Contest! Win a FREE Copy of the Disney Pixar CARS Character Encyclopedia!
Disney Pixar CARS: Character Encyclopedia Contest!
You even get a free discast, a metallic paint version of “Lightning McQueen with Piston Cup (decal).” (aka: Hudson Hornet Lightning McQueen) + a poster!
Now that the book is out, I can tell you some fun trivia such:
I threw out their original list of characters to feature which had EVERY Final Lap CAR on it but not Lizzie, Red or about 20 of the Piston Cup racers. I think you’re okay with that decision, right? 
Humm, Hooman or the Apple CAR.
Yes, there are some tiny corrections here and there but it was hard to keep track of the random PDF pages that were the proofs.
The ones still unreleased or just released were a little difficult to guess when exactly they would come out – so some are implied they are already out.
There was a definite limit of 140ish pages and it had to include CARS, CARS 2 and all the Toons so I tried to make sure no uninteresting looking CAR was left out but for instance, each Toon series was limited to a page so obviously, you could get in all the El Materdor releases but not Tokyo Mater. So, it does not include every diecast released … unlike say, our checklist magazine. Of course, I also don’t have a world class art director at my disposal.
But a contest to win your own copy!
Enter below in the comments with the words
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(And at what year/series/number of CARS did you realize it was no longer a casual hobby and it was a way of life).
Contest starts right now and ends August 26, 2012 11:59 PM PST – US entries only.
You may enter once a day – but feel free to expand on the details of your original entry or add in a family/relative story …
Good luck!
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metroxing
19 August 2012
Disney Pixar, Disney Pixar CARS 2, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS 2
105 Comments
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Never knew that snot rod i gave my 2 year old would get to 400 cars now.. Now he is 6 and he knows where to find me when we are at a toy store..
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Before I got the playset,I saw the movie then I found out about the playset.
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I realized this was a way of life when I was given Bumper Save and Shifty Drug cars from KDay 2 by my sister. I got Mood Springs and Tow Cap in the store shortly after. It dawned on me then that I had missed an event with great cars and that I should pay more attention to news in the Cars world!
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I also realized after reading some of these that it’s more than a hobby when I started to buy a single box to make sure I got the one new released car that I wasn’t finding at local targets.
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continued…
For the first year (give or take a few months) I was on my own. I hadn’t found 2ADay yet. I was hunting KB mostly and sometimes TRU. When I couldn’t find new Cars I resorted to ebay. A seller on ebay turned me on to 2ADay. That’s when I started to organize my collection.
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World of Cars is when I knew they were making a world of Cars collectibles to forever drain my wallet and fill my collector’s room.
Julius
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…..continued, So once we got the first couple of cars my son was hooked and I guess I was too. It became a treasure hunt to find new cars.
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When I realized I knew every Walmart Associates’ names between the front door and the Toy Department.
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By the summer of 2010, we had pretty much stopped collecting Thomas the Tank Engine and were 100% into Cars. It was then, that we started piecing together the 36 Piston Cup cars and new Toons were popping up. We didn’t even really bother with Rescue Squad Mater and Mater the Greater; We were after Tokyo Mater cars!
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When my son was 2 and would want to play with his cars over any other toy, we had to start collecting them all!
Sucks that the competition is only open to Americans. You have fans across the globe you know
. Oh well.
(MET: Sorry – book is kind of hefty. Shipping international is $20-$40 … we’d be happy to mail it to someone here in the US, if they are already shipping something to you, it doesn’t add much more …).
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In 2007 I was working my way through college in the toy department at Wal-Mart. I soon discovered these little gems, and started collecting. At first there would be limits to my collecting. I would ask my coworker for advice once in a while as to what new Car I should buy. It soon became an obsession. It did not take long before I was having to buy not only every new release, but I was also starting to purchase older releases on eBay. I actually became excited to go to work, so I could see what new releases came in. I cannot think of ANY other reason for being excited to go into work at “Wal-Mart – that place is HELL! I knew this was a huge part of my life when asked what I was doing on the weekend my reply became either “going on some Car runs” or “rearranging my Cars.” It really became bad when I had to start scheduling “play-time” into my day. Within about 5 years time, what started as a few cars sitting atop my bookcase has become about a 500 car collection (not to mention the 600 $0.99 cars I purchased to make customs). I have since learned how to make really nice customs, and it is really awesome because now I can make just about anything I want!
