[Mr. Macabre]

This year, 2023, has been a strange year so far. I've found it almost impossible to find any new mainline cars in the stores, but have had an easier time finding cars from special sets. I've even heard the same thing from another collector.
So far, I've been able to find the 55th anniversary series(Challenger and Nova), the 70th anniversary Corvette series, and even the drag strip demons sets a couple of times.
I've been able to get the cars I wanted from those sets, plus some for a friend who hasn't seen them yet, and probably never will. The Fred Meyers store here has been stuck on B case cars for weeks now, and Target is always cleaned out.
Our local Wally-world just put out a HUGE dump bin that is overflowing with older castings and some C and D case cars, but the licensed castings are always gone. I have found 3 D case cars so far, the '84 Vette, the '82 Caddy, and the Greenwood Vette, but nothing from the C case, it's weird.
Is anybody else feeling the same thing?

 

[TomicaFan!!]

The only hot wheels I've seen this year have all mainly been generic castings. Haven't seen much new hot wheels around me unfortunately. Found a lot of new matchbox however!

 

[samace22]

I have more of new hot wheels special sets this year to than I have of basic cars also but I have all the A,B,C, and D case cars from this year but today I got lucky and I found a couple more of the pop culture Mattel brand's vans today and I found more of the easter/spring cars and trucks today and I found some more of the 55th anniversary cars today but I also found today a couple of new 2023 hot wheels basic cars on short cards today and this is the first time I seen these for this year.👍

 

[vmadmaverick]

seems about the same as it has the last two or three years. still distribution issues, and less places to buy them(the losses of Toys R Us/Kmart/Shopko were huge), which results in having a harder time finding what you are looking for.

Target especially has been real bad for mainlines for the better part of a year now, not sure what is going on in their supply chain.

 

[Pablodragon]

Does anyone think there is any relevance to case buying?

like I started around 1997, and veeerrry rarely did anyone ever bring up buying a whole case, even talking to people at diecast shows and fellow collectors.

now it seems like there are always people saying (and posting) about buying a whole case. I know Dollar Tree is one of the places you can buy a whole case of mainlines from, .. and if that was purchased from a certain store, or if it was sent to a certain store, does that mean now that store will have no Hot Wheels to hang and sell?

...and even cases purchased on line or from a store on line and sent to the buyer... is that 1 less case that that store... or any store... will get?

 

[samace22]

Guys check your dollar trees and family dollars they're getting in basic cars right now and a couple of the family dollars I went to today had a brand new C case on the floor but at each store they were all ready open and gone through there wasn't any regular treasure hunts or super treasure hunts but I still found some other good cars so guys check your dollar trees and family dollars.👍

 

[Eviltwin678]

I guess my area is in the minority.
Even with the loss of the local K-Mart and TRU four years ago if not more,, the local Target and Wal-Mart are getting Hot Wheels at pre-pandemic volumes, or so it seems. There may be a week where the pegs are a bit thin but they get filled.
As for the other lines, they come in and go almost as fast, that hasn't changed.
With the explosion of Dollar General in my area, 8 within a 15 minute drive, they have kind of filled the mainline gap. And drug stores have picked up on the premiums a bit.

 

[Milton Fox Racing]

Are the drug stores more than CVS and Walgreens?

 

[samace22]

There is a local drug store around here in New York state called Kinney drugs and they carry premium cars where CVS and Walgreens don't carry premium cars.

 

[Milton Fox Racing]

It has been almost 3 years now since our CVS and Walgreens have had any HWs premiums, too!

 

[Mr. Macabre]

The only hot wheels I've seen this year have all mainly been generic castings. Haven't seen much new hot wheels around me unfortunately. Found a lot of new matchbox however!

Were you able to find the Dodge series from MB? I still haven't seen any of them, which means I probably never will now.

 

[Mr. Macabre]

Does anyone think there is any relevance to case buying?

like I started around 1997, and veeerrry rarely did anyone ever bring up buying a whole case, even talking to people at diecast shows and fellow collectors.

now it seems like there are always people saying (and posting) about buying a whole case. I know Dollar Tree is one of the places you can buy a whole case of mainlines from, .. and if that was purchased from a certain store, or if it was sent to a certain store, does that mean now that store will have no Hot Wheels to hang and sell?

...and even cases purchased on line or from a store on line and sent to the buyer... is that 1 less case that that store... or any store... will get?

Good questions, I can't ever afford to buy cars by the case. Too rich for my blood.

 

[Mr. Macabre]

Are the drug stores more than CVS and Walgreens?

We have Rite-Aid and Bartells as well here in the PNW.

 

[samace22]

We have rite aid here also and they don't carry premium cars either.

 

[TomicaFan!!]

Were you able to find the Dodge series from MB? I still haven't seen any of them, which means I probably never will now.

I have not seen that series.

 

[Mr. Macabre]

I have not seen that series.

Really, it seems like very few collectors ever saw any of these in the stores.