Raving Toy Maniac

March 2012 - The year 2012 may be humanity's last, so why not stop by your local comic shop and pick up your own harbinger of doom? The light-up Ghostbusters Terror Dog Statue hits comic shops today, along with Marvel Minimates Wave 43, focusing on the landmark Spider-Man storyline "The Death of Jean DeWolff," and the Marvel Select Punisher figure! They're only available in comic shops and specialty stores, so read more below, then find your nearest comic shop at comicshoplocator.com!

Ghostbusters: Terror Dog Light-Up Mini-Statue

Tenacious Toys Exclusive Noir Edition Uncle Argh 5 Inch Mini Qee by Scott Tolleson

March 2012 - Toy2R is thrilled to announce that Tenacious Toys has started a Kickstarter Project and its your chance to score big with the release of this Exclusive Noir Edition Uncle Argh 5" Mini Qee by Scott Tolleson.

Scott and Tenacious Toys have collaborated to bring backers of this project some seriously cool extras. Check out the project here.

It's your chance to get in while the gettin' is good and snag your Noir Edition Uncle Argh Mini Qee before they get scooped up. Remember, Scott's original Uncle Argh Mini Qee is now sold out, so don't miss this opportunity to grab this sweet edition!

March 7, 2012 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

Hi - Here is a quick update from www.bigbadtoystore.com about more cool new preorders and the latest arrivals.

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NEW PREORDERS
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THE HOBBIT FIGURES & ROLE-PLAY
Listings are up for The Bridge Direct's line of figures and role play items from the upcoming Hobbit movies. The figure lines includes 3.75" Figures Series 01 Case of 6 at $59.99, 3.75" Figure Two-Packs Series 01 Case of 4 at $67.99, 3.75" Beast Pack Series 01 Case of 4 at $87.99 as well as the 3.75" Collector Pack at $29.99 and the Goblin Battle Set at $44.99. We also have listings for the 6" Figure Series 01 Case of 6 at $99.99, a 6" Deluxe Collector Figure at $21.99 a Role Play Sting Sword at $10.99, a Dwarven battle Axe at $14.99 and a Deluxe Sting Sword at $21.99.

Change Batteries in Smoke and CO Alarms This Weekend
Daylight Saving Time begins March 11

March 7, 2012 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to replace the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms this weekend for Daylight Saving Time. This year, Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 11. Fresh batteries allow smoke and CO alarms to do their jobs saving lives by alerting families of a fire or a buildup of deadly carbon monoxide in their homes.

CPSC estimates there was a yearly average of 386,300 residential fires resulting in nearly 2,400 deaths between 2006 and 2008.

Two-thirds of fire deaths occur in homes where there are no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. That is why it is important to replace batteries at least once every year and to test your alarms every month to make sure they work. CPSC recommends consumers have smoke alarms on every level of their home, outside bedrooms and inside each bedroom.

March 7, 2012 - The Barbie team has sent out their annual call for applications for their Collector Advisory Panel:

Love Barbie? Apply to join the 2012 Collector Advisory Panel!

For Eight Collectors Only

Apply now for the 2012 Collector Advisory Panel! Each year, eight Barbie® lovers get to share their collecting ideas, experiences, and passion with the Barbie® Collector team. And you could be one of them!

It all starts April 30th, when the Panel will be flown at Mattel's expense to Los Angeles for a day at Barbie® Collector headquarters. Meet with the design, production, web, and marketing teams, and get an exclusive look behind the scenes at the creation of new Barbie® dolls!

Apply Now

March 2012 - New From Uglydoll, Meet FLATTER and LITTLE BENT

Meet LITTLE BENT

Little Bent is out of control!
Nonstop moving around!
There's no stopping this one!
You know those things called stop signs?
Good luck trying to explain those things!

4 Sizes - Sug Retail $6 - $40
Available March 2012

Meet FLATTER

Flatter is one clumsy guy.
The good times seem to fall right into his lap.
How clumsy! Not only that, he's so very awkward.
Be kind to Flatter. As you can see,
there's a lot to learn out there.

4 Sizes - Sug Retail $6 - $40
Available March 2012

About Pretty Ugly, LLC/UGLYDOLL™

Amazing Spider-Man Minimates Swing Into Action this Summer!

March 2012 - While one high-profile superhero movie is hogging all the attention right now, another one is waiting in the wings, ready to swoop into the spotlight once it has the summer all to itself. That movie is The Amazing Spider-Man, and it looks like it's going to take the Spider-Man film franchise to a whole new level of action and excitement! Plus, the movie is going to be getting some of Diamond Select's best Minimates mini-figures yet!

Currently celebrating their 10th anniversary, Minimates are 2-inch mini-figures that feature 14 points of articulation as well as a variety of interchangeable parts and accessories. Hitting in June, the Amazing Spider-Man assortment will be shared between Toys "R" Us and specialty stores (the 46th Marvel wave to be sold at specialty!), with each outlet getting its own exclusive Minimates!

Toys "R" Us will get:

From the creative minds of two love struck artists emerge the UGLYDOLL™ family! What started as a drawing of a playful orange character known as Wage™ has turned into a whole new world of fun!

The award-winning UGLYDOLL plush characters are available in a variety of sizes and style each with their own distinct personalities. UGLYDOLL characters inspire creativity while reminding us that we are all unique in our own special way. In 2011, Universal Studio's Illumination Entertainment acquired the rights to turn the UGLYDOLL characters into an animated feature film! So exciting!

UGLYDOLL™ 2012 FAMILY $6-$40 MSRP, 4 sizes available.

UGLYBUDDIES™ $20 MSRP – Available in Spring
Approx. 9" Plush with 4" Buddy

Trajectory, Inc. Launches Classics Illustrated - Now Available on NOOK® by Barnes & Noble

Cambridge, MA – March 6th 2012 - Trajectory, Inc. announced today that the company has made available for the first time the iconic Classics Illustrated comic series. The series consists of over 100 digital graphic novels presented in a comic book format with robust color illustrations that introduce literature to readers of all ages. Trajectory is collaborating with Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, to deliver the series on Barnes & Noble's award-winning NOOK Tablet™ and NOOK Color™.

PROFILES IN HISTORY ANNOUNCES ITS ASSOCIATION WITH MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER AUCTION AT THIS YEAR'S CHICAGO COMIC & ENTERTAINMENT EXPO

THE AUCTION WILL BE HELD APRIL 14, 2012

LOS ANGELES - March 5, 2012 - Profiles in History is proud to announce its association with Marvel Entertainment to hold the Captain America: The First Avenger Auction at this year's C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60616 at 6PM Central Time on April 14, 2012.

The auction consists of over 220 lots including the incredible costumes, props and vehicles from the 2011 film. "Rarely does a collector have the opportunity to acquire items of this importance from a contemporary film," says Profiles in History President and CEO Joe Maddalena.

Among the key items to be sold: