Several people have reported in that Wal Mart has raised the prices of CARS from $2.97 to $3.47 – substantially more than the trade/wholesale price increase of 8% from Mattel.
Bill notes:
“It’s a good news – bad news day at our area WMs. At 2 of them the Mattel Rep came in yesterday and picked up the singles peg warmers and replaced them with “newer” Cars. The newest release in the swap was Chuki. The bad news, the price increase is finally here at WM. The singles went to $3.47. The Mini’s and Gift Packs went up $1.00. The dept. mgr. said that they had to scan in all of the ones left after the swap. They are still coming up $2.97 at the register. The “newer” ones the Rep left are coming up $3.47. Another area store needs the Rep to pick up about 25 Blimps. She hasn’t hit that store yet.”
I guess WM figured us CARS buyers had more income we were willing to dispose of versus some other shopping choices …
Well, at least it’s better than Rite Aid …
TWO A DAY 
They have always been $6 or so in the uk, I don’t ming paying $8, as long as I can actually get ‘new’ cars.
I can confirm my local Denver Wal-Mart has raised the price to $3.47. ARRGGGHH!!!
YES – I BELIEVE IN A BIG CHAIN LIKE WAL-MART, THEY ARE ALSO FEELING THE PINCHES OF THE EVER SO RISING PRICES IT TAKES TO DELIVER OUR GOODS SO EVERYONE HERE I PROTEST “HONK IT LOUD AND SAY KACHOW”
FYI – In Sydney..average prices from Kmart, Target, Toys R Us..single cars $8, Minis $10, MM $17, Mini Adv $20..large Dinoco Heli $40 and check this out::LMQ large scale is $70..Due to rarity of CARS in Australia, I paid some cars from eBay around double. But Im happy :o)
Is that us or ozzy dollars.
In the UK, retail is £2.70 – £3.29 ($5 – $7 us).
What do yours equate to?
Do you get new releases?
The last ones we got were pit crew fillmore and doc.
I haven’t seen pit crew guido, lightning ramone or chuki yet, and don’t know anyone who has. Old stock simply doesn’t sell, and it Looks like it has stopped?
I have always purchased my Cars items from Target unless they are Walmart exclusive. The Cars are still 2.99 for the single and 7.99 for the double packs and the single car with launcher. We had a few of Chuki in stock when we got the new set in and thankfully I was able to pick one up. I did find a great website though where you can purchase hard to find Cars… you may pay more… but it’s worth the price of not having to drive to look and always wasting the time. Check out http://www.rpmdiecast.com
Some of the cars on this site go for cheaper than the selling price where some of the single Cars do go for up to like 5.99 but there are all in one place and easy to get at =)
Went to two different Walmarts tonight in Colorado Springs CO and found that the first one had single Cars for $2.97 and launchers for $7.97 while the other one had singles for $3.47 and launchers for $8.64 what a difference in price… Did finally find Trunk fresh though, but no Stacy’s…
S$10.90 for singles, S$19.90 for Movie Moments, S$32.90 for 3-packs and S$24.90 for Launchers here in Singapore. (US$7.78, US$14.21, US$23.50, US$17.79 respectively)
Prices went up US$2.14 across the board after the first series of desert back and have stayed there since.
This is why i get my cars from USA. It’s sometimes cheaper even after factoring the shipping costs.
In the Netherlands the singles are 5.99 euro ($9,20), the movie moments are 11.99 ($18,40). Most expensive country in the world?
I only buy my cars in the USA. With the poor dollar it is cheaper to get them in the USA.
Greetz
Robert
You are getting ripped off in the land of clogs man!
Have any countries outside the US OF A had any new releases like pit guido, lightining ramone, chuki and even newer ones like stacey, dinoco pitty etc?
I don’t think even $3.47 is that bad for these Cars, as long as they keep up with the new releases. Weren’t they around this price at Walmart’s, then they did a “roll back” to the $2.97?
In Canada the newest singles are Pit Guido and Tom. We have yet to see Not Chuck, Dudley Spare, Tow, Chuki, etc.
I found Chuki at a Walmart this morning, and paid the new $3.47 price. Went to another Walmart after that and finally saw the blue cube (but it was picked over) and they were still $2.97 at the one.