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I thought the first 16 cars was a lot, but then when I saw the supercharged line, I knew I was going to need a bigger box!
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I got hooked in 2008 after the first cars 1 came out. Then I got my 1st disney car(fillmore with a dinoco headset) and i loved them ever since. Before that I collected over 500 other cars and now Disney cars is the only type of cars I collect.
Before I knew it,Cars 2 was out that was when I got my first car from Cars 2,Francesco.
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Before I knew it,Cars 2 came out that is when I got my first car from Cars 2,Francesco.
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Although I was hooked even before I saw the movie, the first Cars I bought were the plastic pull backs from KB. Not sure exactly when I bought my first diecast, probably a few days to a week after that.
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June 9, 2006: the night the movie debuted, sitting in the theater in utter amazement!
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When I start buying a second of the same item to stay “unopened” I knew it was becoming really serious!
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I also knew I was hooked when I had to explain to friends the difference between bug mouthed lightning mcgueen and mcqueen with tar. Subtle differences started to blend together for anyone outside of my collection.
I have the same problem trying to explain that to my husband lol glad to know im not alone. I cant tell you how many times he has said “how many mcqueens does our son really need” and then i have to tell him all about the small differences.
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Once I had to get all the Ramone’s and I mean Red, Green, Yellow, blue….
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When my son began helping me in my collection and knowing which cars we don’t have in the collection, I knew I was in trouble. Well, that’s when my wife knew I was in trouble. It probably took a little longer to sink in for me, but that was the moment of worry.
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I got hooked when I first saw the desert series at Target a few weeks after the “Cars” movie opened. After a few weeks of hunting, I was able to put together the (then) complete set of 12. Little did I know . . . . . .
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We were late to collecting in 2009, once we bought the Pit Crew Sets.
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I remember that Cars Christmas after the movie came out. I was out at about midnight to 1am every night when the two Wal-Marts back home would be restocking the shelves with new goods received in. I started finding all of the new unique characters and I just wanted some for myself as well so I started buying two of every new one I found. Then I tried to buy all of the earlier releases but of course some of them (Lizzie) could not be found anymore. So then the collecting began…
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We were late to the scene but in 2008 once we bought our first set with Sarge, Sally, Ramone and Mater.
Contest Entry: Supercharged era! When it drove me nuts that i couldnt find Purple Ramone and once i found him the Cars bug had me and the kids hooked…..Still find it difficult to pass a store without a quick zoom through the toy isle.
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SDCC 2008
Lightning Mcqueen SDCC exclusive, Rescue Mission.
So many people wanted these. Including myself. I decided then that I would do it, not alot of committed people to “get to work” at SDCC for others.
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We started collecting near the end of Race-O-Rama. It didn’t get serious until the Night Skyline packaging took over.
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I first realized the world had gone nuts when all the grandparents were told to hit the road and locate anything and everything for grandkids. I became extremely popular hunting down Sarge’s, including the recall version which never ever was sent back to Mattel.
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In July 2006 my husband and I drove 80 miles one way to a College town where the rumour was that a TRU in that town actually had Cars movie diecasts. Our city was completely wiped out of Cars.
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I realized in 2006 2 weeks before the movie came out. I had bought one car set as a cute kind of toy to have as a momento from the movie. I then saw the movie and searched every target in a 50 mile radius for Red and Stanley. I had everyone at my work checking the targets and tru’s by their houses and friends who were hounding toy managers. It was obviously an obsession. Sadly I feel 6 years later that collecting now isn’t as fun as it once was. I long for the days before chase and ample selection. We had to drive around but we were still able to get them.
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I am almost ashamed to say that my obsession came in the form of a McDonald’s happy meal – got Ramone first (yes the plastic one where you wound it up and the front end bounced) hmmmmmmmm…….. Always had an affinity for cars in general. So decided to get the whole gang (Not the 36 with all different eye stickers)
Well, upgraded to the mattel metal 55′s. Lightning McQueen was his name. Seeing how smooth it rolled, how shiny the paint was, I had to head to the highest mountaintop…….
