62rebel Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 way back when MPC was under "Fundimension", a part of General Mills, they had a "savings stamp" program that let you cut proof-of-purchase logos out of the kit box and send them in for free kits.... and after MPC was absorbed into AMT, the program covered both lines, although i THINK only the MPC branded kits had the tokens on the box. anyways; i had dozens of kit boxes stored away (nothing really collectible, thankfully) and i went through and clipped every one of those tokens out, shopped the little "catalog" for kits, and sent off a scad of tokens one summer in the early '90's.... AMT sent me six kits total for my efforts. i think i ordered their venerable '49 Ford, as it was not currently on the store shelves, and probably a couple of the excellent new '68 Road Runner kits. would it kill one of the kit makers to do something similar today? say, scan hobby shop reciepts showing you paid full price for kits and earn some credit against a "mail-in" kit? pie in the sky, i know, but it was a good memory. BTW, the only per se "collectible" kit box i have (in my opinion, anyway) is my dusty old JoHan Petty Plymouth box. there's a Boot Hill Express stored in it.
mikemodeler Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 I remember the program Curt, can't remember if I sent away for any kits though.Would be nice to have some type of "rewards" program but keep in mind that they cost money so you have to ask if you are willing to pay for it. Granted there are some that wouldn't participate but much like the replacement parts program Revell has, there would some looking to game the system for a free kit or two.
Rob Hall Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 I remember them....IIRC, I got an 84 Corvette molded in gold and the 57 Corvette gasser with them. I wanted the silver stockish 57 Corvette (Velvet Vette ) but they sent the gasser. I got an unbuilt Velvet Vette last year, 30 years later
iangilly Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 I have a few with those on the box, wonder if I mail them in if I'll get a kit?
ZIL 111V Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Surely remember well that MPC gig, starting back in 1980 or '81, got me to buy or get many MPC car kits from the early to mid 80s. Plastic model car kit sales declining drasticly since a few years, back then, Fundimension idea was not bad for "boosting" sales. Still remember sending my 20 first MPC " Golden Wheels" tokens + $1 (USPS fees) to get a brand new MPC "Night Moves" El Camino SM kit, back in 1981, costing about...$4/$5 at local K-Mart, at least i got my 1st choice kit (you had to choose 3 on form/coupon in case stock ran out). 5 buys of 1/25 MPC kits got you a Free kit ..(.for $1!) One 1/25th scale car kit box = 4 tokens: 20 Tokens to get One 1/25 car kit 30 for One 1/20th car kit 50!!! for the 1/16th "Black Bird" T/A with working lights or TV DOH Trio: '69 GL/Daisy CJ5/Roscoe Monaco. 100!!!! got you The GENERAL 1/25th Steam train or the 1/12th Christie Fire Engine,( back in 1982). Got 10 "Golden Wheels"...(Half a 1/25th car kit!) when got the BIG 1/16th scale 1984 Vette + a chance to win the real one! pretty exiciting for a guy who was near getting his driver license
LDO Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 I did it a couple of times as a teenager, back in the mid-'80s. I got two kits that I did not want at all; '69-ish GTO and an early '70s Firebird. I had zero interest in those.
disabled modeler Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 I remember that program...and the AMT one where you clipped the bar codes.
espo Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 I vaguely remember some program that involved AMT. After sending in the box codes I got the Jaguar XJ something or other that had just come out. I don't think I ever built it though.
Ben Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Remember it quite well, still have a bunch of the kits with it. I would never cut my boxes up though! I think they should have put the tokens in the box rather than them being part of the box.
bobthehobbyguy Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 How many boxes are there that have that token cut out?
DrGlueblob Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Some of my swap meet finds do. Airfix also had/has a program like that.
