STGCC Day 3: The Motherload

Even the Predator and Iron Man couldn't stop me from getting good deals

You could say I was looking forward to the last day of Singapore Toy, Games, and Comic Convention the most.  Why?  Because of one thing and one thing only: DEALS! On toys!

And what a bunch of stuff I got.  I know I've written plenty over the last 3 days, so I'll keep this review of Day 3 short on words and long on pictures; pictures of the swag I snagged for cheap!

For those of you who frequent CV and are on my Christmas list (you know who you are), there might be one or two things here you might find in your X'mas stocking come the 25th! ;D

Deal #1: DC Universe Classics for 2 for S$15 (US$11.50) or 5 for S$30 (US$23).

It was a pity I'd paid S$20 total for Mr. Terrific and Firestorm from the same store on Day 2, otherwise I'd sprung for the latter deal.  As a result, I picked up the dynamic duo (no, not that one) of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle for $15!  Other figures they had were Ocean Warrior Aquaman (I was really tempted but have gold Aquaman on the way), blue variant Wildcat, and Commander Steel.  Not great variety but a really great deal if you need to plug the holes in your collection.

Deal #2: Masters of the Universe Classics Battle Armor He-Man and He-Ro for S$40 (US$30.10) each.

After factoring in shipping to Singapore, MOTUC figures come to S$32.50 each if you order directly from Matty without the subscription. 

Considering that they usually sell for S$50 apiece, it's a great deal. You also get to examine the figures for flaws and pick the ones with good paint. :) So I snagged these two studs to accompany the Evil-Lyn I bought on Day 2!


Deal #3: DCUC Spectre for S$15 (US$11.50), DCUC Modern Blue Beetle for S$25 ($19.20).

I'm now just one arm away from completing Darkseid.  He's not a CnC figure I really wanted to get, but I just found myself slowly gathering his parts for reasonable prices. One more piece of the puzzle to go! (I'm looking at you Dr. Midnite...)

Blue Beetle I snagged for the Rangerlord--his Sith influence over me even when he's not in the country is still strong (Yes, my Master...)  BB was priced at $30, but I got $5 off from Vincent at Toyrealm, so thanks, man! :)


Deal # 4: NECA Street Fighter IV Chun Li for S$10!!! (US$7.70)

She'll go nicely with either my Charlie outfit or gray camo Guiles.  I just need to decide which I prefer and open it!

Deal #5: GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra Desert Battle Duke for S$16 ($US12.30).

You can find Joes cheaper in the States, but in Singapore, this is a deal, especially for a newer figure.  I didn't too much fancy the double plasma cannons that come with Duke, but the head sculpt on this one was too good to pass up.  They got him looking like the Jungle Assault Duke sans headband.  They've also made him less skinny than the JA Duke.  I think this is possibly the best non-movie Duke head sculpt to date!  Then again, I always say that, don't I?

Deal # 6: Indiana Jones Dr Elsa Schneider for S$10! ($US7.70)

A rare figure and for cheap! The head sculpt on this one also surprised me--it looks too darn good!  She completes the rare quartet I'm looking from the Last Crusade: Colonel Vogel, The Grail Knight and her!  Oh wait, I still need Henry Jones Sr. Duh!  Where's Sean Connery when you need him?

Deal #7: Revoltech White Convoy (Ultra Magnus) for S$20 (US$15.40).

These usually cost at least S$10 more at the cheapest, so this was a good find.  I've resisted buying into this line because the Transformers they make may be highly poseable, but they're not transformable.  So much for sticking to my principles. Heh.


Deal #8: Takara Tomy Transformers Animated Soundblaster (Activator) for S$10 ($US7.70)

There were lots of these and Skywarp, which I have already from the Hasbro release.  I like the way they mostly transform at the push of a tab, so it was cool to find one that I didn't already have because they didn;t produc it before.

Deal #9: Marvel Universe Secret Wars 2-pack: Ultron and Reed Richards for S$10! (US$7.70)

I don't have a picture of this because Cavalock grabbed it for me when he was there earlier.  Another great deal--it cost exactly a third of what it would at retail.  I'd ben stalling on this one because of the poor Reed Richards buck.  Ultron was cool but I didn't want to shell out at retail for a couple of guys with no accessories.  Mr. Fantastic was also decidely as boring as he could ever be a s toy.  But hey, I wasn;t gonna turn it down for 10 bucks!  Thanks, Cavalock! :)

Day 3 Convention Rating: 9/10!

Nifty Star Wars Hoth Hanger display.  Cool!  (Literally)

Going into the final day, I wasn't sure if any of the vendors would slash prices by much.  But credit to them, they did and it turned out to be all the last day of a Con should be--a day of wheeling and dealing!

