The Matchbox Team dropped this on Instagram yesterday:
Those are, as the Team said, the upcoming Gold Superfast 50th Anniversary models, and they will be exclusive to Target stores. Think Sapphire Gems of last year, now gold.
Calling these Chase models isn’t entirely accurate, as they will not be random, but like Walmart Zamacs mixed into Target assortments. 3 per mix, spanning the last two mixes of the year.
And what a cool group of models. A classic and new BMW, the always popular G63 6×6, two classic emergency vehicles, and a sporty Camaro. The Chevy Van is the 7th, already released in a recent 5-pack.
I have a full preview coming, dropping next week, so stay tuned.
Once again, this gets a big LOL from me. As I’ve said before, ALL Matchbox models are “chase” models for me (and I suspect a lot of other people as well). With spotty and lagging distribution, I’m lucky to score ANYTHING from the orange brand.
The other problem is that my local Target DOES NOT STOCK MATCHBOX SINGLES ANYMORE. How the hell am I supposed to find Target-exclusive models when they don’t even have the product to begin with? Unless they’re doing a shelf reset to add this product line back in, I won’t even have a chance at these. I’m beyond frustrated by the state of orange brand collecting. And yes, I know folks in the UK/Europe have it much worse (which I am 100% sure we’ll hear about in the comments below) but it ain’t exactly great here either.
Yeah.. I have to agree some Target stores aren’t created equally. There’s one near my house & it’s close to the city so it gets real ghetto so they TRASH it (contacted Target about it) & the toy section (not joking folks!) has stuff thrown around & it’s all scattered. But as far as inventory, yes.. some don’t even mess around with singles & they only stock 5 pks & mutli pks along w/sets.
I can’t complain either too much compared to our friends over in the United Kingdom… Heck, which was where MBX was born, but yet Mattel can’t even satisfy people who want their product over there so I can’t blame them for being pissed… We all know Mattel sees this but don’t do a damn thing about it… so we have to feel fortunate back here in the States. Maybe someone with jewels will step forth to do something about the distribution problem.
Urm…….50?!…… Its like a party and no one else is allowed to go…… Same with the 65th. This could have been a massive thing to promote and keep the brand alive. But hey ho….. A gold tuk tuk , ute or a jag would have been good…… But …. Again not much more to write……A Shame and mistake on Mattels part. Hello Ben.100%!!!….✋Stay quiet here……. And nothing will happen….. We don’t get NO reasurrance to where goods are to be placed here, or if the brand has been pulled altogether?!….
HA! The only time I found a Sapphire Gem the last time in Target it was in the 5 pks .. the Jaguar to be exact.. so I had to buy the whole 5 pk.. never found one single Gem in a single pack in a Target!
Thanks to secondary stores like ‘Big Lots’ is where I found one single.. the ‘Cuda. It seems Target doesn’t stock many of the more popular offerings of new inventor for MBX. If something does pop up new & sought after.. it gets grabbed up quick because Target won’t restock those too often… much like the moving parts vehicles.
As far as more gripes with their stock, I noticed with Hot Wheels (I digress), Target will keep restocking lines, like the exclusive Throwback series over & over & over again. They keep on one series & burn it into the ground, but when there were 3 releases, they’d keep restocking the 1st series over & over when they should have been stocking series 3! You be the judge!
Well I hear ya on not finding new models in the store. I managed to find three out of four of the emerald chases in store but one was at 5 below a store my daughter shops at not Target or walmart ,like the rest. What I am disappointed at is the poor choices. The last set had the raptor, the new rabbit and vista cruiser. And do not forget the fantastic jag in the five pack.
This set has the BMW s , but the rest I would pass on. (I won’t if I find them for trade bait at best). They could have picked a couple others if you ask me. Like the new Jeep and Caprice, that would even look good in the gold paint, making it even more popular.
