Disney Pixar Cars - Race Car Haulers

We know they are coming! We know they are die cast! We know they'll be made for every racer! Now, we know what they look like in their packaging! These are some cool toys! It took two years for Mattel's design team members to get the ok to produce the haulers at a price point they could justify!

The First three we see here are Lightning, Chick Hicks and The King's haulers! They all open so you can put your 1:55th scale racer in to be hauled to the Los Angeles Speedway! God! I'm going to have to use the guest room to hold all my Cars stuff soon.

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Disney Pixar Cars - Night Vision Lightning McQueen & Collector Guide

It was mentioned at Comic-Con, and here's what it will look like packaged. Night Vision Lightning McQueen with a 2009 Collector Guide! They should be out in the next month or so. Don't you wish we could see what the pages of the Collector Guide have in them?

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Disney Pixar Cars - Hong Kong Counterfeit Bust!

It was a matter of time and extensive investigation, but nine were arrested in Hong Kong for selling counterfeit Cars merchandise. The nine were actually employed at the legitimate manufacturing plant that is contracted to mass produce the Mattel Disney Pixar Cars line. My source informed me that the nine were in the process of creating a knockoff of the highly coveted "Motor Speedway of the South" set which has hovered around the $1500.00 price on secondary markets such as Ebay. They were creating counterfeit packaging that would have fooled the best of experts. They had many legitimate Mattel cases of Cars, photographs of items, and blanks stolen from the plant. The ring was estimated to have generated about $250,000 in sales to the point of their arrest. If they had released the bogus SOTS sets, it was estimated they could have netted about two to three million!


I was told to tell collectors to avoid buying Cars items from Hong Kong. I mentioned this in my column last week about Ebay Contraband. Buy legitimate, AUTHENTIC items that have been designed, approved and manufactured by Mattel! Believe me, MattyCollector.com will be releasing some incredible things in the future! Don't buy garbage and support criminals.

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Disney Pixar Cars - Doc Hudson's Alter Ego Paul Newman Passes

Just a few months after George Carlin passed away, now Paul Newman joins George as the next great to drive the expressway to heaven. Such distinct voices and personalities that will be very tough for Pixar to replace for Cars 2. It is easy to say that millions of fans are sad about the news. Newman's Doc Hudson was to have a larger role in the sequel. Again, how does John Lasseter deal with the loss of such a beloved and distinct actor? A voice double? A patching of Newman's own words by computer magic? Only time will tell. For now, remember why Doc went to Radiator Springs and I think you'll get a bit of insight into Paul Newman. Because as Doc told Lightning, "These are good folk around here, who care about one another. I don't want 'em depending on someone they can't count on."

The world could certainly count on Paul Newman! His Newman's Own company contributed over $200 million dollars to charities and allowed him to start his Hole In The Wall Gang Camps for kids with serious illnesses. I strongly suggest you read more about them at this link Hole In The Wall Gang.

As I said with the passing of Carlin, they may be able to imitate Paul Newman, but he was certainly an "Original" they won't match. His talents and unique personality will be terribly missed.

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Disney Pixar Cars - Chase Lightning McQueen With Bumper Stickers Error Car

No sooner did I mention my desire to start collecting Error Cars, when a friend called me to ask if a mutual friend had an Error Car! And, yes this is a good one! She got herself a Lightning McQueen with Bumper Stickers Chase Car that has no bumper stickers! I'd certainly love to have one of those! Take a look at these great pics my friend Julie took of her great find!

Looks like any other Chase McQueen doesn't it?

Yet, upon close inspection, we see that this Lightning does not have Bumper Stickers! He instead has "Medicated Bumper Ointment," where the three Bumper Stickers should be! This is truly a rare Car due to the fact that is a Limited Production "Chase," and it is an Error!

So, take a close look at your collection, you never know what you might have! I've yet to come across any Error Cars, but I'm sure I'll find one someday.

Check out my friend Julie Flores's great blog about Stitch and his meeting celebrities at this link Stitch's Adventure Club

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A Day Off Topic - Ridley Scott Films

I wrote about the Apple Car and the famous 1984 television ad directed by Ridley Scott. I watched one of my favorite Scott films, "Gladiator" last night. I started thinking about how many truly great films this man has directed and how I feel he is not given enough credit for his fantastic vision and work. So, I thought I'd write about some of his great films and ask you which one is your favorite. Let's talk about them chronologically from earliest to most recent...

In 1979 a Sci-Fi film set a new standard for effects and scared the hell out of movie goers! "ALIEN" introduced us to Sigourney Weaver and a female character who kicked some butt! This has always been one of my favorite films and I watch it constantly. The look, the story and that damn Alien never let's you get bored when watching this superb classic!





