F For Fake

Thanks Patrick! I found a complete bunker in a box of random toys at an estate sale about three years ago. Got the whole box for $5, ended up making about $300 off of the stuff inside. I'd held onto the Cobra Bunker as I always liked it, but decided to sell it a couple of months ago as I was really wanting one with the box, and a search for a box minus the bunker wasn't getting anywhere. So, that was the first thing I bought at the show this weekend! I know what you mean about finding stuff, it is usually feast or famine. With Joes I usually hold off until the local GIJoe fest shows, because there's always so much stuff there, so it's fun to save up and see what kind of random stuff I can find. We have a few local toy shops that are hit or miss for vintage, you never know what you may find. But the hunt is still fun!

Now, the vintage stuff! This weekend was the local GI Joe Winter Fest. This was the second annual go round for this relatively new addition to the Kentuckiana GI Joe festival, and is 1/3 the size of the big one in the summer. Still, well worth attending. My goals for the show were. 1. Battle Stations/Battlefield accessory sets with boxes, as I'm slowly chipping away at getting all of these, to be displayed with the figures on the corresponding artwork 2. cheap 90's guys, as I'm getting more into that stuff 3. something weird. Unfortunately there wasn't much in the way of "weird" stuff. I did get these three sets of Lazer Blazer stickers, which take me waaaaaay back. I missed out on some vintage mylar balloons, and passed on some cereal cards. There WAS an inflatable tent, but while I think it definitely fit the "weird' part, I don't know where the hell I'd put it. As for cheap 90's guys, I did ok. Got nearly all of these for about $20 each, which I think is as close to a deal as you're going to get these days. The earlier 90's stuff has been popping in recent months, maybe it'll eventually hit the latter day Star Brigade/Ninja Force, etc. If not, well, they sure are colorful! And I also picked up three more boxed complete battle stations. Boxes are a little rough, but for my needs and the price, they'll more than suffice. It wouldn't feel right to leave without a couple of loose guys, so I manage to find a sweet Destro with great paint, and Repeater. The Destro had the backpack but no gun, but that's ok, as he's going in a display. Repeater was cheap and was one of my favorites as a kid, as I loved his gun. It was the closest the Joe line got to resembling something from Aliens and the smart gun. As a childhood Aliens/Joe obsessive, he was tops with me! I remember my dear dad driving me to every Target in town trying to find him. $15 for that little nostalgia blast now seems like a bargain! Finally, I'd been looking for these Revell Joe models for a while. They're not very expensive, but are uncommon, at least in my travels. The Vamp with complete sealed contents was a good deal. Now I need the RAM and the Mobat. I don't think the Sky Striker or Dragonfly they planned ever made it into production. As always, tons of stuff, never enough money, and now it's time to save up for the summer fest!

Lots of cool stuff showed up this weekend! First, the new releases. First, Target finally shipped their exclusive Super 7 releases. The chrome faceplate CoCo along with the foil card is just gorgeous, terrific presentation. Man, it's going to be a tough call on whether or not i leave this series carded or open them up, because while I think they'll be fun to tinker around with, they look super on card. Target shipped CoCo in a nice sized box, and he arrived in perfect condition. Meanwhile, they shoved Snake Eyes into a much too small box, so he was all warped when he arrived. This one I specifically wanted to keep carded, as it has that great #21 comic art. So, filled out the return/replace form on Target app, they've dispatched a replacement, and told me I could keep/dispose/donate the one I had on hand. So, that made him a perfect opener! No surprises, only 5 POA on these Reaction figures, but I think he looks great. Target also finally shipped the Vincent Price Funko Pop. I'm not a big Pop guy, but every once in a while there's one I have to have, and this was a must have for sure. A couple of weeks ago, Pulse suddenly got some Classified BATs and Vipers in, so I ordered one of each, along with this X-Men retro set. BAT still hasn't shipped, but Alley Viper arrived this weekend, and it looks great. Interesting how these are sliding out at retail, but most onliner sellers like BBTS don't show them as being in stock until Summer. A friend of mine JUST called to tell me that they had some at our local Walmart. I passed, as I have the BBTS preorder in for four more of each, and am not in a big hurry. But it definitely seems like these are going to be easier to come by than past trooper builders. I have been thinking about getting into this Marvel Retro 3.75 line, as I like the style, and frankly, this is the kind of Marvel toy I wanted as a kid. I loved Secret Wars. The Toy Biz scale was never "right" to me, though by then I was in middle/high school and wasn't really playing with toys. I may need more of these things...

