Toyrant

iPod Nano First Gen still alive and kicking

2011-08-26T05:19:00.000-07:00

My very first iPod, which is also my very first Apple product purchase in 2006.

It's still alive after all these years..

The songs are old too!

It took another 4 years before I purchased an iPod Touch.

Acer Aspire Timeline X 4820TG and the sleeping rabbit USB

2011-08-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

When my beloved Lenovo Ideapad Y510 died on me, I was distraught and fell into a drunken stupor. I was going on and on about the impossibility of a dead Lenovo in just under 2 years of use. It was unheard of. Lenovo machines are supposed to be beasts.

So, with no real budget for another Lenovo (or Mac), I switched back to Acer.

I christened it, "Derek". So far so good. Acer has always been reliable but I felt it was a downgrade despite it being an Intel Core i5. Derek is lightweight, thin, and runs for 7 hours (the ad says 8 hrs) on a single charge.

It was affordable considering the specs. But what really helped in the decision are the freebies.

Logitech wireless mouse

A sleeping rabbit USB (how can you not like it?)

There's also the laptop bag that is as big as a house. It just doesn't match the sveltness of Derek.

This would do for now until I get a big ass budget to buy a beasty machine.

Of toy villains and heroes

2011-08-02T00:30:00.000-07:00

In my toy-verse, heroes outnumber the villains. About 70% of my G.I. Joes are good guys. The same is true for the other toylines I've collected over the years. I can probably say I'm in the minority here because most of my toy collector friends prefer villains over heroes.

In Star Wars, collectors would almost always grab a Darth Vader figure if the other choice is, say, R2-D2. In G.I. Joe, Storm Shadow, regardless of version, is most likely to be the first to be sold out. In early 2000, LeBron James sports figure is more popular than Carmelo Anthony :p

However, when it comes to Disney Magical Collection from Takara, I find myself having more villains than heroes.

A case in point:

Ursula from the Little Mermaid. I remember watching the Disney Villains cartoons and I can safely conclude that they are some of the most sinister villains ever created. With the likes of Captain Hook, Jafar, Cruella de Vil, Maleficient, and Scar, Disney can turn wholesome cartoons into dark and scary entertainment. But it's fun nonetheless.

Timothy Hunter vs. Harry Potter - Fight!

2011-07-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

Even before J.K. Rowling introduced us to Harry Potter, there was Timothy Hunter, a bespectacled boy with magical powers and a pet owl.

Created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton, Tim Hunter first appeared in The Books of Magic Vol. 1 in January 1990, 7 years before Harry Potter came into existence. The similarities are striking that it's easy to accuse J.K. Rowling of plagiarism. When asked if he thought Rowling was aware of Tim Hunter, Gaiman replied:

"I wasn't the first writer to create a young magician with potential, nor was Rowling the first to send one to school"

Dylan Horrocks, author of Hunter: Age of Magic, said it best:

...the superficial similarities are striking - but no more so than any number of other stories in the genre. As Gaiman has repeatedly said, he and Rowling were merely drinking from the same well. In fact, there was even a story in "2000AD' (called the Journals of Luke Kirby) which came out a few years before the 'Books of Magic,' which was extremely similar to both the 'BoM' and 'Harry Potter.' This is a genre - and Gaiman and Rowling are both playing with the conventions of the genre, to different ends.

The similarity ends, action figure-wise. DC is superior in every way (except perhaps in articulation). Had DC made the Harry Potter toy line, it would have been perfect.

vs.

Sorry Harry, Tim's action figure is way cooler than yours.

Captain America vs. Union Jack

2011-07-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hasbro has rolled out series 1 and 2 of Captain America: The Avenger action figures, way ahead of the July 22 movie release. The figures are the size of G.I. Joes (3 3/4). Under normal circumstance, this should be enough for me to start my army building. The problem here is that I bought a Marvel Legends Showdown Captain America made by Toy biz International and released in 2005.

This is one mean-looking Captain America. But that's not the problem. It's the sloppy paint application that completely puts me off. Needless to say, I never looked at any other 3 3/4 action figure again. I'm sticking with G.I. Joes.

Then Union Jack came along. I just can't resist. There are only a few British heroes/superheroes around.

Union Jack was released in 2009 under the Marvel Universe toy line. It's shiny and the paint app is just perfect. I wanted to collect all the figures in the first series, but decided against it after the best figures started disappearing from toy shelves.

I've seen the new Captain America action figures and they pretty much resemble the 2009 Marvel Universe toyline. Would I collect? No. Would I buy Captain America? No. Would I buy Captain Britain? Definitely.

Game of Thrones: Never too late to start

2011-07-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

I've decided to overwork my brain and read George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. I'm way behind in the series, considering that the fifth book (A Dance with the Dragons) has already been released.

I would read the book before I watch the TV series. Hope I could at least get to page 100 before my brain overheats.

