Hot Toys DeLorean Time Machine from Back to the Future

At this point, we've probably already pre-ordered the Marty McFly 1/6 scale action figure from Hot Toys, and we kinda expected the DeLorean to be made as well. And we knew it would be awesome. And it is awesome. Expect the pre-order from various online retailers to be up any time soon.

Hot Toys Black Widow from Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Just a year ago, I argued that I preferred quantity over quality, when it came to my superhero toys. Of course, today, things are very different. With a dozen of Hot Toys figures from Marvel's cinematic universe, I can admit to being hooked.

I've been talking about Hot Toys Black Widow for a few years now. Ever since she was announced as part of the Aveners wave, she had my attention, and I still regret not picking her up from Forbidden Planet in New York. But that was then, and I'm actually glad I waited. First of all, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was an impressive movie, and honestly, better than The Avengers. Secondly, this is a better toy than the previous version. Yes, the head sculpt may be just as reminiscent of Natalie Portman as it is Scarlett Johansson, but the details on this figure is out of this world. The fabric in the clothing, the incredible details on her belt. It's all very subtle, and all extremely impressive.

Anyway. Pictures.

High End Toy Lines

Collecting toys can be expensive, or more affordable, depending what you actually collect, and how you vision your collecting. Of course, constantly going for boxed, vintage toys, you can imagine it quickly becomes expensive. But at the other end, you may just pick up huge lots of loose, opened figures, and go for quantity over toys in mint condition.

Hot Toys: Amazing and expensive

It almost the same if you're into contemporary general-release action figures, you usually don't have to ruin your wallet. Usually.

Let us say that you're into superheroes, and have $200 to use on toys. Among your options is to go for a nice double-digit amount of Marvel Legends. You'll get several, durable toys of good quality. 

But should you be interested in the high-end superhero toys, you more or less have to consider the Hot Toys action figures. They are roughly $200 for a single figure. Worth it? Many think so because gorgeous face sculpts, a size that demands attention, and and extreme details on their costume. Oh, and they're also as articulated as any action figure. 

I tend to chose quantity, as I have far too many interests to be able to spend $200 on a single figure. From time to time, I regret the decision of not picking up Black Widow, Thor and the other Avengers, because these are the best looking toys I have seen, and isn't that the whole idea of collecting? To actually appreciate the designs and quality of the toys?

Like I said, I tend to choose quantity, and  go for several different toys from several different toy lines, I fluctuate almost daily between preferring modern and vintage toys. Sometimes I wish I were more focused in my collecting, but that thought quickly passes when I spot something new, cool. 

All this is besides the point really, as I was planning to talk a bit about the robot counterparts of Hot Toys. 

SoC God Mars is impressive. 

I have mentioned the Masterpiece Transformers series, and I even own a couple of MP Transformers: Skywarp, Thundercracker, Optimus Prime. They cost at least five times that of a regular release Transformer, but are of course also more impressive in size and details. They tend to be a bit tricky to transform, but I guess that's a positive thing when it comes to the Transformers. 

Another toy line, similar to Masterpiece Transformers, is Soul of Chogokin. SoC is a toy line from Bandai that focuses on making robots from old anime shows. These robots have usually all had toys already, but with SoC, Bandai goes all out - sort of like what Hot Toys does. And they're absolutely gorgeous. Lots of metal parts, lots of intricate details, tons of play features, tons of added accessories. The display value for these toys are out of this world. 

I have never managed to actually pull the trigger on these mighty toys, even though the combining mecha God Mars, from an early 80s anime has tempted me. As has the monumental Ideon, from the tragic ending show Space Runaway Ideon. These are expensive toys, but if you check out a few reviews online, you may understand why. 

From a safe distance, I've let myself be impressed with Bandai's Soul of Chogokin releases, and one of their latest mechas has even made me laugh. This actually exists: 

Will the Disney Mecha be my first Soul of Chogokin, should I rather pick up some Hot Toys superheroes, or should I simply stick to quantity over quality? 

Figure Friday: Storm Shadow Anecdote

As I'm back home for a birthday celebration, this will have to be a short one. But non the less an interesting - and for me, an extremely potent experience as a toy collector. Basically, this is the story about one that got away. Storm Shadow. The ninja.

Storm Shadow was released to the toy stores in USA in 1984. He didn't come to Norway until '86, and was discontinued in around 1988-1989. But we all know that some toys sat on shelves for months after being discontinued. Years even. Only last year, I heard about a guy who found 1994 Joes in the far back of a provincial toy store. Typically, the toys that sat on the shelves that long wasn't the popular ones. They were the boring, filler characters, the wacky toys, the extremely expensive ones.

