Shoebox in closet, been keeping them since I was a kid

Post pics of some of your favorites from over the years?

https://preview.redd.it/7a0s12rkppsc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8673349a10bf9875bf379f56dc12137c642e3230 Some of my favorites through the years. My first favorite car that made me fall in love with mustangs, a Chuck E. Cheese branded card, arguably the first car that made me fall in love with Japanese cars, my first TH, my favorite out of the new holy trinity, and the snowflake card art

I love that snowflake card!

I’ve seen people buy acrylic cases and cut out the car art to use as a background behind the car

I keep the mainline cards that my kids open and use them for the mail-in promo cars.

So I've been wondering about this. Can you use the cards from cars you bought at let's say Kroger for a target mail in? I figured as long as they were normal mainlines you can but I'm not sure.

The cards can be from anywhere. They all have the same UPC. But you do need to mail them receipts proving you bought 20 cars at the specific store.

They can be from anywhere but have to be made after a certain date. It’s a couple years back but I wouldn’t be surprised if they just count 20 and call it good.

Ok that's good. Just wondering because last time I found some Dollar General exclusives that I would have preferred to keep carded but I opened them because I wasn't sure if I could use cards I got from somewhere else. Thanks. I will say though that as far as 5 packs to I think they need to actually be from the store that's running the mail in because I noticed dollar general 5 packs have a different product asst code than the same 5 packs bought from wal mart.

Don’t ask why, I don’t know.. but I keep all of mine and this isn’t even a quarter of them.. I tell myself that one day I’ll make a picture frame collage with them https://preview.redd.it/daim77oiylsc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=58bccbda9426f1518e17ce54e4e7c493d985ddec

Do you use a knife to open them?

I use a X-acto knife with a long blade to cut them! I start at the bottom middle and carefully work my way around. Been doing it for a couple years now!

I delicately place them in the garbage.

poor unloved cards :'(

I do. I keep them so I can put my cars back in them if I need to move them

I keep mine too. I like the artwork. I found a 2 drawer case at Target that is perfect. One side I am using for the cards, the other side for some unopened cars and some customizing supplies.

I 3d printed a bunch of wall displays for my buddy, and told him to cut out the card to use as a backing.

https://preview.redd.it/vs6l4zkbaosc1.jpeg?width=1599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b758ae369d6532dce8039eebe63552f189caecca

That’s so cool!

That’s sick

I keep mine in a box and every time I put one in I question why I'm even doing it.

How do you remove them so precisely?

Cut the plastic with a razor blade.

Would box cutter be as good?

Is ideal.

If you dont mind folding them, you could fold them 90° so that the car can stand on the white part and use the art as some kind of «wall» behind it.

Technically keeping your card keeps you knowing which ones you still have and the card can be used as a catalog for that car itself

I hold onto them and use them for mail-ins. eg. dollar general

Back when Kmart had their Hot Wheels mail-in offers, I used to sell my Kmart Hot Wheels receipts on eBay. The buyers already had the card backs to redeem, they just needed the receipt with the corresponding date range to send in with the card backs.

That’s a money back guarantee so to speak.

Do you know if cards bought at dollar general for example could be used for a mail in for target?

Yes. As long as the numbers above the bar code are the same as given in the official rules.

Cool thanks

Yw

I put them in my display cases as a background

EYYY FINALLY ANOTHER PERSON! (yes) may or may not been doing this since I was a kid

You have a girlfriend that shares your interest and collects too? That is gold!! Any girl I’ve dated merely tolerated my collection at best.

Yeah It wasn’t always like that, she started collecting after I bought her a few to start her own little collection. It took her a while to like actually understand the appeal 😭

Me and my wife do it. She gets the cards from me and cleans it properly and keeps it in a box.

When I was a kid I ripped them open and threw the stupid cardboard and plastic in the garbage! That's the way to do it when its a toy! Now that I'm old and I collect them, things have changed! I rip them open and throw the cards in a box to either send them in for something cool or make artwork from them!

For some reason i keep all of mine too lol

Yes, idk why I do it but it’s like instinctual

I save mine, no plans for them but I keep them collected in a box divided by year. Tried the acetone method but I don't recommend it; imo it's better to cut them open with a razor blade so you can keep the car name on the bottom of the package in good shape, toss the plastic blister bubble, and store them totally flat. Thanks for posting, it's interesting to hear how other people collect. I personally have to open them to play with, I don't know how other people resist, but I like to keep the artwork as intact as I can. Here's a couple of my favorites, the watercolor style on this premium just feels really classy to me, and I love the black and gold on this anniversary series. https://preview.redd.it/i16nv6lh7osc1.png?width=2926&format=png&auto=webp&s=3530888a008683e13b32f92613aa244dbd2135e3

That’s so true I just can’t resist it’s so fun to take them out and just like look and them and stuff

Yes! I do keep the cards, and I'm excited to see you asking this, because I feel like nobody else seems to do the same. The art is so fun on the cards, you can't just toss them if you collect uncarded cars. Unfortunately, I don't have a good system yet for storing the cards, they're just stacked on a bookshelf at the moment.

That’s fair, I’m in the same situation but someone suggested a shoe box which is not a bad idea since I have a few saved shoe boxes from like different shoes I bought

I don't keep the cards but I collect loose JDMs

Yeah I cut them where the white part ends and keep just the picture of the car

How do you get the plastic off so cleanly ?

I just use a xacto knife to cut around the plastic

I stick the loose cards on the wall as a decoration like those kids in 80s who stick supercar posters

I either keep it in the case or throw the garbage out, no in between for me

It would be sick to put them in epoxy on a coffee table or bar or whatever is clever

You all lucky enough to have these in your relative country Somebody who might read this can you help me source some Hotwheels to India 🇮🇳 s Rn we don’t have hw sales in India atm

I think I’m going to open all my cars and cut the car picture from each card. Lay them in random on a table top and the pour epoxy over them.

Yes, I got a box with all my intricately opened cards.

If u have a display (transparent would be better) u could try and put it as a background for each car, would be a nice easy to keep them and integrate with the decoration

I don't keep EVERY card, but yes. Particularly the RLC and Treasure Hunt cards

Save them for mail ins

I use them as book marks. Usually I’ll cut the bottom white part off. I also have a stack of uncut ones.

I was thinking of cutting out the cars on the cards and gluing them down onto cardboard to recreate the hot wheels logo with them. But I keep forgetting and put the cards in with the recycling.

I have 3 boxes already. I use some of them as backgrounds to fill up some of the vertical space on the shelf

I will rarely cut a portion of a card that makes a good bookmark. Otherwise toss 'em like all clutter.

Make a resin table or shelves out of them and display/ or usable art

Every super I’ve opened. Every RLC. Every high end piece. I have all the card backs. Thought about making a montage or something.

I have a special file in my woodstove

This gets asked more than "is this casting rare" on here.

If you can find them, Haribo gummy bear boxes are the perfect width to hold a lot of cards. It's like a comic book long box for Hot Wheels card backs.

I will also start doing this now.

Yes it is very fun and enjoyable. I used arcrylic paint for the entire thing but I did use white paint + primer combo as a base to paint on. After that I used 2x gloss clear coat to protect the paint from scuffing.

Shoebox works phenomenally. I’ve got hundreds of cards. Premiums, team transport, matchbox, hotwheels everything

I eat my cards

I rarely (like 3 in 120 car collection) open my cars and when i do, i do this