Batman Cards from 1989

2011-07-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

For the past three weeks, I've been unloading some of my toys as part of the decluttering program initiated at home. I have already streamlined my collection and only kept G.I. Joes and movie toys and related merchandise.

In the next 2 weeks, I should be able to post them all on ebay under seller name toyninja.

While dusting bookshelves, I found a box of Batman cards from the 1989 film. Yes, the one with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Nobody collects these cards anymore. They are a cross between trading cards and movie cards.

Back in the '80s, my cousin would buy baseball and movie trading cards similar to the one pictured above. The entire movie would be presented in the cards and the collector would have to get them all to complete the movie. One box would contain duplicates so there's no guarantee you'd be able to complete the entire movie even after buying tons of these stuff. Some cards have bubblegum in each pack. Good times.

I am holding on to these cards because nobody else wants it.

"Just-Us League" Alfred Neuman Green Lantern

2011-07-16T20:12:00.001-07:00

The Green Lantern movie is 105 minutes of unbelievably shoddy cinematic failure with little to no entertainment value.

I'd stick with Just-Us League Alfred E. Neuman as Green Lantern. It's more entertaining than the movie.

Harry Potter in Extreme Quidditch uniform

2011-07-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

I can't say I am a Harry Potter fan. I've read the first three books then lost interest. Though I have to admit that among the three books, Year 2 The Chamber of Secrets is my favorite because of Tom Riddle.

I wanted the Tom Riddle figure but it was difficult finding one in my neck of the woods. I wasn't too crazy about him to make me order online and spend a fortune on shipping. Besides, the action figure is more aimed at kids, not toy collectors.

The Harry Potter toys did not catch on, not in a big way. Proof of this when the Harry Potter toys (both by Mattel and McFarlane) ended up in the bargain bin. It was during the sale that I got the Harry Potter Extreme Quidditch pictured above. The figure includes the snitch and Firebolt, which attaches to the magnetic hands of Harry. It comes with a stand. Harry's goggles are removable.

This figure has long been retired. It was just gathering dust on my toy shelf. It was only now that it became relevant because the Harry Potter series had ended.

Old GI Joe Order of Battle Comics Sighted and Bought

2009-10-16T09:55:00.001-07:00

The GI Joe action figures I have at home have always been great conversation piece. My cousin, who is also a toy collector, would reminisce about the classic figures he had when he was still a little boy. It breaks his heart everytime he recalls how badly he treated his toy action figures. Mutilated is perhaps the correct term for it. I should know because I ended up inheriting the limbs and crotches. That's the beauty of knowing what to do with unwanted GI Joe body parts. You see, over the years, I have amassed joes in various conditions -- headless, crotch-less, arm-less, etc. Sometimes it easier to just buy action figures that are in mint condition, but part of collecting is the thrill of repairing what's broken. Armed with tiny screw driver, I was able to rehabilitate many 80s GI Joe classic figures.

Since I am more of an action figure toys person, my collector friends were surprised that I have bought GI Joe comics in the recently-concluded Collecticon 2009. I am not a comic book collector but 1980s GI Joe comic book in good condition and at a very cheap price is too good to pass up.

The one on the left is the GI Joe Special Missions printed in 1987. The one on the right is the GI Joe Order of Battle - The Official GI Joe Handbook. It's part 4 in a four-issue limited series. This last part is the handbook on GI Joe and Cobra vehicles. New collectors would want to have this because everything they need to know about the classic vehicles are this issue. I got both for only $1.30.

The Special Mission issue revealed a lot about Leatherneck's personality. In one panel, he said these words to Lifeline (medic):

Better shake a leg, Lifeline! If you can't extract those black boxes and you can't help us return fire, then you gotta be as totally useless as I think you are!

What a jerk!

Toy Action Figures Galore @ Collecticon 2009

2009-10-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Philippine toy collectors had an action figure filled weekend at Collecticon 2009. The event held at the Robinsons Midtown Mall Atrium was attended by toy aficionados on the lookout for most sought after toy action figures. Non-toy collectors found themselves in awe of the action figures on display, and more so on the items up for sale. More often than not, the prices of toys in this kind of event are within the collectors' threshhold. Outrageous prices are reserved to classic figures that should rightfully fall into the hands of legitimate collectors and not some enterprising individuals.

Interestingly, the toy merchants have priced their goods reasonably, a farcry from the toy conventions of the past years. Loose GI Joe action figures were offered for as low as 60 pesos. For comparison, the retail price of the new GI Joes at Toysrus is 450 pesos and classic figures being sold in Greenhills are at 500 to 1000 pesos a piece. Of course, with an insanely low price, one would question the quality of the product. It would be safe to say that they are NOT knock-offs, but they are GI joe action figures that did not pass Hasbro's quality control. Despite this, the figures are pretty decent and the flaws are hardly noticeable.

I spent a great deal of time gawking at the GI Joes but a number of collectors have their eyes set on life-like Mcfarlane action figures and Sideshow Collectible statuettes. They are impeccably designed and perfectly sculpted, which explains why they command high price.

