# (2) New Tyco/mattel Slot Cars Set!! 2009



## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

I saw 2 new sets from ebay! They called it tyco and hot wheels RC!!! ?? make sense cuz they run on batteries??? 

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-2009-HO-GOT...mdZViewItemQQptZSlot_Cars?hash=item3ca6f6b160

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-FOR-2009-HO...mdZViewItemQQptZSlot_Cars?hash=item3ca6f6e49d

Did anyone know about this?? 

Wes


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

I knew about the Speed Racer set. I posted it earlier. 

Mattel's once a year feeble offering. If they only remembered or know how good TYCO really is. The TYCO line deserves much better than what Mattel has done with it.

Randy.


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## Pomfish (Oct 25, 2003)

OK, where are they available for the normal price which is probably close to $20 ?

Thanks,
Keith


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

The Green arrow car is possibly the worst looking HO car ever.


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## Omega (Jan 14, 2000)

Montoya1 said:


> The Green arrow car is possibly the worst looking HO car ever.


Have to agree with that.


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## Abominus (Dec 25, 2004)

Montoya1 said:


> The Green arrow car is possibly the worst looking HO car ever.



Ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

Montoya1 said:


> The Green arrow car is possibly the worst looking HO car ever.


HAHAHA !! yeah! i dont know which is worse battlebots or this one?? 

Sad.. they make awesome nascars, i mean alot of cool cars in the past and they can make all kinds of new ones .. 

Wes


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## Omega (Jan 14, 2000)

*Hot Wheels Police Pursuit Set*

Another set at Wal-mart for $19.99

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tyco-Hot-Wheels...mdZViewItemQQptZSlot_Cars?hash=item2303ae1bad

Dave


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Hey Im just glad theyre still putting out product, at least Tyco slots arent TOTALLY dead.

The green arrow car would look a LOT better if it'd just get a few more paint apps. As it is, its too plain. Kinda like a happy meal toy. The batmobile looks pretty good tho. And those tuners arent bad at all, for what they are. 

The police pursuit set is pointless, as is. The cop camaro and Bandit firebird are WAY played out. MatTyco should suck it up and mold some fresh cars, since the 'police chase' theme is a mainstay among slotcar sets and cars. A police Charger and any of the new-gen ponycars would be dead on, and they already have the licensing for all of 'em.


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Crap-tacular.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

And then when Mattel actual does do something half-way right, like release an F1 set, they (a) don't release it in the US and (b) must make only about a dozen of them because they disappear as fast as they appear.

You'd think someone would have enough working brain cells to realize what sells and what doesn't. I know Mattel only cares about Barbie and Hot Wheels, but if you've got a product that consistantly sells out (a raceset with F1 cars), why would you not go to that well until it's dry? And if you've got a product that you have to consistantly dump due to poor sales (a set with a boring set of cars), why do you reissue it year after year?

The truly unbelievable part of this is that they already have the molds. There is no R&D required - just pop it out and let's go!

Joe


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## shocker36 (Jul 5, 2008)

Instead of the green arrow car they shouldve just took a piece of crap and put some wheels and magnets and motor on it oh wait thats what that is they just molded it in green


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Grandcheapskate said:


> And then when Mattel actual does do something half-way right, like release an F1 set, they (a) don't release it in the US and (b) must make only about a dozen of them because they disappear as fast as they appear.
> 
> You'd think someone would have enough working brain cells to realize what sells and what doesn't. I know Mattel only cares about Barbie and Hot Wheels, but if you've got a product that consistantly sells out (a raceset with F1 cars), why would you not go to that well until it's dry? And if you've got a product that you have to consistantly dump due to poor sales (a set with a boring set of cars), why do you reissue it year after year?
> 
> ...



Ill go you one better: In the early part of the decade, MatTyco had released several turbo twinpaks: the blue '60 'vette and red '57 T-bird, the viper and corvette in 'fangs' and 'hornet' paint jobs, twin mill and '40 ford drag truck in a couple different paint jobs, extermo truck and roach coach, '57 Chevy and '57 T-bird, and a few others. 

Yeah, some were a bit silly but they were fun and they SOLD. Those twinpaks were $20 each, most of them had those rad-looking redlines style wheels like the original HW cars and you couldnt beat the price. TRU would would pepper the toy aisle with clip strips loaded with those and theyd be gone within a couple weeks. And this was in Memphis, TN at that. Not exactly the HO promised land, so I can imagine how they were moving up in the northeast. 

Whats even more frustrating is that there are a HUGE number of HotWheels and Matchbox cars that only need the most minor of mods and to be cast in plastic and theyll pop right onto a widepan lwb chassis--the Deora II is a perfect example of this. Many will work on a narrow chassis too. As mentioned before, the library of existing molds from the Tyco days is mind boggling. At the very least, if theyd just bring the VW bus and drag bug back, that'd be a guaranteed winner.