While I didn't turn up early at all (I got there at 6pm and had 2 hours before the end of the Con), I got the feeling that it didn't matter because there were too many deals to take advantage of anyway. In fact if I'd been there earlier, I'd probably be broke seven ways to Sunday!




Overall Convention Rating: 8.4/10

They had to forcibly remove me from the premises.

A very successful and satisfying Con overall.  Well organized with panels, signings, screenings, and of course, the star writers and artists to back it up.  I was certainly entertained!  Perhaps it was a little bit smaller that last year vendor-wise, but I think it made for a better experience because it was a lot less messy. Also, you could plan ahead because of the excellent printed guides and timetables at the signings.  I loved the staff and volunteers there as well, they were all helpful and glad to be there.



Here's hoping next year's STGCC turns out bigger and better!

Indy Fun for Everyone!

Well, maybe not Indiana Jones himself, but two of the rarer figures from last year's movie-spawned toy line, in 3.75-inch scale!

I give to you, Colonel Vogel and the Grail Knight!  Both these characters come from my favouritest Indy movie of all-time, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It's a pity that the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull turned out to be quite the dud, but the great thing is that a year down the road, the toys are going for clearance!

For all you Singaporean readers out there (or not ;P), I found these Inidana Jones figures going for S$1 (US$0.70) a pop at Carrefour Suntec City toy clearance about 6 weeks back.  And boy did I grab a few a bunch a whole butt-load of 'em!  By the time the sale ended, all they had left were Mutt Williams figures.  Yup, Shia got, and still gets no love. :P

Finding the Grail Knight and Colonel Vogel has got to probabaly be the BEST toy hunting experience ever.  For one, I got these rare guys for next to nothing (especially the Grail Knight, who sems to be chase/rare/short-packed in every toy form) and two, Colonel Vogel's body and accessories have been reused for a Marvel Universe character--you guesed it: SDCC Red Skull!

So the plan was to get Vogel and Red Skull and do a head switch whenever the evil Nazi villain felt like a change of costume.  After all, there's gotta be at least 4 different versions of Captain America out there, so why shouldn't ol' Skull face have his own variant too?

So how do these year-old Hasbro 3.75" figures comepare to the new Marvel Universe and GI Joe Rise of Cobra figs? Find out after the jump!

Like: That both these guys are highly detailed in sculpting, have good paint, and come with relevant accessories.  Starting with heads, which captures the greedy, lustful and proud look of the German Vogel, and the expression of weary vigilance on the Grail Knight, Hasbro really gave us a sneak peak at how great their future head sculpts were going to be.  Both these characters are old, and both don't just have white hair, they have wrinkles on their faces which have been molded on.

 
Like: From head to bodies, or rather, torsos.  The details on Vogel's uniform are simply superb. You can see every medal, every pin, and every crease on him.  My favourite is the pin on his chest that holds his inner shirt frill in place. It's picked out by a tiny bit of gold paint. Bravo, Hasbro!

As for the Grail Knight, there's just so much detail I don't know where to begin! His tunic, the chainmail gloves, the Templar symbol on his chest, his awesomly voluminous cloak, it's all a big wow, really.

Like: That all Indy figures come with "secret artifacts." In this instance, the good Colonel comes with the Axe of Leif Erikson! The stuff of legend, that. ;)

The Grail Knight himself comes with an artifact as mysterious as the knight himself: Sir Richard's shield.  I assumed this was the shield of a young King Richard the Lionheart before he ascended the throne.  But a search yielded many a Sir Richard, casting the origins of this artifact right back into the shroud of mystery from whence it came. I can safely say for sure it's not the shield of one Sir Cliff Richard.  That has defeinitely not seen a battle. :P

Like: That Vogel has a working holster.

Dislike: That the Grail Knight's scabbard looks useable but is actually filled in. I was really looking forward to having him sheathe his sword. One less cool look, more money saved my Hasbro. Bummer.

Dislike: The articulation is pretty bad for this line as a whole. It's funny, beacuse every time I see a place where Hasbro seemingly has cut back on to save $$, I tell myself it's beause hey want to put the money towards making u better Joe figures with tons of guns, and better Marvel Universe figures in a myriad of colours and costumes. And guess what? This sort of reverse wish-fulfillment is working! I know! It's nuts! Haha.

Ratings

Aesthetics

Vogel: 9.5/10 - He simply screams "German Officer!"

Grail Knight: 9.7/10 - Anyone who's seen the movie will instantly recognize and get excited about this guy.  Heck, I didn't even know he existed till they were restocking at the clearance sale and the guy working there pulled him out of the box to place him in the clearance bin.  He didn't stay there for long at all.;)

Poseability

Vogel: 7.5/10 - Ugh. But still, better than expected.  Definitely not Marvel Universe standards in terms of points of articulation, but then again, Vogel/Red Skull is expected to give the orders, not fight in the frontline.

