Best On The Block: December 2021

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

#1: Tesla Roadster - 2021 Matchbox Mainline

Why I Picked It: This casting was shown when Mattel announced how they were going green with a lot of their products. And like a lot of people online, I too wrote a post about the news. Now some of the people got sent a review copy of the car, while others (myself included) used the photos they provided on their website. I was truly stunned at how awesome this casting looked when I first saw pictures of it, and I couldn't wait for it to be released. So I think you can imagine how excited I was when I was finally able to have one for myself, and that's why it's taking the number one spot in this month's post.

#2: McLaren F1 - 2021 Hot Wheels Mainline

Why I Picked It: I had no problems picking this release for this post. After all, the McLaren F1 is my second favorite car, and I'm still thrilled with how we're finally able to have a Hot Wheels version of it. And as you can see, I took the opportunity to get an extra one to have on display. I know they've made the F1 GTR, and it's still a great casting, but I've wanted this version of it for some time now. So having this casting is basically the same as having a birthday wish come true.

#3: '65 Ford Galaxie - 2021 Hot Wheels Mainline 

Why I Picked It: In case you missed the post I made for it, this release is the newest addition to my race team. So there's no way I couldn't pick it for this post. Besides that, I feel it's the best looking Treasure Hunt from this year's mainline. And that's why it absolutely deserved to be one of this month's best releases on the block!

#4: Spiderman GP-7 - 2021 Hot Wheels Entertainment

Why I Picked It: Initially being a Comic Con exclusive casting is just one of the reasons why I picked it for this post. The other reason has to do with the fact that it taught me something new. Now I'm no Marvel buff, but I have seen some of the latest Spiderman movies, and none of them had the character using a vehicle. So that's why I had to do some research. In doing so, I discovered that there was a different version of the character created for a Japanese television series. Collecting is fun, but it's also fun learning something new.

#5: Pagani Huayra - 2021 Hot Wheels Mainline

Why I Picked It: There were many good releases from this year's case Q, so it wasn't easy picking one for this post. However, a decision had to be made, and this is the release I Picked. Many of you might still prefer the Spectraflame gold that was used for the id version, but I absolutely love the metallic gold used for this version. I should also mention that this is my new favorite release of this casting thanks to the other design choices made for it.

#6: '99 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning - 2021 Hot Wheels Car Culture

Why I Picked It: The SVT Lightning from the Hyper Hulaers Car Culture assortment is the release that's taking the sixth and final spot in this post. As you might already know, I have no issue with the version they created for the mainline. After all, I feel it's a great alternative to this premium one. However, I still wanted to have at least one release of this version in my collection. And I was extremely happy when I found it on the pegs. The joy of finally having it is why I made it one of this month's best releases on the block. 

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: Random Matchbox Moving Parts Finds

Hi, and welcome to a new edition of Today On The Boulevard. I really haven't had that much luck with this year's Matchbox Moving Parts series. To be truthfully honest, it's almost like they don't exist. But I guess that's how things are in this hobby. Anyway, there's been a few occasions where I've stumbled across some remnants of these while searching for Hot Wheels. And that's exactly what happened on a recent diecast hunt.

Overall, the pegs were pretty much empty that day. So you know what that means right? That's right, I wasn't able to find the entire assortment. In fact, none of the other diecast pegs were full. Ultimately, there were only three of these left, and I was only really interested in two of them. So with that said, let's go over what I got. And I'm going to start things off by talking about the 1982 Datsun 280 ZX first, since it's the release I showed in my social media post. 

Besides being a JDM, there are three other reasons why I wanted to get this release. First, I got it because I have the other three releases of it, so I figured why miss out on this one. Of course, if I couldn't find it, I would have just scratched it off of my list. Anyway, it's exterior color is the second reason why I wanted it. The first three releases are nice, but it's not everyday we see a release finished in a color that I'd best describe as being a burnt orange. In fact, the color looks to be based on Orange Mist, which from what I can gather, is a color that was available for the real car. 

Like I said, there are three reasons why I wanted this release, so the third reason has to do with the color of the wheels. As you all know, gold is one of the colors that was used for the wheels given to the first three releases. So I was truly delighted to see one with all silver wheels.

