Open Your Toys Cast

Let’s get this paddy started!

Let’s look at pre-orders this time around. I would definitely wait on the new TVC Clone Wars 4-Pack to save some money. I don’t think any of these Amazon multipacks have ever sold out before hitting ridiculously low prices. So glad I don’t do 1:6th scale. I’m not sure I could JOMO this amazing FigZero Snake Eyes. Something I probably would have FOMOed if I hadn’t missed it was the Target Exclusive Sla’ker. It combines two of my favorite characters in perfect harmony. I have allowed myself to pre-order all the Dr. Wu micromaster-scale G1 bots. I don’t want to mess around with these on the secondary market.

If you don't know I write a post for each episode, but only copy the second paragraph here. You should read the whole post. Here's the second paragraph for this episode... No funny or clever tie-ins to collecting this time; besides maybe, there's always a lesson to learn. Have you learned your lesson? Do you have a lesson to teach others? Don't hold back. Instill your knowledge of history in the younger generation. Do whatever you can to make sure history does not repeat itself.

Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na

Toys continue to just get better and better. Man, have you seen the Classified Vamp in hand? What about the new Black Series Droideka/Destroyer Droid? Hoowee! Never thought I would say hoowee for an Orko, but Mondo’s has earned a hoowee! And one for my boy, Mr. Mark Haddock, this Legacy Gears. Hoowee!

I love supporting Kickstarters because they are really a day-at-a-time kind of thing. The latest Roboskull update shows how amazing this thing is going to be. Hasbro keeps finding a way to get more money from their molds while enticing us with one new thing. I’m still excited about their possible new Transformers Selects multi-pack. When there’s no great toy news, I’ll take some media news any day. The latest Masters of Universe Revolution trailer is great, especially its background music. And, while it is probably late to take advantage of the original fan fair, I still welcome a Mando movie.

I’ve talked about change, motivation, and getting things done too much. It’s time to put up or shut up.

Toys are getting a little messy. You have what seem to be hits like the MOTU x TMNT Crossover that keep gaining steam. But then you have what we feel are flops like the Hiya Joe line and their new Gung Ho. Some are inadvertently messy, like making a 5 PoA line out of figures that were originally 5 PoA. I’m looking at you Phantom Menace Retro Collection. Some have got to know, right? Unfortunately, not the Transformers team. Or, maybe they do?

Here are my most important reveals from this show. For Transformers, the Furai Soundwave. While I cherry-pick ReAction, who doesn’t want Duke with a lightsaber or Snake Eyes with a trident? No Star Wars toy news this time, but I’m loving these Bad batch posters. Finally, Frog Monger sparked our JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) conversation. That still didn’t keep me from ordering three.

Something equally well-received as the HISS is the latest Figura Obscura from the 4Horsemen. Received not nearly as well, but still generating some excitement are the new O-ring Joes from Super7. I’m not sure Joe collectors will be so happy when they are $20+. Something that really impressed the crew this week was an intensely beautiful, or ugly, depending on your view, Threezero’s MDLX G2 Megatron. Not sure if it’s the piece or it’s ridiculous edition size of 50 worldwide. Something that obviously didn’t get a great reception was Hasbro’s Selfie Series; may it rest in peace.

No time for diatribes today.

No clever segue way this week, just the coolest stuff. The MOTU x TMNT crossovers have got us all excited. The revelation of the new Triple T in the Joe x TF crossover line sounds promising. Think Classified is killing it? The leaked listings prove that they are. While none of us collect Hot Toys, the new Ahsoka is yet another thing of beauty.

Can you feel the frustration with collectors nowadays? It’s either pricing, availability, or too much product. Almost everyone I know is cutting back or quitting altogether. It’s not stopping these companies. We still haven’t got our first big Classified vehicle. We just got done funding our second big vehicle, now we have a third coming our way. Transformers continues with a bevy of new exclusives. Same with Star Wars, but I ain’t mad at this EU Black Series multi-pack. While, still available, and relatively reasonable, it’s gotta be the price on some of these Power-Con exclusives that are making them hang around. Or, maybe there’s just too much MOTU out there to support 3rd Party.

I meant to save a bunch of time and do a really well-thought-out reflection of our 15th Anniversary show. Well, you see how well that worked out.

(mic drop)

Hasbro Pulse Con was kind of meh this year, but it’ll be an easy field to pick my favorites from, so here we go. Believe it or not, I think the weird rock truck was my favorite Transformer reveal. I still have no intention of picking it up. I’m a sucker for the Old Republic, so the TVC HK-47 and Jedi Revan 2-Pack was easily my favorite Star Wars reveal. I think Joe continues to kill it. It seems so much so, people are getting burned out on the whole line. I’ve always been a huge Big Boa fan, but who can really beat that deluxe Metalhead? No news for MOTU, so go enjoy Mattel’s awesome Origins stop-motion videos. They made me a lot happier when I thought I had Lady Slither on the way.

All of my favorites from this show you can put off. None of them are really required for any sort of collection. As much as I love Lady Slither and her articulated tail, do we really need her? I almost wish I had collected the Holiday Black Series figures from the beginning, especially because the latest batch is just killing it on a bunch of different levels. Another Transformers crossover to take or leave popped up as well. It looks great, but do you really need it? I don’t think anyone needs G.I. Joe ReAction figures, but the Sunbow deep cuts keep sucking me back in.

Why is it that I am constantly laboring on Labor Day? We just spent 3 hours doing yard work. That was after camping for the second time in so many weeks. Setting up and tearing down camp is always crazy laborious. The one thing I can skip is writing about it. Now you don't have to read it, win-win.

The way people collect can be equally as diverse as the way people choose to camp. And just as with camping, there’s no really right or wrong way to do it. I think this year’s Power-Con demonstrated this. The big two, Hasbro and Mattel, were nowhere to be found, but in their place was an amazingly diverse group of indy toy makers. The Four Horsemen had an extremely impressive setup highlighted by their amazing life-size Ogre. Fresh Monkey Fiction showed off some great new entries to the BBTS-sponsored Monster Force line. Mondo continued their stellar reputation with a flocked Panthor and Filmation Trap Jaw. My favorite by far was Creative Beast Studio, makers of The Beasts of Mesozoic. It looks like, besides just redecos and buck reuse, they most likely had an absolutely brilliant idea all along.

With so many amazing reveals, this quick list shouldn’t be too hard. For Star Wars, the second wave of ROTJ figures is simply amazing. I think most Joe people would say the Vamp stole the show, but for my money, I’m all about the Pulse Con Exclusive Crimson Strike 3-Pack. I don’t think I’m in the minority when saying the new Studio Series Ultra Magnus is pretty damn impressive. Finally, while I’m really sad to see MOTU Origins become an exclusive line, the new animated line looks amazing.