June 30, 2015

Toy Haul 06/30/15: Tiny Trade!

Hey, everyone, small mail bag today that I wanted to share.

Got these cool random guys today from a trade on a forum.  These guys include some yellow Monsters In My Pocket, a green Mini Boglin, a pair of Pikachus, a mini Kiwi Angel from Evangelion, and some large-headed kid from something, but I thought he was strange enough I couldn't pass up.

I traded some Z-Bots for these guys, which is a little sad.  I enjoyed many of Z-Bots when I was much younger, but since I purchased a good amount of them, they have been inside a box doing nothing.  I haven't even looked at them for a while now, so it was probably an indication that they were up for trade.

Z-Bots are relatively cheap, so if I miss them too much, I can always track down more.  I am glad I was able to get these guys, however, especially the kid, the mini-boglin, and the angel, who I've never seen before.   I couldn't say if they are terribly uncommon or anything, either, but they are cool enough for me.

June 29, 2015

It Came From A Vending Machine: Family Guy Figurines!

We're back, screaming at our computer screens, at another horror that came from a vending machine!

This time, I visited the local Wal*Mart and for a few quarters a pop I was able to score some truly horrific Family Guy mini-figures, or rather figurines, as there is not much else to go by when cataloging this set.

I bought a couple and immediately I was reminded of the Homies that filled machines years and years ago.  They are fun little guys, when you aren't expecting anything at all, and for as little as I spend, I'm at least satisfied I didn't get any duplicates.  However, these figurines are utterly destroyed in paint applications, and completely abysmal ones at that, if anyone truly is keeping track.

But, much like always, seeing mini-figures in vending machines is awesome enough.  At this time, I will throw a few coins in any machine that have them, even if they are pretty horrible.  I think I'm more afraid of losing vending machine figures entirely than the mini-vile that creeps inside.

June 28, 2015

SDCC Clear Pink B.U.N.N.Y.W.I.T.H. Drop!

San Diego Comic Con sees another keshi release, and likely not the last.  This time in the form of Alex Pardee's warped and twisted bunnies called B.U.N.N.Y.W.I.T.H.

This year's release will see both the miniature figures and the larger PVC statue with a beautiful clear pink colorway, and I have to say, it's really great to see the bunnies back with this one, baby!  I really enjoy these guys as well as a lot of Alex's art, and seeing them now in one of my favorite, if not number one, color choice has me very interested in picking up this set.

And for an easy $20 the whole shebang can be mine.  It's a novel concept, I know, but I suppose DKE Toys hasn't really figured a way to support their business on the Skeletoken/Underground Fight Club thing yet.

In short, love these Bunnies and I'll be hunting them down for sure.

June 27, 2015

SDCC 2015 Super7 MOTUSCLE!

After getting everything tacked down for writing this, it took a lot out of me not to name this post 'Eff you, Super7, you sons of...', and by the end of reading this, I hope you feel the same way.

Rewind the rage.

Conventions are the biggest events in the calendar, and many companies of toys, games, and everything else in geek culture, do all their big releases and news drops then.  I suppose this bit of news is no different, really.

Super7 has been teasing some product line using the He-Man property, and only until recently, it's been revealed to be sets of mini He-Man keshi called MOTUSCLE.

Rejoice, for a completely new set of awesome little Masters of the Universe can now find themselves in your hands.  Rejoice, for it too includes the fan-favorites like Skeletor and Lock Jaw.  Now, stop rejoicing, because I haven't even told you what you have to do to get them!

Only with actions fit for the more sadistic Saw movie will you be banking these minis.  Nope, don't you worry about your wrinkly bits of green paper.  Heck, even BitCoin isn't good enough.  No, what you need instead is a Skeletoken, and that's only at the Super7 and Mattel booths at SDCC.

But, hey, look, the token is cool and neat, but how in the flipping flip does that get me the MOTUSCLE?

Answer:  Leave SDCC, because reasons, and go to 701 8th Avenue, uh-huh,  and visit the Pop-Up Shop there!  Oh, good, that was only moderately as inconvenient as I expected!  But, wait, once you're there, you have to fight to the death against other keshi collectors in an underground Fight Club, just to earn admittance into the obstacle course, where you rummage through old rusty toilets, that are also full of needles, of course, for keys to doors that lead you one step closer to these minis or instant death with a 50/50 chance either way.  Those who survive the trials of doom get a set of black or flesh tone and bla bla bla bla bla...

 Eff' you, Super7, you sons of...  what's wrong with my money?!?!

June 25, 2015

OTMFG Metal Baby Deadbeet Announcement!

From their latest episode of Toy Break, #359 to be exact, George and Ayleen of October Toys announced that their little vegetable character designed by Scott Tolleson will be seeing a casted metal variant.

