Increased price to RM6.90

I was in Cold Storage last Friday, the Hot Wheels selling price is RM6.78 or RM6.80 after rounded up, MyNews selling it at RM6.90, and Petronas RM8.70 if not mistaken. (Please correct me if I'm wronged)

Is that the sign of the other price hike for Hot Wheels? Not again!!

Luck this is not true. After clarification, it is due to toys price in Malaysia are not regulated.

Malaysian government does not allow suppliers to control retail pricing for toys. In other word, toys manufacturers does not have rights to stop retailers from doing this, but recommended retail pricing for Hot Wheels basic cars still RM6.50.

So, as smart collectors, you know what to do. Cheers.

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Where are all the new stocks?

The Hot Wheels wave in the markets seem slow or rather not moving. I was looking around for the new assortments for long, but yet have any new spotted. Boring!!!

The common assortments we have in the market mostly on '55 Chevy wave, and some still DK. What's in the hot list are White F430 Spider, Green Lamborghini, and the rest are good too, just whether is your cup of tea.

It has been long wait, how much time we need? Or Is that just silent before storm? But when it is heavy down pouring, do you have a deep pocket?

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More daring actions needed!!!

Lucky tonight I'm not so tired to write post, collectors were asking me why no new updates to my blog when they met me in the swap meet event. Perhaps, you still remember me and this diecast blog.

The school holiday started this week, and the shopping malls are full with parents and kids. Most of the retailers take the opportunity having sales to stimulate the buying power.

What I observed from the toy departments, most of the diecast distributors have discount on their items but yet nothing on Hot Wheels.

Market Summary:
Tomica - I see is biggest alternative to Hot Wheels, reduced price from RM12.90 to RM10.90 plus 20% discount, that means RM8.70, 32% discount.
Maisto - Covers most of 1/43, 1/24 and 1/18 markets, reasonable price with now 20% discount. Latest 1/64 models have better build, price at RM4.90 with 10% discount.
Realtoy - Real live models, good build quality, selling at discounted price RM3.00 at Tesco, amazing!

In contrast, Hot Wheels missed the boat, currently stuck at high price and old assortments. Kids and collectors are looking out for alternative and fresh models. Market is shrinking month by month, week by week, our GDP this year is -ve 5, the actual number will be greater than this.

People looking for?
People are looking for value-for-money, or good items at cheaper price, warehouse sales for branded stuff explained, In other word, price war. Most of the manufactures and distributors are letting go inventories for cash, no one knows what will happen next quarter, but for sure, it will gets worst before it gets better.

The same message has passed to the correct person, the answer I have is "Patience... It will start", hopefully, that will be a great one.

Do look forward like me, but not too long. Cheers. YeoCP//

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Custom Datsun Bluebird 510, Swap Meet Car

Remark: Specially custom for the Hot Wheels Swap Meet event on 30/5
Build No.: 1 of 1

1 more pictures after the jump


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Custom Ferrari 250 GTO, Swap Meet Car

Remark: Specially custom for the Hot Wheels Swap Meet event on 30/5
Build No.: 1 of 1

1 more pictures after the jump.


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First Official Hot Wheels Swap Meet

Dear Hot Wheels collectors,

For the 1st time with joint efforts between HWCM and Mattel SEA on Official Hot Wheels Swap Meet.

If you didn't know there is such event coming, please see the event details below.

Date: 30 May 2009
Time: 10AM ~ 6PM
Venue: Central Park, 1 Utama Shopping Center (Opposite 1 Utama New Wing)

Besides the Hot Wheels Swap Meet, there will be other activities like slide show, collection show cases, demonstration, and etc.

We (HWCM) will be there to assist on the event, to make the event more successful, 200 goodies bags will be given away with Hot Wheels cars inside. T-Hunt inside If you are the lucky one.

Please bring as many Hot Wheels to swap with other collectors, admission is free.

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Custom VW Beetle, Swap Meet Car

Remark: Specially custom for the Hot Wheels Swap Meet event on 30/5
Build No.: 1 of 1

2 more pictures after the jump



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Customizing Hot Wheels, How Far Can You Go?

Hello customizers, see the customized Hot Wheels done by the experts. I'm quite confident I going to see the similar custom from Malaysian one day soon.

2 more pictures after the jump. YeoCP



Pictures courtesy of HWC

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FR for Week 19

Some restocked as reported by member Kurz in Kepong Carrefour. It is mixture of new and old wave (including 2007 assortments).

Mattel changed the wave assortments to mix half-half new and old models. Appreciate the movement, otherwise no 09 cards until today.