Then, it was off to every toy aisle, in every store within a 20 mile radius. Constantly on the phone with my buddy Dan – THANK YOU MAN! (Who I would say is even more obsessed than I am….) Luckily, my wife….so understanding… shook her head many times but never threw me in the impound – her name is mater too!
What series did it start with – well, I guess it would be the desert backs – but technically it was those plastic Mickey D wind ups – Yes….. I still have them.
Our G.M. gave me $200 that summer to go buy tons of $1 Menu items for a sale we were having, and I came “this close” to changing the order to all Happy Meals.
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From the first time our son saw the preview for the movie Cars, he wanted to see it. Then came the merchandise to the stores and I bought them for him and he totally loved playing with them. I found them quite interesting and wanted to see the movie myself because I loved the other movies that Pixar has put out. Then the second wave came out with all the various characters and I was really intrigued by them. By then I found myself buying them not just for him, but for myself as well. That was when some of the original series were gone and hard to find in this area, mainly Lizzie. Eventually I will get her!!! But from then on I have hooked and my wife just looks at me like I am crazy. Oh well, she has her hobbies and I have mine!
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When I started having dreams about awesome new releases that do not exist. I am soooo disappointed when I wake up and realize that they are just dream cars!
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When I stopped collecting Hot Wheels, had to spend money somewhere.lol
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My son is still young so we were late with collecting but i knew it was an addiction when every store we would go to the toy isle had to be the first stop. Now we go to stores just to see if new cars are in, my husband still doesnt understand the addiction but that doesnt matter. The only thing that matters is my sons smiling face when we find new cars!
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When i discovered the supercharge line at Kohl’s and saw them all sitting there on pegs…we would give them to the kids for special things until I found out we just had too many in the closet yet I couldn’t stop buying them!
I think I’ll do mine story a bit different
For every entry I do add a bit more story as I go along 
I’ll start from Day 1 and go to my current state of this hobby & obsession. 
I’ll try to narrow it down as possible.
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PART I
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It all started way, way, back during the first shipments of Cars 1 line. During that time, I wasn’t too aware of Pixar’s Cars film & don’t recall why. The whole collecting starting with one idea: Obtaining Lizzie since it’s a Model T diecast. A friend of mine bought a few Cars of the first wave and he had one. I saw it just fell in love with it. It took a couple of days for the store to get another case in and I was able to obtain one. After obtaining her, I was happy to have obtained one and didn’t need the rest. Few days later, my little brother saw it and wanted a few of them. The quest then began to get all the ones on the back of the card. As time progressed, the back of the card got more Cars listed on there [Desert 12].
“To Be Continued…”
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PART II
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It slowly became an obsession to obtaining them all for my little bro. The Movie Moments were a bit more expensive but offered new models. So off we went buying more Cars for the newer models. At this time, boxsets & exclusives started to appear and the newer card backs started to appear [Supercharge]. At this point, I got myself obsessive into “Catching them all”. It went from simple “get them for my little brother” to “MUST OWN ALL” collectivity. As time went on, I started considering the Cars line as artwork/sculptures. One thing that always bothered me was that prior to WoC series, the Cars didn’t have any numbers [AKA guidelines if you will] as to collecting by numbers and it was annoying hard for my little brother to understand what he needed. When WoC series began, it was much easier for him to know what he was collecting. That pushed me to try to fill in all the numbers in. Several lines started as well like the deluxe & more MM & triple packs. I just had to get more & more. The WoC/RoR series, was indeed the golden age of Cars. Few months into RoR series, the Storytellers came out.
“To Be Continued…”
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PART III
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At that point, I didn’t really like the expanded universe at all. So I skipped that line completely. During the 2nd run they came out, I like the fact that you could easily obtain most of them in the triple packs. I picked up The showgirls & Bubba Packs. I literally had the cousins pack but skipped on it due to budget constraints. I said to myself, they would be out later again. We all know what happen after their 2nd run. Haulers where just coming out too and the whole collecting started to get out of hand.
