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Fallout: Pip-Boy 2000 Mk VI (Limited Edition)

Fallout Pip-Boy 2000 Mk VI Vault-Tec Limited Edition Product Description Limited Edition Only 2,200 worldwide Individually-numbered Includes Certificate of Authenticity Fully-Assembled Light-up display Button on top box powers up display and vacuum tubes Display screen lights up and vacuum tubes illuminate (with metal spring filament inside) Display and vacuum tubes periodically flicker, replicating a loose internal connection – tapping the top of the Pip-Boy “cures” the flickering Read More Fallout Fallout 3. Obviously, I'm still playing the game. At one point in the game, you have to go into Vault 112's virtual environment and it's seriously straight out of the Twilight Zone. You need a high Charisma or Speech skill …

Like all Fallout fans, I’ve always wanted my own Pip-Boy. When Fallout ‘76 came out, Bethesda licensed The Wand Company to produce a build kit. That was four years ago, but I’ve never seen it sold at Gamestop, which was the official distributor.

I have seen the Bluetooth Pip-Boy holder, but never purchased it. It didn’t make sense as I didn’t have a Pip-Boy.

About a year ago, in Oct 2022, Bethesda announced 3 New Limited-Edition Pip-Boys: The Vault-Tec™, Sugar Bombs, and Enclave variants.

They are exactly the same, but in different color variants. Personally speaking, the Vault-Tec (Fallout 76 colors), is my favorite. I just love that color scheme… but the others aren’t bad either. I wish they made a Nuka-Cola variant, as I’m sure that would be more appealing than Sugar Bombs.

Before I knew it, I saw that Big Bad Toy Store bought a ton of these to re-sell to their customers, which I was more than happy to pre-order this item. The nice thing about BBTS is that they won’t actually charge you the $200 until they’re ready to ship. Some companies, such as Hasbro will charge you the money upfront and then takes over a year to actually mail you the toy.

So, I got my Pip-Boy today (April 12th), and it’s just amazing. I knew it had a light-up screen, but I had no idea it flickers or that the vacuum tubes lights up! That was beyond cool, and the effects looks great too. I do wish the screen was animated… perhaps maybe later down the line, I can mod it to include an old phone screen to display the Fallout animated Pip-Boy. It might be fun, but I honestly don’t want to mess it up!

Anyway, for now, I’m super happy with the Pip-Boy.

If I have the extra cash, I may end up getting the other two color variants. I hope The Wand Company might go back and re-issue the stand or offer the working AM/FM Radio add-on (as now I’m interested!)

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

Read more Weekend Gamer.

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State of Play: Super Powers Collection

Read More Toys I know it’s 2020, but if you’ve gone to the toy aisle, it certainly looks like the 80s: Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe, Ghost Busters, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Like Hollywood, the toy …

As a long time comic book fan and action figure collector, I was very excited to see that Todd McFarlane is producing modern Super Powers toys.

For those who aren’t aware, the original Kenner’s release of Super Powers Collection in 1984 is the stuff of legends. It was the first time that DC Comics had figures of their favorite characters. I started reading comics in 1985 and didn’t really started collecting toys until many years later (toys are expensive to a kid!) … so I had missed out on the original Kenner collection.

The good news is that these new McFarlane toys are in the same scale as the original Kenner figures… meaning that you can use your existing toys with the new vehicles and vice-versa.

Depending on your view, McFarlane kept everything the same, including the limited articulation, but not including “power punch” and “karate chop” gimmicks. The good news is that the figures are only $10 each. The bad news is that they’re exclusive to Walmart… meaning if you don’t live near a Wally or hate the giant retailer, it’s going to suck for you.

