Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: The EOL CARS Lineup 2013
Of course, Mattel never actually cancels a line … (the Mini Adventures are still listed) rather, they simply stop adding new products to the listing – though years later, they do sometimes actually delete the listing.
For CARS, the EOL (end of Life) lines are not a huge surprise:
Action Agents
Not sure why they didn’t simply continue the MINI ADVENTURES lineup so those collecting the original line would simply add to their collection. The other HUGE strike against it was the pricing. For some reason, people weren’t willing to pay $5 for a mini plastic car with a launching device or 2 of them for $11.49 … If they were price at $1.99, they would’ve worked fine.
Color Changers
At some point, Mattel might notice that Toys R Us is a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE exclusive lineup long term partner. They are like most kids who want a puppy, after 3 days of feeding and walking it, it becomes your dog. 🙂 … in this case, LITERALLY as TRU wants exclusives but then they never have any money to pay for wave 2 or any reorders ever! So, Color Changers are a nice concept and work okay – pricing is obviously not as low as it should or could be but reasonable enough. However, once it became an exclusive at TRU, it meant they would order it once and never place any reorders … so done.
Quick Changers (UPDATE)
Oops, had them on the list but after writing Color Changers above, clearly, I forgot they are different. There is no new listings beyond the new “Spy” snipe to jazz up the line. I’m presuming it’s the last chance this holiday season – if they sell out, we’ll see more but if not, EOL as I believe they are being replaced by “stunt” CARS, posting next week sometime …
Collect & Connect Puzzles
Most likely because the head designer of CARS 2 in 2011 came from Games & Puzzles, this seemed like a great idea – and to boost sales, making them repaint exclusives worked but once she left, clearly no one else wanted to work with the Games & Puzzles people so it’s 4 and out.
Pull Backs
I’m not exactly sure if these even saw the light of day but they are revising the pull backs and creating a new pullback series for 2013 that seem closer to 1:55 scale – though presumably all in plastic …
1:24 Lights & Sounds
Since Mattel does like oversized plastic CARS that are priced high, they might bring these back under some other name but for now, the large scale plastic L&S series is done.
3-Packs
Nothing new listed for 2013.
1:55 Lights & Sounds
It seems to sell okay – there are still 4-5 CARS listed that have not been released so it’s hard to tell. It’s actually a very nice series as it’s all based on the 1:55 metal diecasts.
Toons (Not Take Flight)
Nothing listed for 2013 (yet).
Haulers
Outside of Wally & Mack, nothing listed for 2013.
Stay tuned for what is coming in 2013. Some good, some interesting and some pretty weird.
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metroxing
29 August 2012
Disney Pixar, Disney Pixar CARS 3, Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS 3
14 Comments
Is there a older post or maybe someone can help. As everyone knows we were late with collecting cars but we found 2 HUGE lights and sounds cars at a flea market (from the firt movie) they are plastic and their eyes move. As of right now we have sheriff and red but i would love to know what others were made because my son loves them. I tried to do my own research but all im finding is info about the small lights and sounds cars. Thanks in advance!
DJ was one for sure.
There was also the Dinoco Helicopter and Barney Stormin’ (not sure if that was part of the L&S series, but it was really big and really cool!),
Awe my son loves DJ so that one will be a must have, I just looked and i found one on ebay so im watching him. There is also a mcqueen but thats all i have been able to find. I bought Barney on ebay the week before last for $5 (i was super excited) and im always watching for the Dinoco helicopters on ebay but they get kind of expensive. Anyhow thanks for your help John, there were so many toys made for the first movie that i have no idea about so i discover new (old) things all the time LOL! 🙂
(MET: Sorry, back then, we didn’t really track anything larger than the diecasts series … good luck!)
THE 2012 SINGLES COMFIRMATION
Ramone w/ Paint Gun
Grem w/ Missile
Damaged Rod Torque with Impound Boot
J. Curby Gremlin
Tubbs Pacer (I don’t know if this is a single)
Ivan Mater – Single? Deluxe?
I liked the L&S But Rod Torque Redline is a L&S pegwarmer, then mater etc.Colour Changers were awesome but in the wrong place again
The sad loss here is the L & S 1:55’s. They are soooooo cool! It is a shame that Mattel cannot get the case assortments right on anything …. they are choking off every thing GOOD about Cars …. it is just sad … :-{
Not Mattel, but we’ve probably seen the last of the TRU wooden Cars line and also Cars Squinkies. Neither line released anything new in 2012 save for one non-canon wooden Cars set that was probably in production too late to stop.
There have been a few prototype photos of lights & sounds Cars and quick changers Cars that have not been released yet. (which of course does not mean they are coming)
I still want a Sarge Lights and Sounds, have not seen any restock,
later than Miles Axlerod. Fillmore was very hard to find back in the Spring. Its a nice line, but again way too many Finns were shipped.
I haven’t seen him yet, but I have read sightings of L&S Sarge popping up at TJMaxx.
No big surprises, I guess. I’m happy/sad about the 1:55 L&S going away. I liked collecting these, but they were always “HTF” and a little pricey.
I would miss the Toons and the Haulers…glad too see the rest go, now we might have more shelf room for 1:55 diecasts.
I wish they would just focus on the 1:55 diecasts. Instead of little cars and big plastic cars, focus on playsets for the 1:55 diecasts like the Radiator Springs town. We have had Flo’s V-8 Cafe out on my coffee table in my basement for over 18 months now. My kids still play with it all the time. My kids also love the haulers and Toons playsets. The Shake and Go cars and Action Agents are fun for about a day or two, but they always go back to play with the mainline cars. Go back to the Toons, already! Those 5 minute cartoons kickstart my kids imaginations. As soon as they see them, they run down to where the Toons cars are and play with them and act out new scenes.
No sign of end to the Quick Changers just yet? The few pegs they own are clogged at my Walmart and I doubt I will ever see Wave 2 there. Those could have did well, just make them metal OR have the Quick Change feature change more than 1 or 2 things on a Car.