I see that the Playing Mantis web site officially announced today that the Mustangs are due in May. A few dealers had already clued us in that this was coming. No pictures yet. The way the Mustangs are getting priced on Epay lately, this should be pretty well received. My wife is a real Mustang Sally and we've owned a dark green '67 hard top and now a black 2000 convertible GT. Both would make great slot cars. She's absolutely obsessed with the look of the new 2005 and says that we'll be test driving several as soon as the salt's off the roads. Could put a major dent in my slot car budget!

does the PM site tell which models (years) are being produced? They have a '64 (in three different roof configurations) and a '70 for Tjets, but you said X-Traction... the only existing X-Traction Mustang is a '67 or '68 if i'm not mistaken... wonder which new castings they're doing? Hmmmm.....

--rick

Sounds like good news.

Bowties, Mopars and now Mustangs in the XT's. Sweet.

I hope they do a boss and shelby in the '64-'73 style and maybe a cobra in the newer body style...

G.P.

Interesting that the PM web site also announces the XT Back to the Future release as well. Not much for details there either. Kinda' funny that they abbreviate it as BTTF on the site. You'd think they'd want to spell it out to grab attention and be official as per what they've licensed.

I collect the JL diecast,and I know that they will be doing a new Mustang sometime this year.
So my guess would be at least two of the slots will be the new Mustang,probably a drop top and a hard top.

Mike

Interesting that the PM web site also announces the XT Back to the Future release as well. Not much for details there either. Kinda' funny that they abbreviate it as BTTF on the site. You'd think they'd want to spell it out to grab attention and be official as per what they've licensed.


Assortment slated to include Back to the Future, Tuners and Originals. Assortment subject to change without notice.

Availability Unknown

That's all we are told - nothing about the Mustangs yet

http://www.playingmantis.com/er/index.php

No comment...

http://www.playingmantis.com/er/news_details.php?articleid=744

Maybe it was the end of the day and they ran out of time before they could post more...

Scott

I hope they get the passing on of information thing down once they get settled in.It would be nice to know what the hell we should be on the lookout for!!

Mike

I see that the Playing Mantis web site officially announced
I wouldn't interpret anything on the Playing Mantis website as being official. There's "officially" holes in my display case where there should "officially" be VWs sitting.

I suspect the old PM site is on auto pilot. RC2 is calling the shots on all future releases. Hopefully one of the JL slot car dealers with direct contacts inside RC2 will chime in with what they've been told is coming out in the near term.

Maybe we should start an e-mail campaign to ask about slotcars.

Someone has to create demand, don't they?

Have a link and send your own e-mail...
http://www.playingmantis.com/contact_us.php

Scott

RC2 is not the same company as Playing Mantis. Dozens or even hundreds of fanatical slot car fans screaming for more products is unlikely to get RC2's attention. Tens of thousands might. I would imagine that RC2 would love to sell the vast majority of their inventory into mass merchandising super stores. But where's the shelf space for these sort of products? The demise of Toys R Us doesn't help. Until there's a demand at the mass merchandising level for the JL slot cars their future at RC2 is tenuous.

RC2 is already in most "chain big box stores" (Wally World, Target, etc.) and could very easily put them in those stores, as well as Hobby Chains (Hobby Town, Hobby Lobby, etc) as well as selling master cases direct to "brick and mortar" raceways and independant hobby shops. TRU isnt/wasnt a viable option as their buying ability had been dimished over the last 4-6 years. I emailed them (probably in vane) and stated this along with the beginning of use of slot cars in commercials now. I might rty calling their 800 number later today and see if I can get to someone who knows about the slot cars. Ya never know......


Larry

Scotts idea to shoot them an email is a good one.I'm going to do just that and if I get any type of response I will certainly come back and share it with the group.

Mike

Contacting PM can't hurt. Maybe one of the 3 remaining employees will answer a phone call or email.

