Did you see that Matchbox announced the Superfast 50th Anniversary Target Exclusives?

October 18, 2018

It appears that this year’s Matchbox Sapphire Gems were a hit. A special subset of four models mixed into the basic range throughout the year. Not necessarily chase models, but hard to fine nonetheless.

Well Matchbox is running with something similar in 2019. 2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of Superfast, and Matchbox is celebrating, with Target to be exact. When Designer Abe Lugo was in Germany last weekend at the European Gathering of Friends, he unveiled the whole line of 6 50th Superfast models, all in gold, and all looking beautiful. You can see them, along with Abe’s explanation, at about the 6-minute mark.

I have three sent to me by Mattel, and will preview them soon, and they are quite pretty. Nice to hear the models that need VUM (chrome) are getting them, and that the 6×6 will be the more-premium version with interior.

Of course that is not all the Superfast in 2019. A new premium opening parts set is coming as well. “Superfast” is still the coolest term that has come from Matchbox, and it is nice to see it back.

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15 responses to “Did you see that Matchbox announced the Superfast 50th Anniversary Target Exclusives?”

Aaron V
October 18, 2018
I’m still waiting for Oklahoma City area Targets to stock cases that might include the Sapphire Gems. Outside of a couple of 5 packs, I haven’t seen any new Matchbox since early April. The last few times Target stocked anything half the cars didn’t even have the 65th Anniversary logo.

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Jon Mower
October 18, 2018
“It appears that this year’s Matchbox Sapphire Gems were a hit.” Really with whom, i know many people in the good ole US of A that have never seen any, and in the UK, forget it, getting new models of any variety is a rare as hens teeth, and all the promises about getting distribution sorted, just smacks of lies, because nowhere within a 60 mile radius of my home has anything matchbox, even the massive ASDA stores are just restocking with cases from teh start of the year, and thats a joke, at the end of the day it is hurting Mattel’s bottom line, but they dont seem to be caring about that, in fact unless you are in the USA, they dont seem to care at all – At least with Majorette you can buy the models direct from them, i know, i just spent a small fortune on them, why can’t Mattel do the same, they would make far far more money if they did that – but they clearly have too much money already to worry about having more.

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1. Amc
  October 26, 2018
  Jon mower, as above mentioned…… 99p premium 2018, home bargains. Old TRU stock? V good…
  
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Sonorous Black
October 18, 2018
“Not necessarily chase models, but hard to fine nonetheless.”

All licensed matchbox are “hard to find.”

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1. Speedeeone
  October 19, 2018
  You win Post of the Day! Brief, but says it all.
  
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Tran
October 18, 2018
I like matchbox but man it’s hard to fibd new stuff. Expect to see these new models to actually show up in stores half a year from release date. And the only indication that they were ever stocked will be when you see the fantasy peg warmers from that case still on the pegs. Worse distribution ever.

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Amc
October 18, 2018
As ever nothing to TARGET UK. Everything USA … Happy 65th, from home where every matchbox was made to be a chase model…….there is life over trumps wall!….65th For UK Exhibition Mbx.. FUKEM……show.

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Bert Vols
October 18, 2018
I hope we’ll find them in Belgium some day. And when you find Matchbox, they are 2-3 years old stuff!!

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Zach Charles Regalus Schuller
October 18, 2018
“I love goooooooolllllllllllllllddddddddddddd!”

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Peter Szog
October 18, 2018
I haven’t seen any sapphires ANYWHERE!!!! Again Target???? really? no one in that board room had the backbone to stand up and say “Why are we giving a line like this to a retailer that is not even going to give us a time of day with the regular line?” FRICKING BRILLIANT!!!!! The fact that last years models I had to buy from the dollar tree because no one stocked them. What is next? Oh yeah let’s do a line with Sears!!!!!! All the Brits are complaining and it ain’t much better here and I’m only 3 states away from California.

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Rob
October 19, 2018
I don’t have a problem with it…but do you think there should be a requirement that states that target has to have more than three pegs of cars and to keep them stocked.. I’ve seen a store have empty pegs for 3 months

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YaBoii
October 19, 2018
LMAO! “Sapphire gems were a hit.” Really? With whom? Many of the Targets here never seen those cases. And I live in SoCal. There is an active diecast community here. I wouldn’t call something a “hit” when no one is able to acquire it.

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Jefferson B Young
October 21, 2018
I found the first “Sapphire Gem” before I knew the series existed….the VW Golf….and haven’t seen a single one of the others since. The Targets near me have not restocked Matchbox singles, let alone multipacks, more than once since that day, as far as my weekly visits suggest. It’s a good thing there are only 4 in the series (I thought there were supposed to be 5, but the Jag in the 5-pack (a ‘false’ “Gem” as it turned out) wasn’t actually a part of the series)….that way, most of us aren’t ‘missing’ much if we never see another one.

Like most of the others commenting, I have little faith I’ll see more than one of this new “Target Exclusive” series, if I’m even that lucky. And I live in the “most isolated state capitol in the lower 48 US States”….where apparently our only saving grace is the Interstate Highway linking us to Portland, OR in the west, and Salt Lake City to our southeast, meaning I have the good fortune of finding almost every new mainline release in stores within a couple miles of my house…and it seems miraculous they show up here while many claim to never see them in their stores…(besides, I already have a “gold” Seagrave classic fire engine….it was 1 of 400 German exclusives for a European convention…so a “gold” version isn’t “new”….). I guess that means I won’t ‘miss’ this series if I never see it…

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Cho
November 8, 2018
MATCHBOX,MATTEL & TARGET has the worst logistics! As for Wal-Mart they aren’t any better. Here in the 614 Central Ohio HELP!!!! I refuse to pay 3.00 to 5.00 for a .97 casting. I can hope to find later in 2019 at Dollar Store or maybe Five Below or maybe a bunch will show up because of the holidays,only if I bet the “eBay Pirates”.

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Dom
November 13, 2018
Let me guess, Target would still be too lazy to restock them on the pegs and completely forget about them

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