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A summer hello Matchbox fans, Well, this is it, my final monthly ambassador report. It has
been a great year and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, but all good things come
to an end. After the Matchbox Gathering at the end of July, I will be writing up
a review of the events (which will hopefully be sent out in early August), and
then passing on the baton to a brand new ambassador for the upcoming year. So
for now, here's a little catch up with a few things. It is not too long a
report, as with the Gathering only a matter of days away, a number of things are
being held off for the event. For starters, we take a look at batch G of the basic range.
Recently, this batch was released and immediately we had three variations. First
of all, the 1963 Cadillac Hearse has been found with or without tampo printing.
Oddly enough, this should not have happened, as all models should be available
with the tampo printing in place. Granted, a silver tampo on a metallic silver
car is not easily identifiable, but it should be there. A number of untampoed
models have been found, but this one was not planned. The other two were though.
Alfa Romeo (we all love Alfa Romeo) decided at the last minute they were not
happy with a pearlescent white paint scheme on the Giulia Sprint GTA, and
therefore this model was almost immediately changed to plain white. This plain
white will be the standard and will last for the remainder of the model's
production run. The pearlescent white was a very short run. The Garbage Truck is
also a running change. At the time when the wheels were altered to display the
brand new rims, it was decided to darken the base. Obviously we have a small
crossover, where the lighter base has been found with the new wheels. Again, as
with the Alfa Romeo, the lighter base/new wheel version will be a harder to find
variation. It was reported recently how Land Rover do not desire the
Freelander to be used by Matchbox any more due to being an out of date casting,
and the Hitch 'n Haul version being the last in the line. This is a rare
occasion where the licensor has requested the casting not be used, and there is
nothing else on the horizon where a licensor may be requesting a deletion of a
casting. However, when it comes to altering castings (as was noted the Jaguar
XK120 Roadster will become a Coupe) I thought I would clarify that this is
usually due to a mold being worn out. The Jaguar XK120 Roadster will get its
final outing in the upcoming Superfast set, and will then be retired. The Coupe
version will be released next year and will replace the Roadster casting in all
models in the future. This is how the Mattel team are trying to work things with
the licensed castings, as they are trying to build up a variety of different
vehicles/manufacturers. Releasing a single model but with (for example) a coupe,
wagon and convertible variations all at the same time basically would not offer
the variety of vehicle brands that Matchbox are trying to bring to the line.
This is why they are releasing a particular version of a model, and then as time
goes on, if the model is popular, but the mold is starting to wear, they will
look at the mold, and possibly alter it into a new version if they can. When it
comes to generics (like for example the MB695 Utility Tanker Truck), the models
have been designed in a way that different rear sections can be added down the
line, but they do not want to simply release a cab with a ton of rear sections.
Again, this helps to build up a variety of different vehicles on the pegs. If
there a dozen models all with the same cab but different rear sections, it
doesn't give the same impression of variety as a dozen completely different
models. So basically, when it comes to generics, they are being created leaving
the option open for altering the rear sections, but this is something that will
be looked at down the line. So these are ideas for the future, but what about the present? Batch H is due at any time (see June Ambassador report for details), and this will be followed up in August by batch J. So what are we to look forward in that batch? For starters we will be seeing the debut of 2 brand new castings. The MB754 (2008 MB12) Morgan Aeromax and MB756 (2008 MB77/28/5) MBX Motor Home will be released in all ranges in this batch. The MB750 (MB10) Lotus is being launched sometime soon, but it may not have made it into this batch. The likelihood is that we may see that in September in batch K. However, we may get lucky. As well as these 2 (possibly 3) new castings, there will be an additional 5 models released and 3 recolors. However, out of the 5 releases only 2 are worldwide, namely the MB39 Bentley Continental GT and MB90/60/24 Baja Bandit. The LAAM range will not see the MB52 Austin Taxi or MB65 Tractor. Both the LAAM and ROW ranges will not see the MB15 Ford F-150 Lightning as this is a US exclusive. All 3 ranges will see 2 of the second issue recolors that will be found in this batch. The MB22 TVR Tuscan S is going to change to a light pearl orange color scheme, with different tampoing effects. I would like to point out that this is another of the Mattel team color designs that was noted in the June report for the Range Rover Sport and is not an official TVR color. Also released in this batch will be the MB34 Mercedes Benz CLS500 in a dark burnt orange color scheme. The third recolor is not for the ROW market. US and LAAM ranges only will receive the MB87/59 Chevy Silverado SS in dark gray with a black and green striping effect on the sides. This is actually a different tampo design to the first 2008 issue 3 batches previously. So finally, before I move away from basic range issues, a few
people have been asking about Mattel possibly re-creating various models that
Matchbox made in the 1960s and 1970s. Now obviously, any castings from that era
are long gone, so anything that they did make would be totally from scratch, and
may or may not look like the castings that Lesney made back in the day. Matchbox
has a particular way of making a model now, and most would be very careful
recreations of original vehicles garnered from sketches and plans supplies from
the manufacturers. In the Lesney era, a model was just made by Matchbox, and as
long as it looked like the vehicle in question, it was fine. The technology was
not there at the time, and in some cases, a model was created simply by looking
at a photograph or 2, and then using fair judgment. So anyway (I digress)
Matchbox are not specifically aiming to re-cast some of the original Lesney
models into new vehicles, but if they feel a particular model would be ideal for
the range again, they will set about making a new casting of it. However, in
some cases, they may make a slightly different version to what was originally
made. Some people may have noticed that many licensed vehicles are now sporting
a year on the base of the model, regardless of whether it is a current vehicle
or classic vehicle. This is there to help Mattel easily identify a model without
trying to remember the MAN number. With a number of Corvettes being made, it is
much easier to say the '04 'Vette, or '00 'Vette than trying to remember the MAN
number of the particular casting. For older vehicles quite often they receive a
set of plans from the manufacturer detailing a specific model. Therefore they
try to incorporate as much information as possible into their casting. So now we move on to a few non-basic range items. For those
wondering, the latest Battle Kings has an MB716 Ridge Raider in place of the
MB732 Badlander that was originally penciled in to be a part of the set. This
was a decision made by the team late in the day, as the Badlander casting was
better suited to different playsets, and was not ideally suited to the pack.
Occasionally they do make these changes after we have listed down the contents
of the sets due. Quite often I do state that things are subject to change. For those interested, there are no scheduled Halloween packs
due by Matchbox. The next seasonal item from them will be the Christmas packs.
