09/27/2026
So this 1995 Hot Wheels Employees Christmas VW Drag Bus came in a collection we picked up… and when Lyssa Marie first showed it to me, I’m not gonna lie — I thought, “man, that’s an ugly custom.”
Then after doing some digging… turns out this thing was actually made for Mattel employees back in ’95. And of course… I already ripped it off the card before I knew any of that. Probably should’ve slowed down a bit on that one.
I’m still on the fence about the authentication — from what I’ve been told, these used waterslides, and they definitely didn’t have 3D printers to make parts like we do now.
Maybe one day I’ll get lucky and meet Phil Riehlman himself. If you know him, tell him to reach out to me — I’ve got questions and a Drag Bus with a story.
Collectors know… sometimes the weirdest pieces end up being the coolest ones in the box.