Then in 1982 Harrison Ford stars in Scott's next big hit..."Blade Runner!" A futuristic look at Replicants so alive, that even the experts hired to hunt them down can barely tell if they are human or not. We see the beautiful and sexy Sean Young in a role that defined her career. Another triumph of futuristic vision and story told by the amazing Ridley Scott!





In 1991 "Thelma and Louise" came calling. Ridley wasn't supposed to direct the film and decided to do it as a last resort. Another groundbreaking Scott film dealing with two women, Susan Sarandon (Louise) and Geen Davis (Thelma) who turn to crime after Thelma is raped. This movie introduced the public to another eventual star...Brad Pitt! Incrediblely beautiful shooting took place in Monument Valley along with a wild adventure that ends with the tragic demise of the two leads.





At the turn of the Century we went back a number of centuries to witness Ridley Scott's epic..."GLADIATOR!" This film amazed me with its incredible visual effects and the Oscar Winning performance that made Russell Crowe a Super Star! Another rising star Djimon Hounsou gave an incredible performance while Hans Zimmer wrote a haunting and beautiful soundtrack! One of my most favorite films of all time!





In 2001 Ridley decided to direct "Black Hawk Down." Based on the true story about American Rangers going into Somalia to rescue their fellow Rangers after their helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu. Another Scott film which introduces us to another future star in Orlando Bloom. The action scenes are fantastic, and as always, Scott's team casts greats such as Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett and Sam Shepard!





Finally, in 2007 Scott takes on another film based on a true story..."American Gangster!" Two of the finest modern actors, Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington head up a cast that tells the story about Frank Lucas, a Manhattan drug king peddling millions of dollars of heroin in the 1970's. The film is gritty, realistic and does not glorify crime.





There you have Six great films by Ridley Scott! Take a look at the trailers, then vote for your favorite in our poll at the top of the page.

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Disney Pixar Cars - How Do You Collect?

A friend who also collects Cars die cast toys called me and asked me how I collect. Basically, she wanted to know if I collect EVERY variation and anything that comes out. Personally, I follow a very simple strategy. As new Cars come out, I simply add them to my collection. I am not a collector who will buy every Desert backed character, then buy every World of Cars backed variation, and now the soon to be released Race Track backed variation. Why buy the same Car three times? To get the different packaging. Nah! It is still the same Car. Others would say getting every packaging variation is cool to them. I say it gets to be impractical and too expensive. But, as the saying goes, "To each his own."

I am collecting like a large number of collectors...I am building two sets, one to keep Mint On Card, and one to eventually open and display as part of a Radiator Springs diorama. I also collect Movie Moments that have unique characters. For example Flik and Flea, Sully and Mike, or Dinoco Blue Mia and Tia. I won't get Movie Moments such as Cruisin' McQueen and Sally because they've been released individually. The same holds true for triple packs such as Al Oft, Tow and Race Official Tom. They've all been released individually. Gold Mia and Tia with Bling Bling McQueen however, have not all been released individually, so I bought that triple pack.

I buy all the Limited Edition or Limited Release Cars such as Blu-Ray McQueen, Lightning Storm McQueen, Chase McQueen with Bumper Stickers and Chase Fred with Bumper Stickers. I also get the Promotional Cars such as the recently released Sidewall Shine in a display case.

One area of Cars collecting I'd like to get a few of are Error Cars. Cars with the wrong wheels or missing an obvious element. Fred without his license plate comes to mind. Would Kori Turbowitz be considered an Error? She has no side view mirrors. How about Mario Andretti's rims being the wrong color? Packaging errors are fun, but not really an error in the Car itself. A lot of those have been found. A yellow Ramone in a Lightning McQueen package, or a Doc Hudson in a Mater package for example.

Finally, I've been collecting Cars that have been autographed. I have Darryl Waltrip's and Mario Andretti's signatures on their respective Cars characters. I'm bummed I'll never be able to get George Carlin's signature due to his passing. I'll keep working on the rest of the characters and see where I end up.

So, how to you collect ? Are you similar to me? Are you a crazed completest? Do you only collect one character? There's no "Right" way! There's the way that makes you happy!

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Disney Pixar Cars - NEW Fred Measures Up!

I took a look at Cars the movie and froze the scenes that Fred was in. We first see him as he hangs out at the Rusteze sponsor tent at the Motor Speedway of the South. We can clearly see that he is a smaller Car, but we can't see his real comparative scale because Lightning drives past him.


