Toy Wonders New Arrivals

January 25, 2008
Your wholesale source for diecast 1/18, 1/24, and 1/64 scale collector model cars, toys, and more.

$200.00 minimum order
For wholesale pricing & online ordering, please login.

Greetings!

A few shipments arrived this week. If you log into your account at www.toywonders.com, before clicking on any of the links below, you will see wholesale pricing -as well as a picture.

Forgot your password?

Having trouble viewing this page?

Missed a previous week's newsletter?

DIECAST Collectible Model Cars And More

Item#	Description	Stock Status
CC39493	ERTL Authentics Chase Car - Chevy Camaro SS Hard Top (1967, 1:18 scale diecast model, Black) CC39493	New
CC39305	ERTL Authentics Chase Car - Chevy Camaro Z28 Hard Top (1967, 1:18 scale diecast model, Yellow) CC39305	New
CC39298	ERTL Authentics Chase Car - Chevy Impala SS 427 Hard Top (1967, 1:18 scale diecast model, Purple) CC39298	New
CC39476	ERTL Authentics Chase Car - Chevy Impala SS 427 Hard Top (1967, 1:18 scale diecast model, Purple) CC39476	New
CC39300	ERTL Authentics Chase Car - Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback Hard Top (1965, 1:18 scale diecast model, Black) CC39300	New
CC39415	ERTL Chase Car - Chevy Bel Air Hard Top (1957, 1:18 scale diecast model, Gold) CC39415	New
CC39219	ERTL Chase Car - Chevy Bel Air Hard Top (1955, 1:18 scale diecast model, Grey/ Silver) CC39219	New
CC39223	ERTL Chase Car - Chevy El Camino SS Pickup (1970, 1:18 scale diecast model, Silver Chrome) CC39223	New
CC39225	ERTL Chase Car - Chevy Monte Carlo SS Hard Top (1970, 1:18 scale diecast model, Silver Chrome) CC39225	New
CC36673M	ERTL Chase Car - Ford Gran Torino Hard Top (1976, 1:18 scale diecast model, Black Chrome) CC36673M	New
CC39220	ERTL Chase Car - Oldsmobile Hurst Hard Top (1969, 1:18 scale diecast model, Silver Chrome) CC39220	New
CC39409	ERTL Chase Car - Plymouth Superbird Hard Top (1970, 1:18 scale diecast model, Blue) CC39409	New
CC39414	ERTL Chase Car - Shelby GT-500 Hard Top (1967, 1:18 scale diecast model, Blue) CC39414	New
CC39254	ERTL Chase Car - Shelby GT-500 Hard Top (1969, 1:18 scale diecast model, Silver Chrome) CC39254	New
CC39278	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Ford Mustang Saleen S281 Hard Top (2004, 1:18 scale diecast model, Silver Chrome) CC39278	New
CC39289	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Pontiac Catalina Convertible (1962, 1:18 scale diecast model, Red Chrome) CC39289	New
CC39296	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Pontiac GTO Hard Top (1967, 1:18 scale diecast model, Purple) CC39296	New
CC39297	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Ford Mustang Mach 1 Hard Top (1969, 1:18 scale diecast model, Aqua) CC39297	New
CC39301	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Pontiac GTO Judge Hard Top (1969, 1:18 scale diecast model, Matador Red) CC39301	New
CC39304	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Chevy Monte Carlo SS Hard Top (1971, 1:18 scale diecast model, Copper) CC39304	New
CC39322	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Plymouth AAR Cuda Hard Top (1970, 1:18 scale diecast model, Moulin Rouge) CC39322	New
CC39326	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Plymouth Duster Hard Top (1971, 1:18 scale diecast model, Purple) CC39326	New
CC39397	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Plymouth Road Runner Hard Top (1971, 1:18 scale diecast model, Orange) CC39397	New
CC39399	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Plymouth Superbird Hard Top (1970, 1:18 scale diecast model, Blue) CC39399	New
CC39477	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Dodge Charger Daytona Hard Top (1969, 1:18 scale diecast model, Red) CC39477	New
CC39484	ERTL Elite Chase Car - Chevy Monte Carlo SS Hard Top (1971, 1:18 scale diecast model, Orange) CC39484	New
CC33855	ERTL JoyRide Chase Car - The Blues Brothers Dodge Monaco Sedan Police Car (1974, 1:18 scale diecast model, Dirty Gold Chrome) CC33855	New
CC39181	ERTL JoyRide Chase Car - The Dukes of Hazzard General Lee Dodge Charger (1969, 1:18 scale diecast model, Silver Chrome) CC39181	New
5065D	Kinsmart - Chevy Astro Van (2001, 1:38, Asstd.) 5065D	Restock
5091D	Kinsmart - Ford Mustang GT (2006, 1:38, Asstd.) 5091D	Restock
5055D	Kinsmart - Lexus SC430 Hard Top (1:36, Asstd.) 5055D	Restock
5063D	Kinsmart - Lincoln Navigator SUV (2003, 1:40, Asstd.) 5063D	Restock
5310D	Kinsmart - Shelby GT500 Hard Top (2007, 1:38, Asstd.) 5310D	New
5306DD	Kinsmart - Volvo C70 Convertible (1:36, Asstd.) 5306DD	Restock

