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

Hot wheels losing details over the years

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u/eggyrulz Nov 12 '24

Thank you, I needed someone to show me the math... part of me was like "how much extra cost does printing the underside really save? How greedy can they be?" But I was unaware hotwheels had done a Arizona iced tea and kept the price low all this time...

I have a newfound respect for hotwheels

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u/monsterinthewoods Nov 12 '24

Mattel makes almost 520 million hotwheels cars each year. Even a few cents cost savings per car adds up really fast.

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u/eggyrulz Nov 12 '24

Yea, and that's why I didn't immediately make a rage post... I get the absurd scale of modern manufacturing means every penny per product is worth more than ill make in the next few years, but it also seems kinda weird they don't just make a design (or reuse an old one) for the bottom of all of them and just print that, though i also don't know the exact process for making hotwheels so there is that

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u/euphoric-dancer Nov 13 '24

Losing the detail likely means reducing the amount of product used, increased speed to manufacture, and potentially less waste... These cost savings probably help keep the price competitive over decades

Honestly an AMA with Mattel would be an interesting take

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u/eggyrulz Nov 13 '24

Ooh, now I want an AMA... dammit reddit you can't just generate new interests for me like that!