Today I visited the area WMs that had not yet had the Mattel Rep come by for the “peg warmer swap”. They all were still at $2.97 so the new price must be in conjunction with the Rep visit. One store that I was in the Rep had just left and the newest on the pegs was Chuki with a lot of Dale Jr, Mater, Charlie Checker, Tow, Lightning Ramone, and Dinoco Helicopter. The Dept. Mgr. said the Rep picked up a ton of Yellow & Green Ramones.
(MET: That seems like a fair trade 🙂 )
Janice – It seems more and more likely that Mattel have just given up on the rest of the world outside the states.
As most of you know, this gets my goat as they have probably done this due to poor sales.
Heres the thing though, most retailers I have spoken to who know a thing or two about the cars toys all say that they were selling well, then loads of the same ones came out and stopped selling.
If they had just sent out the cases properly in the first place, they would surely have sold millions more toys cars by now?
From what i hear, America has very slight distribution issues, while the UK has massive ones. Do we get Mattel reps coming round and clearing our shelves to put out nice new cars? Do we f………….
I can imagine Mattel being so out of touch and arrogant that they just go – “oh well, pull out of Europe and concentrate on the US” even though they have well and truly shot and completely
blown off their own feet, in regards to sales.
These sold well, but the end is nigh I think, its been 5 months since a new release!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I hope things really are picking up on Cars distribution, I have yet to see it in San Diego. I am hitting TRU and TGT tomorrow, wish me luck.
The Walmart in Richmond, IN this morning had the single Cars at $3.47 and all the peg warmers were still there. Other than one AlOft WOC, I saw nothing new. 15 3 packs of Lightning McQueen, Lightning Ramone, and Flo are now $10.97, up from $9.97. No Movie Moments.
Janice,
Dudley Spare, Tow and Chuki are available in Canada, or at least they are in Montreal. Picked them up last Friday. I haven’t seen Not Chuck yet.
One more Disney Rep “peg warmer swap” update. The Rep came by the only WM in our area that had not been “swapped’. This is the store with all of the Blimps. She told the Dept. Mgr. that she could not pick up the Blimps but would “make a call”. I counted this morning 74 Blimps. Does this not qualify for “Pegwarmer” status? All that she picked up at this store was Ramones. Oh, and by the way, the price labels were being changed this morning to $3.47.
(MET: That’s weird to have 74 Blimps … prior to the blimp re-release, none here in most of the North West Coast …).
I meant to say Mattel Rep.
The whole thing really is ridiculous.
Why leave stock that no one wants/buys on the shelf and effectively commit retail suicide?
Makes no sense other than they want it to be like this.
Why would they want it to be like this?
The only things I can think of are –
1) They have fallen out with Disney are behaving like naughty children, basically sabotaging the brand as best they can.
2) They really are just completely incompetent.
3) They are delusional and think that by putting out the cars nobody wants or buys, they will suddenly start selling again?
My son and I are disney cars collectors, not Heroin addicts!
Most baffling is that nobody from Mattels “genius marketing/pr team” has come out and addressed these issues.
In addition to my letters, I will also be producing an online petition for Twoaday users to sign and send off. I will provide the address, you can even alter and then send it off if you want.
I will do this and the LSM list tonight, so if anyone wants one let me know, and for those who’s details I have, expect an email! Thanks guys.
In the Netherlands the newest ones are Andretti – Dinoco Helicopter – Cartrip – Cutlass etc etc.
And that for 5.99 euro (9.20 dollars).
We never received any new ones after that, no Tom, Pitty’s, Chuki.
I dont believe there are many collectors left in the Netherlands.
Very dissapointing…….., the only hope lies in our soccer team (we are gonna win the European Championship this month).
Greetz
Robert
I’m more than happy to pay a little more for the cars. I’m with everyone else though if I am going to be paying more i would really like them to put some new cars out. I’m still waiting for van and luke but no luck as of yet. I’ve even enlisted the help of my mother in another state to keep her eyes open.
On a side note is it considered bad form to call the WM or other store ahead of time and say when are you getting the new case. If i could that would save me a lot of trouble considering my husband and i share a car.
(MET: You can try and call but it’s unlikely WM or any store will commit to a time other than telling you it’s out. It doesn’t hurt to ask if you’re in a store, you never know – at the best, they’ll go in the back and open a box for you, conversely, they might just give you the standard line, “what’s out is what we have.”)