Checklist for this wave:
2008 FE Ferrari, 288 GTO - Copper
2009 Dream Garage, Lamborghini Murciélago - Green
2009 Dream Garage, Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 - Brown
2009 HW City Works, Ice Cream Truck - Blue
2009 Dream Garage, 2006 Dodge Viper - Grey
2009 Dream Garage, Ferrari F430 Spider - White
2009 HW City Works, Surfin' School Bus - Silver
2009 Heat Fleet, Custom Volkswagen Beetle - Brown
2009 HW Racing, Cabbin' Fever - Red
2009 HW Premiere, Ferrari 250 GTO - Black
2009 HW Premiere, La Fasta - Yellow

Pictures and information courtesy of Kurz, thanks for sharing.

Do checkout other field reports filed below, sometime may surprice you. YeoCP

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Hot Wheels April Release, Long Waiting Ahead

While we waiting to see the 1st colour locally in Malaysia, Mattel already issue the 2nd and 3rd colours of the variation. Collecting Hot Wheels also train your patient.

More pictures after the jump. YeoCP









Pictures courtesy of HWC.

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FR: 2009-05-06 MV

Colour Shifters restocked in Carrefour, if you haven't got your 2nd colour Evo X, please quickly go there, 3 left on rack.

By the way, Carrefour just got the bigger rack, more Hot Wheels can stuff in to the rack, now just being empty.

Do visit Toys R' Us, last year promo pack selling for RM17.50 after 30% discount. Still found Red Evo and R8 second variance in the package.

RM17.50 for 5 Hot Wheels, cheap cheap!

That all for today. YeoCP


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Shell Ferrari Promotion Ending

Last 5 days before the Shell Ferrari promotion end on 11th May. Have you completed your set together with the garage?

From my observation, most of the Shell station still have plenty of stocks, perhaps the market response will not disappointing Shell before we can expect the other new promotion next year.

For me, still looking for the 360 GTC to complete my 3rd set. Have been "pumping" hard to collect 21 of them, anyway 5 days to go, finger crossed. YeoCP//

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Fastlane Fight Back

It is not hard to figure out why Fastlane (or realtoy) changed their packaging, it is really a head on to the latest 2009 Hot Wheels movement.

Not just that, the selling price for the new packaging is 1 ringgit cheaper, RM5.50. That even cheaper before Hot Wheels price increament.

The Rival
Mattel will need to educate non Hot Wheels collectors about the differences on their product vs rival. To parents or children, both may looked the same, but parents may pick the red package because of their price. You never know.

Top Portion
A Celica looked car on every cards, this is to cut production cost on art works compared to Hot Wheels packaging.


Packaging Back
Mentioned Fastlane is OEM from Realtoy International. They have more castings on Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota and Volkwagen.


The Real Fight Back
Realtoy produced production cars (real cars) and they do have quite numbers of Japanese and European models. That aren't what collectors are collecting for? VWs, Hondas...

The only thing they need to do is to create a chase car series, similar to Hot Wheels, Segments series, First Edition and Super T-Hunts (with rubber wheels) will definately boost their collectors base.

Fastlane Marketing Department, think about it! YeoCP//

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Hot Wheels Classics: Series 5

5th year of Hot Wheels Classics series, still remember my 1st purchase in Malaysia was at Mattel warehouse sale some time back. The Classics were never in Malaysia ever, and this will not for this year too.

For series 5, Mattel picked some of the best-known muscle cars, hot rods, and Hot Wheels originals from the past 4 decades as well as 16 brand new models.


Bottom Line
A notable model for Malaysian will be the 2001 Mini Cooper, see picture below. Franky, if these in Malaysia, only and the only model can sell will be the Mini too. Too bad, American Classics, too foreign to us.



Full Classics 5 Castings
'29 Ford Pickup [N6945] (New tool!)
'47 Chevy® Fleetline™ [N6954]
'58 Edsel [N6933] (New tool!)
'59 Cadillac® Funny Car [N6938] (New tool!)
'62 Corvette® [N6949] (New tool!)
'65 Pontiac® Bonneville™ [N6936]
'70 HEMI® Challenger [N6951]
'70 Monte Carlo™ [N6934] (New tool!)
'70 Pontiac® GTO® [N6940]
'72 Ford Ranchero [N6960] (New tool!)
2001 Mini Cooper [N6942]
8 Crate® [N6955]
AMC Greased Gremlin [N6943]
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato [N6946] (New tool!)
Combat Medic [N6952]
Convoy Custom™ [N6953] (New tool!)
Copper Stopper™ [N6948] (formerly Paddy Wagon)
Custom '56 Ford Truck [N6937]
Custom '66 GTO® Wagon [N6941] (New tool!)
Deco Delivery™ [N6944] (New tool!)
Dune Daddy™ [N6958]
Fish'd & Chip'd™ [N6957]
Hammer Sled® [N6950]
School Busted™ [N6961] (New tool!)
SS™ Express [N6947]
Street Rodder [N6935] (Retool!)
Studa-Beaker [N6959] (New tool!)
Studebaker Avanti [N6939] (New tool!)
Texas Drive 'Em™ [N6956] (New tool!)
Tucker Torpedo [N6932] (New tool!)

