Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: Collectors Field Guide to the Singles – Race O Rama: Part 6 of 10
The CARS singles are known as the “mainline.”
It is borrowed from the Hot Wheels line connoting that the single CARS on the blister pack is the mother trunk line of CARS, the diecast.
But for new collectors or those who for some unfathomable reason were not collecting these in 2006 🙂 , it can be a bit confusing to sort through the entire line of name changes, card changes and even name changes to the same or real similar looking CARS …
So, let’s go to the wayback machine so you can see what’s been released and where we stand. The 2006 Desert Art series 1.0 & 1.5 were covered first. The 2007 Supercharged series 2.0 & Supercharged series 3.0 is here. Technically, some Supercharged cars & cards were released at the tail end of our calendar year 2006 but anything after October counts as the following year for Mattel.
Those series were followed by last year’s WORLD OF CARS Series. Just collecting singles would put new releases at 77 CARS at the end of World of CARS (@October 2008).
Of course, RACE O RAMA and 2009 are clearly not over but there are changes brewing so even though this line is still in mid progress, here is Part 6 of the Collector’s Guide.
Of course, these numbers are still in flux and the final numbers are likely to change as it’s the current ongoing series. It’s also unclear if Salutin’ Sarge is still a chase car or not …
This is the first series with a “chase” car and card in every box. The first 5 “impound” CARS in addition to the “boot” on the CARS also seem to have slightly different paint & production details from the last release of the CAR without a boot. The next three chase releases seem to only feature a packaging ‘chase’ element and the next three after appear to be the same CARS already released but with a Piston Cup accessory.
Each CAR also features points redeemable for the online game. At this point, the game is still in beta so points are for all CARS and for everyone.
For collectors, there are several key points to note.
The big one is that the Race O Rama cards will be shortened about an 1″ (scheduled for June) – it would not be particularly difficult to squeeze the current artwork down a little but perhaps this design will be changed substantially?
Beyond the new CARS added to this line, the big question is whether all the WOC CARS will ‘repeat’ as Race O Rama?
We know that Lightning McQueen and Fred with Stickers will not return as ROR cards.
Presumably, Al Oft & Dinoco Helicopter have moved permanently to the megasize line.
But there are over 10 CARS not on the release scheduled before the card changeover. But no one is positive when the card changeover will take place (or if).
The case assortment is also changing from 18 CARS in a box to 24.
At this point, it’s difficult to say what it all means but just to give you a heads-up that changes are planned.
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metroxing
4 March 2009
Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV
46 Comments
Awesome posts.
Met, I need some help with the “77 cars at the end of WOC, Oct 2008” part.
Through Edwin (the highest of the WOC numbering), that’s 72 numbers… subtract Hugo Fast and Ron Hover (ROR only), but keep Sarge (since he was released in earlier series) to get 70 CARS. Add the KMart 5, as well as 4 of the WalMart 8 that weren’t re-released on WOC to get 79 CARS. Bump up the total to get anywhere from 79 to 82 if you want to count silver/red-rimmed FHH, re-scaled Fred, and clown-faced Cartrip variant. So what is not being counted to get the 77 figure? And where do the case W CARS (Sally w/ Cone, Dexter Hoover, Spinout McQueen, and Lizzie on WOC) fit into the equation?
Does anyone know what case Race O Rama’s Wingo (non impound) and Leroy Traffik came in? Also, I see that Childrens Toy Closet has Case C and F, but no D and E? Were they possibly in one of those 2 cases?
I believe the ROR Wingo and Leroy Traffik were in Case D
I’m hereby volunteering my services as Staff Librarian (don’t forget to add “http://www.” before each link:
Case A: takefiveaday.com/2008/09/24/mattel-pixar-diecast-cars-case-a-2009-includes/
Case B: takefiveaday.com/2008/11/19/mattel-disney-pixar-diecast-cars-mainline-singles-2009-case-b-hitting-stores/
Case C: takefiveaday.com/2008/10/26/mattel-pixar-diecast-cars-woc-race-o-rama-singles-case-c/
Case D: takefiveaday.com/2008/11/06/mattel-disney-pixar-cars-merry-december-case-d-is-sledding-our-way/
Case E: takefiveaday.com/2008/12/31/mattel-disney-pixar-diecast-cars-case-e-mainline-correction/
Case F: takefiveaday.com/2009/01/28/mattel-disney-pixar-diecast-cars-f-case-mainline-singles-leaving-warehouse/
Case G: same post as Case F
I can never find anything when I try to look back. John, you are the post commenting king and I am so not worthy!
Thanks!! I’m just mad I typed all that in FOUR times before I realized it wouldn’t take that many http/www links!
TJH-AZ,
They were released in Case D, which just happens to be popping up everywhere right now. If you still have trouble finding Damaged King let me know as I have about 12 of them.
Do you buy all those at retail, or do you order cases?
Thanks everybody for your help. Much appreciated.
