Hot Wheels Stars & Stripes Collection Hits the Streets...

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Each year, the folks at Mattel release numerous special edition Hot Wheels collections, many of which land as retailer exclusives. A good majority of these limited-edition sets find their way into Walmart stores, and the availability tends to be sketchy – many times arriving in a one-and-done type of deal, usually a single shipment in a dump bin and they’re done. This makes finding complete sets to be a daunting task at times, particularly for the collectors who keep these toys in their original packaging, unlike the routine here at Rock Father HQ where everything gets opened and played with. While I tend to lean toward the “open it!” mentality with most of our toys (there have been a few exceptions), there’s one recent Hot Wheels collection that certainly does look mighty fine on-display in the retail packaging, and it’s because they were intended to work together. In fact, I don’t know that Hot Wheels has ever done this before – a set of ten individual vehicles that when displayed together form a glorious American Flag, complete with a pair of striking Bald Eagles. Take a look at the 2016 Hot Wheels Stars & Stripes Series…

Hot Wheels Stars & Stripes Collection 2016

What’s interesting with these is that they remind me a lot of the Hot Wheels that I played with as a kid. So many of the current models incorporate plastic bases and other parts that help keep costs down, but back in the day, aside from the wheels, the bulk of each vehicle was truly diecast. They had some real weight to them, and it was a whole different feel. This is particularly notable with models like the ’65 Mustang (which has a 1983 casting stamp on the bottom), a weighty ride that even has an opening hood – something I really miss from the old models. The ’71 Plymouth Satellite is also fully diecast, though much of this set does have plastic bottoms, though the detail is quite striking – some real throwback action here!

If you can get your hands on a set, these are highly-recommended. MSRP is just $2.14 each, but expect to find them going for much more via third party sellers.