The chase is better than the catch.
For Hot Wheels collectors, finding the best cars can be just as exciting as racing them.
Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just starting out, knowing the best place to buy Hot Wheels in the UK is key.
Join us as we explore the top spots and hidden gems around the UK.
Follow these tips and increase the number of super treasure hunts and chase cars you find!
Most Popular Hot Wheels Retailers in the UK
Many different stores in the UK sell Hot Wheels cars, from dedicated toy shops to online marketplaces and specialist collectors’ stores. Each type of store offers unique benefits.
Brick & Mortar Stores
Some of the best places to find new Hot Wheels in the UK are brick-and-mortar stores.
Dedicated Toy Stores
- Smyths
- Hamleys
- Toys ‘R’ Us
- The Entertainer
- Independent/Local Toy Stores
Smyths and The Entertainer are probably your best bets. They stock the most recent releases and regularly rotate stock.
Because the stock moves quick, and regularly rotates, in theory you’ll have more chances of bagging a super or chase car. You’ll have to know restock days though for the best chance.
At the time of writing this, Smyths is the cheapest for mainlines.
The Entertainer is also now working with Tesco, so your local Tesco should also have more Hot Wheels in stock.
Supermarkets
- Aldi
- Asda
- Tesco (Now in collaboration with The Entertainer)
- Morrisons
- Sainsburys
- Heron Foods
Pretty much any supermarket with a toy aisle will stock Hot Wheels Mainlines. Some have dump boxes in the toy aisle, others will have clip strips around the store (some both).
Asda is the most reasonable priced. Tesco & Entertainer offer a deal where if you buy 2 cars, it works out at £1.80 each or something close.
Morrisons and Sainsburys are more expensive at £2.20+. However, you may be more likely to find rare castings and treasure hunts as most scalpers avoid these places.
Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys all stock premiums too. However, they can be few and far between.
Aldi also offer very reasonably priced mainlines, however, they place them at the till. Which means you normally have to awkwardly stand and look through them while others are trying to pay for their shopping.
Bargain Shops
- Poundland
- B&M Bargains
- Home Bargains
- Poundstretchers
All of the shops above are great. B&M bargains probably offers the most selection out of the lot.
B&M offer a great selection of mainlines, however, they’re often a year behind. They also tend to get in sets such as the Fast & Furious ones. The most recent ones I’ve seen is the HW Decades Of Fast & Dominic Torretto sets.
Home bargains & Poundland can be hit or miss, depending on the shop.
I haven’t been to poundstretchers myself, but, I believe they stock older mainlines and random premiums. They’re not the best price either, from what I’ve seen.
Online Marketplaces
- Ebay
- Vinted
- Whatnot
- Facebook Marketplace
- Gumtree
Ebay, often referred to by collectors as Evilbay, is the biggest marketplace. You’ll find almost anything you want on there. The prices tend to be higher due to the number of fees on the sellers behalf.
I like Vinted, there’s a lot of Hot Wheels on the app and has a very big fanbase buying and selling on the app.
Facebook marketplace and Gumtree are better for bigger collections and joblots.
Facebook groups are good too, but, they do come with risks of being scammed and requires a lot of trust.
Specialist Collector Stores & Online Stores
The diecast car community is huge. There are many online stores and even physical stores that stock all brands of diecast cars.
As a business our goal is to become the best place to buy hot wheels in the UK and worldwide. Modelmatic, HW Models, and many many more. A simple google will offer a number of options.
HW Models does also offer a physical store in both Leeds & Swindon which are super cool to visit if you’re in the area.