Target will be releasing an exclusive Nickelodeon pack, although there are no
planned exclusives going to be included. You never know what variation may
appear though. Outside of this will be a standard Christmas set (much like last
year) which will contain an exclusive model. Now there are new Skybuster castings appearing. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner is due soon, as well as a brand new civil helicopter from the Robinson Helicopter Company. Mattel have also been working on 2 generic Skybuster castings due for release shortly too. Talking of Skybusters, a set of 6 Skybuster Action packs have been released in Target stores in USA. These 6 sets consist of a Skybuster model, 2 basic range miniatures along with 3 accessories. These sets are a Target exclusive in USA, and although there are only 6 in the offering for 2008, further sets are in the pipeline for 2009. Finally in this write-up a small tidbit on the MCi coach.
There are no plans for including this model in any series. For now it is simply
being used as a promotional tool for the Disnayworld theme park and for MCi
themselves. Well, this is it for me. Look out for a review of the
Gathering in a few weeks from me before passing over the reigns to my successor.
But for now, I hope that you have all enjoyed reading my monthly reports as much
as I have enjoyed preparing and writing them for you.
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A joyous June to all collectors, It is I, your Matchbox Ambassador, with my latest report. As we head into the summer, Mattel are moving a few things around. Due to a small internal shuffle, Samantha Lau has been pulled away from Matchbox, back to the Hot Wheels brand. We welcome in her place a new lady to the Matchbox team; Corrie Rudy. Also, if you would like, say hi to David Schwartz too, a young intern working with the Matchbox team for a few months. Something I bet a lot of us would like to do. Well, anyway, let's get on with the latest news. Some people may have noticed recently the slight change in the 2008 MB58 Scraper. When it first came out, the side tampo of "Adlar58" was yellow and black. This was almost immediately changed to white and black to make it stand out a little more. Matchbox does occasionally make changes like this on models if they feel they would work better like it. However, they also like to make more dramatic changes with some vehicles. The MB138 Jaguar XK120 tooling is currently being worked on. Hopefully collectors will like what they do with it, as they are converting it into a coupe version with a hope of including it in the 2009 basic range. Other small touches are being done to give it a more current Matchbox style feel to it, rather than simply putting a roof on it. Now the MB732 Badlander seems to be quite popular for a generic pick up truck. People have asked whether this model will be seen as a basic range model. It will not be a 2009 basic range issue, and not very likely to be added into the 2010 range. Although the possibility of it being a single issue at some time down the line is not ruled out, Mattel are currently dedicating this vehicle to playsets for the time being. It has been reported recently that the Quarry King basic range issue in both yellow and orange has been found with matching wheels to the body color, as well as alternate wheel colors. Recently too, the Tractor Plow from the Farm 5-pack was also to be found with chrome rims in place of the original yellow ones. This is a temporary problem caused by certain paints coming in from the vendors that do not seem to be bonding correctly during the hot stamp foil printing process. Reds and oranges appear to be the worst offenders, although yellow is not working too well either. Most other colors are still working okay, and Mattel are looking at alternatives mixtures to get them to stick better. In the meantime, we have been finding a few wheel variations with these particular models whilst alternatives are secured. Hopefully within a few months things will be back to normal. Mattel like to mix wheel colors up a little (not leave them all chrome) and so this is not the end of the colored hot stamping. So, we all know the saga of the 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, and the fact that Alfa Romeo has stated that they can only be released in factory colors (red or white) in the Matchbox ranges. Well, luckily, not all manufacturers have the same view. For example Range Rover has already approved 4 new Mattel created color schemes for the Range Rover Sport. This vehicle does not come with a huge array of factory colors to choose from, and Mattel have already gone through them all. Batch H, due for release in July, will find the first of the Mattel created color schemes for this model. It is being referred to as "school bus yellow". Mattel think it looks really cool, and are hoping collectors will too. Joining the MB40 Range Rover Sport in batch H will be 2 further 2nd issue recolors. The MB47 (US/ROW) Garbage Truck will be sporting a new design on the side and the MB94 (US)/66 (LAAM)/44 (ROW) Off Road Rider will be changed into a flat white color scheme. We will also see 10 new releases into the mix for 2008 batch H. Two of these will be brand new models. The MB88 (US)/62 (LAAM/ROW) Rock Crawler II and MB45 Subaru Impreza Police will be debuting in this assortment. The other 8 new additions in batch H consist of the MB8 (US/LAAM only) Chevy El Camino, MB36 Audi RS6 Avant, MB37 Lexus GS430, MB41 (US/LAAM only) Lincoln Navigator, MB69 (US only) Highway Maintenance Truck (or Plow Master 6000 as it is being referred to nowadays), MB72 Ford Transit, MB92 (US)/65 (LAAM)/41 (ROW) Ridge Raider and MB98 (US)/73 (LAAM)/56 (ROW) Desert Thunder V16. So if you live in the US range marketplaces, expect to see 13 new additions in July, LAAM range marketplaces 11 new additions and ROW range marketplaces 10 new additions. For anyone who is curious on the order of the remaining 5-packs, I can let you know that pack 8 debuting in July will be the Modern Rides set, pack 9 for August - Haunted House, pack 10 for September - Off Road, pack 11 for October - Police and pack 12 for November - Ocean Research. A subject that a number of people have spoken about lately is Ferrari. Why are Matchbox not making standard showroom versions of Ferraris as Hot Wheels are creating what appear to be more performance related versions. Well, this is something that Ferrari wanted. Ferrari was pretty strict with what they wanted, and they desired a single brand making their vehicle in small scale, not a company. Matchbox is quite happy with this, as they are happy with other relationships they are building with manufacturers like Bentley and Lotus. They see manufacturers like this as being a core part of the heritage that Matchbox likes to see. Being originally a British company, the team like to think of certain manufacturers like those listed above as being important to them. Matchbox are not planning on creating a long list of high performance vehicles in their range, and for now, are more than happy to leave Ferrari to the Hot Wheels team. Another thing that has been brought up a lot recently is the problems with wheels not rolling on models coming out of the factory. Mattel are taking this matter very seriously as they are keen to ensure that such problems like this are not on-going. They are looking into anything that can be made to improve the reliability with these vehicles. A lot of the problems seem to be coming from older vehicles being retrofitted with the new wheels that they have created which appear to get caught in wheel wells too often. If there are any further concerns with parts from vehicles getting stuck, or not working correctly, please let me know, as I can pass the information on to Mattel to check into. Also, Mattel are always keen to hear of any