January-February
http://www.mbxforum.com
Issue 8.1
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
John Yanouzas
Scott Firmender
Ray Flader
Bob Burdick
John Nijhuis
Chairman & Newsletter Editor
Treasurer
Secretary
Editor, Lightning Rod
Editor, Webmaster
johny3@earthlink.net
sfirmender@blumshapiro.com
ray.flader@milfordhospital.org
capt1075@cox.net
matchbox@box.nl
CLUB NEWS
Please visit the club's bulletin board more frequently. It's there for you! Look at:
http://p102.ezboard.com/bmatchboxeurope
ATTENTION****************LAST REMINDER****************ATTENTION
SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL NOTICE
If you want to continue receiving the hard copy newsletter for year 2006,
please send your subscription renewal payment of US$10.00 to Club
Treasurer:
Scott Firmender, 16 Centennial Drive, Milford, CT 06460.
This is the last reminder.
John Yanouzas
*******************LAST REMINDER*****************
Matchbox Forum-NA
-1-
Newsletter 8.1
Charity Models
John, I have been meaning to call you. Dr. Dinesh had informed me that the e-mails he sent to
you – 2-3 attempts -- all came back to him.
The Matchbox model - about 50 - were distributed last summer to the children's ward in the
Lucknow University Hospital. Dr. Dinesh waited until I was visiting Lucknow and arranged for a
department head to distribute them to children in my presence. I took some video on my
camera, but unfortunately my camera was lost during my travel last year. The faces of some of
the children were unimaginable, what great joy these small gift brought to children.
If you would like to get the name and date of the department etc, please let me know. Will
another batch be possible sometimes in future?
2006 CD ROM
John Nijhuis has once again produced a CD ROM that is chock full of MBX information and
images.
To order it, make check of US$14.00 payable to Matchbox Forum and mail it to Club Treasurer
Scott Firmender, 16 Centennial Drive, Milford, CT 06460.
The Clubs still has some Houston Astro Ford F-150s available.
SUPERFAST AUTOBAHN 5-PACK
What a nice surprise to begin the New Year. A special package 9” x 12” in yellow and red
contains five German models each with its box and true replica photo on it. On the Autobahn
you are likely to see all five of them in a pack, but also you can see them in Matchbox.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo, forest green body, beige interior, chrome base,
silver-gray window trim, Thailand, plate “MTW1030”
Porsche 911 Turbo, yellow body, black interior/base, Thailand, plate “TURBO911”
Mercedes SL55 AMG, black body, gray interior, chrome base, Thailand, plate “DRK GRMY”
Opel Speedster, blue-green body, gray base black interior, Thailand, no plate
BMW 850i, dark blue body/base, beige interior, Thailand, plate “BMW850i”
For those who yearn for real like cars with no bling, you have them in this Superfast 5-Pack. All
models are fitted with Triangular 5-spoke wheels and are encapsulated in clear plastic molds,
not on blister cards. The price at Wal-Mart is US$12.00. Is it a guess that the plate on the
Mercedes “DRK GRMY” stands for Dirk Schleuer, Germany. Who can decipher the “MTW1030”
plate on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo?
2005 SUPERFAST WAVE G
Release of 2005 Superfast Wave G is scheduled for early February 2006 in the USA while it
already has appeared in Europe. Wave G contains exactly the same models in USA and ROW.
All three models sport triangular 5-spoke wheels.
#70 Mercedes SL55 AMG, silver-pearl body, dark red interior, chrome base, plate "SP5E425"
#74 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, maroon body, beige interior, chrome base, plate "JH1N425"
#75 Dodge Charger R/T silver grey body, dark grey interior, chrome base, plate "DODGE"
Mattel has informed me that the following retailers will be carrying Mix G (ROW
version) in the USA.
Matchbox Forum-NA
-2-
Newsletter 8.1
Kidde Kar Kollectibles
Midwest Diecast
JS Sporting
Regarding the production quantity of Superfast Wave G, the batch I received from Europe
indicates 8.000. That is a sufficient quantity to satisfy the MBX collectors of the world. Trying to
make sense of the mysteries of corporate decision making has baffled me for many years. We
must assume there is a sufficiently good reason to make Superfast Wave G the same in USA
and ROW.
