Like many collectors, 43 year-old Scott Marek from St. Louis, Missouri, has been a Hot Wheels® fan since he was just a small boy. Unlike most collectors, however, Scott’s birthday falls on Halloween. Meet Scott and find out how Hot Wheels® cars and trick-or-treating made the best childhood birthday memories in this month’s Collector Spotlight!

HWC Eve: How long have you been collecting Hot Wheels® cars, and what got you started?

Scott Market: Always had them as a kid, and still have a few. Then, in 1995 I found a Treasure Hunt T-Bird. I didn't know what they were at the time, so I opened it. Later, a friend who collects Hot Wheels® cars saw it and offered me a dozen vintage 35th Anniversary Hot Wheels® cars for it! I made the trade and that's what restarted my collection.

I like Hot Wheels® cars because they are easy to collect. They only cost a buck and don’t take up a lot of space. They have something for everybody -- bikes, trucks, muscle cars, low riders, race cars -- they cover everything.

HWC Eve: How many Hot Wheels® cars do you have now and what do people think about your collection?

SM: Last time I counted was back in 1998, and I had over 3,000 cars. I have no clue how many I have now. When I started collecting again, most of my collection was in a bunch of boxes. My family and girlfriend thought I was just blowing my money. Now that my room is done and I have most everything displayed, they are quite impressed and have changed their opinion about them. It’s totally different when they are nicely displayed instead of just in a bunch of boxes.

HWC Eve: Do you ever open them?

SM: I have a whole basement filled with them, open and in the package. I have more room for open ones so I've become a little more brave about opening them. I'm never gonna sell them, so why not?

HWC Eve: What’s the best vehicle in your collection?

SM: I don't know -- it's like asking which one of my kids I like better! I do like my D.U.D.E Karmann Ghia and Japan Camaro. The D.U.D.E Karmann Ghia is from the Down Under Diecast Enthusiasts convention. My good buddy, Kevin (kjmac1), sent it to me and it is a centerpiece of my collection, along with a few other cars that friends have sent me. I like the Camaro just because it was so hard to get. I don’t have a lot of rare cars in my collection so this one was a real score. Thanks to my girlfriend, Barb, for staying on the computer that day to get one.

HWC Eve: What do you think is the latest, greatest Hot Wheels® release?

SM: I like the muscle cars, like the ‘69 Dodge Charger, the ‘71 Plymouth GTX, the ‘69 Pontiac® GTO® and Firebird®, and this year’s Buick® GSX. They look like the real cars. I usually don’t collect recolors, but I do with these cars and other muscle cars.

HWC Eve: So your birthday is on Halloween! Tell us about the picture of you in the Hot Wheels® racer costume.

SM: That was about 1970 or 1971, so I was five or six years-old, and of course I thought I was cool. It was always a big night for me, trick-or-treating and then coming home to see what kind of Hot Wheels® cars I got for my birthday!

HWC Eve: Do you belong to a collecting club?

SM: I’m a member of the St. Louis Hot Wheels® Club. Lots of great guys there. They even helped me collect cars for the 1:1 scale car club I'm in. I like making friends and finding stuff I’ve never seen before, like the newest Hot Wheels® cars.

HWC Eve: Do you have any other hobbies or collections?

SM: I also belong to a 1:1 scale car club (LX Central). It's a club for new 300Cs -- Magnums, Chargers and Challengers. I’ve driven all around the state to shows we attend as a club.

HWC Eve: Last question… what’s your fondest Hot Wheels® memory?

SM: As a kid, I just remember having so much Hot Wheels® stuff... track, superchargers, Farbs, etc. I wish I still had it. I’d make space for it all, kind of like my own Hot Wheels® museum!”

COLLECTOR QUICKSTATS:

• BEST HOT WHEELS® CASTING OF ALL TIME: “The Breakaway Bucket. It’s a cool casting and was only made one year… and I only have one. They need to bring that one to HWC™ (hint, hint)!”
• MODEL/COLOR 1:1 SCALE CAR OWNED: “I drive a 2007 Dodge Magnum that I just bought in February to go with my girlfriend’s 2008 Dodge Charger. Mine is inferno red and hers is steel blue.”
• FIRST HOT WHEELS® CAR: “Gee, I don't remember! I do remember the badges and the orange tracks and superchargers.”

We're always looking for our next collector to spotlight. If you would like to be considered for the Collector’s Spotlight, we’d like to hear from you:

1. First answer the questions found here: Spotlight questionnaire
2. Include at least ten photos, including one of you! They should be JPG images, and 700 x 500 are best
3. E-mail your answers and images to us at Spotlight@HotWheelsCollectors.com

You could be in the spotlight next!