Holiday Hot Rods -- Target Vs. Walmart

'Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the land frantic shoppers were scrambling for the deals to be had. Salvation Army bells are ringing, Toys for Tots barrels are filling, winter coats are emerging from the backs of closets, and everywhere you look are the warm and fuzzy signs that another December 25th is only a month away. 'Tis the season for another holiday showdown. If you'll recall, I felt that Target was the clear winner for Halloween 2010, but could they defeat Walmart again? The Holiday Hot Rods are perhaps Hot Wheels most significant seasonal releases of the year, and Walmart wouldn't be going down without a fight. Unlike their Halloween entries, they went with entirely different decorating schemes for their cars, upping the ante. So without any further ado, here are your 2010 Holiday Hot Rods:

Purple Passion Woody: Target
I suspect that this car is exactly the sort that makes Californians want to deck the halls and drink eggnog. Considering that Hot Wheels are born there, I'm more than willing to overlook the surfboard, which is as foreign to a Midwesterner like myself as palm trees and luaus. The red works well as an accent for the green, and the gold snowflakes on brown paneling feels quite quaint. And how could anyone but Scrooge himself frown upon the "Happy Holidays!" message. Note the exclamation point.

Purple Passion Woody: Walmart
You'll notice a trend here. Walmart has opted for a more sophisticated "less is more" attitude with it's decorating this time around. The paneling is well done -- simple and tasteful. The white flames on the red looks very classic and elegant, and the green interior and surfboard hanging out the back adds a Christmas-y feel without overdoing it. On a general note regarding the model itself, I must say that I found the weight of this casting (and several others) impressive. Yes, that is a real metal base. Apparently after the all-plastic release of Phantasm for Halloween, Hot Wheels decided to open up their wallets and put out some cars that were worth the extra dough for Christmas.

VERDICT: Tie

Ford F-150: Target
I'm crazy about this truck. This shade of blue doesn't always appeal to me, but it couldn't be more perfect when paired with the white flying snow painted on it. It's like the best snowball fight you've ever had under a bright blue sky. This picture doesn't show it very well, but the snowman on the hood is absolutely adorable, and the gold rims and accents... Well, it just doesn't get any better than this.

Ford F-150: Walmart
Hmmmm... Maybe it's just that Target hit a homerun with their version, but this one just seems very ordinary to me. Okay, it's got the Christmas colors down. The "North Pole Express" on the door is a nice touch. At least they're trying. Kind of.

VERDICT: Target, hands down

Cul8r: Target
I was very excited to see this model among the offerings. I've been crazy about this casting ever since I happened upon that 2006 "Track Stars" version that was the subject of an earlier post. This holiday version has all the usual splendor and then some. One might even say it's downright gaudy with it's red and gold against shining sliver accented by (what else?) green rims. Hey, it even has a line of red stars on the side just to add more color, as if it needed it. But gosh darn it, the holidays are supposed to be bright, cheerful and gaudy. This car screams "Christmas", and that can't be a bad thing for a Holiday Hot Rod.

Cul8r: Walmart
As before, Walmart goes for elegant here. Note the traditional silver and gold with mock flame detailing with the occasional tiny representations of golden sparkles. The copper-colored metal base gives the car a touch of warmth it might otherwise have lacked. Very classy, if a little simplistic when viewed next to Target's version.

VERDICT: Tie, but with a nod to Walmart

'78 Corvette Funny Car: Target
Once again, Target goes the cheerfully gaudy route with bells and candy canes encircling the words "North Pole" on the side while the silver and gold hints of the dragster within provide accents. The lime green doesn't earn it any points with me, but with everything else distracting from it's primary color, it works. But it would have been better in a darker shade of green.

'78 Corvette Funny Car: Walmart
Sometimes less is definitely more. The navy blue with golden yellow detailing that fades at the edges makes this car pop big time. And while it features the words "Happy Holidays" (no exclamation point) on the side, it's done in such a way as to be a tasteful extension of the car's overall theme. Even the silver and gold points of the inner dragster look better than they do on Target's version. NOTE: This car is mislabelled as a '77 Corvette Funny Car on Walmart's packaging.

VERDICT: Walmart

Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept: Target
The red looks nice, but I'm not sure the white flame-style striping really works. It's just a bit much. It might have worked better if they had used it only on the hood and not the sides. That said, the gold bells, rims and base work very well. It's a pleasant enough offering overall.

Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept: Walmart
They've got decent enough colors with gold and red, but the white kind of waters it down. And what's with the plain striping? It just looks like an ordinary racing car instead of something decorated especially for the holidays. In fact, I didn't make the connection between Christmas being on December 25 and the number 25 being on the car until a day or two after I had first seen it. That's how obscure this car's detailing is.

VERDICT: Target

'72 Ford Ranchero: Target
Speaking of un-Christmas-y, what in the world was Target thinking with this? Sure, it's red with gold wheels but I'm trying to figure out what the blue is meant to represent. Flames or ice? Ice would at least be appropriate for winter, but other than the tiny snowman logo on the side, what about this makes it a holiday car?

'72 Ford Ranchero: Walmart
Metallic pea green. Yikes. Yet on some level it manages to work. It must be the delicate white snowflakes against copper on the sides, top and hood. It reminds me of something the 70's threw up. Or some god-awful drapes my parents had when I was a little girl. Either way, it whispers "Christmas past" for someone roughly my age. Granted, the memory comes with a slight shudder. Regarding the casting itself, this one also comes with a real metal base. As Darth Vader would say, "Impressive. Most impressive."

VERDICT: Walmart

'58 Edsel: Target
And now we come to the piece de resistance of the 2010 Holiday Hot Rods. This is Target's version, all decked out in classic gold with gold flames set against dark red detailing. Silver bumpers and grill, red wheels, green-tinted windows, plus yet another real metal base make this release an instant classic and something very special to behold.

'58 Edsel: Walmart
Not to be outdone, Walmart pulls out the big guns with this powder blue paint job subtly accented with navy and medium blue, bright blue wheels and a flurry of snowflakes strategically placed on the sides of the rear half of the car. It's like a trip down a snow-covered lane, eating gingerbread cookies and listening to Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas". Classic, understated and absolutely unforgettable.

VERDICT: Tie

That's two clear wins for Target, two for Walmart and three ties, although Walmart had a slight edge in the interests of good taste on one of them. But wait! As usual, Walmart did a little extra credit work and offers this car exclusively.

Rocket Oil Special: Walmart
It wouldn't be Christmas without "Santa's Sled" now would it? Granted, there isn't much to it compared to this year's other holiday cars, but with the deep red atop a forest green metal base, green windshield and the extensive use of gold on the seat, wheels and engine, this is a very special offering, indeed. The "10" of course represents the year of release. A homerun, to be sure, and a very collectible one that should appeal to young and old alike. Well done!

So where does that leave us? Who has the upper hand? Perhaps we'd best look at the price differential to decide. As always, Walmart's holiday cars are packaged individually and run $2 each. Target's are sold in 3-packs which run $4. So at first glance, it would seem Target has a clear edge. Except that Target offers seven different models. And no, thanks to the pre-arrangement of the assortments available, you can't get two packs and get everything but the Ranchero. I know; I tried. So to get all seven, you're pretty much stuck buying three 3-packs of cars, which will run you $12. And you'll be paying for a couple of duplicates whether you like it or not. To get the same seven cars at Walmart would be $14. So not a huge difference, and you aren't stuck with more than one of the same car. To get "Santa's Sled" is $2 more, of course, no matter where you get the rest of the cars. What did I do, you ask? I broke down and bought them all. There were only a couple that I didn't care for, so I decided I might as well go ahead and get them too so I could say I had a complete set. On a side note, I really appreciate the way every Target store puts their seasonal Hot Wheels in the holiday aisles, making them very easy to find and buy. You never know where they will be in Walmart, if the particular Walmart you are in even carries them. Not every Walmart does. Even if they do, they might not get in every car available. So trying to find them can make for a very long and frustrating shopping trip. In my case, I wandered around Walmart #1 for what seemed like forever. When I finally found their display, they were missing the car I wanted most -- the Cul8r. A lengthy search of Walmarts #2 and #3 yielded no holiday cars, so I wound up driving 15 miles north of town to Walmart #4, not knowing for certain that they had them either. Fortunately they did, and I was able to finish the set. So yeah, I look forward to buying Target's cars a bit more than Walmart's. That said, I'm now the proud owner of not one, not two, but three Purple Passion Woodys in green with red detailing. Grumble, grumble, grumble. "Ho-ho-ho," indeed.

