Toy Spotlight - Play Arts Kai

Today a friend and I hit up the local collectible shop. I really like this particular shop because it specializes in toys. Now I focus 95% of my collecting energy....and money, toward vintage items. I do, however, like to check out what he has and occasionally score a vintage item when they pop up. He has some really awesome stuff, but I have convinced myself to keep my focus and steer clear of impulsive buys.....so far so good....

....but like I said I do score the occasional vintage toy at his shop....

Picked this guy up a few months back at that store for what I would consider a steal! He rarely has vintage stuff and just seems to want to get rid of it. I am happy to help  =)

Anyway back to the purpose for this blog. So my friend and I were browsing and we spotted some cool figures. This friend is a huge Arkham City/Asylum fan and he worked out a sweet deal for these guys....

Play Arts Kai Joker and Armored Batman

Not knowing much about this line, I am going to do my best to describe them. They are imported from Japan, and highly pose-able/articulated (box claims 46 points of articulation for Bats!)

Nice looking packaging for collectors who stay MIB...

 Looks like you can do some really cool poses with the Joker!

Great sculpted detail....

Definitely digging the Batman head sculpt!

I gotta say I really do like these figures. If I wasn't restricting myself to vintage items I'd more then likely have these guys in my very own man cave (Nerd Nook!).

It really is tough to resist all these awesome figures. But luckily with the Star Wars Black Series announced I can keep telling myself I'll need the room (and the money) if I decide to pick some of those up (which I most likely will!)......

"I'll never let you win......never" - Batman (Arkham Asylum) 

Fun Friday!

Part of the fun of my job is every once in a while I get to relax a bit and have some fun!

Sketched out and colored this guy for an eager bunch! Lego again....anyone sensing a pattern here?

Nerd Nook Newbies (Week 3)

Welcome back for my third installment of Nerd Nook Newbies.  Now I know that my collection pales in comparison to many others as far as size goes. Even still I find myself needing to find interesting ways to utilize my space. I have already envisioned the evolution of my nook and have planned ahead for how I am going to organize my growing collection.  Anyway this first adaptation will house my loose vintage Star Wars collection I am working on as well as some other plans I have for the new year.

The Nerd Nook itself is somewhat of a newbie this week.  I purchased an Ikea glass case that I see so many other collectors using.  I'm planning to add a light source as well as purchase risers to increase the usable space without restricting the ability to see the figures inside.  I got the idea from this collection being featured over at Cool and Collected. 

The next Newbies this week represent the start of my loose, vintage Star Wars collection (I'd love to go for them all MOC but I would not only be broke but burried in figures).



IG88 and Boba Fett

Dengar and Imperial Commander

 

I'm pretty excited about these new guys. Love these vintage figures.

 

Next on Newbies is a new addition to my ever growing Super Powers collection. As I have said before Batman is my favorite Super Powers figure (Superman a close second).  So I have set out to collect as many of the card variations (foriegn included) that I can.  This week I was lucky enough to add this guy:

 

To most people this just looks like another Super Powers Batman BUT if you flip it over there is a sticker which shows it to be the UK palitoy cardback. I am definitely excited to have added this guy to my collection!

 

So that wraps up a pretty busy week for the Nerd Nook.  New layout and a new collection underway! Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my new additions.

 

"The empire will compensate you if he dies....put em in!" .....couldn't resist what with adding Boba Fett n all.



The League Has Spoken - Wish List

For this week's league assignment....

 

"The big guy is on his way! What’s on your Christmas wish list this year? "

 

 

For a collector of all kinds of pop culture related items this poses a decent challenge.  I'm not sure if I should approach this practically (as in things I actually have a shot at getting) or outrageously (ask the big fella for stuff that is out of this world expensive/rare). Maybe a little of both!

 

For my outrageous request I'll go big....why not? What's the worst that can happen? Coal?

 

Dear Santa,

I have been extra special good this year. I deserve a minty on card Masters of the Universe He Man and Thundercats Lion-o.  These were two of my all time favorite toys and since you got them for me once, I figured you might have some extras stashed away somewhere up in the North Pole. You'll make me the happiest kid ever!              

 

Now Santa I understand if you don't have any extras lying around for the last 30 years and don't have a spare 2 grand this holiday season.  If this is the case I'd settle for the 1989 Batman Hot Toys figure. Michael Keaton is my all time favorite Batman and this awesomely detailed figure would look great in my new display case!