I will say something positive about this set. Chrome is back, not on every one, but most. The BMW 2002 and the Hudson Hornet finally have an appropriate chrome base like they should’ve from the beginning. Also, the selection is pretty well randomized although I am getting sick and tired of that new Camaro Convertible popping up all the time.
Now that the positivity is out of the way, now let’s go to something negative which is the GODDAMN DISTRIBUTION ISSUES, yet again mentioned for the 10,000th time! It is so tricky to find anything with this brand anymore. You either find empty pegs or old stock. Also, it’s like a competition now. When you go to a store that actually restocked something, you’re immediately beat from an a****** scalper who just takes whatever’s most popular and either sells it online or hoards it! This can be especially said for the Moving Parts series and the 50th Anniversary Superfast line. I only found one from each series months ago, the Mercedes 220SE and the Tesla Model X only because a scalper that I ran into in the toy aisle didn’t want it. He had a whole cart full of duplicates of popular castings and what was left of the Moving Parts set. It is so aggravating! I’m not even gonna hope for finding these because I know for a fact that I won’t! And just like many, I never saw a hint of those stupid sapphire gems from last year at all! This brand never used to make me so upset but ever since their direction change in 2012, it’s been nothing but issues and little recovery!
I can’t complain too much, I believe I have been able to find every model I wanted. Still have yet to see the BMW 2002, blue VW beetle and the International ambulance. Only 2 Walmart’s and a Target I check nearby. I think I find more new models at the local grocery store chain. I did find the VW and Raptor in the Sapphire series. I’m disappointed that I cant find any newer premium matchbox.
I think Matchbox is getting a bit ridiculous when it comes to availability. First, it seems no one can even find the brand in the UK–MBX’s home country! Secondly, all these store exclusives. I have to drive nearly two hours to get to my nearest Target, which rules it out for no more than a couple trips a year, and in most cases, that’s only when taking a relative to doctor’s appointments in the same cities. Kroger and its associated stores aren’t all over the US; and they’re closing them up like crazy around here (one the stores are old, and deteriorating; secondly, when Walmart started building a lot of Supercenters about 15 years ago, it took a lot of their business away); and while I used to have two nearby, the nearest now is close to 45 minutes away from here.
Doesn’t do much for me other than seeing chrome finally on the Hudson & hopefully others. I’d like it better if they just made a very realistic car with tampos, and nice paint for their “Chase” vehicles. It even would be kinda neat if they made the chase cars have gray tires. Kind of a nod to their roots.
Meh.
It’s getting to be akin to the guys and gals at Mattel completely living in an El Segundo bubble. A bit like ‘The Truman Show’. It’s as if they make this stuff and think its being sold everywhere and all is hunky dory with the world, but the reality is very different, as we laugh and cry along with the ridiculousness of it all. If only we could find and buy what these people are making…..
I’ve literally never seen a Sapphire Gem, and all of the Targets in my region have stopped carrying Matchbox singles since then, so for me it doesn’t even matter what the models look like.
John, whenever you do an interview with one of your mates from Mattel, why do you not talk about these distribution problems ? Not just here in the UK where our ONE stockist has now deleted the Matchbox line, but elsewhere in the US and the rest of the world, or do Mattel not like being asked awkward questions ? They just just keep bringing out more and more stuff that we cannot get any more, and it’s painful to watch your videos knowing that most of us will never get our hands on them.
The BMWs are OK and maybe the M-B 6×6, but not necessarily must haves.
I never did see a single Sapphire Gem, but who knows, these sound like they might see a bit more distribution if they’re going 3 per mix. My Target went a season or two with no pegs for Matchbox basics, but now they’re back in the game with 3 devoted pegs. I can’t say I see everything at this store, but I’ve found just as many or more desirable models as I have at Walmart with their 8-10 pegs.
I have to agree with “Keith G.”, Brother Lambert. You seem to have an “in” with the boys and girls at Mattel. Why not share these distribution concerns with them? Pretty please!