MATTEL Kar Kulture

[photonrider]

EXCLUSIVELY
Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Lesney Products
Discussion.​

Other brands will be considered off-topic; however there are many generic die-cast scale model discussions out there on various aspects of the hobby and you are welcome to use those.​

This space is strictly Mattel.​

Some handy links are provided below for the appropriate threads that cover all brands.

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For all true-to-scale Scale Models - Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Tanks . . . People - all sizes - it's in here. Prepare to be absorbed by the Borg-like nature of this thread if you dare:​

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/gtplanet-scale-model-thread.29704/

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The link below takes you to where all the little models are - any brand, any size under 1:43 is grist to this gigantic Thread's mill; Kyosho, Tomica, Majorette and Jls, rub haunches with Greenlights, Siku, and even rarities like yatming and Corgi. Look hard and you'll find everything from Dinky to the cheapest Hot Wheels models.
A small scale collector's paradise if you can match the passion of the collectors in there:​

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/1-64-model-collectors-thread.118323/

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If you're into construction of dioramas, the photography thereof, and general photography help with your collection jump in through the link below to a completely different world related to collecting. This Thread will take all models, all brands, all sizes:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/diecast-dioramas-op-for-gallery-thread-for-workshop.249319/

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Not happy with the way the car looks? Think you can improve it? Don't let the title fool you, various brands go under the drill in here, and come out looking like jewels in the hands of these master customizers. Join them for some prime fun that will give your cars a good finish:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/hot-wheels-and-matchbox-customizing-thread.245745/

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The link below is where the the most patient and skillful of the modellers are - the guys who work with those kits that make the average Joe's head spin.
Go in if you dare. Then buy kit after kit and store it faithfully away planning to get at it another day.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/model-car-1-24-plastic-kits.40221/

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Discussion Agenda:​

# You are welcome to bring in pictures of Mattel's cars from any division of theirs, in any scale you wish. We want to see all the cars they make, right in here. Well, that's a tall order - but we have to start somewhere. Having roved the Forums for some years now I am confident that some of you hobbyists out there must have stupendous Lesney/HW/MBX ( or in short, Mattel) collections going - even if it is only a part of your entire collection.

Bring in box sizes, 1:87s, I:43s, 1:18s, (AFAIK, there's a few 1:1 HW cars, too) whatever you have - but please don't flood the thread too early with too much - we have a ways to go, don't we? Old, rare pieces are especially welcome, for sure, because of the interest that is generated by such pieces, but new pieces are also welcome, whether mainline or the very finest primium lines that HW makes in any size.

HW, unlike most manufacturers, also makes huge amounts of themed collections - these are welcome, too, and so are the fantasy cars - many of which are slowly turning into reality as we go into the future of automotive design.
We will, of course have fun discussing this aspect - El Segundo's prescience on automotive design.

# I, myself, collect many brands - but have realised many years ago that the Hot Wheels collector is a different breed of animal, and goes beyond collecting them as display collectibles. There is a certain 'schtick' about collecting HWs (and Matchbox, and Lesney since HW sucked them in) and maybe we can put that 'schtick' into words - real simple words that put the why, how, what, and when of HWs . . . and, where? Here.
Maybe this discussion will help to shed some light on this secret obssession that hides in many a cellar.
If you ever travelled to El Segundo or visited a HW event IRL and have photos, do bring them in and tell us your stories.

# Histories, lore, stories about Hot Wheels cars and legendary pieces - like the one shown below -

are very welcome. This will help to build a database in here of exclusive HW information for our entertainment and education.

# We will discuss investing, values, and the market in these products.

# We will also discuss HW track systems, physics involved, and the various kinds of play involved; again pics are welcome, and info on what you are doing with it, and how it works.

# HW comes with much memorabilia connected with the hobby - from eye-wear to candy canes - and pics/info on related merchandise are also welcome - but please do not use links within the thread to advertise products for the commercial benefit of other sites. If you wish to buy or sell something involving another member use the Trading Post at GTPlanet or start a behind-the-scenes 'Conversation' with the Member in question.

I encourage you to trade with one another if you see the opportunity arise; do this via 'Conversation' again. This will mutually benefit GTPlanet HW hobbyists who are in locations where HW is unavailable, and in return those members who may have a plethora of HWs at brick-and-mortar retailers may be able to provide for those who cannot source them other than via the e-commerce outlets.
If you have put something for sale here at GTPlanet or looking to buy something - do place the relevant ad in GTPlanet's Trading Post (a very good feature of Premium Membership) - you can inform us that you have one going - and from there it is easy to pick up the deal via 'Conversation'.

#We will discuss HW movies, and any other related media events connected with Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Lesney.
Videos of HWs made by members, or videos of HW-related subject matter from Youtube are also welcome.