You really can't "easily put" anything into Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart says what goes into their stores and shelf space is extremely difficult to get and heavily negotiated. More and more Wal-Mart is dealing directly with the manufacturers. If Wal-Mart decided that they really wanted to sell slot cars they would either tell RC2/Tyco/Tomy/LL/whomever exactly what to build, to exact Wal-Mart specs, or go directly to China and get them manufactured for themselves. I don't know about your area, but the local Wal-Marts around me are way down in JL diecast products and have a steady supply of peg warmers. If a product starts warming a peg in Wal-Mart it's life expectancy is very limited.

I shot them a nice email earlier this morning.

I know that in some of the diecast chat sessions,a representative of PM will sometimes join in.Maybe we could try and do the same for the Slot car chats as well.

Mike

Is it possible surplus XT & TO's inventory could be prostituted out to the dollar type stores again? A few years ago the JL pull back releases ended up in Dollar Tree stores....that is if there is any surplus inventory. How long ago did RC2 take over Playing Mantis?

Is it possible surplus XT & TO's inventory could be prostituted out to the dollar type stores again? A few years ago the JL pull back releases ended up in Dollar Tree stores....that is if there is any surplus inventory. How long ago did RC2 take over Playing Mantis?
I highly doubt that you will see any XT or TO's in Dollar Tree Stores again. They are worth way more than a $1.00. I'd love to see slot cars for a buck, but I don't think that there will be that much inventory on hand at RC2.

Hey Mike (racer x) did RC2 reply to your nice email?

I highly doubt that you will see any XT or TO's in Dollar Tree Stores again. They are worth way more than a $1.00. I'd love to see slot cars for a buck, but I don't think that there will be that much inventory on hand at RC2

RC2 did a big inventory reduction on a bunch of excess stock last month, including slot cars and diecast. Some of the diecast was supposedly "limited" production stuff that some folks paid real $$$ for when it was initially offered. Major PO factor on the diecast board. The slot cars, F&F R2 XTs, were offered to RC2 dealers for 50 cents each, which is way less than a buck. That's why you're seeing so may deals on these cars on e-bay and other sources. It's very conceivable that Dollar Tree could have sold these slot cars for $1.00 and still made a decent enough profit for their low overhead operation. These anomolies do occur but I don't believe this is indicative of how RC2 want to conduct itself going forward. They don't make any money selling slot cars for 50 cents and they need to make money to survive. They just needed to get rid of excess inventory since it does present a tax liability (and take up warehouse space).

As far as the 40th Anniversay Mustang release is concerned, I'm not holding my breath. I also hope that RC2 keeps pursuing licensing for the VWs.

Nope,no reply.I look all the time too.I told them that tho there were no where near as many slot guys as there were diecast guys,we were hungry for new product just the same,and would pretty much buy anything(within reason) that they put out.But it would be nice if we could give some input to assure that whatever they did was a success.

JL was always famous for the blowout sales that you would see at KB and the Dollar stores.Heck,I can remember the diecast stuff in big bins at KB 3 for $5 for as long as there has been JL's,which is 1994.

Never saw the slots at the dollar stores here.If I had,I would have bought them all.

The JL product has gotten better and better over the years.The stuff rarely sits on the pegs anymore around here.
As time goes on,I think we'll be seeing the big blowout sales of slots and diecast less and less,maybe not even at all.

Mike

RC2 did a big inventory reduction on a bunch of excess stock last month, including slot cars and diecast. Some of the diecast was supposedly "limited" production stuff that some folks paid real $$$ for when it was initially offered. Major PO factor on the diecast board. The slot cars, F&F R2 XTs, were offered to RC2 dealers for 50 cents each, which is way less than a buck. That's why you're seeing so may deals on these cars on e-bay and other sources. It's very conceivable that Dollar Tree could have sold these slot cars for $1.00 and still made a decent enough profit for their low overhead operation. These anomolies do occur but I don't believe this is indicative of how RC2 want to conduct itself going forward. They don't make any money selling slot cars for 50 cents and they need to make money to survive. They just needed to get rid of excess inventory since it does present a tax liability (and take up warehouse space).

