I am getting some big batches coming as the year draws to a close. This is a fairly large batch of basics that I work though. Batch H of 2023 came from Wheel Collectors, except for a certain Target Red. That obviously came from a Target store in the USA. I tackled the entire lot in my latest blog post, which is now up on their website. You can click here to go to my Matchbox Monday page. I hope you enjoy my latest report.
These cars are kind of boring.
One day after my monthly diecast hunting. 3 different cities, atleast 10 shops visited. With no success, only the old stuff that is hanging on pegs. If 2022 was problematic, but still managed to get most of the stuff i wanted then 2023 is awful, just awful, seriously the only way to collect all i want is online, but online is visibly expensive too. Shame on the current (sadly) owner of Matchbox.
Genuine question but why do you keep blaming Mattel for the lack of new Matchbox batches available in your country?
Tbh who is at fault?… As for even UK past and present?……
Hotwheels never seem to miss outlets.
As for Matchbox just being pictures on the internet and exclusive to USA using retro and 70 years editions……And many more to that matter.
Sadly I see it where the brand has been hidden for many years and played out by Hotwheels.
Outlets may now be allowed to order , but it’s where outlets are loving Hotwheels…..
Mattel is at fault Imho.
They may be trying with Matchbox….but it’s not enough IMHO…
Yes Sir, i put a blame on Mattel, their job is to promote both brands equally, yet i see them promoting hw like crazy, it’s literally everywhere, even in the smallest shops, besides it’s hard not to see Matchbox not growing on the market, unless ofcourse a) they don’t care about it, or b) they are to complacent about hw and are blind to what is happening to MB, either way, the blame i put on Mattel is valid.
Best regards to You, have a great day.
Hi Arekedius, it is a strange one with the Matchbox brand.
Sometimes I wonder that too.
But why would Mattel and the MBX team go to all the efforts of producing/ making the products?… When there is just limp mode advertising of the products. Or is it where there is cut backs more on mass production/shipping?….
I suppose Mattel do have alot to juggle in brands.
Not being a business person myself I’m sure how it runs.
Let me put it this way , if you have a product… Let people see it…!!!!.
Our big chains and outlets are very basic sometimes with toys and stuck in their ways.
Who knows why Matchbox is the yo-yo brand?!… Maybe times have changed for how youngsters think too?…
Their phone zombie outlooks of technology and fantasy invisible worlds……..
I hope you get what need and find what you want hunting for MBX.
Best of luck 😁👍
I would definitely say Aaron that Mattel have made mistakes in the past regarding the Matchbox brand. Years of only being exclusive to one supermarket chain here in the UK and buying up market share for it’s Hot Wheels range first by buying Corgi and then Matchbox haven’t helped.
However, since January of this year as you know that exclusivity deal ended and now technically any retailer can stock singles, multi-sets, Moving Parts and Collectors series. All available through at least 2 or more well established importers/distributors.
Apart from various independent toy shops no big retailer has yet to stock Moving Parts and still not enough stores are reverting to Matchbox basic singles.
That is something you can’t blame Mattel for, most of our retailers are now happy to ignore the obvious attraction of the modern Matchbox range for the unrealistic horrors of HTI and Zuru generics.
It’s not just getting the models into the stores but getting the customers to buy them. I do wonder if someone over-estimated the demand initially which may be why I’m still seeing loads of case B and to a lesser extent D models on the pegs. The manager of one local(ish) store took older models off the pegs when the new stock (case K ) arrived. last time I visited most of the new stuff had gone leaving older stock still on the pegs. Conclusion: there’s still something of a limited market and once everyone who wants a particular model has one (I think that’s called market saturation!) any extra stock will hang around for ages. The big supermarkets appear to have ditched Matchbox already and this may be part of the reason. As you say, Craig, the effective absence of the brand for many years hasn’t helped, the current generation of kids (and we have to accept that these are essentially toys) have no affinity with the brand (which may be one of the reasons the anniversary models appear to be pegwarmers – even the Porsche) so it’ll need building up. Matchbox do now appear to be trying to offer something different to Hot Wheels (still the market leader) and Zuru/HTI (cheap but not very cheerful) so there is a chance of re-establishing the brand.
tp take up a thread that Aaron mentioned, whilst I love the retro models and I’m sure most of us reading this do too, I do wonder if they have the same appeal to kids. Anyone out there have any feedback on that?
I would definitely guess the same too Mike, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much of the same batch clogging up the pegs of various stores as this year’s Case D! So much so that if the lucrative festive period doesn’t clear stocks then I do worry many retailers will ditch Matchbox in 2024.
It’s clear Hot Wheels will probably always be the market leader now and take precedence over Matchbox, just look on social media such as Instagram and Tik Tok and it’s all about hunting and collecting Hot Wheels.
However, Matchbox itself is most definitely in the midst of another Golden Age with a line up so spectacularly varied that there’s usually something for everyone of all collecting tastes and ages.
Matchbox do sell rather quickly when a new batch hits so hopefully going forward stores and importers won’t order so much of the same batch, even the mighty HW range relies on a regular and refreshed change of batches to avoid becoming peg warmers.
The UK is a horror show for diecast. The choice is lame/limp mode.
I know times change and so on, for better or worse…… Still I think there is a market for Matchbox in the UK and many countries like Poland.
I genuinely think that the brand needs promotion of various advertising with posters, on pack offers….. Fill up at a shell garage you get a toy and so on…. This brand is worth stocking due to what this brand has to offer now.”the real theme”.
The Matchbox brand is worth kicking up!…. Also a nice range for all.
Some kids/ adults love to buy what they see on the real roads of today/past historical vehicles.
The brand needs advertising here.
I remember a few years back when the brand wasn’t sold even in UK for its 65th and one shop Asda then Tesco to buy from…….
The brand here and some other countries have been a yo yo from Mattel.
As with you Craig and Mike G I hear what you say.
Matchbox was Everywhere here in the UK once upon a time.
Newsagents counter’s with a lovely display with many other great brands…. Now Hti 😳👍😁 take care all
Hello Mr. Aaron M, nice to hear from You, ah yes i’d love to take time machine back to 1970’s and 1980’s to visit UK shops and all 🙂 Collecting back then was as smooth as butter i presume 🙂 On my first visit to Great Britain i was eager to diecast hunt, the only place i was able to buy some Matchbox models was Bury Market, apart from that i frequently visited Asda, and Tesco if i remember correctly they’ve stocked HW, way back in the 1998 year. Now … Fast forward to 2023… Times have changed 🙁 for worse, no doubt about it. Mattel’s agressive dominance or is it complacency leads me to believe things won’t change anytime soon, atleast for us Matchbox Fans. At first i thought it’s the chain of supply, but let’s face it : Majorette is there – check ! Siku is there – check ! Yup ! HW is there for sure but not Matchbox…absent most of the time. When it shows up here and there it quickly vanishes fast, which means kids or collectors do like Matchbox, they just don’t have much to choose from. You have to be at the right place, at the right time, atleast it worked that way in 2022, this year is so horrible the only way to collect is online. All in all i was able to buy 10 Basics and 3 new Moving Parts this year + lots of frustration. The way i see it, Mattel keeps Matchbox under it’s control just to make sure there won’t be any serious competition to hw. No way they allow internal competition, to them Matchbox is second best or bad stepchild.They won’t allow Matchbox being more successful than hw.
Best regards to You Sir Aaron M. Have a great day