LWATC Small Army of Shogun Warrios Found at Thrift Shop

** Thank you Raging Nerdgasm for allowing me to use their pictures, 

In the three years that I have been with my husband, it still blows my mind away how he has an impeccable timing when it comes to finding bargains with toys.  Granted while I’m still learning a lot from him, I often find myself still scratching my head when he pulls out a figure, purchases for a few cents and it’s worth a small fortune all because he has a really deep knowledge of his hobby.  To me is like magic to remember that much stuff it just blows my mind away.  Could you have imaging what would had happened if he would have used his mental data banks for science…we probably would had become a real Super Villain with giant Robots and Ray Guns.  Buahahaha… but luckily he just likes toys and working like most normal Joe's.

As magical as these bargains may seen to me, I know he spends a lot of times looking through the internet social media sites, message boards, craigslist, and eBay just to name a few sources to get these crazy bargains. But unlike other collectors I have notice the he has the ability to do two things: he doesn't buy everything he sees just because is from a toy line he kind of likes, and he saves up his cash for better pieces he really loves.  I've meet many collectors that simply can’t do these things and when
a great bargain comes around they are simply broke and have to walk away.

When I heard of this lot of Shogun Warriors I knew it was a really big deal for two main reason: my husband wanted to get up really early (he works graveyard shift normally) witch most of the time is unheard off unless they're a really good reason, and I saw that twinkle in his eyes when he really wants something. I’m like oh boy… and  I asked him “What’s the price?”  The ad stated $450 or best offer for 5 Jumbo Shogun Warrior in great condition, 1 Godzilla Jumbo Shogun Warrior, and 7 small die-cast Shogun Warrior.  I stated that is was a really good price considering that every time I see these Jumbo figures people want a small fortune for the ones that are in disrepair. By the time my husband had told me about the ad, he was already in contact with the dealer who had told him he’s had a several people call him but been offering him ridiculous offers of $250 and he was becoming annoyed with the situation.  We both agreed that at $450 was already a fair price but we would go check it out and go decided from there.

The next morning we were there early.  The shop had been opened and the seller immediately greeted us and recognized my husband and his courtesy.  I explored the thrifts store and it was full of your standard stuff, old mugs, tea sets, apparatus that have been outdated for some time and some that simply made you laugh due to their impracticality but the shop was clean and it was easy to navigate through. All of the sudden from the corner of my eye there they were on a glass counter between old clocks and other doodads and  the other half of the set where on top of a table near by because of their large size.

It was so unique to see them in between so many different nick nacks but it truly felt like finding treasure.  The vendor made the exchange very pleasant and even shared stories of others that had come the store and have left agitated because he would accept their low offer, fights with wives, fights with girlfriends you name it he saw it.  We agree that $400 plus tax was good.  And I even go a small $3 blocks Minnie Mouse for my self.  All in all when we left my husband was very happy and thank me for being cool about it.  The funny part is that after several stops at several shops my husband once again spent a small fortune and I spent just a few bucks.  C’est La Vi.

LWATC Toy Purchase Camouflage in Victoria Secret Bag

Yesterday I had a very long day of work and just like so many of us,  I simply wanted to come home,  take off my pants and have some dinner.  Now normally I come home to an empty home since my husband and I work opposite shifts but this night it was different, he was home.  Now we are both aware that both our birthdays are coming up soon along with our anniversary.  With that in mind you can imagine the look on my face when I see something completely unexpected and pink in our house.  I thought to myself “pink, he know I hate the color pink and being on the hefty side I don’t shop at Victoria Secret”.  At this point, I was too tired finding out what was in the bag and it wasn't top priority and I simply proceed to talk to my husband and started to relax for the evening.

Eventually I walked by the bag out of sheer curiosity to see what was in it. What do I see inside?  More Kaiju.  I’m like … OK… well  he’s still sorting to the giant tote of Kaiju that he got around two weeks ago… Whatever… So I simply do what most wives do, continue doing my thing and try to stay out my hubbies hobby for that evening.  It wasn't until later that night that my husband told me he had just received more Kaiju in the mail but for whatever reason it was sent to his moms house.  His mom only had a Victoria Secret bag to carry it all home.  While I don’t like to think about why his mom has a Victoria Secret bag it definitely answered two questions with one explanation.  It simply made me laugh.  My tall husky nerdy husband walking around with a big Pink Victoria Secret bag full of Kaiju.  I’m sure most people thought he was just a big pervert.  But hey He’s all I can say is “That’s my man”.

LWATC More "Bang" for your "Buck" with Knock Off's

NOTE: Thank you Raging Nerdgasm for allowing me to use some of your pictures.

