| 1/64th - ONE SIXTY FOURTH |
The popular reference to the scale of Hot Wheels, Racing Champions,
Johnny Lightning, etc.. die cast cars. Very few are 1/64th scale.
They follow the convention of three inch cars, i.e. three inches long.
Three inch scale is close to 1/64th, but is not 1/64th. A car modeled
as three inches long will have the rest of the model twisted to fit.
For example the width and height. Cars like the HW Roll Patrol are
brought to a size that fits the general three inch scale when set side
by side; i.e. the Jeep looks the right size when compared to a HW Camaro.
To further illustrate, look at the HW '59 Caddy. It is too narrow
in comparison to its length. or the HW Daytona. A fantasy car
is called 1/64th, but since there is no full size prototype, it is 1/64th
of what? |
| A '73 |
Any of the enamel painted cars produced in Mattel's troubled year of
1973. All are short runs. |
| ATH |
After Treasure Hunts. |
| BTH |
Before Treasure Hunts. |
| BACK POCKET PAL |
Store clerk on the take for die cast cars (especially Hot Wheels).
Usually for a dealer or scalper. Note: a store clerk that brings
stock to someone is not a Back Pocket Pal unless he/she accepts money or
some other form of gratuity for the disservice. |
| BAGGIE |
The plastic bat in which some of the cars are packaged. |
| BLISTER |
The clear plastic that holds the car to the card. |
| CARD |
The heavy paper that the blister is attached to. |
| CHALLENGE CARS |
A series of 75 cars produced by Matchbox in 1997 which were all painted
metallic gold. This line has not been completed to date and Matchbox
(nor parent company Mattel) will release any information as to whether
this series will be completed or not. |
| CHERRY PICKED |
Taking only the select few cars out of a case. Each and every
case in each and every shipment. Is a a few or great many boxes. |
| CLEAN |
The condition of the racks after all the new stuff has been taken. |
| CODE 1 |
The original car as mass produced and packaged by the die cast manufacturer
and offered at general retail. |
| CODE 2 |
A car is produced and packaged by the manufacturer in a Limited Version
for a special, usually commercial, purpose. Not usually available
at general retail. Treasure Hunt cars are Code 1 as are the Wal Mart,
Target, kay Bee, etc. offerings. JC Whitney cars, for example, are
Code 2. Mystery cars are Code 2 as is the Internet Bus. |
| CODE 3 |
Hot wheels (or any other die cast car) modified by and packaged by
others than the manufacturer. These are offered in some quantity
and are not one of a kind. Many M&D Toys and Club cars are examples
of Code 3. |
| CODE 4 |
These are one of a kind cars produced by any other than the manufacturer.
Individual custom cars are Code 4. |
| COMMON |
The most widely available version of a particular car. |
| COOL |
A car that is neat. |
| COO UHL |
A car that is way neat. |
| CRUMBLER |
Any of the series cars produced in the early 70's from inferior metal
that literally self-destructs. Characterized by cracking and swelling
metal that is very brittle. The problem occurs with age and exposure
conditions and cannot be repaired. |
| DEALER |
One who resells cars at a profit who may, or may not, also be a collector.
This is a person that sells as a business. The casual seller at a
show is not a dealer. |
| DIME BIN |
Clearance racks, shelves or barrels at any of the Toy Clubs. |
| DRY |
No store, that you frequent which usually has Hot Wheels, has any.
Used to describe a condition lasting for a week or more. |
| DUMP BIN |
The bins found at the end of, or in the middle of aisles where the
cars are just dumped from the boxes without order. |
| ERROR CAR |
A car that is placed on the wrong card back, has parts missing, or
wrong, mixed wheel types on same car, etc. |
| EYES RIGHT |
The rapid left to right movement of the head as you scurry down the
aisles of an unfamiliar store desperately looking for the display of Hot
Wheels or other die cast cars. |
| FEEDING FRENZY |
The savage attack that two or more dealers, influenced by the presence
of one or more collectors, will inflict on a freshly stocked display.
it is not unlike the actions and responses exhibited by a group of starving
wild animals that have but one piece of meat to share. IT IS UGLY!!!! |
| FIRST EDITION |
One of the new models (or in 1998 new and re-worked models) released
by Mattel starting in 1995. |
| GIMMICK CAR |
One of a specialty run of cars produced for a short time in mass quantities.
Examples are the Computer Cars, Color FX, or Pro Circuits. |
| GRADE |
Sometimes referred to as condition. Numerical scale in theory
beginning at one and ending at ten. A five car is in such poor condition
that it is not collectible for virtually any reason. A six car can
be used as a temporary filler. At the other end is a ten, which is
without flaw. The scale generally subdivides into increments of 1/2.
Most cars that are considered collectible begin at eight. |
| HOARDER |
A person who buys as many as he/she can find of cars they assume will
be popular, holding onto them for months or years until they sell at a
profit. |
| HOOK |
The punch out at the top of the card. |
| HTF CAR |
Hard to find car. |
| JC'D |
When you call JC Whitney to order your Hot Wheels car and they are
already sold out, when they haven't officially started selling them yet. |
| JERK |
Anyone that conducts themselves in a manner that discredits the hobby.