Now, despite this release making it to my want list, there is one design choice I don't completely care for. Once again, the Matchbox design team decided to create a design for this casting. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad looking design, it's just I don't see why every single release of this casting has to have one. I'm sure many of you love how this release looks with it, but I feel it would have looked just as great without one thanks to it's awesome exterior color. 

All in all, this is still an okay release. And even though I have an issue with it having a design, I'm still glad I was able to find it. Alright, let's get to the second one I found. 

The 2019 Ford Ranger is the second one I got, and like the Datsun, there's specific reasons as to why I wanted it. The first two releases of this casting were given a design, which is fine. Although... I never ended up getting the second one. Basically, I wasn't too fond of the design created for it. Anyway, the folks over at Matchbox have finally given us a plain release, and that's the main reason why I wanted it. Diecast models with designs are fine, but it truly is nice to have plain ones as well. I know there's other diecast brands with plain models, but I grew up mostly collecting Mattel's toys. So that's why I love seeing plain diecast models from their brands.

I think you can guess the next reason why I wanted this release. If not, then it has to do with the exterior being finished in my all-time favorite color. Additionally, the color appears to be based on Ford's Lightning Blue, which I think looks fantastic!

Ultimately, I have nothing bad to say about this release, and I do hope to see a few more plain releases of it going forward. But if they do choose to do another one with a design, I hope it's better than the one created for the second release. I'm sure many of you liked it, but I honestly felt it could have been better.

Well, those are the two I was able to find. I will definitely be on the lookout for the rest of the releases from this year's Moving Parts series, but I'm not really expecting to find any. So they won't be added to my want list. At the end of the day, I'm just glad I was able to find two more releases from the Moving Parts series. After all, two of these are better than none.

So how do you feel about these two? Do you also think it's time for a plain release of the 1982 Datsun 280 ZX? 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 #116

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

Vehicle: '15 Dodge Challenger SRT

Series: 2018 Hot Wheels Muscle Mania

Boulevard Rating: 7

How I Feel About This Release: There were ultimately three different releases of this 2018 Muscle Mania Challenger, and one of them was a Target Red Edition. Now, I'm sure many of you think that's the best one, since it is a store exclusive after all. But I happen to like this one just a little bit more. Personally, yellow with black stripes is a flawless theme for both old and new muscle cars alike. And it's a theme that made this Hot Wheels '15 Challenger look good enough for me to get an extra one to open. As for the rating, I would have given it an eight out of ten if it had different colored wheels. If it were up to me, I would have picked all black wheels instead. At the end of the day though, the wheel color is something I can ignore.

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 Hot Wheels Case Q - Just Three more

Hello everyone! Welcome to a new edition of My Want List. As you already know, I was able to get most of the releases I wanted from this year's Hot Wheels case Q. But like I said at the end of part two, there were still some I needed to find. There were a total of five more releases on my want list, and I was sadly only able to find three of them. Although it would have been nice to be done with this case, I am extremely happy with the three I found. At the end of the day, all three of them are ones I really wanted to have. So with that being said, let's get this post started!

The first one I'm going to talk about is the Pagani Huayra. You don't typically see vehicles from this manufacturer when you go down the diecast row. So far, Hot Wheels has just made the two versions of the Huayra. To be honest, I really want them to make the Zonda. Since we've gotten some of the older exotic cars like the EB110 and the McLaren F1, I have my fingers crossed that they'll eventually give us the Zonda. Anyway, let me get back to this latest release of the Huayra.

I have to say, I'm very glad they've decided to do another mainline release of this casting. Sadly, I missed out on the initial releases of it, which means I missed out on the plain releases. I had a total of three releases prior to this one from case Q. My first one was from the 2016 Gran Turismo set, my second one was from the Forza Entertainment assortment, and my third one is the release with the Gumball 3000 themed. Although I like the last two, my first one was my favorite since it wasn't overly decorated. Well thanks to the design choices made for this one, I now have a new favorite. It's a little more decorated than my first one, but I feel it's a design that complements the overall appearance of this vehicle. 

