I hope that you have enjoyed Lamley’s ongoing foray into how great Matchbox has been, and great it can be again. It has been a blast for me to pull out some of my favorite Matchbox castings and give them some fresh new attention.
Based on the comments, a lot of you are Matchbox fans too. Or at least want to jump into the Matchbox game. Matchbox is hot right now. The Tesla, Porsche, Lambo LM002, and BMW M5 Police are being gobbled up at the store. The Skyline, Miata, and others in the 2016 lineup have many chomping at the bit.
But as much excitement as is out there right now, there is some frustration as well. In many places, the pegs are clogged with undesirables, those unlicensed models that don’t seem to interest collectors and kids alike. When these don’t move, new product stays out, and retailers might get the wrong impression that there is little interest in the orange brand.
Because there is no way for Mattel to decipher one model from another (all have the same SKU number on the back), it is hard for them to know what is selling and what isn’t. They can’t be in every store at all time.
BUT THEY CAN NOW!
Sorry to yell, but we can show them.
So today we are starting the #mymatchboxpegs Project, where we show the folks at Mattel what we see on a regular basis. All you need to do is take a pic of the pegs at the store you are visiting and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #mymatchboxpegs, mentioning the store chain and location. That way Mattel can use that hashtag to see what we see. It is that simple.
And be objective. If the pegs are stuffed with brand new product, show it. If it is all licensed models and the generics are gone, show that too. But before you touch those pegs, take a pic and post it. Don’t stage them. Just take the pic, good or bad. And if you are not on Instagram, now is the time to join. If you tag your pics, Matchbox will see them.
This is in no way scientific, but it can give Mattel an idea of what is selling and what isn’t. If they see a lot of generics, it might compel them to push more licensed, realistic cars. It could be eye opening to the powers that be.
Matchbox has a whole new team in place that is committed to bringing Matchbox back in a big way. We can help, and they will listen.
Who is in?
I'm most definitely going to take part in this. Around me in CT, there is nothing for MBX. It's as if no one restocks Matchbox, the same two dusty cars will be sitting on the pegs of Walmart, Stop and Shops, and Targets for months with nothing new coming or going. It'd be really nice to get my hands on the new LM002 or especially the M5, but I can't find anywhere that has even a half way decent stocking let alone the models that're going to be hot. Good idea Lamley!
I'll do this for sure. Need some new product, and certain ones for some wheel swaps I want to do.
Cool, l'm in the game too. I realy tired to see all thoses ugly fantasy vehicules left behind in my locals pegs. Will take somes sneaks pics for sure… Matchbox realy need to fix that cases shipping problem too. We did'nt receive new matchbox for months here in Canada.
i wish Mattel would sell matchbox here in Spain, They've deprived us from MBX for many years now.
What if they're literally non-existent in my local stores? :O
Same thing goes around here on Portugal 🙁
Its even worse in India. They have stopped Matchbox here alltogether. Bad move. There are so many collectors in India who are craving to get their hands on their beloved die-cast brand. I really want the Cayman, M5, LM002, Tesla etc. And no, not everyone has to ability to order online. Please Matchbox/ Mattel, listen to us. Start selling Matchbox in India again!
I was at a Target in Burke, VA last week with zero pegs for MBX singles. They strangely had a few pegs of 5 packs but no singles. Not even labels, so I know it wasn't just that they were out. Very weird.
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No individual SKU numbers is the stupidest thing I've read and that may explain why Target, Walmart, Kmart, Toys R Us etc in the Lehigh Valley, PA and western NJ has nothing but empty pegs or the crappy unlicensed cars if any. And what's more bizarre is I am in an hours radius of both Philadelphia and New York City!
Such a simple answer. All Mattel has to do is look at the castings of the late 60's and 70's for inspiration. When I got back into the collecting hobby it was because I had discovered a bunch of Matchbox castings that had been packed away since my youth, I had forgotten that they had such great detail and such realism. Damn!, even the unlicensed models were awesome.
Here in Switzerland it is terrible too, most stores kicked out MB last year or so (because they could not get rid of the generics). The remaining currently have only the last case of 2014 or older. But late july the Jurrasic World-series showed up – not interresting fo most of us,..
Generally Germany has a few cases in advance to us, so they probably have the first cases 2015 in the stores.
No MB for France and Italy, as far as I now.
Well these pics show some models I haven't even seen yet. The Heros line is no where to be found.
When you say all models have the same sku's that is hard to believe! This huge company has no way to follow their product sales? This is a sure fire way to fail in a business like this. Their numbers would be much better if they could track certian models. With the Blue card starting to put out some garbage of it's own thismakes Mattel look very incompetent. Is it just me or dose thismake no sense?
