Great Britain & Northern Ireland Finds (Part 1)

[boogity]

and if you want a laugh read their description of gil

[boogity]

tescos, wonders never cease, just before starting my shift , took a quick dander down the toy ailse, now this is 99.99% waste of time, but what was looking out at me saying come to daddy , come to daddy.... the geargrinder, nick cartone and the rest of ,em plus the silver series too, someone had been through them but got I wanted and also checked the case on the top shelf, nice start to the day
this should be all over the tesco chain pretty soon , you would think

perhaps the e bay prices on the geargrinder will fall now!!!!!!!

[Rippers]

found nothin in toys r us or tkmax but on the plus side i did find a thumpback skylander giant

Where did you ding thump back?

[boogity]

ah rippers, the man is back!

[Rippers]

I still keep an eye :-)

Found silver racers in Tesco last night Lewis, Nigel and Max but put them back when I came to me senses.. £6 each is just too much

Jonj don't worry Pirelliboy just hooked me up with thump back and eye brawl

[jonj]

I still keep an eye :-)

Found silver racers in Tesco last night Lewis, Nigel and Max but put them back when I came to me senses.. £6 each is just too much

Jonj don't worry Pirelliboy just hooked me up with thump back and eye brawl

That was quick,

But for anyone else into skylanders I found him and eyebrawl in game

[niftynigel]

My local Argos and the one near my office both received their 2013 silver racer allocation! They has said that had got four! I thought that might mean 48 cars, so that could possibly be some new standard singles too! High hopes turned to disappointment, when I found that they actually had received only four cars, two Francesco, one McQueen and one Carla! It's encouraging to know that they think big! The day ended well, as on my way home I found a Kimura Kaiso and Funny Car Mater in my local TK Maxx! The girl was just putting out the delivery. She said that the Disney Cars sell well. I asked her to get some more in; it would be great to get some Miguel and Petro Movie Moments!

[niftynigel]

Smyths (Charlton, London SE17) had about 50 silver racers on display and another three unopened cases. Not every town has a Smyths as there are only 30 in mainland UK, but they are putting Argo's pathetic effort to shame. A few months ago, I feared that Smyths has over ordered early Cars 2 stock and wouldn't be part of any Cars future, but I'm pleased they are well and truly back on board. Their staff are so helpful, which is a dying art in modern day Britain! Quite clearly, TRU are not going to be part of the Cars 2013 series, so hopefully as there are more RS Classics being released in the US, they might find their way to the UK too!?

[yuffie]

it will be interesting to visit the cribbs causeway smyths as their cars section was getting smaller every time i went there

[carslover]

Smyths (Charlton, London SE17) had about 50 silver racers on display and another three unopened cases. Not every town has a Smyths as there are only 30 in mainland UK, but they are putting Argo's pathetic effort to shame. A few months ago, I feared that Smyths has over ordered early Cars 2 stock and wouldn't be part of any Cars future, but I'm pleased they are well and truly back on board. Their staff are so helpful, which is a dying art in modern day Britain! Quite clearly, TRU are not going to be part of the Cars 2013 series, so hopefully as there are more RS Classics being released in the US, they might find their way to the UK too!?

just so you know my TRU has not had any of the 2013 series cars either
when they do have a new case it has been stock from 2011 & 2012
it has been that way in the usa for me too
and they have not had anthing worth buying since before christmas

[madbob]

Went to an Argos today that had 2 silver racers, Tesco had four silver racers... it really is a pathetic quantity and it just feels like the cars line in the UK is getting to a point of no return with being too far behind in the range and prices rising to £6 a car and there being more choice on ebay from other countries. If Argos choose a silver racer for there catalogue picture doesn't that say that these are the only cars that will be available in stores for the time being (even though what they might say!). No one has seen new 2013 cases in the uk yet. They are in europe, but did Mattel UK also order, you know what there like for missing orders with the warehouse in China... I think what might happen is China have a big warehouse and produce US & International models and then it is up to the country to place the order. If they haven't got any left in the warehouse when a country would like them its tuff luck... try to remember next time. I think Mattel UK has a planning department and probably Cars are quite a way down on the list of priorities. Smyths have fewer stores but have probably had roughly the same amount as others so you will get more instore. I tend not to believe anyone now when I speak to them on the phone about cars...

[niftynigel]

madbob -

The 2013 Silver racers are just a 'limited edition' to start the 2013 range. Stocks are now exhausted at Mattel, who are now distributing (sic) the first standard singles cases to retailers' warehouses. My guess is that there were 2,000 cases (of 12) silver racers. Smyths have 58 superstores across UK and Ireland, Argos have 740 stores and Tesco have 701 combined Extra/Superstores. I can only speculate how many each got, but looking at the stores in my area, I guess that Smyths got about 250 cases, Argos maybe 500 and the rest to Tesco (1,250). You can work out the shop/case ratios. The fact that they are a limited edition should set the scene.

I have quite a lot of information and out of respect to Mattel UK, not to post it, I will say that the price rise is due to three main reasons.

1). The GB Pound is considerably weaker on the international market than in the past.

2). China is experiencing high inflation and wages amongst other things are going up.

3). In order to match demand, the number of cases, at least initially, is being reduced. Typically, there would be 2,000 cases so it's possible that there may only be 1,000 of each case?

In order to get about 100 cars out this year (including about 80 standard singles), there's going to be 12 different cases released at regular intervals during 2013, nominally every eight weeks (two cases at a time).

That is a very ambitious release schedule by any measure. If you couple that to poor economic conditions in the UK (and Europe), it must be very difficult to exactly judge the demand and order in enough stock. You also have to factor in what shops are ordering.

This doesn't let Mattel UK off the hook. They ordered far too many case 997J (5,000 est) at the end of last year, leaving no room to get the final case (998H) (and the final four cars) into stores. I have suggested a number of ways they can complete the Cars 2 series.

The official launch date was Sat 19 Jan 2013 - Silver racers. Mattel failed to get enough product to Argos, although Smyths got their allocation. Argos systematically failed to get stock into stores, much of the stock still being in their Stafford distribution warehouse! Tesco got all their allocation out and demand has outstripped supply!

The official launch date for the standard singles, deluxe and doubles was Sat 2 Feb 2013. There have been no reports of these in shops apart from Stunt racers and transporters and a few other peripheral products.

Mattel UK -

If you are reading this, I thank you for your continued supply of information, but it doesn't mean that I will stop being critical of your distribution. I make criticism and suggestions in good faith, with the aim of promoting Cars and aiding the collectors market.

Your 'variable' distribution plays right into the hands of internet rip-off sellers, when the products are aimed for children and collectors, many of whom are also suffering because of the current economic situation.

[yuffie]

personally the sooner they exuast the supply of silver cars and get some of the proper 2013 range to the shops the better

having said that unless sainsbury's, debenhams or the toymaster franchise in bath see these cases i can't see me making a real effort to collect them - now the disney store has gone and if toys r us aren't stocking them then it will be a real struggle to catch every case (if they do all appear which i don't think will surprise anyone if it doesn't happen) down this way - i make smyths maybe every 2-3 months so timing a visit when they've got decent stock will be lucky and the tesco's down this way have continually proved to be about the worst for only have peg warmers

[boogity]

yuffie , the key to success in tesco is being there at the right time, if I hadnt been in wed 08.45 I wouldnt have found geargrinder, etc, I looked yesterday and the same old stuff was there that was there prior to last week and i,d have been none the wiser

[niftynigel]

I've always found Tesco Customer Services in store very helpful. Give them the barcode number and they'll tell you when the next delivery is due! Then you have to be an insomniac to get there first!