# (HO)twheels ????



## plymouth71 (Dec 14, 2009)

I have to think that with some of the recent Hotwheels releases, At least one designer must surely be a slotter, if only in spirit. I've noticed a number of Hotwheels Diecasts pulling from vintage AFX cars, granted it might just be coincidence...


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

I've noticed that myself P71. Maybe Hot Wheels hired the AFX designer from retirement??? ... RM


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Wow, that's cool. I knew about the Datsun and the 6-wheeler, and I've seen the Javelin in other paint schemes, and I think I've seen the Ferrari but never made the connection with the AFX version. The Shadow I've never seen before this thread. Yeah, definitely looks like a trend. Wonder if they're figuring on selling cars to grownups who remember their AFX cars but wouldn't buy a slot version now because they don't have a track to run it on anymore?

--rick


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Now, if they could just move that guy to their slot car division.


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

Several of the HW designers are real gear heads but they mostly have to design the funky stuff per higher authority (read marketing) decree. They used to buy 1:43 kits from me and I'd see a HW later (as in the Riley and Scott MKIII, Chaparral 2C, Shadow MKII...). 

Yeah, it's a pity they seldome got turned loose to make real cars or to do new slot bodies.


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## FullyLoaded (Apr 19, 2006)

I noticed the same trend with the Hot Wheels releases. One of the cars that really stands out is the 2008 Mystery Car #173 1969 Corvette in Black with a Yellow Stripe across the top which looks very similar to the AFX AP Corvette. The tool is not new but that paint scheme had to be copied from the Aurora AFX AP Corvette as it is rarer in black with the yellow stripe.


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

My bet is that their designers are just lazy, copying off old stuff they spot on the net.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

And again, If Mattel can sell a decorated, multicolored, chromed, with separate glass, diecast body for less than $1.00 and a Tyco electric slotcar chassis for $3.00, why can't they sell a slotcar for less than $5.00??? I'm jus saying!!! RM


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

Hilltop Raceway said:


> And again, If Mattel can sell a decorated, multicolored, chromed, with separate glass, diecast body for less than $1.00 and a Tyco electric slotcar chassis for $3.00, why can't they sell a slotcar for less than $5.00??? I'm jus saying!!! RM


Yep.. I agree!

Wes


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## hefer (Sep 18, 1999)

Hilltop Raceway said:


> And again, If Mattel can sell a decorated, multicolored, chromed, with separate glass, diecast body for less than $1.00 and a Tyco electric slotcar chassis for $3.00, why can't they sell a slotcar for less than $5.00??? I'm jus saying!!! RM


AMEN! Do you make a diecast body the same way as a plastic body? Do the both use molds and dies?


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## Voxxer (Oct 25, 2003)

*Hot Wheels*

Hi:

Being a Hot Wheels collector ( own over 11,000 cars at last count ) I could see why you would think that Mattel should be able to make a $5.00 slot cat. 

First, on the design, Mattel is already working on the 2013 line. They need atleast a year advance to start making molds and graphics. Even before that, the design team usually comes up with atleast 10 to 20 drawn designs of cars per designer.. Then, in a group meeting the team decides the new line, 60% real cars, 20% fantasy cars and 20% " maybe " cars, shopping carts or bathtubs. Mattel makes atleast 1,000,000 cars a day, with three plants in China, Thialand and Malaysia. Most cars only make a few cents profit per car( under $.05 ), however, with the production, they can make a profit.

If Mattel would save $ .01 cents per car, that would be $10,000 per 1,000,000 sold.

Last time I heard, it cost around $80,000 dollars per NEW DESIGN OF CAR.

Mattel could make many, many slot cars, but , how many would be sold?

I would beat, that Mattel makes one run, or one days production, of the tyco chassis a year. I'm sure that that production is more then enough for the entire year.

The numbers just do not cover cost or goods sold.

Did you know that Mattel is the largest clothing manufactor in the world? Mattel buts more yards of fabric then anybody else, why, Barbie.

Even with all the molds made , track and cars, I do not think Mattel would make a profit. Remember, the toys buyers still have to purchase the goods. That is where the problem is.

Just my 2 cents.

