NCHWA.com Redline Condition Calculator
Grading Redlines to ascertain value is nothing new. But, is there a single, set standard? Yes, and no. There ARE standards, but it's fairly apparent that not all collectors agree on the true grading of a car, and each uses his/her own criteria. Many hardcore collectors won't even add a car to their collection unless it's Near-Mint or Mint. But, what we do have is a fairly "set" calculator of values, based on the flaws on the car. This calculator is something I featured on NCHWA.com WAY back in the day, and it seems to be fairly accurate.

Have some fun, and play around with it. I'd disregard the Model/Value features of the calculator, though. It's fairly out of date, as far as those go. But, you can plug in present-day MINT values and get a current value, along with a fairly accurate C-Rating for your cars. Be honest in your assessment when you're inputting the characteristics of your cars...that'll give you a reasonable idea of it's true condition. And, as always, don't be afraid to ask sellers questions on eBay or other online auction sites. Good Redlines are a fairly pricey acquisition, and you SHOULD be particular about what you're buying! (Calculator code developed by M. Harrison, 1996. All rights reserved.) A big "thanks" to Martin for allowing NCHWA.com to feature the calculator here!

Hot Wheels Condition Calculator

Use the drop-down arrows to select the best condition in each category of your car, and the new value will be displayed.

Chips
Scratches
Paint
Chassis
Wheel Chrome
Tampos / Stickers
Plastic Parts
Model (Optional)
Mint Value (Optional) Example: 50 = $50.00



Rating
Description
Adjusted Value (Estimated Value)

Chips - Used to impact the number of paint chips present on the car. Chips can be caused by a car banging around in the case, or by a bad paint job (in the form of flaking or pinpoint chipping).

Scratches - Identifies the amount of scratches present on the paint finish.

Paint - Separate from chips or scratches used to identify paint problems such as darkening (toning), hazing or dullness. Toning is caused by lesser quality metals used in the casting. This was common on Hong Kong models.

Chassis - Identifies problems such as darkened or cracked metal on the base. Also measures the amount of original shine still present. New cars, with a metal base normally carry a shine similar to a newly minted coin.

Wheels - This category captures the amount of silver chrome still present on the tires. Look at all four tires and estimate the amount of silver still present.

Tampo / Stickers - Tampos are the pad printed paint designs, which were used on post 1973 models. These are sometimes worn or smeared as are the printing on the stickers.

Plastic Parts - Used to identify any potential problems with the plastic glass or any other ad-on parts such as plastic spoilers, wings, boats, surfboards, etc.

Model (optional) - This determines the rate of depreciation based on the Model.

C10 C9 C8 C7 C6 C5 C4 C3 C2 C1
Common 100% 85% 75% 55% 40% 20% 10% 5% -- --
Desirable 100% 90% 80% 65% 50% 30% 20% 15% 10% 5%
Rare 100% 95% 85% 70% 50% 30% 20% 15% 10% 5%


Mint Value (optional) - If you know the book value of a mint example of this car, enter that amount here. The calculator will generate the approximate adjusted value based on the condition.

Rating - The Condition Calculator uses the standard C1-C10 scale to assign a rating. (C1 worst... C10 best). This product does not get into the C9.5, C9.8, or C9++ delineation, as that is basically believed to corrupt the grading scale.

Description - A common rating description is also assigned to the car. Some collectors prefer the description over the "C" rating.

Adjusted Value - When a Mint Value is entered, this amount reflects the approximate value based on the reported condition. This is by no means is intended to be absolute. The true value depends on the specific, model, color and current market conditions in addition to the condition.

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