Hubcaps Unlimited - As Always Low Prices and FREE SHIPPING

As always we offer low prices but what some people do not notice is that we offer free shipping anywhere in the Lower 48 states. And our FREE means it cost you nothing. Unlike others we do not have a handling fee, packaging, processing, or even a residential surcharge.

Duallie Truck Simulators






We stock a full selection of Duallie Truck Simulators. Often looking like the expensive Alcoa wheels and such these things are awesome and built to last virtually forever. Top of the line Stainless Steel allow them to shine and remain durable even through the harshest of weather.




Available In 16"-24.5" in both Import and Domestics.




Available for Chevy, Dodge, GMC, Ford and many others makes and models.






Certain Models have been very popular


Here is a very popular cover lately.



New Inventory Rolling In Daily


With a constant wave of new inventory coming in daily we are proud to offer covers off the 08 and soon to be 09 Models. We have just received som new covers such as the:

07-08 Sebring Wheelcovers


These are available for $40 in Like New Condition. Dealer is over twice this price.

Hubcaps Unlimited keeps on rolling

Hubcaps Unlimited keeps on rolling
Dyneks grow firm through large contracts, Web, customer service
The Business Journal of Milwaukee - by Kathy Bergstrom Special to The Business Journal

Scott Paulus
Rick Dynek Sr. (right, with son Rick Dynek Jr.) . . . “If you sell junk, it comes back to haunt you.”View Larger
Twenty-five years ago, Rick Dynek found his product at junk yards and his customers at flea markets and car shows.
Dynek is still buying other people's cast-off hubcaps, but they come in large lots from across the country. And more of his customers are finding him online.
Dynek, 53, started Hubcaps Unlimited in 1982, selling used hubcaps after he got laid off from Indiana-based Bostrom Seating Corp.
He worked out of his garage for the first several years and opened the retail store at 4262 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee, in 1987.
Dynek's customer base has expanded to car lots, body shops and insurance companies in addition to individual customers.
Hubcaps Unlimited sells and installs new and used hubcaps, wheels and wheel covers. Dynek started selling wheels, which are like hubcaps but permanently mounted on the tire, about six years ago. Wheels now surpass hubcaps in sales.
The family business sells to customers in all 50 states and has dealt with large clients like Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the U.S. government. Individuals represent about 60 percent of business.
Rick handles the buying and sales, and his wife, Cynthia, is the bookkeeper.
Their son, Rick Jr., 30, joined the business in 1994. He was interested in technology and convinced his father to start the Web site (www.hubcapnation.com) in 1998.
"The way I looked and shopped was on the Internet," Rick Dynek Jr. said. "Everybody shops the Internet."
Accepts plastic
The first Web site was just one page, and Hubcaps Unlimited still would not accept credit cards. Rick Sr. was leery of taking on the expense of accepting plastic, so online customers had to send money orders.
Finally, after about a year, Rick Dynek Sr. acquiesced and started taking credit cards. Today the Web site is about 400 pages and generates more than half of the company's $400,000 in annual sales.
The Web site takes guesswork out of ordering, because the products are pictured on the site. Before Hubcaps Unlimited went online, customers called looking for a hubcap not realizing that each car had several options from style to number of bolts.
It was easy to get it wrong, but those mistakes are avoided with the online pictures.
Rick Dynek Jr. agreed that the number of Web sites has grown, but said that many are multipurpose sites whose operators know little about hubcaps.
"We're just a niche business. If you have questions on what we do, we'll be able to answer it every time," he said.
High-tech vs. low-tech
