5 ms·

We have hot wheels from my brother-in-law’s childhood and the cars made ~30 years ago are much higher quality. All metal, better axels, just feel more hefty. Th

We have hot wheels from my brother-in-law’s childhood and the cars made ~30 years ago are much higher quality. All metal, better axels, just feel more hefty. The new ones are mostly plastic and the axels are like cheap paper clips. They weigh significantly less. I see this as an example of “shrinkflation” - ostensibly it’s the same product at the same price, but it’s clear that inflation has caused it to become shittier over time.

spking 4y ago
That's for sure. My kiddos play with my old childhood Fisher Price and Mattel toys from the late 1970s/early 1980s and they are still in great condition despite decades of abuse. They really were built to last compared to the cheap instant landfill fodder that lines store shelves today.
spike021 4y ago
If you want similar toys that are higher quality, I highly recommend Japanese Tomica. They also usually have doors that open. Loads of variety. I believe in the US you can now buy them at Walmart, but they're not too difficult to order from Amazon JP either (just make a new Amazon account with your same or different email as the US or wherever account and confirm the seller ships globally).
- Aeolun 4y ago
  Tomica is also 4 times more expensive. If you want really high quality there’s even nicer german brands (Siku), with rubber wheels and all. All made in China though :/
  - spike021 4y ago
    As is usual, price to quality (to enjoyment factor) ratio. These days as I'm older and collect more sparingly, I prefer quality over quantity and the price evens out. But if you're just buying for kids to have a ton of cars then hot wheels are probably still the option.
    - Aeolun 4y ago
      Eh, it adds up. One car a month for 2-4 years means you have 24 cars spread throughout the house.
      - bombcar 4y ago
        And if you keep an eye out at Goodwill you can find them mixed together in a grab bag now and then for cheap.
tablespoon 4y ago
> I see this as an example of “shrinkflation” - ostensibly it’s the same product at the same price, but it’s clear that inflation has caused it to become shittier over time. Came here to say the same thing, and the trend was even noticeable in the 90s. I can't even imagine how flimsy they must be now -- probably even worse than a 90s cereal box prize car.
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 4y ago
  This is pretty evident across the board. I loved my toys as a child so i kept a lot of them. Plastic was way better. The one they have now is super shitty. I go to toys r us and I am disappointed constantly. I'm ready to pay a decent price, there is just nothing worth (beside lego probably)
  - kmlx 4y ago
    if you want great toys i recommend shops that stock old toys. they of course come at a premium, but the quality is generally much better. places like mandarake in tokyo come to mind, but there are many out there.
    - Fire-Dragon-DoL 4y ago
      Anything around Canada (or north america)? Does mandarake ship to Canada?
    - Fire-Dragon-DoL 4y ago
      I used to play a lot with the power ranger mechas and those made from Bandai are incredible quality, unless you are up for the modern metal ones, but those cost SO much.
  - hackyhacky 4y ago
    Modern Transformers are amazing. Way better than in the '80s. You have to buy the collector-targeted stuff, though. The current line is called Legacy. If you are willing to pay, the Masterpiece line is also excellent, and there are fantastic third-party transformers as well: these have lots of metal, ratcheting joints, complex transformations, and usually cost over $100, up to $300. I will plug https://tfsource.com/ https://tfsource.com/ Avoid the kiddie-oriented lines (Cyberverse) and the mass-market lines (usually co-marketed with the most recent movie).

spking 4y ago

That's for sure. My kiddos play with my old childhood Fisher Price and Mattel toys from the late 1970s/early 1980s and they are still in great condition despite decades of abuse. They really were built to last compared to the cheap instant landfill fodder that lines store shelves today.

spike021 4y ago

If you want similar toys that are higher quality, I highly recommend Japanese Tomica. They also usually have doors that open. Loads of variety. I believe in the US you can now buy them at Walmart, but they're not too difficult to order from Amazon JP either (just make a new Amazon account with your same or different email as the US or wherever account and confirm the seller ships globally).

Aeolun 4y ago
Tomica is also 4 times more expensive. If you want really high quality there’s even nicer german brands (Siku), with rubber wheels and all. All made in China though :/
- spike021 4y ago
  As is usual, price to quality (to enjoyment factor) ratio. These days as I'm older and collect more sparingly, I prefer quality over quantity and the price evens out. But if you're just buying for kids to have a ton of cars then hot wheels are probably still the option.
  - Aeolun 4y ago
    Eh, it adds up. One car a month for 2-4 years means you have 24 cars spread throughout the house.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      And if you keep an eye out at Goodwill you can find them mixed together in a grab bag now and then for cheap.

tablespoon 4y ago

> I see this as an example of “shrinkflation” - ostensibly it’s the same product at the same price, but it’s clear that inflation has caused it to become shittier over time. Came here to say the same thing, and the trend was even noticeable in the 90s. I can't even imagine how flimsy they must be now -- probably even worse than a 90s cereal box prize car.

Fire-Dragon-DoL 4y ago
This is pretty evident across the board. I loved my toys as a child so i kept a lot of them. Plastic was way better. The one they have now is super shitty. I go to toys r us and I am disappointed constantly. I'm ready to pay a decent price, there is just nothing worth (beside lego probably)
- kmlx 4y ago
  if you want great toys i recommend shops that stock old toys. they of course come at a premium, but the quality is generally much better. places like mandarake in tokyo come to mind, but there are many out there.
  - Fire-Dragon-DoL 4y ago
    Anything around Canada (or north america)? Does mandarake ship to Canada?
  - Fire-Dragon-DoL 4y ago
    I used to play a lot with the power ranger mechas and those made from Bandai are incredible quality, unless you are up for the modern metal ones, but those cost SO much.
- hackyhacky 4y ago
  Modern Transformers are amazing. Way better than in the '80s. You have to buy the collector-targeted stuff, though. The current line is called Legacy. If you are willing to pay, the Masterpiece line is also excellent, and there are fantastic third-party transformers as well: these have lots of metal, ratcheting joints, complex transformations, and usually cost over $100, up to $300. I will plug https://tfsource.com/ https://tfsource.com/ Avoid the kiddie-oriented lines (Cyberverse) and the mass-market lines (usually co-marketed with the most recent movie).