Support System

A "stand" is used to help a doll stand. What do we call something to help a doll seem to fly, float or levitate? A fly, like the insect? Float, like with the root beer? Levitate? Let's just call it the support system, for now.

I have been seeing these in toy blogs I follow and I have been wanting to have some. It would be nice to use these in a toy tableu for the flying, high-jumping or levitating characters. I was lucky to find one at a secondary market.

The packaging comes in a completely foreign Asian language as shown above. I have no idea about the manufacturer nor is there any readable instructions on how to use it. I guess part of the fun is making sense of the parts and customize the assembly based on your needs.

I was able to set it up to support two action dolls, with a few parts to spare. Although the support system is made of light plastic, it can carry the weight of the figures without moving at the hinges even if I left the setup for a couple of days.

A pack of the support system costs about US$5 locally. It's about the same price as a Kaiser doll stand for playscale dolls. While the Kaiser stand is durable since it is made of metal, this clear plastic support system is more versatile. I just wish that it came in a resealable box or plastic bag. There are too many small part that one can easily lose.

Resurrection

I was supposed to gather all my action figures characters that supposedly died and came back to life and take a group photo but that takes a lot of setup and cleanup time. I settled with Spider-Woman instead.

Discounted

March is when new toys get released locally both from Hasbro and Mattel. In the Mattel lineup, I only wanted resort Grace. The rest can wait until sale season.  With Hasbro, I want a number of Marvel Infinite Series figures both from last year and this year.

Local Hasbro distributors are doing the same gimmick once again of creating an illusion that there is a low supply. They did this with the Avengers movie figures back in 2012. They did this last year with the later waves of Marvel Infinite Series figures. And now they are doing it again with the 1st wave for 2015.

They just display a few pieces on the shelves to create an illusion that they ran out of stock, that a lot of collectors are panic buying. In a lot of toys stores I went, I asked for the Beast action figure and the sales clerks are trained to say that it was the first to ran out and that I should just get the other figures left. That was two weekends ago. Although I wanted what was left on the shelf, I don't want it that bad. I can wait for the sale so I left without buying. Luckily I was able to get one, and at a discounted price to boot.

In the collecting scene, the word "rare" is often misused. A lot of times, the rarity is controlled by the distributor and not the manufacturer. Just because it was made scarce in one location, Marvel Infinite Series figures are rarely rare. It just means that some other location got more shipment. And sometimes buying from that location is cheaper than buying locally. That is how I got my Sandman figure, from a secondary market at a discounted price.

I am not falling to the local distributor's trick once again. They created an illusion that the Ares, Valkyrie and Red She-hulk figures were rare. I was forced to get them at a secondary market. Although I got them at a price lower than the local distributor's original price, the distributor lately offered it at a much lower price. I should have waited but no, I became emotional about the low supply and the illusion of rarity.

Lessons learned.

Horrifying Heroes

Deathlok and Ghost Rider

Today is Horrifying Heroes Day. It is celebrated internationally every decade. To celebrate this important trope in delusion propagation, I'm sharing some of the differently beautied heroes from the Marvel Universe.

Beta Ray Bill smashing the gorgeous face of Thor

Marvel Universe Infinite Series Ares vs Sentry

Before I took this photo, I looked at myself in the mirror to see how I'd look like if I'm hitting somebody with an axe.

Marvel Universe Infinite Series Valkyrie

So I got burned out with making and talking about dresses and my dolls. That happens to every doll hobbyist. That is why we have other things to keep us busy. If fashion dolls take my mind off the real world, action dolls take my mind off fashion dolls. Plus, I haven't taken a decent picture of Valkyrie since I got her last year.

I think it's funny (and sad, if they don't realize it) when a doll collector passionately whines about dolls lacking articulation and then post photos of his/her dolls in a model muse pose.  In the same way, I feel sad when someone post photos of action dolls posing like fashion dolls. I can take some catalog-type photos of action dolls when used in a review or for documentation. I think something is lost when you take the action out of the action dolls. They'll just be dolls.

I wanted to take a photo of Valkyrie in action, (duh) but I know nothing about handling a sword. I don't just want to show her handling a sword, I want to show some of her intensity. I found the drawing below and used it as an inspiration.

The trick is how to get her to pose like that. I hang her on a string. She kept spinning so it was hard to take a clear shot. It's not that great, I know. I deleted over a hundred (no exaggeration) of more blurry pictures. I wanted some light on Dragonfang (her sword) but I have limited light sources. There's a blank look on her face which doesn't help. Looking back, I should have just adjusted the light so that there is some shadow on her face but then I was shooting a moving subject. How am I supposed to set that up? What the heck!

When more isn't better

I used to not like these figures despite the increased points of articulation. They took away the wider range of motion in the hip joint. That just won't do for acrobatic characters.



