Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: Check Lane Series Race O Rama CASE A & B
The oddball branch of the CARS family … no real purpose yet they seem to hang around.
The Check Lane series makes sense for Hot Wheels – stores that don’t normally carry toys can put a few Hot Wheels at the checkout area as impulse buys … and since there’s no “complete” set of characters, it works as ‘random’ releases.
In theory, could work for CARS. The main problem is that hardly anyone seems to carry them – especially the stores you think would – like supermarkets or drug stores (there are a couple random exceptions) – instead it seems to be mostly carried by Kmart for a while and now Target – hardly two retail chains that need to conserve space … and perhaps, not unsurprising – the release choices don’t really make a lot of sense. They are not a lot of things – Not Complete. Not Numbered. Not Townies. Not Themed.
Believe it or not, there are plans to release Check Lane CARS also as Check Lane lenticular eyes CARS … so if there is some grand plan, it does not seem apparent. Of course, you might think because there is less cardboard, they would cost less at wholesale? Nope. But more oddly, while Mattel is saving money on a little less cardboard, they are also giving some of it back to do CUSTOM DIECUTS for most of the CARS as they are shaped differently. Again, it’s not very logical. But maybe that’s nothing new.
Anyway, there are two CASE releases as RACE O RAMA CARS …
Many Target stores seems to have gotten CASE A. But CASE B has also arrived at some places – notable for the first official US release of Mario Andretti with the correct red rims, and for those still looking for Sally with Cone …
Collect Them All!
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metroxing
1 April 2009
Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV
42 Comments
Can anyone please post a photo is this pink uncorrect deco’ed MCQ’s? I can’t forward this to Engineering with out proof in package.
Also I couldn’t find the post where people where complaining about poor paint finishes, scratches, etc. I need proof in order to past this along to Engineering, CPI,& Operations. They must be in package which could be tough because they probably were not purchased.
The heart and soul of these die cast Characters is Quality. We can’t lose that in this line.
Thanks,I appreciate it.
(MET: HERE),
Martin, here is that post with the paint defects:
http://www.takefiveaday.com/2009/03/22/mattel-disney-pixar-diecast-cars-um-look-before-you-leap-at-the-stores/
Here is one of the Pink Radiator Springs McQueen’s — they are always on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Disney-Pixar-cars-White-wall-McQueen-and-Pink-McQueen_W0QQitemZ290306050827QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item290306050827&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
I’ll put up a couple of Flickr links in a bit. I have both version with the same production date on the car.
Ok, here are the photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30289946@N03/3406309832/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30289946@N03/3405496817/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30289946@N03/3405493683/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30289946@N03/3405490043/
I say let Thailand start doing them again.
Martin
I have 2 octain haulers and 1 leakless with some rather serious QC issues (IE one octain never got his shiny clear coat finish), anyway shoot me an email and I will get you some pictures of these 3. My email is jathom12@vt.edu
Jason
Check this pic from facebook out!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1502940&id=57309659843
A great pic of Rescue Squad Mater, Dalmation Mia & Tia! Under 2009 Exclusives.
(MET: Not final paint … so wait for final pics).
SWEET!
ELVIS has finally made it to NC. 8) MegaSize Case F at every area WM today. Found 4 Elvis RVs on the pegs. Also the APRIL PDQ PALLET has arrived at most area stores. Plenty of Chase Chuki, Andrea, Milton Calypeer, Etc. Our stores were so low on Singles they put the PDQ on the pegs. The dept. mgrs. confirmed that the jam packed singles pegs came from the APRIL PDQ Pallet. The Mattel Rep. was at one store that I visited and confirmed that the “pod” stores wouldn’t get these. The new design “Pod” stores don’t get the PDQ pallets, only the End Cap PDQs, sometimes! I was in a newly remodeled “pod” store and sure enough, near empty pegs. All of the stores were fully re-stocked today on the 3-Car Gift Packs with Mater and the Chick Hicks Pittys and the No Stall Gift Pack.
Yeah those “pink variant” Radiators Springs Mcqueens seem to be everywhere. I would always leave them. Finally decided to pick one up after WALMART dropped their prices. It is after all a bit different and nice looking. Just talked to a local collector friend yesterday. He mentioned to me that another local friend of his picked up a ROR BRAND NEW MATER without the hood. That is a rare variant to me if its true. The only one I know that is like that is the ultra rare Rollin Bowling Mater. He wanted to buy it of off him but he would’nt do it. The irony of this is, the guy that owns it is not a CARS collector!!! Now a new variant to add to my list to look for. Anybody ever heard of this or have one?
I saw case A today at Target, but no new case with the corrected Mario.
From TARGET I just picked up an Radiator Springs Lighting McQueen… Yep I know an old one… BUT I DIDN’T HAVE IT IN – PINK AND RED! Yep, all that was suppose to be WHITE was PINK! Cars the Toys.Com reads it is RARE HARD TO ERROR???