I called 15 Walmart stores yesterday including the one in St. Robert MO. I finally called Walmart corporate and got a call back from the department manager. Here’s what I found out…
Wally Haulers were a short-run with most stores getting no more than six. Because of the economy, there is currently a freeze on ordering. The hold on ordering is in effect until the spring (she didn’t say what year). So I asked her if this freeze applied to all Walmarts? She told me not to waste my time looking for new product at this point. I asked if they would get more Wally Haulers in the spring. She did not know.
Just thought I’d pass this along…
Bill
Hey watch it, or I will start calling stores near you! 😆 (kidding, kidding)
My neighbor is training at Ft. Leonard Wood. I figured since I can’t find them here, they might hold one from there for my neighbor to send to me. They didn’t have them in stock and said the computer showed the UPC was discontinued….
Don’t waste your time calling my stores. Our toy departments get answered by sporting goods or electronics and those people don’t give a crap about some thirtysomething guy asking for “Wally Hauler”. If you’re not buying a digital TV or ammo, they just want you off the phone… I much prefer your WM staff, they actually had a phone in toys and attempted to be helpful. I’m moving to Missouri!
Would that be 6 *haulers*, or 6 *cases*? A few days ago at me Wal-Mart, there were 7 Wally Haulers sitting on the shelf. Just Wally; no other haulers at all. I had already picked one up from the same Wal-Mart, so that’s put the total at 8.
I gave them the UPC that Met had posted and the stores that had received them (and a good majority never did) had stocked between two and six Wally Haulers, not cases.
As a side note, the general manager of my local WM left me a voicemail this afternoon saying they showed the UPC as being discontinued. This is sad because most of the Walmarts here never received stock so I guess we’re SOL.
Thanks for the info, if it is correct out this way in PA I must have gotten lucky, I went to my WM and they had one Leakless hauler left and at least four Walmart ones. Tons of Mack, chick and king. I wasn’t even going to get the Walmart one but my toddler wanted it. I hate Walmart. lol
First I must say that I’ve been lurking here for months, and finally caved in and registered. I’m in the process of collecting all the ROR even though I’m a canuck, lol. Been buying cases to get them, but knowing that the cards will be shortened soon plus the Cars with the new eyes just means that the ROR line will be HUGE if one wants one of “everything” which is scaring me as my Cars room can only hold so many shelves! I’m already in the process of adding some6 new brackets to add another line of shelves but I’m gonna have to rethink this whole display soon. You can see what I have here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLq9t6MezCs
(MET: Too organized! 🙂 … Added to our TakeFive Favorites. Thanks).
WOOOOOW! I am jealous! I have no room in my house to dedicate to this kind of genius. Love it! I wish my Target looked like that….
Thank you for the video. Simply amazing!
Questions…
1. Do you have a second room for loose Cars?
2. What was the room before it became the shrine to Cars?
3. Do you have kids? If so, how do you keep them out of the room?
4. You’re almost out of room. What then?
5. Does the NCC in your handle mean Naval Construction Contract? If so, do you have a Star Trek room as well?
1. No, I don’t have very many loose Cars, just a select few and they’re scattered throughout the house.
2. I moved into this house knowing that the room was being turned into a Cars display area, so technically it was nothing prior to this. It was a bedroom to the previous owners.
3. I have no kids and have no plans on kids. I’m easily irritated and having bratty kids around me just drives me insane. Maybe several years from now I’ll be in a better mental state to handle kids. Should that day arrive, the door is getting a door knob with a keyed lock on it.
4. Either add more shelves (which I’m doing) or build something to utilize the center of the room. After that, the display will be forced to into a redesign where only specifics from each series will be on display I guess.
5. No, it means nothing, just like in the Star Trek universe. I originally started using this name because I was a big fan of the starship Excelsior when I first got heavily into Star Trek, and the name just stuck.
Kids aren’t born bratty, they just become that way thanks to their parents who probably weren’t ready to have kids in the first place.
I think you’ve just noticed the bratty ones, and not the majority of kids who are well-behaved.
I;m wondering if even married…there is a lot of ‘I’ and no ‘we’… Kids make Cars come alive! Otherwise they are just a dist collector, even in a hermatically sealed room! The vvrrmmmm and zzzzooommmmmm noises are what make it worthwhile for me… a room full of little cars coffins?? No thanks…gimme GotFranks Collection ANYDAY!!
Please don’t be so quick to judge me because of how I choose to collect. It really frustrates me when people do that. When I was a kid I never cared much about the toys I had, most ended up getting destroyed because I just liked to smash everything around. Now that I’m older and have the smarts to actually not break stuff, I can enjoy a collection such as this without any hindrances. It’s my way of enjoying my youth while I still can. Sure these toys are made for kids, but for once I want to be able to say I collect something and this is what I have to show for it. I’m not ready to jump head first into the world of parenting, so I’m staying away from that aspect of life right now. It makes more sense to me to not have kids than to have them and screw up their lives by being a bad parent.
