Best On The Block: October 2021

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

#1: 1932 Ford Coupe - 2021 Matchbox Mainline

Why I Picked It: This was definitely one of my favorite releases from mix six. I love hot rods, and I was a little disappointed when I found out that the Hot Wheels five-window was going to be a Red Line Club exclusive. So you can imagine how happy I was to see a five-window from Matchbox. It's also worth mentioning that I'm very pleased with the design choices made for this first release.

#2: 1962 Mercedes-Benz 220SE - 2021 Matchbox Collectors Series

Why I Picked It: I got excited when I found out we were finally going to get another release of this casting. From what I can gather, the initial releases of it were finished in red like the previous release. So I felt it was time for it to be finished in another color. And I don't think I have to say it, but I'm completely satisfied with the blue that was picked. In my opinion, it's a great color for classic cars.

#3: TV Series Batmobile - 2021 Hot Wheels Batman Walmart Set

Why I Picked It: I have a few different releases of this casting in my collection, and I love all of them. But I have to admit that this is one of the coolest ones. What I like, is how the design makes it look like it's a vehicle from Tron. Even if you don't feel that way, you have to admit that it's a design that makes this a cool model to have.

#4: '70 Plymouth Barracuda - 2021 Hot Wheels Flying Customs

Why I Picked It: Unlike you longtime collectors, my collection isn't massive, and there are still many castings I don't have. Fortunately, this Flying Customs mix made it so I have one less casting I have to get off of the secondary market. So that's why I decided to make this new addition to my collection one of this month's best releases on the block.

#5: Porsche 911 GT3 RS - 2021 Hot Wheels Entertainment

Why I Picked It: I chose to not get the Birch green 2017 release, and that was a decision I ended up regretting. After a while, I started to like green colored cars a little more, which led to me wanting the green GT3 RS I didn't get. Fortunately, I didn't have to get that one off of Ebay thanks to this Lizard green release. This will always be one of my favorite releases of this casting, and that's why it had to be one of the releases featured in this month's Best On The Block.

#6: Wooden Pizza Planet Truck - 2021 Hot Wheels Entertainment

Why I Picked It: This release absolutely deserved to be one of this month's best releases on the block! I love unique pieces, and this release is definitely unique. In my opinion, it's a flawless replica due to all of the details that were applied to every inch of it.

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.

Today On The Boulevard: Done With More Hot Wheels Sets

Hi everyone, welcome to a new edition of Today On The Boulevard. Usually, if I'm still on the hunt for a specific release, I'll notify you at the beginning or end of a post. And I will most likely also say that I'll make a post about said release if I'm able to find it. Well, this edition of Today On Boulevard just so happens to be that post. While out seeing what I could find, I came across some full pegs of two different sets from Hot Wheels. I instantly noticed that they were older sets, but I decided to look through the pegs anyway. 

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to really find anything good or new. I mean, this is Walmart after all, and there's always one release from every set that's hoarded when a plethora of stock comes in. Fortunately, that wasn't the case this time. 

Back in September, I published a Today On The Boulevard post where I showed the releases I got from this year's Batman set. Had I been able to find the full set, I would have made a Looking At post instead. Anyway, the TV Series Batmobile was the one release that was hoarded, and it was the only one that was bought from all of my local Walmart locations. Since I've been collecting for a while, I can easily spot the hype castings from most sets. So it wasn't even surprising that it was the one.

One of the things I said in last month's post, was that it's not like they're going to stop making Batmobiles anytime soon, and there'll obviously be many more releases of it. In other words, I was completely fine with not being able to find this release. Sure, the Batmobiles from this set are nice, but I wasn't going to lose sleep over not getting this TV Series Batmobile. 

Initially, I couldn't find clear pictures of it on the internet, so I wasn't exactly sure if I was going to like any of the design choices made for it. Now that I have it, I can say that I'm glad I decided to keep an eye out for it, because it's actually not a bad release. Due to the design, I feel this release has the appearance of a vehicle straight out of Tron, and I think it looks awesome. Alright, let's move on to the one I got from the other set.

Earlier in the month, I published a Today On The Boulevard post where I talked about two different releases from two different sets. One of the releases I talked about in that post, was the Mazda REPU from the Hot Pickups set. At the time of that post, the Datsun 620 was the one release that was still being hoarded. As is the case with most hoarded castings though, the hype starts to dwindle. And that's why I feel I was able to finally see this release of the Datsun 620 on the pegs. It was either that, or I just got lucky and the hoarder had yet to arrive.

To be honest, I really only got this release so I could have the entire Hot Pickups set. I usually don't care too much for trying to complete sets. But, I figured why not since there were many multiples of it on the pegs. I'll admit that my opinion of it has changed a little, but I still think it's a release that's not worth being hoarded. In fact, I don't really think any diecast release is worth being hoarded, but that's different story.