Storm Shadow was really neither. He was, and continue to be one of the most popular characters in 80s pop culture. He sold out, even in Norway. He was a fantastic action figure in every way, he was a cool character in the comic, and as a toy he came packed with great accessories. A deliciously simple, yet detailed sculpt. Magnificent card art, and a relatively low price. Kids loved the white ninja.

So I had really no expectation of finding him in my stores by 1990, when my interest for Joes really kicked in. I had already read about Storm Shadow in the comics, and he was by far the coolest character, in my opinion. He was sort of a villain, yet still able to fight alongside his ninja buddy, Snake Eyes. After a while, he even joined the G.I. Joe team, in their battle against Cobra, his previous employer/captor.

But there we were, on a holiday in Denmark, me, my sister and my parents. Just doing a pit stop for gas and food, before heading off further down the highways of Europe. I fulfill my duties as a kid, and instinctively head straight for the nearest toy store. This wasn't even a real toy store. It felt more like the good umold fashioned multi-purpose store. They had a little bit of everything.

Near the exit, in a crate, I come over a bunch of Joes. This wasn't all that surprising. In Norway, Denmark and the rest of the western world, G.I. Joe was a pretty popular toy line. But I immediately notice that something is different. These figures are far too old to be in store. These are the discontinued figures from a couple of years back. I had never even seen these in stores. I panic. I frantically search through the lot, craving pretty much every single one of them. I know that's out of the question, but I may be able to get one or two of them from my parents...

And that's when I find him, near the bottom of the bin. Storm Shadow. On clearance sale.
I shouldn't be this lucky. And I wasn't either. I ran out, trying to find someone with the money to buy me the grail, but my father couldn't be bothered, and my mother wasn't nearby.
I was never the type of kid to cry when I didn't get a toy I wanted - because, honestly, I got a shit ton of toys. This wasn't the case with Storm Shadow either. The very next day, we stopped in Germany, and I got the two-pack with the Crimson Twins - toys I still have to this day, and I had momentarily forgotten about the Cobra assassin.

But it has always been there, the memory of the one that got away. A reminder that I should be better at jumping opportunities that arises, and that I should always have saved up a couple of coins, should a fantastic toy deal come around.

Enjoy your weekend, people!


Epilogue:
I never got Storm Shadow as a kid. A friend had him, and I was really jealous, but at the same time, at least I got to play with him from time to time. And honestly, it adds to the mythology of the toy that I never had him myself. So what happens when I become an adult and notice that it's possible to buy old toys through the internet? I get myself a couple of pristine examples of Storm Shadow. No big deal, just getting my self the grail. Satisfying? Sure. The surge of nostalgia, the possession of a wonderful toy. It's all there. But it doesn't make me forget that I had it in my hands two decades earlier.

Figure Friday: G1 Jetfire

With this article, I'm taking a week vacation.

A Figure Friday on Jetfire has been in the making for a while. In some ways, I have almost been nervous for writing this, or taking the pictures. You see, neither the pictures nor my words will suffice in describing how magnificent this toy is. I will of course try my best, but as you will see, the pictures I've taken are mediocre.
And my words.. well read on for what is truly the best toy ever made.

Lego 10228 - Monster Fighters Haunted Mansion

A weekend update... I don't really do the news stuff, but I had to comment on this one. I also suspect I'm one of the first to share these images. The 10228 Haunted Mansion looks to be coming out this September, at $180, and it looks to be amazing.

Undead chef, retro styled glow in the dark ghosts, boarded windows, modular building by the looks of it, and I hope it will match the other modulars. You can at least fold it open from the middle. This is just a massive amount of awesome. Notice the top of the pillars... Nice detail!

Lego, take all my money!

International G.I. Joe figures on card

I have never really bothered to have unopened toys. As you saw a few days ago, I'm actually quite the opposite. I make an effort getting old toys - and I open them.
Still, the effect of collecting toys is that you usually end up having many several unopened examples, but I never made it a goal to be a so called MOC/MISB collector (Mint on Card, Min in Sealed Box).

There was, how ever, one thing I wanted to have in my collection. Carded Joe figures from several different countries. And I made the conscious decision og chasing down a few selected pieces. No really rare ones, and certainly not "mint". In fact, many of them are really banged up, with poor cards. I don't care, I just like to have examples from different nations - like the Norwegian carded Action Force figures.

The pictures are not the best, as my camera was acting up. And in the future I hope to take the pictures these deserve. But I'll do the run down on my small, but planned carded collection. So hop on in.