If you’ve been collecting Hot Wheels for a while, you’ve probably noticed that Hot Wheels consistently struggles to accurately model the big, V12 Lambos. The smaller, V10 Lamborghinis have been consistent hits, with great models like the Sesto Elemento and Gallardo Superleggera being some of my favorite castings in my collection. Something about the proportions... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I grew so frustrated with Matchbox’s slow inventory turnover and distribution issues that I decided to conduct a census of 10 of my local stores to get a better sense of the scale of the problem (and, hopefully, to help give the Matchbox team some much needed data so they could work on... Continue Reading →
It's no secret that Matchbox's mainline is brutally cost-constrained. In order to keep the retail price as close to $1 as possible, Matchbox has had to find efficiencies and improvements wherever they can. The result is more plastic, simpler "drop in" construction, and limited printing passes (typically 2 sides per model). Yet even despite those... Continue Reading →
My jaw dropped when I randomly stumbled upon this Red Edition Supra at a local toy show. It may not seem like anything special, but the mysterious circumstances surrounding this model have been on my mind for nearly a year. On the surface, it may not seem that interesting. The Supra is cool and all,... Continue Reading →
I’ve been a diecast collector in some capacity since I was a kid. These little cars have always provided a hit of dopamine whenever I find one I really want, and I am able to stare at a garage full of cars I’d never have a hope of owning in 1:1 scale. Despite the joy... Continue Reading →
Like any diecast collector, I spend a fair amount of time hunting for new models. On a recent trip to Target, I walked up to the Matchbox section to find something that surprised me: next to the customary peg full of Nissan Ariyas, there was another peg full of nothing but BMW M4 Cabriolets. It... Continue Reading →
I was lucky enough to grow up during Matchbox's famous "golden era". Collectors generally agree that Matchbox was at its peak during those years, when the company was churning out excellent models of modern classics like the Audi R8 and RS6 Avant, pinnacles of normalcy like the Toyota Prius and Volvo XC90, and everything in... Continue Reading →
By now, you’ve probably seen that Target stores in the US have redesigned their Matchbox section for 2026 as part of the yearly toy aisle reset. As diecast collectors, the yearly toy aisle resets always give us a sense of what stock and distribution might look like for the year to come…and this looks like... Continue Reading →
The Hot Wheels Silver Series has been a mixed bag so far. Some sets have been so hot that they barely appear on shelves, while others have languished for months with little turnover. I can never quite make sense of how to feel about this line, as it’s nice to have more new models being... Continue Reading →
Imagine that the product planners at Mattel come to you with a mission. “We’re impressed with your encyclopedic knowledge and good judgement as a Hot Wheels collector” they’d say, “and we need your help!” Flattered, you’d ask to learn more. “We need to create a Silver Series model that will be produced in large numbers... Continue Reading →
Matchbox has released a number of great recurring liveries and themes over the years, both licensed and unlicensed. One of my all-time favorite Matchbox recurring themes is the DHL delivery vehicles. Not only is DHL a real-world delivery brand that both kids and adults would recognize, but Matchbox also used the livery on a huge... Continue Reading →
It's no secret that Matchbox has a pegwarmer problem right now. Countless people online, myself included, have shared anecdotes about the sorry state of Matchbox distribution this year, but I wanted to take a step beyond anecdotal evidence. I decided to take an inventory of all the Matchbox models on the pegs at 10 local... Continue Reading →
For a long time, McLarens didn’t get any attention from Hot Wheels. Prior to Hot Wheels losing the Ferrari license a decade ago, the only McLaren casting in the lineup was the F1 GTR from the Speed Machines line. Then, starting with the P1 in 2015, the Hot Wheels McLaren lineup exploded to fill the... Continue Reading →
That’s a pretty salacious headline, so let me start off by expressing my love of this model. This new GR Corolla casting is excellent, with plenty of details and a plastic grille section that reminds me of Hot Wheels from a decade ago. It’s a little bit wide compared to other Hot Wheels hot hatches,... Continue Reading →
Like most Matchbox collectors, I’m a big fan of the company’s lineup of police cars. Over the years they’ve made some iconic cop cars, from the Crown Victoria that dominated policing in the early 2000’s, to the Dodge Charger and Ford Explorer we see on the roads today. But there’s something else Matchbox does remarkably... Continue Reading →
I was inspired by a recent Instagram post from @font_kustoms where they pointed out the growing repetition of boring castings in the current Matchbox lineup and showed some great castings from the back catalog that would make a better choice for upcoming assortments. I couldn’t agree more, though I think that there are some other... Continue Reading →
Through all its iterations, the Exotic Envy premium series has been a mixed bag. The concept is an easy slam-dunk (a car culture set comprised of all desirable, poster-worthy exotic cars – yes please!), but the execution has fallen short of the concept’s potential in every iteration. We’ll examine the new set momentarily, but first... Continue Reading →
The diecast collecting corner of the internet seems to be up in arms over Matchbox’s new Moving Parts packaging (just as they were over their last Moving Parts packaging change) but now that I have it in hand, I don’t think it deserves the hate it’s been getting. Let’s take a look at each of... Continue Reading →
I’ve been able to resist it for so long. The Redline Club has always seemed like more of a pain than it’s worth to me, with limited edition drops that sell out in seconds and the rather offensive demand that you pay to even have the privilege of missing out on a drop. Add in... Continue Reading →
With The Gathering (and with it, the 2024 Matchbox line preview) less than a month away, I thought it would be the perfect time to showcase some cars that I’m hoping to see next month! Rest assured, this isn’t simply a list of cars that I like. Instead, I chose to focus on cars that... Continue Reading →