I’m in Edinburgh, UK, and I picked up Dudley Spare and Race Official Tom at Tesco’s and Pit Crew Guido at Asda, last weekend. These were the only ones there and I have been in nearly every store that carries Cars this week, hunting for the rest, but no luck. However, the stock that is on the shelves is definitely a refresh as the backs of the cards list some new cars. In addition to the above there is Ghostlight Ramone, Tow, and My Name is Not Chuck.
I also picked up Gold Mia & Tia at Argos thanks to some comments on this site. Thank you all!
WOW!
I am in Edinburgh too Mash!
(MET: EDIT)
I didn’t see those cars you got when I trawled last week, and have never seen them before in Edinburgh. I have them though from buying from the states. You are the first to say that these were on the shelves in Edinburgh, but in fairness, I don’t make Tescos a regular journey. I have friends who work in Sainsburys who have never had them in, and have leterally just returned from Asda and the gym – no cars except supercharged Mash.
The last new ones any Edinburgh retailer got in to my knowledge were Pit crew doc and Fillmore.
Disney store expect me in as do TRU and they haven’t had them either.
I knew about Argos with the 3 packs.
Sainsburys in Gorgie have all the pit row launchers if you are interested Mash.
I might pop into Tescos soon.
However, even if true, this highlights the problem. Tom, Tow, gold mia/tia, Dudley Spare, Ghostlight Ramone and Chuck have been available in the states for how long?
The issue for me is – why can’t Mattel pull their finger out and just send cases with 4 of each car we want and let retailers/us decide if we want to order more of the same, i.e. dinoco mcqueen, mater, ramone.
Robert Netherlands – (MET: EDIT)
You have a good chance though, but I really fancy it being the most open tournament yet, every team is strong this year, especially Italy, France, Portugal and Spain, if I had to put money on one, I would say Portugal.
Met,
Of the 74 Blimps, only 5 were on the WOC card. They were left over from the cube display they took up. None of the other WMs in the area had any Blimps until the cube came. It’s Weird! Guess everyone should have snatched a handful up at $2.97.
I found this on http://carsthetoys.com/ webpage.
UPDATE ON THE Speedway of the South Numbering Lead [-]
As many of you know, the sales article for the Pixar Cars Speedway of the South set indicated that the sets would be individually numbered up to 1000. This was an error in the article, as the sets were never intended to be numbered.
However, to avoid any disappointment with our customers, we will be mailing numbered stickers to all who purchased the set, with instructions on where to apply the sticker.
Stickers will be mailed randomly – the same way they would have been had they already been applied to the sets. This is in accordance with the way all numbered RLC items are shipped. Time of order does not dictate what number a customer receives.
We apologize for the error in the article and thank you for your patience.
– Mark
Have others read this?
georgehp from San Jose, CA
JD we agree! Portugal look good. Not that you care etc. etc. ad infinutum…..
Just to clarify, the UK is not the barren wasteland as some might suggest, I’ve picked up PC Guido, Tom and Dudley spare lately. We get Cars long after the US do (6 months or so behind), thats because err…. we are not in the US! Maybe Mattel are going to extrordinary lengths picking on certain individuals just to make their lives a misery? I know they spend precious resources to do that. I look in a lot of places and hard work just seems to pay off. Weird.
I have a buyer for my complete set once the new ones announced have been released and added.
Its a private deal, and I am not even selling absolutely everything.
Bluray, Ransburg, LSM and a few other things are being kept.
You would be shocked.
I could buy another collection very easily and still drive my kid around in a new real full size car!
JD I’m glad for you. More power to the scalpers eh! 🙂 The more you can make from kids toys the better?
Hang on you have a complete set? Surely not? They messed up your order right?
You’re right, I’m shocked 🙂
How much for you 12 image cardbacks?
They are for my son.
We used to be simultaneous, then a month behind, then two behind, then 3 months behind with Fred, Andretti, Dale etc.
Now its 5 – 6? Oh well, thats ok isn’t it?
When I flew to the states it took me the best part of 6 months, not half a day like is ‘rumored’!
Having just went everywhere re cars in the last week, it must be that the newer cars you mentioned have just arrived in the last couple of days?
I was in Asda a few hours ago buying water after the gym, walked by the toys, and surprise surprise, nothing new, just supercharged cars.
Sainsburys have nothing, if they did, my friends would know and tell me, especially **** who I spoke to yesterday.
The only place I haven’t checked this week properly is Tesco, and its getting checked tomorrow.