2005 SUPERFAST #69 LONDON TAXI
In the USA, the die cast dealers have been supplied with the #69 London Taxi, red body/black
roof sporting premiere wheels/rubber tires and the other version to be found in stores, though
rare sports plastic retro wheels. I have not found the latter version (retro wheels) in a store
though a few others have been successful. I'm still chasing the retro wheels.
2-PACKS WITH REMNANTS
Report by David Tilley:
Yes, these 2-packs with remnants are turning up in Europe. Sadly, I have no idea whereabouts
in the UK we can get them, although they have turned up in some areas of the UK too. We
have heard of variations to some of the issues from the mid 1990s mostly with different wheels.
So far the Pontiac GTO has been found in charcoal (from PC17) but with 6-spoke spirals.
Another Pontiac GTO in yellow with flames (from PC11) also with 6-spoke spirals. This
particular model has also been found with either a red or black interior. The Rhino Rod gold
challenge model has been found with 6-spoke spirals instead of concave star. The El Camino
original version in gold with dual black stripes has been found with 5-crown wheels instead of
concave star.
But the biggest thing that has been found in the packs is a Porsche 959 in blue, with red
interior, sporting a yellow design a P & L Co tampo print as used on the Utility Truck in 1997.
This is a completely new variation.
Most of the models are standard issues from this era. Premieres and standard issues can be
found, as well as the '57 Chevy Challenge car that was given to those who completed the 1997
gold Challenge. It seems that China has been emptying out factory remnants.
2006 MODELS OF YESTERYEAR
Tool No.
K1876
K1878
K1875
K1879
Matchbox Forum-NA
Description
1938 Lincoln Zephyr
1912 Ford Model T
1930 Dusenberg
1931 Stutz Bearcat
Launch Date
06/01/06
07/16/06
08/30/06
10/14/06
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Newsletter 8.1
MB 1-75 2005 USA Models*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
MB 660
MB 661
MB 420
MB 600
MB 630
MB 609
MB 579
MB 440
MB 445
MB 149
MB 281
MB 628
MB 402
MB 423
MB 523
MB 531
MB 573
MB 662
MB 663
MB 645
MB 302
MB 441
MB 627
MB 665
MB 666
MB 607
MB 489
MB 562
MB 611
MB 680
MB 664
MB 567
MB 469
MB 532
MB 526
MB 667
MB 668
MB 438
MB 590
Ladder King, red & silver (NEW)
Auto Medic, black, silver-grey boom (NEW)
Chevrolet Impala Police, blue, white doors
Checker Taxi, yellow, grey interior
Corvette C6 , bronze, flames design
Mustang Concept, red, white stripe
Mini Cooper S, blue, white roof
Lotus Elise, neon yellow "Elise"
Delivery Truck, orange & grey "Duracell"
Mercede 280 GE, white, bk. Roof, or stripe
Ford Transit - yellow, white stripe
Land Rover SVX, khaki tan, black interior
Dennis Sabre, red, white stripe
Porsche 911 Convertible, met. blue, light.
