Just Announced: Hot Wheels Toys R Us Mail-In Exclusive '88 Jeep Wagoneer...

This may not have the stop-in-your-tracks impact that the RLC Toyota 2000GT announcement had, but this is another announcement we are pretty happy about.

Mattel has given RLC members a little sneak peak of a model to come, and this time it is the Toys R Us Mail-In promotional model, and it is the fantastic '88 Jeep Wagoneer that was released last year in the Boulevard line.  Once again, we will adhere to Mattel's request that we not show their images (they are for RLC members only), but just imagine this model:

...with this deco (and a #4 instead of a #1):

The model looks fantastic.  The rims are the same on the Wagoneer pictured above, only red, like the Chevelle.  We are loving that Hot Wheels is branching out in the models they use for promotions.  We really liked the Chevelle, are ok with the '69 Camaro, but LOVE the Wagoneer.  There are still two models to be unveiled, and we are excited to see what they are.

We don't know the details of the promotion, but we assume it involves buying 20 models and sending in receipts and card backs.  We haven't participated in the TRU promotion before, but we surely will now.

Who's in?

First Look: Hot Wheels Toys R Us exclusive '70 Chevelle SS and '70 Camaro Road Race...

These were to officially hit Toys R Us on June 30th, but from what we can tell many hit a little early.  Mix in a couple of good looking exclusives, the opportunity to get a mail-in exclusive, and add to that a chance at a '67 Camaro Super Treasure Hunt, and you had collectors in a complete frenzy. 

I talked to a weary Toys R Us manager who said she was getting in upwards of 50 calls a day from collectors asking when the trays containing the exclusives would come out.  This was on June 29th, and she was wondering if there would be 50 collectors waiting to overtake the store when the doors opened the next day.  We all love our Hot Wheels, but there is no doubt we can be an thoroughly annoying bunch.  (Interestingly, after a nice chat, I told her I would not be one to bother her, and she thanked me, asked me what models I was hoping to find, and walked into the back and emerged with the models we are featuring today on bent cards.  She said a part of the shipment was damaged and the box ripped open, and was happy to give these two to me for being nice.  Cool eh?)

So thanks to this nice manager, I was able to get the two models I wanted to feature and here they are.  It appears that Toys R Us has done things a little differently this year with the exclusive colors and mail-in promotion.  There just does not seem to be as many trays of cars being released, or they are releasing them in segments.  At least at this point there are not a lot of exclusives out there.



I skipped the excluisve Impala, as the casting is not one that strikes my fancy, but the other two do.  We start with the '70 Chevelle SS, moving from a Gulf livery to Edelbrook, which is cool to see.  That makes two very nice versions of this new model, with a third, in black also with the Edelbrook deco, due soon.

Next is the '70 Camaro (my favorite Hot Wheels Camaro casting, in case you care), cleverly done in silver to match the zamac recolor of the '10 Camaro SS done for Walmart.  That makes a Then & Now set in black and silver/zamac.  Neat.

So the question is, will these be readily available?  Who knows.  I was lucky to get one of each, but I haven't seen any since.  eBay might be the best option at this point, and the prices aren't bad.  At least until everyone figures they are hard-to-find...


Hot Wheels '70 Chevelle SS and '70 Camaro (2013 Toys R Us exclusives):