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This Week In Your Plastic Crack, Action Figures and Toy Collection
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9,262 posts in this topic

I still remember the early run on that Yoda figure.  It was sold out throughout almost all of 1980 when Empire Strikes Back came out.  I was a nine-year old calling every department store in my area for weeks trying to get one.  :ohnoez:

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14 hours ago, comicwiz said:

I originally got my Canadian Yoda 32 Back MOC with the Canadian Special Offer Creature Cantina. For sentimental reasons, it's the one boxed SW playset I'd love to get, so if anyone has one for sale, please PM me.

sw_raritites_canada_cantina_yoda_mib_1_1.jpg

Before I put them all in the recycle bin, I clipped out a few memorable pages from my old Toy Shop magazines including the first ad I remember Tom of Cloud City posting. It was a two-page spread of prices he was paying for various rare Star Wars items including a list of all the Canadian Special Offers. Freaking blew my mind 'cause I never knew things like a Special Offer AT-AT even existed. It made me realize how small-time I was in the SW pond even though I thought I had a pretty lusty collection at the time.

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23 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

The limbs finally arrived courtesy of BBTS... These five were one of my most favorite set of Transformers as a kid.  I sold off the G1 versions years ago... but jumped when I saw that Hasbro made a modern set.  This is currently inside the cabinet eventually to find a place in the office. 

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The smaller 4 figures are infinitely better than the G1s.  Especially in robot mode. 

Hun-Grrr is a little disappointing.   Should have been a bit bigger, but definitely bulkier.  Would have helped when creating Abominus. 

Patrick

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Irwin_VoltronMOC.thumb.jpg.2fc6dbf0f35f00b2959de6425efcd578.jpg

Irwin_Voltron_with_loose.thumb.jpg.3caf1f43a39d797abada49b54c79227c.jpg

I recently acquired my "white whale", and a toy that remains something of a mystery. In the first photo is an MOC Voltron "Mini-Lion" aka No. 700000. 8 years ago I began this journey to complete the Irwin Toys Canadian release Voltron Golion's, and just when I thought I had finished it with the 6" Miniature Golion (No. 700001) and the Deluxe (larger sized, No. 700200) I stumbled onto this rare and almost unknown piece.

The second photo shows the MOC, with a loose example to its side that had been removed from a card. Initially, the loose example was meant to be a placeholder until I secured an MOC, but finding them by an extraordinary streak of luck less than a month apart, I made an interesting discovery which could help explain why this is a virtually uknown piece.

For anyone that wants to read more about the history, I did a write-up which is still in an early draft stage. It is long, but I wanted to make sure it covered the more important timeline points in the toy's history.

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13 hours ago, followtheleader said:

The smaller 4 figures are infinitely better than the G1s.  Especially in robot mode. 

Hun-Grrr is a little disappointing.   Should have been a bit bigger, but definitely bulkier.  Would have helped when creating Abominus. 

Patrick

It would have been nice to see a slightly larger version of Hun-Grrr.  I agree with that.  However, I have to say the transformation is clean and I like how the chest is formed by using the front arms in beast mode and by the heads twisting off to the side.  It results in a somewhat clean back as well that does not have as big of a hollowed out area or back kibble commonly found in Hasbro/Takara productions as of late. 

I was really hoping there would be a large rifle or something but I will either wait for a 3rd Party addition or see what shows up online and have a friend 3D print one for me. 

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1 hour ago, comicwiz said:

Irwin_VoltronMOC.thumb.jpg.2fc6dbf0f35f00b2959de6425efcd578.jpg

Irwin_Voltron_with_loose.thumb.jpg.3caf1f43a39d797abada49b54c79227c.jpg

I recently acquired my "white whale", and a toy that remains something of a mystery. In the first photo is an MOC Voltron "Mini-Lion" aka No. 700000. 8 years ago I began this journey to complete the Irwin Toys Canadian release Voltron Golion's, and just when I thought I had finished it with the 6" Miniature Golion (No. 700001) and the Deluxe (larger sized, No. 700200) I stumbled onto this rare and almost unknown piece.

The second photo shows the MOC, with a loose example to its side that had been removed from a card. Initially, the loose example was meant to be a placeholder until I secured an MOC, but finding them by an extraordinary streak of luck less than a month apart, I made an interesting discovery which could help explain why this is a virtually uknown piece.

For anyone that wants to read more about the history, I did a write-up which is still in an early draft stage. It is long, but I wanted to make sure it covered the more important timeline points in the toy's history.

Joe, I read the write up.  I have a hard time believing though that so many sales samples would have survived MOC for this particular version.  I think that the Zellers and TRU tags indicate that they at least made it to retail in some capacity.  This would rule out samples or mock ups. 

 

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1 hour ago, Buzzetta said:

Joe, I read the write up.  I have a hard time believing though that so many sales samples would have survived MOC for this particular version.  I think that the Zellers and TRU tags indicate that they at least made it to retail in some capacity.  This would rule out samples or mock ups. 

