Petrolblog Revisited: Man buys Hot Wheels toy but fails to post photo on social media
This story first appeared on Petrolblog in 2023, when it seemed almost unthinkable that somebody could buy a Hot Wheels car without immediately posting about it online. Two years later, it still feels like a dereliction of duty – if anything, it’s even worse in 2025, now that we’ve got reels, shorts and TikTok unboxings to contend with.
Motoring social media was left reeling when it emerged that a man had bought a Hot Wheels toy in a supermarket… and then failed to post a photo of it online.
The man – known only as Jeff (not his real name, obviously) – is understood to have purchased the die-cast model from an Asda somewhere near Swindon. Eyewitnesses report that he put it in a bag, walked out of the shop, and then drove home without once uploading evidence of his purchase to Instagram or TikTok.
Commentators at the time described it as “the most serious breach of toy-buying etiquette since Dave forgot to hashtag #HotWheelsHunt on Twitter in 2019”.
Unconfirmed reports suggested the toy in question was a Ford Escort RS2000, although some claimed it was a Volkswagen Beetle. In any case, it was still 1:64 scale, still came on a blister card, and still made a satisfying rattly sound in the bag for the drive home.
Consumer behaviour experts speculated about the long-term impact of this oversight. “If you’ve got the toy, you’d better have the post,” said Alan, a man on a forum, reminding us of the sacred code of Hot Wheels social rituals. “Otherwise, how will anyone know you bought it? Or that you own a phone?”
The situation escalated further when it emerged that Jeff had also failed to create a TikTok unboxing video. Sources close to the matter confirmed there were no dramatic slow-mo shots of the blister card being opened, nor a reel showing the model rolling down a kitchen worktop past a packet of Hobnobs.
Industry insiders feared this could set a dangerous precedent for the next generation of collectors. If buying Hot Wheels without posting about it becomes normalised, what’s next? Lego sets built in secret? Matchbox cars played with by children?
At the time of writing, the Hot Wheels toy remains in Jeff’s house, and still hasn’t made it onto social media. Petrolblog will, of course, update this story the moment it appears in a blurry photo next to a Costa cup in the footwell of a Corsa.
