New to Boy Toddlerdom - Whats the Difference between Hotwheels and Matchbox?

[castlegazer]

As I approach a significant toddler birthday for my son, please help me understand the difference here. I know that Hotwheels have race tracks and whatnot - does Matchbox too. I am completely clueless as to the differences. Moms and Dads of little boys please give me a primer here.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Not much really Matchbox seems to stick to realistic cars you would see on the streets Hot wheels seems to have more Hot rod type with big engines sticking out of the hoods large exhaust systems wild paint jobs the type you would see in a car show.

Now go back to your hammock!

 

[JetMom]

I have 3 DS's and I personally think it's just a brand name difference. The cars are all basically the same. I think Hot Wheels has the more sought after playsets, though.

 

[castlegazer]

Ed - matchbox cars lying on the ground don't exist over in our house. Thanks for the help, though - I'll be back for afternoon tea shortly (i.e. a Trade Wind or two).

So, its a playset thing - are there playsets for Matchbox - I've only seen the HotWheels stuff?

I also forgot to ask, which ones do you all prefer? Is there a reason one should stick to say, Matchbox due to collectibility - not that anything that a little boy plays with for one day is a collectible after that.

 

[JetMom]

The matchbox playsets I have seen are small and fold up into themselves....think male version of Polly Pocket.

BTW -- both Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars breed. If you leave two of them alone together, you wind up with 2 new cars!!! There is no other explanation for the sheer number of matchbox cars in our house!!!

 

[edcrbnsoul]

"BTW -- both Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars breed. If you leave two of them alone together, you wind up with 2 new cars!!! There is no other explanation for the sheer number of matchbox cars in our house!!!"
LOL... and by the way they hurt like you wouldnt believe when you step on them to get that glass of water at 2am.

 

[Planogirl]

Hot Wheels has most of the race sets while Matchbox seems to concentrate mostly on cityscapes, car washes and that sort of thing. Even though they have some of both to further confuse people. Luckily, they're interchangeable.

I had to laugh at the comments about so many of them being everywhere. I found one in my closet recently and our son hasn't played with since before we moved into this house.

 

[oogieboogie]

Hotwheels - make sure you have 6 spare hours to assemble the tracks only to have the kids play with it for 30 minutes tops

Matchbox - see the above description



Honestly though, not much difference in them when you have to scoop a dozen of them off your couch just so you can sit in your 6 inches of space.

 

[kadaten]

Just brand name! Like Reebok and Nike! One may have the Ford replicas and one the Ferraris, but there really is no difference as far as we see, or as far as dear nephew has pointed out....he loves them all. My own DS isn't quite there yet (thank goodness)!

 

[KimRaye]

Originally posted by castlegazer

About 10 cents!

 

[HoneyPooh]

Hot Wheels are more collectible. My DH goes to the national convention for them every year. He just returned from one in Dallas at the beginning of April. You would not believe the size of that convention . You would also not believe the prices of some of the cars!!! Grown men and their toys...

BTW, even well played with ones are collectible as long as they are not broken and all of the paint is not worn off. DH and I spend a lot of time at swap meets, flee markets and yard sales looking for baskets of loose cars for him to check out. He's like a two year old when he finds one he needs!

He wishes he had all the ones he had when he was a kid but he tended to bury them in the back yard .

 

[Aristocath]

I have 3 sons and they don't really seem to notice the difference between Hot Wheels and Matchbox. I think HW has more playsets and I hate those flimsy things. So I buy whatever is on sale. You can often find them at Target for about 65 cents on sale so I buy them then and save them for stockings, Easter baskets, etc. And they do multiply so watch out! It hurts like the dickens to step on one of those in a dark bedroom!

 

[castlegazer]

Originally posted by HoneyPooh
DH and I spend a lot of time at swap meets, flee markets and yard sales looking for baskets of loose cars for him to check out. He's like a two year old when he finds one he needs!

He wishes he had all the ones he had when he was a kid but he tended to bury them in the back yard .

My BIL and your DH should get together - he does exactly the same thing and has quite the collection. He says Florida has some of the best thrift stores for finding great matchboxes.

I investigated the matter further yesterday and I am pretty set on Matchbox - due to collectibility and the fact that I like them better and most of the ones my DS has already are Matchboxes. I wasn't able to find many play sets that didn't have extensive comments like oogieboogie's - totally difficult to put together and then they break. I think that this is a market that needs to be expanded.

 

[snoopy]

My boys have always preferred HotWheels products to MatchBox. Why, I can't really tell you - you'd have to ask their Dad (who sometimes I wonder if we aren't buying the cars for HIM rather then his sons..... )

 

[buzzlady]

Pretty much the same ~ they both hurt when you step on them.

 

[mbb]

Originally posted by oogieboogie
Hotwheels - make sure you have 6 spare hours to assemble the tracks only to have the kids play with it for 30 minutes tops

Matchbox - see the above description

LOLing!!!!

The Boys at my house like Hot Wheels better...apparently,

"The wheels SPIN faster, Mommy!!"


Go figure...

Have fun!!

 

[castlegazer]

Originally posted by mbb
The Boys at my house like Hot Wheels better...apparently,

"The wheels SPIN faster, Mommy!!"


Go figure...

Have fun!!

That's wicked funny.

 

[debster812]

Originally posted by edcrbnsoul
"BTW LOL... and by the way they hurt like you wouldnt believe when you step on them to get that glass of water at 2am.

And this pain is second only to setpping on a stray Lego. OUCH!

And, a little tidbit from our house, a carry case designed to hold 24 cars (Matchbox AND Hotwheels) can actually carry 60 (they are doubled and some tripled up).

And also, sometimes it is more fun to place them in a row, separated by style, design and color than it is to actually play with them.

DS loves his

 

[oogieboogie]

Originally posted by debster812
And this pain is second only to setpping on a stray Lego. OUCH!

Sorry, but number one ouch has to be stepping on a plastic soldiers holding the tiny sharp rifle. Apparently when they see me coming they stand up pointing their rifle right at the bottom of my foot!

 

[Rock'n Robin]

First about the topic--when I was growing up, when my dad traveled he would bring my sister and I each a Matchbox car (identical of course to stop arguments). There are about 100 of them at mom's--except for the ones DS has talked her into letting him bring here! My dad was always of the opinion that they are made better, but I don't know where he got that info. Maybe in the 60s and early70s they were. Now my son has both kinds of cars and like a lot of you, he has way too many. I have put about 20 (that he got as a gift but forgot about) aside in their packages in my closet to sell in 10 or 20 years. We have the "serpent cyclone" playset, and I've thrown away a car wash and a couple of other things he never missed. Mind you he is the only grandson so my dad buys him cars of all kinds.
Now on the other topic--you will never convince me that stepping on anything hurts more than a Barbie shoe!
Robin M.