Ive said this about a gajillion times, but if Mattel doesnt want to give the Tyco slotcar line the attention it deserves, thats fine. Artin can crank out battery powered sets every year for dirt cheap prices and in any novelty or movie tie-in design they can get licenses for. Mattel should sell the entire Tyco line to an independent party and let them have at it. Guarantee if theyd just ditch the plastic-eating tires and crank out a handful of sets and a nice range of cars, it'd be making money hand over fist within a year.


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## tomhocars (Oct 19, 2005)

When Mattel took over Tyco,I thought we were really going to have some great cars.They had all those great Hot Wheels .The crew that handles the slot cars is horrible.HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE.Did I say HORRIBLE.Mattel.Listen.We are just as insane as Hot Wheels collectors.If you build it we will buy.Tom


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

tomhocars said:


> Mattel. Listen. We are just as insane as Hot Wheels collectors.Tom


C'mon Tommy, you're not giving yourself enough credit. You are far more insane than any Hot Wheels collector. Or slot collector. Or....

I found three different sets in Costco today. The two new sets and (WOW! I didn't see this one coming...) a reissue of the CARS set. All battery powered figure 8s.

With no additional support (i.e. track and/or loose cars) available from the manufacturer, lightning fast cars on a small layout and batteries giving out after about 10 minutes, what a great way to introduce the hobby and keep kids interested. This business plan is brilliant. Can I buy stock somewhere?

Joe


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

grungerockjeepe said:


> Ill go you one better: In the early part of the decade, MatTyco had released several turbo twinpaks: the blue '60 'vette and red '57 T-bird, the viper and corvette in 'fangs' and 'hornet' paint jobs, twin mill and '40 ford drag truck in a couple different paint jobs, extermo truck and roach coach, '57 Chevy and '57 T-bird, and a few others.
> 
> Yeah, some were a bit silly but they were fun and they SOLD. Those twinpaks were $20 each, most of them had those rad-looking redlines style wheels like the original HW cars and you couldnt beat the price. TRU would would pepper the toy aisle with clip strips loaded with those and theyd be gone within a couple weeks. And this was in Memphis, TN at that. Not exactly the HO promised land, so I can imagine how they were moving up in the northeast.
> 
> ...


I agree. If and when you see slot car sets in the store, they don't stay there very long. You put slot cars into a TRU, Walmart or Costco, they will be gone. Can you imagine how much better they would sell if there was an entire section with additional cars, track, etc.

Let's assume that you did get kids interested. What I don't think you'd see is a mass rush to buy cars that are priced over $20. The new Tomy cars and Lifelike are all retailed for well over $20, that is too high a price point for the non-collector, non-adult among us. But hit that sweet spot between $12 and $15, which large retail stores can do with those $20 cars, and if you could get the ball rolling, there could be a revival. After all, the SCX 1/43rd cars at Target are $10 a piece; how long do you think they sit there before someone grabs them? The battery powered Mattel sets are in the $25-$30 range - with cars. So why can't HO cars be mass marketed near the same price point as the SCX cars?

I stayed interested in this hobby as a kid and bought new stuff because I saw those great hobby sections in the old department stores. All the possibilities were laid out in front of me. If I were starting out today, and didn't spend hours on the internet searching out stuff, I'm sure I would never have gotten into this great hobby.

Slot car shows could be a catalyst, but they'd have to be huge events like the train shows I attend. Scores of vendors and working tracks set up throughout the show floor. Not every display at a train show is set up for selling. There are a lot of train organizations that seem to simply set up their huge layouts and try to attract members to their club. As far as I know, we have nothing like that.

It would be a huge undertaking to set up a show like that and promote it, but if you could, the possibility exists that you could start pulling in new slot-a-holics.

Joe


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Montoya1 said:


> The Green arrow car is possibly the worst looking HO car ever.


 
Would agree. Guess they left it as is for the customizers out there.  rr


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## hefer (Sep 18, 1999)

Looks like something you would get from a bubble gum machine...?


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

roadrner said:


> Would agree. Guess they left it as is for the customizers out there.  rr


I think it's beyond the capabilities of a customizer!! :freak: What a waste of plastic!!!


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## aurora1 (Oct 6, 2008)

They are at Costco for $19.


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Joe, I agree that the whole hobby section in department stores was pretty nifty. When I was a kid, they had cars and some stuff in the K-mart near where I grew up. It was the early 80s and my dad was setting up our track which was old aurora lock-and-joiner style and he was able to score replacement track connectors there. We scored another car too, if I remember right it was the black AFX a/p vette with yellow stripe, still have it and its a fave of mine. 