Radar Truck, olive green, brown design
Ferrari 360 Spider, yellow, tan interior
Opel Frogster, lime, black hood
City Bus - white "Metro Shuttle" (NEW)
Ford F-150 Lightning, silver-grey (NEW)
Lincoln Navigator, maroon
1969 Chevy Camaro SS396, blue
Audi TT Roadster, silver-grey "Audi"
Jeep Compass, red "N"
Scion Xb, grey (NEW)
Hummer H3, yellow (NEW)
BMW Z4, bright red, light. tan interior
Ford Expedition Police, black & white
Kilo King, lime "5700", silver, grey fork
Nissan 350Z, black & white "Nissan Z"
Dodge Magnu, black./white "Police"(NEW)
Tractor Cab, charcoal (NEW)
Cadillac Escalade, dark blue
Street Cleaner, gold
BMW Z8, dk. met. maroon, dark grey interior
Hummer H2 SUV Concept, dark. charcoal
London Taxi, black (NEW)
Mitsubishi Eclipse, lime (NEW)
VW Concept 1 Convertible, white "Beetle"
Ford Dump Truck, red, silver-grey dumper
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
MB 477
MB 578
MB 669
MB 670
MB 614
MB 129
MB 546
MB 632
MB 673
MB 671
MB 524
MB 552
MB 029
MB 527
MB 676
MB 674
MB 536
MB 549
MB 379
MB 589
MB 677
MB 675
MB 400
MB 451
MB 517
MB 289
MB 672
MB 678
MB 463
MB 544
MB 492
MB 425
MB 679
MB 416
MB 582
MB 446
Chevy Suburban Fire, yellow, red stripes
VW Beetle Taxi, yellow "Taxi" checkers
Ford Shelby Cobra, blue (NEW)
Jeep Hurricane Concept, charcoal (NEW)
School Bus, yellow, black stripes
Chevy Blazer 4x4, tan, brown design
Chevy Avalanche, black, gold st.
Honda Element, black
Mercedes SL55 AMG, silver-grey (NEW)
Ford GT Concept, orange (NEW)
Land Rover Discovery, olive, tan design
VW Microbus, steel blue, grey stripe
Shovel Nose Tractor, lime, yellow shovel
Rescue Crane, dark grey, grey boom
Chevy Silverado SS , blue (NEW)
Volvo XC90, light. gray (NEW)
Dump Truck – lime gold, black dumper
VW W12 Concept, gold, black design
International Pumper, white, red stripes
Dodge Ram SRT-10, blue, white st
Porsche Cayenne S, charcoal (NEW)
Dodge Charger, red (NEW)
Mercede CLK Conv., brown, tan interior
BMW 3 Series Coupe, silver-grey
Dodge Viper GTS-R, red
1970 Pontiac GTO Judge , gold
Ambulance, white, red stripe (NEW)
Jeep Rescue, pea green (NEW)
Ford Focus, yellow, black hood
Porsche 911 Turbo, met. red, grey stripe
Road Roller Paver, white, orange stripes
Mercedes-Benz Actros 1857, dark. red
Trash Truck, green (NEW)
Rapid Rescue Helicopter, olive green
VW Beetle 4x4, tan, brown design
International Armored Car, grey & black
*The tail end of the 2005 miniatures are packaged in 2006 blister cards and most of these models have a Thailand
base and other variations.
FAQs & SOME ANSWERS
Below are some FAQs by collectors and ANSWERS provided by Mattel.
Will there be a 48-car carrying case made in 2006?
NO
Will there be a fold-out pocket size catalog for the Sfuperfast in 2006
NO
Will there be a fold-out pocket size catalog for the 1-75s?
YES
Is all of the production of 1:64 scale MBX models going to Thailand from China?
YES
Matchbox Forum-NA
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Newsletter 8.1
25 January
From Jim Gallegos
The 4th Route 66 MCCH International Gathering of Friends Is official. Save the date 21-23 July 2006.
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sellers and buyers from around the world will offer thousands of die cast toys for sale in every
collecting range.
2006 NUREMBERG TOY FAIR
ChFalkensteiner
Matchbox at Nuremberg Toy Fair 2006
First off, I want to express my sincere gratitude to assistant marketing manager Christian Zentner, who
took the time to talk to me (and let me talk to him) during my visit to the Mattel stall at Nuremberg Toy
Fair. His willingness to make some room for me in his busy schedule is appreciated.
The Matchbox display as a whole gave a much more positive impression than in previous years; I dare
say it even looked more attractive than the Hot Wheels display, at least to me. Generally the products
shown were up to date examples as those currently found in the stores, in some cases even newer.
The basic range Miniatures shown included the very latest wave which has not been reported found
anywhere in the world at the time of writing yet. Among the models in this wave there are three new
castings: Mercedes-Benz CLS 500, 2006 Dune Buggy and Tractor Plow. The latter two are generic
castings, but look reasonably realistic. They both feature metal base plates, which is certainly a move in
the right direction.