thoughts that collectors have in making alterations to certain castings. If you remember, in 2007, the Jeep Wrangler appeared in the basic range without the roll bar. They were not sure if Jeep would approve it, but Jeep liked the idea of doing a model without a roll bar. As was mentioned above, the Jaguar XK120 is being altered into a coupe version. If collectors see a model that is available in different styles (e.g. coupe/convertible/ or with/without side windows etc....) or as was seen recently customized a 1972 Ford Bronco without a roof, then please let me know. Also, with generic vehicles, if collectors see a potential for other incarnations of a basic model I can always pass on ideas and thoughts to the Mattel for consideration. If a model is starting to wear down, they can look into fixing or altering the model. If collectors have an idea for an alteration, this could be looked into by Mattel to see if it is feasible. You never know, your idea could turn into reality. Finally for this time a couple of questions Mattel are looking into. A number of clubs have talked about whether there is anything that clubs could get as a small bonus from Matchbox for being a club. Also, many in the East of USA have asked about the possibility of Matchbox sponsoring an East Coast convention in 2009. Both of these questions are currently unanswered but Mattel are considering both requests and will get back with answers in due course. Stay tuned for answers in future reports. Well, this does it for this report. I have one more monthly report to go before my term finishes, although I will also be creating an official Matchbox Gathering report in early August before my replacement takes over. Of course the Gathering report will also contain all the details of my replacements as Ambassador. David Tilley Your current Matchbox Messenger |
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Good day collectors,
Well, after my diversion in doing a Line Preview Report last month, we are back to the usual monthly reports again. Still, don't get too used to it. I only have 3 more to go (including this one). Well, with all the news and information coming out of the line preview, there really is not a lot to put out this month. But let's get straight into it, shall we? We start withy a change that will be noticeable in the coming months. Batch F has recently surfaced, with the MB737 Quarry King appearing in orange with orange wheels. However, they will be changed to gray for the remainder of the production. Keep an eye out for the alteration. We will also say goodbye to a model too. The MB406 Land Rover Freelander was released recently in a Hitch 'n Haul set. Make the most of it, as this will be the last time this model gets used. The license runs out at the end of the year, and due to the model being outdated, Land Rover does not want Matchbox to continue using the model so the license is not going to be renewed. Look out for batch G to arrive in June with 11 new issues (including 1 new casting), namely MB4 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA (now white as the poster showed it in green), MB11 Shelby Cobra GT500 Convertible (new casting), MB13 1965 Ford Mustang, MB29 Smart Cabrio, MB48 Highway Hauler, MB55 1963 Cadillac Hearse, MB56 BW Beetle Taxi, MB62 MBX Mixer, MB80 Honda Ridgeline, MB84 Jeep Rescue Concept and MB99 Jeep Wrangler. As well as these 11 models, we should also see 3 "2nd issue" models, namely MB2 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, MB23 Nissan 350Z and MB67 Guzzler. So who is looking forward to new wheels? There is a new classic "disk" style wheel that is going to be debuting soon. The first recipient is going to be the MB713 1965 Austin Mini Van in the "Classic Cars" 5-pack, with the MB735 1968 Citroėn DS in the Best of International series also sporting it at around the same time. This will slowly spread out through the basic ranges as the year progresses. Talking of the MB713 1965 Austin Mini Van, we are going to be getting a small bonus. Due to a canceled project, one of the upcoming standard 10-packs will be featuring a special green Mini Van as an additional exclusive. This is not the all exclusive "Adventure" pack, but one of the other 2 packs being released alongside. Hitch 'n Haul has recently seen the release of the first sets for 2008. Alongside these, we saw the last 2 of 2007 continuing in the assortments with the Vacation Set seeing the first run of the cost reduced MB747 Travel Trailer. Well, this vacation set seems to be a very popular one, so it comes as no surprise that the next new sets of Hitch 'n Haul will feature another Vacation Set. Only this time, there will be an MB705 Honda Ridgeline towing it. Alongside this set, there will be a second new addition. Has anybody wondered the whereabouts of the MB682 Snowmobile Trailer? Well, it returns being pulled by the MB712 Desert Thunder V16 in an Arctic set. However, these bring to an end Hitch 'n Haul new releases for 2008. However, 2009 will not see them stopping completely. Although no new sets are being planned for 2009, these ones in production will continue on for a while, although we could see the deletion of the accessories included, and just have the 2 models in the packaging. Trailers do seem to be quite popular with collectors, and Mattel are currently looking at adding in some trailer units into various 5 and 10-packs next year. Nothing is guaranteed yet, but they are looking at utilizing some of these as and when they are suitable. However, there are no plans to use a trailer piece as a single issue. Battle Kings also appears to have gone a little quiet recently. After the first 3 sets appeared for 2008, we have had nothing. The 4th pack to complete the 2 scenarios will be out soon containing the "Rogue" Island Attack scenario. The models included in this set are Badlander and Airport Fire Tanker. Once this pack arrives, there will be no further new additions for 2009. Matchbox are currently working on a whole new set of scenarios for 2009, which will feature brand new teams together with a brand new look. More information on this will come later. Now June still sees some brand new additions to keep an eye out for. The next batch of Superfast is slated for a June release in Wal-Mart. June will also see the Best of International and Best of US Muscle become available. If you are a dealer, start planning your orders for these Best of.... sets. Also in June we will find the last of the new playsets for 2008 arrive. Haunted House, a 360° playset, will arrive featuring the debut of the updated MB746 1939 Chevy Van. This model has been retooled to enable it to be put together easier, and as such will contain a brand new "elephant" base. June could be quite an expensive month for some. ** BREAKING NEWS TIME **, concerning collectors from mainland Europe. 