It been a whirlwind last week for me as I traveled to Los Angeles for the 32nd Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Convention. Due to an early flight out, attempting to sleep in the LAX terminal, and some dedicated family time… I am just now, kind of waking up in a Hot Wheels world, post convention. For those that have never been, the convention is truly a unique forum in which Hot Wheels collectors from around the world gather, and nerd-out until the wee hours of the morning discussing diecast.
Every year, I tell myself that I will A) Remember to eat, and B) Go to bed at a reasonable hour… and C) Not blow my funds on the first day. For the most part, I have been pretty good with C, but its A and B I have a problem with every year. In terms of my funds, those are usually reserved for the last day, where I tend to go on a shopping spree. This year was no different as I spent more money than I did the previous three days, on one purchase: a prototype of the #Cool-One from the Bruce Schultz collection.
For me, the #Mark Jones Designed #Cool-One is one of those castings that I just had to have every release/variation/version of. Since it was first shown on the 2004 poster as “Ice Blox” I had made up my mind that I would collect it. 14 years later, and in more than 20+ years of collecting, two of my top five most expensive cars (in terms of money I shelled out for) were Cool-Ones.
Barbie-Skin/ZAMAC Prototype of the Hot Wheels Cool-One Designed by Mark Jones with the 2005 Design Awards release
The prototype market isn’t what it used to be with the number of ways you can acquire one now — and the fact that Malaysia seemingly makes their own now… With the selling of former employee collections to the likes of Bruce Baur, Bruce Schultz and of course, Larry Wood; more and more prototypes have found their ways into collector-hands.
That is actually where the prototype I have for you today came from. Straight from an employee collection, courtesy of Mike Bunge and team who notoriously purchased the Larry Wood collection a couple years back. I found Mike’s room at the convention while avoiding the line for the finale Saturday night. It was more of a stop to gaze at said prototypes where I usually concede to the fact that their price exceeds what I am willing to spend for a Hot Wheels car. Given that the #Cool-One is not a desirable casting to most collectors by any means, Mike offered me a deal that I did not want to pass up… and as of Saturday night, I owned my first Hot Wheels Prototype … well, first with paperwork. 😉
Barbie-Skin/ZAMAC Prototype of the Hot Wheels Cool-One Designed by Mark Jones with its Certificate of Authenticity
I had chased after a “barbie-skin” prototype for years as I feel like these “first shots” are some of the more true prototypes — and certainly, some of the more fascinating. The fact that — what is termed as — “first shots” are no longer a step in the Mattel design process makes this part of history — and, the flesh-colored interior piece mixed with raw ZAMAC is just cool. Mismatched, even defective, wheels are commonly found on Hot Wheels prototypes. These first shots aren’t suppose to be pretty, they were simply produced to make sure all the individual pieces fit together and the design is what the designer had intended it to look like.
Barbie-Skin/ZAMAC Prototype of the Hot Wheels Cool-One Designed by Mark Jones with the two wheel variations of the 2004 First Editions release
The #Cool-One I purchased in LA will rank as one of my more prized Hot Wheels possessions. Its crazy to think that this one was produced before that first Cool-One I found — back in October 2004 in a Walmart in Shawano, Wisconsin — ever hit the shelves. It is now the latest addition to my Cool-One collection!
Family/Group Shot of the Hot Wheels Cool-One casting (October 2018)
Categories: Showcase
ORANGE TRACK DIECAST 
how much did you pay for it?
I contemplated if I was going to put that out there, but I am choosing not to say right now. Its more out of the respect for the gentlemen that sell the prototypes, and the fact that I don’t want people reaching out to them asking for the price I paid for this on other Barbie-Skinned, ZAMAC prototypes.
That’s a Cool-One you bought BRAD & the Ice Cream from 2004 is my favorite. Nice article.They were easy to find back then. I still have a couple in a bin somewhere with a few other different 2003 & 2004 cars I found. That time period you could easily find a TH with the Treasure Chest on the cards quite frequent. Oh well.
Thanks Willie! Yeah, those 2003-2004 THs were so easy to find… which is probably why you see them not selling at shows for $3-4 each. Crazy, huh?
Brad it was good to meet even if only briefly. With everything going on I know I had tons of things to ask people but they all virtually left my brain the moment I entered the hotel Monday night. Just got caught up in everything I guess and as soon as I got on the plane at LAX back towards DC they all popped back into my head. Regardless, it was a great show and I’m glad I got to attend.
Congrats on the proto, there was a ton in that room that was enticing but I choose to put the money towards other things at this time. The ones I wanted were already promised to others so I was fairly lucky. With all the “prototype” stuff being produced out of Asia right now I think you got in on a rare piece that predates all that nonsense. That’s awesome! Any chance you got to run into Bruce Shultz at the show while he was around?
Any idea who has the Bruce Baur collection and was parting it out? I had a brief FB messenger chat with him one time this year and was looking to see if any of his Way2Fast stuff is out there in the wild.