Organized Confusion

On Saturday, September 18, 2010, I attended my very first Kmart Hot Wheels Collectors' Event. Not many things could inspire me to drag my perpetually late self out of bed after only two hours of sleep with enough time to make a 9am start, but this was one of them. I was fairly anxious, wondering what to expect, though I had read about a previous year's event online. It all sounded simple enough, but I was worried that a lot of people would show up before me. If that was the case, I might not get the opportunity to experience the ultimate thrill -- going through an unopened case of Hot Wheels direct from the manufacturer. The information I read had suggested getting to the store fifteen minutes early, just to be sure. As I approached the store, I looked at the clock in my car and frowned. 8:50. Geesh, I'd be late to my own funeral. Then I saw them -- more cars in Kmart's parking lot than I had seen in years. Trying to remain optimistic, I told myself that most of them were probably just there to shop in the other departments. Before the store had actually opened. Because they had to work later in the day. On a Saturday. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Since it wasn't 9am yet, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wait for the doors to open or what, but as it turned out, a couple walked in directly ahead of me. I followed them back to the toy department where a crowd had already gathered. It was then that I noticed things weren't going to be quite like the account I had read. Five large boxes were stacked up behind two long tables, and a woman who had clearly done all of this before was standing beside them handing out raffle tickets. So there was to be a drawing. There was still hope. I glanced briefly at a rule sheet that was provided specifically for novices like myself after overhearing someone else reading from it aloud. Each person whose name was drawn would be allowed exclusive access for five minutes to one of the small cartons contained within the larger ones and would be permitted to select -- without any outside guidance -- no more than five vehicles from it. Then the remaining content of the boxes would be dumped into bins. Once all the cartons had been rummaged through, it would be open season on the bins. But first there was to be a drawing for five 2010 Hot Wheels posters. "Wow," I thought, "Wouldn't it be perfect if I won one of those?" And sure enough, I did. Mine was the first name called. I suppose it helped that the woman who selected the winners just grabbed a handful of tickets off the top. This was getting off to a great start. Except for one thing. I soon realized that when they drew my name, they buried the stub upon returning it to the pile. Wonderful. I was happy about getting the poster, but I didn't want it at the expense of missing out on the cartons. And many of the other people were there in pairs, so they were effectively getting two shots at them. Things were beginning to look pretty bleak. At least I got a ticket. One couple arrived a few minutes after 9am and was turned away.

As I cleared a spot beside some clearance water toys to sit down and wait, I noticed that there was only one young boy participating. This was partly because only adult collectors would be crazy enough to drag themselves downtown this early on a Saturday morning. There's hardcore, and then there's hardcore. But I also noticed that the boy didn't have the same focus that his counterparts had. "Ooooooo! Cool!" he'd coo over the most mundane of vehicles before taking a lengthy pause to admire it and show it off to his mother, who was standing nearby. Then he'd look at the next car in the box and repeat the process. At least he was easy to please.

Finally it came down to the last round of cartons. They were bringing them out in groups of eight, and there were seven rounds for a grand total of 56. I was the 55th name drawn. Happy once more, I quickly laid claim to a box. It didn't matter when my name was drawn, so long as it was drawn. Each carton had an equal chance of containing the cars I wanted. My only concern was getting through the whole box and making up my mind on five cars before time was up. I'm not exactly known for making fast decisions. Fortunately, I've had some practice going through Hot Wheels displays. I began pulling out cars at a glance and setting them aside. No time to compare paint. I had work to do. That part went well enough. Only at the very end when I realized that everyone else was finished and I had a pile of eight cars did I begin to panic. Which ones to put back? Some of the keepers were obvious -- the lime green "Treasure Hunts" '69 Ford Mustang, the 2011 new release of a '69 Ford Torino Talladega, and a black and orange "Kmart Exclusive" Olds 442. Beyond that, my brain froze up. I wound up grabbing the 24/Seven and Circle Tracker, probably because they were the most colorful, and threw the rest back in the box. Fortunately, I chose well. A large number of the cars I had given up were still available in the bins afterwards, but unfortunately, I forgot one of them -- the black Porche 911 GT2. I did see it in the bins, but it didn't register at the time. Meanwhile, I couldn't figure out why I only had seven cars selected instead of the eight I remembered. I suppose it was a wonder I didn't get confused earlier, as tired as I was. I wound up grabbing a 2009 leftover model I had previously spotted in their existing display and heading to the checkout, free poster in tow. All in all, it was a really great time. I even had a good laugh when the crowd let out a collective gasp upon seeing an employee attempt to crush one of the empty cardboard boxes. Apparently to collectors, even the cartons in which the Hot Wheels are shipped to the store are sacred. Like I said, hardcore.