Week 21: '67 Pontiac GTO

 A special Hot Wheels -- birthday edition, dedicated to the joy of experiences.

My birthday is this weekend, and as a celebration, I opened this white and teal 1967 Pontiac GTO sent to me by my brother who lives out of state.  Readers of this blog probably have noticed my affinity for aquamarine.

my bike -- notice any similarities?

Since the beginning of this blog, I swore I was not, and would not become, a  toy collector in the classic sense but would enjoy my cars with simple joy.

Translation: I would not store hundreds or thousands of unopened packages of methodically cataloged Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars in a sterile warehouse resembling the end of the first Indiana Jones movie.

Where is my 1971 Hot Wheels
Sizzlers Anteater?

And I meant it.

But the temptation has been overpowering at times, the this might be worth something someday, the this is too cool to open, the a Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt!! YES!! train of thought.

I'm not saying I'm against collecting, or that storing something in original packaging for the future is a bad thing, only that I began this blog with a philosophy of celebrating simple pleasures, and a slide into true collectorhood might compromise that mission statement.

So I opened the GTO.

You see, the car wasn't sent for my birthday, but in 2010 before winter even began. I've been holding it, thinking it was too perfect to open, the good china too nice to bring out, the plastic covering on the furniture.

So for my birthday, I'm reminding myself to enjoy the teal moments rather than indefinitely yet impossibly  store them away from the onrushing days.

There is a place for collecting, and photographing, and cataloging, and labeling -- but there is definitely a place for experiencing, and on this birthday, I can continue to collect years, or I can live them.

I think I'll go with live.


I love the picture of the GTO in the garage, taken by Phil Pekarcik. The garage was built by Phil from vintage blocks from his childhood, and I swear it looks like I could take that car out for a drive. 


The car is part of the Hot Wheels 2010 Faster Than Ever collection.


And if you're wondering what happens to each Daddy's Matchbox car, I do label them by week and keep them in order for eventual display, so in a way I collect them, but not for resale but as a fond physical diary. Someday I may use them as references, as in, "Way back when, oh, back during the week of the 1967 Pontiac GTO...."