Don’t lose hope, perhaps it’s only a timed-exclusive. Remember Masters of the Universe: Origins? For the first year, it was a Walmart exclusive. By 2021, Mattel sold it to all stores that wanted to stock them.

photo: Lorand C

Anyway, so far, with the new Super Powers Collection, we only got Superman, Batman, Darkseid, and two vehicles, Batwing and Supermobile. I bought them all, except, of course, I can’t find the Batwing anywhere. I’ll continue to hunt for it… but, so far, I’m very happy with what I’ve got.

Update: Apparently Green Lantern (John Stewart) is the fourth figure in the new Super Powers Collection toy line. This photo to the left was taken at a Walmart in Gainesville, Florida. Hopefully, I can find the figure soon.

Super Powers (2022)

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State of Play: G.I. Joe: Classified

Product Description G.I. Joe is a highly skilled, on-demand, special operations force of men and women from around the globe. These extraordinarily talented heroes are selected for their elite abilities and tasked with defending the world from Cobra, a ruthless criminal organization bent on total domination. With unwavering courage and steely determination, the brave members of G.I. Joe are prepared to seek out Cobra in any environment on the planet. From hostile jungles to ice-clad arctic peaks…wherever there’s trouble, G.I. Joe is there. This Heavy Artillery Roadblock figure comes ready for action, with multiple points of articulation for high poseability and character-inspired accessories, including a heavy artillery blaster. And with custom artwork by Mike Thompson, the G.I. Joe Classified Series Roadblock package will make a mark on shelves. Read More Hasbro This year, Hasbro wanted to update the toy line to 6”, giving these soldiers updated looks and additional details you can’t see on a smaller figure. The first wave is solid, with Snake Eyes, Duke, Scarlet, Roadblock and Destro (the only Cobra in the wave). ....

I previously mentioned how difficult it was to find and collect G.I. Joe: Classified toys. After their disastrous Target releases for their Exclusive line, Cobra Island, it made fans, such as myself, completely giving up on collecting the line. Last year, as part of Hasbro’s effort to win back the fans, they put back production on the the early Cobra Island figures as a “last chance to own these figures”. I knew I shouldn’t have, but I caved in and ordered the figures I was missing (however, to this day, I’m still missing a Major Bludd figure…)

Anyway, now that it’s two years in since I started collecting the Classified Series, I know for a fact that I have not seen any figures on store’s shelves, except for the Snake Eyes: Origins movie figures. The movie, and action figures, proved to be unpopular with the fans. Of course, I bought the figures, to add to my collection… but if it wasn’t part of the Classified line, I probably wouldn’t have cared either.

Recently, I got roped back into collecting the Classified Series when Amazon had some new figures in stock: Alley Viper, B.A.T., and Heavy Artillery Roadblock. I believe the reasons why I was able to get the Viper and BAT is because fans were cancelling their pre-orders. I truly believe this, as it would’ve been one year in pre-order (and Hasbro was already announcing figures for 2023). I do not believe I will see these figures (or any future figures) in stores, so I am forced to buy them online.

As for Roadblock, fans were fed up with seeing him re-released. This Amazon Exclusive figure was the fourth version of Roadblock: The first Classified figure, a Cobra Island version, and finally a re-colored of the first figure. If you ask me, the Heavy Artillery Roadblock is really the figure that everyone was asking for… it’s his classic look.

Anyway, remember how impossible it was to buy the Target Exclusive Cobra Island? I will bet you it’s going to be just as difficult to get the upcoming Target Exclusive Tiger Force. Pre-Orders have long sold out, but I’m hoping to just randomly find them in stores (I doubt it… but I can always hope).

Storm Shadow and Spirit

To me, the Classified Series is incredibly popular, I just don’t understand why Hasbro just doesn’t produce more figures to satiate the demand. We’ve seen Mattel get a lot of Masters of the Universe on the store shelves, which I love. I just wish Hasbro would do the same.

Update: Yes, I was able to get the new Storm Shadow and Spirit. Very happy about the details on the Spirit figure, it’s simply the best version of this character in toy form, no doubt about it. Again, I’m not sure why Hasbro is limiting these toy’s release, because as of this writing, they're “sold out” and you are forced to pay double the price from scalpers.