DUDE, I am the product of SEVEN divorces before I was a teenager, my father was an alcoholic drug dealer and my second father was military and used to beat me to make me pick up my clothes off the floor!!! You are what you make yourself, only you are responsible for your decisions on how you proceed with your life….
When I found out my wife and I were pregnant, I cried in FEAR and TERROR, I was terrified I wood hit my kids and be a terrible father…but I knew that I did not WANT to do that, so I thought of everything I HATED about my childhood and everything I wished it was and did that stuff!!
I am be NO means a perfect Dad, but man do I love my kids!! And they love me…until you experience unconditional love, you have NOT experinced love!! This is supposed to be a note of encouragement, btw!!! Dude, you are never ready, financially, emotionally, etc, but when that little baby opens their eyes, wraps their entire hand around your little finger and makes it’s first noise…that is IT…you are hooked!!
What you do after that is up to you, but you can be the World’s greatest Dad and raise the next Oprah, or Obama, or Kindergarten Teacher… Start right now…prepare yourself for becoming the man or woman you want to be, cuz life has a way of surprising you!!
As far as the cars go….freeeeeeee them!! your collection is impressive and you should be proud of it…but everyone has their own way and you never get to see the other side of your cars, and sometimes that is best side!!
I’m waiting for California to get that nifty Nebraska law where I can leave my kids at WalMart for safe keeping with no questions asked!!
“Sorry your Honor, I left my kids in the garden department to look under the rain soaked tarps for Wally Hauler. When I came back from buying a McMuffin for my old lady, they had been transferred to stocking toilet paper.”
Dang!
Actually NCC stands for Naval Construction Contract. I’m not a Trekker but I worked at the Star Trek Adventure at Universal Studios many moons ago. That was one of the fun trivia facts they would dish up when the director had to stall during a show breakdown. Did you know Kirk’s middle name is Tiberius? More off topic stall material…
That fun trivia fact is still not completely accurate. Naval Construction Contract is simply something that someone outside of the designers of Star Trek decided to attach to the prefix NCC. When they were designing the original Enterprise, they were deciding on the numbering system and thought they would use the prefix NC as it is used on some real world ships, but another C was added to balance out the way everything looked. They cover this subject on one of the DVDs of the films, I just can’t remember which one.
Very nice recap. I hate to say anything negative about the DB and SC line, but I LOVE the ROR card backs!! I hope they KEEP it this way for more than one year!!
I agree Jeff. These card backs are so bright and exciting. The back tells a story about a car, love that! These look great on the pegs and I think they sell a lot of cars. The only cars left on our pegs are World of Cars…..
i would like METALLIC BLACK CARDS ( MBC)
Nr. 76 is Kori Turbowitz.
this post must be printed in my mind!!!!!!!!!
WHAT??? When did they change the logo???
Up here in Canada, we’re still seeing WOC cases in the back (case F just today!!!).
(MET: Yea, you might want to avert your eyes).
test
Any more info on the Snot Rod with/without confetti on the bubble? Other than the few reported here and elsewhere? Is it safe to say that this is the rarest packaging variant on ROR, or is this now considered an error in packaging?
(MET: It is technically a packaging variant but the problem is that nowadays, it’s not too difficult to fake … someone might not do it for $20 but if the price is $100? It does take more work than scrapping Fred’s bumper sticker off and resealing but for $100, someone might so yes, a packaging variant but fakeable so be cautious if you’re buying this to collect).
I am not sure exactly how rare they are, but I know that I have one and JasnKar4ever has one and I have seen a few on eBay, so they’re out there. I think the main problem was that nobody new there was a packaging issue and there are now far fewer than originally released simply because they were opened.
I kind of wonder if they were just using the left over bubbles with confetti on them until they ran out. Then they reverted back to the plain bubble on the second run of Boost and Snot Rod? who knows
This answer gets my vote!!
Met, so if one was to collect all Race O Rama then they still would not have them all. er Collect them all on one cardback?
(MET: Guess it’s time for an mid-stream post 🙂 ).
Did case E have a chase card in it? If so what was it? Cos i missed out!
Case has Chase Impound DJ – I believe case D had no chase car in it – Damaged King and Greta were the new cars to the case.
oops i meant case D
Case E has Impound DJ.
Man, impound DJ was easy to find as was Greta. But, RD King, impossible. He’s turning out to be worse than Sally w/ Cone. And the whole impound/chase thing… I think is pretty messed up when you can find them easier than certain other releases, and they’re “suppossed” to have limited production.
I still see Sally with Cone ALL the time, maybe it’s the Wal-Mart distribution system? I don’t think I’ve EVER seen Sally with Cone at Target or anywhere else.
Conversely, Damaged King was in a couple of cases at Target but I’ve never seen him at Wal-Mart or anywhere else.
Agree entirely, my experience exactly, John.
We’ve never had Coned Sally or RD King here. Not at WM, TRU or Target. We just now started getting Night Vision McQueen.