Best On The Block: September 2021

It's the last day of September, so it's time to show six of the best releases that were featured in various post during the month.

#1: 1955 Corvette - 2021 Hot Wheels Convertible Set

Why I Picked It: This is an absolutely gorgeous release of this classic! Besides the color, I really like how they chose to not put a design on it. I mean, the releases prior to this one are okay, but not having a design make this one way better. 

#2: 1934 Chevy Master Coupe - 2021 Matchbox Mainline 

Why I Picked It: I don't know about you, but I feel it's nice to have another 1930s casting that isn't a hot rod like the various Ford castings. I remember how excited I was when I first saw pictures of it on the internet. In fact, I was so excited, I jumped out of my chair.

#3: 1953 Buick Skylark - 2021 Matchbox Mainline

Why I Picked It: This was obviously going to be one of my favorite releases from the month. After all, I bought a second one to open. It truly is nice to have more of our classic cars. I, for one, feel they are just as nice as the classics from international manufacturers. 

#4: GT Scorcher - 2021 Hot Wheels Mainline

Why I Picked It: Although it's a Hot Wheels original, I felt the need to include it in this month's post. I don't always get the unlicensed castings, but I feel this one of the ones that's perfect for both child and adult collectors alike. It's definitely one hot casting, and I hope they do things right by creating realistic looking liveries for it going forward.

#5: AMC Rebel Machine - 2021 Hot Wheels Mainline

Why I Picked It: This was one of the ones I wanted the most from this year's case M. I'm so happy to see this muscle car in the mainline. The Forza release was the only one I had prior to this one. But to be honest, I really wanted the debut release. Fortunately, the designers gave this release a similar color scheme. So I no longer need to go bankrupt getting the first one off of the secondary market.

#6: Porsche 964 - 2021 Hot Wheels Boulevard

Why I Picked It: I love the unique mix of colors that were picked for this release. Now, it's worth mentioning that that's not the only reason why I picked it for this post. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to participate in the recent Target mail-in promotion. And I was honestly feeling a little down about not being able to find enough releases to get that Porsche. I know this isn't the same Porsche as the mail-in, but it's still a classic Porsche nonetheless. And since I wasn't able to get the other one, I was very delighted to find this one.

Okay, that's all six of the releases I picked for this month's Best On The Block post. Now that you know my favorites, go ahead and let me know down in the comments what your favorite releases were from this month.

White Booth Wednesday #103

It's once again time for another Wednesday showcase here on the boulevard. Here's this week's featured vehicle.

Vehicle: Scion FR-S

Series: 2015 Hot Wheels Workshop (HW Drift Race)

Boulevard Rating: 8

How I Feel About This Release: I really like this replica of the Evasive Motorsports FR-S. The only thing that would have made this release better, is if it was given some additional decals. At the end of the day though, this is something I can ignore. Besides being a replica, there's another reason why it's this week's featured vehicle. Basically, this is the only release of this casting in my collection. I know one was released a earlier this year, but that set never made it to the pegs at any of my local Walmarts. The only reason why I have this one, is because of a grocery store run. Had I not needed to go to the store that day, this would be another one of the castings I'd have to get off of the secondary. Even if I do end up getting a second one, this one will always be my favorite.

So how do you feel about this week's featured vehicle? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. Till next time, happy collecting.

Today On The Boulevard: 2021 Hot Wheels Batman Set

Hi everyone, welcome to a new edition of Today On The Boulevard. I don't necessarily dislike store exclusive sets. After all, if found, they provide our collections with amazing releases. I just don't make fining them a priority. Anyway, Hot Wheels has once again released a Batman themed Walmart set, and It has some nice looking editions of the Batmobiles that were picked. I truly love these Batman sets.

The only bad thing about these sets, is that there is always one car that is hoarded. This time, it's the TV series Batmobile, and I'm not the slightest bit surprised. I did check multiple Walmart locations, and they had this set on the pegs like the first store I went to. But the TV Series Batmobile was the only one that was bought. It's not like they're going to stop making Batmobiles anytime soon, and there'll obviously be many more releases of it. So even though  it would have nice to get it, I'm completely happy with the four I got. Okay, let's move on to the ones that were left.

Pinstripes seem to be the theme that was picked for this year's Batman releases. The mainline Batman series features two models with the theme, and it's what they chose for the Batmobiles in this set. Personally, I think these vehicles look great with pinstripes.

Although I like all four of the releases in this set, there are two that I like the most, and the Animated Series Batmobile is one of them. Besides being finished in a nice metallic red, it somewhat matches the case M release of the Batplane. These two releases look great sitting next to each other, if I do say so myself.