I think we can all agree that this is a very beautiful release of this casting. Now that I've talked about the design, I need to put the spotlight on the exterior color, as well as the wheel color. All I can say is that I love it! The Hot Wheels designers picked a very stunning shade of metallic gold for this release. I'm sure many of you will still prefer the look of the Spectraflame gold used for the id version, but I think this gold is just as good. 

As for the wheels, I really like how they chose to make them gold. I might have made them black, since this release has a black design on, but I have to admit that gold was a fantastic choice. All in all, this is a flawless release, and I'm so glad to have another one of these that I really like. Alright, let's get to the next release I got.

The second one I got is the Shelby Cobra 427 S/C. Since it's debut, Hot Wheels has given collectors many different releases of this casting. And since I wasn't always into diecast, I don't have as many of them as I'd like. I actually had two releases prior to these recent ones, and both of them feature an opening hood. At the time, I was happy with them, however, I wanted to have more of them. Fortunately, they've decided to use it in the mainline again, and thanks to last year's release, I was finally able to get one to have on display.  

I can truly say that I'm pleased with this year's release and the design choices made of it. It was finished in a very nice shade of red, and it has a simple design that's perfect for it. Stripes with a racing number is all this casting needs. Although... since most releases of this casting have stripes and a number circle, I really wouldn't mind one with flames or scallops. I should also mention that I'm still hoping to see another mainline releases that's finished in blue. Getting another one finished in the aforementioned color will make it so I don't have to eventually turn to Ebay.

There is one design choice that's interesting, and I don't mean that in a bad way. The top of this release was given a number circle like the sides, but it was only placed on the trunk. In all honesty, I'm used to seeing this kind of detail placed on the hood. Only placing it on the trunk is not something I would have done, but it's definitely something different. And that's a good thing because it can help to keep the releases from being too similar.

As you all have seen, Hot Wheels has decided to use the Retro Slot wheels more, and those are the wheels they chose for this release. These wheels look great on a lot of castings, and this is definitely one of them!

I'm actually surprised at how long it took me to find the Huayra and the Cobra. I know they're nice releases, but both of them are regular versions of special releases. And it used to be way easier to get these regular versions because folks would leave them, since they weren't the special ones. But I guess things are a little different now. Okay, let's move on to the last release I got.

The Bad Bagger is the next release I ended up finding, and I was truly excited to finally see another mainline release of it. This casting made it's debut many years ago, and I only had one release of it. This is such a cool motorcycle, so I'm a little disappointed with my younger self for ignoring the awesome releases I could have gotten at retail cost. Back then, I wasn't too into motorcycles like I am now. Of course, things are a little different now that I'm older, and that's why the 2016 Treasure Hunt release is the one I had.

Like the one I had, this too has a flame design. I still like the Treasure Hunt release because it's blue, but I can honestly say that this release's flame design is better than the Treasure Hunt release's design. Unlike that one, the top of this one has flames, and they weren't just applied to the fuel tank either. The designers also placed them just behind the seats. 

Well, those are the three releases I was able to find. Sadly, I'm still not done with this case, and I don't know if I ever will be. I mean, there's a chance I could come across the last ones I want, but I not going to go out of my way to look of them. If I find them, great, and if not, then that's also great. They're just recolors anyway, so it's not that big of a deal. Ultimately, I have all of the main releases I wanted from this case, so I'm satisfied.

So what was your favorite release from this case? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, 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. 

My Want List: 2021 Hot Wheels Entertainment Case F - The Last Two

Hello, and welcome to another edition of My Want List. I usually don't need to make a My Want List post for any of the Hot Wheels Premiums. For the most part, I like all five of the vehicles. So the releases will usually be talked about in a Looking At post instead. However, there was no need to do that this time because Entertainment case F only had three releases I wanted. Now as you can see from the title, I was finally able to find the last two releases I wanted from this case. So with that being said, let's get started. 

In the post I made for the Spiderman GP-7, I talked about how it's great when Hot Wheels gives collectors another chance at a casting that was made for Comic-Con. Not everyone is able to participate, so it's great to see a continued use of the castings. And if you're like me, then you won't really care about the additional characters that are included with the actual exclusives. Or maybe you still want the aforementioned because of the character. As for me, the vehicles are the only things I care about, which is why I was excited to finally find the Deadpool Scooter. 