Hey Bob,
It’s not that hard to find. I can get half a dozen of them any day of the week. Nice find though. Us variant collectors keep enabling Mattel to avoid quality control issues! 😉
I think this is hilarious, only because so many people say this! I don’t think it is rare anymore, seems like they are everywhere. A cool look for sure though!! But it seems like about every other day someone on here says this same exact thing…. Collect ’em all!
Seems like all the ROR’s and the last round of WOC RS McQueens have pinkeye.
yeah I would say a ‘correct’ version is much rarer. only seen a handful.
Saw Lane Mates red-rimmed Mario and Sally Cone this morning. Unfortunately, they were in someone else’s hands when I saw them. He is new around here and I thought about tackling him into and end cap but decided that the 2 Elvis RV, 1 Milton, 1 Red & Stanley, and 1 Mr & Mrs. King that I got was a better score so I let him slide just this once. 😛
Be careful Jake, once you let someone “slide”, you’ll run into a bunch more that want a break. Ya should’ve tackled him and told him “Not in my town ya don’t” 🙂
TJ’s right…you are getting soft!!
You guys are right, but I’d rather be a successful softy than a broke badass.
I’m trying my hardest to turn over that new leaf and not to push buttons or step on toes. I know it’s bound to happen, but at least I can try to minimize it.
I found case G today and Doc Hudson has a Ghostlight Ramone ticket. And there where multiple ones like that. I have pics but don’t know how to put them up. Or how to send them to met.
and now that I noticed the date this is not an April fools joke.
Chinese factory workers can’t read English! 🙂
To them, English looks like Chinese to us.
I enjoy these, makes a fun addition to my collection.
Just want to point out though that the custom diecuts for the cards were only for the WOC versions of these. When they were transitioned to Race o Rama, the design of the card became very similar to their larger counterparts, and eliminated the differently-shaped cards.
The Targets around me are starting to get more and more of these. Instead of appearing at the checkout lanes, they are usually on the pegs with the full-size cards. It turns out that if you alternate them you can have two stacked cars (a full-size and a short one) in the same peg space usually taken by one full-size. I don’t know if Mattel planned it that way, but I have seen it done at multiple stores.
yeah i am “not big” on these check lanes cars line, no pun intended. don’t own a single one. would only buy one if there was a new car or some kind of variant. for now i would only buy mario andretti if i find him since he has made his debut in the u.s. with the red rims.
Next to the Mainline, the Mega Size line, the Storytellers line, the Mater Tall Tales line etc. these lane mates definitely fall into the Absolutely Pointless line, along with Semis and Chase Card-only cars….
But hey, that´s my opinion 😉
I agree on the semi’s! Semi’s with trailers make marketing sense. Semi’s standing alone??? The lane mates make sense from a marketing sense-more hanging pegs at checkout. Mattel does the same with Hot Wheels, which I do see at checkout stands along with Hot Wheels two packs at Target. Chase Card Chuki, et al? At least the openers will not compete with the collect by numbers crowd. That’s the problem with numbering the packages. Miss it and there’s a hole in your collection. It would have been better to assign the same number to Chase Cards as the regular Card- like the regular and spra Treasure Hunts. Leave the variations with the same number.
Well, the only one that makes sense as a stand-alone semi-cab is Mack. This is because Mack has more moments where we see him unhitched from his trailer (talking to McQueen after the race, appearing before the cameras after arriving at LAIS, Unhooking to talk to McQueen when he finds him at Radiator Springs, Being Lightning’s Pit Crew, and even during the Sheriff’s tale of the Ghost Light).
What always bugs me is that the Lane Mates are never anywhere neat the checkout. At every KMart and Target where I have seen them, they are just stocked up with the rest of the toys. 🙁
At my Target, they hang the lanemates alternating with the regular cards so they can fit twice as many cars per peg. It fits so good it almost seems like it was designed this way. Sure makes it harder to look thru though. pegs get too full (of pegwarmers)
For ‘lane mates,’ I never see them at the checkout lanes. I saw this concept done with Hot Wheels last fall. I had figured it was another way for Hot Wheels to Maximize their aisle space.
These thing always end up in weird locations at my Target. Still some hanging on a side stack in the baby section. Before they were between garden section and groceries.
I WANT 1 CASE B of THEM!!!!
I have seen all of Case B except for Sally w/Cone. A stocker at Target must have gotten her! Too bad he/she didn’t know about red rims Mario, I got him!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Glad I am not a completist…but I did buy a couple of these for my collection….ACTUALLY, I like them better, and wood have like ALL the cards to be smaller like them!
First
I always see it, sorry folks, had to do it at least once.
You’re fired!!