#tranquilcollecting
It's gonna be a big week for all Hot Wheels nerds. Â The 32nd Hot Wheels Convention starts this coming Tuesday, and a lot is happening. Â Hot Wheels is putting a bow on their 50th Anniversary year, and ramping up for 2019. Â That will all come to a head this week. And yes, we are doing …
I like long titles. Â Especially when the long title starts an article about a surprisingly short run of models. The '83 Silverado has had a prolific run since its debut in the Hot Wheels Modern Classics line. Â It started as a "premium" model with a metal base, popping up in several special lines. Â A few …
I reserve the questionable language for truly significant events. So... Holy shit Tomica Limited Vintage is doing Ferrari! As reported by Dengeki Hobby Web, Tomica Limited Vintage has a display at the All Japan Model Hobby Show, and there they are unveiling early prototypes of several upcoming Ferraris. From an F40 with opening parts to …
Continue reading "Is it true Tomica Limited Vintage is taking on Ferrari? You bet it is."
I hear from a lot of brands about a lot of product. Â Doing a blog makes that happen occasionally. Â I do like to get the word out on certain products, but I also like to stick with what I like. This case is one of those, but a little different. Â When I was in Dallas …
I don’t hit a lot of fresh Hot Wheels bins or shippers.  But I did yesterday. An early-morning drive and Walmart stop yielded this surprise, and I took a few models with me.  The last Zamacs of 2018 (that Demon!) and the first models of 2019. Have a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFY04DfCjhE
How about this beauty? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQq_DxKb2vM Mattel's Toy Fair is happening now. Â Vendors from retail chains are at Mattel's Design Center previewing 2019 product from all their brands, and that includes Matchbox and Hot Wheels. Â Of course, for we collectors, "Toy Fair" can create confusion, making it sound like a toy show or convention. Â It is, …
I don't collect wheel variations anymore, but I still have a soft spot for them, especially when on is found in a unique location. Â That certainly applies to this Mercedes variations find by Lamley Reader Huy Minh. Huy messaged me on Facebook to ask about his find at a toy store in Vietnam, and it …
Continue reading "Variation Alert: Hot Wheels Mercedes-AMG GT in black with PR5 wheels"
Soooo, things are gonna be busy. Forza is out, and available at Wheel Collectors. That means the inevitable, and deserved, S15 Frenzy has begun. And Car Culture Circuit Racers is out too. Unboxing coming and features coming. Aaaand, the Hot Wheels Convention is less than a week away. I have showcases ready for that. And …
Continue reading "Unboxing: Hot Wheels Car Culture Circuit Legends & Entertainment Forza"
So what is the Audi Wagon? A '94 RS2 or an '04 RS6? We know what the model in the package is, and we know what the model on the package looks like, so let's go DLM rules. Open it, and it is undoubtedly an RS6. We will run with that. I talk a little …
Continue reading "Unboxing: Matchbox 2018 L Case (with an Audi RS2 or RS6?)"
Walmart has the Zamacs, Target the Red Editions, Kmart its Collector Day models, and Kroger its unique colors. But don't forget Walgreens. The last few years, Hot Wheels has done an exclusive model for Walgreens. Just one, but still. I like the exclusives, and hunting down the one Walgreens model isn't a bad thing. Plus, …
Continue reading "Don’t forget Walgreens has its Hot Wheels exclusive too."
Of course it's the Pink Gasser. Actually, it's the Gulf Galaxie. Nope, it's the Li'l Red Express. It's the whole batch. Â Batch B of the Hot Wheels 50th Faves is a step up from the first, with 5 beautiful models. Â Those three I already mentioned, plus a clean Camaro and Zamac Drag Bus. Â Favorites indeed. …
Continue reading "Finding – and showcasing – the fabulous Hot Wheels 50th Faves Batch B"
Matchbox dropped this on Instagram today: https://www.instagram.com/p/BoHU62bnVMU/?taken-by=matchboxworld That is the 2019 Toy Fair Porsche 911 Rally by Matchbox. Â A bittersweet image to be sure. Why bittersweet? Â The sweet is easy. Â That casting is fantastic. Â We saw it previewed at the Gathering, and here is the first image of the Porsche complete. Except we won't see …
Continue reading "How about that Matchbox 2019 Toy Fair Porsche?"