The remaining 2006 Miniatures range was only shown on the new 2006 poster, which is due to become
available in the USA shortly. Its contents will also be put up on the Matchbox website. A booklet style
pocket catalog will be issued at a later date. This, however, refers to the US market only; a decision
about a German issue catalog seems not to have been made yet.
Most of the eighteen new castings are depicted on the poster only in the shape of drawings; so the
actual models may look somewhat different when they finally appear. Trucks are generally generic
castings, but all seem fairly realistic. For example, the new Gas Tanker ("Guzzler") features a US style
cab resembling an International, whereas the new Cement Mixer's cab resembles a Mercedes Actros.
The astonishing Cadillac Hearse is listed on the poster as a 1959 model, but looks like a 1963 model in
the picture; I do not know what it will be eventually. Beside the 1961 Jaguar E Type, there is one more
"vintage" model in the lineup, for the new London Double-Decker Bus looks very much like the old
number 5 Routemaster.
The previously unknown Exterminator Truck as featured in some earlier listings has turned out not to
be a new casting after all, but a recolor of the MB 564 Foam Fire Truck. The previously announced
"Rock Crawler", also called "Off-Road Rider", is a generic off-road buggy type vehicle.
Judging by the poster, all the new liveries look very attractive and realistic. This includes new renditions
of some very old castings, such as the MB 102 4x4 Chevy Van in a "Lesney" livery and the MB 188
GMC Wrecker prominently featuring Christian Zentner's last name.
It has been confirmed that the Stars of Cars range of Miniatures, which is exclusive to the German and
Austrian markets, will continue with a new set of twelve models in the fall of 2006. Last year's range was
on display at the fair, as the new lineup has not been finalized yet. It is supposed to include some of this
year's new castings, such as the VW Golf V and Jaguar XK, and some introduced last year, such as the
Porsche Cayenne and Trash Truck (in a German livery, which should be interesting to see).
The Hitch ‘n Haul range was represented by all the 2-packs issued so far, including some which have
not been seen over here in Europe yet. The same applies to the smaller and larger play sets on display,
Matchbox Forum-NA
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Newsletter 8.1
all of which had been found at stores before. The newest was the revamped Haunted Castle set with
the black Postal Service Truck.
The display of the Convoy range was a little more interesting, comprising a combination of existing and
new liveries and including the new tanker trailer casting as well as the new style 8 spoke dot wheels.
There were some more Miniatures-related items on display, including examples of the seasonal multipacks mostly found in the USA, such as Creature Cars (Dino Eggs), Creepy Cars and Coal Cars. In
addition, two new lines of Miniatures sub-ranges were introduced in examples of mock-up packaging:
Firstly a range called "Monsters", featuring one Miniature with a plastic monster figure attached. The
example on display included an earlier variation Snow Groomer, which may or may not give any
indication of what will actually be issued.
Secondly a revival of the "Battle Kings" name, however surprisingly not applied to larger-scale models
but to three packs of Miniatures in military liveries. The mock-up pack on display included three models
from last year's Military five pack. Graphics on the packaging were very similar to 1970s Battle Kings
boxes.
The Super Kings range was also shown, including the latest US releases with the Chevy El Camino
among them and even an example of the new Chevy Wreck Truck in a light blue livery featuring the last
name of designer Felix Holst. This seemed pretty much finished and ready to be issued. No sign of the
previously announced VW Camper though.
The display also included the Models of Yesteryear and Dinky ranges, which are due to be re-launched
this year. Disappointingly no mention was made of the 50 years anniversary of Yesteryears, and I could
not find out anything about markets that will carry these ranges nor about projected retail prices.
Four models were shown for each of the ranges, all of them being unchanged old issues from the
Matchbox International era:
Models of Yesteryear:
Ford Model T Tanker
Lincoln Zephyr
Dinky:
Austin-Healey 100
Jaguar XK 150
Duesenberg Model J
Stutz Bearcat
Bentley R Continental
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (Gullwing)
These castings are in the line-up for 2006, but of course in new liveries that have not been disclosed
yet.
