When i started collecting the only think i cared was the casting/model of the car, i wasn't looking at price, date, series, packaging, i was just looking at the car inside, if i liked it i bought it. This wasn't because i didn't care about all those details, it was because i didn't know anything about any of them. I had no idea how many were released or in how many color variations, i didn't know about the value as a casting in the series and most of all i didn't know anything about the packaging of the car.
Hot Wheels series differ them self besides the price and castings used, by packaging, blisters (the see thru plastic bubble covering the car) and card artwork. As i said in my previous post most of the series released from Hot Wheels, especially the adult collectors series are only released in USA.
The only line that is released all over the world is the regular/mainline release, consisting in approximately 240 + castings per year, split into different series and sub series. Probably to make a difference between the place of making of that specific line, because of laws and politics of a specific country the packaging on these mainlines also differ among them.
Home of Hot Wheels, US cardboard and artwork for 2012 has the long size card, with the model graphics big above the blister and with the new "Scan or Text" logo near the pegs hanger on the front, series and year on the bottom of the card and number and name of the casting on the side of the card.
The back of the card has the casting model again , some information about the specific model , like year of release for the real licensed model, designer and so on, followed by the "Scan or Text" application (this application allows you to add the specific model by typing the code given or scan it to a virtual collection on HotWheels.com, making it easier to track your collection), collector number and lastly licensing, copyrights and warnings only in English.
International countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica and many other countries besides European countries get about the same artwork on the front of the card, with the same details for the 2012 year, with the only difference being the missing "Scan or Text" logo near the pegs hanger. That application is only available in US.
The back of the card has the biggest change compared to the US one, where the big spot hold by the "Scan or Text" application is now filled with warnings in different languages, Spanish, French, Portuguese and of course English and with a little text that tells you to "Look for All the 2012 Vehicles!". There is no collector number and the space with the information about the car model is now filled with a text on those four languages that tells you, "with a parent's permission" to check their site, HotWheels.com.
Hot Wheels series differ them self besides the price and castings used, by packaging, blisters (the see thru plastic bubble covering the car) and card artwork. As i said in my previous post most of the series released from Hot Wheels, especially the adult collectors series are only released in USA.
The only line that is released all over the world is the regular/mainline release, consisting in approximately 240 + castings per year, split into different series and sub series. Probably to make a difference between the place of making of that specific line, because of laws and politics of a specific country the packaging on these mainlines also differ among them.
***US CARDS***
Home of Hot Wheels, US cardboard and artwork for 2012 has the long size card, with the model graphics big above the blister and with the new "Scan or Text" logo near the pegs hanger on the front, series and year on the bottom of the card and number and name of the casting on the side of the card.
The back of the card has the casting model again , some information about the specific model , like year of release for the real licensed model, designer and so on, followed by the "Scan or Text" application (this application allows you to add the specific model by typing the code given or scan it to a virtual collection on HotWheels.com, making it easier to track your collection), collector number and lastly licensing, copyrights and warnings only in English.
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| US Cards & Artwork |
***INTERNATIONAL CARDS***
International countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica and many other countries besides European countries get about the same artwork on the front of the card, with the same details for the 2012 year, with the only difference being the missing "Scan or Text" logo near the pegs hanger. That application is only available in US.
The back of the card has the biggest change compared to the US one, where the big spot hold by the "Scan or Text" application is now filled with warnings in different languages, Spanish, French, Portuguese and of course English and with a little text that tells you to "Look for All the 2012 Vehicles!". There is no collector number and the space with the information about the car model is now filled with a text on those four languages that tells you, "with a parent's permission" to check their site, HotWheels.com.
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| International Cards & Artwork |
*** EUROPEAN CARDS***
The biggest difference comes on the European card boards and packaging where the biggest difference is very obvious and its the small size of the card, while the blister stays mostly the same. The artwork on the front of the card for the 2012 year consist besides the model of the car, in an added graphics with a driver from the "Team Hot Wheels".
The other details are the same, with the year and series on the bottom of the card and number and name of the casting on the side of the card.
The other details are the same, with the year and series on the bottom of the card and number and name of the casting on the side of the card.
The back also has a big difference compared to the other two, on this one there can only be found warnings, licensing and copyright, but this time in many more languages, English, Russian, German, Polish, Swedish, Ukrainian and other European languages.
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| European Short Cards & Artwork |
I live in Europe and as much as i would like to also collect different series and different packaging variations it is very hard to do so, because of the fact we only get regular/mainlines on short cards in this part of the world and my collecting is mostly dictated by availability. If i would want to collect US or International cards i would have to search other ways of getting them, like buying them from e-bay or any other online site that sells them, or by trading them with different international collectors .
***In what part of the world you live in and what do you like to collect ?***
Leave a comment and tell your opinion or let us know about the different changes that occur in your part of the world. Cheers and enjoy the hobby.
I live in the US and gladly trade hot wheels with you! Thanks for information. I have collected hot wheels for many years and my husband collected as well. I think that's why we are a perfect match! We would just have to pay for shipping back and forth. Sometimes i can find the short carded ones in stores here, but its rare.
ReplyDeleteIm glad I could help with the information. That's very lucky of you guys , usualy here in my country ladies don't collect toys or toy cars. I will be glad to trade with you in the future so we can keep in touch here.
Deletelike to know what is the red circle on backs of the card,plus also red letter no one seems to have an answer thank u frank
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