2002 saw Matchbox release the "Stars of Germany" series in Germany featuring vehicles from Germany. After the series started spreading out through mainland Europe over the next 2 years, the series was renamed "Stars of Cars" in 2004 and incorporated other European Marques too. Matchboxes have been looking at this series and have decided to evolve the series for 2008. With the direction undertaken in 2005 to create realistic looking vehicles, many of which are European vehicles anyway, it was felt that just recoloring various cars from the basic range for a Stars of Cars series was not a worthwhile practice. However, the other vehicles that appear alongside the cars which feature prominent European style graphics utilizing other languages prevalent in mainland Europe are a good thing. Therefore, 2008 will see a series of mainly action and utility vehicles with European style writing/graphics incorporated into their designs. Due to this move towards the action and utility side of models, calling them Stars of Cars seemed a little odd. Therefore, 2008 will see the launch of "European Edition" models. This first set of "European Edition" models for 2008 consist of 13 models instead of the usual 12 due to one of the casting being available in 2 color schemes. The 12 models are 2008 Garbage Truck, Guzzler, Tractor, DAF XF95 Space Cab, Unimog, Dennis Sabre, Quarry King, Flatbed Truck, Fork Lift, Ford Transit Van, Groundbreaker and BMW 328i Police. The last of these, the BMW 328i Police will be available in 2 different liveries. Well this is pretty much it for this issue. However, here are a few small notes for those who requested. Matchbox do not have official photos of models created that are not a part of the basic range. People did ask as they often utilize Matchbox official photos when creating manufacturing list model listings. Skybusters should be arriving in batches of 12, and when a new batch arrives, it should contain 6 new additions plus the last 6 models released for a total of 36 models throughout 2008. There may be shortfalls of new releases in some batches, but by the end of the year it should balance out for a full set of 36 new Skybusters. Finally, for those who were wondering, the guys on the Matchbox team are not linked with the guys who work on the Disney "Cars" series. Dave Weise started off in the Disney "Cars" team, but once he moved over to Matchbox he stopped being connected with the Disney team. So until June, this is your Ambassador saying Cheerio! |
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Happy Easter Matchbox Collectors,
I thought I would get this in quick before I head off To California to attend the 2008 Line Preview. Well report number 7 is here. Not too long a report this time after the hefty February report last month. But before I dive right in I would just like to make a small announcement. Christian Zentner has transferred departments inside the Mattel umbrella. He is now going to be working for the Hot Wheels team. We would just like to wish him good luck. In his place we welcome a new addition; Samantha Lau. I am sure we would all like to welcome Samantha to the Matchbox team and hope she enjoys her new position. This week a few of us will catch our first glimpse of Samantha (and also George Benz) at the Matchbox line preview. So now let's move on with the latest news. The German Matchbox website was updated recently to show the ROW basic range for 2008. Germany uses a completely different team to mastermind their website, with the other countries working mainly after the USA main site. The USA website is still with the web group who are just making final tweaks to the pages before it goes live. It should be up any time now. Keep an eye on it. As many are now aware, the USA posters have now been printed up and are currently being prepared for shipping as we speak. However, there is one thing that people will notice when they take a look at them. The MB4 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA has been covered up (as well as the Corvette and Lotus). Originally the team had come up with a nice metallic green scheme for the vehicle (this has been seen on the German website), but sadly Alfa Romeo decided to reject it. The refusal came just before the poster got printed, so as a precaution, it got re-covered up. With the original vehicle only really being available in reds and whites, Alfa Romeo is not keen on other colors being made up for miniature versions as they are not genuine factory versions. Therefore a decision has been made to create another white version. However, this will not be the same as 2007 version 2. Matchbox are going to ensure that it will be different, for instance maybe utilizing a different wheel or changing the tampo scheme and incorporating the cloverleaf in a different way. Although the finished design is not ready, it will be separate to the 2007 version 2 example. Talking of alterations, there have been a few changes made to upcoming 5-pack releases. The Haunted House 5-pack listed down the MB700 1963 Cadillac Hearse as one of the vehicles included. Unfortunately, there are a few problems with the vehicle as in some areas of the world it is deemed an inappropriate model, so it will be replaced by the MB559 Lincoln Premiere. The Ocean Research 5-pack has also had a change of vehicle, as the MB677 Jeep Rescue is not going to be a part of the set, being replaced by the MB687 International CXT. It was noted in the February report that there was still a pack to be determined. This is a Spongebob Squarepants pack, although final choice of vehicles is still to be sorted. Now on to the basic range batch listings. Batch E is almost upon us. It should be arriving any time now as we head into April. Expect to find 2 brand new castings in this batch, the MB46 VW Caddy and MB47 Garbage Truck. Although if you live in the LAAM area you sadly will not be getting the Garbage Truck. As well as this, all ranges will see the MB40 Range Rover Sport, MB83/52/21 Hummer H3 and MB94/66/44 Off Road Rider, the USA and LAAM ranges will get the MB5 Chevy Chevelle, the USA and ROW ranges will see the MB66 Tractor Plow and USA only will receive the MB85 Land Rover Discovery and MB96 GMC Terradyne. We all will see a second color on the MB1 Citroen DS too. Batch F will be coming in May, and will contain only one brand new casting, the MB58 Scraper. There will be 3 new additions to all 3 ranges, MB22 TVR Tuscan S, MB34 Mercedes Benz CLS500 and MB89/69 Ford Bronco 4x4, as well as the MB87/59 Chevy Silverado for the USA/LAAM ranges and MB73 Ladder Truck for the USA/ROW ranges. As well as these, we will all see 2 recolors on the MB20 Audi TT Roadster and MB57 Quarry King, and a completely new design on the MB78/29/8 Chevy Stepside. There have been thoughts from many collectors about creating special manufacturer or model themed 5-packs (Ford, Mustang, Corvette, Porsche etc). This is something that Hot Wheels has done fro a number of years, and people have thought whether a Matchbox 5-pack of one vehicle/manufacturer could be something that may be done in the future. Sadly, although it does seem to work for Hot Wheels, Matchbox is trying to take a different approach to how they build up their 5-packs. With variety being one of the main core beliefs of the Matchbox brand, the thought of such a narrowly themed pack is against their plans. So there are no plans for 5-packs of this nature at this time. A number of people have been asking about an abundance of Volvos and Bentleys on the pegs. The team at Matchbox are behind which vehicles make up each assortment that come in the box. They try to use a variety of factors to determine the mixes, but sometimes things just don't work out how they planned. This is particularly true when a new model is released. Sadly, by the time they realize that a model is not selling, it is already too late as the final assortments have already been produced. Many people ask questions about Wal-Mart and their exclusive deal with Matchbox for the Superfast series. This is something that Wal-Mart requested, and once they receive the models it is down to them as to how they get distributed. Mattel sadly do not get a say in how the models get distributed around the stores. Now talking of the Superfast series, the next batch of 10 is currently scheduled for a June release. This will be all for 2008, but Superfast is set to continue as a Wal-Mart exclusive into 2009. As many may have realized, 2009 will be the 40th Anniversary of the Superfast series, and the event will be noted. More details on the 40th Anniversary Superfast series will be passed out as and when they become available. The final 2007 Convoys only recently arrived in stores, but hot on their heels will be the first 3 2008 issues. Apart from the licenses for Simpson Racing (box truck) and Conoco (tanker) there will be a Matchbox liveried Box Truck