Grail Knight: 7/10 - Double Ugh. His right foot's fixed in a pivot, so he's perpetually got his toe pointed upwards if you straighten his right leg. This also means he can't stand on his own without the help of his cloak.  Takes the term "bending the knee" to a whole new level. Heh.

Fun 

Vogel: 9/10 - He's my Red Skull variant so hey, I can't complain. (I just have to paint the neck red to match his skull.)

Grail Knight: 9.5/10 - There's just something about a poseable 3.75 inch knight. I don't think there've been other knights in this scale.  This means a useable 3.75" broadsword and a 3.75" Holy Grail too! The Holy Grail!

Value

Vogel: 10/10 - A $1 toy is not always worth a dollar. Most times it's worth much less. But on some rare occasions, it's worth more, much, much more. And hey, this is one of those times! Vogel comes with his pistol (Luger) and  that annoying stickonly available to evil military personnel.

 

Grail Knight 10/10 - I'd give this guy an 11 for rarity but an 11/10 would be a miracle of God, wouldn't it? ;)

Overall 

Vogel: 9/10 - I like this guy.  Throw him in a tank/hummer/on foot and he can be the leader of some evil army charging your Joes or your Captian America.  Throw in the red skull of the Red Skull and you can replay the events leading to the creation of Cap's greatest nemesis.

Grail Knight: 9.05/10 - If you find him, get him! If you're an Indy fan, he's a must have. If you like knights and such, he's a must have. If you seek the Holy Grail, he's got it, so you gotta get him first!

Just look at what drinking from it can do for you:

*Doesn't the Red Skull look brilliant in white?

*Yes, Red Skull looks like Jim Carrey in "The Mask" with his skin tone neck, only his face is red.  It's like Red Hulk. Here it's Red Mask. Lame. I know.

*Hulk's fancy cape is a fancy piece of Kleenex

*Held together by a fancy piece of scotch tape. Hah.

Happy Huntings!

Well, I'm just about to go back to work tomorrow after a nice week long break. But I didn't leave the country on vacation, nor did I intend to. What I did want to do was to post more but what happened?

This happened:


Right about midweek I stumbled upon a large clearance sale at one of the malls on one my toy routes and what did they have? S$1 Indiana Jones 3.75"figures!


Now having not got into the line previously, I now couldn't resist, especially when I saw the assortment on Indies they had: 2 versions from Raiders of the Lost Ark, a Last Crusade Indy, 2 Kingdom of the Crystal Skull versions, a Russian soldier, and a couple of Cemetery Warriors. I grabbed all of those.

The I moved along to the Indy Adventure Heroes range which was also going for, yup you guessed it, a dollar a pop. Bought the 6 2-packs that I didn't have, then I moved on to check out some of the older toy ranges like DCSH, which was going for S$5 (Mongul, Darkseid, Bizarro, Kal-El and 1 Supergirl). I already had all of those so I was basically just browsing to see if they might have a rare clearance Supes or something. No luck there.

Then out of the corner of my eye I spot the sales guy restocking the Indy 3.75" action figures after I had picked them clean. And what did I find? Goodies like the Grail Knight, Young Indy, and Colonel Vogel, all for a dollar each! I was so pumped, that I returned the next day to find some of the stuff already picked through. I did still manage to find a Colonel Dovchenko and 2 more Russian soldiers to take my tally to 3 of those. 3 more Cemetery Warriors later, I found I had 5 total after the previous day's hunting. Talk about a dirt cheap army builders! I'm happy with 3 of each, so the extra goes into the "Hunting Buddy Goodwill Basket," (or HBGB for short) so Bro, you got some love comin' your way, Rangerlord. ;)

I also managed to find movie Hulk figures going for S$5, so I picked up this guy:

Well this is yet another line I steered clear of, considering the articulation of the figures wasn't too great and I really didn't like the overall look of the hulk figures. But I can now thank GI Joe Rise of the Cobra for making want this guy.

No, not Hulk, but rather the Hulkbuster!

After all the Joe goodness from the movie toy line I gave this little fella a better look and recognized now that the Hulkbuster was made from some Joe parts and was nicely articulated. More random guys for mass action shots. And I get a bonus mega kicking Hulk to boot. Yo Joe!

Just check out how Joe Hulkbuster's he's eating big Hulk foot in the package!

And that's not all.

After the road bump of a clearance sale was done with, I made it up to the toy shop I was originally headed for and what did I find?

Some Marvel Universe Series 2 goodness:

Now I have read about this series somewhere online, but I think I didn't see any photos. So to find them in a brick and mortar store was somewhat refreshing. Jean Grey is especially gorgeous looking. She could very well be the prettiest 3.75" Marvel Universe figure for a long time to come. These I got for the Rangerlord as well. Hopefully I get the chance to see Jean Grey on the shelves again!

So a good week all in all and I really hope to get back to posting more often, hopefully once in 3 days at least.