 

Thanks Buzz! Appreciate you chiming-in and taking the time to read through it. The reason I released this (even in an early draft stage) is to get input/feedback from collectors like yourself, so thanks for weighing in.

The two primary objectives for me to carry forward this research is to tease out surviving populations, and to be able to pinpoint a better understanding of what happened internally at Irwin Toys. I do believe the clues here that shouldn't be ignored are i) the loose example with front/bottom foot paint only; ii) the differences between example #'s 1-3 and #'s 4-7 - I truly believe the first three in the order they surfaced show enough of a "retail-ready" toy, while the last four are still in early engineering/prototyping stage. I should also mention there are things I hope to add to the write-up as I'm trying to close the loop on some information. Finally, consider that there is a steeped history of preproduction pieces appearing at retail, with the most recent happening in June - something Chris G posted in one of the Facebook protype groups:

prototypes_in_store.jpg.0fa5f8942a7e860cf5c8fa287d4532f1.jpg

There is also an obscure forum post I had to revive via archive.org, which I think you will find very interesting. Unfortunately the thread disappeared along with the forum, but I saved a screenshot of it and posted it at this link. Take a moment to read that forum post as I believe it to contain some important clues about the Irwin Toys Mini-Lion MOC. I'll also include one of the images (see below) which the person originally posted almost 10 years ago. Notice how these too are like example #'s 1-3, with the consistent leg and limb colours, unlike the varied colours of the feet, fists, limbs and arms on example #'s 4-7.

samples.jpg.eb158bce75766955a33d1c899f780afb.jpg

Edited by comicwiz
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1 hour ago, GeneticNinja said:

First time seeing that small Voltron but the card artwork is familiar from the old toy. I'm watching for a hopeful non transforming version in the new Action line. It's about time we got an accurate robot mode toy without the legs.

Yes, the artwork was used on the Deluxe (larger Voltron) and the Miniature (6") as well - this picture was taken sometime last year after I acquired the Deluxe. Both being Canadian release (Irwin Toys), the Deluxe differs from other releases from the styro insert, the bilingual instructions with black and white photos for each of the Lions weapons, the styro insert, and a handle on the right side which allows you to carry it like a briefcase. The MEGO Spidey's were put in more for scale (and because they're cool ;) )

image.thumb.png.d4d64ab73cd8fdf59401c924da7be5c7.png

Edited by comicwiz
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7 hours ago, Lamborghinikid said:

I am new to the boards but i have picked up a few cool pieces through the years. This one took me some time to find but the wait was well worth it

F07BF447-3094-4488-9883-2D1BEFD3838E.png

Congrats! That's a goal piece for many vintage Star Wars collectors. Looks like an 85 L-Slot that was offered to me many years ago before the person who owned it at the time submitted it in for grading - do the last four numbers of the s/n end with 3825?

Edited by comicwiz
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17 hours ago, Lamborghinikid said:

You must know Tom Derby as well. Great asset to have if your adding key Star Wars items to your collection. 

Yes, and agreed. I recently haad Tom authenticate an early Batman prototype as well, so it isn't just Star Wars items.

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I picked these up at the dollar tree, they're paperweights that look like mini busts and they're actually quite nice! I happened to stumble into a dollar tree for the first time in forever and found out I could buy a broom for a dollar.

https://www.dollartree.com/Marvel-Avengers-Plastic-Superhero-Busts-4-in-/p402387/index.pro

I've had the cap and iron man for a while now and just found the hulk and spidey today.

IMG_20180818_153041053_2.jpg

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5 minutes ago, KolmarAvenue said:

I picked these up at the dollar tree, they're paperweights that look like mini busts and they're actually quite nice! I happened to stumble into a dollar tree for the first time in forever and found out I could buy a broom for a dollar.

https://www.dollartree.com/Marvel-Avengers-Plastic-Superhero-Busts-4-in-/p402387/index.pro

I've had the cap and iron man for a while now and just found the hulk and spidey today.

IMG_20180818_153041053_2.jpg

Interesting... Interesting... go on.... :foryou: I have a Dollar General in 2 blocks distance... and some quarters... but it isn't "Dollar Tree" hmmm

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Every time I think I've seen all of the 80s toys, I'm proven wrong. 

Bought a pretty big M.U.S.C.L.E.S collection today and there was a pile of larger MUSCLE-esque figures. 

Was SOOOO close to leaving them behind. 

Turns out, they are a line called MUSCLEMANIA and they were out a year earlier than M.U.S.C.L.E.S.

Cool part is that they are a lot more flexible.  Based on old artwork, sounds like that was one of their selling points. 

Monsters are pretty cool (like the red one in the pic).  There is one that even looks like Thor. I have some more, but thought this was a good representation. 

They are definitely taller and the bodies are much thicker.  I'll post one next to a M.U.S.C.L.E if anyone gives a dizzle. 

Patrick

20180818_192444[1].jpg

Edited by followtheleader
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