Good thing is that it can be modified but do we really to go through all that trouble?

Villains

Some of my Marvel Universe super-villain action figures

The Marvel universe has a lot of interesting villains. My two favorite villains are Mystique and Magneto. The storytellers explained to us where they are coming from, the hardships they have to endure. I get them. Other villains need back-stories like theirs.

If there is something we learn from villains it's passion--not taking 'no' for an answer, getting what you want no matter what the cost. Hmmm... reminds me of die-hard collectors.

Last of the good line

Local SRP of these action dolls are PhP750. I got them recently for less since a lot are selling them for less (they are relatively unknown characters), but still some online sellers ask for more.

These maybe the last figures I'm going to buy from this line. The upcoming releases have crappy articulation. No wonder, more collectors are quitting this line. I'd rather buy an old figure and customize it to get the character I want.

Natchios on the toy shelf

I tried to look for more discounted Barbie fashion packs in other malls but I wasn't interested in the ones left. I tried looking for more Skrulls but they were not sold in the store I visited. Luckily, I saw an Elektra Marvel Universe figure and immediately grabbed it.

This figure is being sold for around US$19 on local eBay. That's just a dollar mark-up from what the other sellers sold it for last year. I got it just last night for around US$13.

Based on hearsay from the toy community, it was only now that these figures reached local toy shelves because the distributors didn't want the Marvel Universe toy line to compete with the Avengers toy line. They only made it available to selected collectors and hobby shops to help build up an appetite for the majority (via blogs and FB reviews). The distributor with the help of the scalper-collectors and hobby shops resell it for a higher price as they have connived to make it appear rare. These transactions usually doesn't involve a receipt so the tax portion also goes to their pockets. (No wonder a lot of MU collectors are pissed and decided to stop collecting.)  This is also what happened to other figures like Dagger, Thanos, Rhino and Abomination. The remaining inventory were just released recently in local toy stores, others on a later date.

There might not be many Dagger and Elektra figures left since a lot of collectors have hoarded these figures to customize.  (15Jan2015 Update: This figure and others from the same wave are still in stock. This has 5 units in one major department store.) A lot are impressed with the new articulation compared to the old female figures. Personally, I'm torn.

 

New and old body comparison

Yes, the new body has better articulation in most body parts except the hips. The new female body can't do a side split! Others also like the proportion but to me it's not comic nor sexist enough, so unlike how they are represented in the comics. I like the rounder boobs of the old female figures. I also like that their feet seem smaller. The new figures are also more leggy. These are all subjective, of course.

So, I'm not really sure if I like this Elektra figure just because of the added articulation. Maybe I can do a posing showdown between a poorly articulated figure like the Black Widow and this Elektra. I'm so glad that I didn't have to pay that much just to get something I feel lukewarm about.

New Marvel Universe Recruits

 

custom Beast and Kitty Pryde action figure

custom classic Rogue action figure

Hurray For Competition

I finally got myself one of the pioneer members of the Avengers, Ant-man. No thanks to the local distributor of Hasbro. As can be seen in the photos, this was sourced from another country. English is an official language in my country so there is no need to add what seems like Chinese labels on the packaging.

Based on another toy blog, these toys are already out in Singapore. A lot of online sellers have this posted on eBay. What is interesting is the price. Despite additional shipping charges and profit margin for the local reseller, some are being offered at competitive prices compared to those in major toy stores. I got my Ant-man at SRP. Other characters are below SRP while "rarer" characters are being sold at a higher price.

Pricing is so unlike the local distributor and major toy stores. All characters are priced equally, villain or hero, popular or not. Other sellers' prices are based on assumed demand. I'm glad that the demand for this figure is not that high. If the demand was high, the stocks should have run out weeks ago but I was able to buy one.

This figure is from the 3rd wave. There are still a lot of peg warmers from the 1st wave and some from the 2nd wave. I don't know if the major local distributor is still interested in distributing the rest of the series. It is the distributor's fault if they don't sell well. They increased the price just because of the re-branding. It's the same old marvel universe figure. I hope they learn from competition.

I also noticed that collectors of these figures are no longer as active in a local toy forum. A lot has stopped collecting these figures for two main reason--first, the increase in price; second, others decided to focus on the better articulated line, the Marvel Legends. This is good for me (less competition in buying). In case the demand eventually died down, and Hasbro decided to stop this line, I can just buy from those who quit collecting and customize the figures to the characters I want.

To Wait or Not To Wait

If you wait for the items to be discounted at the popular toy stores, you can save a lot, but there is a chance that the stock will run out before they offer a discount. Prices on the secondary market may end up higher than the toy stores'. Smart buyers always have this (and more) to consider when buying something frivolous as a toy. There are no hard and fast rules.