The Skybusters range was displayed with up-to-date examples as already found in the stores, and
inevitably the large plastic "Skybusters Missions" planes were also shown.
All in all though I felt satisfied with the Matchbox display, which was bigger and more varied than ever
before in the Mattel era. There are lots of attractive products, and the main problem will be to get them
to the stores for the potential customers to see them. Distribution is still a big issue, and this lies within
the responsibility of each regional Mattel branch.
2006 LINE PREVIEW NOTES
The 2006 Collector Preview Day was held at the Mattel Headquarters in El Segundo, CA on Feb. 20th,
2006. The meeting was attended by a select group of 16 Matchbox collectors from around the world
including collectors from the US, Germany, UK and Australia. John Coyne and Felix Holst hosted the
meeting and 19 members were present at the introduction from Matchbox Marketing, Design, Research,
Engineering, Packaging and Finance. They were also present during the Q/A session.
Matchbox Forum-NA
-6-
Newsletter 8.1
Since Mattel corporate policy prohibits the use of any electronic recording equipment in its Headquarters buildings,
this report does not include any still photography, video taping, or voice recording. Guests were not permitted to carry
in or out of the building any toys.
The 2006 Collectors’ Line Preview was kicked off at 9:30 a.m. with a presentation by John Coyne and
Felix Holst regarding the overall positioning of Matchbox products. John Coyne emphasized that not long
ago Matchbox was lacking an identity, the brand was dying and that collectors/retailers did not have much
faith in the brand. The first and foremost task for John’s team was to rebuild the lost image. With the help
of research (internal & external) and the ad agency the team came up with a “Real, Action & Adventure”
theme. This theme goes well with children. John also mentioned that a “cool” item does not necessarily
have to be “fast;” it can be “slow.” Hence Matchbox is following a policy of “Slow & Cool” while Hot Wheels
pursues “Fast & Cool”.
The Realism theme safeguarding authenticity prevails in the 2006 basic 1-75s, Convoys and Skybusters.
Realism will be featured in the brand and in packaging while more research is underway on what boys
want. While rebuilding the basic car line with realism and authenticity, Mattel aims at a stronger presence
in trucks, overall brand growth and retailer profitability.
The Action theme will be featured largely in Fire and Trash models. Expect to see more wheel variations
and colors to be phased in gradually.
The three-pronged theme of Real, Action, and Adventure will be featured in Mummies, Ghosts, Dinosaurs
and Off-Road items. These popular themes will be integrated across different Matchbox ranges. To
continue emphasizing the three themes, Mattel has sought consumer insights from boys and collectors.
Boys prefer models that are “cool” and realistic, offering plenty of variety and congruently packaged. Kids
are clearly attracted to Mummy madness, Ghosts and Dinosaurs. Collectors value detail, authenticity and
quality in the models. One guest echoed the collector yearning for complete sets.
1-75 Basic Cars
The basic car strategy is to continue segmentation by theme, offering the right model selection and best
detail replication possible. Poster promotion and in-pack booklets in 10-packs and playsets will drive
collectibility along with some off-aisle promotion. Based on imposed financial constraints, tampos on basic
cars will be limited to two strikes (panels) with no more than four colors per strike. Variations in cars will
continue to appear though Mattel is making an effort to have them occur more through planning rather
than accident. Expect to see more wheel variations and different colors in the wheels. An example of
planned variation is the light bar reading “Occupied” on the 2005 black London Taxi or black or orange
wheels on the 2006 Tractor Plow. Only one line-up will be offered worldwide with no differences between
USA and ROW.
Using digital design technology 18 new tools will be in the 2006 line-up of 1-75 models. Five new tools will
be featured in the Realism theme:
#1 VW Golf
August 2006
#2 Mercedes CLS
February 2006
#3 Jaguar XK Coupe
August 2006
#4 Jaguar E-Type Coupe
June 2006
#5 Audi RS6 Avant
October2006
The domestic versus foreign car mix is aimed at pleasing a worldwide population of collectors.
