Bandai Star Wars 1/12 Stormtrooper kit

Just finished building this recently. Tons of fun and doesnt need paint. The comparison pics are to compare with the S.H. Figuarts Trooper which is slightly smaller.

Sideshow Tamashii Chogokin C-3PO 1/6 scale diecast droid figure

Holy moly... this things never ceases to amaze me. I have been longing this since I first held an unfinished prototype. This thing is pretty much all diecast and insanely heavy. This is a collaboration between Sideshow Collectibles and Tamashii Nations. I think its more like totally Tamashii Nations and Sideshow serving as a way for Bandai to have a license to sell a 1/6 C-3PO. Good news is that you can pay for this guy in installments using Sideshow's Flex pay. I hope they sell enough of these to warrant the making of R2-D2. If you are a fan of C-3PO and can shell out $400, maybe less now, then go for it. I highly recommend this figure. Literally one of the most beautiful pieces in my entire collection. Museum quality stuff here guys.

Figure comes in a dense Styro tray with protective plastic covering.

The figure photographs beautifully

This is the included stand with metal nameplate and metal rod with a little piece of the ship's background.

Working pistons!

Real wires, but no live current running through them.

You are staring at pure metal.

The back of the head, also metal, can be removed to reveal a tab which must be removed to use LED feature. Switch is also inside the head which may be a little inconvenient, but avoids and unsightly parts on the exterior.

The LED feature is rather bright but this photograph really exaggerates it. It is not as bright as you see here, but it is a little on the bluish side whereas it should be yellow and dim somewhat. There are mods to correct this and can be found online.

It has a restraining bolt that attaches by use of magnets.

There is also an included Comlink. There is an alternate hand for holding this, but I chose to photograph it with the standard hand.

There is no denying that this is a VERY expensive figure. However, most 1/6 scale toys are plastic and cloth and can cost $250-300 or more. This figure can be had for about the same if you know where to look.

Medicom Real Action Heroes Star Wars STORMTROOPER 1/6 scale

This figure has been on my radar for a LONG time. The problem was its aftermarket pricing. I happened upon a used one on eBay at just the right price so I jumped on it. It is a 1/6 Scale figure.

Kotobukiya 1/7 Scale Darth Vader Vinyl figure

I was taking a ride on my motorcycle yesterday when I realized I was within the vicinity of a comic book store I visited years ago called Zapp Comics. I decided to see what's up and they were still there. Awesome! I googled them first before going in because I didn't want to walk in and walk back out all weird-like. The only word I had to read to know they were awesome was "Godzilla". Bam! I was there. They didn't have much in the way of Godzilla but boy did they have comics and comic figures. Wow... I am not a comic fan but they had real cool stuff in the way of action figures. I strolled to the back of the store and saw a HUGE box with Darth Vader on the front. I looked at it and though to myself "another thing I can't afford. Well that was until I saw the price: $49.99. I thought to myself, this can't be. I grabbed it and then realized I was on my motorcycle. There was no way I was going to lug it back. So I left on the journey home, stopped for pizza and Googled it's price. Turns out it was a good deal. SO I drove back and picked it up. Real cool guys there. I got home and snap-fitted the cape, head, light saber and arms and was left with this sexy beast.And I do mean sexy.

Video Review coming soon.

VIP Toys in Santafe' Shopping Center, Medellin Colombia

One of my stops in Colombia was a new mall that was recently constructed. It is a big mall even by USA standards, loaded to the brim with really cool stores and a big food court. One of the stores which happened to grab my attention was VIP Toys. I knew I'd like it the second I saw a jumbo Mazinger Z vinyl in the entrance. They were kind enough to let me take photos. Let's take a look at what they offer.

This is what you see as you walk by. Who wouldn't want to go in and check it out? It's very inviting.

Hot Toys 1/6 figures were present and just as pricey as anywhere else. My friend fell in love with the Hellboy.

The mix of stuff offered in this shop is mind boggling. There is something for everyone.

I didn't pack my polarizing lens which would have helped tons in reducing the glare on the cases. Never leave home without it now.

From horror baddies to the king of pop. It;s all here.

This is the Mazinger that greets all that come in. It's machinder size, maybe bigger. Not sure who makes this huge sucker.

If monsters and robots aren't your thing, maybe a bit of Smurf or Super Mario figures will do you some good. Some pretty neat vinyl and PVC here.

There is a whole case dedicated to animals and some miscellaneous vehicles here. How do they pull off getting these things in the same case without looking out of place?

Crave diecast vehicles? There's a wall of that too. From motorcycles to construction equipment.

To the right of the diecast are the cases full of figures. From Saint Cloth Myth to Transformers and Revoltech.

The checkout area looks like the entrance to a Batman ride. Cool.

This wall had a wide range of stuff too. Wall E figs, Tech Deck, South Park, Simpsons and more.

I wonder if Robocop was for sale.

Rockstars and movie figs took up this case.

This case had what I like most, Star Wars and robots with a little bit of superhero stuff thrown in.

Doraemon and Bobbleheads.

Not sure if this was a finished display piece or a model kit, but it was huge.

My wife and I have been on a Mario kick lately having just acquired a Wii. I would have loved to get my hands on Wario.

Smurfs and M&Ms

I sware I almost bought this. Its a 1/6 Honda CBR diecast. I had the money out ready to go.

They also had smaller 1/12 scale which happens to make up most of my motorcycle collection.

I need my car seats wrapped in Vader

More diecast.

The red #24 Ferrari had some really nice weathering.

This was my view on the way out.

I have to say this was one of the nicest high end toy stores I've had the pleasure of visiting. The passion they have for these toys shows. I mean, even little toys we normally take for granted here were important enough to display. And speaking of displays, I want display cases just like these! They were all well-lit and organized. Did you notice the comic sound effect words on the bottom of some of them? Awesome. If for some reason you find yourself in Medellin, make sure you check em out. VIP Toys.