May 3, 2008 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several new items of interest to collectors:

Hi - Here is a quick update from http://www.bigbadtoystore.com about a wide variety of new preorders and many new arrivals. We are also running another sale for the next few days!

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15% OFF SALE:
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From now until 12:00 Noon Central time on Monday May 5th - everything is on sale at 15% off current pricing except for'new' and 'preorder / backorder' items. This sale will be over quickly so be sure to browse your favorite menus and pick up some items at 15% off.

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NEW PREORDERS:
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E-HOBBY - CITY PROTECTOR - OMEGA SUPREME RECOLOR EXCLUSIVE: Back at the beginning of the Great War on Cybertron, Autobot City-States were watched over and protected by the City Guardians, huge robots that transformed into battlestations. The only known survivor of the Guardians is Omega Supreme, whose brown and yellow scheme differed greatly from the Guardians' original blue and white paint scheme. Thanks to E-Hobby, Omega Supreme need be lonely no longer, with the release of this City Guardian exclusive recolor! Pre-order yours here

TOYNAMI / BANDAI SUPER VALKYRIES: Toynami has just announced that they will be importing Bandai Japanese figures to the U.S., and the prices are right! The first two releases are transforming Super Valkyries from Macross - Max's blue-detailed VF-1A and Hikaru's Red-detailed one. The best part of these figures is the price - Toynami will be bringing them over at an MSRP nearly equal to the Japanese MSRP, so you can pick these babies up for only $84.99 each!

CITY COMMANDER - CLASSICS MAGNUS TRAILER: FansProject brings us an awesome custom designed trailer meant to fit on the classics Ultra Magnus figure. This trailer not only looks good behind the cab, but it fully transforms into armor for Magnus in robot mode. These are limited edition kits that are each individually numbered, we don't expect to have much extra stock on these at all so get your preorders in soon

APPLESEED - SNAP KITS & TEREUS: More Appleseed joy, direct from Japan! Hot Toys is bringing Tereus, the third in its Appleseed Saga Ex Machina line of poseable model kits, to the U.S. this August. This line of Movie Masterpiece figures has 1/6 scale figures with great articulation and poseability as well as detailed costumes and accessories. In Appleseed Ex Machina Tereus is a bioroid who replaces Deunan's original partner Briareos on the ESWAT team. Now he can partner up with you, too! We've also got cases of blind-boxed Appleseed snap kits coming, so you can get the whole cast of characters and display them nicely together.

ROGUE COMIQUETTE: Rogue may live the hectic life of an X-Man now, but when she first appeared as an accomplice to her 'mother' Mystique, Rogue was a super villain with only the ability to steal powers and memories by touch. This comiquette hearkens back to her appearance in Avengers Annual 10, in which she beat up Thor, Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers, and ended up semi-permanently absorbing Ms. Marvel's super strength, invulnerability and danger sense. This 16" statue is a great gift for any comic fan, and you can get yours later this year for under $150!

COOL GIRL CATWOMAN - NEW COLOR VERSION: From Takara's Cool Girl line of 12" figures comes a new verwsion of Catwoman, this time in a purple outfit. The Cool Girl figures are known for their accuracy and poseability, and judging by the original version, New Color Catwoman shouldn't disappoint. This import to arrive in August, and you can check the pics out here

IRON MAN HELMETS - MARK I & MARK III
Museum Replicas has announced that they are going to be bringing out Helmet replicas from the new Iron Man movie, and just in time for the movie's release. Not only are they bringing us the original Mark I helmet and the crimson and brass Mark III, With the small numbers of the limited editions on these, you'll want to pre-order your ASAP. You can see preliminary pics of the helmets here

PREDATOR 1:4 SCALE BUST: This new Predator bust from Hot Toys is taken from the original movie "Predator", and includes options to display him masked, or with jaws exposed, either extended or retracted. This bust is 10" tall and sits atop a stand made of bones. With this nasty bust peeking over your shelf, no one will dare get out of line, for fear he would hunt them down. Get this guy to gaurd your stuff this fall, and check him out here

GENX CORE INDIANA JONES: Takara's GenX Core line is the male counterpart of the Cool Girl line,
with larger, heavier male bodies, yet the same attention to detail and articulation. If it is anything like the Batman Begins GenX Core figure, this 1/6 Scale figure of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones from The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will likely be a beautiful upscale version of the classic character, with all of the bells and whistles one could want included. We don't have a picture yet, but they're selling fast - if you would like one, pre-order here

PREMIUM FORMAT: ASAJJ VENTRESS: The newest of Sideshow's Prestige Format figures is Asajj Ventress, the main antagonist of the Clone Wars cartoon and other media. Timed to be a perfect Christmas gift for any Star Wars fan, this impressive figure is set to release in the fourth quarter of this year. Standing 17" tall and wielding her twin lightsabers, Asajj is cast in polystone and dressed in an exquisite scaled reproduction of her costume. Show your allegiance to the Sith and pre-order her today!