The Action theme contains nine new tools:
#26 Crown Victoria
#27, Flame Tamer (2 axles)
#28 Ford Transit
#29 International CXT
#30 Tractor Plow
Matchbox Forum-NA
April 2006
August 2006
November 2006
April 2006
February 2006
-7-
Newsletter 8.1
#52 Cement Mixer (2 axles)
#53 Guzzler (Tanker truck)
#56 Double Decker Bus
#57 Cadillac Hearse
May 2006
September 2006
October 2006
September 2006
New tools in the Adventure theme will include:
#50 Range rover
#51 Dune Buggy
#54 Off-Road Rider
#55 Land Rover Defender 110
June 2006
February 2006
October 2006
August 2006
The 1-75 basic models for 2006 can be viewed at: <http//:www.matchbox.de> or
<http//:www.mbxforum.com >
Some of the actual new tools will be different from the photos shown on the 2006 Poster. For example,
the VW Golf VGI will look a little different. The resin used for the poster photos will be modified to meet
VW’s demands. The model has been retooled to look narrower. The Cement Truck and Fire Truck will be
outfitted with two axles instead of three. The Cadillac is now a ‘63 Hearse, as it will be modeled after Felix
Holst's real Caddy with slight modifications to the conversion carriage. Other changes are that both the
Land Rover & Range Rover include tow hooks. The 2006 Crown Victoria Police model will feature a box
of donuts and a set of handcuffs cast into the interior. Police officers should get an extra kick out of it.
A resin model of Bentley was shown as a possible model to be in the 2006 lineup. Currently, the
Continental GT is in its place while Mattel and Bentley work on an agreeable casting. Both Matchbox and
Bentley want it to be right. After all, few expect a Bentley to be less than authentic.
Images of the three themes – Real, Action & Adventure – will begin to appear on new 1-75 blister
packaging beginning in June 2006. The basic 1-75 models and packaging will be more integrated with
Playset models and packaging, 2-pack Hitch ‘N Haul, 5-packs, Mega Packs, and Skybusters. Mummy
Madness will be infused in all of them.
New packaging was also shown. Instead of just one model there will be three models bursting out of the
blister card. This is reminiscent of the style from the mid 1970s. These will be introduced in the
May/June time frame. The text is also very easy to spot, i.e., the name and number of the model is very
prominent on the lower left edge of the card. Mothers were having trouble spotting certain models by
name so the text location has now improved.
As Felix Holst promised us at Hershey in 2005, the wheel selection is improving with five different wheelstyles introduced in the basic 1-75 line for 2006. Since photos are unavailable, use your imagination. The
new wheels include:
 1-75 Road Wheels
 1-75 Superfast Wheels
 1-75 Superfast Wheels 4x4
 1-75 Performance Wheels
 1-75 Classic Wheels
The new wheels will be phased in gradually in 2006 and early 2007. Mockups of these wheels were
shown and they are equal if not better than the best wheels matchbox has produced in the past. Convoys
will also get new wheels. Some of the 2005 convoys now available in stores are outfitted with the new
wheels.
The Classic Wheel design is different.. These new wheels will replace all of the current wheel styles over
a period of 2006 & early 2007. The mockups of these wheels were shown were the best wheels I have
seen on Matchbox model in a long time. There is also a new set of wheels for convoys. Some of the 2005
convoys are now available in stores with the new wheels. Check your local Wal*Mart.
Matchbox Forum-NA
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Newsletter 8.1
5-Packs
For the 5-packs, there will be 12 themes in 2006 listed below in order of scheduled release:
(1) Mummy Gold (released)
(7) Vintage Classics
(2) Showroom Cars (released)
(8) Fire
(3) Coast Guard (released)
(9) Adventure
(4) City Transport
(10) Construction
(5) Dirt Seekers
(11) Contemporary Cars
(6) Police
(12) City Service
In addition, there will be some licensed themed 5-Packs in 2006 line as well. This includes:
 Ice Age 2
 One Piece
 Yu-Gi-Oh!
 Nickelodeon
 Superman Returns
 Spongebob Squarepants and maybe more
Three of the above have just released. Check your local K-Mart.
