20 August 2009: It's great to be here! ---Hi, everyone! My name is Kayla, and I'm really flattered to be bringing y'all a monthly column here at the NCHWA! Neal asked if I'd do it, and I really liked the idea of bringing you some aspects of the hobby from maybe a different perspective-a female perspective, from the Great State of Texas! Don't panic-I promise not to make this column all "girly", with pastels and whatnot all over the place! I actually love this hobby, since my husband and son are all about their Hot Wheels! We have the best time going from store to store, looking at the new stuff (well, not lately!) when it comes out. I love seeing the gleam in my son's eyes as he picks through the pegs! I mean, isn't that what it's all about in the end? Sure, we have our fun as adults, but I truly believe the biggest rewards are gained from sharing the hobby with our children. After all, these little cars were designed specifically with them in mind. We adults just came in on the tail end! But, honestly-there's no reason we can't find a happy medium and just enjoy Hot Wheels for what they are.

My first column will deal with how my family and I began our Hot Wheels journey. When our first child was born (Michael...Mikey, for short), we talked about ensuring that we stayed "in the loop" on his interests as he grew. Well, the years flew by-he's now 7, and he loves these cars! My husband started buying them for him, and before long, became hooked himself. I think it all goes back to childhood-you know, you played with them as a kid, and it's only natural to want to recapture that magic. Yes, even girls played with them from time to time. I was pretty much a tomboy, growing up with 3 brothers. So, if I wanted to play with them, I was pretty much subjected to their rules-and THEIR toys! More often than not, they were Hot Wheels! So, I myself have an affinity for the diecast hobby. So, I guess you could call us a "Hot Wheels Family." Whenever I'm out at stores like Target or Wal-Mart, I always venture through the diecast aisle. I love to pick up cars that I know Mikey will like. I've had some really good luck, lately-I've been able to find a lot of the newer cars. My husband, on the other hand? He's all about the Treasure Hunts. Personally, I don't care for them, as I've seen grown adults darn near come to blows over them. When I see a situation like that developing, I just back off and come back later! I think the Treasure Hunts are a nice shot in the arm for the hobby, but I don't like seeing how they transform collectors. Personally, I've found only a few! On a related note, I'll close out this column with a Treasure Hunt story. I was with Mikey in a Target and we were going through the pegs. An adult collector pretty much bulled his way next to us, and was going through them with us. Now, Mikey understands the Treasure Hunt concept very, very well-he knows what to look for! And guess what? He found one! He excitedly pulled a super Fury from a peg, and was jumping up and down. The adult collector started mumbling under his breath, and I know I heard some unsavory choice words. Well, that made me mad! So, you know what we did? I looked at Mikey and told him "Hey, buddy-why don't you open that car right now?" Mikey looked at me and said "Really? Can I? In the store?" I nodded and told him to go for it, and that we'd just pay for it at the register. So, Mikey absolutely RIPS open his Treasure Hunt, right in front of the adult collector! Talk about some mumbling and grumbling! The collector checked the last of the pegs and stormed off. Priceless! Wow, I hope y'all don't think I'm a vindictive mom, or anything! I just got sooo mad at that person. I wanted to teach him a lesson, and I think we got our point across! Ok, thanks so much for reading my article! I promise to get more "diecast" next month. I'm not sure what I'll write about yet, but I'll come up with something! Have a GREAT time at the pegs, everyone...and keep it FUN! ****KAYLA****