Photo: Mattel
I think one of the major problems of the modern world is that we care too much about ourselves and too little about everyone else around us. Individualism does nothing for the development of humankind as a species. It only deepens our problems.
In the past few weeks, I've heard more and more Hot Wheels collectors complaining about Mattel's marketing decisions. It's worse than the usual "I couldn't buy that RLC-limited item because of scalpers." People who have grown up with the brand and love its products tend to lose sight of the fact that we are talking about a company here.
And a company's main objective is to turn a profit. Its employees could be passionate about the topic, but they're just a cog in an infinitely complex system that will try to decrease costs while increasing income.
The whole story reminds me of a scene from Down to Earth. Chris Rock, aka Charles Wellington III, walks into a board meeting advocating against corporate greed. Noting, "So what if we lose a few million dollars?" all the bigwigs are shocked at his words and then plot against him. If this topic felt humorous over 20 years ago, it's starting to become grimmer by the day.
Companies around the world are seeing record profits each year while people struggle with poverty. So naturally, they decide to increase prices and furiously seek bigger earnings to the detriment of the little man.
Now, I'm pretty much an atheist, but I know that there are a lot of passages in the Bible that condemn greed. There are mixed feelings in the Hot Wheels community about the NFT Garage, which almost feels like gambling. Then, people became annoyed by the shipping issues. Suddenly, Mattel decided only to ship RLC products to the US and maybe a few other big countries.
That left thousands, if not tens of thousands, of devoted fans with a bitter taste. I haven't renewed my RLC Membership, but I've observed how some of them complained about paying the $9.99 a year fee and being unable to use it.
People were already frustrated that even with this membership, they couldn't always get access to the Red Line Club exclusive items they desired because of scalpers and bots. It has been a real problem recently, and members have been demanding a solution. RLC items used to come out in limited production numbers of up to 30,000 units. Now, we don't even have that to be enthusiastic about.
And still, most of the good stuff sold out within minutes of going live. You'll see RLC cars for sale on eBay days before Mattel lists them on its website. That can mean two things: either all those listings are fake, or you're dealing with scammers. Some might be real, and those people are 100% sure they'll get their orders somehow.
Meanwhile, most collectors who love the brand are always anxious they might miss out on the upcoming launch. Now, Mattel seems to have come up with a solution. The Red Line Club Overdrive guarantees you will have access to any of the forthcoming RLC-exclusive items throughout the year. The program starts on March 15, 2024, at 9 AM PT; the limit is set at one membership per user. Getting access to it costs $99. Now, please excuse me if this sounds snarky. Is this a membership that allows you to use your existing membership?
This offer is open to US residents. Pay attention to the fine print before you become overly excited about the deal. You will still need to pay for every RLC item you buy. Shipping costs still apply, too. You're paying $99 to ensure you don't miss out on products. That would have made sense if we had numbered items.
But if Mattel can just make as many units as it wants, couldn't it have done that from the beginning to avoid situations like these? But let's look at the whole thing from a mathematical standpoint. The diecast manufacturer usually releases about 20 RLC items per year. You could miss out on some or all of them, depending on how lucky you are.
Any $25 RLC-exclusive vehicle will sell for at least $40 to $50 on eBay, but it can also be a lot more expensive than that. Paying an extra $15 to $25 per item for 15 collectibles adds up to $300 to $500. So, at least on paper, opting for the Overdrive package could save you as much as $400 (minus the $9.99 you're paying for the initial membership). Everything would have been even better if the Treasure Sets had been part of the program, too, but I doubt that would be the case. With all that in mind, Hot Wheels enthusiasts are taking to Reddit and Facebook to express their thoughts about Mattel's new move.
And I can't help but wonder if anyone from El Segundo is even paying attention to the community anymore. A trending topic these days starts like this: "Mattel thinks we are a joke now." Another user pointed out that people buying into the Overdrive membership could escalate the problem: "Next, you're going to need a Hyperdrive account to guarantee the purchase of Overdrive." Others would have enjoyed the idea if it had also guaranteed free shipping or reduced costs. Naturally, all these discussions mainly lead to talks about other options on the market.
Hot Wheels enthusiasts are fed up with the hype and are moving to brands like Kaido House, Mini GT, Inno64, Pop Race, Tarmac Works, and Tomica. Losing hundreds or thousands of customers might sound like a big deal, but it's not if you already have hundreds of millions of them. I've also encountered collectors who are very happy about the new system and believe it will yield good results. Overdrive memberships won't come in an unlimited supply, and around 10,000 people might benefit from the program. Only time will tell if this was a good strategy, so I'll keep an eye out for further updates to share with you.