2-Packs
Emphasizing the Adventure theme will be six new Hitch ‘N Haul 2-packs:
King Tut’s Treasury
Fender Bender
Construction Zone
Orca Ocean
Alien Smash
Army Camp
Launcher Packs
The Launcher packs will morph into Mega Packs to be distributed largely through Target and Wal*Mart
will feature birthday cars, Adventure and mixed packages of cars and Skybusters. The price point is set at
US$10.00.
Convoys
Convoy models for 2006 will look like heavy haulers with new wheels and will be totally realistic licensed
models and various entertainment deco. More variety will be infused into the convoy range with Matchbox
styling. For 2006 there is a new DAF Cab and a new tanker. Initially Mattel targeted 18 Convoys for the
2006 line-up but a more realistic number is 12 to 15.
The convoys on display were:
Shell
Mario Kart
Goodyear
McDonalds
Sonic X
Honda
Michelin
Jeep
DHL
Yu-Gi-Oh!
A couple of other names mentioned were “Conoco” “UnoCal” and “Phillips
Matchbox decided not to continue with entertainment licenses this year. The concentration will be on real
licenses. A new DAF Cab will be introduced later this year. New convoy wheels will appear as well. More
efforts will be put into this line for 2007, maybe a new Peterbilt will be introduced and a new flatbed trailer,
which can be used with various convoys.
Skybusters
More Realism will be infused into the Skybuster line-up for 2006 that will include name badges of
Continental Airlines, British Airways, UPS, and American Airlines. 1:72 scale airplanes are not in the 2006
line-up.
Seasonal Items
Matchbox Forum-NA
-9-
Newsletter 8.1
The seasonal line-up shapes up to include the flowing:
Creepy Cars (already released)
Coal Cars (already released)
Halloween with exclusive car
Dino Easter Eggs (8 variations)
Christmas with exclusive car (red Jeep Rescue “2006 Happy Holidays”)
Mattel aims to plan the model variations (a variations day run) in the seasonal line-up as opposed to
letting the factory use random models.
The strategy behind the seasonal items is to decouple them from any specific holiday. This will keep the
seasonal Items on store shelves past any holiday. Thus, the Easter Eggs were replaced with Dino eggs
that are somewhat related to a religious day, but could be sold after Easter as well. Forget the Easter Egg
hunt. The Dino Eggs will have 8 different variations. Five have already been reported.
Superfast III in 2006 likely to be the last of this range will feature 13 Streaker models, two in Waves A
through F and one in the wave G. The same models will be available for both US and ROW markets. As
the core line is getting better, the brand wants to focus on basic cars.. The retro theme will be continued
on the packaging. Only 15,000 will be produced in Superfast worldwide and there will be no difference
between USA and ROW.
The Superfast 5-Pack “Autobahn” will be followed by another one featuring SUVs.
Heritage Brands
Models of Yesteryear to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Yesteryear in upscale premium
packaging will include the Duisenberg, Bearcat Stutz, Lincoln Zephyr and Model T Van. The release
target is midyear through specialty hobby shops. The production quantity is likely to be 10,000 pieces and
they will be fully detailed in upscale premium packaging and it will show the history of the models included
in the line. The distribution will be worldwide. The new wheel style reflects the original wheels used in real
cars. And, finally the realistic color schemes on these models make them perfect for any MOY collector.
The price point is about US$20.00. Mattel plans to explore this range more to see if and how it can be
expanded.
A Dinky limited edition is to be launched in Europe will include four classic European cars in original
Dinky-style boxes. A small amount will be available in specialty channels in the USA.
Mattel is not walking away from heritage models or 1:72 scale airplanes, but must figure out the best
strategy to re-introduce them.
Playsets
The main strategy for the Playsets is to reinforce the Real Action & Adventure positioning. Continue to
focus on durability, quality & assembly. Bring innovation to the Playset category and act on consumer
insights. For example, mothers want Playsets that children could take with them to different places. Hence
the Pop-Up Playsets were introduced this year. All five Pop-Up sets have been released for this year and
there will be no more until 2007.