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Bloomington Comic Expo at VFW Post, Bloomington (2021-11-13)

Read More Comic Books We attended the first Midwest Comic Book Fans show Spring Fling Comic Book Show at Mermaid Entertainment & Event Center, Mounds View, Minnesota, today, May 15th, 2021. …

There was a new comic book show called Bloomington Comic Expo at the Bloomington’s Everett McClay VFW Post on Saturday. Admission was free, so we decided to stop by to check it out. I thought this was the first show, but talking to vendors, they said the promoters had a lot of shows, “pre-pandemic, of course.”

First of all, we’ve been to venue before for a few Minnesota Toy Posse shows, so we knew the room was small. It’s about the same size as Mermaid Entertainment Event Center.

There were about 15-20 dealers, mostly selling back issues. If you’ve gone to other comic book shows, you know what to expect, lots of long boxes and a lot of digging.

There were a few selling toys, mostly out of print stuff. Surprisingly I didn’t see any Transformers or G.I. Joe’s. If they had them at the show, they didn’t put them on display.

Gordon Purcell

The convention advertised Keith Champagne (courtesy of the MCBF), Tom Nguyen, and Gordon Purcell. These names should be familiar with any comic book fans living in the area.

We had a little chat with Purcell, talking about that time he was asked to do a rush job for DC Comics’ War of the Gods. He said that the main artist dropped out, so he (he also mentioned Phil Jimenez) was called in to finish the last issue. The whole project was a mess, because writer George Perez was also working at Marvel Comics for Infinity Gauntlet, and he was over extending himself with War of the Gods. The interesting thing about under Perez’s direction, George would write in notes for the artist. For example, he would write in so-and-so’s heads here, etc. Thanks to War of the Gods, Purcell said that he got to draw a ton of DC characters.

I think the free admission was a real draw for me. As long as it’s free, or reasonably priced, I will attend future shows. I definitely did not attend Fallcon this year, because admission was $15 and offered nothing of value in return.

Bloomington Comic Expo at VFW Post, Bloomington (2021-11-13)

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TV: MOTU and AHS

Read more Television.

Read More He-Man The new Masters of the Universe: Origins line, by Mattel, updated the original figures, but adding in updated sculpts and more articulation… so for the first time they can bend their knees and elbows. It’s pretty awesome. …

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION
netflix.com

The much-anticipated Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Part 1) dropped on Netflix on Friday (July 23).

If Kevin Smith’s intent was to continue the story of the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated cartoon, it misses the mark. He-Man was the show for the boys… She-Ra was the show for the girls. To have Revelation a show with all female leads of Teela, Evil Lynn, and Andra (new girl character), it felt like the wrong choice for a boys cartoon.

If you understand the original cartoon and its toy origins – it’s a product designed for boys. That meant that there were rarely any female toys. The toys we had were Teela, Evil Lynn, and the Sorceress. Suddenly the 1% of girl characters are now the main subject of Revelation, it just didn’t sit right with many fans.

The reason why it’s the Teela show is because (spoilers), they killed off He-Man and Skeletor in the first episodes. The rest of the show is Teela’s quest to reunite the two Power Swords and bring magic back to Eternia. She’s aided by Evil Lynn, Andra, Roboto, and Orko, on this quest. Ultimately Roboto and Orko dies, leaving only the the girl characters by Episode 5.

When they killed off He-Man for the second time (stop killing He-Man!), I can already see the writing on the wall…. It only makes sense that Teela will become the new He-Man (or She-Ra?).

I think Double Toasted put it best, when they described Revelation like seeing a concert where the main headliner leaves the stage and you’re left with the opening band . Just to clarify – we came to see He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, but what we got was Teela and the Masters of the Universe.