#We will discuss and source helpful tips and tricks on Storage, Maintenance, Cleaning, and Display.

#Questions from collectors both new and seasoned are always welcome - and we shall try to find answers; there are many people in here knowledgeable on the subject, and we can tap into them.

Other matters as related to Mattel's Toy Car Division will surface on and off as when when such events become current.



There we go.

In short - anything to do with the cars that come from Mattel. Even if it's just that shabby old pink RLBB tossed in a corner of your attic.

Yup. That one. The one with the surfboards sticking out the back.
Where did you get it?

 

[CodeRedR51]

Honestly don't believe this thread is necessary.

 

[Nessy]

Honestly don't believe this thread is necessary.

Me neither really, but in fairness if @photonrider sees it as being necessary, then who are we to say any different.

I'm disappointed there seems to be no inclusion of Corgi, which is a bit strange considering it's steeped in as much heritage as MBX and HW's (especially when you consider HW's has borrowed a few Corgi casts). It would be nice to see Tomica in there too, as they have similar licenses to HW's, what with the Star wars line and new fictional Star wars cars.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Well we have two HW/MB threads now, so....

Just because we post stuff other than HW/MB in the other thread (which is called the HW/MB thread anyway) doesn't mean we need to separate the HW/MB stuff into a new thread. In fact the other thread has slowed to a crawl lately anyway, I doubt posting a new thread will change that.

 

[TB]

Honestly don't believe this thread is necessary.

I have to agree.

@photonrider - any reason the intended discussion can't take place in the threads we already have?

 

[Ameer67]

A simple renaming of the HW/MB collector's thread could have solved this.

 

[photonrider]

I have to agree.

@photonrider - any reason the intended discussion can't take place in the threads we already have?

Yes, TB. Many good reasons.
I've addressed the issue in the 1:64 Scale Model Thread, and I hope you will have a look in there to help you address the issues the posters above raised.
As well, a comparison of the different agendas of each thread will show that they are vastly different and catering to two different disciplines, though there will no doubt be members (like myself) visibly involved in both discussions.

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To start off 'setting the mood':

Here is some 'Matchbox' lore - a good place to start for beginner collectors and a nice walk down memory lane for long-time collectors:

The following from HW wikis:

"The Matchbox name started in 1953 as a brand name of the British die-casting company, Lesney Products. Lesney's reputation would be moulded by Jack Odell, Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith (hence the name "Lesney"); their first major sales success was the million-selling model of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Coach.

Shortly thereafter, Lesney co-owner Jack Odell (b. 1920 – d. 2007) created a toy that effectively provided the final, missing link to the company's future. It was designed for his daughter: her school only allowed children to bring toys that could fit inside a matchbox, so Odell crafted a scaled-down version of the Lesney green and red road roller. This toy ultimately became the first of the 1-75 miniature range; a dump truck and a cement mixer completed the original three-model release that marked the starting point of the mass-market success story of the Matchbox series. As mentioned above, because the one defining factor for the toys was that each model had to fit in a match-box, the idea was born to sell the models in replica matchboxes — thus yielding the name of the series. It also resulted in the description of the models' scales being "1:box" (as opposed to more "serious" scales such as 1:87, 1:64, or 1:43).

Additional models — mostly British at first — continued to be added to the range throughout the decade, including cars such as an MG Midget TD, a Vauxhall Cresta, a Ford Zodiac, and many others. As the line grew, it also gradually became more international, including models of Volkswagens, a Citroën, and American makes. To make such miniatures, the designers took detailed photographs of the real models, even obtaining some original blueprints. This enabled them to make models with surprisingly high levels of detail, despite the small scale. The size of the models (and their clever packaging) allowed Matchbox to occupy a market niche barely touched by the competition (and certainly not by Dinky); the associated price advantage made Matchbox models affordable for every child, and helped establish Matchbox as a household word for small model toy cars — whatever the brand. Although used generically, "MATCHBOX" (in capital letters and quotation marks) was registered as a worldwide trademark to protect the Matchbox brand from competition.


In the earliest years of the regular, or 1-75 series — well before the series actually numbered 75 models — Lesney was marketed/distributed by Moko (itself named after its founder, Moses Kohnstam). Boxes in that era mentioned this, with the text "A Moko Lesney" appearing on each. Lesney gained its independence from Moko in the '50s by buying the company, leading into a period of growth, both in sales and in size. Early models did not feature windows or interiors, were made entirely of metal, and were often about 2" (5 cm) in length. By 1968, Matchbox was the biggest-selling brand of small diecast model cars worldwide. By this time, the average model featured plastic windows, interiors, tyres (often with separate disc wheels), and occasional accessories; spring suspensions; opening parts; and was about 3" (7 cm) long. Some even featured steering, including the pressure-based AutoSteer system debuting in 1969. The line was very diverse, including many trucks/lorries, buses, tractors, motorcycles, and trailers as well as standard passenger cars.

