Farewell to an excellent display space

One of the (few) cool things about my job was the fact that my desk sat high on a mezzanine, and behind that deep, wide shelf was a fifteen foot drop. As you can see it was an excellent area for showing off toys, which provided a splash of color and excitement for my eyes and mind countless times during every day I worked here.

This most recent set-up I dedicated to my JLU figs, although not all of them are here. Some of those figs that have trouble standing up straight are still home on my work table. I'm happy to report progress on the project as recently as just last night (fourteen figures straightened out!), but that's fuel for another post.

(I feel a need to point out that this is not the desk I've been using the past two years, but the one I was unceremoniously moved to just last Monday morning so the new temp could have my old desk. My old desk was a lot neater than this one. It's weird that I even care.)

Bats on Tap

There are two new Batman lego sets coming out this year, a batcopter starring Bats and Scarecrow above, and a bat-tank with the villains featured below. There's an excellent array of pictures here of the vehicles and other goodies involved.

The copter's a no-brainer. It probably only costs 20 bucks, that blue Batman is a must-have (only grey and black versions so far), and Scarecrow is awesome because he lacks any of that new Lego flesh-toned coloration that I hate. There are some good pieces in that set, and that biplane with fear gas bombs is particularly charming.

The tank is a little more difficult. There are lots of things in the pro column: the two baddies, the tank's a cool vehicle, and Bane's motorcycle involves new pieces. But I'll already have a blue Bats, I've got lots of those tank treads from my Sandcrawler, the two villains have icky flesh tones, and most of all, it's a bigger, more expensive set and I'm about to enter a major transition period during which finances are uncertain.

Ah, these are the real-life Rules of Acquisition. In a way it's just fun to have this criteria all layed out.

Someday, I'll need to have a Mr. Freeze, or at least his awesome head.

Lego Indy!

Gunning for Sinestro

I've put a moritorium on any toy purchases for a while, as I'm about to enter a state of extreme flux while making the transition to LA. But I noticed that Sinestro was the last of the older JLU figs that I missed and I decided to right that wrong. Not too pricey.

Right now I have a convenient backup; there's a But-It-Now option for the 3-pack (with Aztek and Superman) for a total (w/ shipping) of $16.50. But yesterday I jousted for a loose one and bailed once it crossed the $16.50 price line. Actually I boosted it over the line myself, but it was legit since I would've gotten it for $16.10 if my bid had won. Still, shows what happens when you mess with ME.

Today I'm competing for another loose Sinestro, pictured above. The auction ends around 9 pm tonight, my time. I've put in a high bid that maxes out the total at $16.25, and if it goes higher than that I'll just opt for the $16.50 3-pack. That's enough intrigue for me. I wouldn't mind having another Aztek anyway, he's pretty damn cool.

Assuming this works out, here's a list of the figs I still need. Bear in mind I've seen NONE of these guys in stores, and some of them haven't been pictured in-package and may never actually become available.

Vigilante
Justice Lords Martian Manhunter
Justice Lords Green Lantern
Justice Lords Flash
Hawkgirl in yellow outfit
The Ray
Vulcana
Parasite
Star Girl
Barda
Obsidian
Deadshot
Mr. Miracle
Joker
Black Canary
Solomon Grundy
Gorilla Grodd

Earlier you'd posted the pic below, and when I reviewed our blog for reference I decided to try for Black Canary after all, if she's in this more agreeable 3-pack. (More agreeable than the I've-got-the-other-two-already 3-pack she appeared in intitally, and also more agreeable in this repainted form with fishnets and exposed midriff. It kind of makes up for the lameness of her face.)


The original Black Canary fig looks like this:

Indiana Jones LEGO details

NEW YORK (June 18, 2007) – LEGO Group, the world’s leading construction toy manufacturer, today announces a partnership with Lucasfilm Ltd. to produce building sets based on the Indiana Jones franchise – one of the most globally successful movie series ever made. Three worldwide blockbuster films, and the highly anticipated May 2008 premiere of the new Indiana Jones movie, will provide inspiration for a series of highly iconic and action-packed build-and-play adventures of the rogue archaeologist and hero.

“There is such a natural synergy between Lucasfilm and LEGO enthusiasts of all ages that makes combining our stories with the LEGO play pattern an easy decision,” said Howard Roffman, President of Lucas Licensing.

“We’re thrilled to have a chance to share the history and success of LEGO Star Wars with another Lucas franchise.”

Four playsets based on the classic trilogy are slated to launch in January 2008. Three sets based on iconic scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark include:

Temple Escape ($49.99 USD) which brings the legendary rolling boulder scene to life in LEGO form as Indy faces spiders and poisoned darts in his search for the Golden Idol of Fertility.

With Race for the Stolen Treasure ($29.99 USD), kids build two desert vehicles and recreate Indy’s truck-hopping fight to save the treasure.

Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb ($19.99 USD) recreates the eye-popping suspense of Indy rescuing Marion from slithering snakes in an Egyptian tomb.

And based on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade action, Motorcycle Chase ($9.99 USD) depicts the scene where Indy and his father escape with the map to the hidden temple.

Four more constructible playsets based on the fourth movie will launch in May 2008, with suggested retail prices ranging from $9.99 to $79.99 USD.

“We are thrilled to be bringing yet another blockbuster Lucasfilm property to life for LEGO kids and adult enthusiasts,” said Jill Wilfert, vice president, partnership and alliance management for the LEGO Group.

“The marriage of strong story, well-known characters, dynamic vehicles and action-oriented movie scenes with the classic LEGO play pattern is a proven winner, and Indiana Jones lends itself perfectly to the build-and-play world of LEGO building.”

For more than 25 years, audiences have been enraptured by the exploits of Indiana Jones. The film trilogy – Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – garnered 14 Academy Award nominations, won 7 Oscars, and grossed over $1,182,000,000 at the box office. The films are among the most popular movies ever made and have become a legendary part of film history.

Your collection is not complete without this one!

Astromechtacular

Well, it's been a little over a year since I posted this, and naturally I've expanded the family somewhat. No fewer than eight newbies (see below) are gracing my posse of trusty astromech droids.

As time goes on I buy fewer and fewer Star Wars figs. For a number of years now they've shown evidence of corner-cutting, and these guys are not an exception. But you've got to try pretty hard to really screw up one of these awesome buggers.

Sometimes collecting can be a royal pain in the ass,and sometimes I look at all my stuff and wonder what the hell I'm doing and whether I should chuck the whole lot. (Well...almost.) But then I look at this and the effort seems like nothing.