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.

New LEGO license!

From cool toy review,

LEGO Whips Out A New License

During Celebration IV, one of the guys at LEGO wasn't being mindful of the crowds, or more precisely the two ears of said crowd, when he let it slip that they will be producing toys for Lucasfilm's upcoming Indiana Jones IV feature film. While details are a bit sketchy, it is safe to assume that these will be shown later this year. Hats off to trusted CTR friend Nick for the heads up.

Star Wars stuff I want

Star Wars figures we'll never see

Squid Head rules!

From x-entertainment, I haven't written about Kenner's old Star Wars toys in a long while. Not sure why that is. Maybe it's that those articles are for an audience that have grown to be so much more knowledgeable of the subject matter than me. I don't collect toys anymore, and I certainly don't live and breathe Star Wars in any way, shape or form. It's no fun to write when you're worried about being corrected on your points. Especially when you're me and you tend to make up points as you go.
That said, I'd like to use this opportunity to pay a small tribute to Squid Head, one of the very best action figures from the vintage collection.

Squid Head was one of those figures that I must've had, lost and repurchased a dozen times throughout childhood. Next to the Emperor's Royal Guard, I can think of few other SW figures that stole my heart to such a degree.

The cloth clothes were a major factor. I loved any SW figure that had real cloth clothes. Even shitty ones, like Klaatu. Squid Head was extra special, coming with two separate clothing artifacts in different colors, not to mention a gigantic plastic belt that doubled nicely as a me-sized thumb ring. Then there's the fact that he's a squid. Real cloth clothes or not, I was bound to love any action figure that was a squid. I wish I was a squid.

Confessions of a toy addict

From ebaytoday, You're at the store and there it is! The item you've read rave reviews about and it looks even better in person than in the Cool Toy Review Photo Archive (there must have been amazing lighting in the store that day). Do you buy it? Sure you don’t have the space for it, but it’s such a great deal. How could you pass up such a great sculpt? And the accessories... oh, the accessories! But, where would you put it? Who cares about where you'd put it, you'll figure that out when you get it home. This bad-boy is coming home!

Guilty as charged? The irony is we all know where this leads - a tub-sized storage bin in the basement along with the rest of 'em. The problem is many of us don't know how to display the amazing collections we've amassed - more accurately we don’t have the space. You can obviously thin your collection down every now and then, but it's just so hard to let some of the things go and dealing with eBay can be such a pain.

Obviously, the contributing factor for this lack of space is buying things we don't need right? Nah, we'll go into denial and pretend that’s not a problem. It's the dozens of repacks the toy companies keep pushing on us. Come on already how many Famboy Luke's can you cram down our throats? And Spiderman on a motorcycle? Ha! That never happened in the movie… but that wheelie action sure is cool… I gotta have it cool... must... buy... Spiderman... toy... O.K. maybe the problem is that a lot of us don’t know when to say enough is enough, but can you blame us?So what's the solution? Like anything, toy collecting will have its ups and downs. It's all finding a happy median and making the most of the experience.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Find a space to display your collection and limit it to that space. A display cabinet is a great place to start.

Learn to say no to things no matter how cool they are... chances are they'll get released again - Farmboy Luke anyone?

Remember that collecting is your hobby and you're doing it as a form of recreation and relaxation. In other words don't get all bent out of shape and have fun!

Star Wars stuff I must have!

Brickarms!

While putting in a Bricklink order a few weeks ago, I decided to click on the "Custom" category and found a couple of neat-looking Lego compatible guns, including this accurately-designed pulse rifle from Aliens.

Usually I'm dubious of this kind of thing; I know a little about plastics and I know that the types that I used on Deathmatch etc. would not make good Lego toys. But the two guns I got were really cool, they fit just right into a minifig's hand and, while lacking the precise lustre of a black Lego piece, they had the right look and feel.

The guy I got them from wasn't the dude who made them (he was selling them at cost, so I'm guessing they're buddies). So this week I went to the Brickarms store and bought a sampling of more violent goodies. They'll probably arrive while I'm on vacation next week.

Blam!

Just messing around

My whole Octopix blog is really about me cleaning a huge number of accumulated images off of my work computer, and this beauty was on there too. We were talking about these Clone Wars maquettes way back in early '06 when we first started the blog.

Oh, we were so different then.

Actually we were pretty much the same.

I had a bunch more saved toy pix, but it turns out they all showed up on the blog somewhere already. I just skimmed through all the archives, and it made me wanna say:

Dammit! I need a lot of JLU figures! They better put all those guys out or I'll be really annoyed.

Really cool Gorilla Grodd figure can be seen somewhere

If you click here you can see the article about the upcoming Gorilla Grodd JLU figure. But whatever you do, don't STEAL the picture, lest you get a stern warning like the one we got on our comments page.

Man do I hate it when nerds get to be The Man. You'd think all the crap we took from jocks would result in some form of solidarity, but no.

Big Barda and Deadshot action figures by Mattel

From AFHUB, "Yesterday, I managed to acquire several highly anticipated and never before locally-released Justice League Unlimited action figures - one of which is the Big Barda, Deadshot and MM 3-pack. The other individual 3-packs I got were the Tracksuit Shayera set, the Obsidian set, the Volcana set and the Stargirl set."

McQUARRIE Boba Fett now available!

Cool, New Mutants!

More on those RM Star Wars figures