After the RoR series ended and they started coming out with the lenticular line & the Carstoons lines. My little brother was amazed on the lenticular line but I wasn’t too thrilled by it. The Carstoons line, I pretty much skipped it due to being another form of “Expanded Universe” line and at the point, they didn’t interest me at all but a few that were attracting.
I did pick up a few that we liked so we were happy for a few of them.
“To Be Concluded…”
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PART IV
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The Final Lap series pretty much took I took over the collecting aspect further more that what it was because my little brother at that time wanted Transformers more. The Final Lap series was frustrating because stores didn’t get much product in and hunting them down really became dressing because of coming home empty handed. The only thing I regret from FL series was not getting Bubble Mater [Case A/B.. don't remember] because I said to myself, it should be out again. Had it in my hand, put it back, & never saw it again. Being priced more expensive made me more decisive of what to get.
During WoC/RoR, they were priced just right that I was able to buy 2 of each of the Cars. FL series made it harder to do with limited funds. Did get few lenticulars during this time but few that weren’t released as singles yet.
Seeing how much I had put into Cars, I decided for Cars 2 that I wasn’t going to collect any. BUT NO… I kept on looking at sites like TFAD & CTTs and very slowly started to convincing myself that I had to continue.
“To Be Continued…”
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PART V
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So for Cars II, I was in and all excited for newer product! First wave hit and BAM! Started buying product. Little did I know that Cars II was about to fail at a catastrophic failure & crash few months down the road. During those months, I just became very depressed and irritated on how the Cars market was. I was just so pissed off with Mattel with their practices. I’ll leave it at that because I’m pretty sure everybody knows how it was during [and probably still for the most part] that time. A year later, newer product started coming out very slowly and like a turtle going across the desert, my interest started picking up again. Now I’m still frustrated and excited for newer product but looks like it’ll be few more months for product to hit shelves.
“To Be Concluded…”
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PART VI
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So in conclusion, this Hobby started out as getting 1 for myself to getting them to my little brother to both of us trying to get all of them to myself just collecting to every-so-often getting few that my little brother wanted to the crash of Cars II line to hoping for a better future of Cars line. You could say this is like a rag-to-riches-to-hoping for a better tomorrow story. Where it will take us, who knows. I’ll still be here collecting Cars.
CHEERS! Here’s to Cars love!
End Of Story!
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I knew I was addicted to Cars and it was more than a one time movie line of toys when I signed up with the “Hot Wheels Club” to get the Speedway of the South set. I very much dislike hot wheels and it was torture to sign up with them to get that exclusive and my utmost awesome and favorite cars collector set.
I only bought one as they were expensive $300.00 total at the time, 250.00 for the set and 50.00 to join the club. While most people broke up the set to sell all the race cars that were still not available at that time and made a mint $1,500 to $3,000. I still have my one complete set in it’s entirety and in mint condition.
Money isn’t everything… I am glad they did not release all the cars from this set making it special with something exclusive to it. The paint job quality alone makes it fantastic, but to have the only Apple car that was released is more awesome!
Ma Dang… there goes my hood
This site is my digital home away from home,thanks for having these contests Met!
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i think it was when id drive to all the stores in the local area just to look for cars. very complusive for cars back when. mixed with all the cards i was playing at the time i became the flophunter
-flop
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When my 4 years old son was no longer interested to go in toy section of the 5th Target of the day during a trip to Dallas…
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I got a playset with the diecast of dirt track McQueen from Cars 1,loved it and I got a lot more.
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Back in the Summer of 2006 when my wife and our kids were visiting her aunt (a Nun) in St. Paul, MN and I had her ship me back a WHOLE BUNCH of singles and Mack Bachelor Pads they found at the Mall of America.
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When on had to join my first online forum. Take 5 of course. That’s when I knew collecting for my then 3 year old had become an obsession to get them all.
When going too the shops the first stop was the toy isle…….my wife never had a problem finding me.
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I knew I was hooked – 2006 Desert Series.
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By the time the Supercharged line came out and I realized that more and more would be made.