It is finally over. The 2014 Super TH Experiment, where I try and find all fifteen 2014 Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunts in random daytime store visits during my normal day-to-day.
The one detail in my day-to-day: I travel all around, in both urban and rural areas. And if I have a minute, or have something to do in an area store, I will check the pegs.
The final tally? 13 of 15, which is better than I thought I would do. The details:
Chevrolet SS – Found at a rural Walmart at 11:30 am (The only find that I forgot to get an in-store photo, but it was a sidekick.)
Sand Blaster – Found at a nearby Walmart around 4:30 pm
Camaro Special Edition – Found at neighboring town Walmart around 3 pm
’71 Mustang Mach 1 – Found on a Saturday afternoon grocery run at Harmon’s Market (I found two)
’07 Mustang – found at noon on Labor Day in a Smith’s one-sided shipper
’55 Chevy Bel Air Gasser – no luck
’70 Chevelle SS – Found at two different Walmarts on the same day (one at 10 am, one at 5 pm)
Twin Mill – Found at a rural Walmart at about 3:45 pm
’64 Chevy Nova Wagon – Found at 5 pm at a rural Alco
’83 Silverado – Found at Target at 1 pm
’76 Greenwood Corvette – no luck
’69 Corvette – Found 2 at Dollar Tree around 11:30 am
’65 Chevy Impala – Found at City Market in Moab, Utah around 8 pm
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy – Found at Walmart just before lunch
’71 Datsun 510 Wagon – Found two at Target at 6 pm
Ironically, the only two I didn’t find were two of Lamley’s three Best Supers of 2014. I would have loved to find the Gasser and Greenwood, and I definitely tried, hitting a few Walgreens the last few months, but to no avail. But that is a small complaint. I am happy with my 13 finds.
That was fun. There is no doubt that finding a Super can be a thrill, especially if you happen upon one when you don’t expect to find one. Our favorite of those 13 finds? Finding the Nova Wagon at a store called Alco in Blanding, Utah, which is now out of business. There were not many Hot Wheels on the pegs, but the Nova Super was there. What made it memorable was the location. Look up Blanding, Utah. It isn’t close to anything, except maybe Monument Valley. Those are the best finds.
And honorable mention to the Impala find in Moab. It was found by a work partner, who is not a collector but has wanted to find one just for fun. We happened to be together in Moab, and after searching through three sidekicks and one four-sided shipper, he found the Impala in the second to last slot we checked.
We also saw a lot of uglies in our travels. Collectors harassing employees, leaving messes, and raiding storerooms. We documented that in what ended up being the most-read Lamley post of 2014. Supers are great, but not worth losing respectability over.
And lastly, over the year we saw more and more Regular TH’s left on the pegs or in bins. We see less and less embarrassing photos on HWC of someone’s 13 Fangsters that were brought home. This is a cool development. The message is getting out – Silly Collector, Regs are for kids! Keep leaving them. Those fantasy casting hopefully make it easy to do.
Ok, do we do it again? As an experiment, no. Do we want to find more Supers in 2015? Of course. So we won’t put this under an “Experiment” umbrella, but we will document any finds we have. We have already found the Kombi and Rrroadster, but no luck yet on the AE86 and 599XX. Let’s see how we do.
How was your 2014 finds-wise?
I only found the Datsun in December, in a store that is usually hit by peg rats (thats how i call them). I credit this to the time of the year when possibly those motherfuckers are out of town on vacation.
Plus, the Datsun came with bad tampos and one stucked wheel, but who cares…
You are all lucky. I did not find one super here in Long Island and struggle to find anything half decent before the collectors snatch up anything half decent.
Only found 5 of 15
Chevrolet SS: 3.30 pm at a bookstore
Mustang Mach1: 6.00 pm at a little gift shop
Bel air Gasser: 4.00 pm in a supermarket inside a mall
Nova wagon: 5.00 pm same store as the mustang mach 1
Harley davidson fat-boy: 5.30 pm in a gift shop near the store I found mustang and the nova wagon.
I have yet to find a $TH on the pegs, in a dump bin or a floor display. I've received 2 at K-Days (purple '64 Riviera in February 2013 in the case I opened, and a '69 Torino in February 2010 that was missed when the case was opened and left in the pile of leftovers for the free-for-all). The others I have I obtained in trades ('80 El Camino and '59 Chevy delivery from 2011, and the Chevy SS for 2014), and one in an RAOK/Christmas gift (Sandblaster for 2014).
I have, however, found a White Lightning at around 1pm on a Saturday at a Target (green '70 Challenger back in 2000), and a Lightning Strike at about 5pm on a Thursday at a Walmart (1/24 '70 Mustang Mach 1, rose color, in 2010).
May I buy your super treasure hunt hot wheels ?
Thank You