Later at the Los Angeles Motor Speedway we see Fred trying to get by security as Mario Andretti comes in. Fred's wheels are about half the size of Mario's and we get a better idea of his size.


I'd conclude that Fred is indeed truer to scale as the New smaller version. Fred has been compared to the 1962 AMC Rambler. AMC was known for making smaller cars and it would make sense.


Here's a cousin to Fred, and that looks like a possible cousin of Mater's to his right. They need some Rusteze Medicated Bumper Ointment, and a visit from Doc Hudson to get them back on the road!

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Disney Pixar Cars - Ebay Contraband!

American Intellectual Property rights have been severely infringed on in places like China. An Ebay seller from Hong Kong is selling Disney Pixar Cars characters that Mattel has not even released. I spoke to a contact at Mattel who agreed with me that the items are highly likely to be stolen. Take a look...

I'm one of the most fervent of collectors and am aware that people want to get the newest release, but why buy stolen goods?! Not just that, but people are paying ridiculous prices for items they could get for $3.47 when they are legally released to the public. Sally With Cone sold for $101.23, Dexter Hoover for $40.99, Spinout McQueen also went for $40.99! How about some racers? Shiny Wax was low at $20.50, while View Zeen was the highest racer at $44.02, and Transberry Juice sold for $39.99!

It is not as if these Cars are not going to be abundant and easy to get folks!! So, what are you willing to pay for something that is truly rare? We see the lofty prices the Motor Speedway of the South set has hit (found one that sold for $1450 today). Right now Lightning Storm McQueen is looking like a bargain as he's selling for between $34.00 to $39.00! A supremely done Limited Edition of 7000 is selling for the same as these contraband Cars! Cars that will soon be out on the market by the hundreds of thousands. Use your brain people and boycott stolen items.

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Disney Pixar Cars - Big Fred & Little (Chase) Fred

I went to Saint Pete last night to see my Red Sox play the Devil Rays and witnessed some of the biggest idiots at a sporting event ever! Two rows of thirty-somethings that were drunk, obnoxious and inconsiderate. The entire night was spent trying to watch the game as the buffoons stood up and blocked everyone's view while acting like morons. What's this got to do with Fred?! Well, I'm not going to tell you the entire night's events because it is just too long to go into. What I'll tell you is that the night was a mess until I decided to go into a Wal-Mart on the way home. I went to the toy department and saw pallets stacked all over the place. I looked, and to my amazement found a T-Case! For the first time ever, I was lucky enough to get to a coveted case before the Ebay Hogs! I asked an associate if I could open it and get what I wanted. He pulled out his razor knife and cut it open for me. There inside was Fred with Bumper Stickers and Axel Accelerator!! I was elated and shocked to make the find. I decided to see if there were any other Cars cases. I saw a few E Cases and an M Case, all were already opened and picked over. Then, I spied one last Case and it had the letter T on it! How could they have missed it? I opened it and got my second Fred! So, my night finished up with a positive and unexpected bang!

So, how does Big Fred compare to the New Little Fred? To start, Big Fred is 2-5/8 inches long, while Little Fred is 1-7/8 inches long. Little Fred has bumper stickers on him, while Big Fred is sans stickers. They are the same otherwise. The packaging is slightly different. Big Fred has the World of Cars backer with NEW Shield, and the #44 for the collector's checklist. Little Fred has the Chase Shield, with the #87 and a fancier white name plate. I like both, and want to actually take a look at the film to see which is more in scale with the rest of the characters. As some have pointed out, the New Fred almost looks like a Mini. Either way, I scored for once and as any of you know, that's a great feeling! Good luck finding your Fred with Bumper Stickers.

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Disney Pixar Cars - Customer Service Phone #'s

Ever try to find a phone number to check on your Red Line Club order? How about a mess up with your MattyCollector.com Lightning McQueen order? Maybe you want to go to a Disney Special Event and need to find out more info. Well, to help make our readers' lives easier, we have posted Customer Service phone numbers just under "Our Preferred Site Links." So, if you are like me, and can't find a number when you need it, just make a quick visit to Alternator Valley and we're here to help!

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Disney Pixar Cars - Check Your Receipt At TRU!

I went to Toys R Us today to buy five more Cars die cast toys. I got my first Sidewall Shine yesterday and was blown away by how well it was done, thus I wanted to order another. I got home, looked at my receipt and realized the stupid woman rang in the same item twice! Why is this a problem you ask? Because now, my receipt doesn't match the UPC codes on the backer cards I need to send in to complete the offer. So, now I have to go back to the store and make certain the next person scans each one individually.

So, take my advice and learn from my misfortune...Make certain each car is individually rung in and matches the list of the UPC codes for the offer.