Sometimes, you have clues to help you make a decision. When I saw the Falcon figure, I instantly knew that I have to wait. First, it costs more than the regular Marvel Universe figure. Second, Falcon is not as popular compared to the other Avengers, specially those that have been featured in the movie. Third, there are relatively more units being sold compared to other characters (Black Widow). And lastly, I had the older version which I turned into another character, so I don't want him that bad. I do like the articulation in the new version. I waited and got 50% discount.

It was almost the same case for Whirlwind. The price is higher. Booo! The character is a villain and not a popular one at that, but I do know the character. He seems like a "good" foe for Wasp and I have been wanting to do a fight scene for Wasp. The reason I bought him right away is because I only found one Whirlwind figure in all 8 toy stores I visited. I have been seeing eBay sellers offering him for a lower price but I find the seller(s) too cocky with their fussy requirements.

Although I consider the supply when deciding to buy right away, experience told me that this is not always a reliable guide. Sometimes, they just display a few. Sometimes, there are more shipments later. This was what happened when I bought Wasp. Since she's a female figure, there was a smaller supply. She was even bundled with other figures (which I didn't want) and buying the set was the only way to get her.  Now, there are individual units for Wasp becoming peg warmers. I felt cheated. When I feel cheated, it discourages me to buy in the future.

X-men Return To The Savage Land

Marvel Universe X-men Figures

It took me about two years to complete the Marvel Universe classic X-men figures. A lot of them were customized by myself. After someone completes a collection, what now?

As for these, they are currently in storage.

Marvel Universe Ultimate Gift Set

The Marvel Universe toy line has been discontinued. Locally, stores (and some collectors/scalpers) are disposing their stock of MU's. It's just funny how some collector/scalpers try to do this.

Here is a screenshot of local eBay showing the prices for the Marvel Universe Ultimate Gift Set, first by local sellers then followed by international sellers. It's like a big joke out there.

Girl Power

Someone came to my blog by searching for female Marvel Universe action figures but the only post I have was about Storm, since she was the only one I have back then. (I had a Black Widow but she was not from the Marvel Universe toy line.) So I decided to post this photo of my female figures. I hope to get more.

3.75-inch Action Figure Size Comparison

Being new to the 3.75-inch scale, I have to experiment buying a number of figures. I wasn't able to find size comparison for figures in this scale so I decided to make my own.

(L to R)

Mattel Avatar Jake Sully
Playmates Star Trek Spock (Galaxy Collection)
Mattel DC Universe Infinite Heroes The Flash
Jakks Pacific UFC Shogun Rua
Hasbro Marvel Universe Mystique
Hasbro GI Joe Roadblock
Hasbro Marvel Universe Iron Fist
Hasbro Marvel Universe Wonder Man


The Hasbro toys clearly isn't 3.75-inch. I don't get why they don't just call it 4-inch (where 4 inches = 6 feet or 1:18 scale). It is easier to type and is more accurate.

Trekkie Time

Local toy stores are having a hard time getting rid of the 3.75inch Star Trek figures (Galaxy Collection) for years now. Every year, they decrease the price until they cost less than a dollar (US) now, hoping they can stop spending for the storage of these toys. We all know that any business space is better used for something that sells.

I used to watch the TV series and the last movie but I'm no Star Trek fan so I never considered buying these figures. It's only now that I'm liking the 3.75inch figures that made me consider buying them for parts I can use (in custom projects) like hands and holster.

I never really gave them a closer look. And when I did I saw that they came with a lot of props like a chairs  (in red and blue) and some computer dashboard thingamajig. I'm sold. Any furniture that can work with 3.75inch figures can work well with LPS Blythes.

The dashboard thingamajig, I can use with sci-fi scenes for my Marvel action dolls but for now fantard mini Pullip is enjoying the set..

Marvel Universe Scarlet Witch Custom

It's sad that a number of collectors were fooled to believe that the recent Scarlet Witch is a rare figure, making them pay more for the item. Locally, somebody payed at around US$24 (poor guy) when internationally a lot of sellers let it go for US$14 or less. (I checked eBay selling history.) How did that happen? Simple, by controlling the distribution!

Here's how. Make the item scarce in a most areas, ideally where a lot of collectors reside (group A). Make that same item available where there are ample number of collectors who are willing to resell (group B). Create some good publicity about the item via blogs or video reviews to pique everybody's interest. Group B will hoard the items thinking that they can make a profit from group A. And the manufacturer wins because their item will sell out to group B whether or not group B will be successful in reselling them.

Magneto (center) with son Quicksilver(L) and daughter Scarlet Witch (R)

Unlike Mattel, Hasbro didn't have to resort to labeling/branding something as "collectible", "limited edition" or "for the adult collector" because branding means additional cost without adding value to the product. They are making their products sell faster (because selling slow makes the seller lose money) just by distributing cunningly. Don't you just love marketing strategies? I'm learning a lot each day.