Recently my husband and I went to Toy R Us and we found our selves like usual wandering up and down the aisles of the store searching for new arrivals.  Some of the product were great but others simply blew our minds away of how bad they were and how much they thought they could get for it. Like so many, I personally believe that many companies are really pushing the limits of their fans by placing outrageous prices on these figures hoping their fans will literally buy anything that is put in front of them. For many, the illusion is starting to fade quickly with the sticker shock you get when you go and pick up that one item you love so much and simply walk away empty handed.  Collectors are kind of use to crazy pricing for a good item but for a parent that just wants a toy for their kids this really starting to put a bad dent in their pocket books even if  they can afford it.  Think about it, if the family has one boy and one girl, they are looking at dropping around $20 for a Monster High Doll and  $15 for a wrestling figure, plus tax you are looking around $40 for two pieces of plastic.  Not sure about you but with cost of living being so high that seem like a lot.

What I find amusing is that the lower quality of toys are mainly found in the boys toys but not as much in the girls toys.  Yes there are knock offs brands for girls but even those don’t look as bad as some of the main brands for boys. Next time you go the toy store roam around in all the isles and you will see what I mean.  If you have feedback on this subject I would love to hear it. But moving on...

Comic Book Toys
Examples of a bad over saturated toy lines are Marvel and DC toy lines. Yes, we get it Disney and Time

Warner…  you are trying to make your money back on your big purchase but before you start making Avengers or Batman toilet paper you might want to really start investing some time into quality control.  Some of the toys look really bad like they would be part of a kids meal toy, they have poor sculpts , are made of cheaper plastic or they are poorly painted and it gives it the look of a bootleg figure that would be sold in a shady shop somewhere.  Yet some of the figures have a whopping price of $8 -$15 a pop.  For a collector, there’s really no value for them with these newer figures. I have literally seen my husband doing a toy review and in the middle of the review the figure breaks or is broken right out the package.  For parents this is just insane pricing.

Nostalgia Toys
Example of horrible sticker shock would be the New TMNT Classic Figures.  For whatever reason the toy company has a big set of brass balls in thinking that fans will pay as much for a new version reproduction as they would for a vintage one off from Ebay.  This reaction is not only shared by my husband and myself but also by many collectors that wanted to purchase the figures but simply stated that the price is way too steep for what they are getting.  Most people in their right mind would not pay $60-$100 for four action figures that are just cool but not high quality.  I have literally seen my husband and other collectors walk up the shelf where the repos are, have a big smile on their face for a moment, see the price, put it down and walk away.  That is sad.  It seem that most companies are simply not doing price point testing to see what people are comfortable paying for an item.  They are just slapping a high price and hope that enough people will bite.  To me this seems like poor business practices in the long run but hey that what comes with at "Collectible" market.


Just plain over done

Yes that is me and yes that is my husbands Burger King Roof Top Display promo from the Star Wars movie.

A toy like that has really lost it charm and is trying to make it back is the Star Wars line.  I mean good lord how many Darth Vaders do you need.  Unless you are collecting the vintage Star Wars figures, there’s really no value on most of the new stuff. Trust me if you are a flea market hunter like my husband and I you constantly see boxes full of episode 1, 2 , and 3 figures sold for $2 a pop still in the package. They are simply making too many of them and they don’t hold their value very well.

Now recently the company finally decided to go with what is known as the “Black Line”. They finally listened the fans and created a fully articulated 6 inch star wars figures.  They come in a sleek black case that reminds you of gourmet coffee or fancy perfume bottle, but at whopping price of $20 -$30 each depending where you are buying it from. So far we have only seen 3 figures in the set and they really don’t look that bad, however if my husband really wanted these figures he has to drop $60 -$90 for the set.  Just way too much.  Even he stated that he is way happier with his vintage set than dropping that kind of money for 3 new figures.  Heck for a little more money  he can finally get that star wars jackface he wants to complete his vintage collection or the 2 foot Metroplex that just come out.  NOW a Big COOL TOY!!!!



Knock Off’s
Since the price of toys have gone  up you would think that the quality of knock offs would go down. Wrong!!! What we are seeing is that you get more bang for your buck with knock offs that you do with the brand stuff.  Example GI Joes vs CORPS figures.  And average 3 ¼ inch GI Joe figure will cost you about $8-$10 each.  For the price of one GI Joe you can get two CORPS three packs with accessory like a motorcycle, a hand glider, etc.  I’m not sure about you but if I’m buying a toy for a kid trust me when I tell you the kid rather have 6 figures and 2 big accessories versus one measly GI Joe. The funny part is that when you look at the CORPS figures and compare it to the GI Joe’s figures you will notice that sometimes is literally almost the same mold but they change the colors on it and some of the head sculpts.  Unless your kid has been watching the old GI Joe show, they won't be able to tell the difference between a GI Joe brand figures and a CORPS knock off figures if they were all in a big pile. Unless your son or daughter is GI Joes collector, there’s really not reason to buy a $10 GI Joe for play time.


