Hot Wheels Proton Saga Special Edition is now officially available in stores throughout Malaysia. We already know that it is already heading into the market but it is only today that the official Hot Wheels Facebook page has confirmed its in-store availability.
Hot Wheels Proton Saga Special Edition Malaysia pricing
In terms of pricing, the Hot Wheels Proton Saga Special Edition is no different from any basic Hot Wheels model (also known as the Mainline model) out there. While certain retailers may sell it at slightly different prices but the standard price for a basic 1:64 Hot Wheels model is RM9.90.
Hot Wheels Proton Saga Special Edition vs Mainline release
Indeed, this is not the first release of Hot Wheels Proton Saga. The model was originally released last October via the Mainline path as part of the Compact Kings series.
However, the Special Edition comes with a different packaging which features a hand-drawn design by Saw Jane Harn from Penang. Her design was chosen through the Hot Wheels x Proton Kids Design Competition last year and she received the honour as the first kid in the world to have her artwork appear on a Hot Wheels packaging.
The design featured plenty of Malaysian elements such as our national flower, the hibiscus rosa-sinesis alongside a Malayan tiger, hornbill, Petronas Twin Towers, and National Monument. From what we know, this packaging is only available in Malaysia, unlike the Mainline version which can be obtained in overseas markets.
The model is supposed to be released only on 23 April
Mattel Malaysia was kind enough to send over a unit which has just arrived in our office today. Interestingly enough, the press note that accompanied the unit said that the Hot Wheels Proton Saga Special Edition will hit the shelves tomorrow, 23 April 2024.
Somehow, Mattel itself decided to jump the gun as the company not only announced that the model is now available in stores but has also been released through Mattel’s official online store on Lazada and Shopee at 7:00 PM today. That being said, several retailers have even released it much earlier.
For example, CU Malaysia announced the model’s availability on Friday, 19 April at all of their branches. However, all 10 different branches that we visited across Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, and Petaling Jaya said that they didn’t receive it.
Shortly after we published the video that chronicles our CU “epic” adventure on Saturday, only then the Korean convenience store started to investigate. We already suspected that there were irregularities on CU’s part and true enough, the company released another statement on Sunday, 21 April that the first batch of stores only received their stocks on Saturday, 20 April even though the announcement was made on Friday.
Ironically, CU’s local partner, MyNews decided to release the Proton Saga at selected branches on 20 April. While the release did take place, the company didn’t put any pre-requisite or maximum limit for each customer which means plenty of opportunistic customers swoop in a huge number of units at one go and left many genuine fans who looking to get one or two units disappointed.
Not to forget, Toys ‘R Us Malaysia has also announced that the model is already available in their stores today but retracted the announcement a few hours later. That being said, we have heard whispers of some collectors who managed to purchase their units at the toy retailer.
Many retailers are going to have it but don’t forget to manage your expectations
Meanwhile, the note accompanying our unit also said that the Hot Wheels Proton Saga Special Edition will be available at “all major toy speciality stores, departmental stores, convenience stores, hypermarkets, and petrol marts,”.
In other words, the model could reach any given official Hot Wheels retailer. It is not going to be easy to get your hands on it since the Proton Saga is a limited edition model but nevertheless, we wish you all the best if you are planning to hunt it down.
Last but not least, please don’t be a scalper. Hot Wheels is supposed to be an affordable hobby for everyone, so please don’t spoil the fun.