Pop-Up and the Mummy's Gold sets are selling well. Two Playset commercials were shown that will be
aired on TV soon. The Mummy's Gold ad begins in the last week of February and Pop-Up ad will follow
the week after. These sets are selling way ahead of Hot Wheels sets. More similar product is in the
works. A new large Superman Returns Playset will be released to replace Spongebob Squarepants
Boating School set.
The integration initiative shows up with Storybook CDs and comic books to work with the Pop-Up sets.
The first of these based on the Dragon Castle Pop-Up set encourages children's imaginations in story
telling. Initially these items will be exclusively for Toys ‘R Us.
Matchbox Forum-NA
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Newsletter 8.1
Mega Rig and Other Trucks
In this line we have already seen some new introductions. Target already has a cool new Trash Truck
recently. There are other items as well that have the “Try Me” feature along with the sound. There will be
an Arctic Adventure Mega Rig set for 2006 replacing the Dino Adventure set from 2005.
The Matchbox books published by Simon & Shuster will continue in 2006 as the Flame book with the
Hovercraft is already in bookstores.
A Look Back to 2005
Unfilled collector demand for some 2005 waves of Superfast is due to the transition problems that
challenged Mattel in moving factory operations from China to Thailand. In Thailand, the factory did not
finish off the 2005 Superfast Row Wave F and USA Wave G and instead launched the production of the
2006 Superfast. The Mattel staff is painfully aware of the glitches that occurred in the massive move of
factory operations from China to Thailand and promised to seek remedy for the collectors who want to
complete their 2005 collections.
Thoughts for 2007
Planning for 2007 Matchbox product is well underway and should be completed by June 2006. The
following thoughts are under consideration:
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
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Superfast range suspended for 2007
Secure more investment in new collector line for new tools, metal bases, moving parts etc;
Expand the basic 1-75 range from 75 to 100 or stay with 75 models but make more variations;
Build upon die cast adventure models in Hitch ‘N Haul, Skybusters and Convoys, 1:64 Battle
Kings, Mega Rigs and Playsets.
But please be mindful that these are thoughts under consideration not decisions in cement.
As a parting memento of the 2006 Line Preview each of the 16 guests were presented with a gift, a
limited run of the Tractor Plow in orange, an awesome new generic design plus four of the “Zamac”
Superfast cars from 2005 Hershey Toy Show, all attractive collectibles and a 2006 Poster.
SOME OTHER CONCERNS
The Hershey Toy Show for 2006 is a victim of the corporate-wide budget cuts, Since the Hershey Show is
a large expense item, it took a hit in the budget cut. There will be No Hershey Show in 2006. There is a
small amount in the budget for toys shows and the Mattel staff is working on a plan to subsidize existing
toys shows such as the Gathering in Albuquerque or something on the east coast. More detail is
forthcoming.
After lunch guests were guided to the Mattel Design Center for a tour. Since all guests were required to
sign a confidentiality agreement, not much can be revealed about the design work we observed. The
Matchbox Design Group headed by Felix Holst is young, energetic and talented. It was interesting to see
design work in progress for Barbie and Matchbox. Observing the designers in action from sketching new
ideas of models to carving models on computer screens with Pro-e software to digitalized images was
most enlightening. The famous Hot wheels gass station was seen with its 1930’s style pumps and fuel
prices.
At the end of the day, guests were given a gift bag containing a 2006 Poster, 2005 Hershey Dealer set
and a very special 2006 Line Preview model limited to only 30 pieces, 16 of these models were given to
the attendees and the rest were for Mattel staff. The blister pack shows the new design with images of
three models bursting out like the 70’s. The back of the blister card has a 2006 Line Preview design. The
blister was included in a protecto pack that has embossed the new “Matchbox” logo on the back. This
protecto pack was done exclusively for these models. It is no surprise to tell that no one except David
Tilley had the heart to remove the model from the blister card.
Matchbox Forum-NA
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Newsletter 8.1
Report prepared by John Yanouzas with input from Shabbir Malik and approved by Mattel.
John Yanouzas
Matchbox Ambassador
Matchbox Forum-NA
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Newsletter 8.1