Keep in mind, this isn't a metallic PVC or paint application, but indeed rock hard metal, so it'll be interesting to see how fans take to something like this.  I wonder how successful this guy will be outside the collectors completing the set.  I hope it does well, however I couldn't say if this shifts the appeal of this miniature out of the keshi world and into the pewter Dungeons and Dragons/Ral Partha figures we were slinging around at the comic book store.  We'll have to wait and see!

What do you guys think?  Leave me a message below!

June 24, 2015

MWOTR Glow In The Dark Series Two Leak!

A picture was leaked on MWOTR's Instagram, indicating Goliath was not the only one to see a Glow-In-The-Dark variant coming out next month.

If Leo here is any clue of what's to come, we can bet the entire Series Two set, including him, Ulric, and Yvonne will be lighting up the night sky this July.

It'll be exciting to see full details on the drop, and of course, I'll have them here when they are released.  For more information, check out the link below.

June 23, 2015

Independence Day Despair Variant Drop!

Adam Quesnell has a new variant to his Despair keshi mini-figure, and as you can tell, these colors don't run.

Coming out July 4th, on Adam's web-store, this ultra-limited variant of red, white, and blue swirls will also include a copy of Adam's comedy album as well.

For fans of the stuff October Toys does, you'll be pleased to know this Despair was also sculpted by the crew there, and then produced at the Disarts Labs in this patriotic goodness.

For more information or to pick up previous colorways, check out Adam's web-store link below!
http://faqcomedy.bigcartel.com/

June 22, 2015

Toy Haul 06/22/15 Korea and Cali!

Hey, everyone!  Despite the slow news and releases, I did have a cool little mail day today to share, with a pair of small packages coming from the west and even more west.

It's a little bit of everything, with October Toys' June releases up top with the two red figures, one being a small red penguin and the other being the taller one.  These two currently keep both of my collections of Mini Gwins and Zombie Pheydens to date and complete.

Below them is a little haul from a Korean forum member I've purchased from before.  The first flesh tone keshi figure there is Kamen Rider, and the rest are SD Gundam minifigures, with the translucent green one being the most attractive.

Overall, a small but pretty neat mail bag and it's always fun to get things in the mail from all across the globe.  Thanks for checking them out with me!

June 18, 2015

Ironhaus Burning Hell Turtle!


Sculpted by Ironhaus Pro and produced by Eric Nilla, this amazing-looking kaiju creature has been released upon the unsuspecting shores across the world.

Launching in multiple variants out of the gate, from classic flesh tone, to a couple thermal change ones, and even dropping with a glow in the dark, Burning Hell Turtle is an independent rubber minifigure looking for a fight.

I love what's coming out of these guys.  Cutting absolutely zero corners, artists like Eric Nilla and Ironhaus are skipping over both resin casting and over-sea PVC production.  Somehow, maybe through voodoo, they are doing State-side rubber casting, which could turn out to be the new standard.



For your very own fire-breathing turtle pet, truck over to Eric Nilla's webstore.  You won't be unsatisfied.

http://ironhauspro.blogspot.com/2015/06/burning-hell-turtle.html

http://ericnilla.storenvy.com/collections/272314-ericnilla-customs/products/13507572-burning-hell-turtle

June 15, 2015

MWOTR Series 3 Molie Reveal!

As promised, the guys at Mystical Warriors of the Ring released this photo today, revealing the first figure to be in Series 3 set.

Standing aside Widowmaker, possibly even doing a backstage promo for his match coming up later on in the show, is Molie the mole commentator.  With that signature stance and microphone from the classic Kinnikuman/MUSCLE figure, this guy really shows where the heart and inspiration of MWOTR comes from.

Series 3 looks to be starting off on the right foot, but what's next in line for the series?  The best way to find out is to either checking in at the MWOTR blog by clicking the link below, or following this one to get all the notifications when news hits.

OTMFG June Minifigure Drops!

October Toys is back into full-swing with today's release of new colorways in their OTMFG minifigure line.

This month, we see the addition of a translucent Ruby Zombie Pheyden and a solid Wild Cherry Mini Gwin, and they will certainly be nice-looking additions to your existing collections.

It's good to see a drop from October Toys again.  With how busy things have been with them lately, the last monthly drop was back in March, so today is a good day for loyal OTMFG fans.

You can grab this drop in just mere hours from the link below!

http://www.octobertoys.com/shop/

June 13, 2015

MWOTR Announcer Reveal Date!

After successfully hacking Mystical Warriors of the Ring's Instagram account, I know, you would have totally figured they would have changed the password from last time, we uncovered this little nugget of mysterious goodness.

