Entries from April 2008

April 29, 2008

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: The Short Card “Lane Mates” & Checklist

It’s never dull collecting the Disney Pixar CARS. There is always something going on - and of course, when there’s nothing going on - there’s still something going on.
And apparently instead of designing CARS RV’s or the Cozy Cone Motel playset, the project group that made sure there was a Buzz & Woody in every [...]

April 28, 2008

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: Mini Adventures - Packaging Variant or Just Confusion

You can debate whether Mattel simply doesn’t know what they’re doing or they are purposefully trying to sell you an extra card …
On the back of the RADIATOR SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT card for Ramone & Flo, it lists them as themed “Race Rods.”

Other Cards that show them correctly.

The ACTUAL cars match the photo, that little [...]

April 27, 2008

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: The Contact Numbers & Websites

© Copyright Disney/Pixar
Collecting CARS is nirvana and we’re all a giddy as schoolboys and schoolgirls - life could not be finer, full of rainbows, 32-oz steaks and free parking … well, at least for the first 3 days … after that, we tend to get a little grouchier.
So, if collecting CARS or buying CARS [...]

April 27, 2008

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: The UK/Scotland Report

From reader, jackdaddy2008 who has thoughtfully agreed to give us a report on CARS availability in the UK, specifically - Edinburgh, Scotland … If anyone else wants to report in from anywhere else on Earth, send it via email - make sure to include a couple photos …
SUBTITLED: So Who Really has all the Disney [...]

April 27, 2008

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: New York Comic Con Panorama

Thanks to reader “HisWill” who got a chance to go to NY Comic Con last weekend - he also got us a great panorama shot of CARS and of course, what’s coming by examining it closely.

The full sized panorama shot is up at our FLICKR page.
While there is nothing new that we haven’t seen in [...]

April 25, 2008

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: Lightning Storm McQueen Exclusive at San Diego Comic Con

Mattel displayed a Lightning Storm McQueen at the recent NY Comic Con - as the big exclusive CAR available at the SD Comic Con in July, 2008.

(more photos at Figures.com).
ToyNewsInternational has a great closeup/PR Photo that solves some of the mystery of what may be exclusive about it.
At larger Comic Cons (aka: Convention), toy companies [...]

April 22, 2008

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: Mini Adventures Banshee

The Mini Adventures Screamin’ Banshee is coming in early May.
Here’s what the final box looks like (though Mattel may not have color corrected this file as the drawings show banshee as yellow but from the box art, he probably is yellow?)

The following are photos from Toy Fair (February 2008). It looks like they re-configured it [...]

April 22, 2008

Mattel Loses $47 MM: First Quarter 2008

Until major competitor, Hasbro - whose sales were up 14% in Q1, 2008 - Mattel posted a loss of $46.6 million … before you go blaming it on shortage of CARS, the problem is the Fisher Price division … sales in that division were down 13% percent
“Fisher-Price, Mattel’s education and preschool toy company, accounted for [...]

April 20, 2008

Disney Pixar CARS: Beware the Sarge eBay Auctions

Since Sarge disappeared from the store shelves last summer, most eBay sellers have been content to sell the Desert Art 12 & 16-CARS back ones at a nice markup ($15-$25 dollars).

However, with the recent Mini & other releases, some less than ethical people are trying to take advantage of the situation by pawning off other [...]

April 18, 2008

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: Motor Speedway of the South Sneak Peek

Yes, we are are edging closer to an actual release date for the Motor Speedway of the South set with REAL evidence of the set. The “Sneak Peek” photos are up at the Hot Wheels Collectors Club (in the Red Line Club Sneak Peek section). Only PC users can see the photos so they are [...]