The one thing that I really like about the new show is that the animation and character designs are amazing. As far as I’m concern, the animation is a million times better than anything Funimation ever produced. I like how they modernized all the characters… making them more realistic. I also really love the new toyline, I own a full set of the first wave of toys. Unfortunately, the show suffers from the storyline and the choices and directions that Kevin Smith decided to go in.

Of course, I’ll end up catching Masters of the Universe: Revelation part 2, later this year, to see how it will end. I’m not excited about it, but I’ll watch it. If Revelation ends terribly, hey, at least I still have the toys and my DVDs for the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and the He-Man and Masters of the Universe 2002 cartoon.

Read More American Horror Story American Horror Story is one of the show that has its ups and downs for me. The 'haunted house' story of the first season started out great. Then as it started to wind to its conclusion, I sort of fell out of love with it. ....

AMERICAN HORROR STORIES
fxnetworks.com

I’ve previously mentioned time and time again that I really love the American Horror Story series… my favorite being American Horror Story: Coven. Like many long-form television shows, AHS does suffer from being trapped in not having enough interesting story to stretch to 12 episodes. In fact, even in some later seasons, the show cut it short to 10 episodes (Apocalypse) and even as low as 9 episodes (1984).

To solve this the show creators, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, is experimenting with a spinoff series called American Horror Stories… which are self-contained episodes. So far, only three episodes have aired, and, so far, I’m interested in more.

I wasn’t that into the first two episodes, which further the story of Murder House by introducing new residents … and creating a new Rubber Man (Woman). I think my main problem with the Rubber Woman story is that I didn’t care for the main character Scarlett. Even though the story was broken into two parts, Episode 1 and 2, it still wasn’t enough to explain to the viewer how/why Scarlett was so comfortable being around ghosts that haunts the Murder House.

The best episode so far is Episode 3, “Drive In”… about a movie called Rabbit Rabbit that causes its viewers to become violent and insane. The concept isn’t new, you’ve seen it in The Ring, or that recent Warning Do Not Play film, which causes the viewer death or insanity if you view the movie. In the AHS episode, two teenagers survived the drive in (they didn’t watch the movie because they were too busy making out) and decided to hunt down the director and stop him from releasing his movie in other theaters.

I’m interested in seeing more… the next episode of American Horror Stories will air on FX on July 29, 2021.

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MN Toy Posse at Eagles 34, Minneapolis (02 May 2021)

Read More MN Toy Posse For the first time since the pandemic, the October’s Minnesota Toy Posse show, dubbed MN Toy Posse Halloween Bash IV, took place at a different location… the VFW in Bloomington ...

With the threat of rain, we decided to arrive early to the Minnesota Toy Posse at Eagles 34 in Minneapolis, on Sunday, May 2nd. Like previous toy shows, everyone was required to wear a mask and signing in for COVID-19 tracking and alerts.

Surprisingly, the show was packed… the best turnout I’ve seen since the pandemic. The Facebook group has grown a lot, and even someone working at Gamestop suggested I join the group and was promoting the Sunday show. It sounds like toy hunters are spreading the word, and I’m happy to see that toy collecting is alive and well in Minnesota… Unfortunately, that just means that it’s harder and harder for me to find products on shelves.

The show organizers (Dave Wheeler, Mark Seekamp) mentioned that this May 2nd show was the first show since their October 2020, so that may also explain the large turnout.

Our group spent a lot of money on old vintage toys, I personally splash out $90 for one Gundam Tallgeese III action figure. While that price might sound ridiculous, it was originally sold for $75 at Toys ‘R Us. The seller had it in the original box (which I destroyed opening up so I can put him on display). I’ve no regret opening it up, as it will pair well with my other favorite Wing Gundam figure.

With people now feeling comfortable going out to public gatherings, because of the vaccines… this is a good sign that live music and concerts may be returning to the area, as soon as Summer. Already we’re starting to see show schedules appearing for October and November. I think it’ll be fine, and I can’t wait to go to the next MN Toy Posse show in June.

