Previously, I discussed Super Treasure Hunts, because, well they’re the shiny toy everyone wants. Literally. But there’s more to the idea than just Supers. There are also the Regular Treasure Hunts, or just Treasure Hunts as they were known.
n 1995, Mattel released a new series of Hot Wheels called Treasure Hunts. They were randomly packed into cases with only 10,000 of each vehicle produced. Since then, Mattel hasn’t revealed the quantity produced, but the cars remain difficult to find. They could be identified by the card packaging which had a green bar and can say “Treasure Hunt” or “T-Hunt”. For a few years, the card would feature a Treasure Chest as well.
Each set consisted of 12 cars until 2011 when the series was increased to 15. In 2007, Mattel introduced a two-tiered Treasure Hunt system. A regular Treasure Hunt would feature normal paint and normal wheels similar to other Hot Wheels cars. The Super Treasure Hunts are much rarer. From 2007 to 2011, Treasure Hunt cars were released in both regular and super versions. An easy way to identify a Super was by the card. It replaced the “S” with a dollar symbol and can look like “Trea$ure Hunt$” or “T-Hunt$”.
2012 introduced Super Secret Treasure Hunts and unlike previous years they are not upgrades of the regular versions. They do not have the green bar on the card. There should be a “TH” graphic on the car, along with Real Rider tires and Spectraflame paint to identify it.
2013 brought an end to the green bar on the packaging making all Treasure Hunts harder to locate. Before this, you could easily spot Hunts by just looking for the green bar. Every vehicle is part of a different series and to identify a Treasure Hunt you have to find the low production symbol, a circle with a flame, on the car.
In 25 years, Hot Wheels has produced some hits as Treasure Hunts, some misses, some that are highly sought after by collectors, and some that are for the kids. It gives all of us in the community something to look for when we’re out there hunting.