This includes runners, scalpers, people that return cars to stores that
they didn't buy them from, taking a car from a set and replacing it with
a common car and then returning it to the store, and the like. |
| JL |
Johnny Lightning brand die cast cars produced by Playing Mantis. |
| LIMITED EDITION |
A car produced in a specific quantity. The question of what quantity
really defines a Limited Edition is up for debate. Most collectors
consider anything over an edition of 10,000 not to be limited. Manufacturers
sometimes consider numbers of 50,000 or more limited. |
| MB |
Matchbox die cast cars produced by Mattel. |
| MECCA |
See Toy Club. Sometimes refers to the Mattel World Headquarters
Building. |
| MINT |
aA car without flaw. |
| MINT IN BLISTER |
A card and car without flaw. A car and card pulled off the rack
or out of the box may not qualify. Only 1 in 100+ cars are truly
mint. A car does not have to be in the blister to be mint.
Don't forget that you cannot see one side of the car when it is still packaged. |
| NEW IN BLISTER |
A card and car that appear flawless upon casual examination.
Upon close examination some flaw will almost always be apparent.
Don't forget that you cannot see one side of the car when it is still packaged. |
| NEWBIE |
New collector often taken advantage of by scalpers/hoarders imparting
words of wisdom that may not be true. |
| PAID RUNNER |
Person paid to run from store to store buying all new releases as they
arrive and selling them to a scalper/hoarder at a small profit. |
| PEG |
The term for the device used to hold the card on the rack. |
| PIE PLATES |
Popular name for the Ultra Hots style wheel. |
| PLASTIC FANTASTIC |
Any car that contains more plastic than metal. |
| PROMO CAR |
Car produced as a promotional give away (or sold for a nominal price)
by companies when one buys their product. Hot Wheels, Matchbox and
Racing Champions are the largest producers of promotional cars. |
| PROTOTYPE |
A design sample produced by the manufacturer as a model for production
runs. These can be one of a kind or many of the same kind.
These are generally never available to the general public except donated
by the manufacturer for charity auctions and the like. Only Code
1 and Code 2 cars are recognized as having prototypes. |
| RACK |
The generic term for the display. |
| RARE BIRD |
Rare care. So rare that few exist. |
| RC |
Racing Champions brand die cast cars. |
| REAL RIDERS |
The name given cars equipped with real rubber tires. |
| REDLINE |
Generic names given all cars from Mattel from 1968 to 1977 that came
with the narrow red sidewall tire. |
| ROOF RUB |
The scuffing to the painted or chromed surfaces that results from the
car rubbing against the blister. |
| RUN |
The total period of manufacture of a particular car ot the number manufactured. |
| RUNNER |
A person that sprints to the die cast aisle when the doors open. |
| SCALPER |
Sometimes referred to as a hoarder. One who sells cars at inflated
prices, taking advantage of less knowledgeable persons or panic swings
in the hobby. Generally not true collectors. Very likely to
be selling at local swap meets or shows. |
| SERIES CARS |
A set of cars released as a series of two or more cars such as the
Hot Wheels Series of Four cars, Workhorses, Classics, etc.; the Johnny
Lightning Dragsters, White Lightning, Muscle Cars, etc.; the Matchbox Stars
and Stripes, Cool Concepts, Motor Sports, etc. |
| SHORT RUN |
A limited production number. Not a limited edition. |
| SKUZZBUCKET |
A lower form of jerk. |
| SLEEPER |
A car thought to be common that suddenly gains in popularity and value. |
| SPARKER |
A car that is only good for tossing out of the window of a speeding
auto at night to see how many sparks it makes. |
| SPECTRAFLAME |
The original semi translucent paint used by Mattel. Most notable
for mottling or developing dark spots whether in or out of the blister. |
| SPIN RIVET |
The rivet that holds the base to the body. So called because
of the method of peening the rivet. A spinning mandrel and pressure
form the rivet head. |
| TAMPO |
The painted decoration of a car. |
| TREASURE HUNT |
Treasure Hunt cars released in a series of twelve per year starting
in 1995. 25,000 were released in 11995. The quantity of TH's
have been unreleased by Mattel since 1996. |
| THE IDIOTS ON THE 35TH FLOOR |
Used to denote the persons in charge of producing unusual or widely
disliked cars or products. The term refers only to policy making
staff at the corporate level. The Mattel Headquarters building is
around ten floors. |
| THE OLD DAYS |
That period of time prior to 1990. |
| TOUGH |
A hard to find car. |
| TOY CLUB |
Any of the Mattel owned/operated/leased retail outlets. |
| TRADE |
The exchange of cars on an equal basis. The basis may be the
original cost or the present market value. |
| TRICK |
Looks great. |
| TRU |
Toys R Us. |
| VARIATION |
A car, of the same name, that is different than the originally released
version. |
| VARIATIONIST |
A collector who tires to collect one of each variation of a car.
This includes wheels, tampo color differences, Hot Wheels logo color differences
or placement, interior color, base color or type, place of manufacture,
etc. |