Can't find new Matchboxes

[Squid]

Peg-warmers are in overabundance here in the States, too. Some if them heat up the pegs to such a degree that they constitute a fire hazard!

I also don't understand the ins and outs of the marketing strategy. Best I can tell, it is to flood the market with generic work vehicles and generic off-roaders, which get a resounding "no, thank you" from me. To think that even as recently as ten years ago, Matchbox were giving us wonderful models of vintage vehicles with only lights, license plates, and emblems tampo'd on...

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Dan, on your blog - I like the way you have placed a picture of a Ford Anglia above a picture of Jimmy. Somehow they look related!

Ghosty.

[Squid]

Dan, on your blog - I like the way you have placed a picture of a Ford Anglia above a picture of Jimmy. Somehow they look related!

Thanks, Ghosty. I'm actually shocked that the blog has been getting views!

[Diecastmolester]

Right. Accompanied daughter #1 to a Tesco (I hardly ever shop there) just to check out the Matchbox situation.
In the entire Superstore, they had 1 drawer sized bin dedicated to it. Needless to say that it was severely plucked over already.
1 drawer? I don't know who they are kidding, but if they want to find out how to boost sales, I'll happily consult them.

Then I read this on a different forum:

I manage a Walmart. Every week we get hotwheel collectors in harassing my staff about when the latest PDQ display is going to come out. And when it finally does they'll take all the cars out of it, dump them in a shopping cart to sort through them, and verbally harass other customers (even kids) who would dare to try and look at one that's in their massive piled up cart. And of course they don't put the cars back in the displays, and whatever they don't decide is worthy they don't care in the least about banging up or ripping the packaging.

I bet you can replace hotwheels with matchbox and walmart with tesco and you have the same going on here and there.

Are these companies making their wares elusive on purpose? What could be a possible reason for such doing?

[Squid]

Are these companies making their wares elusive on purpose? What could be a possible reason for such doing?

Mattel has been doing that since 1995, with their "Treasure Hunt" nonsense. Intentional scarcity is one of the worst things ever to happen to this, or any other, collecting hobby.

[misterpop]

Are these companies making their wares elusive on purpose? What could be a possible reason for such doing?

Mattel has been doing that since 1995, with their "Treasure Hunt" nonsense. Intentional scarcity is one of the worst things ever to happen to this, or any other, collecting hobby.

Mattel just make the whole Matchbox range hard to find making them all scarce...

[Diecastmolester]

What kind of businessmen are they? They must have inherited their money.

[misterpop]

Certainly a committee at work here not anyone with a love,knowledge or sympathetic feel for the hobby or potential customers.

[Squid]

Are they reacting to the market? Demand for Matchbox seems to have declined here in the States.

[Diecastmolester]

To a constantly empty little drawer per big huge Tesco and nothing else?
Also, I might not be the best of all businessmen, but if the interest in my product declined, I'd push it even harder.