MN Toy Posse at Eagles 34, Minneapolis (02 May 2021)

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MN Toy Posse Halloween Bash IV at Everett McClay VFW Post 1296, Bloomington (25 Oct 2020)

Read More MN Toy Posse The November Minnesota Toy Posse show (named Swapsaturday) just took place at the Everett McClay VFW Post 1296 in Bloomington, Minnesota. These local shows are organized and hosted by organized ...

For the first time since the pandemic, the October’s Minnesota Toy Posse show, dubbed MN Toy Posse Halloween Bash IV, took place at a different location… the VFW in Bloomington, Minnesota (which we hadn’t been to since November 2019).

This October show may be the last one until April 2021, since I’m not really interested in traveling in the winter. In fact, driving to Bloomington was a nervous effort, because the light snow was making the roads wet & slippery (saw a few car crashes).

Many of the tables at this show featured Star Wars, showing how popular the brand really is with collectors. Unfortunately, I don’t collect Star Wars, so it was a miss for me. There were also plenty of modern Transformers… which is also unfortunate, since I hate the new stuff. Plenty of Marvel Legends, but, again, I’m not looking for anything in this line in particular.

What I was looking for were G.I. Joe: Classified and maybe the new G.I. Joe Retro Collection, but they’re rarely seen in stores, let alone at a toy show. I guess I didn’t have high hopes that I would find any Cobra Island, but I was hoping to see at least one or two … even if it’s marked at a really high price. So, yeah, no Red Ninjas, no Beachhead, no Cobra Troopers...

There was a guy selling a Deluxe Snake Eyes figure, but he wanted $100 for it. The figure, long sold out, was originally sold for $40, so I couldn’t justify paying a Benjamin for it.

I usually spend hundreds of dollars at these shows, but this Sunday show I couldn’t find anything that I wanted, or that the toys that I really wanted were just priced too high.

MN Toy Posse Halloween Bash IV at Everett McClay VFW Post 1296, Bloomington (25 Oct 2020)

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MN Toy Posse at Eagles 34, Minneapolis (30 Aug 2020)

Read More MN Toy Posse The November Minnesota Toy Posse show (named Swapsaturday) just took place at the Everett McClay VFW Post 1296 in Bloomington, Minnesota. These local shows are organized and hosted by organized ...

The monthly Minnesota Toy Posse show was today (August 30). For the third time in a roll, the show took place in the parking lot at Eagles 34, in Minneapolis. I think by now, people are used to these parking lot shows now. You’re still required to wear a mask, and they’re still collecting names and emails in case of an outbreak.

Based on these three shows, I feel that turnout for this show was much better than the first two shows. We arrived mid-day and bought some food at Eagles 34. They had a full diner inside, and outside they were grilling brats and hamburgers. The special was $6 and included brat, chips, and a drink.

Like I said, turn out was really good, as far as I’m concern. I saw plenty of family with kids walking around buying toys and having a good time.

Dealers seemed the same from previous shows, but I know they rotate dealers in and out, so there’s always something new and different for toy collectors. You’ll find the usual Marvel Legends and Funko Pop, sometime loose, sometime with card.

For fans of Marvel Legends that only wants the figure and their accessories (missing the Build a Figure part), you can find them for $10 or $15 a piece. Personally speaking, I’m not sure if it’s worth it, as the BAF figures are usually what people seek.

The toys I’m mostly hunting are usually the first few generations of Transformers (none of the new stuff), He-Man (Original 5.5 or Classic series), some DC Comics figures, and lately, I’m really into the new 6” G.I. Joe: Classified series. The latter is still very new, so I have found most of them in stores - but I was happy to see some figures at the show. Someone already bought the Baroness with Motorcycle that I wanted, but I’m sure I’ll be able to track this Target Exclusive figure.

Anyway, looking forward to the next show. If you live in the Minneapolis area, check out these MN Toy Posse shows. They are free and you can usually find something interesting for your collection.

