Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: The Day the Earth Stood Blimp Still
Run for your lives! The Blimps Cyborgs are attacking … RUN!
Well, maybe not run … maybe walk briskly!
Humm, there’s something wrong with this B case …
180 Blimps, that’s not right!
I was shorted 5 Al Oft Blimps … oh man, now my world domination plan on hoarding all the Al Oft’s will fail!
Okay, the real story? 🙂
“Samuel”, posted on the trading forum that he could get ahold of about 80 of these for $30… so I inquired. Turns out, it was more like 180 for $46, and one wild trip to Wal-Mart!!! And, apparently even little mini blimps fly reeeaaalllly slow, because it was shipped from South Dakota, and took 17 days to Indiana, via USPS Parcel Post! And now I also know what 25 pounds of blimps feels like!
ALL of these blimps will be donated to the Cars Cares program, so the next 180 packages to go out will be guaranteed to have one of these babies in it! Thank you to Samuel for your help!!!
– Indykjt
The Al Oft family reunion … of course, the scary thing – was this all on the pegs at one WM?
Thanks ‘Samuel’ for clearing the shelves – now your store can finally put out the Tumbleweed McQueen’s in the backroom (cynical response).
Maybe your store will get 180 Todd, the Pizza Planet trucks (the bubble world response 🙂 ).
Remember these are for the kids, I know many of you want to see INDYKJT naked in a tub with them … but hey, if you donate enough, he might do it … 🙂 …
See, you been wasting all your time collecting 180 DIFFERENT CARS when in one fell swoop, you can catch up …
Now, Al Oft going for $25 on eBay?
Technically, your WM 8 set is not complete without him … INDYKJT now holds the final key to all your Earthly fulfillment (well, the CARS category).
If we tie them all together, can we lift our house and re-create UP?
New game show – one of these contains a 4-carat diamond ring!
So, thanks Samuel and IndyKJT for removing all this hot air from the atmosphere …
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metroxing
27 May 2009
Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Internet, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV
48 Comments
no wonder i cant find milton calypeer
Today the toy aisle, tomorrow…
Another toy aisle!
(At least, that’s what it seems like whenever Al Oft appears in the aisles).
“Say Matty, we’ll trade you 180 Al Ofts for 1 Apple Car…what do ya say?”
“Silly collectors, apples don’t have wheels…and who is this Al Oft you speak of?”
“AARRGGHH!!”
I talked to one of the Walmart assistant managers here 4 months ago about doing the same thing. They had roughly 40 each of Al Oft, Cactus McQueen, and Ghostlight Ramone. I think I offered $50 for the lot. He declined and instead got a hold of a Mattel rep, and they came and cleared them out 2 days later. Since then, this store has been the best place to find new mainline singles. Now the problem is Megasized Al Oft. They have about 20 on the shelf they refuse to clear out because they ‘don’t have permission’ from the district manager. They have been sitting there since January with nothing new coming in.
How do you get 180 blimps for that little cash!!???
(MET: MW Managers can mark down).
It is in the words above…stop just looking at the pictures and try reading the articles!!!! 👿
Some people don’t buy Playboy for the articles!!!!!
I joked about this last week, but now I really think that Wal-Mart ships EVERYTHING to Samuel’s store, and then other Wal-Mart’s order from them. 180 is truly ridiculous!
Imagine how I felt when I bought a few dozen thinking that was almost the end of them and they just kept restocking from the magical, neverending supply in the backroom!
(MET: So, do you stare at the empty pegs and think, “I struck a blow for plastic tyranny! Freedom!”
Oh man, I hope they’re not back there counterfeiting these things!
Now I just have to figure out how it took Samuel ONLY two hours to pack these in the box… something about my wife not wanting them left where they are all laid out nice and neat. I thought it would be a great converstaion starter when we have guests…
“So, have you seen our decorating plans for the master bedroom? Only 180 more of these, and our walls will be set!”
I have heard of Stucco, but that is ridiculous!!!!! 😆
So honestly, the entire experience was pretty amusing! It all started when Met posted a link to Walmart’s customer service department to rate your store experience. Well, I filled out the online form and very politely suggested that they do something to try and clear this inventory and the next day the manager from this Walmart called and said they would mark them down — 4 for $3. Not bad, I thought. So I went in and bought about 35 and cleared half the pegs…..
That’s when I realized they had hundreds more in the backroom – the next day the pegs were full of blimps again. I felt like I was living in a blimp twilight zone! A couple of weeks later I finally spoke with the department manager and she deperately just wanted to get rid of them so I spoke with Kevin about using them for Cars Cares and the store manager agreed to let them go for about $0.30 each. Man you should have seen the looks I got loading all them in the cart and checking out!
Then, I get home and realized I had no idea what to box them up with. Well the blimp gods must have been smiling upon me that day as we had just recently bought my son one of the smart cycles and the box was still in the garage – but honestly it took almost 2 hours to strategically place each one in there and I don’t think I could have fit one more!
