Darthvaderr's VHTF! and LIMITED EDITION Hot Wheels from all over the world: Exclusive Interview: Mike Zarnock

Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Exclusive Interview: Mike Zarnock - FINAL PART

Here is the last part of the interview with Mike Zarnock as he talks about the future of collecting Hot Wheels.

PART THREE - MOVING FORWARD

28) You wrote many books... does Mattel share any info with you prior to their launch?

No.... I don’t get any info from Mattel before the book comes out. Actually, my publisher has to send it to Mattel so they can check it out to make sure all the names and the legal stuff is correct. I’m the only one who writes my Variations Guide and Accessories Guide and all the photos that are in them are from my collection unless stated.

Sample pages from Mike Zarnock Variation books

Sample pages from Mike Zarnock Accessories books

Sample pages from Mike Zarnock Field's Guide books

I have a few friends around the country who share info when something new comes out and I always acknowledge them in the front of the books.

The Warman’s Guide and the Companion Guide that have my name on them, have photos from other peoples collections in them because of the way my publisher does them.

Sample pages from Hot Wheels Warman's Companion

29) Has Mattel ever offered you a job?

No.... Mattel has never offered me a job, though it would be nice..... I don’t think that there is anything that I could do there except maybe play Hot Wheels all day and hang out with HWC Chris and have Silly String wars!

Mike having fun with buddy HWC Chris at the super convention

30) What do you want to be remembered for?

It’s nice to have had two “Guinness World Records” and be in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” also twice. To have my own real race car included in a Hot Wheels series, and be inducted into the first year of the “Die Cast Hall of Fame”..... But, I would really like to be remembered for being an informative collector who helped a lot of others to have better collections. All those other things just came along as part of what I do.

Mike Zarnock's Diecast Hall of Fame plaque

Mike giving his speech after being inducted to the Diecast Hall of Fame

31) If you have a chance to change the way people collect cars, how will you do it?

I just want people to collect for the sake of collecting. A collection is something that should make you happy and look forward to doing. So may people collect for the secondary value and get so upset about it. If you want to collect something that’s going to grow in value, collect money, don’t collect Hot Wheels.

Mike Zarnock's World Famous Hot Wheels Collection

32) We are now in the digital era, do you think it will change the way we collect cars in the coming future?

It already has. With the internet and ebay, we have brought collectors from around the world together. There are so many cars and sets that are coming out of the woodwork from so many other countries now. Just look at the Italian, Japanese and German sets and cars that are showing up.

It’s brought about the conventions in countries like Japan, Brazil and Mexico. Heck, I’ve even been asked to go to China to do an exhibit!

Hot Wheels Mexico Collectors Exhibition

Joe Vioellte, CHris Walker and Vince Mosley

Phil Rhielman aswering questions from the crowd

Japan Hot Wheels Convention

Two top Japanese Customizers - Chojiro and Kazy Kustom at the Japan convention

I think the possibilities are endless with what we have now. It’s brought so many more things to the collectors, especially information. We wouldn’t be doing this interview if it wasn’t for the digital media that we have today. And look at Facebook and the other social media sites....