I scrolled through 2,500+ pages of WorthPoint

So uh, yeah, I'm back-

Huge thanks to Super for fixing my account and password to allow me to post this thread. So yeah, in my time away I scrolled through 2,500+ pages worth of WorthPoint with the search term, "thomas trackmaster new", I just wanted to look at HiT packaging for fun but it turned into a whole adventure, here's what I found (there's a lot):


First off we have Thomas with the redesigned HiT Annie & Clarabel. The Annie and Clarabel page on wiki states that the 2008 HiT redesigns are, "Only available in Carriages and Coaches". 

But it appears sometime in 2008, Thomas' Toys 'R' Us release came with these redesigns





All of these have 14 roof vents or 7 pairs of roof vents, I know I said sometime in 2008 but all the boxes I found are the 2009 style so I don't know, take that how you will.


Next up we have "Bonus" packaging. Unknown when they did this but HiT did packaging similar to Wooden Railway's "Bonus" DVD packaging. I only found two but it's a Little Friends engine plastic wrapped to accompany a Trucks & Track pack


When I saw the Mavis, I thought the "Bonus" text was part of her Little Friends box but looking at the Rusty proved that wrong. It's just a piece of cardboard inserted next to it. It reminds me of when Motor Road & Rail did their Thomas and Friends 60th Anniversary Two for One Value! packaging.



Next, "Steamies" Packaging. I'm sure you guys have seen this picture of Percy at least once, if you haven't, it's a Big Friends release of Percy in blister packaging with the word "Steamies" above his name

I always wondered where the rest of the cast was in this packaging. Where was Thomas? Where was James? Is there a "Diesels" variant? Sadly I didn't find a "Diesels" variant but I did find Thomas and James (James' picture is blurry)


Maybe the main three (Thomas Percy & James) were the only ones to feature "Steamies" above their name but I wonder if there were others...



Next, Variants (kinda). I say kinda because they're just switch and shell differences. HiT Lady was originally released with a gray switch. I assume it used a TOMY shell as well.

Although it looks like HiT changed this very early on (well, I believe they did) as this white switch Lady has the same 2007 box as the original gray switch one

I can't remember exactly, but I swear a Tomica World Lady is shinier than a standard TOMY/Plarail Lady, and that HiT used that shell because a HiT lady is shinier than a TOMY/Plarail but please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyways, HiT Stepney also originally came with a gray switch and shell like the TOMY one. 


The eyes are more dilated than a standard HiT, just like the TOMY one
Duncan appears to have first released with a gray switch, a perhaps different nameplate font (like TOMY's?), and a darker face (like TOMY?)


Other characters were released with gray switches like Thomas, Percy, Toby etc.




Next, Factory Errors. I didn't find many (interesting ones) but the ones I did find were kinda cool
 Donald in Douglas' Box
 This one I'm unsure if it's sealed and a factory error, or if they had an opened box and forgot what the last coach was and put a random coach in there (James' Yellow Coach...)
 Rocky in "Diesel Helps Out" box (I just wanted a souvenir from page 777, this was the most interesting thing there)
 And finally, Ned labeled as Jack


Now, we have stuff that either isn't listed on the Wiki, or doesn't have a picture on the Wiki
First, a HiT Lady in a 2008 Big Friends Box (No track)




There are several characters that don't have 2008 Big Friends releases listed, Lady, Harvey, Edward & Diesel 10 to name a few that I found




Arthur's Little Friends release in blister packaging doesn't have a picture on Wiki

The picture of Rosie's 2007 Little Friends box on wiki is a little low quality so I found a better one

Bulgy's Canadian Box

James with his name on the packaging in a different spot than the one on the Wiki?

2008 Toys 'R' Us Boxes for Lady and Dodge


Duke without the "New Friend!" icon

A (slightly, no barely) better picture of Oliver & Buster

And I'd heard about a cancelled Big Friends Hiro

But never about a cancelled Big Friends Flora

Both found on the back of a Bertram Box



And that's everything, for WorthPoint...