This was what could be called the "Golden Era" of British die-cast. The three dominant brands in the world at the time, all British-made (Dinky, Matchbox, and Corgi), could seemingly do no wrong. Each had its own market niche and its own strong reputation, while innovations and advances by one were adopted by the others within a matter of a few years. Each also expanded to some extent into each other's territory, though this never seemed to seriously affect the sales of any brand's core series."

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And now on to the latest episode:

Saw this on the desk of one of my colleagues.

"I can get rid of that for you," I said.
"Don't you dare touch it! " she growls. "My son gave it to me."

These one-car HW collectors kill me. They are the most possessive about their collection.

I know a guy who has five cars in his glass cabinet, just five, useless, not enough to even be a 'collection' but will not give them to me.
What's with that.
"It's the Hot Wheels my son used to play with with. Oh! That one? That one I bought for myself."





That's all part of the fun of collecting, eh?

On to more information.

I'm placing this in as an 'edit' - no point bumping the thread if I can add the info here. It's good to keep a thread compact. Don't hesitate to join me, however, if you are into Mattel cars.

Okay, to go on:

For those of you who have never bought a Hot Wheels or Matchbox vehicle, and for those of you with 'small' collections, as well as Beginner collectors, this thread will be a good starting place to get to know more about the hobby, and eventually as we build up more Mattel purists we may learn a lot more.

You do not have to be a purist to be here - we would just like to keep the 'mood' Mattel, unadulterated by other brands, but if you collect other brands too, as I do, the OP will direct you to the relevant discussions that include all brands indiscriminately.

In here, however, we may tend to get 'serious' - in fact examining everything about the hobby - from the machines that make the cars and the recipes that go into the molds to the latest rumour that Hot Wheels employees are stealing THs.

Yup. I heard about that.

There are only two elements of the Hobby we will leave out - Customizing as a core hobby and Dioramas as a creative pursuit - please look in the OP for the links to those discussions - they also include all brands, and as well the Diorama thread entertains all models and all sizes.

There is no competition here - even if you have just a single Mattel car of any size (or any other related item; doesn't have to be a model car as the OP details) of Mattel's 'Kar Kulture', you are more than welcome to join, contribute info, ask questions, and generally have the kind of fun internet infotainment can give you.

Especially in the car-conscious/video-gaming/community-based environment unique to GTPlanet.


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Now what better way to start off a 'Discussion for Mattel Purists' than the Twin Mill?

Ira Gildford's concept car was was designed in-house at Mattel and is one of the most recognizable and popular Hot Wheels castings for generations. A full-size replica of the car was created and displayed at various automotive events.
This original Hot Wheels design led to three other follow-up castings, the Twin Mill II (1993) and Twin Mill III, as well as a Toon Car Casting.

But how Ira got into Mattel is another story, because we have to bring Harry into it first - which is quite a long story - so we took a quick look at the Twin Mill (and a quick introduction to the beginnings of Lesney) and we'll move on to another casting that, IMO, every Hot Wheels aficionado should possess:

The Tooligan.

The Tooligan was designed by Wayne Scott, a Hot Wheels Graphics Designer, was his first vehicle design, and debuted in 2010. The Tooligan is a multi-purpose tool. The 'wing' is a 3/8 wrench and the chassis has a chuck that will hold a 1/4" hex, so you can fit a variety of bits.

The front spoiler is a ruler. The front fenders resemble wrenches and the engines are giant Phillips screwdrivers. Works perfectly as a spanner and a pocket-sized hex-bit holder as well as a source of consternation when taken out and used to fix a kid's bicycle.

May tend to dissapear - keep a sharp grip on it.
Tooligan belongs to the 2010 New Models series in Chrome, Gold Chrome and Dark Chrome but was also released last year in the Flame Fighters 5-pack in Grey. 2010 Models were made in Malaysia while the 2014 was made in Thailand. AFAIK - the Chrome was only released in Europe, so a bit of a brick-and-mortar rarity for us here across the pond.

Another interesting fact about Tooligan - there's one that has travelled almost 7,000 miles via geocaching. Here's a snippet of the geocaching Log:

That's a heck of a distance to travel for a small car to travel. It may be still tooling around the world.
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To look out for:
James Bond Aston Martin DB5: Goldfinger - Hot Wheels Elite 1:18 Diecast
AFAIK - about $160.00 and available in August 2015. The 1:43 is already available for around $60.00.
Happy hunting!

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Some wallpaper, and maybe even a nice poster if you print it out:

Have you got any Mattel in your past? Well . . . here we are - back to the future then.