BRAVE GOKIN GENESIC GAOGAIGAR: Brought back by popular demand, last year's Genesic GaoGaiGar has been upgraded, with a new face sculpt, additional "Heaven & Hell" hands, and more. This transformable die-cast and ABS giftset includes Galeon, Protect Gao, Spiral Gao, Broken Gao, Straight Gao and Gadget Gao, and they're all ready to combine into Genesic GaoGaiGar for you! The ultimate Yuusha Ou comes out this May

DC SUPERHEROES BATGIRL, BLACK CANARY, WONDER WOMAN BARBIE DOLLS: This trio of new DC Barbies should delight collectors. We've got a new version of Batgirl coming out, as well as a new Wonder Woman, with the brand-new Black Canary Barbie making her debut! Batgirl comes in a yellow-accented black costume, with a large gold-lined cape. Wonder Woman has a large red, white and blue cape, with her tiara, belt, bracelets and magic lasso. Black Canary comes in a black jacket and knee-high boots, with her signature fishnet stockings completing the ensemble. All three dolls are available

ALIEN VCD: Coming from Medicom later this summer, the new Alien VCD combines the cuteness of the VCD line with the horrific looks of the original Alien monster. Standing about 9" tall, this alien has a see-through upper skull piece, and has his trademark second jaws extended, ready to munch! This Alien will be ready to terrorize your house this fall - just keep him out of the shadows and you should be fine!

THE HELMET OF THOR, LORD OF ASGARD: Now that he's ascended to Odin's throne Hlidskjalf following his father's disappearance, Thor decided that he needs a new look. Thor's new helm as Lord of Asgard takes his original helm's look and improves on it, changing it from a soldier's cap to a leader's helmet. The side wings have become more blade-like and sharp looking, with the center point being minimized and additional ornamental details added. Keep an eye out for this full sized, wearable helm this summer - get a glimpse of it here

MARVEL MIGHTY MUGGS WAVE 3: The Mighty Muggs figures are some of the hottest new toys, and now we've got pre-orders up for the next wave of Marvel Mighty Muggs! This time out the quartet consists of Spider-Man (dressed in his black costume), his opponent Doctor Octopus, the thunder god Thor, and Ghost Rider, the Sprit of Vengeance. Don't let their cute looks and big heads fool you -- these guys mean business!

IKKI TOUSEN DRAGON DESTINY - KANU UNCHOU IN RED BIKINI: Ikki Tousen is a series of animes and mangas concerning schoolgirls who do battle, each one possessed of the spirit of one of the generals from the Three Kingdoms era of ancient China. Kanu Unchou is the most powerful and feared of the girls, channeling the spirit of the legendary Guan Yu and using his massive Crescent Blade. Of course, even mighty warriors need to take a day off now and then, and this figure shows her lounging at the beach, in a red swimsuit and sandals. Kanu can be all yours this October

BSG PORTRAIT PRINTS - STARBUCK & NUMBER 6: Quantum Mechanix has announced a new pair of prints of the lovely ladies of Battlestar Galactica - the seductive "toaster" Number 6 and the sexy fighter pilot Starbuck. These 18" by 24" portraits have a watercolor-type style and are printed on 100-pound, satin-finish stock. Get ready to frame these beauties because you'll want to show them off!

WITCHBLADE ANIME - RIHOKO, REINA & SHIORI TSUZUKI: The anime version of Witchblade is a completely re-imagined story compared to the american comic and short-lived series. In the anime, the witchblade is part jewel, part genetic power that breaks down your body over time, with increased use amounting to a greatly-shortened lifespan. Rihoko is the (foster) daughter of the protagonist Masane Amaha, and appears here with the fantastic Reina Soho, Neogene blade-wielder and Rihoko's true mother, and Shiori Tsuzuki, Reina's deranged, fixated assistant and fellow blade-wielder. Take a look at six year old Rihoko, powered-up Reina and dressed-down Shiori

COBRA & LADY ARMAROID STATUE: From the anime and manga Space Pirate Cobra (and its title variations) comes this 11-1/2" statue of Cobra and his partner, Lady Armaroid. With a knife in his left hand and his bot partner slung over his shoulder, it appears as if Cobra just barely made it out of a scrape, and he's probably heading into another one. Sci-fi fans will love statue

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD 12 INCH FIGURES: Following up their initial offering of Bill Heinzman as Cemetary Zombie, Executive Replicas has announced three more "Night of the Living Dead" figures. Duane Jones as ben, Judith O'Dea as Barbra, and Kyra Schon as Karen Cooper are all coming later this year, as 12" Collector Series figures. With movie-accurate cloth costumes and accessories, these figures are sure to be a hit with horror collectors everywhere.

