Hot Wheels Mainline
Mainline is the basic Hot Wheels peg-card price band (typically under about $2.00 retail for 1:64).
Model Numbers (Sometimes Referred To As Toy #)
Model Numbers (sometimes referred to as Toy #) are printed on the card — often on the hang tab near the peg hole. Collectors and catalogs may use either name for the same code. For Asst. L2593 (USA Card), the last letter of the model number is the case letter — the letter on the case the car is shipped to retailers in.
Mainline Assortment Numbers
Hot Wheels Mainline cars are grouped by assortment numbers printed on the back of the peg card. Look for Asst. just above the barcode. Common numbers: L2593 = USA Card (only one that includes the case letter in the model number.); C4982 = International Long Card; 5785 = International Short Card. Example packaging photos on this page show where Asst. is printed.
Case Letters
Hot Wheels Mainline cars ship to retailers in cardboard cases. Each year uses about fifteen sequential case mixes, labeled with a case letter. Case A is typically the first wave of the year; Case Q is usually the last. Letters I and O are skipped so they are not confused with 1 and 0. Letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q. On the shipping box, look for the assortment code (for USA Mainline cards, L2593-) beside a stamped mix code. The last letter of that stamped block is the case letter. The example photo shows L2593- with stamped code 974Q — the underlined Q means this is Case Q. Boxes commonly say they contain 72 pieces. On Asst. L2593 (USA Card) blister cards, that same case letter is the last character of the model number on the hang tab. International long and short cards (C4982 / 5785) usually do not include the case letter in the model number, so you cannot read the mix from those cards alone. Exact car lists inside a mix can vary by pack date. Regular cars may reappear in later mixes; Treasure Hunt and Super Treasure Hunt releases are usually tied to a single mix. In SmartWheelers, record the letter in Case (case_code) when you know it.
Mainline Class
On SmartWheelers, Class is where special Mainline traits belong — including ZAMAC, Treasure Hunt, and Super Treasure Hunt. They are not separate Categories — keep Category as Mainline and set Class to the matching value when the car qualifies. ZAMAC: ZAMAC is an acronym for Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium, and Copper — the metal alloy used to cast Hot Wheels die-cast bodies. Collectors usually call a car “ZAMAC” when the body (and sometimes the base) is left unpainted or only clear-coated so the raw silver metal shows. Mattel also releases dedicated ZAMAC editions and multipacks (often store exclusives). On SmartWheelers, set Class to ZAMAC for those raw-metal presentations. Treasure Hunt: A Treasure Hunt (TH) is a limited chase Mainline car hidden in regular retail assortments. Modern THs usually look like a standard Mainline paint job and plastic wheels, with a silver or grey circle-and-flame symbol on the blister card behind the car (and often a flame or TH mark on the car). Roughly one regular TH is expected per Mainline case of 72, though exact counts can vary. Super Treasure Hunt: A Super Treasure Hunt (STH) is the rarer premium chase. Look for Spectraflame-style metallic paint, Real Riders rubber wheels, a TH marking on the car, and a gold circle-and-flame symbol on the card behind the vehicle. STHs are much harder to find than regular Treasure Hunts and are not guaranteed in every case. To spot the TH or STH symbol without opening the blister, tilt the card and look behind the car on the cardboard backing. The circle-and-flame emblem is often partly hidden until you view it from an angle — silver/grey for Treasure Hunt, gold for Super Treasure Hunt. SmartWheelers Treasure Hunt pages list Treasure Hunt and Super Treasure Hunt cars by year and by case letter. Start on the Treasure Hunt hub, choose a year, then open each case letter to see that wave’s chase cars.
Mainline Exclusive
Exclusive is separate from Category and Class. Use it for store or program exclusives that still ship as Mainline peg cars (for example Target Red Edition or Walmart exclusives). Keep Category as Mainline, put the line name in Series when needed, and set Exclusive to the short retailer or program name. Common Mainline exclusives: Burger King; Dollar General; Dollar Tree; GameStop; Kmart; Kroger; McDonald's; Multipack; Target; Toys R Us; Walgreens; Walmart.
Mainline Type
Type is the product form — how the item is sold as a package (UI: Type, catalog field product_type). It is not Category, Class, Exclusive, Card Type (Short / Long / International), or Packaging condition. Leave Type blank for a normal Mainline single. Type and Class may both be set (for example Type = 5-Pack and Class = Treasure Hunt). Blank (Single): Normal carded Mainline car on a peg blister. Most Mainline cars use blank Type. 2-Pack: Two cars sold together in one Mainline retail pack. 3-Pack: Three-car Mainline multipack. 4-Pack: Four-car Mainline multipack. 5-Pack: Five-car Mainline themed or case pack (sometimes called a gift pack). 6-Pack: Six-car Mainline multipack. 8-Pack: Eight-car Mainline multipack. 9-Pack: Nine-car Mainline multipack. 10-Pack: Ten-car Mainline multipack. 20-Pack: Twenty-car Mainline multipack / party pack style assortment. R/C: Remote-control product form when the release is Mainline-tier. Do not invent R/C without evidence.
Series Under Mainline
Batman; Compact Kings; Cool Classics; Drag Racers; Drop Tops; Exoticars; Experimotors; Factory Fresh; Ferrari; Formula 1; Hot Wheels Let’s Race; HW All Drivers Welcome; HW Dirt; HW Dream Garage; HW Euro; HW EV; HW Fan Driven; HW Heavyweights; HW J-Imports; HW Mods; HW Starting Grid; HW Torque; Layin’ Low; Mattel; Nightspeed; Rod Squad; Screen Time; Sweet Rides; Team Wheels; Then and Now; Tooned; Trophy Case; Truckin’ Along; Wagons; X-Raycers Treasure Hunt, Super Treasure Hunt, and ZAMAC are Class values on Mainline cars — not separate Categories. Treasure Hunt and Super Treasure Hunt are never used as Class on Premium, Mid-Tier, or Ultra-Premium Collector Radar rows.