2022 Hot Wheels Volkswagen Series: Not Really Worth It

Hello, and welcome to another additional feature here on the Star Boulevard of Speed. Last month, I published a post where I showed all of the releases that I got from two different Hot Wheels sets that are only old at Walmart. And the first two releases that I talked about were from the 2022 Volkswagen series. Now, I might have been happy with the two that I found, but to be honest, I still wanted to see how the other releases looked. So I decided to keep an eye out for them whenever I ended up at a Walmart. Well, on one of my recent trips, I was able to find two more releases from the set, and that made me happy. But after I got home, my thoughts on them and the overall set started to change. So for this post, I'm going to be sharing why I no longer think they are worth it. With that being said, let's begin.

There's been many times where I didn't like some of the design choices that were made for the various releases in a Walmart exclusive set. However, I will usually still praise the set. Like I've said in an older post, these sets are sometimes the only way for collectors to get a certain release that is finished in a certain color. So that's one of the reasons why I pay attention to what's coming out.

Besides the exterior colors, these Walmart sets also sometimes have a release that's relatively plain, and that's what I liked about the two that are featured in this post. But is that a good thing for these releases, though? A few years ago, I thought it was, but now I'm starting to think it's not, And it's all thanks to the price increase. Yes, I can still afford a $2 release, but I'm starting to question my decision to pay that much money for a release that looks like a $1 mainline release. Oh, and thanks to a few additional cents, buying two Walmart exclusive releases now comes to $6. And that right there is where I'm having an issue.

Sure, the mainline releases have also gone up in price, but for the amount that I paid for these, I can get at least five mainline releases instead. Additionally, some of the mainline releases actually look a little more special than the Walmart exclusive ones. And I am going to share two releases that are a perfect example of that. So let's start with the Volkswagen SP2 first.

I actually ended up getting the debut release of this casting when it came out, and in case you didn't know, that release is also basically plain. In fact, this release is pretty much just a recolor of it, and that's one if the reasons why I started to think these weren't worth the new retail price. 

If the price is going to go up, then the design team needs to think of a way to make these releases worth it. I know that's not the easiest thing to do, but there needs to be a reason to buy these, and so far, there isn't. Of course, you might be someone who missed the first one, so this release is the one you'll want to get. I mean, if I didn't have the aforementioned release, then I might have been a little happier about paying for this Walmart exclusive one. But I have it and a few other releases that are actually worth the price increase.

This release is a part of the 2019 Volkswagen mainline set, and as you can see, it's not entirely plain. But the design on it looks like it could have been a factory option. Additionally, it's exterior is finished in a very beautiful metallic pale yellow. So even if they didn't want to create a cool design, I feel they should have at least tried to create a flashy paint for this year's release. 

Now, I'm not necessarily saying there is anything wrong with the version of green they picked, but I do think it would have been nice to see a metallic paint used instead. And in my opinion, that would have been a great way to make this release look a little more special.

Front and rear tampo details are another way they could have added value to this release. I know that's something you usually only see on the premium releases, but if the price is going up, then there needs to be a little more details added to these. Okay, let's move on to the second one that I got.

The second one I found is the Custom '69 Volkswagen Squareback, and I do have to admit that I'm just a tad bit happier about it. But I'll get to why that is in a minute because I want to share why I feel it's not worth the price first.

The 2019 Volkswagen mainline set also had a release of this casting, and there was even a $1 Walmart exclusive Zamac version of it too. But I'm going to stick to the regular mainline release because I want  to show how it looks a little more special than a release that is only available at a specific store.

Not only was this release just finished in a nice metallic purple, it was also give a cool design too. So I might have sighed a little at the price, but I would have been much happier if this was the Walmart exclusive release instead. Sure, I think they picked a phenomenal blue, but there's just something special about a metallic paint. It truly does make a casting look great!

The placement of the design is another thing that is similar to the store exclusive release. Now, I know there's only so many spots you can place a design on this casting, so I'm not going complain too much. But I feel it's another example of why the exclusive release looks like something that could have been in the mainline.

Okay, as I have already said, I am just a tad bit happier about this one, so allow me to take a moment to explain because there is a reason why I can somewhat accept how much I paid for it.

This casting was first released in 2010, and there were never any completely plain releases of it. And I'm actually quite surprised. You would have thought they would have given collectors one after all this time. But they haven't, and that continues to be the case. However, this exclusive release has a simple stripe design, and it's a lot simpler than the 2019 release's stripe design. Additionally, it doesn't have any shop or service decals on it. So I feel this is the closest we've gotten to a completely plain release of the casting. Now, I know I should have been happier about the SP2, since it's also relatively plain. But remember, I have the debut release, and I feel the 2019 release's design looks like it could have been a factory option. So I didn't feel the need to have another plain one, and that's why I'm still not happy about how much I had to pay for it.

Now then, will I give up on these Walmart exclusive sets completely? No, I won't because they do sometimes have some very nice looking releases. But I'm definitely going to think twice about getting multiple releases or entire sets. Like I said at the start of this post, buying two Walmart exclusive releases now comes to $6. So unless it's something that I really want to have, I might just leave the release behind in favor of a mainline release that I really want.

So how do you feel about having to pay more for store exclusive releases that look like regular mainline releases? Go ahead and let me know your thoughts down in the comments section. Well, that's all for this additional feature. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.