SHINING TEARS - MAPLE, HOUMEI, SEENA:
These lovely PVC ladies come from the "Shining Tears" series of anime, manga & games. Maple the beautiful fairy comes to us life-sized, with transparent wings and water lily base. Houmei the priestess (with removable outer robes) and the Luminous Knight Seena are both at 1/8 Scale, and all three are coming to us this August. You can see these beautiful figures here

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NEW ARRIVALS:
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BBTS FANTASTIC EXCLUSIVE 2007 - HELM OF XAANM: There have been trials and tribulations, but the Four Horsemen Fantastic Exclusive figures are shipping now. The BBTS Exclusive Helm of Xaanm, a warthog warrior with an attitude is here now and he's worth the wait

INDIANA JONES: We just got in a shipment of these hot toys, and they're all ready to go! From the "Idaho Jones" Mr. Potatohead and the Sound FX Whip to the deluxes and 12" figures, we've got a great assortment to choose from, with more coming any day! Take a look at the Indy stuff here

MMA FIGHTERS: The first wave of UFC fighter figures are just in, and they look great! Choose from Matt Hughes, Quinton Jackson, Randy Couture, or Tito Ortiz, or save a few bucks and pick up the set today!

CHOGOKIN REIDEEN: New S.O.C.! We've got the GX-41 Reideen, so if you've been waiting for
this great figure, wait no longer! Go with the basic version, or pre-order the DX set with additional pieces aplenty - check them out today

HENKEI CLASSICS D-03 ASTROTRAIN: The classics line is very popular for both sculpts and character choice, and this one's a special treat. Not only does he share the body of the American release, but he's been re-colored to match the Anime Special release of Astrotrain, and he's only 24.99 - grab one now!

BOTCON '08 EXCLUSIVES: These are running low, but we've got a few left, so if you need evil Autobots or good Decepticons, this is your stop!

REVOLTECH FRAULEIN POCCO: The new female-type revoltech figures are every bit as poseable and fun as their male counterparts. Now is your chance to pick up the lastest one, Pocco from Shunya Yamashita's creative mind. Looking prepared for battle, Pocco is just itching for action - check her out

HULK MOVIE: Coming up this summer as the two in Marvel's one-two movie punch, the new Hulk movie goes back to more traditional comic story roots than the Ang Lee version did. Hasbro is releasing many new figures, both from the movie and inspired by it.

KUSTOMZ SPEEDER BIKE: From the Kustomz line comes the first shipping sculpture, the Speeder Bike! With the biker scout holding on tight, this bike zooms! Check it out

TUSKEN RAIDER BUST: From Gentle Giant comes the Tusken Raider bust, and we've got them in stock now. With alternate arms, your Raider can either brandish a rifle or wave his gaderffii stick over his head. Don't miss out - pick one up today!

CIVIL WAR MINIMATES: Courtesy of NYCC, Diamond's successful line of Marvel Minimates continues with this special Civil War set. It's got battle-damaged Captain America, Iron Man, Iron Spider-Man, and the villian of the piece, Nitro. Don't miss out on these special collectibles

HARD HERO TRANSFORMER BUSTS: We've lucked into a good buy on restocking the Hard Hero G1 Transformer busts, and we're passing the savings on to you! Take a look at Ironhide, Prowl and Devastator, all with reduced prices - it's a steal!

CORONATION STARSCREAM BUST: Not only do we have older busts at great deals, we've also got the newest Coronation Starscream bust, too! Looking regal in his crown and purple cape, he'll look great as part of your collection. Take a look at him

THUNDERCRACKER BUST: They just keep coming! Now we've got the exclusive Thundercracker bust in stock as well, so if you're looking to finish off your seeker collection, don't miss this limited-edition beauty!

PHONE BRAVER: Bandai new line is just right for today's collectors - half cell phone, half transformer! Get the original DX Phone Braver 7, and pick up his Seeker and Speaker add-ons for more fun. You can take a look at this new line

HARRY POTTER DIORAMAS: NECA's resin dioramas of the folks from Hogwart's are finally in. Choose from Severius Snape, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, or Ron Weasley. We've also got a set listed for these, so if you need them all, save yourself a couple of bucks and pick it up!

DC DIRECT NEW GODS: Timed to coincide with the release of the "Death of the New Gods" comic, we've got four of Jack Kirby's Fourth World figures ready to ship today. The evil Darkseid, his son Orion, New Gods' leader Lightray and Mister Miracle are all represented here. Grab them before they're gone from this world forever!