TDmonthly’s Top-10 Most-Wanted Die-Cast Vehicles

Siku Seizes the Lead

By Sivhour Sim
July 2008

With additional reporting by Sharri Hefner, Terri Hughes-Lazzell, Julie L. Jones, Alison Marek, Marie Raven and Brenda Ruggiero

Which die-cast vehicles are to-die-for? A TDmonthly Magazine survey of 55 specialty retailers revealed that public service vehicles, such as school buses, postal trucks, fire trucks, ambulances and police cars, are most popular. School buses were cited as a best-seller by 16 percent of the retailers, and the most-mentioned manufacturer was Siku, followed by Schylling, Toysmith, Bruder, RC2 Brands and EJ Enterprises.

Mercedes Atego with Crane by SIKU

This die-cast vehicle measures 10” x 4-1/2” x 2-1/4”. The vehicle’s crane is fully functional.
— “Construction cars by Siku,” Connie Hall, owner of The Three Bears in Ruidoso, N.M., told TDmonthly when asked to name the best-selling die-cast vehicle in her store. “We … sell maybe 50 per month.”
— “Siku makes some cool European cars, like Porches and Audis, and we probably sell about 40 to 50 of those per month,” Issac Gurock, head of operations at Magic Beans in Brookline, Mass., told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— Over 14 percent of 55 retailers singled out Siku vehicles as their best-selling die-cast. 6/9/2008 (Age: 5 and Up)

Die-Cast Pull-Back Bus by SCHYLLING

Children love the idea of having their own 8-1/2” school bus. This die-cast vehicle has a pull-back motor for pull-back-and-go action, as well as a working stop sign and swinging doors. "Schylling carries around 50 die-cast vehicles, and the large school bus is one of the best sellers," said Stephen Medina of Schylling Toys.
— “The top-selling die-cast is always the school bus, which is weird, because in any other category, school bus is always the least popular,” Diana Gisolfu, co-owner of Sisters Kids in Springfield, Mass. told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— “[Schylling’s] die-cast school bus,” Marilyn Walker, owner of Play Fair Toys in Boulder, Colo., told TDmonthly, when asked to name the best-selling die-cast in her store. “We sell hundreds each year.”
— Six of 34 retailers TDmonthly spoke with in spring 2007 agreed that Schylling is hot in die-cast. Nine of 55 specialty retailers who spoke with TDmonthly in May 2008 singled out school buses as their best-selling die-cast vehicles. 5/22/2007 (Price: $3.99; Age: 3 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Pull-Back Turbo Jet by TOYSMITH

Toysmith's Turbo Jet is a 7” die-cast plane with a powerful pull-back-and-go motor. The doors open and close for added fun. There are four passenger jets to choose from in this line.
— Six of 34 retailers TDmonthly spoke with in the spring of 2007 cited Toysmith products as their best-selling die-cast.
— “[We] sell about 100 of Toysmith’s [die-cast] planes each month,” Fred Rosenberg, owner of On the Park in Kingwood, Texas, told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— Five of 55 retailers TDmonthly spoke with in May 2008 cited Toysmith products as their best-selling die-cast. 5/22/2007 (Price: $4.98; Age: 4 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Mack Granite Dump Truck by BRUDER TOYS AMERICA INC.

Kids can tilt the cab forward to reveal a detailed replica of the engine, or incline the bed and snap it into place in an upright position. The vehicle features real tread tires, folding mirrors, doors that open and close and a back gate that opens. All of the Mack truck cabs are compatible with the implements designed for the front of the trucks, such as the mower and snowplow. The vehicle measures 25-4/5" L x 7-3/10" W x 10-4/5" H.
— “We're doing really well with Bruder …[especially] the big trucks and stuff. … We probably sell four a week,” Stacy Solie of Leapin' Lizards Toy Co. in Bend, Ore., told TDmonthly in May 2008. “They are consistent throughout the year ... we do very well with Bruder,” said Tye Steinbach of Thinker Toys in Portland, Ore., when asked about the stores’ best-selling die-cast vehicle.
— In May 2008, three of 55 retailers singled out Bruder die-cast trucks as the best-selling die-cast vehicles in their stores. Margy Peine, owner of Tree House Toy Shop in Cumberland, Md., told TDmonthly in October 2008 that her store sells about 12 Bruder trucks per month.
— Bruder trucks were named as top sellers at Piccolo Mondo Toys in Portland, Ore., by Owner Michelle Smith in December 2008. Bruder toys were on the top-seller list at Green Frog Toys in Portland, Ore., in spring 2009. “They’re sturdy and detailed,” said Patricia Fielder, owner of the shop. 6/9/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Die-Cast Supersonic Jets by SCHYLLING

