I have never featured Monster Jam here on the Lamley Blog. I don’t think it is any surprise that it isn’t my thing. So this is my first Monster Jam article, and there is a good chance it is also the last.
This article posted a bit ago on Kidscreen:
Spinmaster welcomes Monster Jam into portfolio
I tried to find anything else but only that article. My assumption is that if Spinmaster is entering into an exclusive agreement with Monster Jam for the next decade, then Hot Wheels is out.
I have never purchased a Monster Jam vehicle, but this is definitely an end of an era. Let’s see what fills that gap at Hot Wheels.
My memories of monster trucks was literally the very beginning with Big Foot and King Kong. Grave Digger was also there, but went a different direction that started the Monster Jam enterprise. Bob Chandler didnt want Big Foot to go there, so he maintained his own exhibition stature and only raced against other no MJ trucks.
The original Big Foot is my favorite. I never collected the Monster Jam trucks. I have a few I could not see throwing out that my son gathered over the years. But really, it wasnt his thing either.
There was a company that created a run of true scale Big Foot trucks. They are fantastic to detail. They make all other MJ offerings look boring by comparison. But it was short lived. Licensing from Missouri is tough to keep. Chandler keeps a tight lid on who can create his cash cow.
Not sad to se the HW MJ series go. It will free up a ton of room at the pegs. Maybe bring in more Auto World what seems to have dissapeared from my Walmart. Or an extra set of pegs for that fantastic set of Matchbox you spotlighted from The Gathering. Who knows? Maybe they will just expand their *CARS* collection….which doesnt seem to be moving…..
I am sorry to see this series go. I love the MJ trucks and the enjoyment they give is awesome. The races are so unique and never the same twice. These little machines are a blast. I know a lot of people…both kids and adults that are not happy with this news. Yes I wish there were more pegs for die cast but with all the scalpers whats the point? Stores have ostracized Hot Wheels collectors to the point where asking dor help gets you a sigh and an eye roll. So again what’s the point. Until retailers either do something to change how this works regular collectors will skip stores completely and focus on buying cases. At a Target recently I was treated with disdain and disgust. I had a coupon from Mattel. Target REFUSED to honor it. I was basically treated like I was wasting their time. I was actually told why should we go out of our way for a $0.99 purchase? All you collectors do is make a mess and buy $10-20. Its apparently not worth their time. This was in Appleton, Wi. It is true scalpers are destructive, they refuse to follow any rules. They take cases off pallets dump them on the ground or some actually use a cart. Search the pile, take whatever they can sell on eBay and leave the mess. Then the decent collectors get left with the garbage. This is what collecting has become. Its pathetic. I am trying to start a race club for kids and adults. However due to the lack of new product this is impossible. So like I said stores are OUT. Its sad but true. These places that charge $10 for a $0.99 car? They are ripping people off horribly. Its my goal to try and stop people from buying from these people.When and how will be discussed on you tube special video where these con artists will be shown for what they are. These guys have threatened…yes threatened people for these cars. Why? It’s apparently their job. They make money and a living ripping people off. Think about it. Buying a 2017 Nissan GT-R for $15? Really? When it was bought for $0.99? Thats over 1,500% profit. I hope this opens a few eyes on whats happening. Kids cant find the cars they want. Collectors and kids are being treated like garbage due to the irresponsible behavior of some greedy “people”. I stopped any and all eBay buys for new Hot Wheels. I’ve also be able to get 7 or 8 others to do so as well. We are going in on cases. 72 cars for $80-90. Thats a LOT CHEAPER. I know Ill get laughed at for this but if your getting the run around for Hot Wheels stop helping the people causing this.
You have cited all of the reasons I have been harping on for the past 10 years.
Thankfully (sadly for the employees) KMart in my area has closed. K Days were horrible affairs where grown men pushed children out of the way and children punched elderly men.
1500% mark-ups on FE releases 1 week before they hit my box stores is ridiculous.
John (site admin/owner) weakly tried to defend the idea of buy low sell high. I dont begrudge him or others who help to advance the hobby by giving back with excellent coverage and reviews like Lamley Group. But the scum who destroy Targets with the terror like actions of dumping $.99 cent cars all over the isle and threatening people over their belief that a dollar car is worth $20?
Nah. Not for me. I have left many diecast groups because of people like this.
Hell, even Hot Wheels Official FaceBook page was taken down and redesigned because scalpers had posted over 20,000 images of cars they were selling at high profit. That was 7 years ago.
Yeah. Totally agree with you.
not sure about freeing up pegs- I’m assuming that the usual stores will keep carrying MJ whether or not Hot wheels or someone else is producing it. But it would be nice if they could reduce the packaging size to allow more peg room.
Interestingly enough, This weekend I found some MJ Mystery bags that I’d never seen before. They’re produced by HW and are like the old “Burnin Key Cars” where you insert a key in the back and it goes zooming away. They’re labelled series 1 and produced in 2016. I assume there won’t be a series 2.
I never cared for Monster Jam, so guess you could say I don’t care. However, like Don said, this will free up room in the isle which is much needed-I suppose that means I am glad the license was lost. Matchbox is growing like crazy. Also, this MAYBE means that there will be more money for Ferrari diecast, and I welcome that idea with open arms.
If you’re saying Mattel will have more money to begin producing Ferrari again, then I have some bad news. Maisto/Bburago has that license locked up for a long while.
Good riddance to MJ. It took up too much space on the shelves.
NASCAR! Hopefully NASCAR will replace Monster Jam. I’m a collector of the older Hot Wheels Pro Racing series and would love for them to bring it back.
Pro racing HWS were da bomb ! Got 55 in my collection, being from and in France, I assure you it ain’t an easy thing for getting those beauties (got 4 upper quality with one where you can take off the body and look inside the frame of the car, I have never seen so many details in a Hotwheels car)
Hey, if anyone from Mattel is reading this, I have a great idea on what you can fill that soon-to-be-vacated Walmart aisle real estate with: 1/64-scale diecast Ferrari kits! I want to be able to buy new Hot Wheels Ferraris again and I know it can still happen with the “kit” loophole around May Cheong’s diecast rights that Kyosho already takes advantage of.
Though I suspect that it’ll just be filled with the Spinmaster Monster Jam trucks, although I haven’t seen Spinmaster NASCAR on the pegs in quite a while in Canada.