I have two things I found on Facebook Marketplace and a couple of things from eBay

Facebook Marketplace

An Alfie that was nearly mine but the seller never responded to my message so I missed out it was a steal too! ($75 CAD = $54.99 USD!)

 This was back in October btw

And a Flip-Face Toby, I have this here because I've heard that he was only sold in the U.S. (Is Canada part of the U.S.?) making me question why it's in Canada? Was it sold in Canada? Did someone from the U.S. fly to Canada with a Flip-Face Toby?


eBay

First, a variant of the HiT Track Expansion Pack, this one being a 2009. Compared to a 2007, it ditches the station platform lid from the 2007 and had only 2 of each sloped curve instead of 3 (this 2009 version isn't on Wiki either)
 2007
 2009
 2007 back
 2009 back
 Box showing ©2009

Next I wanted to ask if HiT Duck was ever released as a Little Friends release? I believe he wasn't but I'm unsure as he was listed on the back of HiT Little Friends boxes from 2008-2009


It seems Echo Cave was a Toys 'R' Us exclusive at one point



And it looks like James at Boulder Mountain was once a Walmart Exclusive



R/C Hiro with the "NEW!" Icon
 Front
 Back


Is this an early Fisher-Price Thomas? Spotted on UK eBay
 The Thomas with the whites to his eyes
 Closer


It seems Fisher-Price was obsessed with the Flip-Face Percy Prototype because not only does he appear in the instructions for Percy's Day at the Farm, but also in the instructions of their Deluxe Sodor Adventure Set
 Front of instructions
 Back with Flip-Face Percy

A better picture of TOMY Stanley's box


And finally, is there a possibility that Bertram was released in 2008? Or at least late 2008?
 ©2008
 Front
 Back
 ©2008 closer but a little more blurry


Well uh, that's everything I've found in my time away
I don't know what else to say except thank you for your time (and sorry if I wasted said time! 😅)

Man that was super fun to read Splodge! BTW that picture of echo cave by itself I actually bought that EXACT picture but with 2 other sets combined check it out

You could see the same rips and stuff that's such a cool coincidence.  And here's the full page showing at the top I bought it like a month ago

Yeah the price was a little much for my liking so I passed on it. Glad to see you got it though!

It was more the coincidence than what I paid for it that I was excited about. You know what? On that subject, the water tower box, had the Walmart clearance label on it for *drum roll*...$2.50 lol that seller got quite the net profit. The others had their label but I forget what it was (clearly less than what he sold them for, I'll tell you THAT for free ha ha).

I knew about the "Steamies" Big Friends Thomas and Percy but I'd never seen the James one before. It does make me wonder if there were any "Diesels" releases. I don't recall seeing those in stores at all (the Percy had a manufacture date stamp of sometime in late 2007, which would make for an early 2008 shelf date). It's the same style banner they put on the "Greatest Moments" friends (Skarloey Storms Through, Duncan Does It All, etc.).

Just stumbled on this thread

Do the Annie and clarabel included with the 2008 hit toys Thomas use the old face carried over from the Tomy range or the carriages and coaches faces?

I know I have them somewhere just need to look for them

Update: I have found them, in really bad condition since they endured years of Thomas love









Seems like they used the normal tomy faces instead of the faces from the carriages and coaches pack. Don’t know why that’s the case.

There are 14 roof vent versions with the old TOMY faces (like yours) and I've heard they're decently rare...

There are 14 roof vent versions with the old TOMY faces (like yours) and I've heard they're decently rare...

Really? Sounds interesting.

Sucks that they’ve been “customized” by younger me.

I found an old picture of me with the Hit toys Thomas that came with them(as well as Percy) dated 2007, meaning they must’ve been released before 2008 right?

[Super]

Welcome to BluePlasticTracks Neville. 😃