being pulled by an MB664 Tractor Cab. Yes, we haven't seen the last of this truck. The theme is that of a dinosaur. To quote Michael Heralda: "the deco for this "awesome" dinosaur theme comes from our one-and-only MATCHBOX Shuttle that can be seen driving Mattel employees between the Mattel buildings here in El Segundo, CA. The original Shuttle artwork illustration was created by our "King of Mega-Rigs" designer, Mauricio Bedolla. I adapted his original artwork to fit the Convoy trailer". Finally, for this instalment, a question was posed as to whether there are official color names for the paintwork on models. With the transition into recreating official manufacturer color schemes, do the guys in the Matchbox team come up with names for the colors they use on models? Well, the answer is no. There are no official color names on Matchbox models. So that is it for now. Next month will see a different Ambassador report from me. Instead of the usual news of Matchbox items, I will be creating the 2008 Official Line Preview Ambassador Report or OLPAR for short. With the preview taking place at the end of March, there will be a lot of information and news coming out of the event. So expect an OLPAR from me in April, and it will be back to normality come May. So until then, this is your Ambassador saying "El Segundo, here I come!" |
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What's up Matchbox Fans, Well, it's the shortest month of the year, but by no means the shortest Ambassador report. MB100s Expect to see batch D arriving in March. Included with this batch will be the final 2007 recolor, the MB46 Mercedes Benz Unimog U300. Also, we will get these new additions to the 2008 range. First off will be a single brand new casting MB2 1969 Cadillac Sedan Deville (MB739). Then we will see a new MB7 1965 Austin Mini Van, MB23 Nissan 350Z, MB24(US/LAAM only) Dodge Viper GTSR, MB35 Mercedes Benz SL55 AMG, MB42 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, MB63 (US/ROW only) Dirt Hauler (Earth Mover), MB67 Guzzler, MB70 (US only) Ford Crown Victoria Police and MB97 (US only) Chevy K-1500 4x4. We will also see the first 2 of the 2008 recolors arriving this time. The MB3 1968 Mercury Cougar will see a new color and the MB49 Chevy Van will see a new livery. In total we will see 13 new additions for the US range and 10 new additions for both the LAAM and ROW ranges. 5-packs Classic Cars Farm Vacation Fire Fighters Construction Police Off Road Ocean Research Haunted House 10-packs Action Adventure 2008 First Editions TV Heroes Nick Jr #1 Kung Fu Panda Superheroes/Batman Nickelodeon #2 Scooby Doo Nick Jr #2 There is also another set in the pipeline for 2008, but final license and model choices have not been made yet. Details will be passed on once they are available. Seasonals So where is this Tractor Shovel from? It will be appearing in a brand new project that Matchbox has undertaken. Matchbox has created a selection of DVDs promoting different areas of the real world. Each DVD features footage and discussion of real vehicles in action from 4 different areas of the real world. We get a Construction DVD, a Fire DVD, a Garbage DVD and a Junkyard DVD. Included with each DVD are two Matchbox vehicles in exclusive liveries. The Tractor Shovel is one of the two Construction models. These DVDs should be available at any point now. Dealers in USA are more than welcome to order these. Please refer to your usual channels when ordering and quote reference M0174 for North/South America and M5779 for other areas (the DVD toy number). 2007 Superfast Dealer Models Best of British SNAFU Wheels & Lightbars So some people have been trying to figure out the Cattle Truck that was listed down to be in the next batch of Superfast. Well, this was the MB071 Cattle Truck from 1976. I say was, as unfortunately the mold is too badly damaged and they have been unable to fix it. So this model will now be replaced by the MB358 1955 Chevy Belair Hardtop. Convoys Web Site Line Preview |
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Well, after a lot of pleading, begging, and generally being a
nuisance on my side, I have finally managed to nail down a line preview from
the Mattel guys. Now unfortunately the guys at Mattel were unable to do
anything during the month of February, but are able to commit to a date at
the end of March.
Wednesday 26th March (afternoon) - dinner/happy hour at a
local restaurant.
Thursday 27th March (all day) - Collector review at Mattel
HQ.
Now this is a little later than our original plans, but if
people are interested in attending then please let me know.
Also, I know this was something that was talked about by a
few collectors in 2006 at the line preview then. The idea of all of us
being at the same hotel. At that time, a few of us stayed at a Clarion
Hotel in W. Century Blvd, which we all felt was more than adequate for what
we needed. I am thinking of maybe a return trip to there, and hopefully
more coming in to LAX would also like to stay there too.
Now the Hotel has changed its name now to La Quinta Inn &
Suites. Room rates are $89 a night for a standard twin bed room, going up
to $139 for a deluxe suite. The link is here....
It had a McDonalds restaurant right outside, and a Subway
opposite. There was also an internet cafe and a few car rentals right there
as well (one car rental in the hotel). There was also a gas station next to
McDonalds. Okay, not all of these are guaranteed to still be there, but
more than likely will be. It did seem like a good choice in 2006. I am
hoping it will be a good choice too in 2008. If those who are able to
attend think it is a good idea then we should all try for the same hotel.
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Happy New Year Ambassador report readers.
So here we go with the first Ambassador report of the 2008 year. Well
lets delve right in shall we? It is not too big a report this time, as
with the Christmas holidays, not a lot of business time has passed.
February will hopefully be a bit meatier.
Well it seems people have had a bit of a shocker with the Christmas
report and the news of a 3 way split for 2008. We now have a US, LAAM
and ROW range for 2008. Well, this obviously opened up a few questions
which I posed to the Mattel guys. Firstly, is there a possibility of
particular markets receiving a different batch of models through
alternate channels (for instance US dealers getting ROW models, or
European dealers getting US models etc). Unfortunately this is not a
viable option. There will only be the standard ranges available in each
area of the world regardless of which set you desire. Sorry guys, but
US means US, LAAM means LAAM and ROW means ROW. The 3 way split also
brought up the idea of whether the ROW or LAAM markets would be
receiving exclusive models in their basic ranges that are not available
in the US range in the future. Well, for 2009, that is a definite no.
Beyond 2009 is not confirmed yet in any shape or form, and plans are not
underway to start doing exclusives, but do not rule out the possibility
down the line. Maybe in a few years with ever changing markets, things
might change. We will see what comes when it comes.
Has anybody seen recently how a few models in the basic range have
received a different paint treatment? The Dodge Viper GTSR and Mercury
Cougar have both recently had different paints applied to the model. It
was decided in both of these cases that the initial paint job was not
exactly how they wanted it. The Viper metallic flake was too big, and
the Mercury was too light. A running change was made to make them look
a little better. These changes are all down to judgment and aesthetics
after looking at initial examples. This is not a common theme with
models but occasionally if it is felt that a paint change is in order to
improve the look, the guys at Mattel will make it.
