Time to update my 2014 Super Treasure Hunt Experiment.
To refresh your memory, I am trying to see how many of the 15 Super TH's of 2014 I can find on the pegs. And by pegs, I mean on the pegs, in a sidekick, in a dump bin, or a Kmart Kdays case. Basically in store and not on a pallet. And without doorwarming or overnight raiding.
Can I walk into a store in the middle of the day and leave with a Super TH?
Well, I am 4 for 4*.
And yes, that is an asterisk. Why, because I am technically 4 for 6. With the Gasser earlier this month, 6 Super TH's have been released in 2014. I have now found the first four, in order. That makes 4 for the first 4, with the '07 Mustang and '55 Gasser still to find. And who knows if I will.
Here is how my latest find went down, as described on HWC:
4. 1971 Mustang Mach 1
We bypass several other stores to get to this one, but their produce and meats are second to none, they try to stay as local as they can, and their prepared foods are fantastic. But I have never gone there for Hot Wheels. From what I have seen they stock about a half-case of Hot Wheels in a small toy section once a year around Christmas.
So I was a bit shocked to see a four-sided peg tree in the seasonal aisle full of Matchbox and Hot Wheels. I decided to check, and quickly came across a Speedbox Regular TH. I left it, but wondered if that was a sign that these may not have been raided. There were some models that had fallen to the ground, but that could have been a kid's doing.
Sure enough, about halfway through one of the sides, something caught my eye:
Let me look closer:
The '71 Mustang Super. My fourth Super for 2014.
So of course I would keep looking. And there, at the bottom of the next side, hanging above some models that had fallen to the ground:
A second Mustang Super. My first multiple Super find of 2014, and at 5pm on a Saturday to boot. Harmon's may not stock again for another year, but how cool was it that my favorite grocery store gave me a little surprise?
After three Walmart finds in 2014, it is nice to find something in an upscale grocery store.
So add the Mach 1 to these three:
1. Chevy Opala SS:
Found in October at a rural Walmart in a sidekick at about 11:30 am. This town has a crazy collector scene, as told to me by the Kmart toy manager, who said she dreads Kmart Days because of the large number of collectors, and how they behave. This was the first time I have encountered a Super in this town, and I think it was because the sidekick was placed in an odd place in the toy section. It was on an endcap, but was placed way too high. The bottom row of the sidekick was at my eye-level, and I am six-feet-tall. I was able to reach up to the second row from the top, and pulled the Opala (photo taken in my car afterwards):
2. Sandblaster:
Found in November at a Walmart close to my house. I have had success at this store before (3 previous Supers, plus the Fast & Furious Mustang), mainly because the toy manager stocks the Hot Wheels at different times during the day. His night staff is instructed to keep the Hot Wheels off the floor overnight, and he stocks them the next day. I found the Sandblaster on some endcap pegs at about 5 pm. I saw the manager soon after and he told me he had pegged one case about 3 hours before, so that is as long as it hung:
How I found it:
Moved to the front of the pegs:
3. 2013 Hot Wheels Chevy Camaro Special Edition:
Found mid-December at a Walmart in a suburb about 30 minutes from my house, at about 3 pm. This Walmart sits right in the middle of typical urban sprawl, which means a lot of young families, and a very busy store and toy section. Especially during the holidays, the staff is constantly roaming the toy section cleaning up and keeping the pegs full. There was a dump bin around the corner overflowing with several batches, but it appeared well-picked-over. It is clear, based on the look of the pegs, that someone had recently filled some gaps with all or part of a case, and the Camaro was right out in front:
How I found it:
And placed next to the Fangster Regular TH I left behind:
What do you think, can I go 15 for 15?
We would love to see your mid-day luck. Please be sure to share with us on Facebook, Twitter, or on Instagram (hashtag #lamleyfinds).
2. Sandblaster:
Found in November at a Walmart close to my house. I have had success at this store before (3 previous Supers, plus the Fast & Furious Mustang), mainly because the toy manager stocks the Hot Wheels at different times during the day. His night staff is instructed to keep the Hot Wheels off the floor overnight, and he stocks them the next day. I found the Sandblaster on some endcap pegs at about 5 pm. I saw the manager soon after and he told me he had pegged one case about 3 hours before, so that is as long as it hung:
How I found it:
Moved to the front of the pegs:
3. 2013 Hot Wheels Chevy Camaro Special Edition:
Found mid-December at a Walmart in a suburb about 30 minutes from my house, at about 3 pm. This Walmart sits right in the middle of typical urban sprawl, which means a lot of young families, and a very busy store and toy section. Especially during the holidays, the staff is constantly roaming the toy section cleaning up and keeping the pegs full. There was a dump bin around the corner overflowing with several batches, but it appeared well-picked-over. It is clear, based on the look of the pegs, that someone had recently filled some gaps with all or part of a case, and the Camaro was right out in front:
How I found it:
And placed next to the Fangster Regular TH I left behind:
What do you think, can I go 15 for 15?
We would love to see your mid-day luck. Please be sure to share with us on Facebook, Twitter, or on Instagram (hashtag #lamleyfinds).
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