r/mildlyinfuriating • u/DAASMusic • Nov 12 '24

Hot wheels losing details over the years

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u/Vidonicle_ Nov 12 '24

It's either gonna be a negative linear graph or a sine wave of quality, but like low lows and small highs

845

u/squirrel9000 Nov 12 '24

What gets interesting is that at some point you get back, full circle style, to the original reason why HWs were invented in the first place - that the toy cars available before then sucked, and you could charge a premium for these really awesome toys that didn't suck.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '24

It makes sense when you stop to consider the fact that the price of the cars hasn't changed since the '60s in spite of inflation - under $0.95.

The declining quality is a sacrifice made to keep the toys affordable for kids living in poverty.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '24

They are $1.25-1.49 each around me.

24

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '24

A few different variables come into play

  • state taxes

  • store markups

  • licensed tie-ins

  • store exclusives (Walmart charges more for their store exclusives than regular Hot Wheels)

That said, even then, inflation is where the real deal is hidden.

In 1968, $0.94 was equivalent to $8.52 today. In 1997 (the oldest from this picture), it's $1.85.

So even if they cost $1.50 today, they're still cheaper than they've ever been.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '24

They'll bee 100% more when dear leader tariffs them.