Obsession Unfolded

“Malaysiaaaaaa”, chirped excited P as we touched down at Kuala Lumpur airport. He had been particularly excited about this trip for his own reasons. Telling whosoever would listen that this country is the birthplace of Hot Wheels. I could see a hobby becoming an obsession soon.

Yes, I have been hearing it since the planning for this trip began that we would buy this many Hot Wheels cars. P, my husband, is a car enthusiast and loves collecting them in all shapes and sizes. His collection has grown considerably over time, and so has his obsession. At times, this is the only gift he asks for, and he smiles like a child when I get him one.

It has been a few years since Hot Wheels cars were pulled out of the Indian market due to some tariff or import regulations. What followed was the exploitation of the HW fans, wherein imported units would be sold or auctioned at five to ten times their original MRP, and the exclusive ones can easily be priced up to twenty to thirty times their original retail prices. Even e-commerce giants have a deaf ear to this loot.

Grabbing the opportunity of our visit, his demands felt legit, and I had to agree to the scenario of an insane amount of Hot Wheels that would be stuffed into our luggage on our return flight. While I roamed around the mall drooling over stationery from Japan and around, he dragged me into multiple kids’ stores to buy cars to add to his pristine collection. He had meticulously made the store list in the different malls we could be visiting, as time permitted.

I would be lying if I were to say that I wasn’t surprised to see the collection out there myself. Indians don’t even get a fraction of it here to look at. No wonder, I gave in to his demands and found a few myself. Hidden between the usual cars were the collectable ones, which my husband dearest took no time to find. Even the shop owner knew about the collectables and was kind enough to direct us to a special section, where a handpicked box of five Hot Wheels was selling in the range of 300-500 MYR (roughly 10 thousand Indian rupees). I eventually managed to steer him off those, to say the least.

Apart from Hot Wheels, there were other brands which offered premium quality and variety at an even higher price. We were somewhat disappointed to see the inflated prices, since Malaysia is where these products are manufactured. We had assumed a comparatively lower price range than Indian markets owing to its origin. We were bummed to not be able to visit the Hot Wheels factory in-person which used to operate guest tours until a few years back (Pre-covid).

Like every boy who dreamt of his den in his childhood, he is no different. Talking about his obsession collection, he is that boy, not a husband, or son, or a manager. Dreaming about a room filled with a wall dedicated to these cars is his favourite pastime. For now, his proud collection takes more space in his wardrobe than his clothes.

---

Follow me this April as I take you on a journey through our unforgettable Malaysian adventures, chapter by chapter.

---

I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z