While selling hubcaps has gone high-tech, the method of locating product remains pretty low-tech and still depends on Rick Dynek Sr.'s intuition and knowledge of trends.
He travels around the country in a 16-foot box truck, visiting auto shows and hubcap and wheel stores. He logged 25,000 miles last year.
The stores stockpile hubcaps and wheels that they've replaced for their customers and sell them to Dynek. He has regular vendors, but also flips open the phone book and looks for additional sources.
"It's always a surprise package," he said.
Hubcaps cost an average of $20 to $40, and wheels start at $40 and go up to $100 to $200 each.
Hubcaps Unlimited has about 25,000 hubcaps and wheels in stock. They're shelved alphabetically by car make behind a large counter in the 1,300-square-foot store on Howell Avenue. Dynek also has another off-site storage facility.
It's partly guesswork to determine what kind of hubcaps and wheels the business will need. The Dyneks look at what cars are selling and what styles people are buying, whether it's chrome or steel.
They even consider what hubcaps bolt on and which don't.
"I don't think there's any rhyme or reason," Rick Dynek Sr. said.
He often buys the hubcaps and wheels in large lots, which can include items that he knows might not sell.
"Some of the hubcaps have had 15 birthdays already," he said.
Having the Web site means less walk-in traffic for the retail store, but the Dyneks say they have no plans to close it. They think diversity of business is one key to their success.
The Dyneks' competition is national, but they say there's room for everyone.
Relies on good service
Their simple philosophy for capturing their share of business is good service, which means taking care of customers as quickly as possible, being courteous and providing a good product.
"If you sell junk, it comes back to haunt you," Rick Dynek Sr. said. "All of our business in 25 years is all word of mouth."
Dynek has run the business conservatively, never taking out a loan.
After 25 years in the business, he plans to retire sometime in the next year and hand the business over to his son. They have not decided how the deal will be structured.
David Starich, detail manager for S&S Auto Repair & Detailing in Franklin, said Hubcaps Unlimited is always willing to hunt down something for the business if it doesn't have the product.
S&S prepares cars for display on car lots and auctions, and calls on Hubcaps Unlimited to replace missing or damaged hubcaps and wheels.
"They've always been top notch in my book" Starich said.
Prices are fair, and the Dyneks are friendly and treat customers well, he said.
"They've always been able to meet our needs 100 percent," he said. "They have a huge line. They have tons of different styles."
HUBCAPS UNLIMITED
Owner: Rick Dynek Sr.Year founded: 1982Location: 4262 S. Howell Ave., MilwaukeeWeb site: www.hubcapnation.comAnnual revenue: About $400,000Business plan: Sell and install new and used hubcaps, wheel and wheel coverings to individuals, automobile lots, insurance companies and other clients. Products are sold in the company's retail store, online and through regional business accounts.Plan for growth: Increase sales though the Internet and expand to national accounts
LESSONS LEARNED
What is the biggest risk you've taken so far? "Opening a retail store with a niche item and establishing a strong customer base."What is your greatest business challenge? "Balancing inventory to the constant market trends. It's constantly changing."What is your goal yet to be achieved? "To expand our local customer base to a national level, by the Internet."What is the most important lesson you've learned? "Quality products and customer service will build word-of-mouth advertising and will ensure the growth of your future business. We take each customer individually, so I always look at it as my one customer is my only customer. Whether he's buying a $2 item or a $100 item, I treat him with respect."What was your smartest move? "The decision to develop the Web site."
Answers by Rick Dynek Sr.
Kathy Bergstrom is a Milwaukee-area freelance writer.