The die-cast jet features pull-back motor action and a button that activates “take-off” sounds.
— “What does really well in die-cast are the Supersonic Jet Flyers from Schylling — they fly out the door,” Fran Anaya, owner of Golden Aspen Toys in Flagstaff, Ariz., told TDmonthly in spring 2008. “About a month ago, I ordered four boxes (six in each box) and I [already] have to reorder.”
— “My jet planes are my best ones,” echoed Janet Gregory, owner of Over the Rainbow Toy Store in Anchorage, Alaska. “[We sell] probably a dozen or so per month.”
— More than 9 percent of retailers who spoke with TDmonthly in May 2008 named die-cast vehicles by Schylling as their best-selling die-cast. Two of 49 retailers said in July 2009 that Supersonic Jets are their top-selling die-cast. 6/9/2008 (Price: $4.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

RC2 Brands ERTL – John Deere "G" Farm Tractor (1:16, Green) 15782 by TOY WONDERS INC.

This 1:16-scale, green die-cast collectible tractor measures about 8.75" long and is individually packed in a box measuring 10.75" L x 6.5" W x 6.25" H. A case pack includes four pieces. Launch date: September 10, 2007.
— Ray Goodhart, of Ages & Stages Toy Box in Golden, Colo., told TDmonthly that RC2 Brands die-cast vehicles are a best-seller in his store.
— Three of 55 retailers who spoke with TDmonthly in May 2008 named tractors as a best-seller in the die-cast vehicles category.
— In May 2008, two retailers singled out RC2 as the maker of their stores’ best-selling die-cast vehicle. 9/25/2007 (Price: $116.00; Age: 8 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Mail Truck by TOY WONDERS INC.

The postal truck measures approximately 4-1/2” in length and features pull back action. The die-cast metal truck is also designed with a U.S. Postal Service-style slide-away rear door. Launch date: October 19, 2007.
— “The mail vehicles are [our best seller]. … I guess a lot of kids see them,” Tara Friese, assistant manager at Tree Top Toys in Redmond, Wash., told TDmonthly, when asked about die-cast vehicles. “[If] we get 24 in …we'll have them for a week or two and then they're gone.”
— The “postal truck is a strong seller,” Linda Hill, owner of Emerald Isle Toys in Emerald Isle, N.C., told TDmonthly in May 2008, when asked to name the best-selling die-cast vehicle in her store.
— In May 2008, more than 27 percent of 55 retailers who spoke with TDmonthly named a public service vehicle as their best-selling die-cast vehicle. 10/26/2007 (Price: $6.99; Age: 8 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Die-Cast Fire Engines by SCHYLLING

The die-cast fire engine is modeled on a 1:43 scale. It comes in assorted styles and features pull-back motor action.
— “We sell a lot of … the little die-cast fire engines,” Bob and Mary Sisson, owners of Kazoodles in Vancouver, Wash., told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— “We sell a ton [of die-cast vehicles] — mostly Schylling,” Tyson Varney, manager of Playthings in Madison, Wis., told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— Two of 55 retailers singled out fire trucks as their best-selling die-cast vehicle. 6/9/2008 (Price: $4.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Die-Cast Ambulance by SCHYLLING

Be the first on the scene with the Die-Cast Ambulance from Schylling. It features a pull-back motor, has a length of 4-3/4", and comes in assorted styles.
— "Ambulances" from "Schylling" were among the hot-selling die-cast items in the store of Anna Barr, owner of Anna's Toy Depot in Austin, Texas.
— “Die-cast ambulance,” James Burdette told TDmonthly, when asked to name the best-selling die-cast vehicles in his store, LB Toys in Media, Pa. His store sells “five to six” each month.
— In May 2008, two of 55 retailers singled out emergency vehicles as their best-selling die-cast. 5/24/2007 (Price: $4.99; Age: 3 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Light & Sound Police – Rough Riders Monster Vehicle by EJ TOYS AND GIFTS

The 3-1/2” vehicle is modeled on a 1:64 scale. It features both die-cast and plastic parts, pull-back action, working suspension and real siren sounds.
— “My best die-cast vehicle would be school buses or police cars. … [We sell] maybe 10 to 15 of each … primarily from Schylling and EJ Enterprises,” Anna Barr, owner of Anna’s Toy Depot in Austin, Texas, told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— When TDmonthly spoke with 55 specialty retailers in May 2008, two singled-out police cars as their best-selling die-cast vehicle.
— It’s “a great toy for that boy with a vivid imagination,” Millie Szerman, a representative for EJ Enterprises, told TDmonthly in May 2008. 6/9/2008 (Price: $5.95; Age: 4 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]