoyed!
A great interview with one of the world’s foremost Matchbox collectors…
This one is well known and well viewed so you may have seen it, but if you haven’t, check out this interview with Charlie Mack, a collector who has written the book on the subject…more than one, in fact!
The Problem with chasing The Rarest of the Rare: Beware of Fakery!
Graham Hamilton of Rockertron Toys provides an excellent lesson in spotting fakes! Sadly, a skilled artisan can make these almost undetectable without the aid of a very expensive X-ray of the toy. This is especially important for collectors who may be looking for those really rare models, including that red #22 Pontiac GP with Superfast wheels, which I myself am looking for! Anyone have one you want to sell? 😀 Sadly, this makes me question some of my own rare ones! 🙁
Ever wonder what to do with all those cars in your junk box?
Marty’s Matchbox Makeovers: A really excellent channel! This gent in Australia does some beautiful work restoring and customizing trashed models, and he takes the time to show you in detail how he does it so that you can do it too! Yes, there’s several channels like this, but I think this one is the best! This guy is very skilled; I’ve learned a lot from him, and so can you!
OK, that’s all great, but isn’t this blog supposed to be about Thunderjet Slot Cars???
Don’t worry race fans, I’ve saved some of the best for last, and I say that because while there are myriad excellent videos online about die-casts, I’ve been very disappointed with the dearth of good videos about T-Jets! But here are a couple that are worth checking out…
A magnificent collection of early Vibrators on a beautiful diorama!
I bookmarked Mafyind’s channel years ago after I got into the slot car hobby in earnest and have even linked to a video of his in a previous post, but check out the whole channel of a guy who-as he tells it-inherited much of his collection from his older brother, who was one of the first “semi-pro” Thunderjet racers back in the early 60’s when the popularity of slot cars was at its zenith! This guy’s collection and diorama put me to shame, but they also give me something to strive for! Truly awesome work!
The BEST Model Motoring race track on the web!
Though ‘tuber “Fred Rocker” only has a few videos, it is worth watching every minute of them to see this incredible layout, completely lighted and electrified and so realistic you can smell the burning rubber! This dude is a slot car GOD; I go to bed at night dreaming of making my own basement look like this!
Lastly, there’s this clip from an ep of Pawn Stars. Now come on, don’t roll your eyes; I know, Pawn Stars, right? But really, this clip is pretty cool; how’d you like to find a set like this?
OK so maybe this isn’t one of the “best” videos on the web but like I said, I’ve been disappointed with how little info there is on the electrified version of our hobby, so I threw it in.
Well dear readers, your HB needs to head to the food stores to stock up, since it looks like another of our infamous springtime storms is upon us; we’re battening down the hatches for what they say could be anywhere from 6-12″ of snow in the next day or so, but that just means more peaceful time in the basement with my toys! Ain’t it nice to have ’em?
I’m sure y’all have your own favorites and I’d love to hear from you with links on stuff that you like, but these are the ones I’ve most enjoyed. Click away, dear readers, and have fun racing…or collecting…or both!
Gotta say, I love the snow picture. :-) It’s really awesome that you put all of this together and some of these, I hadn’t seen. Its awesome that you have found some jewels amongst all the weeds out there!