Raving Toy Maniac

March 9, 2012 - Listed below are the toy (and child-related) recalls from this week; these links go to the official announcements on the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site.

Umbro Boys' Jackets with Drawstrings Recalled; Waist Drawstrings Pose Entrapment Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Ross Stores

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

Swing Sets Recalled for Repair by BCI Burke Due to Fall Hazard

Recalled Products Originally Sold By Meijer Found to Have Been Resold By Discounters After Recall Date

Gore Recalls Ride-On Bicycle Brake Cables Due to Fall Hazard

March 9, 2012 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

Hi - a few new items just listed:

Star Wars Vintage Wave 2 - Revision 2
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS21592&mode=re...

Clone Wars Wave 02 (with images)
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS21600&mode=re...

Movie Legends Wave 01 (with images)
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS21599&mode=re...

Transformers Prime Voyager Wave 02
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/search.aspx?search=robots+voyager+02

The Hobbit - Funko Pop, Plush, Wobblers
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/search.aspx?search=funko+hobbit

C.S. Moore - return to action figures - Jurassic Strike Force, Grimmies, Alice
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/search.aspx?search=moore

New Sideshow -

Freddy Krueger PF

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