One of the major toy distributors in my area just made a fatal mistake, or so I like to think. They realized what Hot Wheels scalpers were doing and started copying their moves. Now, every other cool collectible coming from El Segundo costs twice or even three times as much as it should.
I’m talking as much as $25 for a simple Car Culture or Boulevard release. They’re charging RLC money for the Premium category. In a way, it has been an effective move against scalpers that just bought every single Ferrari in stock the moment it went live on the website.
But it also alienated the entire community at once, as no one is willing to pay those prices. Sure, they will still sell a few, as other online stores have allowed private users to list items like these for ridiculous prices ($200 for a Team Transport set that is easily available everywhere else for less than $20).
People in our groups are asking for a complete boycott of the store, and I’m certainly curious to see how things pan out. I haven’t bought anything from them in months, as you can always talk to another enthusiast and get a good price for the cars you’re looking for. Just wait and see my German and Italian focused unboxings coming up over the next few weeks.
If I were to try and identify the moment that this situation started, it might be the time when the first Premium Fast and Furious sets for 2026 started arriving. That’s because Mattel thought it would be a good idea to include “Chase” models in these sets: the RX-7, the Eclipse, the Supra and the Dodge Charger R/T.
While some collectors seem to be fed up with the Fast & Furious, the diecast manufacturer hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. In all honesty, the only car we still want to see is Han’s RX-7, but it should all stop there.
We’ve had enough, especially when series like Initial D or Wangan Midnight haven’t received any sort of similar attention (not from Mattel anyway). Even though I’m complaining about it just as much as other friends of mine are, I’ve still seen some interest from people who are just starting in the hobby.
And that might be precisely the company’s plan. Here is the Fast & Furious: Silver Anniversary Series, a slightly confusing take on the saga. It’s probably the third “remix” we’ve seen, after Fast Rewind (Premium/2019) and Graphic Remix (Silver/2025). We also have the R34 GT-R and the Supra MK IV to think of, but those appeared in separate sets.
And I might be forgetting something here, but I’m sure you’ll mention it in the comments if I did. Anyway, given this new Silver Series set is here to celebrate the first movie’s 25th anniversary, it makes perfect sense that all the vehicles inside are from that production. Just by looking at the Eclipse, Supra and RX-7, you get a feeling that someone’s printer ran out of color ink.
And I know what you’re thinking about: which one of these will be the most sought after? The answer is simple: the one with the metal base. As far as I know, that means the 1993 Civic Coupe EX EJ1 and the 1995 Eclipse will be the first to fly off the pegs.
We’ve had plenty of variations for the Mitsubishi so far but have only seen one other Honda before. I would love to showcase some of the reactions I spotted on Facebook and Instagram, but I suggest you get a bag of popcorn and read them yourselves.