Well, that's all of the releases I have to show for today. Although I didn't find much, this recent diecast hunt was not a waste of fuel. As usual, something is always better than nothing.

So, how have your recent diecast hunts been? Have you found anything noteworthy? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright everyone, 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.

White Booth Wednesday #107

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

Vehicle: Custom Ford Bronco

Series: 2016 Rad Trucks (Walmart set)

Boulevard Rating: 9

How I Feel About This Release: Remember White Booth Wednesday #104? Well, here's another one of the releases I got from the Rad Trucks Walmart set, and it's one of the other ones I really wanted. All I had before it was the 2016 mainline release. And to be honest, I still don't completely like the design that was created for it. In my opinion, it's a little messy. So this release was a must-have due to it's design, which I feel is way better than the aforementioned mainline release. Besides the design, I also like the shade of green that was picked, as well as the choice to give it chrome gold Beadlock wheels. Thanks to these design choices, Hot Wheels created one rad looking Ford Bronco.

 

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: Hot Wheels Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Forza Edition

Hi everyone, welcome to a new edition of Today On The Boulevard. Last month a new Hot Wheels Entertainment assortment started to show up in my area. And as usual, it took some time to find the best releases from it. Remember the replica of the wooden Pizza Planet Truck I talked about earlier this month? Well, that was one of the two I wanted from it. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS was the other one I wanted, and it's the topic for today's post.

I know for a fact that everyone likes when Mattel acquires the license to use themes from various franchises. These partnerships are always a win-win for everyone, and that's especially true for us diecast collectors who like to see various franchises featured on these little cars. And it's no lie that themes from racing games help to create some of the coolest looking releases.

Among today's various racing game franchises, Forza is one of the most popular ones, and over the years Hot Wheels has given us some nicely decorated Forza themed releases. Now sadly, I haven't played any of the games, and it's due to the fact that I don't play video games like I used to. But I have seen many gameplay videos over on Youtube. So I'm well aware of the franchise, which is why I like when Hot Wheels decides to give us Forza themed releases.

Although it's nice to have another model with it, the Forza theme isn't the only reason why someone would add this to their want list. I'm sure many of you wanted it simply because it's a Porsche, and that's a very valid reason. After all, this manufacturer makes very beautiful cars, which is one of the reasons why they have many fans around the world. Anyway, being a Forza themed Porsche is not the only reason why I added it to my want list.

Back in 2017, Hot Wheels released one of these finished in a color that appears to be based on Porsche's Birch green. That was a release I chose not to get it, and it ended up being a decision I regretted. Back then, I didn't really like green colored cars that much. It actually hasn't been that long since I've expanded what vehicle colors I like. Nowadays, I like most shades of green. So like the Lamborghini Huracan, I really wanted one of these finished in green.  

I'm very satisfied with the shade of green that was picked for this release. From what I can gather, this release's color appears to be based on Porsche's Lizard green, which I feel is just as good as Birch green.

Besides the color and theme, I also love the details applied to this release. I especially like how they decided to add details to the vents. This is truly a perfect example of an outstanding premium model, and I think it's now my second favorite release of this casting.

The back of this release features a white rectangle with "Porsche" in it, and it's the only detail I'm going to complain about. In my opinion, they missed the opportunity to create a cool vanity plate. Obviously, Forza was the main focus, but this is the first premium release of this casting after all. So I feel they could have went all-out by giving this release an actual license plate. At the end of the day though, that's just me, and I'm sure most of the diecast community won't care. 

It's also great how this release features the "GT3 RS" stripe like the one I didn't get. I know the stripe was used again on the Factory 500 H.P. release, but I was never truly satisfied since it wasn't green. All in all, I'm very happy to finally have a nice green release of this Porsche, and I do like how simple the Forza theme is. 

So, how do you feel about this release? Go ahead and let me and everyone else know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys. 

Another 2021 Matchbox 5-Pack Purchase

Hello everyone, welcome to a new additional feature. This year I've purchased more five-packs than I ever have in years gone by. Most of the time, five-packs might have one or two releases I'd want. And as much as I'd want them, I really can't find a reason to spend five dollars on the other releases I don't care for. So I usually don't pay much attention to them when I go down the diecast row. But things are much different this year. 

I'm sure everyone at some point in their life has heard the phrase "one man's trash is another man's treasure." Well, that's most likely going to be how longtime collectors feel about this new MBX Exotic five-pack, since all five of the models in it are re-releases. I actually appreciate the occasional re-release. In fact, that's one of the other things I like about Matchbox. If you couldn't find a specific model at the time of it's release, there's a small chance you'll have another opportunity to get it years later. 