This casting was made for the 2021 Comic-Con. So I'm glad I didn't have to wait a few year's for it to make it's appearance in an Entertainment assortment. I know it was only two years, but that's still a long time to have to wait for the the Spiderman GP-7. But it's like they say, " it's better late than never." Anyway, I'm glad I was able to find this release because there's a chance this could end up being the only one. So if I missed it, that would mean I'd have to turn to the secondary, and I'll only do that as a last resort.

In the GP-7 post, I also made mention of the other reason why I wanted that release. Well it's the same story with this one, except, I don't have both releases of the Deadpool food truck. I do have the Chimichanga release, but I never got around to getting the Ice Cream one.

There's one more thing I like to say about this release, and it has to do with the face that was applied to front of it. For some reason, the designers chose to apply a different face design. I'm not a comic buff, so I don't know how accurate it is. But what I do know is that I would have preferred for this release to have the same face design that was applied to the Comic-Con exclusive. Ultimately, I can ignore this tiny detail, since I'm happy to have this character's vehicle in my collection.

The Aston Martin Valhalla Concept is the third release I wanted from this case, and I was shocked at how I was able to get the GP-7 before it. In my area, the Exotic Envy release of the Valhalla was the peg warmer that sat for a long time. So it was a little surprising to see how this one overshadowed the GP-7. But I guess having a James Bond theme was enough to make folks suddenly really want it. 

After I saw how it was the one being bought, I started to think I would never find it. Sometimes, trying to find a specific Entertainment release has proven to be impossible. And the Batman Aventador, which I still don't have, is a perfect example of that. Fortunately, history isn't repeating itself with this release, and I'm glad because you never know if there'll be a third release or not. I mean, I'm sure there will be, but who knows. Remember the Nissan 2020 Vision GT? Yeah, I bet you do. At this point, it's safe to say that it'll never get released again.

Now I want to put the spotlight on the exterior color, which I'd best describe as having a green tint to it. I'm not entirely sure if it's accurate or not, and I probably won't ever know since I don't plan on seeing the movie. But what I do know is that it's a remarkable color for this car, and it's why I'm having a hard deciding which of the two release to feature in the boulevard's World Wide & Exotics auto museum.

Okay, those are the last two releases I had on my Entertainment case F want list. Now you might be wondering why I chose to not get the other two releases from this case. Well, it's because they aren't new, and I have both of the older releases. It would have been nice if this case had  a total of five new releases, but I guess it's kind of a good thing it didn't. At the end of the day, having two repeats made it so there were less things for me to try and find, which is a good thing because that's less gas being used.

So how did you feel about the releases from this case? Did you have a specific favorite? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of My Want List. Till next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys.

White Booth Wednesday #115

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

Vehicle: Bone Shaker

Series: 2021 Rod Squad

Boulevard Rating: 6

How I Feel About This Release: I still like the yellow one a little more since it features the main Mooneyes color scheme, however, this is still an okay release. And there is a specific reason as to why I got it, which I'll get to in a minute because I want to say why I didn't score it higher first. Unlike some of the other Mooneyes recolors, this one doesn't feature a design that's yellow. For some reason, the design team chose to leave the stripe on the top of this release black. I'm sure many of you won't care, but I do. I feel this release would have looked a slightly better if the stripe was changed to yellow like the other Mooneyes themed recolors. Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let me say why I got it. As you might already know, I like releases that are finished in matte colors, and the reason for that has already been stated in a few older post. So I'm not going to say why in this one. Anyway, being finished in a matte color is basically the only reason why I made the decision to get this release.

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 Hot Wheels Case Q - Part 2

Hello, and welcome to the second part of my case Q want list. Have you ever found a toy you forgot you had when you were younger? Well, I did earlier this year. Since I had some free time, I decided to go through a box that contained some random things from when I was young. While going through it, one of the things I found was a very old release of the Fire-Eater. And as you'll see, it's in really bad shape. But hey, at least I enjoyed playing with it, and that's all that really matters at the end of the day.