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Disney Pixar Cars - The Arrival of Sidewall Shine

Many have started to receive their Sidewall Shine die cast cars! I got mine today. Sidewall Shine was greeted by Lightning McQueen and Luigi. His packing was very thorough and he needed help being unpacked...

Sidewall Shine in his temporary transport vehicle

Luigi gets to work on unpacking Sidewall

Lightning awaits Sidewall's unveiling

The folks at Mattel packed Sidewall very well

Sidewall says hello to Lightning

This is a very nice addition to my collection. I have to say the display case is fantastic! Mattel does this right. Both Sidewall and Lightning Storm are superbly done. Wait till you see what they come out with on MattyCollector.com!! Today was a happy day!

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Disney Pixar Cars Short Card Backs - News or Not

I was in a Kmart about a week ago and saw New short card backs. It was the first time I had seen such an item. I recall reading something a number of months back, but have not seen or heard anything about them since. So, if this is News to you, then you'll eventually see them showing up in stores. If you've heard about these new short card backs, then this is old news to you and you are super cool!

The question now is, do you want short card backs as a collector? They take up less space, but don't cost you less. They cost Mattel and Disney less in packaging costs since the card back is about half as tall. How about those of you who've purchased Card Protectors as I have that are made for the tall card backs. Does this upset you? Is this the future for the entire "Mainline?" I'll have to ask my contacts at Mattel and let you know.

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Disney Pixar Cars Kmart Collectors Day 10/18/08

Mattel will be partnering with Kmart on October 18, 2008 for a Disney Pixar Cars "Collectors Day!" Similar to the Hot Wheels events they've done with Kmart, collectors can go to Kmart with the expectation of seeing Brand NEW releases, raffles and fun!

Here are the Cars die cast toys we can expect to see...

Edwin Kranks will be the first of what I've coined,
the "Old Route 66 Days" characters released.

Fred will be released in his New, smaller scale size.
I don't believe he will be the Fred with Bumper Stickers Chase version.
But, you never know!

Get ready to see "Shiny Wax," a.k.a. Darren Leadfoot, Car #82!

You'll also meet "Sputter Stop," a.k.a. Murray Clutchburn, Car #92!

"Transberry Juice," a.k.a. Lee Revkins, Car #63 will be stopping by!

You'll clearly see "View Zeen," a.k.a. Ryan Shields, Car #39 on the 18th!

"Spare O Mint," a.k.a Ernie Gearson, Car #93 will freshen up your day!

You know I'll be there! I'll report how things went and let you know any other details leading up to the big day!

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Disney's Pin Celebration Unveils New Cars Pin Bag

I just attended the Annual Disney Pin Celebration at Epcot. Since things have been slow, I know many of you also collect Disney pins and would be interested in this news. I saw that Disney will be releasing a New Pin Bag with Cars characters Lightning McQueen and Mater on the cover.

Disney will also be releasing a starter set with four pins and a lanyard. They'll be doing something different with the New starter set. Instead of just two different pin designs, there will be four different pins. I wasn't told what they'll be, or when they will be released. As with past starter sets, it will be an open edition set.

You rarely see Disney Pixar Cars pins and accessories. These items should start appearing in the next few months.

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Disney Pixar Cars Display Case Team Xmas Gift

Would you like one of these!? I know I would! The only people who have this incredible display case are the team members who work on the Cars product line. It was given to them as a Christmas gift from Pixar and John Lasseter in 2007. The case is a large shadow box type capable of displaying twenty of the normal sized Cars die cast toys. In the above photo, you see that Guido and Luigi share a spot giving it a capacity of twenty-one Cars.

It is framed in a black lacquer finish and is signed by Pixar chief, John Lasseter! You'll also notice it has a small plaque stating, "50,000,000 and counting..." I asked my friend from Mattel about this, and yes, it is how many Cars die cast toys had been sold at the time! Is it any wonder that Cars are burning hot and tough to track down by collectors! Those types of numbers mean Cars are a bona fide blockbuster product line.

I've spoken in detail with the team at Mattel about collectors wanting a truly fantastic Display Case. A truly fine, high quality case may become a reality on MattyCollector.com. How much would you pay for a Limited Edition Case, commissioned by Mattel, and made exclusively for your Disney Pixar Cars collection? I personally want one that can hold a large number of Cars. Maybe a Case for the Piston Cup Racers, one for the townsfolk of Radiator Springs, how about one for the Fans, another for the Old Route 66 Cars!

Only time will tell us if this will become a reality. You can consult a Magic 8 Ball, or you can subscribe to Alternator Valley!

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