MN Toy Posse at Eagles 34, Minneapolis (30 Aug 2020)

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Toy Collecting in 2020

He-Man (Walmart 2020 Exclusive) Read More Toys The November Minnesota Toy Posse show (named Swapsaturday) just took place at the Everett McClay VFW Post 1296 in Bloomington, Minnesota. These local shows are organized and hosted by organized ...

I know it’s 2020, but if you’ve gone to the toy aisle, it certainly looks like the 80s: Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe, Ghost Busters, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Like Hollywood, the toy companies just recycle ideas.

Not that I’m complaining, I grew up in this time period, and I missed out on all these toys. My parents never bought them for us, so now, I’m reliving my childhood. I love these new modern toy re-releases.

However, toy collecting in the modern age (especially with the pandemic) has been a real challenge. Lately, it’s getting harder and harder to find certain figures to complete my collection - no thanks to store exclusives. There are high demands for some figures, and with that, a rise in scalpers, buying up all the rare figures and re-selling it at double or triple the price.

MN Toy Posse (30 Aug 2020)

Luckily, if you live in the area, you might find some figures you’re looking for at our local MN Toy Posse Toyswap show (the next one is coming up on August 30, 2020). You can usually find toys for reasonable markup. For example, those He-Man figures, normally $15 at Walmart, are only $20. But it depends on the seller, and how much they are want to mark them up. You can always haggle the price down, but I've bought retail exclusives for reasonable prices.

As of August 2020, here are the (mass marketed) 80s-inspired toys:



MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: ORIGINS
mattel.com

If you grew up in the 80s, you had a He-Man action figure (or at least wanted them). Our parents never bought us these figures, but I have own (and lost) some figures throughout the years. Sure, I would love to collect the vintage line, but some figures are priced way too much. Also, loose figures are also often way too expensive.

The new Masters of the Universe: Origins line, by Mattel, updated the original figures, but adding in updated sculpts and more articulation… so for the first time they can bend their knees and elbows. It’s pretty awesome. As for the new head sculpts, it’s mostly a miss for me, as I want the original heads, not these “new and improved” heads.

I also like the same 5.5” size, so if you own original vehicles, you can still use them together. That’s rad, unfortunately, I don’t own any original figures or vehicle to take advantage of this.

Now, for some terrible things for this line: you cannot find them in stores. The Origins like is exclusive to Walmart (until 2021), and literally, no one can find them in stores. Whenever they put them on shelves, somebody goes through and buy them all to resell at a higher price. This is because there are a lot of fans that do not live near a Walmart, particularly the international market. They are willing to pay twice as much, so scalpers are more than willing to provide.

The good news is that in 2021, we will see MOTU everywhere, not just Walmart.

Storm Shadow (Amazon Exclusive)

G.I. JOE: CLASSIFIED
hasbropulse.com

The most famous G.I. Joe toyline is the 3.75” line, which fans have known since the 80s. The last time we saw the line in store, was for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which was based on the film, and I don’t think it was popular with collectors.

This year, Hasbro wanted to update the toyline to 6”, giving these soldiers updated looks and additional details you can’t see on a smaller figure. The first wave is solid, with Snake Eyes, Duke, Scarlet, Roadblock and Destro (the only Cobra in the wave). Naturally, Destro is the most-wanted figure. Hasbro also decided to short-change Destro, by offering only one Destro in a case of figures… artificially making Destro the rare figure of the wave. Fans are going nuts trying to find old chrome-dome, and, at times, it’s frustrating trying to find the figure for my collection.

Snake Eyes is also a fan-favorite, so his figures are disappearing off the shelf, but his figure isn’t as rare as Destro… so if you wanted a Snake Eyes, you can probably find him down the road.

Like the MOTU line being exclusive to Walmart, the “G.I. Joe Classified: Cobra Island” wave are exclusive to Target. Again, scalpers are “liberating” these figures for the international market or diehard collectors. The only figure you can find in this line is the Roadblock figure, other figures like Baroness, Cobra trooper, and Beachhead are never seen in the stores.