IHSS Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 There were a lot of companies that did this back in the day. Captain crunch did it just recently. My 6 year old wanted to try the crunch berries a few month's ago so remembering how much I liked them I bought 2 boxes. As we were enjoying a bowl one morning I noticed a t-shirt offer on the box. I offered it to him but he wasn't interested in it. so I clipped the proof of purchase's, and sent them in with my 1.95 for shipping and handling and 4-6 weeks later I got my Captain crunch t-shirt. I tried to give the money to my mom to wright the check and send it in for me, for the full authentic experience but she wouldn't do it. I may be 41 but still 10 inside.
dublin boy Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Hey Kids! LOL Makes me feel young. I might fill out the form and send it back
Tom Geiger Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) How many boxes are there that have that token cut out? I wasn't building in that time frame, so how I remember the program is all the flimsy boxes at swap meets because the token is cut out badly! Edited January 6, 2015 by Tom Geiger
Atmobil Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 What they could do today is a similar progam to the one in the "Charlie and the choclatefactory" story. Something like a golden ticket in the box that wins you a price. Say that they make 1000 kits and out of those maybe 100 boxes have a ticket that gives you a discount on a new kit and maybe a 50 boxes have a ticket that gives you a free kit and then for a big price in only one box could be a trip to someplace and say 10 free kits and supplies. The numbers I used here are just taken out of the blue but I guess you get the idea.
1972coronet Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 The Golden Wheels programme ran through '85 or '86 . When AMT / Ertl purchased MPC , two things happened : - Golden Wheels programme cancelled . The allocated space on the box top's side was repurposed with some Ertl-specific "letterbox" - The MPC nomenclature had an "ERTL" added to its banner I got a number of kit through the Golden Wheels programme ; to name a couple : - 1983 Toyota Supra - 1984 Corvette - Fall Guy GMC pickup - 1985 Camaro annual Thanks for the trip down memory lane (or , in my case , "Midlife Crisis Lane" )
ZIL 111V Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 (edited) -One of the first "GW" flyers in '79: " mini poster" from Bradley's designs for MPC 1980 car kits. -1981 coupon with selectec GW KITS (mailed a few! ) -1982 selection flyer of "GW" & other "Golden Opportunities" series kits: planes, boats, etc. -MINT (uncut!) Golden Wheels MPC F/S car kit boxes, yes still exist even factory sealed after 30 years ...From my kits vault; 1984 '85 mpc "best sellers" annual C4 vettes (both HOT MPC sellers back then the 1/16 C4 was one of my favorite car kit back in mid 80s)...The Bigger you buy...the more "GW" you got! : Edited January 7, 2015 by ZIL 111V
62rebel Posted January 7, 2015 Author Posted January 7, 2015 now i remember where i was getting all the tokens- K-Mart had an after-Christmas clearance sale while i was stationed in Great Lakes and they had a LOAD of T.J. Hooker police cars and A-Team vans that were going for (get this) twenty-five cents each....... i bought enough to nearly fill the trunk of my '67 Dodge (this was in '87) and i had nowhere else to keep them... i think that i actually bought twelve of each, and some others that were marked down equally fantastically.... it was better for me than going out drinking every weekend.
Rob Hall Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Good memories...MPC (and Monogram) were my favorite brands in the early to mid 80s....and K-Mart in New Philadelphia, Ohio and Marathon, Florida were my main sources then...
MsDano85gt Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 i have many mpc boxes with these tolkens on them i also have gotten a few boxxes off flea bay with tolkens cut out and MIA i wish i was up on this era i was just a small baby and a kid in the 80's to small for models yet......
Maindrian Pace Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I did it too. I got an '84-ish Mustang and a Trans Am. Still have parts of the Mustang. -MJS
Drake69 Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I remember seeing those on Dad's kits and always wondered what they were for. I think the only kit I have that had it was the silver anniversary 1979 Trans Am.
slusher Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I have some golden wheels on my Pumping Iron Dodge Truck...
disabled modeler Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Remember it quite well, still have a bunch of the kits with it. I would never cut my boxes up though! I think they should have put the tokens in the box rather than them being part of the box. I agree with you Ben....just think of all the really old boxes that would have been cut up from the 60s era?...man that hurts I love the old box arts.
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