Okay, a few people have been asking questions on a particular Fire
Pumper in the Coal Cars that appeared with a gray hose on the roof
instead of the standard white one. This is down to the factory trying
to use up some spare parts. With the Coal Cars being hidden away, it
makes sense to use up some spare parts occasionally rather than waste
them. This is what happened with the Airport Fire Pumper. It was
intended to only come with the white hose, but spare gray hoses were
laying around at the factory, and so they were applied to make up
numbers and save on making more white hoses.
Now a couple of items of news regarding the Hitch 'n Haul series. First
the bad news. There was an MB719 Utility Trailer in the works to be
included with the series. Sadly, the casting did not work out, and it
has now been dropped from the series completely. The good news is that
the Spring release will be with us soon. There will be 3 new packs to
look out for. Pack 1 is called Construction, and will contain an MB707
Ground Breaker pulling an MB681 Excavator Trailer. Pack 2 will be Fire,
and will feature an MB698 Flame Tamer pulling an MB548 Mobile Light
Truck. Mattel were sure that this combination would work together
before initiating it. Finally the 3rd pack is a Wild Water II pack
featuring an MB406 Land Rover Freelander pulling an MB373 Watercraft
with Trailer. However, there are no new accessories (or chotch as
Mattel like to call them) being created for the sets, and existing
chotch will be used in the packs.
Recently a Fire Rescue Transporter was released in USA that contained 5
vehicles with it. Two of them, MB564 Foam Fire Truck and MB563 Water
Pumper, were a part of a 2006 5-pack. This left 3 other models, which
we were not sure whether they would be exclusive or not. Well, the
MB568 Sport SUV is not. This will appear elsewhere during 2008. But
the other 2 are exclusive to the pack. There is an MB613 Boom Fire
Truck and MB698 Fire Tamer released exclusively with the play set.
However, some may have noticed on the graphics that the MB698 Flame
Tamer is showing as yellow on the pictures, but the model in the pack is
metallic lime gold. Another running change is being made to make the
model the same as shown on the picture. Look out for the yellow Flame
Tamer to appear in future runs of this set. However, if you are not too
keen on purchasing the set twice, you will be able to get the yellow
Flame Tamer in one of the latest round of 10-packs that has just been
released (the one with the exclusive lavender MB298 1968 Ford Mustang
Cobra Jet in the top right corner).
Currently Mattel are concentrating on models in the small scale area (3"
or 7.5cm, or as some like to call it, 1/64). Both larger and smaller
scales are not in the immediate pipeline. The guys would really like to
build on the size they have at the moment, and therefore trying to
branch out into other size mediums is currently not on the agenda. Once
they feel that the current size segment has been fully established and a
significant slice of the market place has been achieved then ideas for
branching out in to other sizes/scales will be looked at. At the moment
there are also no more plans for dealer exclusive models.
I know everyone reading this is wondering about Superfast America. As
many already know, the first batch of 10x 2008 Superfast has hit
Wal-Mart. The packaging is redesigned to incorporate a squared
clamshell encasing the model and box. No blister this time. These
models are then placed in a delivery box directly on the shelf, and not
hung on pegs as before. But this begs the question as to where the last
5 Superfast America went to? Before the 2008 Superfast arrived,
Wal-Mart started selling the Superfast America for $1 a piece, but only
the first 2 batches were to be found still. Mattel are currently
investigating this, and assure us that the last 5 models will be
produced and should be on the market soon. More details will be
available shortly.
Also very soon I hope to have details on the 2008 Line Preview. Mattel
are currently finalizing things and I hope to have some details to send
out very soon. This will be a separate piece, as I will not wait for
the next Ambassador report to pass on the details. We are possibly
looking at late March for this.
Posters are nearing completion, and as stated before dealers/clubs are
more than happy to request a batch. If you haven't already emailed me a
request for your club, then please send one over. Once the posters have
arrived I will arrange delivery to where they are needed. Please
remember if your club is outside USA that what you will receive is a USA
series poster, not the specific one for your particular area. It will
show all 100 models, including the segmentation that will only be
released in USA. Canada, Australia and New Zealand will not be showing
the segmentation on their 100 model range in stores. The LAAM and ROW
ranges will only have 75 of the models (again with no segmentation).
So that is it for now, as we start to get settled in to the new year.
As said earlier the next report will hopefully have a few more tidbits
for people in it.
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Older Reports |
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Howdy Matchbox collectors, I apologize for the lateness of the report, but was waiting for some juicy
little additions before sending it out. I hope it was worth the wait. Plus, I
wanted to surprize everyone on Christmas day too. Let's get straight down to business. Last month, we revealed a list of what
is a part of the 1-100 range for 2008. Now we can put these into official order,
also noting the 25 recolors and 20 new castings as well for a total of 125 new
releases. For a complete overview and list download go to http://www.mbxforum.com/11-Catalogs/00-Software/jnmb75cr.php However, here is a shocker for you. This is not the only line-up. Matchbox actually have 3 different basic ranges for 2008. The 1-100 list above is going to be released in the USA/Canada/Australia and New Zealand markets (hereafter called the US range). That is it. Mattel are going to be doing 2 further ranges of 75 models only for other markets. The first of these is for Latin America (hereafter known as LAAM). The idea is that certain vehicles would not sell too well in LAAM, mainly the city service style vehicles. With a standard 75 model range here, hopfully many of the potential pegwarmers will have been taken out to allow for a smooth flow of new items coming in more regularly. Therefore, after taking out 25 models, those remaining above MB75 have been renumbered to fit in vacant slots below 75. This does mean that the segmentation of little sets will not be happening in the LAAM market, and packaging will not show different color bands for each of the segments in the way that the US cards will. The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that 2 models not included in the LAAM range are those which will have 2 colors for 2008. The Garbage Truck and London Taxi. This does mean that the LAAM range will consist of 75 models with 23 recolors for a total of 