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!

http://www.CarsDieCastToys.Blogspot.com

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.

http://www.CarsDieCastToys.Blogspot.com

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!

http://www.CarsDieCastToys.Blogspot.com

Disney Pixar Cars Toys Seen Plentifully In Stores

In the last week my travels have taken me to Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Target and Kmart. I've finally seen the Screaming Banshee and Barney Stormin' in plentiful quantities at all stores. I've seen and had fun playing with the New Walkin' Talkin' Lightning McQueen at all of these stores! I've seen Tar Lightning McQueen (have to stick to die cast mandate here) at everyone of these stores except Toys R Us. So, if you've been trying to find them without luck, you should start seeing them now.

http://www.CarsDieCastToys.Blogspot.com

My First Disney Pixar Cars Die Cast Toy

Things are a bit slow while we await the release of the R Cases in full force. The Comic-Con ended about a month ago and most have obtained a Lightning Storm McQueen. T Cases will be coming out soon containing Fred with Bumper Stickers, and people have been waiting for Toys R Us to stock their shelves for the Sidewall Shine promotion.

With it being slow, I started thinking about the very first Cars die cast toy I got. The very first was Lightning, quickly followed by Mater! I looked and the Disney price was $6.99 back then! Wal-Mart is a bargain at $3.47 even now. I started collecting before the toys were even in the stores. I obtained my first two as gifts from a friend who is a Cast Member at Disney World. Disney quickly sold out in a few days and the insane chase began! I'm going to guess that the majority of collectors started off with Lightning or Mater!

I remember early on how hard it was to find Lizzie and Sarge. The hoarding by Ebayers started right away. Ebay is going to have some major changes come October and I think a lot of small sellers are going to disappear. We'll see if the expected changes will make things less profitable and drive people out. Hopefully, this will be better for collectors.

It is fun to look at your collection and see how in just two years the packaging has changed. Here my original Lightning came on the Desert backer and had the hang tag that does not fold over. You also notice the angled bubble holding Lightning, and finally the non-numbered name plate.

I wonder which character will be the last added to my collection? I guess I'll find out around 2015! Stay tuned to find out.

http://www.CarsDieCastToys.Blogspot.com

Old Route 66 Days - Fini from Comic-Con '08

Comic-con was a grand buffet for the collector! I've been told next year will be even better and bigger for the Cars line! There were a load of great things I reported on from MattyCollector.com to the coming of "Elvis!" This is my last story from Comic-Con 2008.

If you recall, the scene in Cars where Sally and Lightning are at the Wheel Well Motel looking out over Radiator Springs, Sally reminisces about the good old days when she reminded Lightning that, "Cars didn't drive to make great time, they drove to have a great time!"



Well, you're going to get the opportunity to add the Old Days Cars to your collection as well! I'm going to discuss a couple I saw at Comic-Con to whet your appetite!

The first I'll discuss, is a truck that has a very distinct look...his name is Dustin Mellows. He was a delivery truck for Trophy Spark Plugs in the 1950's and travelled through Radiator Springs each month.

Here's Dustin in die cast form! He looks as if he'll be part of the "Over Sized" line. When will he be released? I don't know that yet.

I also saw this big green machine...Edwin Kranks. A Car who would eat at Flo's each night. Like a human partying and waking up with an unintended tattoo, Edwin woke up to find he had a metal flake green apple paint job. Girls suddenly stared at Edwin quite a bit, and those dinners at Flo's became dinner for two.

Here's Edwin in die cast form! A very cool looking character. Again, no release date as of today. There will be many more of the Old Days Cars. So, buckle your seat belts...there's going to be a great time ahead!

http://www.CarsDieCastToys.Blogspot.com

A Comment About Your Ability To Comment

I talked to a friend and reader the other day and he asked me how to comment to my articles. I told him that Blogger needs to improve this feature as it is small and hard to find. Some have found how to do so, while many others haven't. Making a thoughtful and contributing comment is certainly encouraged here! I just ask that you identify yourself in your post. If you scroll to the absolute bottom of any article you will find this...

Posted by orlandog ken at 1:44 AM 0 comments

To Comment, just click on comments and go from there. If you click on the envelope icon you can send the article to a friend. So, there ya go!

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Toys R Us Tarnishing Sidewall Shine Promotion

I coined a phrase about poor customer service that rings true about a large number of companies in our country. It is simple, "I shouldn't have to work, to give somebody my business!" Since the Sidewall Shine five for one promotion launched on August 18, 2008, I've gone to four of the five Toys R Us stores in Greater Orlando and found many sad and disturbing facts.