Re-releases are also great for collectors that got into Matchbox a little later than others. And an entire five-pack full of them is a must-have for those of you that missed out on the original releases like I did. Alright, let's go over the newest additions to my collection. 

As is the case with a lot of five-packs from Matchbox, this one features one police car. This time, it's the Lamborghini LP560-4, and it's a re-release of the one from 2014. Usually, I don't care too much for the police cars included in these five-packs. I mean, I don't dislike them, it's just they aren't typically why I buy these. But I actually happen to like this one.

The second model in this pack, is a re-release of the white Chevy Corvette ZR1 from 2011. I always get excited when I'm able to acquire castings I've never had before, and this Matchbox casting is one of the ones I didn't have. 

Now, before I get to the next model, I thought I'd point out an interesting error. The side of this five-pack says this is a 1999 Chevy Corvette ZR1. Um... this is clearly a C6 and not a C5. Anyway, if you're into collecting card errors, then you should definitely add this five-pack to your collection. Alright, let's get to the next model.

To be truthfully honest, I almost overlooked this five-pack, but one of the models in it caught my attention. That model, is the 2005 Ford GT, and it's a re-release of the one from 2009. Now, if you happen to have that one, then you already know why this re-release caught my attention. If you don't, then let me tell you that this release features an unpainted exterior. Personally, this design choice created a truly stunning 1:64 scale Ford GT.

The '61 Jaguar E-Type is the next model in this five-pack, and it's a re-release of the one from 2008. Being a classic isn't the only reason why I was delighted to see it. In 2018, Matchbox released a five-pack called Coffee Cruisers, and this was one of the models in it. Back then, I chose to ignore the stripe design that was applied to it. At the time, I was happy to finally have one of these in my collection. But I will admit that I never completely liked it due to that design. Fortunately, Matchbox chose to re-release a plain one that's finished in a cool shade of my favorite color.

The 2008 Lotus Evora is the fifth and final model in this five-pack. From what I can gather, this one is a re-release of the one from a 2011 five-pack called Modern Rides. I really thought the matte black one I had looked great, but this release's exterior color makes it look way better than that one, if I do say so myself. Don't get me wrong, matte black is still an okay color for an Evora, and I'm sure many of you will prefer it over this one. But as I've mentioned in an older post, I prefer brighter colors for high-end vehicles. 

In my opinion, this five-pack deserves to be given a ten out of ten. Obviously, that's not going to be how everyone feels about it. But I had to score it high, since it made it so I don't have to spend lots of money trying to get the original releases of these five.

So are you someone who needed these in their collection? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this post. Till next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys.  

White Booth Wednesday #106

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

Vehicle: Baja Bullet (Named Baja Bandit)

Series: 2017 Matchbox Explorers

Boulevard Rating: 10

How I Feel About This Release: This is a very cool off-road truck casting, and it's too bad I wasn't into collecting diecast back when it made it's debut many years ago. To be honest, many of it's initial releases are ones I'd like to have. Fortunately, I didn't have to resort to Ebay, and it's thanks to this one being released around the time I got back into collecting. Now then, the reason why I gave this release a ten is because of the livery created for it. What I like, is how it's a Yokohama sponsored vehicle that doesn't feature the typical black and red livery. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that livery, but it's nice to see something different every once in a while.

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.

2021 Hot Wheels Premium - Unique Collector Pieces

Hi everyone, welcome to another additional feature here on the boulevard. For the most part, I like to collect the realistic looking diecast releases. But being a collector doesn't mean I'll just stick to those. It also means I'll purchase a release that I feel is unique. And the releases in the Screen Time mainline series, are a perfect example of the ones I'll get. But those aren't the only unique releases from Hot Wheels. There are times where a unique release will be a premium only casting like the two being featured in today's post.

Sometimes I'll consider a release to be unique because of the model itself, while other times I'll consider it to be unique because of a specific design choice made for it. There's also the times where the release is unique because of the model itself, as well as what was done to it. And that's the case with the first release I'm going over today.

Hot Wheels has once again release the Pizza Planet Truck in their Entertainment series. And what's great, is that it's the wooden model that's seen in the movie Brave. I haven't seen the movie, nor do I have plans to, but I definitely knew about this Easter egg. And I think it's awesome how we're able to have a 1:64 scale replica of it. The Pizza Planet Truck was already a unique Hot Wheels model, but this version is way more unique than the other release. 

Whether you like the movie or not, there's no denying the fact that this is a must-have model for collectors and fans of the movie alike. They definitely did a marvelous job re-creating the wooden replica. The wood details are top-notch, and I like how they were applied to ever inch of this release. 

