STEVE DAVIS BEHIND THE SHADES: Collecting Memories

March 26, 2025
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Barrett-Jackson President Steve Davis

I’m one of those guys that has a special place in my heart for collectibles. I save anything that has even a remote chance of creating a memory for me. If you came into my office and looked at the items on display, you’d learn that nothing is showcased there randomly. Everything has a story attached to it. That’s just the way I am.

I had the chance to reflect on my collecting hobby recently at our Scottsdale Auction this past January. One of our collector car symposiums featured Bryan Benedict, Lead Hot Wheels Principal Designer. Hot Wheels have always been among my favorite collectibles, so I grabbed a few examples from my office and joined Bryan to talk about my love for these iconic toys.

When it comes to Hot Wheels, I was there at the beginning. When the original “Sweet Sixteen” Hot Wheels were released in 1968, I wasn’t old enough to drive yet, but I was on the cusp of getting my permit and had been building model cars for years. When Hot Wheels came out, that was the go-to fun thing for me and my much-younger brother to share.

I think the key to that experience was this bond created by living in that make-believe world of these cool little cars – they represented the kind of cars you would hopefully own in real life someday. You could relate to them on that level. They had custom features and cool Spectraflame colors. They also were fast as hell on that orange track, which my brother and I had stretching from one end of the house to the other.

As time went on, my attraction to Hot Wheels cars was something that never went away. From 1968 until today, it’s been an unbroken staple in my life. The cars have evolved, but the spirit that drove them really became a part of my DNA. As the collector bug in me grew, it was only a natural evolution for me to become a major Hot Wheels collector. Anytime I saw something that was really unique in the Hot Wheels world, I had to have it.

I have an extensive collection that ranges from the original Redline series in blister packs all the way to more contemporary examples that I like. Over the years, as people learned I collected Hot Wheels, leads would come my way. One of the most unique things in my collection came from a Shell gas station guy. Back in the day, Shell had promotional Hot Wheels items to give to customers. He had an unopened case of these Hot Wheels from that promotion that I acquired. From a toy store that had gone out of business I found an original Collector’s Indy Team set in the original presentation box. It looks like it came off the assembly line yesterday.

My job at Barrett-Jackson is sometimes like playing with Hot Wheels in the real world. I was always a huge fan of the 1960s and ’70s era of drag racing, and Mattel was a pioneer when they signed a Hot Wheels sponsorship deal with Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen, creating an epic rivalry. I have several Snake and Mongoose Hot Wheels drag cars and other memorabilia in my collection. From Hot Wheels to real deals, this all led to one day finding myself standing with Prudhomme and McEwen at their “Snake & Mongoose” movie premiere at Hot August Nights – and later selling the Funny Cars and restored car haulers on the auction block at Scottsdale. It was one of my most exciting Barrett-Jackson moments I ever put together, and my path toward it all started with these little cars I bought as a kid.

Now I’ve come full circle. When my grandkids came along, every opportunity we had, we were at the store buying Hot Wheels. They of course would want to have a “car show,” which was code for getting all the Hot Wheels out and arranging them on the floor. As they got a little older, they said, “Gee, grandpa, this is a lot like Barrett-Jackson!” And I got to thinking, “Dang, you’re right!” I go through the applications, evaluate the cars and collections, and determine the order they will roll across the block.

You can sometimes be passionate about something, even if it’s just a toy, but as fate would have it and as your life unfolds, that little toy turns out to be the catalyst for a career. These little islands of enjoyment that don’t seem to be anything but child’s play at the time turn out to be some of the most significant, important memories that you’ll end up with in your life. These little cars embody that – and the culture they represent is what has manifested itself on the auction block at Barrett-Jackson.

Me? I’ve been living a childhood dream in real life – and it all started with those little Hot Wheels toy cars, culminating with the ultimate Hot Wheels collection – a Barrett-Jackson auction.

– Steve Davis

Steve Davis’ dark glasses protect his eyes from A light sensitivity condition – but that doesn’t hinder his vision of the collector car market.