The icing on the cake was I sent it from the USPS local branch what should have been a 5 day delivery via parcel post with tracking and it ends up taking 19 days!! Well I’m just glad they made it and maybe some children will derive a little joy from them – personally if I never see another Al Oft Goodyear Blimp it will be just fine with me!!! 🙂
And just in case you’re wondering – that store still has empty pegs and hasn’t restocked yet, but I can always hope for 180 Todd’s and Patti’s, right?
That is now my favorite Take5 story…AWESOME…but man I can’t believe they have not restocked anything…time to call that manager and remind him you did your part brother!! 180 blimps…my goodness!!
He may have just created a space for Speed Racer toys!
Oops… unintended consequences, huh? 🙂
LOL!!!!!
That is a great story, well-worth reading again and again!
I should fill out the Wal-Mart survey as well, and complain that where they now have the Cars has become a Shoplifting Haven for other items. It’s in a corner of the store where there are no cameras, so I’m always finding opened packages of _________ with the the items long gone. They just toss the packages on top of the Cars stuff. Sometimes I just hate people!!
I’m sorry John, but I have found that that is the better spot to open packages…the bathroom was too crowded!!!
Ummm… I know I had a joke somewhere around here… just can’t seem to find it right now… maybe something about PirateDad being able to clear out a bathroom?
Better than where i thot that line might take us!!
I didn’t want to say anything, but all the packages I have been seeing are Pirate Goods.
Let’s hope the Mattel rep doesn’t “do their job” and take Blimps from other WMs and bring them to yours.
Seriously, way to go. Great initiative!
I want to know what box Samuel used to fit exactly 180 Blimps into!
Birdseed! 🙂
They were packed in a Fisher-Price Smart Cycle box, which drove my four year old nuts… he’s been asking for one of those things everytime we go Cars hunting in TRU!
I appreciate Samuel taking the time, and making the effort to get all of these blimps for the program. Thank you!
Now, imagine the look on the cashiers face when he rolled his cart up to the “Express Lane”! It is only one item, right? 🙂
Dateline: Indianapolis (May 27, 2009)
A crazed father visited the Wal-Mart on Lafayette Road and attempted to exchange a Fisher-Price Smart Cycle box with 180 small blimps inside for an actual Fisher-Price Smart Cycle. After 7 minutes of a staring contest between him and the 2 Customer Service agents, the crazed father backed away slowly, purchased the Smart Cycle, and soon dropped off the blimps at the local Goodwill Store.
Dang… that JUST happened… news travels fast, eh?
It’s the internet age, mind you!
LOLOL!
It is funny… did the marketing people at Mattel say to themselves, “hmmmm, Al Oft just is not selling…the other 7 in the WM8 sold out in seconds….he must be too SMALL! Let’s make him bigger, THEN he will sell faster!!!”?? I wonder, becuz the Cdn WM’s are now FILLED with 30-40 Over/Megasized Blimps now.
… thereby proving the age-old adage that “bigger” is not necessarily “better”… 😉
… or that “size matters”…
Laffing My Blimp off!!!
Ok, I know where the bumpers are, but where exactly is your blimp?
(I apologize to all TFAD’ers in advance of the upcoming respons(es)… I just could not resist asking PD this particular question!)
Right near the gold twins!!!
or maybe blue twins???
Or green… no wait… yeck…
Those green ones ARE Chick Fans!!!
Dinoco Blue, right???
LOL
See, I knew it was just a matter of time (and not very much time I might add!) until this part of the thread, ummm, well, uhhh… took this type of turn?
It was a rather funny turn though… heeheehee!!!
Don’t break you head trying to figure out Mattel’s strategy PD.
Just remember, if it makes sense to you, they will kNOT do it.
The Mattel marketing people do talk to themselves but it’s mostly just incoherent mumbling. There’s no possible justification for the overproduction of these items other than they failed to study the diecast collectables market that their predecessors created nearly single-handedly.
When I was buying Redline Hot Wheels in the late sixties there were never these kinds of distribution problems. Sears always had plenty of variety and more than my allowance would cover. Now I go to stores repeatedly and can’t find anything to buy. They don’t really have a clue.
Way to go, Samuel… Thanks for stepping up for Cars Cares.
I saw 26 Al Oft and 2 Cactus McQueen at a Walmart in New Castle, Indiana on Sunday… they weren’t willing to go below $2.97 per Car. Those are the only singles they had and have had for months… Perhaps if I take a printout of this story to the store they’ll match the price?
If we tie them all together, can we lift out house and re-create UP?
That line genuinely made me LOL!!
Absolutely hysterical!!!
Met, 😆 Removing the hot air will make Al Gore happy.
Calling Al Oft. Save the Earth.
That looks just like my local Walmart. The shelves there have been clogged full of Al Ofts for what seems like years now, and they haven’t even marked them down.
Great story – and great work!