Hot Wheels Variations: The Ultimate Guide

More photographs, updated prices, added information?collectors will be racing to tear into the new edition of this best-selling title! For most, when receiving a new toy, half the fun is ripping open the package and playing with it. However, the growing appeal toward the line of Hot Wheels? Collector Number Packs?a numbered line of cars distributed by Mattel with slight variations, where the color, wheel, interior or window might have been altered?is them remaining in the original packaging. Author and Hot Wheels? collector, Michael Zarnock expands coverage of the most comprehensive identification and price guide available to include variations found in blister packages from 1989-2002. More than 2,500 cars and their variations are listed and nearly 2,500 are pictured in clear, large full-color photographs. Plus, readers can now step behind the scenes with exclusive information from Mattel on how these cars are created.

Author/Freelance writer, Michael S. Zarnock writes Collector Guides and Articles about Hot Wheels® toy cars and is one of the worlds most respected authorities on Hot Wheels® and also holds a Guinness World Record ™ for his Hot Wheels® collection.

Michael was born April 21, 1958 in Utica, New York, into a working class family.

As with most young men of that time, he grew up with aspirations of getting married and working with his dad in their family Body Shop repairing cars. But, as we all know, things change. His parents divorced in 1974 and his dad moved to Florida. Michael stayed in Utica with his mom and attended local schools while working as a Auto Mechanic at "Nichols Dept. Store". He has worked full time since the 11th grade. "Everybody thought it was pretty weird that I came to school with my blue work shirt that had "Mike" on it everyday. They couldn’t understand that I worked 45 hours a week while I was still in High School. They were all playing sports and hanging out while I was turning wrenches and fixing their parents cars." He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1976.

Some of Michael’s accomplishments over the years include racing Moto Cross as a teenager to building and driving many Show and Drag Cars as an adult. Some of those Drag Cars ended up being Street Racers for other people. Michael has many stories’ about those Street Racing days that he says he would like to put in a book, including the time he got kidnapped. He says, "Hey, It could happen. Who would have thought I would write books about Hot Wheels® ?"

The mid 1980’s brought another challenge to Michael when he became a singer/drummer and co-wrote songs in a band called "The Blister Tones". After 3 years and 3 Albums, the band split and he went back to working on his house and collecting Hot Wheels® again.

It’s come to be, that Michael has spent so much time and effort on his collection that he has become one of the world’s most respected authorities on Hot Wheels® and their variations.

So much so, that it prompted him to write a best selling Variation Guide called "The Ultimate Guide to Hot Wheels ® Variations", that went into it’s second printing. The 2nd. Edition is written and scheduled for a March 2004 release. He has also done the "Warmans' Hot Wheels® Field Guide", the Hot Wheels® Collector Numbers section in "The Standard Catalog of Die-Cast Vehicles", "Toys & Prices 2004" and a few others that are currently under development. All of these and future publications are available at Bookstores around the world. If you’re looking for up to date Hot Wheels® information, Michael is currently under contract with "Toy Cars & Models®" magazine where he writes a monthly Hot Wheels® Variation Guide. In his column he talks about the most current Variations to be looking for along with prices.

Michael also makes appearances at Schools, Conventions, Toy Shows and Hot Wheels Club functions across the United States and Canada. You never know where you'll find him. Michael has even made a couple appearances in the movies. He made his screen debut playing Artie, the sleazy comic book publisher in the "Catch Your Breath Production" film "Detour", and returned to take on the role of Freddy Grecko, talk show host extraordinaire in "The Death of Daniel Whately".

Michael now lives in a small town right outside of Utica called Deerfield, and teaches computer at a local elementary school. He lives there with his wife Tina and their son Cody. Michael’s older son Christopher, who is grown, now lives in Fredrick, Maryland and enjoys building real cars like his dad.