Although I'm not surprised about the TV Seires Batmobile, I am surprised at how the 1989 Batmobile was one of the releases that was left. Maybe it has to do with the color of the pinstripes, or maybe it just got overshadowed by the other one. Of course, the reasons for it being left are of no concern to me. I think it's an okay looking release, so I'm glad it was easy to get.

The Brave and The Bold Batmobile is the next one that was left. This release's wild color scheme is why it's my second favorite one from this set. I think it was a great idea to make this one stand out from the other releases that are finished in dark colors. In my opinion, it's as unique as the Mystery Machine themed release of it.

The Hot Wheels designed Batmobile was the fourth one that was left. This doesn't seem to be a very popular casting. Every time it's released, the collectors in my area leave it behind. For the most part, it ends up being a peg warmer that sits for a long time. I know it's not from any of the comics, but I feel Hot Wheels did a nice job designing their own Batmobile. Overall, it's body isn't too wild like some of their other original vehicle designs. So I don't see why it's not liked. 

It's worth noting that this is the only one from this set that's plain. I really don't have an issue with this decision, since they chose to make this release black. As you know, none of the other releases are black. I know there'll most likely be a mainline release that's black, but it could end up being the one with a design. So this set might be the only way to get a plain black release of this Batmobile. 

Although I have two that I like the most, I think all of them look fantastic. So I'd give this set a nine out of ten. As for the TV Series Batmobile, I'll keep an eye out for it, but I'm not going to make finding it a priority. If I find it, I'll probably feature it in White Booth Wednesday.  

Okay, so what are your thoughts on this set? Were you able to get all five? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Till next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys.

2021 Matchbox Mix 5 Want List - Now Complete

Hello everyone, welcome to today's post. As you know, I recently published a post where I showed more of the Matchbox mix five releases I got. Well, not too long after that post, I was able to find the rest of the ones I had on my want list. I don't know about your area, but around mine, fuel is $4. So I'm glad it didn't take too much to find these. With that said, let's go over the last of my mix five want list.

I don't always feel the need to add a police vehicles to my collection, however, there are times when I do. And Matchbox is the brand I look to, because they make good looking replicas of them. I personally like how their castings have a light bar that's apart of the window piece. Anyway, mix five had two police vehicles, and both of them made it to my want list.

The Ford Police Interceptor is the first of the two. Throughout the years, this casting has featured many different police liveries. There's even been two Fire Chief themed releases. An unmarked release was the only one that had yet to be made. So when I saw they decided to make one, I instantly added it to my want list. I mean... I think you already know how I feel about plain releases. So I really don't need to say anything else about this one. 

The 2016 Ford Interceptor Utility is the second one. This casting made it's debut back in 2019, and I chose to not get it due to the Fire Chief theme that was applied to it. It was then used again last year, and I still chose not to get it, which was a decision I would come to regret. After a while, I started to feel like I missed my chance to get one that features a realistic police livery. Fortunately, I would be given another chance this year. Based on the back of the card, this release is a replica of the units that are used by the San Luis Obispo Police. 

I really don't have that many police SUVs in my collection. And like I said, matchbox makes nice looking replicas of police vehicles. So it was definitely time to have at least one release of this police SUV. 

Up next, are a couple of castings that were given some neat designs. The '62 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE is the first one. I'll admit that it would have been nice to see a plain release of this casting, but I don't have an issue with their decision to release another racing themed one. Furthermore, this is the second release of this casting, so there's obviously going to be many more releases. Hopefully, we'll get to see a plain release of this four-door classic.  

I actually like all of the design choices that were made for this release, despite wanting a plain one. Besides being finished in my favorite color, it features a livery that's not bad at all. I also like the additional real-life sponsor decal. 

The second one with a neat design is the '19 Ford Mustang. I think it's cool how they decided to release a second one of these with a design. This could honestly be a step in the right direction. The plain releases are done in the beginning of the year, while the decorated releases are done towards the end.

Although I like this Brembo themed release, I do have an issue with the wheel choice. Some of you might disagree, but I feel the wheels used for this release are better suited for classic cars. I know they don't have that many basic wheels, but I feel it would have looked better with their five or split ten-spoke wheels. 

I also dislike how it doesn't have front or rear details. I know this is a mainline, but I feel it could have at least had the details that were applied to the rear of the other releases. 

Okay, that's all of the releases I had on my mix five want list. Although this mix had many great releases, my personal favorite is still the 1934 Chevy Master Coupe. For me, it all came down to the fact that it's a 1930s Chevy that isn't a hot rod like the various Ford castings.

So, what ended up being your favorite release from this mix? Feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Well, it's on to looking for the rest of mix six. Till then, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys.

White Booth Wednesday #102

It's once again time for another Wednesday showcase here on the boulevard. Here's this week's featured vehicle.