With all the toys begging to be bought, it was difficult to choose those that will occupy the top shelf of my display cabinet. After a couple of hours, I found what I've been looking for: Family Guy! Three for 500 pesos (or 3 for $11) .

There's another toy event scheduled in November and if the bi-annual Philippine Toy Convention pushes through, I'll be seeing fellow toy collectors in December.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Knock-off

2009-10-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

A typical toy hunt entails hopping from one toy shop to another until my feet or my pocket hurts, whichever comes first. My favorite stops are Toysrus and Toy Kingdom, where I spend at least 10 minutes of my time scanning the action figures section.

Over the years, toys such as Star Wars, G.I. Joes, Marvel, and McFarlane action figures have become harder to find in retail. So, if you really are into these figures, consider running to specialty toy stores and buy as soon as you have the cash. The price that specialty shops charge for these collectibles are on the high side. A few percentage mark up shouldn't hurt too, much, but if you feel that you are being ripped off, don't buy.

Now, since Toysrus and similar toy shops no longer carry some of the more popular toy lines, you'd wonder what sort of toys they are selling these days.

Wonder no more:

They are knock-offs of G.I. Joe, He-Man, and other popular toy action figures.

"Cars" was not spared too...

Choro-Q pullback cars

2009-10-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

My fondness for tiny toys explains why the last figures standing on my display cabinet are G.I. Joes, Gashapons, JLU (Justice League Unlimited), and other 4-inchers or less. Little cars appeal to me too, but I don't collect them. I used to play with matchbox cars back in the late 80s, but that's all there was to it; there was no love lost when we parted ways. Since then, I have always ignored toy cars when I do my toy runs. But there are some things you just can't ignore and one of those things is Choro-Q.

Choro-Q is the name of a series of pullback cars made by Takara. The cars are 3 to 4 centimeters long and are insanely fast. My dogs think they are cockroaches on steroids. So far, I have 5 Choro-Q cars purchased in a span of one year. How's that for self-control? You should give me a medal or something. You can read more about Choro-Q on the Takara website if you speak/understand Japanese.

Here's Soiv and Lespu (don't ask me why I named them as such).

HP Mini 110: Yes, the PC is personal again!

2009-10-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

The Mini 1000 is HP's first foray in the netbook category and boy was it a big success! It was light, thin, and a real headturner. Then HP released variation of the model to address issues of screen resolution and storage space, among others. In less than a year, HP released the Mini 2140 with aluminum finish. It was sexy yet sturdy. Then came HP Mini 110, which actually is a clone of the Mini 1000 albeit with improvements that are not necessarily desirable. The specs of the HP Mini 110 can be found in the HP product page, but I'd just like to point out some of the improvemens (or changes) from its predecessor.

160 GB HD
6-cell battery
extra ventilation in front
speaker now incorporated to the screen
LCD is recessed in
additional USB port

The first unit I got was defective and I sent it back to E-Hub Alabang Town Center. They replaced it without much drama. Although I got a replacement unit, the bad vibe is there and I just couldn't shake it off. That was until typhoon Ondoy hit us and I had to do some important work using the HP Mini 110. Word processing was a breeze, I had no problems getting Wi-Fi signal, and it handled multi-tasking so well. Minor gripe is on the screen resolution of 1024 x 567. Just need to get used to more scrolling than usual.

What more can I say? I now love it to pieces.

Toyrant Fundraising at Multiply

2009-09-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

Here's the partial list of toys for sale for the Ondoy Fundraising. I still have several boxes that need to be sorted. If you have questions, please use the comments or email me at toyrant [at] gmail com. Some of the toys are water-damaged and some are in really good condition. Of course, the packagings are not mint condition that's why I sell them at really low price.

Thanks for your support.

Toyrant and Fundraising for Ondoy Victims

2009-09-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

Typhoon Ondoy left thousands of people homeless in the Philippines. Three days after Ondoy unleased his wrath, several places are still submerged in flood water. Most of the rescue operations were mostly from volunteers since the government is rather slow and incapable of saving its people. To the limited and half-assed disaster relief operations of the GMA gov't, thank you. But I wish they do more and not depend on volunteers, local governments, and private companies.

My home was flooded and since part of the living room is toy storage area, some toys are water damaged. Back then, I would probably cry at the sight of damaged expensive toys, but times have changed, and it is clear to me that there are far more important things than toys.

In my own little way, I'll be starting a fundraising event at http://toyrant.multiply.com and sell some of my toys at really low prices and some of the proceeds will be donated to Ondoy victims through a charitable institution or church group. Details will be posted in this blog and at the multiply site.

The Toyrant is now a Blogger

2009-09-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

Moving out is stressful. Moving my blog to another server is not, thanks to Blogger. It took a full year to resurrect a dead blog but I think this place is more awesome than the other blog hosts for reasons you already know. Well, this is just me saying that Toyrant is back and ready to spew vile and sometimes nonsensical rants about our favorite toys.