Ian Weber's office in Lehi, Utah, is a shrine to his accomplishments. Like other home offices, it's full of photos, awards and memorabilia that mean the world to him.
But here, all the picture frames, trophies and knickknacks connect to one thing: Hot Wheels.
The wall behind his desk is full of cars, still encased in their original shiny plastic and carefully displayed. Over a hundred toys are shown off, but upstairs in a closet, boxes house thousands of other coveted Hot Wheels models, totaling a collection of around 5,000.
"[The] majority of them," Weber said, gazing at the wall, "I can remember when I got it, or if I found it on the peg in the store."
The three-time American Ninja Warrior competitor's collection started growing when he got into customizing the cars nearly two decades ago. The awards that adorn the walls come from customizing Hot Wheels at different conventions around the country, including one in Las Vegas this year, reports The Salt Lake Tribune.
A sprawling collection
As a self-described "movie guy," his collection includes ectos (the cars used in "Ghostbusters"), cars from "Back to the Future" and multiple Batmobiles. There's a Scooby-Doo van and a Marvel Land Rover Defender, fit with Hulk and Rocket in the bed of the truck, just like the scene in "Avengers: Endgame."
Weber's collection and skills caught the attention of Mattel, the toy's manufacturer. He was one of six creators chosen to be a part of Mattel Creations Revealed, where he talked to fans in a live stream on March 6.
When people ask him when he started collecting, Weber, now 37, usually responds with, "'Well, when did you stop collecting? Because I've been collecting my entire life.'"
As one of nine kids, Weber said Hot Wheels were a toy he and his siblings shared and cherished when they were growing up.
"We had one small, little convenience store in the town that I grew up in Washington, and they'd get cars three [or] four times a year," he said. "So if you timed it right, you know, you could get something new and cool."
Between himself and his brothers, Weber estimates his family has amassed a collection of around 50,000 Hot Wheels cars.
The childhood hobby has become a source of connection for the family. Weber has a YouTube channel with nearly 13,000 subscribers and hosts an online customization contest called the Weber Brothers Custom Diecast Competition with his brothers. The siblings often co-host YouTube shows where they talk about all things Hot Wheels.
Bethany Baker // The Salt Lake Tribune
The road to customization
Weber's customization journey started small.
"I bought some Hot Wheels, a Dremel, and started taking some cars apart [and] repainting them," he recalls. "One of the first customs I did, I used [my wife's] fingernail polish as the paint."
Over the years, Weber, who refers to himself as the "artsy" type, has elevated his game. He describes his customizations as "steampunk."
"My genre," he said, "is, like, drill it, cut it, tear it apart, make something out of it."
In 2022, after years of working on customizations at home, Weber first competed at a convention in Los Angeles. There, he won first place in the amateur wild division for a customized car. Later, he went on to graduate to the professional category.
That first year, he won with his favorite car, called "N7WEB"—a steampunk-inspired truck with different-colored metal parts, named after his father's radio call sign.
"Building [and] customizing is therapeutic for me. My dad passed away a couple years ago and when that happened, I just went to the garage, and a month later I came out with that," Weber said, nodding to the custom truck that's kept in a small case. "I was able to work through my feelings and emotions; it was good. My dad liked to tinker with things, too."
Another one of his custom builds, "Rep-Torious," has 273 individual custom metal parts. It won first place at a Hot Wheels convention in 2024 and captured another first place award this year in a different competition.
Weber said one of his favorite parts about being in the customization and collecting world is having the opportunity to meet some of the original designers of Hot Wheels.
He prides himself on collecting as many of those different models, or castings, as possible. Now he brings his children to conventions with him, continuing the Weber family tradition of admiring the toys.
"Hot Wheels, to me, represent community," Weber said. "If you think about it, at some point, everyone has owned Hot Wheels, and there's some memory [with them]."
This story was produced by The Salt Lake Tribune and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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