98 new releases. So what of the third range? Well, we have covered US and LAAM. So what is left? Of course, our old friend, the ROW range (Rest of World). These are the small blister communities (mainly Europe and the UK). As with the LAAM range, the ROW range will only consist of 75 models, again with 23 of them receiving a 2nd color, totaling 98 models. However, the changes for the ROW range mainly incorporate the removal of various US muscle, SUV and pick up style vehicles that would not be as popular outside of the US market. Again, as with LAAM, this should help to move the range through stores quicker and eliminate potential pegwarmers. A word file has been attached that has these lists on it, if anyone wishes to use them as a reference guide. Okay, this is still not quite it. Remember the US listing of 100, and how they are color themed into sub-sets. Well, this will only be for blisters sold in USA itself. Although the same set of 100 will be sold in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, they will not be color coded split into sub-sets. A decision was made to not do this outside of USA due to potential multi-language set ups in other parts of the world. Batch B of 2008 recently started to appear, including the debut of the 2007 Mercedes Benz Unimog in dull orange. This model has been issued in it's correct 2007 package. However, the Volvo C30 2nd issue in tan was released in this batch as well in a 2008 style card, and in batch C there are 4 more 2007 recolors being released also in 2008 packaging. Then the Mercedes Benz Unimog will be recolored in a 2008 package in batch D. Talking of batch C, these are the models to expect.... 2007 MB1 Bentley Continental GT (Version 2), 2007 MB3 Porsche 911GT3 (V2), MB14 Audi R8 (V2) and MB59 Baja Bandit (V2) (4 recolors). 2008 MB20 Audi TT Convertible, MB51 GMC Wrecker (US/LAAM only), MB57 Quarry King, MB76/MB16 VW Thing and MB78/MB8 1975 Chevy Stepside (5 new models). 9 models in total, or 8 if you are in an ROW small blister area. A few models from the 2007 range have been found with and without headlight tampo printing. For instance the yellow Ford Thunderbird had white headlights on some models, but no front end tampo printing on others. It was a deliberate choice to omit the front end tampo printing on some models as a way of keeping costs down on the overall line. If there is a model that can get by without certain printing (like in the case of the Ford Thunderbird where white on pale yellow is not clearly noticeable) a running change can be made to omit these features. However, in the case of the emerald green paint used on the 55th anniversary models, the fact that some are light and some are dark is purely down to how it is mixed at the time. It is a different type of paint to that which is normally used in model production, and is a little harder to control. Many people have noted how different MB695 Utility Truck tankers are appearing on various cabs. This is down to the factory having overstocks of one part, and using it up by connecting to another part. These are intentional on the part of the factory. Has anyone noticed that a Skybuster recently appeared with a 55th anniversary logo on the rear? This was a late decision by Mattel to include the logo on the plane, but it is the only additional Matchbox product that will carry the logo on top of the 3x 55th anniversary models. Superfast America should be in stores by now. Currently it is unknown as to why they have not appeared. The 2008 set of 20 models will soon be upon us. This set consists of 20 of the newer castings from the last few years.... Bentley Continental GT, Porsche 911GT3, Highway Hauler, 1972 Ford Bronco 4x4, Volvo C30, Land Rover Defender 110, Desert Thunder V16, 1965 Austin Mini Van, 1963 Cadillac Hearse, Audi RS6 Avant, Baja Bandit, Honda Ridgeline, Lotus Exige, Mercedes Benz Unimog, Cattle Truck, Audi R8, Lexus GS430, Ridge Raider, Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA and Ford Transit. These will be released in 2 batches of 10 models (in cartons of 10) and should be out within 2 months exclusively at Wal*Mart. Best of British has started to appear at dealers in USA and consist of 1965 Austin Mini Van, Ford Transit, Jaguar XK, Land Rover Defender 110, Lotus Exige, Jaguar E-type, Range Rover Sport, Bentley Continental GT, Austin FX4 Taxi, Routemaster Bus, Dennis Sabre and Ford GT. Later on in 2008 the second release (Best of international and Best of US Muscle - 6 per set) will be released, consisting of Dodge Magnum, Shelby Cobra Concept, Ford Mustang GT Concept, Chevy Corvette C6, 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, 1962 Volkswagen Beetle, 1965 Shelby Cobra 427S/C, Dodge Viper GTSR, Chevy Van, 1970 Chevy El Camino, Ford F-150 Lightning and 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible. Licensed 5-packs (or 3-packs if you visit Walgreens) are continuing on for 2008. Expect more from Nick Jr, Spongebob Squarepants, Scooby Doo and Disney. Convoys too will see more licenses in 2008, like UPS, Conico and Simpson Racing. During 2007 we saw some new items start to appear in the Convoy range. However, there will be no new casting available during 2008. Mattel are currently working on a new and improved successor to the Convoy range to be launched in 2009. More details on this will be announced as and when it becomes available. As with Convoy, there will be no new castings for either Battle Kings or Hitch 'n Haul during 2008. As noted before, Hitch 'n Haul will be put on hiatus after 2008, but Battle Kings will be continuing for the foreseeable future. For those interested in knowing more, the El Segundo Fire Station recently announced that they have signed up for some vehicles to be made by Matchbox. This is correct, and 2 vehicles will be in El Segundo Fire Dept colors in the basic range during 2008. Look out for them. Currently there is still no information on a line preview, but I can confirm that there is not going to be a 2008 East Coast Convention. Mattel will look into the possibility of doing something for 2009, but in terms of 2008 conventions, they will only be doing one; Albuquerque. But a little good news. Mattel are hoping that the Matchbox.com website will be updated to show the 2008 range in January. Posters should be available in February. If you run a club and would like some posters, please let me know. |
So here it is, my third
Ambassador report. I hope this finds you all well. As we head into
the new year at Matchbox a few packages will be slightly
updated/altered to refresh the products available. We all saw the
updated 2008 packaging in the October report (which also gave us a
sneaky peek at 3 new models including one brand new casting). This
time we can bring you the rest of the 97 models that will be
available for 2008. However, it must be stressed that this is not a
final copy, and names and/or vehicles are still subject to change.
It is also an alphabetical list and the positions in the range will
be noted in a future report. A list of models receiving 2 color
schemes for 2008 will also be announced later.