Source: HWC

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Kzone Story is up

The story I wrote for Kzone for Hot Wheels Collecting finally is published in the May 2009 copy.

Still remember the submission was back to March, after revision, it is up on schedule for the May issue in conjunction for the K-Zone 4th Birthday Bash.

What is that? Hot Wheels is invited as one of the partners for the event, see the event details below,

Date: 30 May 2009
Time: 10AM ~ 6PM
Venue: Central Park, 1 Utama Shopping Center (Opposite 1 Utama New Wing)

*** Free Entry! ***

There will be Games, Contest, Treasure Hunts, Shows, Photo Session with Jimmy Neutron and more...

More importantly, 1st 300 registers will have goodies bag contain a Hot Wheels. That will be atlease 4 boxes of Hot Wheels open of the door gift, and you may pick the one with the Treasure Hunt, how about Super?

Please come to the Birthday Bash and see the HWCM Committee Members at the Hot Wheels Booth.

See you there.

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Field Report for Dry Season

Finally the refreshment is here! and it wraps for the weeks. Tomorrow is Holiday, I'm going to have a good resh.

Carrefour Mid Valley got a restock, it was the mixture of new and old assortments in the wave. From the observation, the models on the pegs not complete comparing to the one reported by PY (see last Saturday post).

I believe the stocks keeper still have some extra, for such big hypermarket they should have more in the storeroom. I advice you revisit the store tomorrow if you drop by for the windows shopping.

Before I left, I saw someone talking to the store keeper, perhap he did not open to see the rest.

Good luck to us. YeoCP

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The Untraceable Variation, Buick Grand National Revealers

From the earlier post, I have made the BGN (Buick Grand National) out of the blister.

The Revealers is extraordinary with the wheels variance, which not usually see in the team segment. (You can check)

Let's talk on the BGN, the engine revealing feature is cool. Without the hood, the modded chrome V6 3.8L engine can be clearly seen. While you just need a little harder to remove the cover. It is click on!

Vin Diesel going to drive one in the latest Fast and Furious movie, if you have the BGN black colour First Edition, it looked just the same. Unfortunately, I do not have. :( YeoCP//





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Custom Volkswagen Beetle, Lovely!

A quick DIY on the VW Beetle from the currently wave, just added some lovely pictures from the Nail Decor stickers, the result looks like from decal paper.

The Nail Decor is the one use for ladies nail decoration, I find it very easy to apply and it is very cost effective (Less than RM2.00).

The steps to apply is simple,
1. Cut the shape out and remove the clear sheet.
2. Place the design face down on the surface and press firmly.
3. Wet the back with water and wait for 30 seconds.
4. Slide the back paper and let the design dry.

Still looking for nicer pictures for my upcoming DIY, as this is for nail decoration, don't expect to get racer stickers like HKS, Sparco and stuff.

Something you can try is the Tattoo stickers, it is from the same material, you should have more variety design to choose from. Have fun!

YeoCP//



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Review: Hot Wheels Ferriari 430 Spider

The 430 Spider reveal again in 2009 Dream Garage, originally from 2006 First Edition.

This year, the 430 purely in black and white, no any other colours on it. Even though still sexy. YeoCP//

I Like:
Clean combination, black and pearl white, nice!

I Dislike:
Nope, nothing!!

Verdict:
The first unveil in pack of 3, still waiting for its single blister pack.

Ferrari 430 Spider
153 2009 Dream Garage Series #7 White / Ferrari Logo on Hood, Black reverse tampo created 2 main racing stripes Black Plastic Clear Black Chrome-Rimmed, Black OH5 P2473 Malaysia



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FR: Wrap of the week 17

Finally we saw multiple of Custom '53 Chevy by HWCM members, especially Pydrumerboy from his Tesco routine checks.

Market is very dry, perhaps, this is a good sign for end of the Blue Bird Wave, and bye bye to 2008 cards. Just a few days to May, we still see 08 cards on most of the pegs. Exapmle, TRU, I have not seen any new cards for the pass 5 months.

Still remember New Cold Storage outlet open in PJ last weeks, stocks almost finish on the opening day, Datsun Blue Birds and VW Beetles are gone in 1st day. I was there after work, left only the 2nd choices on the racks.

Few notable models for the new wave,
Dream Garage 2006 Dodge Viper
Dream Garage Lamborghini Murciélago
Dream Garage Ferrari F430 Spider
Hot Wheels Star Go Kart
T-Hunt Custom '53 Chevy

All these are my wanted list, not sure about yours, but do get your pocket ready.


Pictures courtesy of Pydrumerboy, hopefully new wave is on my way.

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