Raving Toy Maniac

September 13, 2012 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

Hi - We've just secured a domestic supplier for the Enterbay 1/4 Batman and Joker figures. Pricing has been reduced $75 from $449.99 to $374.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/search.aspx?search=enterbay+batman

Takara Transformers - Shattered Glass Soundwave and Blaster
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK11566&mode=re...

3rd Party Toys - a variety of new items
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/list.aspx?list=10562

Figures Toy Company - KISS 8" and 12" Figures
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu.aspx?menu=191&company=234

September 12, 2012 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

Autumn Sale!
Transformers, Star Wars, Marvel, DC & More on Sale! 4,000+ items on sale with 20% - 90% discounts.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/list.aspx?list=10142

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NEW PREORDERS
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MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE CASTLE GRAYSKULL STATUE
This new piece by Icon Heroes is their take on Castle Grayskull. It stands 9.75" tall by 9" wide and 11" deep and has been completely detailed for all 360 degrees around. We have it listed at $114.99, $10 off the MSRP.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=ICH10010&mode=re...

PORTAL 2 APERTURE SCIENCE HANDHELD PORTAL REPLICA - CUSTOMIZABLE DEVICE KIT

THE JAPAN FOUNDATION TO FEATURE FOUR GUESTS AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Yu Asakawa, Danny Choo, Kanae Muraki and Tara Knight to attend Courtesy of the Japan Foundation

Norwalk, CT, September 12, 2012: New York Comic Con (NYCC) is today proud to announce the Japan Foundation, an organization built to foster cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries, will participate in this year's NYCC with three events and four guests, showcasing the popular culture of Japan in the heart of New York City. New York Comic Con takes place October 11 - 14, 2012 at NYC's Javits Center, and NYCC is honored to welcome the Japan Foundation's guests - Yu Asakawa, Danny Choo, Kanae Muraki and Tara Knight - to its roster of already-announced guests including Brian K. Vaughan, Mike Mignola, Christopher Lloyd, Joshua Gates and Anne Rice.

(Updated on September 20th after we bought two more bags and filled in the last three codes.)

September 2012 - Our local Toys'R'Us restocked their K'NEX Angry Birds section, and the boy had stars in his eyes when he saw the $190 worth of new sets. Sadly for him, he has cheap parents, so despite the "buy one, get one 40% off" sale, we quickly zoned in on the $3.99 blind bag figures instead of the larger sets. The K'NEX web site shows that the blind bags ("Mystery Figures") are exclusive to Toys'R'Us.

We had really good luck using the cheat codes for the Mario Kart K'NEX blind bag figures, so we were happy to see a similar code on the back of the Angry Birds bags.

Interview with the Sculptor: Marvel Select Venom's Jean St. Jean

September 2012 - The toy collecting community was thrown for a loop recently when Diamond Select Toys unveiled their upcoming Marvel Select figure of popular Spider-Man foe Venom. Instead of a decorative display base -- a common accessory to most standard-sized Select figures -- the early 2013 figure will come with a variety of interchangeable parts to re-create several of the anti-hero's more popular looks over the years. With 72 different display configurations, it's the most versatile Select action figure ever made, and each combination of parts is a masterpiece in its own right. The sculptor behind the figure is frequent DST collaborator Jean St. Jean, and he took some time out of his busy sculpting schedule to talk to us about the method behind the Madness.

Street Fighter X Tekken Minimates Series 1 is Almost Here!

September 2012 - The battle for Minimate supremacy continues! Hot on the heels of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 comes a brand new line of video-game inspired Minimates -- Street Fighter X Tekken! Each SFxT Minimate two-pack pits a Street Fighter superstar against a Tekken legend, and the battles will come fast and furious when they reach stores later this month! But Diamond Select Toys has pictures of them in action right now!

DST took SFxT Minimates Series 1 and staged a series of battles in different locales, based on the following two-pack combinations:

Ken vs. Steve
Sagat vs. King
Cammy vs. Nina (comic shop and specialty store exclusive)
Poison vs. Lili (comic shop and specialty store exclusive)
Zangief vs. Balrog (Toys "R" Us exclusive)
Guile vs. Raven (Toys "R" Us exclusive)

September 11, 2012 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

Good News - we've secured a domestic supply of these items and they are now available for preorder at new lower prices!

Other M - Samus Aran Zero Suit Version 1/8 Scale PVC Figure - previously sold out - now available at $99.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=MF10269&mode=ret...

Other M - Samus Aran Figma Action Figure - now available at $49.99 instead of $64.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=MF10270&mode=ret...

Link Figma Figure - now available at $49.99 instead of $63.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=MF10293&mode=ret...

Also just listed - the very cool Castle Grayskull Statue at $114.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=ICH10010&mode=re...

Royal Caribbean International And Barbie® Set Sail Together To Offer First-Ever Barbie™ Experience At Sea

Girls Can Enjoy Exclusive Themed Staterooms, Tea Parties, Fashion Shows and More Aboard the Industry's Newest Fleet

MIAMI and EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 10, 2012 -- Royal Caribbean International, in partnership with Mattel, is bringing the signature pink style of Barbie, the world's most popular doll, to the world's most innovative cruise line. The pop culture icon will come to the high seas for the very first time to invite girls to see what happens when Barbie becomes a part of their cruise vacation. The all-new Barbie™ Premium Experience, available exclusively on Royal Caribbean ships, is making its stylish splash aboard the cruise line's entire global fleet of 22 ships starting in January 2013 on select ships and rolling out to the remainder of the fleet by March 2013.

And the Favorite Toy is G.I. Joe®!

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis Visitors and Fans Choose their Favorite Toy from the '100 Toys (& their Stories) that Define Our Childhood'

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 11, 2012 -- After eight weeks of voting, more than 24,000 votes, and 600 stories shared, the final results are in and The Children's Museum of Indianapolis online visitors and fans have determined their favorite toy from the past century. The top toy is G.I. Joe®!

On July 16, the public was asked to weigh in on the '100 Toys (& their Stories) that Define Our Childhood'. The goal was to determine favorites from a list of 100 toys iconic of childhood as chosen by curators of The Children's Museum's collection. After the initial five weeks of public voting, the list of 100 Toys was narrowed down to the top 20 from which the public was again asked to rank favorites. The results of this last vote determined the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.

The final order for the top 20 toys is:

Gold: G.I. Joe®
Silver: Transformers®
Bronze: LEGO® Toys
4. Barbie®
5. View-Master®
6. Bicycle

ELMO AND GORDON TO APPEAR DURING "NYCC KIDS" AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Sesame Street Characters to Visit Pop Culture Event on Sunday, October 14

Norwalk, CT, September 10, 2012: New York Comic Con (NYCC) officials today announced that Sesame Street's Elmo, the 3 ½-year-old monster with the high pitched voice and contagious giggle, will appear at the show along with his good friend Gordon (Roscoe Orman). The hugely popular and widely recognized pair from Sesame Street will visit the annual pop culture event during NYCC Kids, a day focused on programming and activities for younger fans and their families on Sunday, October 14, 2012. Organizers note that further details about the appearance, including the precise time Elmo and Gordon will be present for kids and fans will be announced in the near future on the NYCC website.