That mysterious part was probably a bit too much, as the dudes at MWOTR have been alluring their announcer character for quite a bit now, and from this new teaser pic, it's going to be a nice one.

The official revealing of the character will be Monday, June 15th, but for those who can't wait, it'll be shown off at Wizard World this weekend as well.  In what form? I'm not sure!  Maybe 3D sculpt.  Maybe resin.  Maybe macaroni and food coloring.  You'll have to truck over to Wizard World and to the MWOTR booth to find out.


June 11, 2015

OMFG Grim Gourd "Buttah" Variant Drop!

Exclusively on Scruffy Nerfhrdr's webstore, this artist-released 'Buttah' variant of the OMFG Series 2 mini-figure can be yours to add to your collection now for only $3.50!

I really enjoy the OMFG series, and this guy is really no different.

Check it out at the link below!

http://scruffynerfhrdr.storenvy.com/

June 9, 2015

Purist Ramblings: How Much is Too Much?

I've covered a good amount of drop and releases, at least to me, and every so often I catch myself saying something like "...And this one is virtually a steal!  You gotta' go get this one!" but it's dawned me a little - - -

What exactly is a good deal and to who?

When determining a reasonable price for a little rubber figure, a couple scenarios come automatic.  One could remember some of the original Monster In My Pocket or MUSCLE packages and splitting up the price among the figures.  A ten dollar set of five figures would make you assume each figure was two dollars a piece.  Another would bring up their origin of being gumball machine figures, and may only suggest something resembling that.

I, however, think neither of these are fitting anymore.  Not only are things like MIMP and MUSCLE turning into niche collector markets, it's become an art platform for all sorts of new artists and toy makers.  These new throwback art pieces are neither made in mass quantities or with sub-par materials to cut cost.  Independent toy makers pour their souls into these tiny creations, turning cheap slug-mold figures into an amazingly done miniature sculpture.

So now we enter the realm of how much should a piece of art go for, and really, the answer of that is going to be different from one collector to the next.  Some people may love one piece and willing to pay anything for it and some won't even pay a dime.  That's just how art works, and really, it's going to hinge on whether it attracts the customer on some personal or aesthetic level.  The people who get hooked are going to be those who say, no matter what price, that a particular drop or release will be a bargain and a must have.  I remember I was that exact way for the Onion Fights X Punk Drunker miniature last February that was being sold for fifteen US.  Honestly, that figure could have been twice that and I would have not thought twice about still buying it, that is, if I didn't completely get wrapped up in something else and miss it completely.

Just now, keshi are being released and sold for thirty or so.  Believe it or not, that's probably the average price on these Japanese convention-only releases, and some collectors wouldn't think twice.  Some people will be hooked onto what a figure looks like or what set it's a part of and will be compelled while other stare and scratch their heads, wondering how anyone could pay anything more than a couple bucks.

Not all things are limited edition and from talented independent artists.  You may see some big box superstore carry a minifigure line and wonder what would be reasonable to pay, but I suggest not much changes.  Keep in mind quality and materials used, and gauge the price against your interest.  I know for me, if something is cheap enough, I really can't refuse.

June 7, 2015

MWOTR GITD Goliath Leak!

Hinted from their Instagram, it appears the team at Mystical Warriors of the Ring plan on lighting up the night sky this July in their own way.

That's right!  Goliath, their monstrous alligator character, will be seeing his third colorway since becoming a multi-part PVC figure in their Evolution line.  He's seen metallic green, black, and now I'm sure fans will be excited to see this guy in Glow in the Dark.

I enjoy Glow in the Dark, but maybe not as much as some.  However, I am more than interested in seeing how much this bulky figure glows.  He's already a pretty amazing miniature on his own, so this extra bit might actually cause this variant to be very popular.

For more, as always, check out their website and blog down here!

June 6, 2015

Circle K/Sunkus Sees Kinnikuman Reprint Promo!


Do it with me, everyone!  Do the Official Keshi Drop Fist Shake of Fury, as news has been revealed that Japanese convenient stores will be seeing a super awesome summer time promo event with Kinnikuman.  Not shaking your fists yet?  What if I told you it was with Circle K and Sunkus companies, Circle K also have convenient stores all across The States?  Yeah, there you go!  That's the fury, I'm talking about!

I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one to say a summer promotional event of this sort would please many mini collectors here.  In fact, Monster in My Pocket did many promotions in the 80's and 90's, and those mini-figures are some of the most coveted.  Granted we can take some relief in the fact that this promo would be just offering reprints of classic figures, but still, we are missing what could be a very fun event and opportunity to collect figures we don't already have.

This story was dropped by Super Punch and I want to thank them for the information.  Please check out their blog below for the original news release.

http://www.superpunch.net/2015/06/the-limited-return-of-muscle.html