Realized the wife had never seen the Raimi movies, so we watched Spider-Man last week, and it's really terrific. They totally get the character, his world, all of it. The Power Ranger Goblin suit sucks, but everything else about it is perfect. We're going to roll Spider-Man 2 this weekend, which is probably still my favorite superhero movie of all time. I saw No Way Home right before Christmas, and like most of these movies, I thought it was fine. There's no question it's worlds better than the first two, which I did not like at all. At the end it feels like they're getting the character closer to being Spider-Man. I can live with it. What was really odd about the experience was that this is one of two movies I've seen in a theater since COVID started; The first was Edgar Wrights The Sparks Brothers doc, which I wasn't going to miss for anything. Well worth it, as there were only four people in the theater so it was relatively safe, I suppose. The second was this one, and the theater was packed. Knowing how people love these movies, I expected a huge reaction, which really makes these movies a lot of fun, you know? But our theater was quiet as a churchmouse. The jokes didn't land at all (a couple of chuckles here and there) and there were no gasps, no applause, none of that stuff. It was kind of a bummer because for my first big movie back, I was kinda hoping for that communal experience. If the crowd enjoyed it, they sure didn't show it. Which seems doubly odd, considering this movie has been so well received in general, and is so successful. Looking forward to watching it again at home and cranking up the sound, and playing it on a bright 4k scream. The screening I went to was far too underprojected and dim. I may have to give up on theaters altogether, as they can't match the home experience for me anymore.

So, I just discovered this thread. Having scrolled back a bit, I'm assuming that reading all 180+ pages won't actually help me understand what's happening, right?

Not sure if you've already read the Hellboy stuff before, but if not, you're in for a treat! Some of the best comics ever comic'ed. And those library editions really are gorgeously made. Large, over-size trim works so beautifully with the art, but the books are thin enough that you can hold them in your lap comfortably and read them. Not wrist-breakers like most omni's these days. And the binding is great, they open up and lay flat without any issues. Just beautifully made books.

Thanks, much appreciated! Actually, I’m so paranoid about losing them, I usually don’t even display them. If these blue ones fit better I might have tried it, but I’ve already put them back in the box!

So, my LCS got another collection in today, and I was there, first in line, when they opened! I usually end up a day late and a dollar short, and have to take the "consolation prize." But not today! Suffice to say there were so many amazing books, I had a hard time narrowing it down to get the most bang for my buck. Had to pass on a very nice vg X-Men 1 for $9k, and several other terrific early SA Marvels. Only so much money I could spend. That being said, I'm happy with what I brought home. Pretty good day. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

I am not a "real" dealer, so my opinion doesn't count for much, but it FEELS like the $200 wouldn't be a huge ask IF anything had actually improved in recent memory. If CGC was killing it, knocking down TAT's and acing quality control, the $200 would probably go down a lot easier. As it is, TAT's are ridiculously bad, there's a decent chance your books could be seriously damaged during the process meant to preserve them, and if they survive that gauntlet, your "new" cases may arrived scratched/cracked/containing hairs, with who knows what on the label. Meanwhile, submission fees have gone up twice in the last year. This $200 is just an extra kick in nards. I stopped subbing, for the most part, when CGC changed the holder, and terms such as "creep engine" and "newton rings" entered my vocabulary. In the years that have passed, I have not been suitably convinced that things are getting much better. Now we have the fiasco with TAT's, and the host of other QC issues piling up day after day. I subbed two books this year. I can't imagine when I'll sub again, maybe...never? Like I said, I'm not a real dealer. CGC isn't going to notice if I stop subbing altogether, as I'm almost to that point anyway. But if all of the dealers got together, and paused submissions until CGC righted the ship, well, CGC might notice that. If they're going to treat you like "employees", maybe it's time to unionize and go on strike.