To remove yourself from our mailing list, please log into your account at Toy Wonders, modify personal information and uncheck the option Keep me informed about new products and offerings. Or reply to this email and say unsubscribe.

Thank you

Lu
Toy Wonders, Inc.
www.toywonders.com
201-229-1700

God and The Art of Diecast Model Car Marketing
Pretty Small Odds
By Lu Su

Last week, the famous Monte Hall problem was presented. To recap, you are initially presented with three choices (i.e. 3 curtains). There is a brand new Lexus behind one of curtains. The other two curtains are empty. You are given the opportunity to select one curtain. If you select the correct curtain, you get to keep the car. But before opening your curtain, Monte the game show host opens one of the other two remaining curtains to reveal that there is no car behind it. Keep in mind that Monte can always do this, because he knows where the car is. Monte’s final act of graciousness is to offer you the opportunity in switching your original choice with the remaining curtain. So the question is “Should you switch?”

To my surprise, all the responses that I received were incorrect (but perhaps those who knew the answer chose not to participate?). All the people who responded said that it did not matter if you switch because the odds are 50/50. Seems like a logical answer –after all there are only two remaining curtains.

If you think the answer is 50/50, you are incorrect. The odds are NOT 50/50.

In our physical journey here on Earth, we seem to come across similar Monte Hall opportunities. There might not have a brand new car sitting immediately behind the curtain (path) we take, but nevertheless most people live in hopes of choosing that correct door and collecting a prize –whether it be a good paying job, a wonderful spouse, a title, a healthy child, a home, a G.I. Joe with the kung-fu grip (my childhood dream prize). So instead of asking should you switch or not, we ask ourselves if we should be friends with this person? Should I attend this school or that one? Should I marry this person? Should I take this job? Should I move there? Should I get a dog? What shall I eat? What clothes should I wear? Seems like path we take on any of those choices will have a long lasting impact (perhaps spanning several few decades). And it seems like the choices that we make on decisions like those greatly impact the people around us.

At the same token, our spiritual journey seems to be full of opportunities or pot holes (depending on your attitude). Here again, we are given the opportunity to choose. I think one very important thing to keep in mind is that many of these doors have nothing behind them; choose that path and it will lead to emptiness. One of my hobbies is working on my family tree. One day I discovered that I had a distant relative that died at a fairly young age by a drug over dose. For a long time I just wondering what path did he choose that lead him to die alone in a alley in Philadelphia.

If Truth exists, then right and wrong exists. Like the Monte Hall problem, not all curtains (paths) are correct. Certainly there are wrong ones to pick. Now if we are eternal beings, a journey down the wrong pathway will have a disastrous impact (spanning say, a few decades + eternity). But for those who subscribe to world views that believe in reincarnation, you do not have too fret. You will have infinite number of tries. But of us that do not believe we get infinite tries to guess the correct curtain, we do not have the luxury of time.

So how do we know whether or not you are headed down a wrong path. I’ve got a friend who’s going skiing this weekend; so how do you know your skis are pointed down the wrong path (triple black diamonds for a novice)? Since we are both physical and spiritual beings, one sign is to look at the relationships around you. A sign that you are probably on the wrong path is if you are causing harm or pain to those around you. An obvious sign that something has gone awry is when you see a total rupture a relationship with someone that you were meant to love forever. Well it’s always easy to pick on the obvious. How about the not so obvious signs?

