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We are now just finally starting to see new Cars from the 2012 year show up... New Deluxe in Singapore and Australia... New Movie Moments in the UK and Australia and now at Mattel retailers... The Cars Take Flight that we didn't even know were coming - made in Thailand, I never saw any of them loose on eBay before I saw them carded... Singles cases D and E are at Mattel retailers and case D has been seen at some Walmart and Toys R US stores - I actually bought 1 each of Victor H and Vladimir Trunkov at an Indianapolis TRU on May 26...
I know some of you haven't seen them in stores yet, but they will be coming... and the Kmart Collector Event is a week from tomorrow - new Silver Series Racers and 2 new Cars...
Often Mattel retailers don't know what's coming until they actually receive it... a few years ago I had a friend in Kentucky who was a Mattel retailer and he'd tell me that he was getting in a shipment of launchers... did I want a case? I'd ask what was in them... he told me he wouldn't know for sure until he received them... I've also ordered from a Mattel retailer in Michigan - he'd let me know what was coming but there was always the disclaimer "case assortments and selection subject to change"... I remember ordering a case of WOC Gift packs that was to include Team Spare Mint, Team Shiny Wax, and 4 other 3 packs...it was supposed to arrive in 2 weeks... 5 months later the case was canceled.
But let's look into the future... the 2013 Mattel year starts in November, just in time for the Christmas holiday season shopping... I know what many of us would like to see... and I know many of us won't believe new Cars until we see them... But what is coming?
I talked with 2 different retailers who had meetings with their Mattel representatives this week... Here are highlights of what is supposedly coming:
Mainline singles, lane mates (short cards), Deluxe, Lights and Sounds, and Movie Moments - those will be continuing but with new product numbers.
New lines of 1:55 scale Cars are planned... this currently is scheduled to include the return of some Cars from the first movie (some previously released and some new) and new Toons.
And in something that will be sure to make MrBrownstone happy, we will see the return of lenticulars... I just hope we don't see a lenticular only distribution... we want new Cars, not just another variation of the same Car that we already have.
We've had trouble finding items to purchase be it in stores or through online retailers... Retailers (stores and online) have had trouble getting in product to sell - that's more than just Cars items... Has Mattel realized they made mistakes with the end of Cars and the start of Cars2 products? When major retailers such as Walmart, Target, and ToysRUS are canceling orders and reducing the size of their toys department, that's a huge problem... Failing to plan is planning to fail... We can't buy if there's nothing to buy... and we usually won't buy the same Cars we already have.
If Mattel retailers are excited by and looking forward to upcoming products, I'd say the chances are pretty good that we'll be excited by them too.
What does the 2013 Cars year hold for us? We'll know soon, (well, in 5 months) and when we know, we'll let you know.
Chris
I know some of you haven't seen them in stores yet, but they will be coming... and the Kmart Collector Event is a week from tomorrow - new Silver Series Racers and 2 new Cars...
Often Mattel retailers don't know what's coming until they actually receive it... a few years ago I had a friend in Kentucky who was a Mattel retailer and he'd tell me that he was getting in a shipment of launchers... did I want a case? I'd ask what was in them... he told me he wouldn't know for sure until he received them... I've also ordered from a Mattel retailer in Michigan - he'd let me know what was coming but there was always the disclaimer "case assortments and selection subject to change"... I remember ordering a case of WOC Gift packs that was to include Team Spare Mint, Team Shiny Wax, and 4 other 3 packs...it was supposed to arrive in 2 weeks... 5 months later the case was canceled.
But let's look into the future... the 2013 Mattel year starts in November, just in time for the Christmas holiday season shopping... I know what many of us would like to see... and I know many of us won't believe new Cars until we see them... But what is coming?
I talked with 2 different retailers who had meetings with their Mattel representatives this week... Here are highlights of what is supposedly coming:
Mainline singles, lane mates (short cards), Deluxe, Lights and Sounds, and Movie Moments - those will be continuing but with new product numbers.
New lines of 1:55 scale Cars are planned... this currently is scheduled to include the return of some Cars from the first movie (some previously released and some new) and new Toons.
And in something that will be sure to make MrBrownstone happy, we will see the return of lenticulars... I just hope we don't see a lenticular only distribution... we want new Cars, not just another variation of the same Car that we already have.
We've had trouble finding items to purchase be it in stores or through online retailers... Retailers (stores and online) have had trouble getting in product to sell - that's more than just Cars items... Has Mattel realized they made mistakes with the end of Cars and the start of Cars2 products? When major retailers such as Walmart, Target, and ToysRUS are canceling orders and reducing the size of their toys department, that's a huge problem... Failing to plan is planning to fail... We can't buy if there's nothing to buy... and we usually won't buy the same Cars we already have.
If Mattel retailers are excited by and looking forward to upcoming products, I'd say the chances are pretty good that we'll be excited by them too.
What does the 2013 Cars year hold for us? We'll know soon, (well, in 5 months) and when we know, we'll let you know.
Chris
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