But nowadays, HO slotcars basically sell around X-mas and thats it. Even at dedicated hobbystores, they limit their stock on account of this. Seems to me that stocking up on sets is a good idea around X-mas but if you have something like the 'Cars' set which has a whole movie and/or show tie in to keep kids interested, its a good idea for the big box retailers to keep some of those on hand at all times. These retailers arent gonna want to stock extra track, tires, or parts which is understandable. But MatTyco's lack of a website dedicated to a full line of slotcar accessories is NOT understandable. A nice glossy flyer insert in the box showing off your other cars, track, accessories and parts (like Tyco used to do) gets people hooked and could direct them right to the website. Anything you could want to expand or maintain your layout is a click away. 

Speaking of that 'Cars' set, yeah its a novelty kiddie-oriented item but any merchandising attached to that movie is still insanely popular. MatTyco is really shooting themselves in the foot by not cranking out at least 6 or 8 more characters. They have all the licensing, all they gotta do is fire off the body shells, mount em to chassis and offer them as either singles or in twinpaks. Guarantee that every last parent who bought that set for the kids would grab at least one extra car for that set, its guaranteed profit.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

grungerockjeepe said:


> But MatTyco's lack of a website dedicated to a full line of slotcar accessories is NOT understandable. A nice glossy flyer insert in the box showing off your other cars, track, accessories and parts (like Tyco used to do) gets people hooked and could direct them right to the website. Anything you could want to expand or maintain your layout is a click away.


You are 100% correct. Why they do not do this is a complete mystery; unless you have spent your career dealing with corporate managers. Then you'd no longer be surprised that they do what they do. What you won't understand is how they actually manage to dress themselves in the morning.



> Speaking of that 'Cars' set, yeah its a novelty kiddie-oriented item but any merchandising attached to that movie is still insanely popular. MatTyco is really shooting themselves in the foot by not cranking out at least 6 or 8 more characters. They have all the licensing, all they gotta do is fire off the body shells, mount em to chassis and offer them as either singles or in twinpaks. Guarantee that every last parent who bought that set for the kids would grab at least one extra car for that set, its guaranteed profit.


 True, except for one thing. A major (technical) problem with the current crop of Mattel sets is the fact they are battery powered. A parent is not going to spend any more money on slot cars if they have to keep putting out money for batteries. Having battery sets is a sure way to insure that the set gets put in the closet or flea-marketed right after Christmas.

I had one parent come up to me at a show asking if there was any way to get around the battery problem. I sold him a few all warts - problem solved. But only about .00001% of parents would even know where or how to ask.

Just another short sighted corporate decision.

Joe


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

*Mattel Marketing*

OK, I don't have any issues with the sets that Mattel has released. Whether we like it or not, the youth market is much harder to attract than we were. And I believe the battery packs are almost a requirement for anything that is targeted at the younger generation. My experience with one of the CARS sets was that the batteries lasted much longer than expected.
So if these were additional products to their electric racing line, I would applaud their efforts. But as stand alone... a pathetic oversite of the real marketing potential of slot cars.

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

On a small figure-8 layout, I think that having a battery box as the powersource is just fine. Its an entry-level layout for $25-$30 and for what you get its a big value. And besides, if the kiddies do take interest in it, just log onto the website, grab a wallwart, some extra track pieces, a couple more cars and you just got into something REALLY cool for about your same initial investment. Oh wait.....we're talking about Mattel here!

I think that when introducing their kids to something like this thats totally new and they dont know how they'll take to it, keeping the initial investment low will make parents more likely to bite. But marketing something like this as a one-time purchase product is completely retarded from a business standpoint. Some kids just wont be interested after a few laps and thats that. Some will run the crud out of that one set until the cars die. But how many would have more interest knowing that they can bug the parental units to get them new cars and more track? The markup on those individual pieces is a LOT higher than complete sets, and I guarantee that if there were cars sitting there to go with the sets, youd sell at least one or 2 extras with over half the purchases of a full set. Mega profits that Mattel could be raking in.


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

A nice flyer or artwork on the back of the box with big bold letter proclaiming
*"LOOK FOR THESE OTHER EXCITING CARS AND TRACKS!"*
would be easy enough to include to spur some interest beyond the initial buy.

I mean a kid might not like his little brother's CARS set, but if he sees a hot rod & cop Race & Chase set pictured, or a twin-pack of tuner cars, he might say "Hey can we get this for _MY_ birthday?"


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Well the flyer included would show off a lot of good stuff, but a little section on the back of the box would be good too. Having it direct you to the website with the full range of cars and track available as well as individual parts and things that arent really practical to stock in retail is where the money would really be made.


