I am not alone either, I see other adults doing this from time to time which lead me to investigate this Hot Wheels phenomenon and it turns out that it runs far deeper than my supermarket escapades. A quick troll through the net and the Hot Wheels Instagram page reveals just how far one can go with their collecting of these micro-sized automobiles. For example, legendary old-school Porsche builder, Magnus Walker, has his own range of Hot Wheels models with a few tasty 911 models.

Then for all of you Marvel fans there’s a superhero range which includes, The Punisher, Captain America, Iron Man, Spiderman amongst others. More of a DC fan? There’s Batman and Superman in the mix too with their own custom models.

 Like the Ford Performance range? Well there’s a whole range of their products available too. There is also a Star Trek and Star Wars range for those more inclined to intergalactic warfare. The variety is endless and despite the fact that I enjoy the more realistic models based on real vehicles I just enjoy the fact that a product like this is still getting people excited about cars and how real manufacturers and aftermarket tuners have gotten involved with the brand.

For those of you who think that it is a waste of money I urge you to consider that the models from the collectors series will be worth quite a bit of money one day. I will also remind you that for the most part, real cars are also a waste of money to some, but to those who are enthusiastic about them (or have bought something that appreciates in value), it is money well spent. For me, it’s about the excitement, the nostalgia, the promise of something new and exciting every time I go to get milk and bread. But mostly, it excited me because it gets the younger generation excited about cars and as long as there’s that fire, that passion for the automotive, cars will always be exciting.

Pictures: www.hotwheels.com