When batch A arrives in the next few weeks we will still also be receiving the remaining few batches of 2007 in the assortments. As with previous years, they will get updated to be packaged in the 2008 design blisters but will continue to show their 2007 number in the range. A few people have already clocked on to the fact that the MB46 Mercedes Benz Unimog U300 for 2007 has still not shown up in stores even though the final batch of the year is out. Don't worry, it is still coming. There was a small delay in the approval of the final rendering. Short story, the person at the Mercedes Benz commercial division who Mattel were dealing with left the company. Mercedes did not appoint a replacement for a few months who needed to get up to speed before signing off on the model. This slid the debut back 3 months. It is now in production and will be included with batch B of 2008. Now some collectors like to keep their models in blisters on a year-by-year basis and like to see some continuity in their models. To this end, Mattel have ensured that the model will be released initially in a 2007 style packaging so that these collectors can keep the same look for all 75 of the 2007 models. It is also confirmed that the 2nd issue 2007 color on the model is still scheduled to go ahead. Obviously with the initial release being 3 months late, the 2nd issue 2007 will now be included in batch E. However, 2nd issue colors on 2007 models that are first included in 2008 batches will be packaged solely in 2008 design blisters. Chrysler has recently been through a few changes, and has recently spoken about trimming their product range in recent months. Matchbox owns the rights to a number of Chrysler vehicles. Due to certain changes, baseplates of various Chrysler products in the Matchbox range will over the course of the next few years be updated to reflect the current Chrysler trademark. At this time, Mattel will hopefully also include a scale on the Dodge Magnum. Talking of which, the Dodge Magnum is a very well liked model at Mattel, and some collectors have noticed it has been used very sparingly. Don't worry there is no problem with it, and we should see a few more versions appearing in the future outside of the basic range. It was noted that the #11 Construction 5-pack from 2007 debuted in August, but was missing from the next assortment. This was a temporary measure due to one of the molds breaking. However, whilst Mattel were busy fixing the mold another vehicle was prepared on the fly and included for a few batches as an interim to keep the package available in the majority of assortments. Look out for this variation in upcoming assortments before the original model returns late in the day. The final 2007 release has just started turning up and we are now moving on to 2008. As was noted before, the 5-packs are reverting back to 12 releases. One new release will be available on a month by month basis with the first one turning up in December. The 12 titles for the upcoming year are as follows....
The first set, as noted will be turning up in December. The TV licenses are proving to be a huge success in USA and are set to continue full force into 2008. The final 2007 set; Nick Jr; has recently turned up in stores and in the New Year we will see a host of new 2008 sets turning up. News on upcoming licenses will be available soon. The new style of packaging for these has proved to be really popular with the stores and will continue on for the new year. However, one small thing is that at some point during the year the little stickers that are currently included will be withdrawn from packages (possibly around late spring/early summer). Walgreens will continue with the smaller 3-Packs of TV license vehicles in 2008. It is worth noting that this smaller 3-pack is a Walgreens exclusive, and cannot be ordered elsewhere. Mattel will not offer it to dealers, hobby stores, drug stores, supermarkets or any larger retail chain. December will see the launch of the new range of playsets by Matchbox. These are pretty much all based on the Pop Up format, with a "mini" 90° style, "compact" 180° style, and a "deluxe" large set with a carrying handle and extra pull out areas. Around 10 of these are planned for release over the next year, with a significant proportion being available in the December release. All sets will include a unique casting, including a Police Car (note: this police car has already turned up in a recent 10-pack), Tow Truck, Plane and Bulldozer. However, one set will see the debut of a brand new casting; the MB732 Badlander. Mattel felt the need to create a casting that really suited the playset theme, and this model was designed with that in mind. As I said they were pretty much all based on the Pop Ups, except for 2 sets. These are special Battle King sets fitting in with the theme that we are used to seeing now (United Alliance vs. Rogue). They are also scheduled to be released in December. All sets are planned on being sold worldwide, although in the case of the Battle King sets, they are to be sold in all countries that already stock the Battle King packs. Speaking of Battle Kings, the next packs are due to be released around a similar time frame as the playsets. For 2008, there is a slight change to the design of the packaging, with the desire to keep the look fresh. Part of this will be the inclusion of a scenario on the rear of the packaging. Mattel have worked on a clever way to incorporate 2 opposing sets into 1 scenario. You will get the United Alliance set, and on the reverse a story line from their prospective. And then you will pick up the Rogue set, and on the rear will be the same basic storyline, but seen from their prospective. Very clever stuff. The final batch of Superfast America is due for release very shortly. Expect to find it in stores later this month. There are 5 models still to be released in the current series, and they will be packaged in the cartons of 8 as per normal. Each carton will contain one set of 5 models, plus 3 duplicates of random models. This will bring the series to a close. 2008 will see a new set of 20 being launched. The packaging will be altered a little to incorporate the Superfast name only, as this is how the series will carry on. The cartons will also be changing. Out go cartons of 8 models, and in comes cartons of 10 models. The series will be released in 2 batches of 10 (total series count of 20) with the first batch planned on debuting in January. I must stress that this is still a Wal*Mart exclusive. Again, Mattel will not offer it to dealers, hobby stores, drug stores, supermarkets or any other larger retail chain. A little later in 2008 comes the "Best of" series. There will be 2 releases with the first being a set of 12 Best of British. A second release will follow later in the year with a smaller set of 6 Best of International, and a smaller set of 6 Best of US Muscle released together as one assortment. These can be ordered by hobby stores and dealers, although will be offered to small chains if they so desire. 10-packs have been selling extremely well in 2007, and the theme of 2 "normal" 10-packs with one exclusive and 1 "all-exclusive" will continue on for 2008. The 2007 year saw the 2 "normal" set exclusives as an MB515 2000 Chevy Corvette Convertible and MB368 1999 ford Mustang Convertible, with a new color on each model in each release for a total of 4 colors of each model. 2008 will see new models taking their place, and being recolored for each of the 4 releases throughout the year. This time the 2 models are MB298 1968 Ford Mustang and MB434 Mercedes Benz S500. With a sudden glutton of promotionals appearing recently (Dunton Ford Transit, SEMA Taxi and 2008 Toy Fair VW Bus) many collectors have spoken about availability of these models. Mattel would like to clarify that these promotional items will only be available at their intended promotional scene. Mattel will not make any extras to supply to the collector community or hold any back to pass out. For collectors trying to get hold of these, there are really only 2 options. Knowing somebody who attends the event, or by buying from secondary markets (like auction houses). There are currently no new promotional items on the horizon. Finally, we come to the subject of wheels. Mattel are still working on more new designs to complement the range. The slightly larger double 10-spoke design has now just gone into production and you will soon be seeing this on vehicles that have a larger rear wheel compared to the front (like Corvettes, Vipers and Ford GTs). In fact, the first recipient of this will be the 2007 MB17 Dodge Viper GTSR, which will receive a mid-production alteration to upgrade to the new design wheel. Also of note is that the metal flake of this model was deemed to be too large, and a different, finer paint, has also been put into use for it. Apparently the change is easy to spot. Look out for this one soon. New designed wheels will hopefully start seeing the light of day before the end of 2008. Stay tuned for more updates. The 2008 line preview is being looked at, and more news on this will be coming soon. A seperate message will be sent out with news on whether this gets the green light or not, and if it does; when. |