1. Just 1 person had heard "Something" about the promotion.
2. None of the stores had the fliers directing customers to the redemption site.
3. Every store had a pathetic inventory of die cast Cars. I'd estimate each store only had approximately a dozen toys. Most of what they had was pathetic as well. Ramones and Lightning McQueens.
4. The stores were quite a mess and poorly staffed.

Toys R Us can ill afford to be run so poorly. Is it any wonder the company has performed lousy for so long, and that the likes of Wal-Mart eat them for lunch!

I'm sure Toys R Us would blame Mattel for lack of supply and their reps not preparing the stores for the promotion. Mattel would simply say that Toys R Us is disorganized and hasn't communicated to their store managers. Either way, I am not a happy customer! I don't like driving all over and getting blank stares and finding stores with pathetic inventory! Wake up Toys R Us!

http://www.CarsDieCastToys.Blogspot.com

Disney Pixar Cars Sidewall Shine Promotion

What do you get when Toys R Us and Mattel want to blow out some Cars die-cast toys? A Disney Pixar Cars promotion to get a Sidewall Shine Car of course!! So, Here's the dealio...you run your butt down to your local Toys R Us from August 18, 2008 through September 30, 2008 and buy up 5 Disney Pixar Cars single die-cast toys. You follow the Terms and Conditions I've so conveniently placed here for you, and in 8-12 weeks you'll get one of these beautiful Sidewall Shine Cars! And, this time you don't have to try to beat the system, because you can order up to 10 of these little yellow beauties per household!! And, in case you can't find Transberry Juice, View Zeen, Shiny Wax, Edwin Kranks, Leroy Traffik or any of the NEW ONES, I'd suggest you plan to donate any duplicates you've purchased to ToysForTots to help make a kid's Christmas a little happier! You can see all the details at this here linkypoo! SidewallShinePromotion

Disney/Pixar CARS Racer Offer
Terms and Conditions

1. Buy any five Disney/Pixar Character CARS (Single packs, see list of UPC codes below) between August 18 and September 30, 2008 from a participating Toys ‘R Us store. Offer valid in the U.S. , Puerto Rico and U.S. territories.

UPC CODES SKU NAME

027084 47639 2 K4585 CARS RADIATOR SPRINGS LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 47640 8 K4586 CARS RAMONE (yellow)

027084 47641 5 K4587 CARS BOOST

027084 47642 2 K4588 CARS FABULOUS HUDSON HORNET

027084 47643 9 K4589 CARS YOUNG MATER

027084 47645 3 K4591 CARS HAMM

027084 47646 0 K4592 CARS FERRARI F430

027084 47647 7 K4593 CARS CRUISIN' LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 49401 3 L4143 CARS DIRT TRACK LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 49403 7 L4145 CARS HYDRAULIC RAMONE

027084 49404 4 L4146 CARS RAMONE (purple)

027084 49405 1 L4147 CARS TEX DINOCO

027084 49406 8 L4148 CARS RPM #64

027084 49407 5 L4149 CARS BOB CUTLASS

027084 49408 2 L4150 CARS DARRELL CARTRIP

027084 49409 9 L4151 CARS FRED

027084 49410 5 L4152 CARS DALE EARNHARDT JR.

027084 49411 2 L4153 CARS MARIO ANDRETTI

027084 49413 6 L4155 CARS YETI THE ABOMINABLE SNOWPLOW

027084 49414 3 L4156 CARS DINOCO HELICOPTER

027084 50397 5 L5251 CARS LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 50398 2 L5252 CARS SALLY

027084 50399 9 L5253 CARS MATER

027084 50400 2 L5254 CARS SHERIFF

027084 50401 9 L5255 CARS DOC HUDSON

027084 50402 6 L5256 CARS LIZZIE

027084 50403 3 L5257 CARS CHICK HICKS

027084 50404 0 L5258 CARS THE KING

027084 50405 7 L5259 CARS WINGO

027084 50406 4 L5260 CARS DJ

027084 50407 1 L5261 CARS DINOCO LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 50408 8 L5262 CARS RAMONE (green)

027084 50409 5 L5263 CARS NITROADE

027084 50410 1 L5264 CARS LEAK LESS

027084 51753 8 L6550 CARS BUG FACE LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 51754 5 L6551 CARS BLING-BLING LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 51755 2 L6552 CARS DINOCO CHICK HICKS

027084 51756 9 L6553 CARS TONGUE LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 51757 6 L6554 CARS CARS OLD SCHOOL RAMONE

