I wish Minis were this quality (Cars Minis)

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I noticed this pack of Cars "Minis" at the shelf next to Thomas minis. They are similarly priced, but the quality is much better.
I wish FP/Mattel would start making better minis. If they really can produce these and sell at same price as plastic Thomas Minis, either they should drop the Minis price or up the quality. These metal Cars minis look like true collectors items.


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I've been collecting these for a good 18 months now, they are superb little toys, great for kids and very detailed so great for collectors also. The only problem I have in the UK is they are not so easily available. I need some of the 3 packs like you have there but can't get them here...
Happily collecting things all my life... Big Grin
Hey Nigels, I'd be happy to pick them up and mail them to you, but I know postage might kill the savings.
Let me know. Smile
That seems like a funny statement, because part of the reason I was attracted to the Thomas Minis in the first place was that they were of such superior quality compared to all the other mini lines out there! Compared to the molded plastic toys, they had such great details and color, they felt solid and they rolled well. The Thomas minis were also at the cheap end of the minis spectrum!
Hi Drew,
I felt the same way because we were used to seeing larger wooden or trackmaster thomas trains, and holding these tiny trains in our palms with near-identical detail was a great experience, and it was a perfect opportunity to start collecting something from inception.

It seems like they can manage to keep the similar price for more detailed Cars minis, maybe they should bring back the weight plates in our minis at least. I wonder if we would have the same reaction to the minis if they were released without weights in the beginning.
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  • drewbenn
I probably wouldn't have gotten into the minis if they didn't have the weights. I think that "feel" in my hand was a lot of why I liked them.
I totally agree with you guys, when the first mini's hit the market I figured they were pretty expensive for blind bags, but at least they felt quality. So when the removed the weights in 2017 and the bodies 'fit' seemed to go west as well I just stopped collecting after buying some of the first wave. To be honest I've only got back into them after doing some 'finding' to help Sunhuntin fill some holes in the collection and seeing some of the new liveries just couldn't resist. But it still wrankles as when they took the weights out they had also put the price up (at least they did in the UK).

One thing I'm going to look at is getting some after market weights and fit them myself, I know they can be got as I bought some intended for HO/OO gauge trains to go in some full size PlaRail trains that needed a bit of extra weight. They were not too expensive either, I just need to source the correct size for a mini Smile

@Pablo if you could get some of the cars for me I'd be very grateful, I'll have to PM you what it is I'm after. I appreciate the postage costs will be quite high relatively speaking, but to get models I just either can't get or have to pay extortionate prices for on eBay in the UK it would be worth it Smile

The curious thing is with the cars is, I don't know if you are aware, but the weight of the models is not down to internal weights like the thomas minis, its because the body shells are actually metal so they are more like a mini hot wheels car. I have heard some people complain about it as they reckon the paint flakes too easily, but I can't say I've had any problems like that with mine Smile
Happily collecting things all my life... Big Grin
Nigels, no problem for me to pick them up. Send me what to look for, if they have series codes stamped on the back like thomas blister packs.
Do you have an affordable source for minis weights? I would love to buy them in bulk and fit them in rest of the un-weighted minis.
Hi Pablo,

The blind packs do have codes on them, but they tend to be unreliable.  What they do is every now and again release a new wave and take out a few models and add new ones in, but they re-use/shake-up the pack codes as well so unless you know what wave it is you can't tell what the model is.  Add to this the packs don't have a wave number on them and well you see the problem Smile

I've now got most of the blind pack issues (there's still a few I'm missing), what I tend to be missing big time are some of the models out of the 3 packs, especially as each 3 pack has a 'first seen here' model.  That's not to say that they won't re-release them in a future wave of blind packs, but there are no guarantees.  Ones I would especially like are things like the 'oil tanker', 'school bus' and similar oddities which have appeared as specials on the 3 packs.

Just for info and to share with our buddies what they are missing out by not investigating these here's pics of my current collection;

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You'll notice there looks at first glance duplicates of some characters, but that's because some characters have been released with different liveries, different colours or in standard and metalic versions.

In terms of size, they are pretty much on a par with Thomas mini's, maybe a little shorter, but also a little wider, but fundamentally comparable in size.  But in terms of weight they are maybe double or more when comparing with one of the older weighted thomas mini's and are made of metal much like the older hot wheels cars used to be.  They also roll very easily like hot wheels Smile

I'll see if I can find examples of the 3 packs I'm missing and post them here.  How much generally are the 3 packs in your neck of the woods Pablo?
Happily collecting things all my life... Big Grin
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I'd be interested in getting some to use the wheels for hotwheels and matchbox customs, they look like a very high quality item from the pics.
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