We gotcha Covered at Hubcaps Unlimited

Rick Dynek was down to his last unemployment check in 1980 after he was laid off from Bostrom Seating, Inc., when he had an idea. That idea was to start collecting automotive hubcaps. “Actually the idea came from my father” said Don Dynek’s son, who on March 15 expanded his business to open “Hubcaps Unlimited” at 4262 so Howell Ave.
“They called us Sanford & Son,” said the younger Dynek after his father had acquired a number of hubcaps at flea markets. ” I started by getting hubcaps out of the back of his truck.” “I invested $125 to start,” he continued. “I bought covers from a salvage yard and at flea markets after noticing a demand for them” Dynek operated the business for seven years out of his garage at home. “I worked with dealers,” and provided insurance replacements, Dynek said. “There is a lot of nostalgia about caps,” he added.
Today Dynek stocks singles and sets from “the 1940’s to 1988.” Yes, at least one ‘88 model — for a Lincoln — is available. Dynek stocks about 10,000 wheel covers the new and replacement covers are made from materials including ABS Plastic, Chrome, and Steel. The top of the line models are made from Stainless Steel. Dynek’s caps are priced from $5 to about $300 for a set of wire covers for an Eldorado.
Dynek, who has cleaned hubcaps with a toothbrush, advises auto owners to purchase a special cleaner to brighten caps. Some of Hubcaps Unlimited products are made by the original manufacturer. Some have come from as far away as Taiwan. Dynek also offers trim rings or center caps for newer cars, RV covers, and Stainless Steel Rocker Panels, which can be affixed to a car by simply stripping the adhesive on the back.
Dynek, who said he is one of the state’s largest wheel cover outlets; provides covers for all cars and trucks. The shop, which is run by his wife Cynthia, is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Hubcaps Are Unlimited at 4262 S. Howell Ave

They come in many sizes, colors and materials. Some are fancy and some are plain. Some are new and some are used. You can buy just one or buy a set of four. It’s Hubcaps Unlimited, as Rick Dynek has aptly named his business at 4262 S. Howell Ave.
Dynek says his business of specializing in just hubcaps is doing very well. He stocks about 20,000 hubcaps, making him one of the state’s largest wheel cover outlets.
He can outfit any car or truck with sizes ranging from a small center cover to one that is 24.5 inches in diameter. The new fad is color or graphics although wire wheel covers are still the most popular, Dynek said. Prices at Hubcaps Unlimited range from $5 to $100 for a single cover. Sets can be purchased for as low as $20 and as high as $300. Plastic is now used to make hubaps as well as the usual steel, chrome, and stainless steel. The plastic comes in different grades and some of these covers have some distinct advantages, according to Dynek. “Some of these covers are made of a very durable plastic which has nylon spun right into the material for strength. These cover are much lighter and this affects speed, ” he said.
The business has been at the present location for the last two years although Dynek has been selling hubcaps for eight years. He began the business with stock bought from flea markets and salvage yards. He then worked out of his garage. He now buys stock direct from the manufacturers and imports covers from Europe and Taiwan. He still buys used hubcaps but only resells them when they are cleaned and repaired.
“Rick works long hours fixing up the used caps. He pounds out the dents and replaces broken clips and puts in a lot of time getting them cleaned up,” said Joe Tice, a full time employee. Tice says his job requires him to visit about 70 used car lots every week. He provides the dealers with replacement covers for the cars on their lots.
“We set up the used car lots but we also get people with brand new cars coming in to get something nicer. They may feel the original hubap is too plain,” Dynek said.
Dynek’s wife, Cynthia, also works in the business. “She does all the bookkeeping. She knows just as much as Rick does about the business as far as what fits what and what we have in stock,” Tice said.
Dynek says he goes to all the car shows and swap meets. “There is a lot of nostalgia about hubcaps. People will spend hours talking about something like this,” he said showing off a 1955 Oldsmobile hubcap. “This was a really hot item then,” he said. We ship UPS all over the city and even all over the country. We have had orders from California which were the result of referrals from former customers,” Dynek revealed.
One member of the firm, Frosty, the beagle mix dog, is happy for the daily UPS shipments. It seems the UPS driver is thoughtful enough to carry dog treats on his route. But Frosty will give you a friendly greeting even if you reward him with nothing more than a pat on the head.
Hubcaps Unlimited is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hubcaps Galore

