MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - It’s been more than half a century since Mattel created its Hot Wheels franchise, and for one super-collector in Gaithersburg, Maryland the fascination with the toys started at a young age.By day, Bruce Pascal is a commercial real estate agent in the nation’s capital.By night, he’s a Hot Wheels hobbyist with more than seven thousand items in his collection. "To put it mildly, I’m obsessed with Hot Wheels," Pascal said.At 7 years old, he got his first Hot Wheel in 1968 — the same year they were created.
Fifty-five years later he’s still buying them."My mother gave me back my Hot Wheels as a kid I played with in 1999," Pascal said. "I was with a buddy of mine, and he said, ‘I’ll give you $200 for him.’ I was like, ‘oh, these have value?’"From there, his love for the tiny and intricate toys consumed him."Nothing's better than collecting something you have a connection with and the fact that I’m collecting my childhood toys, it's kind of fun," Pascal said.
One of his prized possessions is a 1913 Model T that was used as inspiration for Mattel."In 1964, this Model T was entered into the Grand National Roadster Show in California.
This won America’s Most Beautiful Roadster," he said."Years later, Hot Wheel said, ‘What car could we make for our first year?’ So Hot Wheels made this into a Hot Wheel called the Hot Heap.