I understand why these toy companies are signing exclusive arrangement with these stores, but it’s causing so much grief from fans trying to complete their collection. Like I previously mentioned, if a fan can’t complete their collection, they just simply give up.

Also, there’s another exclusive, Amazon’s Arctic Mission Storm Shadow, available on their website. It sometimes goes out of stock, but the next ship date is September 12th, 2020.

Bebop & Rocksteady (Target Exclusive)

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
thenecastore.com

Speaking of which… I don’t collect the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle line by NECA. I have gone on record saying that I find their product way too expensive (NECA’s average price is $25-$30). With this TMNT, they’re all two-packs, so the average prices are like $55 a box. Scalpers are selling them for over $100-$200 per box.

On top of the cost, it sounds like NECA manufactures only limited figures - making collecting these figures extremely difficult (especially in the age of bots and scalpers). Fans just wants to give NECA money, but apparently NECA doesn’t care.

Some figures are Target Exclusive, like many other toys, and nobody can find them in the stores. It’s so frustrating that many fans, like Victoria, are quitting collecting this line altogether.

I love TMNT, but I’m glad I don’t collect the line.

Peter Venkman (Walmart Timed Exclusive)

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
hasbropulse.com

Not really sure why Hasbro decided to re-release the original Kenner’s The Real Ghostbusters toyline from the 80s… but the release of this was a mess. They were supposed to be out in March, but the pandemic happened, so they didn’t actually arrive in stores until last month. There are no changes from the original toyline, it’s the exact same mold… but yet they are charging 2020 prices. I honestly don’t know what the appeal is, we used to own Egon and Ray, and they weren’t that great.

There isn’t a big vocal outcry for this Walmart exclusive (a timed exclusive), because Hasbro has been pretty good about stocking these toys on the shelves. Maybe it’s because fewer fans are buying them or lack of interest compared to the constantly sold-out MOTU figures.

In addition to the Real Ghost Busters, Hasbro has also released a 6-inch line, based on the movies (that nobody asked for and nobody is buying).

At the end of the day, toy collecting should be fun. If you are finding it too frustrating or not having fun, then it’s time you put your money and effort in something else. I understand why manufacturers signs exclusive contracts with some retailers, but it’s no fun for fans who cannot find them or if the stores can’t keep them in stock.

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MN Toy Posse's Summer Swap at Eagles 34, Minneapolis (12 Jul 2020)

Read More Minnesota Toy Posse The November Minnesota Toy Posse show (named Swapsaturday) just took place at the Everett McClay VFW Post 1296 in Bloomington, Minnesota. These local shows are organized and hosted by organized ...

The Minnesota Toy Posse show is back, its first post-COVID-19 show this month. This “Summer Swap” show took place in the parking lot of Eagles 34, in Minneapolis… which is much closer than their previous shows in Bloomington.

With COVID-19 in mind, masks were required to enter the show, and spaces between dealers (and lanes for shoppers) were generous! Also, the show organizers (Dave Wheeler and Mark Seekamp), required everyone to sign in, to keep track of foot traffic, and also probably COVID-tracing/tracking.

I was told by a dealer that during early in the day, there were a lot of people, but after noon, it started to die down. However, it still wasn’t as crowded as before the pandemic, considering that some buyers are probably more cautious and staying at home to avoid catching the virus.

If you live in the area, it’s worth checking out the show, especially if you’re a toy collector. You can usually find the popular stuff, like Transformers, Marvel Legends, or Funko Pop … but sometime you’ll find something interesting and unique. I spent about $60 on toys I never knew I needed, and my brother spent a lot on comic books. It was a good haul, and if the next show takes place in Minneapolis, we’ll probably attend again.

Summer Swap at Eagles 34, Minneapolis (12 Jul 2020)

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