027084 55985 9 M1252 CARS FILLMORE

027084 55987 3 M1254 CARS SNOT ROD

027084 56963 6 M2319 CARS PIT CREW MEMBER FABULOUS HUDSON HORNET

027084 56964 3 M2320 CARS TOW

027084 56965 0 M2321 CARS CHUKI

027084 56966 7 M2322 CARS PIT CREW MEMBER FILLMORE

027084 56967 4 M2323 CARS LIGHTNING RAMONE

027084 58369 4 M4240 CARS NOT CHUCK

027084 58370 0 M4241 CARS GUIDO

027084 58371 7 M4242 CARS RACE OFFICIAL TOM

027084 59326 6 M5253 CARS VAN

027084 59327 3 M5254 CARS CACTUS LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 59328 0 M5255 CARS GHOSTLIGHT RAMONE

027084 59329 7 M5256 CARS AL OFT THE LIGHTYEAR BLIMP

027084 59331 0 M5258 CARS PISTON CUP PACE CAR

027084 59332 7 M5259 CARS KORI TURBOWITZ

027084 59964 0 M6099 CARS DINOCO PITTY

027084 59971 8 M6106 CARS OCTAIN GAIN PITTY

027084 59975 6 M6110 CARS STACY

027084 59977 0 M6112 CARS KATHY COPTER

027084 59978 7 M6113 CARS RON HOVER

027084 59979 4 M6114 CARS SPIN OUT LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 59980 0 M6115 CARS AXLE ACCELERATOR

027084 59984 8 M6119 CARS CHIEF NO STALL

027084 59985 5 M6120 CARS TAR LIGHTNING McQUEEN

027084 59987 9 M6122 CARS PETROL PULASKI

027084 59990 9 M6125 CARS DEXTER HOOVER

027084 64142 4 N0929 CARS SALUTING SARGE

027084 65482 0 N2481 CARS LEROY TRAFFIK

027084 65484 4 N2483 CARS TANK COAT PITTY

027084 65485 1 N2484 CARS NITROADE PITTY

027084 65487 5 N2486 CARS EDWIN KRANKS

027084 65489 9 N2488 CARS FRED

027084 65490 5 N2489 CARS CHIEF RPM

027084 65491 2 N2490 CARS SALLY WITH CONE

027084 70745 8 N8471 CARS LIGHTNING McQUEEN (with bumper stickers)

027084 70746 5 N8472 CARS FRED (with bumper stickers)

027084 70788 5 N8514 CARS SHINY WAX

027084 70789 2 N8515 CARS SPAREMINT

027084 71726 6 N9860 CARS SPUTTERSTOP

027084 71727 3 N9861 CARS TRANSBERRY JUICE

027084 71728 0 N9862 CARS VIEW ZEEN

2. Mail a) your original receipt(s) dated from August 18, 2008, to September 30, 2008, b) 5 blister cards (the entire cardboard piece, but not the car or plastic window) for each vehicle you are requesting (limit 10 Sidewall Shine vehicles per household), c) a completed order form (before sending make copies of all materials for your files) and d) a check or money order (unless you pay online via credit card) payable to MATTEL for $5.00 shipping and processing for each vehicle you order to:

Disney/Pixar CARS Racer Offer

P.O. Box 1229

East Aurora, NY 14052

Requests must be postmarked by October 15, 2008 and received by October 31, 2008. The mail-in order form must accompany your request. Although you may purchase five basic cars on separate receipts within the promotional period, there is a limit of one Sidewall Shine vehicle for every five basic cars you purchase within the promotional period, regardless of how many receipts those five cars are on. Offer is limited to ten (10) Sidewall Shine vehicles per household.

3. Receive a 1:55 scale Disney/Pixar CARS Sidewall Shine vehicle in 8 - 12 weeks. Mattel reserves the right to substitute a vehicle of equal or greater value.

No copies or mechanical reproductions accepted. Material from non-compliant or duplicate requests will not be returned. Mattel, Inc. is not responsible for lost, late, damaged, misdirected, incorrectly addressed, illegible, incomplete, undeliverable, destroyed or postage-due requests, or requests with inaccurate or incorrect information, or typographical errors.

This promotion is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. Offer void where prohibited, taxed or otherwise restricted by law. Offer not valid in conjunction with other offers or coupons. No rain checks or other price/product guarantees will be honored. Fraudulent submission could result in federal prosecution under the mail fraud statutes.

Sponsored by Mattel, Inc., 333 Continental Blvd., El Segundo, CA 90245 U.S.A.

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