When I said every inch of this model, I meant it! When I first saw pictures of this release, I had no idea that they also decided to apply the wood details to it's base. They didn't have to, but I'm very glad they did, because this makes it so it has a wooden appearance no matter what angle it's looked at. This attention to detail makes me appreciate Hot Wheels more than I already did. 

The last release for this post, comes from the recent Marvel Pop Culture assortment. I actually found the entire set on the pegs, and to be honest, I really though about getting all five of the releases. But I ultimately decided to just get the Volkswagen T1 Drag Bus. I don't always buy anything from the Pop Culture series, but this release is an example of a model that's unique due to a specific design choice made for it. 

I think you already know what I like about this one. Yes, that's right. I got this release because of what was done to the front wheel. I really like how they made it look like Captain America's shield. I'm sure many in the diecast community got this release because it's a Volkswagen Drag Bus, but I just thought it looked awesome with that decorated front wheel. 

At the end of the day, purchasing a unique collector piece is always exciting, because it's something different from the norm. And these two releases are definitely different from the typical ones you'll see featured in a My Want List post.

Okay, I'm going to assume that everyone loves these two a whole lot. So I'm not going to ask how you feel about them. With that being said, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys. 

Today On The Boulevard: Hot Wheels & Matchbox - Two Sets Two Vehicles Total

Hello, and welcome to a new edition of Today On The Boulevard. Sometimes, being persistent doesn't yield results when trying to find a certain diecast release. Diecast hunting is just hard, and I guess it's always been that way. That's why I've decided to have a certain mentality with this hobby. In other words, if I need to, I will gladly give up on a specific release. That's right, I'll take a pen a scratch the release off of my want list. Doing so keeps this hobby fun for me.

Throughout any given year, both of Mattel's diecast brands will release special store exclusive sets. The releases in these sets are usually the ones that get scratched off of my want list. In fact, I really only put them on my list so I can remember them. It's not always easy to remember all of the great releases that come out each year. Anyway, earlier this year, both of Mattel's diecast brands released sets that went to Walmart.  

A pickup truck set was the one that Hot Wheels released, while a Cadillac set was the one Matchbox released. The latter was the only one that never made it to the pegs in my area. Fortunately, that wasn't the case with the pickup set. In case you didn't know, I was able to find three of the releases from it. So feel free to check out that post. A few weeks after that pickup truck post, I was able to come across some remnants of these two sets. Both of the ones I got came from two different Walmart locations. With that said, let's start with the one from the first location.

At the end of the aforementioned post, I decided to briefly talk about the remaining two trucks I couldn't find. What I said, was that the two weren't releases that made me say wow. I also said that the only other one I'd really get, was the Mazda Repu due to the yellow that was picked for it's exterior. Well, as you saw from my Tweet, the Mazda Repu is the one I was able to finally find. 

The exterior color is still the main reason why I like this release. I know there could be a future release that's also yellow, but it could feature a design that's wild. While there's nothing wrong with that, I do like having a brightly colored one that's not overly decorated. Of course, this could end up being the only yellow release. So I'm happy it was overshadowed by the 620 when more of these came in. 

After I found the Mazda, I figured I'd try my luck at another location. I mean, I still didn't care too much for the Datdun 620, but I figured why not try to get it for a post. Well, the second location didn't have any of the pickup set, but they did have two different releases from the Matchbox Cadillac set. So I decided to just get the '55 Cadillac Fleetwood, which between the two that were left, was the one I was the most interested in.

Besides being interested in it, this was another one of the castings that I wanted to have more of. Since I wasn't always into Matchbox, I missed out on this casting's regular releases. Fortunately, Matchbox has started to use it again, which is why the pink 2019 release was the only one I had prior to this one. Now, I have no issue with that one, since pink isn't a color that's used as much. But I think you imagine how happy I was to see a blue one. 

I should also mention that I like how they decided to once again give this casting an Arizona plate, and what's great, is that it isn't the same text as the pink release.

Although I didn't find full assortments, I have to say that this was a successful diecast hunt. Something is always better than nothing. And that's especially true when your able to come across releases you gave up on.

So, have you found any of the releases that you once had on your want list, but gave up on? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Okay, 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.

White Booth Wednesday #105

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

Vehicle: '62 Nissan Junior

Series: 2017 Matchbox Adventure City

Boulevard Rating: 7

How I Feel About This Release: I didn't end up getting any of this casting's latest releases. They aren't terrible looking, it's just I didn't feel the need to have one of these with a design on it. Sometimes, all I want is a plain diecast model, and that's why this casting's first two releases are the only ones I have. Now between the two, this one is still my favorite. Although the second release was finished in a nice color, I just love the blue that was used for this one. So besides being plain, it's exterior color is the other reason why I gave it a seven. 

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.