Voxxer


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

If you had a $5 car, and sold it at $10, you still make money, however. I 'get' pushing mass quantities of Hot Wheels and making minimal margin.

They aren't even trying anymore with the slot car line - that's the rub around here.

I don't think anyone would expect them to make 30 new body molds a year - or even 5 - but one new car a year and some re-colors or decos on some existing bods would surely sell.

I think they either underestimate the line, or, more likely, don't want to divert any money away from the known sellers they have. The bean counters are holding the purse strings and things won't change.

I give Tom Lowe, Dash, & HO-Xtras credit for sticking their necks out, putting out new stuff and - holy crap, SELLING IT - when a corporate mega-giant like Mattel won't.


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## hefer (Sep 18, 1999)

Voxxer said:


> Even with all the molds made , track and cars, I do not think Mattel would make a profit. Remember, the toys buyers still have to purchase the goods. That is where the problem is.


Then why in the world do you think they bought the Tyco slot car line. Maybe to get the Tyco R/C line?


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Maybe to get a decent Dodge Charger mold??
Did you see the one they had before?


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## Voxxer (Oct 25, 2003)

*Hot Wheels*

Hi:

Yes, Mattel bought Tyco for the RC's, plain and simple. However, the federal goveerment got involved, and made Mattel still produce Matchbox cars. They thought if Mattel bought Tyco and dropped the M/B line it would be a monopoly in the die-cast market. Yes, are goverment at work. So Mattel bought Tyco, now has the RC's and must still produce Matchbox cars, the slot cars went to the wayside.

I would look at it this way, for cheap, get the money together, maybe a million or so, buy the stock and molds from Mattel, or better yet, lease the tools and make Tyco slot cars. I think it would be a win/win.

On the color changes, when producing a body you run the color you want, lets say blue, and need 1,000. Ok, you run the thousand and need to change to yellow, you just can't change the colors like that. You must run the blue until in runs out, however, you still need to run the machine. So you add the yellow pellets, with the blue and yellow mix until all the blue is gone. Well that is about 20 percent of your total. So to run 1000 blue and change to yellow you need to produce around 1,200 units to change to yellow. So like I did with Koinhedz, www.koinhedz.com, to run black, yellow, blue and red, I had to over run 600 pieces. I didn't produce 4,000 pieces, I had to make 4,600. I do not wish to sell anything on this site, but I want to point out that their is more involved to producing toys. Yes, the over run was cut up to use again to make black, but not the "true" black that I used in the toy. Keeping the world green. Shinny black is new, flat black is recycled.

Still have Mattel produce the quanity you want, New Slot Car Company will market, and sell to Target or Walmart. However, the problem still remains, will Target and Walmart buy enough to cover the cost and make a profit.

With Mattels problems in the last few years, ie, lead paint and the economy, they must stick with what sells.

With Hotwheels customs, you need to place an order for atleast 5,000 pieces, at about a cost of $5.00 each, with the money up front, $25,000+ and wait about 6-9 months for the product. One car, one design, one color.

Do we have enough people to get an order for 5,000 cars? Maybe we could cut the cost by just getting a body?

Voxxer


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*Doba, You misunderstood the problem*



1976Cordoba said:


> I give Tom Lowe, Dash, & HO-Xtras credit for sticking their necks out, putting out new stuff and - holy crap, SELLING IT - when a corporate mega-giant like Mattel won't.


Mattel works on an entirely different scale than the little guys.
Mattel works on the assumption of selling hundreds of thousands of something.
That is how Mattel gets their money back. 
In slot cars, the volume needed just isn't there...

Scott


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Hence our much admired resin casters, to fill the gaps. :thumbsup:


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

In my business we make plastic injection molds for automtive applications and have a few injection molding machines with the largest being 1,000 ton. Based on some of the knowledge I've obtained over the years I tend to think there are some differences in a mold for plastic and one for injecting molten zinc. The flow characteristics and shrink rates are different between the two materials and the injection machines most likely have different interfaces for molds. Also some of the features in the part would be thicker for die cast like the 'A' pillar and other small thin features. You can't pump molten die cast through a mold the same as hot plastic.


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