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Respect the Classics: Bessie

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  • Respect the Classics: Bessie



    How could a character in the Cars movie have no speaking lines and be a classic? If that character was Bessie, the answer to that question is easy... She may be Basic Service Equipment, but she's a great Car.

    Bessie has only been released twice... A small plastic version was released in a large Mack playset that folded out into 3 parts - I have that plastic version somewhere... and the only time as a Deluxe diecast version was on the Night Skyline cardback:



    Here's the cardback:


    Bessie was eagerly anticipated but was very rarely seen in stores... My first Bessie arrived from Rippers in the UK on International cardback on April 28, 2010:



    Online US retailers got the case with Bessie towards the end of May 2010... It was never seen at major box stores (Toys R US, Target, Walmart) in the US... Bessie was found in early August 2010 at a grocery store chain... It was also found at a few Kohl's stores that same time... at the end of August 2010, I first found Bessie at Burlington Coat Factory and on 9/6/10 I found her at another Burlington Coat Factory store:



    Those were the only times I saw Bessie in a store... 2 times in a 3 week period... when new Cars turn up first at an overstock place, you know there's a distribution problem.

    I believe the local flea market still has a Bessie in stock, but I'm not paying $89 plus tax for one.

    Here are a few photos of Bessie opened:








    And I've also staged Bessie a few times with Lightning McQueen with Shovel:




    I'm down to my one opened Bessie in a display case, and one International carded Bessie... I never had many of her - she is perhaps the most rare Deluxe Car as far as the US cardback is concerned... from time to time I've seen a "clean" Bessie (no tar stains) on eBay but at $600 it's way out of my price range... I wish the Disney Store would have released a large scale Bessie like they did Frank, but they never did.

    Will Bessie be re-released? I hope so... I don't buy Cars as an investment - I buy them to enjoy them... Time will tell - neither Bessie nor Frank were announced in the returning 2013 Deluxe size Cars mentioned in a post on TakeFiveADay this week.

    As Mater mentioned to Lightning McQueen in Cars, "I'd give my left 2 lug nuts for a date with Bessie", I know many of you who don't have her would be willing to pay a premium price for her... you'll have to - if you want to add Bessie to your collection.

    Thank you for reading... as always, your comments are appreciated.


    P.S. - Those of you who post comments on this article will be entered in the drawing for a prize.


    I am cac1959... I am a Cars-a-holic... and a proud supporter of Nathan's Playroom

  • #2
    Bessie was actually the car that inspired me to register and begin trading on a Cars site. I found the first one in a TRU during a Grand Opening. Then a few weeks later, I found one in a Burlington Coat Factory. I traded her for a Bye Bye Kar and a Yojimbo. Don't feel bad about that trade because to this day, I still have never seen either of those cars in a store!

    signature courtesy of BomBom77
    http://www.pixarcarsdiecast.com/foru...ars-for-trades

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    • #3
      I love Bessie. I've found a fair few over my time and traded all but one (and like for like trades too - if only I knew at the time!!!)

      I'm still yet to give my son Bessie although when he asks for her I'll certainly give it to him

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      • #4
        Now that my interest in the Cars world is growing...I REALLY REALLY wish I wuold have been collecting back then for the off chance that I may have found Bessie (and Frank).

        Good article and a fund read as always Looking forward to the next one...whichever it is (my hope for a future article? "The Fans" lol)
        Last edited by DeceptiCog72283; 09-16-2012, 04:25 PM.

        Transformers for Trade
        Feedback: pixarcarsdiecast.com; cybertron.ca; tfw2005.com; ebay.ca

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        • #5
          got my bessie in disney shop back in the day

          every time I see a real life bessy it makes me feel good and I always have a chuckle to myself, we got our avenue resurfaced last year, bessie was there for about a fortnight, beezer!

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          • #6
            Wow that's cool!!!!!!!




            http://carstoys.wikia.com <--My wiki

            http://flickr.com/carstoys/ <--My Flickr

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            • #7
              Bessie really is a cool car. She is the only one without eyes but still has a character of her own! Hopefully someday I can afford to part with my left two lugnuts and have Bessie in my collection.

              Keep up the good work Chris!

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              • #8
                except for this released one, there is a clean version Bessie, very nice.

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                • #9
                  Was the clean version Bessie only released backdoor, or was it on cardback?

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                  • #10
                    I've only seen the clean Bessie loose on eBay...


                    I am cac1959... I am a Cars-a-holic... and a proud supporter of Nathan's Playroom

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                    • #11
                      I think bessie is pretty cool.




                      http://carstoys.wikia.com <--My wiki

                      http://flickr.com/carstoys/ <--My Flickr

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Fillmore1234 View Post
                        Was the clean version Bessie only released backdoor, or was it on cardback?
                        Fillmore, I only saw backdoor version so far. PCC had a post to compare Bessie, you can get more detail in that post.

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                        • #13
                          Bessie... The Finest Road Paving Machine...
                          It was one of the first few diecast i bought...

                          Fillmore, Just Ebay Bessie and it is the highest price among all available listing. It have been there and is still there...

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                          • #14
                            Bessie was called "Kin Jei" in Cantonese version released in Hong Kong.
                            That name loosely meant Awesome Lady or Sister in English.
                            "Kin Jei" was also a key character in a local sitcom show boardcasing back then.

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                            • #15
                              Thank you for the story behind Bessie, sunnetchan... Awesome Lady - that seems most appropriate about Bessie to me.

                              The eBay link for the clean Bessie now shows a Buy-It-Now price of $499.99...

                              http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Pixar...item2a1c41ea9c

                              I think it was $599.99 earlier, but I could be wrong... I might pay $100 for a clean Bessie, but not this month, not with Kmart Day 9 coming up in 3 weeks.


                              I am cac1959... I am a Cars-a-holic... and a proud supporter of Nathan's Playroom

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