The new 50th Faves are all over Instagram, whether the finds have been from Target or Walmart. Â VW Drag Bus, '55 Bel Air Gasser, Dodge Li'l Red Express, '69 Camaro, and the best of the bunch, the '65 Ford Galaxie. I am still looking for the full batch myself, although I did snag the Gulf …
I mentioned I had another Up-to-Date Video Catalog. Â This time the prolific Honda S2000. Just when you thought it might slow down, the S2K releases just keep on coming. Â Two more this year, and it seems we have had multiple releases almost every year. Which leads me to this. Â What other models deserve a Video …
Continue reading "Up-to-Date: Hot Wheels Honda S2000. What other models should I do?"
I get asked if blogging is all I do. Â If it is my actual job. Â I wish. Â I do have a "real" job. Â And for those that are familiar, it does require a decent amount of traveling. That is changing. Â The last few weeks have brought some changes, and I am thrilled that don't have …
It was a bit of a surprise to hear from a friend yesterday afternoon that he found the new Team Transport at Walmart. Â We have seen our friends in Australia finding them, but I didn't expect to see them here so soon. Â Alas, I was near a Walmart, so I walked in and there they …
Continue reading "The next batch of Hot Wheels Team Transport is at Walmart. Here is a showcase."
Which one is your favorite? Â Which one do you think is mine? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEibOxbYdS0
Watch the video, or look at the photos. Â There is a mystery, and it isn't hard to miss. Â More on that soon, but for now, here is the 2018 L Case from Matchbox. Â More and more goodies to be sure, whether misnamed or not. As always, the photos are provided by Wheel Collectors, who have …
Would you look at that. Two years ago we had no Hot Wheels Econolines. Â Now we have two. Â I just wish Hot Wheels would do something other than JDM. Â Oh wait. Hot Wheels developed the Econoline for Pop Culture and Car Culture, and it has shown up in both, with a bonus 50th Favorites appearance. …
Continue reading "A Tale of Two: Hot Wheels Hi-Po Hauler & Ford Econoline Pickup"
A little something I am trying on the Lamley Extras Channel. Â Think of it as a video catalog of the Lamley Collection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf94SHdhEhI
The Walmart Zamacs have been strangely hard-to-find this year. Â I am not sure why, but they have barely appeared in many areas. Thankfully that can't be said for some of the other store exclusives. Â The Target Red Editions have been fairly consistent in their regular releases this year, and the last batch of 2018 is …
Continue reading "Showcase: The latest Hot Wheels Kroger & Target Exclusives"
Just a heads up that the latest from Tarmac Works is now available at SURPLUSgoodies, and that includes the two new Pandem Toyota 86 models from Ignition Model. Â Go check them out now: Tarmac Works at SURPLUSgoodies The release is loaded with good stuff, and I will just let the photos provided by TW do …
A post on the Lamley Group Facebook Group (affectionately known as the Group Group or LGG) reminded me that I took photos of the TLV and Kyosho 787B's back when TLV released their first. So I am going to post them here. Â I originally had the #55 replica by Kyosho, but that is now sitting …
Continue reading "A Tale of Two: Tomica Limited Vintage & Kyosho Mazda 787B’s"
I do get a lot of stuff each week. Â Some store finds, some mail finds, some blog-related content items. Â Lots of stuff. But it isn't every week I get wall-display items. Â Those are the models that I like so much they make it to the wall. Â The wall in this case is one of my …
Continue reading "Placing the latest wall-display-worthy acquisitions"