The UK is a barren wasteland though. How we can simply ignore the last few months as irrelevant because cars are on the shelves that most, if not all serious collectors already have?
Do people honestly think that Mattel have distributed these things well? The film has been out for how long? I haven’t bought anything new off a shop shelf for 5 months!
One or two posters seem very eager to defend the distribution issues I am so critical about. I am angry for being let down needlessly, the eBay farce and the expense.
(MET:EDIT)
(MET:EDIT)
Thats perfectly acceptable and probably justified (I’m no friend of Mattel) but you spoil my enjoyment of a site that is a collectors resource and I think your missives are misplaced. Go register ihatemattel.com. It’s available and you might find yourself better placed to carry out your personal tirade there? Personally, I’m happy to pay twice the US rate for cars that are 6 months behind the US release schedule.. Maybe I’m foolish but I accept the world view.
Quick with the fighting talk before Met wakes up. 😉
(MET: Yep, I’m back – okay … we know who hates Mattel overseas. I have let you have your say and I’ll leave it up. Anyone who wants to continue this discussion can do it offline).
Did everyone miss my post above? Before JD and Roberto posts’?
georgehp from San Jose, CA
side note top grade gas at $4.87 a gallon!
Just returned from a round-trip drive through Iowa. Many of the Walmarts up through Des Moines did not have the cubes, and were still sitting with the blasphemy box. That’s what I call the wire crate that that they stuff as many cars into as they can. At this point, everything was old, and damaged. Ok if you are an opener. They even had some original desert back cards in there. Wish I had a camera. Would have bought them, but the card backs were horrible. Still at the lower price though.
In Omaha, price is still low, but some of the cubes are being removed for the swimming stuff. No site of van or the other knew ones yet. That’s the word in my neck of the woods.
(MET: Thanks for the update. That’s different – usually the Midwest beats most of the West Coast to the punch).
Hey GeorgeHP, yes, terrific news on the SOS numbering eh? Can hardly wait to see what number I get. Hope it’s a good one.
They have always been Rs 25 /- in the India.
What happens to the ones the Mattel rep swaps out? Do they have an outlet store or a warehouse or what?
(MET: They’ll go to Europe? 🙂 JUST KIDDING … Mattel has three stores, links to directions in this post).
I live in Central Iowa and have only seen the cube at 1 Wal-Mart-trust me I have been to WM alot lately!! The one cube I did see was totally picked over but I did score a Trunk Fresh. On the pegs there were about 5 Dale Jrs and a couple Chuki’s-no Stacy’s. Normally we do get the stuff as soon as I read about it on here or sometimes a bit sooner. They have all the swimming and pool stuff in Action Alley and Cars crammed in the wire crate.
On the Canadian front, I saw some encouraging things today at WM and TRU. No new cars or anything like that, but all the pegwarmers are now on sale for $1.97, until June 13. I HOPE this means they are clearing out old stock to make room for (dare I say it) some NEW boxes…
I collect barbies with my daughter as well Cars with my son. Mattel raised the prices on some of the dolls by $5-$10 on the Barbie Collector website.
I found this post on the website’s bulletin board posted by one of the moderators. I thought you guys might find it interesting….
Posted Fri June 06 2008 02:54 PM
Mattel, Inc. initiated a price increase for Spring 2008 products, effective as of June 1st, 2008. While we apologize that you were not notified sooner of the change, this new pricing is not only for Barbie Collector, but also for all brands we design and manufacture due to rising costs at every level of manufacturing, and implementing even more stringent quality assurance standards which all of our manufacturing facilities must comply with. Please be assured that we were very cognizant of every doll’s new retail price in the design and manufacturing process so that we could ensure the best consumer value.
(MET: They’ll go to Europe? 🙂 JUST KIDDING … Mattel has three stores, links to directions in this post).
Ha ha, but not far from the truth!
We’ve had supercharged forever.
“and implementing even more stringent quality assurance standards which all of our manufacturing facilities must comply with.”
DAMN LEAD PAINT!
BTW, the barbie customers, including myself, feel the dolls that haven’t been released yet should have the price increase, not the dolls that are already in the website’s shop.
Needless to say everyone is really pissed!!!!
Has the price on all the Cars increased, or just for the new ones?
(MET: Some stores seems to have stocked replaced so those are $3.47 now but I”m not sure if the WM that had the Cube at $2.97 raised prices – I have not been back to that store I visited – Anyone else?)
