Time to update my 2014 Super Treasure Hunt Experiment.
To refresh your memory, I am trying to see how many of the 15 Super TH’s of 2014 I can find on the pegs. And by pegs, I mean on the pegs, in a sidekick, in a dump bin, or a Kmart Kdays case. Basically in store and not on a pallet. And without doorwarming or overnight raiding.
Can I walk into a store in the middle of the day and leave with a Super TH?
Well, I am 4 for 4*.
And yes, that is an asterisk. Why, because I am technically 4 for 6. With the Gasser earlier this month, 6 Super TH’s have been released in 2014. I have now found the first four, in order. That makes 4 for the first 4, with the ’07 Mustang and ’55 Gasser still to find. And who knows if I will.
Here is how my latest find went down, as described on HWC:
Sunday means roasted beet salad, so we were off to our favorite grocery store to prepare.
We bypass several other stores to get to this one, but their produce and meats are second to none, they try to stay as local as they can, and their prepared foods are fantastic. But I have never gone there for Hot Wheels. From what I have seen they stock about a half-case of Hot Wheels in a small toy section once a year around Christmas.
So I was a bit shocked to see a four-sided peg tree in the seasonal aisle full of Matchbox and Hot Wheels. I decided to check, and quickly came across a Speedbox Regular TH. I left it, but wondered if that was a sign that these may not have been raided. There were some models that had fallen to the ground, but that could have been a kid’s doing.
Sure enough, about halfway through one of the sides, something caught my eye:
Let me look closer:
The ’71 Mustang Super. My fourth Super for 2014.
So of course I would keep looking. And there, at the bottom of the next side, hanging above some models that had fallen to the ground:
A little closer:
2. Sandblaster:
Found in November at a Walmart close to my house. I have had success at this store before (3 previous Supers, plus the Fast & Furious Mustang), mainly because the toy manager stocks the Hot Wheels at different times during the day. His night staff is instructed to keep the Hot Wheels off the floor overnight, and he stocks them the next day. I found the Sandblaster on some endcap pegs at about 5 pm. I saw the manager soon after and he told me he had pegged one case about 3 hours before, so that is as long as it hung:
How I found it:
Moved to the front of the pegs:
3. 2013 Hot Wheels Chevy Camaro Special Edition:
Found mid-December at a Walmart in a suburb about 30 minutes from my house, at about 3 pm. This Walmart sits right in the middle of typical urban sprawl, which means a lot of young families, and a very busy store and toy section. Especially during the holidays, the staff is constantly roaming the toy section cleaning up and keeping the pegs full. There was a dump bin around the corner overflowing with several batches, but it appeared well-picked-over. It is clear, based on the look of the pegs, that someone had recently filled some gaps with all or part of a case, and the Camaro was right out in front:
How I found it:
And placed next to the Fangster Regular TH I left behind:
What do you think, can I go 15 for 15?
We would love to see your mid-day luck. Please be sure to share with us on Facebook, Twitter, or on Instagram (hashtag #lamleyfinds).
Good finds you magnificent devil. Just goes to show, if you are persistent and consistent, you can indeed find good stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if you manage to find all 15, barring some kind of supply problem that results in skipped batches.
Now that I heard the Mustang $TH find, and the other 3, I should definetely go back to my local Wal-Mart and get that 2014 E case $TH 07' Mustang I left behind…
I had luck finding 2 STH in Spring 2010 and 4 STH in late 2011. I even had my “STH snatching week” at the last days of 2011 and first two days of 2012, where I found in found different toy and market stores the '58 Impala, the Avanti, the '71 Mustang Funny Car and the Corvette Grand Sport… Later in the year in Jumbo Unicenter found two STH of the same Corvette and that was my last and STH finding in my life. I have also one STH of 2013, but was found in a toy fair from ambulant vendors who were collectors, and at expensive price.
Clearly you do not live in Seattle were the collectors to store ratio is horrible, not to mention the store employee's and there friends. Found 2 last year. I go in about three to four times a week. Our W.M's are still with empty pegs, I went out Monday morning and was at three Wallys before 7am.
That “beet salad” Mustang find reminds me of the time I found the Race Team '71 Maverick Grabber Super at a QFC that had around 10 Hot Wheels hanging on a couple peg strips – one in the bread aisle, the other next to the frozen food aisle. That QFC rarely has Hot Wheels and usually charges $1.99 for them, but had them on sale for 99 cents the week I found it. (And yes, I would've paid the full price without second thought if they weren't on sale.)
-ThisDudeAbides
By the way, my last Super find was the pink Bone Shaker, on a short card hanging in one of the checkout aisles at a Fred Meyer a while back. The only other 2013 Super I've been able to get thus far was the Toyota 2000 GT, also at a FM (but in a long card, deep in a 4-sided shipper). The Toyota was the one Super I wanted the most, so I'm happy that I was able to find it in a store. But yeah, the Portland area kind of sucks for Super finds if you're unable to be a door warmer.
-ThisDudeAbides
They don't put out new stuff at my local stores for many weeks on end.. I haven't found a single $TH, ever.. I sort through all the cars once a week, even though I know they haven't added any.. and you manage to find 2 in one store on a random day *le sigh*
I never have good luck finding the Super TH's, though in a way it's not like I seek them out specifically since it's usually a lost cause with how many door warmers & pallet raiders there are here in the Midwest.
I did however find 4, yes FOUR of the Chevrolet SS Super TH across 3 different stores last December during the stocking frenzies before Christmas. I sold one to a fellow collector and would like to trade another for the 2013 HotWheels Camaro TH shown above but no one around seems to have an extra for trading! Pity…
What name is this grossary store that sells Hot Wheels and those Matchbox?
Can't find a TH$ in Jakarta or Surabaya, all had been hunted down by online sellers, bribing the store employees and the TH$ never even make it to the pegs.
Nice finds! I hope I could get those too! Well, i can only stick to the regulars for now…
particularly the civic EF… the casting i've been looking for, might try and check at the supermarket after i go to church. the car seemed to have dissapeared everywhere due to some collectors snagging them all up
My record was 3 $TH at one store and it was the last green mustang of 2013. I shattered that record a few days ago when I found 11 $TH of the '70 Chevy Chevelle, only 2 of the 11 had bad cards. Wish I could find them like that every month!