04/16/04

WANTED

I would like to ask for some nice people to share this hobby of mine with. Only nice people need apply.  I would like to start a local Hot Wheels / diecast club and have a group of friends that had the same set of interests as me.  We could have weekly meetings with down hill races or other track events.  The races would need many different weight divisions and we could hand out large cool prizes for those who won.  We could have people bring the newest cars to trade or sell for $1.00 each.  All trades would be fair in the eyes of all those who participated.  Those who found extra hard to finds or limited runs or even Treasure Hunts would bring them to hand out to those who didn’t have them yet. – Don’t we all wish we had a group of people like this we could interact with in real life?  Almost like a Hot Wheels club in the town “Perfect” like in the stupid TV ads. 

It would be a much different hobby if you could walk into the local “mart” or diecast shop-oh-rama and choose what you wanted to but that day.  I could see it now…

“I would like 2 of the 1995 Treasure Hunts and let me also have a few of them 1996’s too.  I see that you have the Real Riders 1-4 Series, I will take that too….blah blah blah blah.”

What would be the point of having a collection of cars that anybody could go out and get on a whim?  I feel like buying the entire Treasure Hunt line today….. 

I used to be in the hobby of car stereos.  The kind you hear from 3 blocks away and as they get closer you wonder how they could possibly have any hearing left whatsoever… yeah one of those kind of stereos.  I used to be able to do that in my car, I very rarley ever did.  I liked the kind of music that sounds really good when it was in a bad stereo system in a crappy car… just louder.  I listened to classical music one day and hard rock the next.  What I discovered is that anybody could have a system like mine or even better than mine all it took was money.  Anybody could go out and buy components to create their own concert surround sound system in their car that would sound much better than yours.  I wondered okay what’s the point of this – who can spend the most money here?  So I sold off parts and went with what I have now, a nice stock good quality sound system.  I listen to the same music more or less and I think it sounds great.  I am happy because I found something more unique to spend my money on – Hot Wheels Cars! 

I collect these little cars because I enjoy them.

I enjoy just about everything about them and this hobby.

I love to hear people rant and rave about the local scalper bums.

I take great delight in reading about an awesome find someone just purchased.

I love to see what other collectors have in their collections, open or in package.

I like to hear what other collectors like and why.

I often wonder if I wasn’t “into” Hot Wheels / diecast cars as a hobby – what would I be “into” these days?

I wonder how fast would a Hot Wheels car go if it were on a piece of track that is a couple hundred feet long and on a giant hill?

Why have I opened what I open – why do I keep in package what I keep in package?

What would I never open and why?  What is the best item I have opened?

Do owning more Treasure Hunt’s make you a better collector?

Do more Treasure Hunt’s make your collection better?

It makes me smile when I can hear and read about people who enjoy this hobby for whatever reason.  I have no idea why I bought some of the cars I bought, but I did.  If it were an easy hobby that was easy to be the best at it, nobody would want to be apart of it.   

I want a hobby that isn’t easy.  I do get frustrated at times I will admit that, but who doesn’t?  I enjoy the ups and downs of this collecting that has at times become an addiction.  If we all acted a little more human towards each other maybe and just maybe things would get better.  I like to follow the Golden Rule “do unto others as you would want done unto you…”  I try and follow that when on the store isles looking at the pegs or while walking through a diecast show.  If I can be nice to someone I am even if they have not been nice to me first. 

I would like to end this piece by saying a great big “THANK YOU” to the following people: 

-         Joe for everything he does for all of us and for this hobby!!!

-         Keldog for writing the “In The Loop” and making me want more track!!!

-         HWcrash for writing the “Tradin Paint” articles!!!

-         Southern Gent for “Keeping It In Scale” – wish he would write some more!!!

-         All of the people who have gone before me to write for this site in the “Your Take On…” articles.

-         As well as to all of the absolute best Hot Wheels people that can be found anywhere on earth to ALL OF THE EVER GROWING NUMBER OF SHACKIES!!!

---ThunderRoller

You may reach me at: ThunderRollerSS@Yahoo.com

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