As far as the 40th Anniversay Mustang release is concerned, I'm not holding my breath. I also hope that RC2 keeps pursuing licensing for the VWs.[/QUOTE]
I didn't think RC2 would take such a loss on there slots, But when you say they are reducing inventory for tax purposes it makes sense.

I didn't think RC2 would take such a loss on there slots
They undoubtedly did take a loss on them @ 50 cents each. But I think it was a one time deal. Maybe it had something to do with them closing the warehouse in IN.

They undoubtedly did take a loss on them @ 50 cents each. But I think it was a one time deal. Maybe it had something to do with them closing the warehouse in IN.
That is probley the reason. Some of us have made some cheap purchases recently on Xtractions. I bought a case of F&F release last month for $35.00. Nice to see it trickle down to us simple folks. :wave:

I'm looking forward to the Mustang XT's They'll fill a hole in anyone's Afx collection. Haven't you noticed how weird it is that Aurora never made a Mustang in the AFX line? JL has done a nice job on the XT Mustang, along with the pullback Thunderjet bodies, so these 40th anniversary cars should be a treat. Please don't run into any license issues like the ones that killed the VW's.

Please don't run into any license issues like the ones that killed the VW's.
I think it's already too late.

We have some physical proof that a BTTF car is coming but I've seen nothing on the Mustang Release. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I don't believe it's going to happen. They should just take that old PM site off the air and let the current RC2 dealers give us heads-up on coming attractions only after they have been confirmed.

Hello-

I’m usually pretty skeptical about new toys until I see (or somebody has seen) them, and considering what’s unfolded with the company in the last 4-5 months or so, I wouldn’t hedge my bets either way.
But for the sake of hope and joy—let’s say they ARE coming out—and in XT form (a surprise to me in itself).
What would you really like to see them make for the Mustang dirty dozen?
And how does that differ to what you think we’ll get.

This is how I’d call it, but more of what I think we’ll be getting as opposed to what I want:

1. 67 Shelby Fastback—same as we have now—different colour
2. 67 Fastback—Shelby retool
3. 67 Convertible—Shelby retool
4. 68 Fastback—Shelby retool
5. 71 Boss 351—New tool
6. 71-73 Mach 1—New tool plates
7. 71-73 Convertible New tool plates
8. 05 Fastback-Stock—New tool
9. 05 Fastback—Stock--Custom tampos or candy finish
10. 05 Convertible—Stock
11. 65 Fastback—Stock—New tool
12. 65 Hdtp or Convert—this and #11 are the wild cards. They could do a Shelby version, or all three styles like they did with the early release T-jets, and drop the 05 ragtop or go with a mid-nineties design and drop the 65 all together. I think we’d get the new car, though.


It’s a tough call…..anybody have thoughts on this?




Cheers..

I'm just hoping it is XT and someone didn't screw up and and got confused on naming and we end up getting another round of TO style Mustangs. I'm sure they could come up with a new inner of Mustang TOs. :freak: rr

I see that the Playing Mantis web site officially announced today that the Mustangs are due in May. A few dealers had already clued us in that this was coming. No pictures yet. The way the Mustangs are getting priced on Epay lately, this should be pretty well received. My wife is a real Mustang Sally and we've owned a dark green '67 hard top and now a black 2000 convertible GT. Both would make great slot cars. She's absolutely obsessed with the look of the new 2005 and says that we'll be test driving several as soon as the salt's off the roads. Could put a major dent in my slot car budget!
Wait til she sees the 450 hp Supercharged Shelby due out in 06..That is the one I want...

I'm just hoping it is XT and someone didn't screw up and and got confused on naming and we end up getting another round of TO style Mustangs. I'm sure they could come up with a new inner of Mustang TOs. :freak: rr

Heck, as long as they don't stop making slots, I'll be content with whatever comes out. "Parts is parts" as they say. (not sure who "they" is though)
Sooner or later RC2 would come out with something cool, right?(I hope) :)
All they have to do is look at what sold very well in the past, I would think.
(IMO)

I agree, slots a slot, put a body on it and some weird paint scheme. every release has at least 3 "got to have it" cars.