Recent Finds - July 2013 Store Purchases

[KK&PP_Cars]

Bought these at the disney store today, now all we are missing is Frank...

And here's the coupon I mentioned in another post...

[DiZz]

Found the International deluxes in a toystore in the Netherlands yesterday:

[jestrjef]

Nice pick up KK&PP_Cars! DiZz, has anyone else found these outside of the U.S. yet? You may be the FIRST! Great finds!!

[lovemini]

cool, KK&PP_Cars. I like these tractors.

[DiZz]

DiZz, has anyone else found these outside of the U.S. yet? You may be the FIRST! Great finds!!

Haven't seen that anybody has found one...

[cac1959]

Great finds, KK&PP_Cars and Dizz... Dizz - you're the first one that I've heard that has found the Francesco Fan Mater outside of the US from the Kmart event... it's good to know that FFM is available outside of the US at Kmart.

[KK&PP_Cars]

Cool to see the international carded FFM...

[Enzo]

Nice pick up KK&PP_Cars! DiZz, has anyone else found these outside of the U.S. yet? You may be the FIRST! Great finds!!

As Nigel reported, the Deluxes and MMs have been officially cancelled by Mattel UK.

[KK&PP_Cars]

Very friendly guy at Target this morning, went to the back and brought two cases of singles...

Unfortunately I'm still getting this case around here...glad I bought the 5 I wanted from G...

[jestrjef]

Very friendly guy at Target this morning, went to the back and brought two cases of singles...

Unfortunately I'm still getting this case around here...glad I bought the 5 I wanted from G...

Similar thing down here in FLA ... 1 batch of G and then mine went back to D case. GRRRRR

[niftynigel]

As Nigel reported, the Deluxes and MMs have been officially cancelled by Mattel UK.

They are officially cancelled or deferred as Mattel calls it, so there is hope that they maybe released in time for Christmas! The UK and Ireland will probably get them when everyone else has moved on to the next product!

I guess it all depends how well behaved we are in the UK (and Ireland). We have to buy everyone else's cast-offs and overstocks first. The Deluxe and Doubles (from the US) currently on sale in the UK and Ireland probably wouldn't sell anywhere else? Certainly the UK is such an important market for Mattel (Europe and the US). All the old stuff does sell, so there's probably a feeling of justification at Mattel HQ.

It's not fair on the UK collector, but Mattel have proven time and again, UK collectors are treated with contempt.

I would guess that all this old stock has been sold in to the stores at rock bottom prices and stores are encouraged to try their hand and sell for as high a price as they dare. Sure, some of the stock is heavily discounted in stores, making it look like there are real bargains. Considering the usual high prices, the prices are good, just proving how much profit margin there is for Mattel and the stores.

In the UK trade price of a case (of 24no) standard singles is £64.10 plus 20% Value Added Tax = £76.92.

The shops will usually add a 30% 'mark-up' to cover overheads and profit. That means the value of a case of 24no cars is £100 plus VAT = £120. That equates to £5 per car, which is what they are selling for.

The 30% mark-up is a standard throughout retail. There are discounts for bulk buying and early payment of bills, so the supermarkets like Tesco who can order 5,500 cases at a time, spread over months and weeks are in a very strong position compared to an independent store.

[DiZz]

Nigel,

I recently found out that all the New stuff that keeps poppin' up on the mainland all comes from...

...the UK...

The Victor and Francesca I just got, came from a large UK reseller...
Will shoot some pics of the back which indicates they are from the UK (at least, so it seemed to me ..)

[Enzo]

Nigel,

I recently found out that all the New stuff that keeps poppin' up on the mainland all comes from...

...the UK...

The Victor and Francesca I just got, came from a large UK reseller...
Will shoot some pics of the back which indicates they are from the UK (at least, so it seemed to me ..)

That's just great isn't it. We get your crap old stock. You get our shiny new stock. Talk about being shafted by Mattel.

[niftynigel]

Nigel,

I recently found out that all the New stuff that keeps poppin' up on the mainland all comes from...

...the UK...

The Victor and Francesca I just got, came from a large UK reseller...
Will shoot some pics of the back which indicates they are from the UK (at least, so it seemed to me ..)

Is that a (now) famous internet seller on eBay and Amazon?

[DiZz]

I think not ! Know who you're referring at...
The ones I got from an online seller, told me he got them from a large UK distributor.
Of course, he wouldn't tell me who it was.
There's another online seller in our country, I picked up a rumour lately that they also get stuff from the UK..
It even gets here before our main toy stores get the "official" cases from Mattel Europe.
So it might take a couple of weeks before the new ones are on the pegs here..
I just happen to know my way around a little...