Vehicle: Purple Passion

Series: 2016 Hot Wheels Garage (Walmart set)

Boulevard rating: 10

How I feel about this release: I know this casting would look great finished in any color, but due to it's name, I feel purple is the best. And I don't know about you, but I think the designers picked a great shade of it. Now I'm going to turn my attention to the flame design. One of the things I like, is how they chose to also decorate the entire top half of this release. This amount of decoration is perfect for a lead sled. I should also mention that I like the choice to use a lighter shade of purple for the flames. I feel it looks great over the shade of purple that was used for the exterior. Also contributing to the rating I gave it, are the all chrome 5SP wheels, and the interior color. So as you can see, I love all of the design choices that were made for this Purple Passion, and that's why I had no choice but to give it a ten. In my opinion, they created one smokin' hot lead sled.

So, how do you feel about this week's featured vehicle? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. Till next time, happy collecting.

My Want List: 2021 Matchbox Mix 5 - Checked More Off Of The List

Hello diecast fans, welcome to today's edition of My Want list. Earlier this month, I published a post where I showed how I was only able to check four releases off of my Matchbox mix five want list. I actually wasn't surprised at how there were only a few left. I mean... that's Walmart for you. Anyway, my mix five want list was far from complete, so the hunt continued. Fortunately, I didn't have to use too much gas to find the ones I'm talking about today. Thanks to my decision to check Target, I was able to check more releases off of my want list. With that said, let's go over what I found.

Remember how mix four had two Mini Cooper releases? Well... thanks to mix five, the Mini Cooper saga continues with the newest release of the 03 Mini cooper S. I don't know you feel about Mini Coopers, but I really like how they've decided to do back-to-back releases of these cars. Some of you longtime collectors might not care for these newer releases as much as I do, since they aren't exactly new castings. But I wasn't always into Matchbox when they were used on a regular basis. So I missed out on a lot of releases. That's why I get really excited when Matchbox decides to use their older castings again, and it's even better when they retool them like they did with this one.

I actually like everything that was done to this release. I only wish it had some tampo details on it's rear end. I mean, it's not that big of a deal, but you have to admit that this model would have looked a little better if it at least had tail lights. But, as usual, this is not a big deal. I'm just happy to finally have a second release of this casting. 

Okay, the 1969 BMW 2002 is the next release checked off of my want list. This classic BMW is one casting that'll always make it to my want list, and I'm pleased with both of this year's releases. In case you didn't know, the other one was released in a five-pack that I talked about not too long ago. Anyway, thanks to it's black exterior and beige interior, I feel this release has a real classy appearance to it. And that's why it was a release I had to have.

Even though I like this release, I do have one small issue with one of the design choices. Once again, the designers chose to apply "BMW 2002" over a plain white rectangle on it's license plate section. I am happy that it has details on it's rear, but I wish they would have given it an authentic European plate. I love seeing the vanity plates they create, and I feel it's time for this beautiful classic to have one. 

Checked off of my want list next, is the Volkswagen GTI. As you know, this is another one of their old castings that's gotten two recent releases. Before the 2017 release, 2010 was the last time it was used. I do have the one from 2017, but I was never completely on board with the wheel that were picked for it. Fortunately, they decided to release one with better wheels. And thankfully, it was finished in an okay color. Personally, there's nothing wrong with a metallic black GTI.

Unlike the BMW 2002, this one features a license plate detail that's different than the last release. The 2017 one featured "T-DAWG, " while this one features "GTI LIFE." Like I said, I love seeing the vanity plates they create. 

As we move forward into the future, our favorite modes of transportation are starting to change. I will admit that I'll miss that signature sound you get when speeding up to merge onto the freeway, but the show must go on. Ultimately, cars are still cars. They are just becoming a little quieter, and more friendly to this planet we call home. With that said, then next release checked off of my want list, is the new Honda E.

Although I like seeing models with side mirrors, I usually don't have an issue with the castings that don't have them. However, that's not the case with this casting. This was the one time where I felt it was absolutely necessary for them to include them into the design of the casting. The reason for that is because they aren't actually mirrors at all. For those of you that didn't know, the sides of the Honda E have cameras, which send footage to two screens located on each side of this vehicle's dashboard. So having this detail helps to put the spotlight on some of the neat technology that's starting to be incorporated into the vehicles of today.  

As for how I feel about the design choices made for this release, I really don't have any issues. White is an okay color for this vehicle, and I'm happy with the amount of tampo details that were applied to it.

Alright, now it's time to hit the rewind button, because the next release is a lot older than the Honda E. The casting in question, is the 1948 willy Jeepster. I actually have all three of this casting's releases, and this one is starting to be my favorite due to it's exterior color. I don't know the exact name of it, but I'd best describe it as being a mint green. One things for sure, it's another one of the colors that's not used as often as some of the other ones, and that makes this release stand out.

