5 Most Expensive Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt Cars of 2023

9 months, 2 weeks ago - 2 February 2024, autoevolution
5 Most Expensive Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt Cars of 2023
Last night, I noticed an interesting post on a Hot Wheels Facebook group. Someone noted that the new Porsche sets had arrived in several toy stores around town. I drove there this morning only to find someone had bought them all.

After a certain point, a hobby can become tedious. That happens when competing against an army of collectors and scalpers. These days, you're better off just ordering the collectibles you want online. That way, you won't have to deal with the agony of empty-handed driving back from the store. Just don't encourage scalpers by buying from them. Let them end up with unsold products for months, which will lower the price.

And this is also valid for the Super Treasure Hunt line-up. Yesterday, the RLC Exclusive STH set sold out almost instantaneously. Some sellers on eBay had listed it even before Mattel officially launched the product. Even though the retail price was $250, you'll see most offers on the market at over $500. Please do yourself a favor and stay away from them. And I'd recommend acting the same way when discussing the most expensive individual STH items. This list reflects how far some sellers will go with the "I know what I have" mentality. As I will point out below, it does not reflect the actual market value.

5.'69 Shelby GT-500 (Mix K)

The '69 Shelby GT-500 appeared in Mix K of the 2023 Mainline collection. Brendon Vetuskey designed this casting over a decade ago. It debuted in the 2011 New Models series. After five variations in two years, Mattel seemingly halted the project.

Then, we saw two more releases in 2020 and 2022. But it's still being determined if we'll get another variation of last year's purple models. As you would expect with a model that is so iconic, the prices of the STH iterations on the open market are high. I've spotted three going for $95, $103 and $199. That brings the average price to $132.

You'll need help finding any carded items for less than $50. Even the loose GT-500s can go up to almost $60! The '65 Mercury Comet Cyclone can be just as expensive, and the Porsche 935 is pretty close, too.

4.Lotus Evija (Mix D)

The Lotus Evija Super Treasure Hunt appeared with Case D of the 2023 Hot Wheels Mainline Series. Fraser Campbell designed this casting, and it had just debuted in 2022. Mattel ruined it by using TRAP5 wheels. But the company did make up for that mistake by releasing the STH version in Spectraflame Atomic Red.

The Real Riders 10 Spoke Modern rims did the casting justice, and I hope we'll see a similar approach shortly. Fortunately, I found the STH variation of the Evija last year, but I decided to sell it recently. After paying attention to the market, I set a price of $60. Someone bought over $100 in Hot Wheels cars from me and wanted the Evija STH for $50.

I said yes, as it was still a good deal to take. But some sellers on eBay feel this collectible is worth more than that. I've pinpointed the top three listings ranging from $100 to $200. The average price for these three goes up to $136. But you can find several options for less than $40 or even less than $30 if talking about the loose version.

3.'82 Toyota Supra (Mix J)

The Toyota Supra MK4 has reached legendary status in the past two decades. And that has generated multiple effects. The second-generation Celica Supra is less prevalent. But it's still famous by association.

Lindsey Lee designed this casting, and we've only seen two variations. Mattel launched it with a bang, including a Super Treasure Hunt version in certain J cases in 2023. The base version was initially decent, but the Real Riders rims and Spectraflame paint job made the STH collectible much more desirable.

The three most expensive ones I've encountered cost $200, $250, and $299. That brings the average up to $249. That's an 83% increase over the average price of the three most expensive Evijas. You can consider yourself lucky if you can find a carded STH Supra for less than $100.

2. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (Mix B)

Manson Cheung's Mercedes-Benz 300 SL has been around since 2020. It debuted in the Team Transport series, and a second Premium version followed suit. When Case B of the 2023 Mainline series started showing up in stores, people made it their mission to find the STH version of this vehicle.

It's a pretty decent model, but it would have been perfect with the opening doors. This collectible can serve as a case study for what I was saying at the beginning of this story. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a collectible before doing proper research. Someone is asking $700 for the STH 300 SL, and there's no reason on Earth why you should pay that much for it.

The fact that the second most expensive one has an asking price of $160 should be proof of that statement. The average cost for the top three SLs comes up to $336, and it becomes clear how greed has settled in. You'll see plenty of these items going for $50 or less, and that's where you should point your attention.

1. Datsun Bluebird Wagon (510) (Mix P)

And if you thought the four items I mentioned earlier were expensive, wait until you get a load of this. Datsun collectibles are always popular with Hot Wheels enthusiasts. And I knew this one would become an instant hit, especially given it's a wagon. The Bluebird Wagon (510) appeared in the last but final case of 2023; two variations are already in for 2024.

The most expensive one I've tracked down costs $1,299. It's missing its C Pillar, and error models are particularly popular with certain collectors. Most people will say it's broken and should go to the trash bin, but to each his own. The following two items are $374 and $303, respectively, which brings the average value up to $658. The cheapest one I've seen so far has an asking price of $130, which is still slightly absurd if you ask me. I'll end this story with one last exercise if you allow me.

What would happen if you bought the 2023 STH Collection by choosing only the most expensive listings? You'd have to spend $3,832 on 15 items. By comparison, even the most ridiculous offer for the RLC set seems affordable at just over $750. If you know your way around the market and are persuasive enough, I will bet you can get them all for $400. Just give it a try!