11/10/04
It has been quite a while since I last wrote up a Toys & Collectibles column. March 03 was the last one I believe, this due to personal matters that needed to be attended to. I now have a son (Aaron Thomas Felice was born 10/16/04) that will be able to help me enjoy my collection!
I believe we left off on Toys & Collectibles 18 so that makes this number 19. In the past a lot was happening from column to column when I was writing them on a monthly or bi-monthly bases so needless to say since I have not written anything in about a year a ton of new toys & Collectibles have been released. Just to touch base on some items I’ll let you know that we will be touching upon each & every one that we possibly can. As always if you know of anything do not hesitate to let me know through an email to tomdroptop@aol.com include your name and as much description of the item as possible or even a picture.
Some of the items that we’ll discuss in this & the following issues will include:
Muscle Machines 1:64th Radio control 69 Charger
Hot Wheels “Snap-On” 69 Charger
Hot Wheels “Blvd Cruisers” Charger releases
Hot Wheels “Whips—Team Bartwell” Charger releases
Hot Wheels “Neo-Classics” Limited edition 71 Charger
Hot Wheels “Holiday Rods” 67 Chargers
Hot Wheels “Muscle Car Review” Limited edition 66 Charger
Tyco 69 Remote control
Ertl (RC2) Joy Rides 70 Charger
Classic Metal Works 67 Charger (mini)……………..
And so much more, I mean these companies are really capitalizing on the market & we as consumers/collectors are benefiting & buying like crazy.
I personally have just added a few to my collection and would like to discuss those first. I’ll start off with a 1:18th scale 1969 diecast from Ertl. The release is known as Team Bartwell. It’s a purple car with a white R/T stripe, large chrome rims and low profile tires. It has the usual options, steering, doors & hood open etc. With this Charger there 3 things that pop out to me, they are the wild purple color, the large chrome rims and the multi-colored white with purple insert seats. It all looks really good together. I also believe it is the first Charger that has come out from Ertl that’s not a stock color w/stock rims, so it really sticks out when I put it in the case with my other cars.
Next is a Tyco Remote control 1969 Charger. This car also says Team Bartwell but this release is by Tyco. It’s larger than a 1:18th, much larger actually, approx 24 inches long & this one’s also purple and also has the white R/T stripe, chrome rims, but this ones got a white roof, and tinted windows. The trunk opens which reveals several (non functional) chrome amplifiers and speakers. Box indicates it takes 6AA batteries to run it, probably 4 in the car & 2 in the remote. I believe that this car is a Toys-R-Us exclusive. Neat toy for the holidays. I got one for my son (wink, wink).
Muscle Machines seems to have taken after Johnny Lightning in that they are now releasing “theme cars” and “White lightning looking cars. Example you ask? They just released a series called Vote America. In this series there is a 1:64th Charger and a Daytona. They made two of each car in red & white with the donkey on the roof for Democratic Party and then in blue and white with the elephant on the roof for the Republican Party. They are basically the same cars as before just different paint schemes.
They also followed suit from Johnny Lightning by mimicking Johnny Lightning’s White Lightning’s. (White lightning’s series are highly sought after by collectors, they are very limited cars randomly released by the company. They’re the same cars normally released except they have white rims and sometimes white bottoms.)
Muscle Machine’s released a limited production of 1496 of each of these cars and they can be easily spotted with the Daytona in a lime green with white wheels & one in hot pink with white wheels, with a black tail stripe. I feel that 1496 is a very limited release for a 1:64th scale car. I believe that there is a set of 69 Chargers in this series also. I’d grab them all up if I were you & if the price was right.
Speaking of Johnny Lightning, they have a Holiday Ornament release as a Coca-Cola car with Santa on the blister and authentic coca-cola graphics. It comes with a plastic hook so you can hang it on a Christmas tree or anywhere else you like. The car is white w/red roof & w/white interior, chrome rims, rubber tires, & opening hood. They call it a 1969 but if you look closely at the side of the car you will plainly see the R/T door flares of a 1970 & the front end is a 70 also but they attempted to paint it as a 69. Error or are they trying to pull one over on us?
Johnny Lightning has also come out with a few other 1:64th scale Chargers & Daytona’s called “Zingers”. These cars are wild looking, jacked way up, big engines, side pipes, cool graphics and old school rims & tires. There’s 69 Chargers & Daytona’s in this line up and the colors and the graphics I mentioned are so varied I couldn’t start to try & explain all the combo’s, so keep your eyes peeled as these are kind of cool.
OK Classic Metal Works Company has come out with a few 67 Chargers. HO is the scale of the cars also known as 1:87th so they will go great with train displays. The lineup is called mini metals. I have seen two cars so far, one in a yellow w/white int. and one in an ice blue w/darker blue int. The last one I have seen is Red w/white int. all have chrome rims and their hoods open. These little guys are nicely detailed for their size and a cool addition to any collection.
Hot Wheels, Hot wheels, Hot Wheels, man where do I start? Well as usual they are constantly coming out with new color combinations and packaging all the time. This first release is a 1:64th scale called Boulevard Cruisers. Now these are easy to locate as the picture of the car that’s on the card is a 69 Charger with ram air hood scoops, a push bar & 10 spoke vector rims. On the side of the card written from top to bottom is “Old School” The actual car in the blister is a yellow/gold color with black roof & R/T stripe and white interior. The second car out in this series is black w/roof & red R/T stripe.
I also have seen another Hot Wheels car exclusive to Snap On tools. This car is a 69 Charger. It’s white with black stripes from front to back opening hood and has Snap-On tool graphics on the side.
Well everyone I will stop here and start another T&C right away & get this one up on the site & out so people can read it. Happy Hunting!
Tom Felice
Snap On Charger
Blvd Cruisers
Street Freak Charger
Johnny Lightning Holiday Charger
Whips Team Bartwell 1:18th Charger
Classic Metal works H/O scale 67
Muscle Machine Vote America