History

Hi curious! My name is Jon Bertolino. Founder of Toizrit Inc.

I have been collecting and dealing in old Redline Hot Wheels since 1988. If you are interested in selling your original REDLINE Hot Wheels you had as a child, you came to the right web site! If you didn’t know Hot Wheels were valuable, then email me some information about your Hot Wheels and you will soon find out that your old toy cars are quite valuable to me. If you would like to sell your Hot Wheels, you can go directly to my Sell Your Old Hot Wheels Page.

Now for a bit of information of how I got started and how my hobby turned into a collectibles business.

I was inspired to collect Hot Wheels in 1988, after speaking with a co-worker at a summer job in Northern Wisconsin. We both were talking one slow evening about old hobbies we had as kids. Stamps, beer can’s etc… Then I mentioned Hot Wheels. My co-worker said that he still collected them to my surprise! Well, I had always loved the toys, but when I went home to dig them up out of the basement, to my horror, my mother gave them away. I was able to locate about 18 of them however.

Shane, my co-worker and I, would spend every weekend hitting the local garage sales and flea-markets. We were able to find some nice cars just about every weekend for about two years. While in college, I would advertise in the local newspapers. I would end up buying collections with my rent and tuition money. Realizing that I needed to eat and go to school, I started to sell the extras that I had already acquired. After doing this for a while, I was able to pay for what I bought with my profits.

I did this until 1997 when I fully incorporated into Toizrit, Inc. Toizrit, Inc. has allowed me to be able to better optimize my buying capabilities, which has led to even more growth in this collectible field. I was listed on Mattel’s 1999 Interactive Collector’s CD Rom, as a person that contributed cars for this production effort. Many of the rare alternates pictured in this CD were contributed by me.

In 1998 Mattel’s public relations firm selected me to be a collector spokesperson. I was flown out to Los Angeles, CA. where I then did about 10 live televised TV interviews with Gary Swisher, Director Of Design, for Mattel Hot Wheels. My role was to validate the collectability of Hot Wheels.

This trip allowed me to tour the Mattel design center. A feat not easily accomplished by many outsiders. It is a like Fort Knox in there!. I also met many of the current designers at that time. In addition to all this, Toizrit, Inc. was also listed on Mattel’s Stock Report in 1998 with a similar press release stating my company’s functions with regards to Hot Wheels. Click on Press Releases to read more on Toizrit Inc.

I have customers all over the world. I continually add new items to my collection.

If you do not have the same love for Hot Wheels as I do, please consider selling them to me. I have lots of people that would love to gain their memories back through your toys.

Remember, you would not have liked playing with your dad’s old cast iron toys, when all your friend’s had Hot Wheels! Think how your children would feel playing with dad’s old Hot Wheels when all the kids have the latest electronic games and gadgets! Just something to think about.

Thanks for The Read,

Jon Bertolino
Toizrit Inc.