It's my all time favorite book, just such a wide range of stories and characters. It's been with me pretty much my entire comic reading life, and the characters have grown and aged as I have. It's kinda crazy, actually!

Man alive, a mere two weeks in, and it has already been a BRUTAL year for the wallet when it comes to hardcovers. It's a perfect storm of multiple shipping delays adding up to an downpour of collected volumes hitting all at once! All of this stuff dropped within the last 7 days! Plus, distribution being what it is, things are showing up sporadically, so not all retailers are getting the same stock. You really have to look at every retailer, not just to compare prices, but also to see who has gotten what. For this group, I ended up mostly going with CGN, as IST didn't have most of these titles, and the stuff they DID have, CGN actually beat them on price! I picked up a couple of new books, and am playing catch-up with others, rebuying stuff I sold long ago. Today I ordered: Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol 1 - Kirby Cover (reprint) Aliens Omnibus Vol 2 - DM cover (new release) - IST has this one as well, but it's $5 more Uncanny X-Men Vol 3 Smith Cover (reprint) Captain America by Brubaker Vol 1 Reg cvr (reprint) X-Men Mutant Massacre DM Davis Cover (technically a reprint, though I believe this is the first time it's been issued with these exact contents) - IST has this one as well, but it's $5 more The one book I DID grab from IST today was one that everyone else is showing isn't released until next week, 1/18. Batman No Man's Land Omnibus. So, it's a wacky, expensive time! Had to hold my nose and open the wallet, but at least in many instances I am close to finishing my runs, so I shouldn't have to pay much more down the road. Once I get the new Fall of the Mutants omni, and whatever they issue to bridge the gap between UXM 4 and FotM, I'll be all caught up on the X-men that I want to own, so that'll be a big weight lifted. Looks like I missed the rerelease of ASM Omni 2 last week. Organic still has it for $85, so I may grab it there once I recover from what I spent today. Also I apparently missed out on the UXM Vol 2 rerelease, it's already drying up. Pics once all of this stuff shows up, but mainly I'm posting to let you know this stuff is hitting now. Prepare for the deluge! Good luck and happy hunting! Edit to add: Also, the long awaited reprint of X-Men Vol 1 Omni hit today, for those that are looking. I'm passing, as I have that material in the Children of the Atom set, and it's not something I need to own in multiple formats. But I know a lot of folks have waited a long time for that one!

Love Brereton's stuff, had most of this stuff in floppy form. I think I missed this collection already, d'oh!

Nice! Love the Tank Girl. That Conan 24, man...I subbed a copy many years ago, 12-13 I'd guess based on my memory of where I was living. Came back 9.8. So...I sold it, thinking "eh, I'll get another one." Haven't seen another raw that nice since, and meanwhile the 9.8's keep nudging up and up. Should have held onto it. Great books!

Yes, the older I get, the more particular I have become. I fear I'm developing a thing for WHITE boxes, which can make things very tough! The recent Walmart retro release of Chromedome (And Brainstorm, Hardhead, and all the rest) is a redeco of the Titans Return figure, but the colors are a closer match to the vintage G1 toy, and the face is a bit different as well. The Walmart Headmaster retro releases are curious in that while they do use the recreated vintage G1 box art and design (similar to what Walmart did with Starscream, Soundwave, Hot Rod, etc.) the toys themselves are all reuses of relatively modern molds, from Titans Return/etc. It's an odd choice, maybe the vintage Headmaster molds are destroyed? I'm not sure.

This popped up on eBay, an elusive 5th print. May take a nicer scan later, until then, just the pic. Pretty nice shape. Now I just need the 3rd and 4th, but no big rush. (Of course, what generally happens when I'm in "no big rush" is that there's suddenly a movie or tv show announced and then prices go up. I will not learn from this.)