The less obvious sign that you are proceeding down the wrong path is the appearance of incoherencies. I think many people take the position that a spiritual journey necessitates that you turn off a portion of your brain (i.e. logic, reason) and just accept things with blind faith. This is wrong. Truth corresponds to reality; so logic and reason will support a world view that is true. I believe one should use all the resources at his disposal to find Truth. Let Truth steer us.

Back to the Monte Hall problem. Now if we assert that the odds are 50/50 and thereby conclude that it does not matter if we switch curtains or not, incoherencies are going to develop as we continue down this path. Let me show you what I mean. Let us assume for argument sake that the answer is “It does not matter if you switch or not and that the odds are 50/50”. The first incoherency that would develop is if you went ahead and performed this event 100 times. Then according to your answer, the contestant is expected to win 50% of the time. So if we play this game and we never switch our answer, we can expect to be correct 50% of the time –he should win the car on average 50 times. But if you perform multiple trials, you will see that your results do not approach a 50% win rate. Something does not cohere here, because you are telling me that the contestants’ initial pick is going to be correct 50% of the time? There are 3 curtains to choose from, how is it possible that my initial guess will be correct 50% of the time (Lucy, you got some explaining to do).

So, let’s continue to build and expand on the Monte Hall problem. Let say there are 1,000,000 curtains, and again the car is only behind one of the curtains. You select one and Monte then opens 999,998 empty curtains. He then asks you, “Would you like to switch your original choice with the remaining curtain?” Given that we know that the first answer was 50/50 and here we are again at the exact same crossroad (only two curtains to choose from), do you still feel that the odds are 50/50? Doesn’t logic and common sense tell you that there is a far better chance that the Lexus is in the group with 999,999 curtains than behind the lone curtain? Most people at this juncture will realize that the answer cannot possibly be 50/50 and realize something incoherent is occurring here.

Likewise, if you find incoherencies in either your spiritual or physical walk in life (some people consider them as one), start asking a lot of questions and be prepared to challenge some of the axioms you have always deemed true (like how many of us thought that Mikey from those Life cereal commercials died of soda and pop rock?). Didn’t that poster in Mulder’s office (X-files agent) say, “The Truth will set you free”?

The answer to the Monte Hall question is you should switch because you will improve your odds of winning from 1/3 to 2/3. When you initially choose a curtain, the odds that you have the correct curtain is 1/3. The problem pivots on the fact that Monte’s act of opening an empty curtain is NOT a random act. It is done with purpose and intent. This is where most people stumble, because they fail to acknowledge this truth influences the outcome (metaphorically speaking, people fail to acknowledge truths that greatly influences their spiritual journey). When Monte opens an empty curtain, the odds do not change (this is very counter intuitive). Your chances of winning do NOT improve as Monte with purpose and intent opens empty curtains. Another way to look at it is if after selecting a curtain, Monte skips the step in opening an empty curtain and just offers you a two for one deal, “would you like to switch your curtain with the other two curtains?” Most people would say yes, knowing that they will have 2/3 odds of winning if they do. So then, what difference if he opens an empty curtain before or after making you the offer of the remaining curtains? He can be generous here because there is still nothing behind the wrong curtains. I know at this point, many of you are just bewildered here (it’s like finding out that Santa Claus doesn’t exist, and it isn’t easy to just switch over and accept the truth). This will take a little time for you to absorb what I am saying is true. You might have re re-read and contemplate for awhile, but I do believe that if you seek the truth of the matter on this, you will eventually be enlightened. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem might have a more convincing argument that I have posed.

Now that you are much better versed in understanding probability, let’s continue our journey. What are the odds that a monkey sitting at a keyboard and randomly typing away will accidentally type out word for word William Shakespeare’s work Hamlet? Pretty small odds. After you have figured out the odds, then tell me which is more probable. We cross the galaxy and find a planet where no one has gone before (i.e. no alien transplants, no stargate that lead people from earth there, no dual universe theories in play, etc…). Is it more probable to find Shakespeare’ Hamlet typed out and properly collated or a live human person?

Hang with me. We’ve got some monkey business to take care of that involves that fish monger called Hamlet.