This is a short list of terminology that I will be using on this site as it relates to hot wheels and the other diecast brands.
Case: a box of cars, most cases are 72 cars in a box. Kmart offered 36 count cases but that is coming to an end.
“__” Case: Hot Wheels are released in batches divided by letter. Starting with A and running to Q, (minus I and O) makes up the Hot Wheels year. I identify findings by case code most often. For Example: “I went into Walmart and they had a fresh P case on the pegs.” P case would be the identifier for what mix of cars were out. The case code is printed on the box, as well as on the back of the carding for each individual Hot Wheel.
Reds: Target Red Edition cars, a store exclusive.
Zamac: Walmart Zamac edition cars, a store exclusive.
Treasure hunt: a limited edition Hot Wheel, usually one per case.
Super Treasure Hunt: a more limited edition Hot Wheel, typically one in four to seven cases. a very small ratio, and these are very much sought after.
Tampo: the graphics painted onto the car. a “Naked” car is missing it’s tampo. As a collector, it is important for me to find clean tampos; no smudges or errors in the paint.
Dump Bin/ Bin: The large quantity bins of Hot Wheels that Walmart and Kroger usually get. The common types are a 648 (9 cases) bin, or a 288 (4 case) bin. These are the goal of collectors to catch fresh on the floor, to have the best chances at super treasure hunts.