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

That Box art idea, which costs zero, is something I have mentioned to Scalextric on countless occasions.

It seems these companies have a real aversion to ideas from outside their own executives. Which would be fine if so many of them were not spineless, play-it-safes who are ruled by fear of being fired, so try to be as invisible as possible.

This seems to apply to all corps, small, large and mega.


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Whats funny is that box art isnt exactly re-inventing the wheel. Aurora and Tyco both were more than happy to show you what else was available back in the day. And that was when slots were a hot selling item, which in theory SHOULD tell these stuffed suits a thing or two.


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

Exactly.


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## krazikev (Oct 29, 2009)

I think 20 bucks for a set is well worth it. I just had to pay 20 bucks for two controllers cause mine craped out, if i new this i could have payed the 20 bucks and got two free cars, track and transformer! o well


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Yes and no Kev. The sets discussed are battery powered, and the controllers wouldn't exactly be the best ohms for t jets.. I know what you were thinking though...


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Sometimes I hear about products which are actually designed to sell at a loss; the theory being that the initial product is sold at a loss (or at cost) but the follow-up products that will be purchased are where the money is made. Kind of like cell phones - the profit isn't in the phone, it's in the service.

So, I look at the price Costco can sell these sets, which is around $20. And I think to myself "How can they be so cheap?". If you go with the theory above, that would mean there were follow-up products, which we know, in Mattel's case, is simply not true - there are no attempts to create a follow-up market. That must mean the components really are inexpensive to make. One must assume Mattel is making a profit on the initial sale, otherwise why make the product?

And remember, sets like Batman and CARS have licensing costs as well.

My point being that I am really surprised at how inexpensive it appears Matttel can produce slot car products. Having produced a couple of track pieces, I know the costs involved. Granted we didn't produce in the volume of a Mattel, but our cost was astronomically higher than these sets. Based on this, Mattel could easily bring low priced slot car products to market and make this hobby affordable to everyone. There would be no reason for a parent to have to lay out $100 for a starter set, pay $15-$20 per car or $10 for a pair of 9" straights.

It's a shame.

Joe


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Joe, I think the main reason those sets are dirt cheap is due to the number of pieces in those sets that have literally been cranked out for decades. Tyco track is all compatible going back to the mid '70s (35-ish years) and the widepan 440 chassis have changed little to none since they came out in the mid 80s, which is 25 or so years ago. The tooling costs for these have been paid off LONG ago. The only new molds are the bodies themselves, and since theyve been milking the exact same 'Cars' set for near 5 years it cant be costing much of anything to keep cranking them out. Mattel was selling the 440chassis for $4 a pop so that oughtta tell you right there how much this stuff costs to produce.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Somewhere over yonder sits a warehouse full of 9" curves just waiting for a new home!! Sadly, if you look at the Mattel site (home of the fore mentioned $4.00 chassis), all you will find for add ons and upgrades are pick up shoes, wall warts, 9" curves and chassis. Apparently, to Mattel, this is considered a disposable set, and nothing more.


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

Does anyone know if the 'plastic melting tires' are still an issue with the bare chassis for sale on the Mattel site?
You would think that with all the new Gov't regs on lead paint, etc, that it would be fixed by now.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

My guess is it is still an issue. However, I can't verify that as I now always put masking tape under the tires if I leave those chassis on a piece of track.

At one time I called Mattel to inform them of the issue. I was politely ignored because "no one else has reported that issue". Well, if they never record the first call, they'll never know, now will they?

Joe


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Now if someone were to do a legitimate time lapse video of the accused tires melting into a spare 9' curve and post it on youtube  .... Hey, even better, suggest it to Myth Busters!!! :lol:


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Im pretty sure those are the toxic tires. When they released a NASCAR set with the CAT car and some other one they had the black rims and yellow lettered tires and the box was bragging about the reformulated tires. At Mattel, 'reformulating' the tires are now corrosive to plastic and lumpier than truckstop mashed potatoes at 3 am. Kind of a shame, since I have tycos that were made in the mid-80s and werent stored in the attic for decades of hot cold hot cold hot cold. The stock tires are still hardly even cracked on a lot of these, run true, and grip just right for a little slide.


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

The last group of Mattel chassis I received had a new silicone based tire that has yet to mar plastic track. The tires are actually pretty good but the wheels were poorly made and out of round.

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Tyco and later Mattel did have true silicones on several cars right from the factory. Theyre smooth slicks with no tread, unlike the standard rubber (both plastic eating and non) as well as the '440 x2' white lettered ones. Those factory sillies are really good tires, I dont know why they didnt just make those the standard equipment.


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