And a company's main objective is to turn a profit. Its employees could be passionate about the topic, but they're just a cog in an infinitely complex system that will try to decrease costs while increasing income.
The whole story reminds me of a scene from Down to Earth. Chris Rock, aka Charles Wellington III, walks into a board meeting advocating against corporate greed. Noting, "So what if we lose a few million dollars?" all the bigwigs are shocked at his words and then plot against him. If this topic felt humorous over 20 years ago, it's starting to become grimmer by the day.
Companies around the world are seeing record profits each year while people struggle with poverty. So naturally, they decide to increase prices and furiously seek bigger earnings to the detriment of the little man.
Now, I'm pretty much an atheist, but I know that there are a lot of passages in the Bible that condemn greed. There are mixed feelings in the Hot Wheels community about the NFT Garage, which almost feels like gambling. Then, people became annoyed by the shipping issues. Suddenly, Mattel decided only to ship RLC products to the US and maybe a few other big countries.
That left thousands, if not tens of thousands, of devoted fans with a bitter taste. I haven't renewed my RLC Membership, but I've observed how some of them complained about paying the $9.99 a year fee and being unable to use it.
People were already frustrated that even with this membership, they couldn't always get access to the Red Line Club exclusive items they desired because of scalpers and bots. It has been a real problem recently, and members have been demanding a solution. RLC items used to come out in limited production numbers of up to 30,000 units. Now, we don't even have that to be enthusiastic about.
And still, most of the good stuff sold out within minutes of going live. You'll see RLC cars for sale on eBay days before Mattel lists them on its website. That can mean two things: either all those listings are fake, or you're dealing with scammers. Some might be real, and those people are 100% sure they'll get their orders somehow.
Meanwhile, most collectors who love the brand are always anxious they might miss out on the upcoming launch. Now, Mattel seems to have come up with a solution. The Red Line Club Overdrive guarantees you will have access to any of the forthcoming RLC-exclusive items throughout the year. The program starts on March 15, 2024, at 9 AM PT; the limit is set at one membership per user. Getting access to it costs $99. Now, please excuse me if this sounds snarky. Is this a membership that allows you to use your existing membership?
This offer is open to US residents. Pay attention to the fine print before you become overly excited about the deal. You will still need to pay for every RLC item you buy. Shipping costs still apply, too. You're paying $99 to ensure you don't miss out on products. That would have made sense if we had numbered items.
But if Mattel can just make as many units as it wants, couldn't it have done that from the beginning to avoid situations like these? But let's look at the whole thing from a mathematical standpoint. The diecast manufacturer usually releases about 20 RLC items per year. You could miss out on some or all of them, depending on how lucky you are.
Any $25 RLC-exclusive vehicle will sell for at least $40 to $50 on eBay, but it can also be a lot more expensive than that. Paying an extra $15 to $25 per item for 15 collectibles adds up to $300 to $500. So, at least on paper, opting for the Overdrive package could save you as much as $400 (minus the $9.99 you're paying for the initial membership). Everything would have been even better if the Treasure Sets had been part of the program, too, but I doubt that would be the case. With all that in mind, Hot Wheels enthusiasts are taking to Reddit and Facebook to express their thoughts about Mattel's new move.
And I can't help but wonder if anyone from El Segundo is even paying attention to the community anymore. A trending topic these days starts like this: "Mattel thinks we are a joke now." Another user pointed out that people buying into the Overdrive membership could escalate the problem: "Next, you're going to need a Hyperdrive account to guarantee the purchase of Overdrive." Others would have enjoyed the idea if it had also guaranteed free shipping or reduced costs. Naturally, all these discussions mainly lead to talks about other options on the market.
Hot Wheels enthusiasts are fed up with the hype and are moving to brands like Kaido House, Mini GT, Inno64, Pop Race, Tarmac Works, and Tomica. Losing hundreds or thousands of customers might sound like a big deal, but it's not if you already have hundreds of millions of them. I've also encountered collectors who are very happy about the new system and believe it will yield good results. Overdrive memberships won't come in an unlimited supply, and around 10,000 people might benefit from the program. Only time will tell if this was a good strategy, so I'll keep an eye out for further updates to share with you.
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