                                                                                        

 

So there you have it. There are tons of other items I would love to have delivered to me free of charge by a fat guy in a red suit.  However, I may be nostalgic but I ain't stupid. Maybe I'll get lucky and get the Batman Hot Toy!

 

Happy Holidays everyone. Hope you get everything you asked for and more!

 

"Vintage He man and Lion-o? Keep dreamin asshole!"

 

Also from some other extraordinary bloggers we have Infinite Hollywood wishing for some awesome old school items here. The Monster Cafe is also after some really cool items here.



Nerd Nook Newbies

Welcome to this week's addition of Nerd Nook Newbies!  I have two new additions to the Nerdy Nook of the Cave. Both are pretty exciting, cool, and rare.....

The first new addition is the 1970s cereal premium vinyl Count Chocula.  I have been after one of these for some time and actually made a mistake a veteran collector like myself should never make. I made a purchase before being totally sure I knew what I was buying. Luckily it wasn't a costly mistake and will allow for a nice comparison shot.....

 

The count on the left is the actual vintage 70s version. The count on the right is a remade version that was sold in the 90s.  I bought the remake version a few months back thinking it was an original. Oops! Anyway the remake has a more "plastic/cheap" look to it. Plus it's a lousy mold and is lop sided. I had to use the candle in the pic to prop it up since it can't stand on its own. Now to the real deal.  This Count is a bit taller and has more muted coloration.  He has a few flaws here and there but I got him for a good price compared to what some were going for around halloween time. I'm hoping to eventually add Fruit Brute, Boo Berry, and Frankenberry to complete the set. Hopefully you'll be seeing them in a future newbie post.

 

The second and final newbie this week is ....... 1989 Estrela Black Batman from Brazil.

So Super Powers is one of my all time favorite toy lines. And it just so happens that Batman is my favorite characters from the line. As you can imagine adding this guy was pretty exciting.  Here is a bit of background on this piece. He was released in Brazil in 1989 to coincide with the release of Tim Burton's Batman. As you can see in the pic below Estrela used the exact same sculpt used for the original Grey and Blue Batman (my first series carded Batman was happy to help with a comparison)

 

Now from what I understand is this guy was only made for a short period of time and no carded examples are known to exist.  I gotta say he looks awesome. This figure was actually also used on the back on the Toy Biz Batman that was released here in the States. 

 

My Toy Biz Batman - The figure you recieved was not the figure pictured on the back

 

So that'll do it for week 2 of Nerd Nook Newbies. I hope I can keep the new and exciting stuff rolling in!

 

"What are you!!!!!!"

 

"I'm Batman"

 







Movie Minute....What's Your Take on This?

I got curious after my last post about the teaser pic released for "Star Trek Into Darkness". So to assuage my curiosity I went digging on the interwebs for any additional info I could find. While digging I came across this newly released movie poster. It looks like the classic scene from "Wrath of Kahn" might not be all they are jocking from previously released movies. Here's a quick comparison of the "Dark Knight" movie poster and the newly released "Into Darkness" movie poster. There are certainly some distinct similarities in my opinion. I'll let you be the judge....

Random Toy Spotlight....Target Exclusive Winter Batman

As promised in my League of Extraordinary Bloggers Geekmas Post...here is your review of Target's Exclusive Winter Batman.

Ok so as the title says this Winter/Holiday themed Caped Crusader is available exclusively at Target stores.  He is a follow up to Target's "Halloween Batman".

 

Batman is on the 3 3/4 inch scale. His head can rotate 360 degrees, arms go up and down (no joint in the elbows) legs go up and down and bend at the knee. As far as detail goes he's really just white with I guess what is supposed to be grey camo. Must have some rough winters up in Gotham. Hope the Batmobile is front wheel drive. Anyway the only real redeeming quality this figure has, in my opinion, is originality.  It's pretty odd and unique to have a white Batman figure.

As I mentioned there was a Target Exclusive Halloween Batman which as far as I'm concerned was way cooler. 

 

I dig the fact that the bubble looks like a pumpkin and Batman has kind of a scary look going on.

So that's it for this review. Not super exciting but definitely unique.

 

"Who are you!?!?!?"

 

"I'm.......