Maybe because they had creative people who had a chance to let imaginations flow. There may be a few ok examples now, as far as non-licensed castings are concerned, but i see SO MANY of them hanging up.
How about Whiplash and Turn Tamer. Holy ugly!
I too have fallen in love with the Matchbox cars I had also. I don't think they'll ever get the same nostalgia for the fantasy cars today versus the ones from the 60's/ and 70's!
Remember the piston popping Mustang, the shaker engine Capri, the Land Rover with spinning roof beacon, the Draguar, the army VW bug and Austin mini with pilots heads sticking out of the roof?, classics!. We truly knew what we had was special. I suppose todays youth will look back in time and feel the same as we do but we know we really had it good. Everything was better then.
Disappointing, they have stopped MBX in India. Had followed up with Mattel head office for India operations in Mumbai number of times and they said we won't be seeing the brand anytime soon here, Hot Wheels is doing great. Lol, I see they are doing great hanging onto the store pegs. Wished Mattel had promoted the orange brand better. Ironically, they are trying to target only the kids. Well, time to wake up Mattel. Kids have become smarter these days. They can differentiate between real world and a genetic model. Plus there is growing number of collectors over here. I personally have more MBX collection than HW and will rather give up on he blue brand to see the orange one.
I'm sure I would like to voice my frustration, given some asshole would listen. But when you see a yellow Cayman, M5 Police and white 4Runner on pegs, you immediately lose your right to complain. I have to pay $4 to $5 for 1 of those cars. I BARELY saw 1 white 4Runner and 1 red Alfa 4C on pegs.
I thing Mattel can easily manage the remaining unwanted stock telling/contracting the stores to sell a new batch full of most wanted cars for 1,3 $ and reduce it step by step, week by week to 0,5 $ when a few peg warmer remains.
Some of my photos of pegs can't exist as Asda don't appear to sell MBs any more. Tesco get a box in from time to time. Morrisons do better but they are on strips around the store. Mangaged to find the Tesla this morning.
In terms of peg warmers…… Crop sprayer, fertiliser spreader and acre maker tractor all seem to linger.
Chris
Well Fredrick I think you missed the point. First off, someone is listening. Go to our first post on Instagram about this, and you will see that the Matchbox team replied saying this was very helpful for them, so that they can start improving things. This is a whole new team, and they want collectors to be able to get the models they want.
Second, I don't complain much. I know I am in an area that allows me, for the most part, to find the models I want. I also know that universally most collectors can't find what they want. I am addressing an overall problem. It sounds like you have a legit gripe, so post your pic of the pegs on Instagram and let them see it.
Mate, you just said what I said above. In fact, what I've been saying for ages. Kids nowadays have internet and can differentiate between a 5 series and an M5. So Matchbox's argument that the generics are for kids is invalid and rubbish. Kids today want Lamborghinis, Porsches and Nissan GT-Rs. And Matchbox is wasting money, effort and time by not doing what they should be doing and doing what they should not be doing. If I was given the choice, I would prefer spending money on Matchbox over Hot Wheels. Matchbox, are you f***ing listening?
Unfortunately enough it's a similar situation here in my hometown where when it comes to shops that sell several Matchbox vehicles that the pegs are “clogged” with the same brand vehicles for months,in fact, if there's any non-generic Matchbox vehicles that are commonplace it's the blue colored BMW M1s where even though I'm not against them and for that matter I purchased one for myself the thing is why so many BMW 1Ms at local retailers?? That's one of my gripes with Mattel is why can't they replenish retailers with more and preferably up to date Matchbox vehicles like it generally does with Hot Wheels?? If taking photos of pegs where Matchbox vehicles have been hanging around for months and the very few Matchbox vehicles that are hanging around will convince Mattel to ensure that on a regular basis that they replenish the retailers with more and up to date Matchbox vehicles than this move should be worth it.Having mentioned all that I'm still waiting for the Matchbox brand Alfa Romeo 4C,BMW M5,Cadillac One Limo,beige colored '78 Dodge Monaco sheriff car,the Tesla (preferably a blue one) and anything else I may have forgotten to soon be available in my local stores.Finally if they were to actually be completed this year Matchbox should this year release the vehicles for 2016 and I'm going to list my favorites which are the Amphibious Vehicle or Yacht,perhaps the 1990 Volkswagen Crew Cab Transporter,perhaps a 1971 Nissan Skyline,Airport Bus,2015 Chrysler 300,2015 Mazda Miata,Heavy Freighter locomotive train, Range Rover Evoque that might still be issued late in 2015 but 2016 release could be a possibility,perhaps a 2014 Ford Transit News Van,perhaps an Ice Vehicle and the Zamboni Ice Machine.Enough said.
You bet buddy. The day I see Matchbox back on Indian shores, i will go bonkers.
Hope it is soon.
Mattel are you listening to the call from the East?????