Now that I'm older and like to have closed releases, I felt the need to try and get another one. And it's too bad I didn't find this release a little earlier, because there's been a few different releases within the last few years. I really would have gotten one of them had I know about the one I had. But since I missed them, I came to the conclusion that I'd have to get one off of Ebay. However, what I didn't know, was that I'd have another chance thanks to this year's mainline. So I'm glad I didn't immediately jump on my computer to buy one.  

This is definitely a great replacement, if I do say so myself. It might not be red like the one I initially had, but I feel they picked a really nice color for it.

Besides the color, I also like how it was given the DD8 wheels. In my opinion, they are a great wheel for a vehicle like this, and I really like how it looks with them. It's also worth mentioning that this is the first release with them. And by now, you should know how I feel about that.

Now, as you've probably noticed, I don't always talk about emergency vehicles here on the boulevard. They aren't bad, it's just they aren't what I usually get, but that doesn't mean I won't eventually get one. After all, I got the Fire-Eater, and two police vehicles from Matchbox. Anyway, I ended up getting a second emergency vehicle from this case, and it actually wasn't on my list due to it being the Treasure Hunt. But since I found it, I figured I'd just get. 

Personally, the police themed release is still better than this one, but that's simply because it reminds me of the police cars in Need For Speed, which was a game I always played when I was younger. This one is still cool though, and the design applied to it isn't bad. 

Although it's named "Countach Police Car," it's design says otherwise. I might be wrong, but I'm going to assume that this is some kind of rapid medical response vehicle. Yeah... I don't think you could fit much medical equipment into a Countach, but I guess medical staff could get to the scene a lot quicker with it. 

Today is the day when the boulevard's racing association is holding a race called Kings Of The Off-Road Challenge. This is no easy race to win. Each team has to navigate some of the toughest terrain around the outskirts of Diecast BLVD. Now I bet you're wondering if RPM STARZ is going to compete. Well, sadly we're sitting this one out. At the moment, we don't have a qualifying off-road racer. Of course, we're very interested in participating in this race. So we've decided to take a little field trip to see the competition. 

Upon arriving, we noticed some serious looking rides. This had me eager to see who was going to win. One of the teams there was none other than our rivals. Of course... they just had to compete. Now I'll admit that their Range Classic is nice, and it's probably the best vehicle at the competition, but I definitely don't want them to win!

Okay, all jokes aside, this is a really cool release of this new casting. I've been enjoying all of the various Range Rover releases we've gotten in recent times, and I'm definitely in love with this one. I mean, who wouldn't like this release? Besides being new, it features an outstanding amount of decoration. For a $1 mainline, they truly went all-out with the livery. Even the back half of this release was decorated. 

Ultimately, I liked this release so much, I decided to get an extra one to have on display. At the time, I felt it would look nice sitting next to the Land Rover Defender 90, and I was right!

The next two releases are recolors, so there's not a whole lot to say about them. But what I can say is that I like them a little more than the ones released earlier this year. And of course, there's a reason for that opinion. 

Remember how I said I love seeing releases of a casting with wheels that haven't already been used for it? Well, I also like seeing releases finished in colors that haven't already been used, and that's what I like about the recolor of the '17 Ford GT. As you know, this year's first release was finished in white. It wasn't the same type of paint, but that color was already used for the release in the 2019 Exotics Series. So I had to add this latest one to my want list, since this is the first one finished in black, and I love how they chose to use metallic black. 

Although I like this recolor, I do have one small issue with one of the design choices. For some reason, the designers chose to not paint the number on the roof gold like the number on the sides. I know it's not that big of a deal, but sometimes I scratch my head when I see some of the design choices made.

The '85 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z is the next recolor I got. Among the various automotive colors I like, blue is my favorite. And that's basically why I like this one more than the one released earlier this year. I'm truly happy to finally have one of these finished in blue. I know this isn't the first time the color was used, but it's the first time it was used for a non multi-pack release. As I've said before, I don't always get those because of how altered I've seen them. 

I also think they picked a great color for the design. Maybe it's just my love for the color, but I think this blue combines perfectly with the metallic blue used for the exterior. 

Okay, that's all of the releases I was able to check off of my want list. As you probably guessed, there's still a few more I need to find. As usual, it might be some time before I'm able to find them, so don't expect a post anytime soon. At the end of the day though, I can say that I'm completely satisfied with what I was able to get. 

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