Unfortunately, this is another one of the releases from mix five that has a detail I have an issue with. And once again, it's what was applied to the license plate section. This releasefeatures the same detail that was applied to the last release. This cool casting's appearance would totally benefit from having a 1940s plate. In fact, it doesn't even have to be a '40s plate, I just want to see some different details applied to each of it's releases. 

Although we have Japanese auto manufacturers in the United States, many of their vehicles are only sold over there. Of course, some of those vehicles have made it to our shores. Take Nissan's V35 Skyline for example. In the United States, it's the Infinity G35. Anyway, there are still many vehicles that have yet to be seen over here. And some will never make it to our shores. Fortunately, us diecast collectors don't have to go bankrupt spending the money to import them, thanks to diecast brands like Matchbox re-creating them as 1:64 scale models. And that's the case with the new Toyota Hilux Pickup, which is the last release I was able to find.   

Whether you wanted it because it's a JDM, or because it's a new casting, it's no lie that it's nice addition to any collection. I, for one, wanted it because it's a new right hand drive Toyota pickup. I mean, getting Toyota releases is a no-brainer. After all, you never know when they'll no longer be able to make their vehicles again.

Although I found all of these, my mix five want list is still not entirely complete. I'm sure I'll be able to the rest of what I want. Hopefully, it doesn't take too much gas trying to find them, but that's diecast collecting. 

So, how do you feel about these releases? Go ahead and let me know your thoughts down in the comments section. Well, that's all for this edition of My Want List. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys.

Today On The Boulevard: More 2021 Hot Wheels Premiums Acquired

Hi everyone, welcome to a new edition of Today On The Boulevard. Last month, I wrote a post where I talked about how I was able to acquire some premium releases I had been looking for. Well, the same thing happened this month. By remaining persistent, I was once again able to find releases from two different premium assortments. Like the premiums I talked about in last month's post, the ones I was able to find this month, are from Boulevard and Car Culture. 

All I can say, is that I was in the right places at the right time. It all started when I decided to check one of my local Walmart stores. When I arrived at the diecast row, they had remnants of the recent Boulevard assortment that featured the Lacia I talked about last month. This location, is where I was able to acquire the '87 Buick Regal GNX, as well as the new Corvette Z06 Drag Racer. 

The Buick is nice, and I love what was done to it's exterior, however, I was most excited to find the Corvette. A lot of collectors might have gotten excited because they are fans of Alex Laughlin, and are happy to have another release that's based on one of his drag cars. In case you didn't know, the other Laughlin themed release, is the Pro Stock Camaro that was apart of last year's HW Race Team mainline series. Anyway, my excitement comes from the fact that it's a new drag car casting. 

I hope this casting doesn't become a one and done like the Nissan Concept 2020 Vision GT. It's such a great looking model, and it'd be a shame if they didn't make many with custom liveries featuring real companies. For example, they could do a Jegs or Hooker Headers themed release. 

Now, since there was a lot of the Buicks and Corvettes on the pegs, I decided to continue my search by checking a few more locations. So at the next location, I came across multiple full pegs of this assortment. And that's how I was able to score the Porsche 964. I love the unique mix of colors that were picked for this release's exterior. 

The Custom '67 Pontiac Firebird is the only one from this assortment I don't have. Yes, there were plenty of them on the pegs, but I chose not to get it. If you read my British Horse Power Car Culture post, then you already know why I made that decision. But for those of you that didn't, then I'll tell you. Basically, I really don't like spending $5 on a release that's a slightly better version of one that I have. And that's what this release of the Firebird is. I know it has some additional details, but I really don't have an issue with the mainline release. 

Since I had some luck at Walmart, I decided to check some of the Targets in my area. That's when I was finally able to find the last release I wanted from the Exotic Envy Car Culture assortment. All of the Bugattis were once again hoarded, but the Lamborghini Huracan finally made it to the pegs. 

It's not like I didn't already have a few releases of this casting in my collection. In fact, I even have the yellow debut release. So it wouldn't have been a big deal if I still couldn't find it. As I said in the post I made mention of, I only wanted this release due to the fact that it's finished in green. So now, I no longer have to try and get the recolor of the debut release off of the secondary market. 

As for the Bugatti, if I find it, I will make a post about it like I always do for releases I'm able to find. However, I not going out of my way to look for it. I'm still waiting for one that's finished in a different color. I know this Car Culture release features a two-tone paint scheme, but the colors used are blue and black. Although they aren't the same, these two colors have already been used for this casting.

All in all, this was a very successful diecast hunt, and I'm glad I was able to get more releases from the near impossible to find Boulevard.

Okay, so how have things gone for you lately? Were you able to check some more premiums off of your want list as well? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Till next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys.