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Terry February Ambassador Report
Topic Started: Mar 25 2009, 03:07 PM (320 Views)
David Tilley
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Crazy Matchbox guy
We have some new players at Matchbox! Please welcome Heather Miller (Marketing Manager), and Jared Shulman (Assoc. Marketing Manager). Ms. Miller is taking over for Steve Ziemniak, Mr. Shulman joins the team to give us MORE Matchbox to collect!

Ambassador Report

February 2009

Hello Matchbox world! The New Year has given us quite a few new items; I hope you have had the opportunity to enjoy the new goodies from Mattel!

The Design Team is always finding ways to give us new variations in the assorted Matchbox lines, I figured on beating them to the punch for a change to ask “What sort of running changes do you have in mind for us at this time?” Leave it to the coy and elusive designers to respond with “There are no intentional changes planned at this time.”

A bit of explanation is: the design team is out to give us realism through the colors used on the models, replicating the actual factory paint schemes. Manufacturers such as Land Rover, Jaguar, Lexus and Lotus require Matchbox to use their colors as used on their vehicles. In order for the Design Team to deviate from this, they must secure permission from the respective manufacturer. Matchbox will suggest alternate colors as a specific color has run out in production.

It was reported that the Subaru Impreza might have a limited shelf life, not due to spoilage, but licensing issues. To date, we have enjoyed the two color variations of this casting, it was told the licensing negotiations are still pending. Keep your fingers crossed!

Since the Impreza is on hold, it opened up the opportunity for the Chevy Impala police to step in and be a part of the 2009 basic range.

The MB676 Dodge Charger has appeared a few times sporting some great police tampos, as some U.S. municipalities have adopted this vehicle for their current police cruiser. A light bar seems to be a missing feature for the Matchbox model to be a police car. Whoops, unfortunately, not a possibility. There is a slight assembly issue, as there is a lack of a gap in the window part to accommodate a light bar. Perhaps some tool re-engineering is in order for the future.

Maintenance vehicles fans can rest tonight! The 2009 MB74 Plow Master 6000 will be the MB222 as opposed to the MB552, which was used for the 2008 line. Quite simply, you cannot have a plow truck without a plow attachment.

Matchbox still enjoys a relationship with BMW, as we have had many recent castings. The special BMW dealer set (from several years back) was brought to topic, as it was described as a dealer premium. We hope to see it again someday!

The Bentley Continental GT brought about a newer brand relationship. Bentley has several attractive vehicles in their lineup. If a model is attractive for the range, it may be considered for the Matchbox lineup. The possibilities!

You may have noticed certain models, which appear in the 10 or 20 packs, Christmas stockings/boxes and Coal Car sets. Where did they come from, as they were not part of the basic line up and do not have any sort of exclusive markings. These strange critters are actually “surplus models,” leftover runs from various playsets during the year, even from years previous. A Matchbox model is a terrible thing to waste, by being offered in seasonal specials or multi-packs gives us a chance to procure a model if missed from a playset, as well as well a new opportunity to display more Matchbox!

Special Retailer Packs may be created as a promo for Toys R Us, Wal*Mart, Target, Kohls, etc. These packs are worked out with the Sales Group, but may not be publicized by our friendly Marketing Group due to promotions falling through. Keep an eye out at your favorite retailer for something out of the ordinary, which could be one of those “specials.”

The 10 Packs containing the exclusive color ’70 Cuda in orange and black have been released. The next release will again be the 2 Cudas appearing in solid lime green metallic purple along with the exclusive deco pack. The ’95 Mustang Cobra with 4 exclusive colors will be in following releases. The packs with the Mustang Cobra should start appearing after April.

The Real Working Rigs have rolled out and taken the market by storm! After the cloud of the first 5 models hitting the pegs, 2 more castings have joined the group. RW004 Western Star 6900XD Wrecker in red and RW005 2007 International Workstar 7500 in blue has appeared on the pegs. The intended release schedule is approximately every two months for a new group to appear (RW001-3, RW004-6, RW007-9).

Model name, MAN number, date code, country of manufacture… so what is missing? The scale! Asking the Design Team about this tidbit of very important information, it was told the manufacturers did not require a scale of the vehicle, so it was left off. For those who must know, the approximate scale is 1/87.

The Real Working Rigs are supposed to be distributed worldwide; it is up to the respective regional offices to pick up the line for the retailers.

The new Superfast are available! The models are packaged with the 40th Anniversary/1969-2009 logoed box, encased in a clear overbox.

1. Chevy Corvette ZR1
2. Honda Civic Type R
3. Quarry King
4. ’69 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
5. DAF XF Space Cab
6. Morgan Aeromax
7. Dodge Magnum Police
8. MBX 4x4
9. ’77 Chevy Van
10.Volkswagen Caddy

The voucher for the special mail-in vehicle is tucked inside the box. For 15 vouchers collected during January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 along with USD $3.95 mailed in to East Aurora, NY, you will receive a Volkswagen T2 Bus in 8-12 weeks. The request must be postmarked by January 15, 2010 and received by January 31. 2010.

Our more “seasoned” collectors know the model numbers will carryover from year to year. This was the practice when Matchbox was in a BOX, the hobby stores would sell the models from a 1-75 numbered display case. The #8 Ford Mustang would retain the #8 position until a new model would take over its spot.

Today, the poster we graciously get from Mattel depicting the 1-100 line is on a “push-pull” system. A model being #1 last year may be #28 this year due to the series it is assigned to. The Design Team, in an effort to keep this fresh for us, has several hundred tools to work with. The Mustang Cobra was new for 1995, can make a comeback in 2009 with new color combinations and/or tampos. New castings are constantly being introduced, its always fun to have an “oldie” come out to play with us again. The tool itself does have a manufacturing part number, or “MAN” as we know it. This number will not change, as it is the unique identifier for the casting.

The worldwide Matchbox team (marketing & design) is made up of a diverse group of individuals with unique experiences and global perspectives. As such, they try to meet the needs of all collectors worldwide. To help do this, the US marketing/design team partners with the overseas subsidiaries, such as Germany & Australia, to gain insights into what types of cars are preferred in the various regions. This input is then used to help the US team adjust the US 1-100 models for the ROW and LAAM 1-75. It also helps to determine how to release those batches. By working with their overseas counterparts early in the development process, the US marketing/design team can help develop a line that is internationally friendly and relevant.

In these times of economic unrest, it’s nice to have our Matchbox products to put us at ease. Where else can you say you bought a new car for less than a dollar?

Until the next time, enjoy your Matchbox!

Terry Ozima

Matchbox Ambassador 4
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craftymore
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Support your local demo derby.

Thanks for posting this here on the Garage Mr. Tilley. The '70 Cuda in green and purple sound great in the 10 packs.
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Swifty
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The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
Thanks for posting this here! :)

I think I will have to breakdown and buy the ten pack with the purple Cuda. Likewise on the Mustang Cobras...
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