A store that has really been pushing the bang for the buck has been Toys R Us with their in store lines name True Heroes  or True Legend sets.  So far we have encountered amazing sets like Ture Legends Myth and Elf sets, True Heroes Western and Pirates set, Firefighters, Cops and lets not forget the Army sets that comes with 5 figures, a full truck, weapons, props, and even a missile that make noise for only $50.  The box is about the size of about a 30-40 gallon fish tank.  Many of the sets come with amazing props.  They are also great for someone who is learning how to make custom backgrounds, needs props for pictures, or learning how to sculpt on figures. The funny part is that most of the time they are literally the same quality as the main brands toys, comes with more stuff, and is a better value.



I know there’s a big price difference when it comes to the pricing of toys and that is the word “Collectible”.  Meaning if the figure you so loved wasn't loved by everybody else as well it would simply be another plastic knock off figure on the shelf. Supply and demand 101.

Thank you for reading


Toys R Us Line on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragingnerdgasm/collections/72157633027690403/

CORPS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragingnerdgasm/sets/72157632814351765/

LWATC - So Cheap looking and So Expensive. WTF!!!

Thank you Raging Nerdgasm for allowing me to use these pictures.  World War Z figure. Check them out at http://ragingnerdgasm.com/.

Maybe is just me but recently I find myself walking down the isles of toy stores with my husband and thinking to myself “Wow, many of these new toys just look so darn bad and cheap, but they come with a whopping price tag. What gives?”

I recently did a You Tube video called “Why are Toys so expensive”.  Check it out.

Now, I personally have an idea and an understanding of why the toys cost what they cost, but it still doesn't justify it enough for us to buy any of the products at the whopping prices they are asking for just because is a license we love. Especially when we keep encountering the following problems with new collectibles toys:

Figure...
… is not secured in package.
… is broken in package.
… comes with wrong limbs, poorly attached limbs or poorly made limbs.
… has a sloppy paint jobs.
… will brake the second you get it out of the package due to using cheaper plastic.
… will not stand or pose well due to molding issues.
… can’t hold accessories they come with.
… doesn't have likeness or a bad sculpt of whoever they are supposed to be.
… has orange color skin or colors are off completely and they are not suppose to be variant.

We love Kick-Ass but the figures for Kick Ass 2 just don't look very good compare to the usual NECA Release figures.

The worst part is that many of these companies have the balls to sit there and ask for $12 plus tax for a crappy 3 inch figure or $20-$25 plus tax for a 6 inch figure.  God forbid if you are buying anything larger like a 12 inch figure, special release figure, overseas release, a play set, or a reprint or re issue figure.  At that point you are looking at $35 + for figure.  That’s insane. It wasn't even that bad even just a few years back when I first met my husband.

We find ourselves often going into the store and often leaving without buying anything these day. When we do find something,  we are finding ourselves literally picking up certain figures just because we simply love the licence so much that we have to have it, but only to leave them in the package because we are aware that the manufacturer produces such low quality product it would simply break or paint will chip the second it comes out of it’s package.  We like to call these figures “NRFB” or “NRFP” Figures” (Never remove from box or never remove from package).  However, there’s been times that we have simply loved a licence but the quality of the figure was so so so so bad that we walked away without buying.  I mean that is bad when you have people willing to give you money for something and they simply can’t do it. That’s bad business.

Currently I believe that the main issue is that being a nerd and a collector has finally become so mainstream that companies are quickly trying to profit on this and simply putting out garbage just because they think new collectors will buy anything that has a connection with the licenses they love.  While this might be true for some new collectors, in the long run their will start fading off this craze due to several “life” events or simply realizing that the quality is not there for what they pay for and cut off cold turkey.  That’s when you start seeing collections being sold on eBay or craigslist.

Companies are banking on the same illusion that comics when through during the Golden Age of comics “If I buy this now and keep it, in the future it will be worth a fortune”.  Well I would say that would have made sense if you started collecting in the 1950’s  when collectors were far and few and many toys were simply played with and disposed.  However if you start collecting today many of those toys you buy at the store will not be worth much because they are too many people collecting them and there are too many of them out in the market.  Supply and demand 101.  More of an object the less is worth, less of an object the more it’s worth.  Yes there are exceptions for to these statement but more often than not this is fairly true.  Example:”Spawn Figures”, "Newer Star Wars Figures", est.  That’s all that I’m saying.

Living With a Toy Collector Living With A Toy Collector #6 Ruby gloom fan art video

Here’s another fan art piece. This time I did fan art on Ruby Gloom. I don’t own the rights to characters but is my interpretation of the characters. Video mainly shows sketching process. Hope you enjoy it.

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Living With a Toy Collector Living With A Toy Collector Pony Fan Art process 07

Here’s some fan art created based on the show my little pony. I hope you enjoy watching the process.

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Living With a Toy Collector Living With A Toy Collector intro video

Hey guys. Hopefully this gives you an preview of what my channel is about. Living with a toy collector. I’m very happy to share my experiences with you.

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