March '07 News Archive

3/28/07 - Reel Rides Update
I just received my most recent Reel Rides e-mail newsletter.  Here's what a spokesperson had to say about the issue of the inconsistent scale of the first wave:

You asked for it and you got it. Some of our observant collectors noticed our 1:64 scale cars were slightly larger than normal. We appreciate the feedback and will convert all future releases to the REAL 1:64 scale.

That's great news about Reel Rides correcting the scale on future releases.  I've e-mailed them with a number of questions.  I'll post the responses when I get them.

Borg Sphere

3/27/07 - Star Trekkin'
A post over at the HobbyTalk forum revealed the assortment slated for the 4th release of Johnny Lightning's Star Trek series.  The wave, scheduled for September, will include the following:

USS Enterprise 1701-A with Photon
USS Majestic with Explosions
USS Defiant with Phasers
Borg Cube with Sphere
USS Enterprise D with Extras
USS Voyager with Landing Gear

3/25/07 - Weekend Scores
First, thanks goes out to my cousin Kim who spotted the Reel Rides '70 GTO Judge from Dazed and Confused at a Wal*Mart store near her.  It's nice to have a small army out there helping me to look for new things.  Also, my friend Kevin has a Kroger Connection and called me to tell me he picked up a Hot Wheels Batmobile for me. What's interesting about this one is that it's on the First Editions card instead of the New Models card.  The First Editions card seems to be harder to find as of late, if you can find one at all.  Personally, I still haven't seen a Batmobile in any store, so thanks goes out to Kevin.

3/23/07 - Road Trip!
Jamestown, Here We Come!  I know this barely qualifies as die-cast news, but regular visitors to this site know that I occasionally take road trips.  I've been a huge fan of I Love Lucy practically my whole life.  I especially love the episodes where the gang traveled to Hollywood. (I sure wish someone would create a die-cast version of Ricky's '55 Pontiac Star Chief Convertible.)  I decided to take a one-day trip to Lucy's birthplace of Jamestown, NY.  My buddy Marv came along and we had a blast.  We visited Lucy's childhood home in Celoron, as well as the Lucy-Desi Museum, the Desilu Playhouse (in which they had reproductions of some of the sets from I Love Lucy), and finally, Lucy's gravesite, where her ashes were placed after being moved from Los Angeles.  I highly recommend this trip to anyone who considers themselves a Lucy fan.  Jamestown is a beautiful little city with a lot to see and do.  Lucy/Desi Days are scheduled to take place May 25, 26 & 27.  Check out my pics below:

It was odd to see the I Love Lucy set in color!

Ah, that's more like it.

3/21/07 - New 2-Pack from The Batman
For you Batman fans, be on the lookout for another Hot Wheels 2-Pack from The Batman animated series.  This one features a unique Batmobile and Temblor's Hummer.

3/20/07 - Today's Finds!
Took a drive to one of the Wal*Mart stores listed on Reel Rides' store list and found all but one of the first series in 1:64 scale (I didn't see the other scales.)  The only one I didn't see was the GTO Judge from Dazed & Confused.  My reaction?  I like them, but to describe these cars as 1:64 scale is a little misleading.  Only the Porsche Speedster from Top Gun seems close to 1:64 scale.  The other cars seem closer to 1:55 scale and DWARF the cars in my collection.  Check out the comparison to Johnny Lightning's Smokey & The Bandit Trans-Am (right.)  My favorite of the bunch is the Plymouth GTX from Tommy Boy, since that film is one of my all-time favorite comedies.  I'm glad someone is picking up where RC2 has left off, although I think some improvements can be made in regards to scale.  I'm looking forward to future releases, and maybe with your input we can help decide what will be included.

3/15/07 - Sponsor News
Sponsor Movie Car Mania has gotten in a supply of 1:64 scale vehicles from The Sopranos.  Click on the link in the right column to go shopping.

3/13/07 - Reel Rides Update
Reel Rides' Top Gun '58 Porsche Speedster has begun showing up on eBay, and I've heard that the Smokey & The Bandit Trans-Am has been spotted in stores as well.  Keep an eye on a Wal*Mart near you, since these are an exclusive.  I got a reply from Reel Rides' Tina in response to an e-mail I sent.  Here's what she had to say:

We wanted to thank you again for your email and excitement for Reel Rides. As mentioned in our initial email, we have received a great response from the collector world and hope that the awareness will continue to rise. We took a look at your site and are extremely impressed by how expansive and detailed it is. We will certainly take a look at your wishlist for future phases and hope to develop a relationship with you and your site going forward. 

Thanks,
Reel Rides Staff

3/12/07 - Cars Gallery Updated
I finally completed the set of Target exclusive Cars Easter Eggs with the discovery of a lone Chick egg today.  The pics have been added to the Cars Gallery.

3/11/07 - Casino Royale on DVD + Bonus!
While visiting the Matchbox Collectors' Community, I discovered this ad.  Apparently, Best Buy will be giving away a die-cast Aston Martin DBS (probably a Corgi) with the purchase of Casino Royale on DVD, which comes out on Tuesday, March 13.  Get there early, supplies are limited!

3/9/07 - Holy RAOK, Batman!
A very special thanks goes out to Mark of RaceGrooves for being kind enough to send me a Batmobile.  His random act of kindness helps sooth the frustration of not being able to find this car at any store in my area.  I hit Target, Wal*Mart, K-Mart, Toys R Us, Meijer and even Kroger multiple times per week and come up EMPTY time after time, while others across the country are snatching up Batmobiles by the dozen.  Sigh.  Anyhoo, thanks to Mark's generosity, I was able to free the Batmobile from its plastic prison and have some fun with the camera.  Click on the thumbnails below:

3/9/07 - Coming to a store NEAR YOU!
Longtime contributor Metro Privratsky sent me a link that has me salivating!  I heard rumors about this, but I finally got confirmation!  Check THIS out:

The best studios in Hollywood have joined forces to bring you Reel Rides, a hot, new line of die-cast cars.  Featured in 1:24, 1:64, and 1:87 scales, these cars will be a great addition to your existing collection, or a great way start to one. We made sure to pick the best cars from the best movies to provide you with a line unlike anything else in the collector world. Check out the little known movie and car facts on select packaging.

Check out their website by clicking HERE.

3/7/07 - Great Cars Resource
Browsing around online I came across this great resource for those who collect the characters from the Pixar film Cars.  The forum has a ton of information and pics about the cars that have been released by Mattel and images of characters yet to be done.  I'm sure I'll be visiting it often.  Click on the banner above to visit.

3/4/07 - Spotted on eBay
Browsing eBay, I spotted several auctions for this RD-10 Batmobile out of Malaysia (I assume test runs from the factory.)  I tried to bid on it, but the bidding got a little out of my range.  The first time I saw this car was on the back of the Batman Transporter (right.)   It's a repaint from the Acceleracers line from 2005.  I'll try to find out when this will hit the states.