A couple of fun new TF arrived at the house this weekend. The "Rainmakers" seekers three pack used to clog shelves, so I wasn't in any hurry. Then it "sold out", and prices started to climb. Then, as things do these days, it came back into stock, so I was tempted to buy. I had a little bit left on an Amazon gift card that my boss gave me, so I went ahead and grabbed these at a good price. Now I need the Toyhax kits to mod them. No big hurry there, though. For my birthday this weekend, my family got me the Ark! I can't believe this thing exists, I wanted this SO badly when I was a kid. My favorite part is probably the "Mainframe" robot that transforms into Teletraan-1, complete with Spy Eye! Too cool. This thing will likely stay in alt mode, as I really don't care about the robot. I just wanted this horking huge Autobot ship! Comes with teeeeeeeeny tiny Optimus Prime and hologlobe accessories which were made to be lost. Seriously, if down the road people are still collecting Transformers, these are the two pieces that are always going to be missing. I put them in their bag and sealed them up, I'll not be losing mine. The blast effects are the same ones we've seen before, in a different color. They don't peg in very well with the ports on the Ark, but I got them to stick long enough for the picture. I'm hoping someone makes a flight stand for this thing at some point, if they haven't already. I think I'll display the Teletraan-I with core figures, as it doesn't scale as well with the Generations/Legends stuff.

It's funny, I wasn't a fan of the toy as a kid, mostly due to the weird color scheme. But as an adult fan of the phase 2 IDW comics, I came to really love the character. I only have the recent walmart retro release, but one day may try to track down an original. This looks like a sweet piece, very clean!

Yeah, I couldn't pass her up. I haven't gone very far into the One:12 line, but this was a figure I'd had my eye on. Although the scales are completely different, I actually prefer this sculpt to the Hot Toys version.

Almost forgot some other randomness I picked up right before Xmas. My LCS was having a 25% sale for holds customers, and I posted the comics I picked up, but forgot about the toys. They picked up a large modern TF collection recently, and I'd had my eye on Springer and Sandstorm for my Wreckers Crew. 25% made it a deal I couldn't pass up. The thing is, I kinda hate to open them up, because I really enjoyed the thrilling 30 packaging, but eventually they'll find their way onto a shelf. I did see recently that apparently there will be an Amazon wave of Wreckers, but I'm assuming they'll be in the WFC style, so I'll probably just stick with these. Also picked up this Hela One:12 figure, because for about $25, why not? I also grabbed a really groovy Cobra Commander from the Pursuit of Cobra line, but have already manage to misplace him. I boxed up a bunch of toys for storage last week, so he must be in there. I think it's the nicest Coco ever made, with the chrome faceplate, the extra hooded head, and the cool Fang-inspired jetpack backpack. I need to dig him back out!

Right, on eBay. I wouldn't sell at that price, but the fact that he's already moving above retail this soon seemed like a good indicator, when so many new ML's sit at retail or below for the first several months, if not year or more. Since he keeps selling out on Pulse, Target, Amazon, etc, it seemed like a good sign that folks would want him down the line. So, while Gamestop was running their sale, I grabbed those three to put away for a rainy day. I wouldn't sell until the prices are much higher, but it appears to be trending in the right direction. Give it a year or two, who knows? I am kicking myself for passing on the Spider-Verse wave when it came out, as the Miles in that wave seems to be doing great. To be fair, I'm not usually a speculator on toys, I usually just buy what I want for myself. But in this instance, it seemed like a good move for the future.

I think trains are so cool, but have stayed away. The local toy mall I often refer to has one large room entirely dedicated to model railroad, several people have their trains set up there. I think it's very cool, but the last thing I need is a new hobby. So, I get to enjoy the stuff other folks pick up, like you!

Thanks, that's what I'm thinking/hoping. My first indicator was that the figure seemed to keep selling out at the major retailers whenever it went up online, and is already selling above retail, like $30-$35 pretty consistently. Seemed like a decent chance to take!

This takes some huevos, but I'm not surprised.

Yes! It's a great sculpt and lovely paint job, simple as it is. Toy Biz was really starting to figure things out around this time, there are still some figures that hold up very nicely.

The Harry Potter comment made me snort out loud at my desk. Yes, to be sure, the toy presents her as a...HANDSOME woman.