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Hot Wheels collector turns hobby into museum in Maryland
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.