I found this post on BC bulletin too.
Sorry if this news has been posted before.
…..There is an article on-line at CNN Money regarding Mattel raising prices. It’s entitled “Mattel not playing – toy prices will be hiked”.
Here’s a snippet:
The price hikes are necessary in order to offset Mattel’s first-quarter loss, CEO Robert Eckert told analysts during a Monday conference call to discuss the company’s quarterly results.
The company reported a loss of 13 cents a share for the period, falling far short of Wall Street expectations for a profit of a penny a share on a 2% drop in sales. Investors punished Mattel’s stock, pushing it down more than 7.5% on the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading.
Eckert blamed the loss partly on rising costs of raw materials such as resin used to manufacturer plastic toys and a sharp jump in labor costs in China where a majority of Mattel’s products are made. Other contributing factors included Yuan appreciation, which is making it more expensive for Mattel to import toys into the United States, and rising litigation expenses related to the recall of millions of Mattel toys in 2007 for lead paint hazard and design flaws.
Toy retailers that sell Mattel’s toys have the option of either absorbing the prices increases or passing them along to consumers.
The full story can be found on-line….
(MET: I know for CARS, there was an 8% increase across the board for wholesalers. but WM raised prices 17% which is a little surprisingly since WM usually not only tries to absorb some of it but generally tries to not add to the new cost but presumably, they figures CARS buyers were crazy (but only because we’re willing to pay $240 for an Apple CAR 🙂 ) so they figured we could afford it … again, I’m only speculating on WM’s rationale, it was not my decision 😉 … but in reality, it’s probably because TRU sells CARS at $3.49 already and presumably will increase that 10% and Target’s normal price of $3.29 will/should presumably also reflect a price increase of 8-10% so WM can still claim to be the low price leader. Also note, no one knows what the actual price increase was to WM, Target & TRU since they get special discounts …).
My WM just put the new price tags on the pegs with all the same old cars they’ve had for ages. I don’t think we’ll ever get any new ones because if they didn’t sell at $2.97 why would they sell at $3.47? The computer won’t generate an order for new cases till most of these sell? Or are cases sent automatically by Mattel and then stored until the shelves are empty enough to put them out? Oh, the money I’m saving, except for the SOS!!
(MET: All good questions and it all depends – yes, you’re right – some stores are set so they get reduced orders or no orders until it sells down to a certain amount … others like to keep pegs full … stores are also grouped by sales so larger stores tend to get shipments no matter what but managers can make adjustments …).
I would be happy to pay $10 a car if the ones we wanted were on a shelf.
Apple is for sale at http://www.toywiz.com/speedway.html for $250.00 along with several other cars out of the SOS set and people are paying the huge prices for some of them because there is some that are gone.. I guess it just depends on what you want…
Gone up in Canada also, from 3.99 to 4.44 at Wal Mart. (CDN that is)
Well,
The price of wanting to own an Apple #84 just went over $160.00 on eBay, I also saw the $250 price tag on Toywiz. I’ll bet that first guy who put one up at $49.00 Buy it Now on the 23rd is not to happy.
I think they will easily climb to $200+ and be the most sought after car of all time. No one can get a CAAF car and no one seems to care now that the Apple car can be bought.
It’s still the least interesting and simple car of the set. I guess the economy can’t be too bad when people are paying half of what the set cost originally for a single die-cast.
I have not seen anything new here in London, Ontario, since gold tia & mia.
Well im in Malta at the moment and have hunted high and low for some hard to find cars however cannot find any, all the prices for the Disney Cars here are around, prices in Euro’s 8.10 for the singles and 15.45 for the movie moments packs!
I much prefer asdas 2.94 (GPB) for 1 back home!
(MET: Sounds cool – very exotic! Take some pics of CARS 🙂 The Knights of Malta are old hat 🙂 )
What I want to know, per my phone call today to Mattel, is why production was halted on a new Sarge.(after being laughed at by the customer service rep, no less.)
He is about the only one I don’t have, I didn’t manage to get one before the recall.
Does anyone have some information about it that I am not finding? Thank you.
(MET: Not sure why he would laugh at you – that’s odd … the only reason I could see them delaying Sarge’s return is they want to do a big ta-do for the return of Sarge so I’m down to guessing it might be a WM exclusive in a new Cube? Not certain …).