Sometimes they do come out with interesting fantasy stuff like the Radio Flyer and shopping cart. I love the Carbonator, I have one in my display case and one in the kitchen drawer to actually open bottle caps.
Torpedo Jones is cool too but since it represents an actual Fiat (or is it an Alfa, I forget now), it's not really a Fantasy car.
I'm with you on this.
Mattel has to make money to stay in business. If the high end pieces don't carry their weight and bring in the revenues then the low end kiddie stuff is what butters the bread. I didn't afford a lot of the high end stuff...ten bucks for *another* vw bug or chevy camaro gets old fast.
A lot of the fantasy stuff bombs. I seriously don't know what they were thinking with Sup Dog, I don't know anybody who likes it.
But now Radio Flyer, Fast Lane, Speed-o-Saurus (especially with the heart tatoo on his butt), and even the Carbonator I like.
Remember a few years back when they pushed for 100 first editions and tried all kinds of goofy things? I've got all the Fatbacks, even the Kmart Silhouette, but the only two I like are the Cuda funny and the Jack(R)abbit special. I don't know what they were thinking with the flattened cars, the only one I even kind of liked was the Speed Bump Tucker. And the Blings...yuck! But some of the melts were pretty cool, and I liked some of the Hardnoses. And the imitation Muscle Machines were my cup o' tea, I like all of them.
Yes, they're toys. The tampos they've been putting on otherwise decent castings to make sets for the last 15 years should be enough to convince about that. Mixed Signals?, that was one ugly set. There's plenty more where that came from. But every once in a while they snuck something pretty cool in: Dark Riders 1 and 2, White Ice, Blue Streak, I even like the Tech Tones...no two were exactly the same.