Long before the ugly crime of carjacking made the scene, juveniles indulged in the much more innocent pursuit of stealing hubcaps. Back then, if a kid lifted a cap or two off your car, you’d simply head out to the local junkyard and pick out a pair of replacements after sifting through a large array of stock. But today, at Hubcaps Unlimited, 4262 S. Howell Ave., you can simply walk in and pick out what you want from a neatly arranged display of hubcaps and wheelcovers. There are imports, domestic, new, used; whatever the ride requires, the store is likely to have it. One wall sports the latest in designs, while on the opposite wall there’s a variety of spiffed up, reconditioned stock waiting for a car to adopt it. Store owner Rick Dynek got started in the wheelcover biz 11 years ago. He’s been at this present location for six years, and before that ran the operation out of his garage. His store, which sells only hubcaps and wheel cover, is run with the help of his wife, Cynthia, and employee Joe Tice. His dog, Frosty, helps watch over things. “It’s a different business today,” Dynek said. “Over 70% of the new caps, and all the imports are made of plastic and nylon, which actually has a longer life than the chrome-steel covers, which eventually rust. “Most of the time a customer comes in looking for a front right cover because they lost it hitting a curb. The might be embarrassed to admit that and instead say someone stole it, but usually that’s not the case.” Here in Wisconsin the winters can be brutal on a car’s wheels. Hubcaps originally were designed to protect the area where lug nuts connect the wheel to the car’s axle, but the newer covers protect the entire wheel surface from dirt and road debris. “In Wisconsin, wheels get eaten up faster because of the road salt and winters,” Dynek said. “If you drive in these parts, your car will definitely go through more hubcaps during its life.” Customers can have their caps installed free of charge. And Dynes says its prices are as much as 40% less than a dealer would charge. “Senior citizens like the fact that they can pick out a wheel cover and have it installed right here on the spot with no added charge,” Dynek says. “Otherwise, they may go to a dealer, pay for a set of new covers and then realize that there’s an added charge for installation.” The store specializes in covers made from 1978 to the present and in imports, which sometimes are hard to come by. “We have over 20,000 covers in stock, and we ship anywhere in the country,” Dynek said. Dynek said one time a visitor from the Virgin Islands stopped in the shop and bought a set of aftermarket covers. He said no such covers existed back home. A month later, the man called the shop from the islands and said a friend of his had seen the caps and just had to have a set for himself; price was of no concern. Dynek shipped the caller a set via Federal Express. “The shipping charge was more than the actual covers, but he wanted them, so he got them,” Dynek said. The shop also carries covers for trucks and recreational vehicles. These sometimes are hard to find. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. You can give the shop a call at 769-0039.
A lot of people have asked us whether we were actually a business by common standards or simply an entity which is what online companies are considered. Being in business for this many years we consider a business to that which has an actual location, phone number, customer service, products to display and be seen. Todays definition allows some guy that sits in front of his computer in the basement of his parents house and drop ship items and such to be called a business. I think one must earn such a title rather than assume one. We have been a family owned business in the same location for over 20 years. Customers can stop in during store hours and view as well as purchase actual merchandise. We do not expect our customers to purchase items solely based on the description and illustration of a thumb size image. If a customer decides that they are indeed comfortable with this practice of purchase we have built an online storefront as well and is located at http://www.hubcapnation.com We also provide email contact as well as a toll free phone number to help assist them if they have any questions. We are located at 4262 S. Howell Ave. in Milwaukee, WI 53207 and store hours are 9am - 5pm Monday -Friday as well as 9am-1pm on Saturday.
Read about us as we have been once again featured in another business publication.

http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2007/06/25/smallb1.html
Our inventory is one of the largest useful inventories in the country as we know. What is meant by "USEFUL INVENTORY" is that it consists of mostly hard to find items rather than the usual covers everybody in the country has. Unlike others are majority consists of about 1990 and newer and all of our older inventory has either diminished or has been scrapped. We have been in the same building now for almost 20 years. Our website was built to help move our vast inventory and will usually show more purchase options than most out there. A common problem most find with shopping online is that unlike ours most sites simply state "call for availability or price" whereas we try to be sure all items listed are available for sale and that our price online reflects the actual price the customer will pay. Our shipping is Free and unless you live in Wisconsin you also do not pay sales tax.
Hello and thanks for taking the time to read this post. Our business has been around for over 26 years now and has been owned and operated by my family. We specialize in Hubcaps, Wheel Covers, and Wheels. We are located in Milwaukee, WI which allows us to be able to ship just about anywhere in the country in under 5 days.