“You can pick one.”

A story of self control and making connections 🙂 https://jimstoybox.com/2023/03/29/you-can-pick-one/ #MakeMineMego #walmartfinds #dccomics #greenlantern #aquaman #Shazam #TheFlash #Mego #jimbumgardner #jimstoybox

Collecting nostalgia in a nostalgic way (and it’s as tough now as it was then).

How does one choose a favorite friend? Today I figured it out.

Act 1 – The Challenge

If you were like me back in the golden age of going to the store with your Mom and Dad, I know you faced this challenge while standing in front of them with an armload of toys; “You have to pick one.” They delivered it in a way that made it sound so easy. Of course it wasn’t but you had to do what you had to do or be a brat about and loose the negotiation completely. Nobody wanted that.

It’s with that perspective and memory, I challenged myself as a parent now, to treat my collector habits like they did then. I could only pick one. Considering the choices it was just as tough now as it was then. Even though it was MY money! Still, it was a fun idea and would be a practice in self control. “What could warrant such a highly dramatic approach to buying a toy, Jim?” Four letters that followers of my online exploits know very well:

M E G O

Having went a little crazy on picking up the first series of 50th anniversary Worlds Greatest Superhero’s (Superman, Batman and Robin), the second series arrived at my local Walmart and I promised myself (and wife and daughter) that I would be a little more restrained in my impulses. But come on! There were now faithful reproductions of Aquaman and Shazam joined by new offerings (as if Mego made them back in the days of disco) of The Flash and Green Lantern to add to my block o’ nostalgia and collectors dream come true. It’s with that in mind that the challenge was born. And today was the day that I had to face the challenge.

Act 2 – What are the factors?

With the self imposed restrictions of my purchasing power agreed to, I walked into the Walmart here with a bunch of determining factors to consider:

So which one do I go with? What will the final decision be based on?

A. A faithful reproduction? Aquaman or Shazam

B. The new and exciting? The Flash or Green Lantern

C. The short packed? This was interesting too as it was a split between one of each classic vs new (2each Aquaman and The Flash’s and 4 each of Shazam and Green Lantern)

It was a serious dilemma I was facing but I was determined to make a logical (by my definition of logic that is) decision as to which one it was. One factor that was starting to come to the forefront of my selection process was to make it easier on myself by going chronologically. To go with which came first in the old days: Aquaman or Shazam. The newbies could wait. And as I was looking at them all and reverting back to my 6 year old self in 1979, something happened that was completely unprecedented in my neck of the woods:

John showed up.

Before I get to who John turned out to be, I must share the background and why his appearance had to be of some sort of dimensional enigma wrapped in a quagmire. You see dear reader, I am pretty much if not the only dyed in the wool, hardcore Mego fan in this neck of the world. I can prove this by point you back to earlier on this article of how I went a wee bit overboard with the series 1 assortment. I literally bought them all. Not at one time though. I spread the purchases out over several weeks as to not be one of “those guys” who hoards things. Sure it may look like it if you don’t know the story, but I don’t care. Those were fair shipping terms as far as I’m concerned. Plus, literally no one else was buying them here. Not one. To me that was a disrespectful shame and not an Afro t to the things I love to be allowed for too long. Hence my surprise when John walked up and politely asked me if I had grabbed the ones I wanted.

“What is happening here?” was the first question that popped into my head. “I’ve never seen this guy before. Is he a reseller? Is he looking to snatch away my precious plastic memories? What was this guys deal?!?” My rational journalistic mind snapped back into play and decided to just ask him. His answer was one for me that was of a serendipitous and maybe even divine intervention.

He was a fan.

Not only that but he was also a really good dude. I told him about my challenge and asked him if it was cool that I interview him for this most monumental encounter. He agreed and not at all awkward. You see, dear uninitiated to the collector world, we fanboys and fangirls share a kinship that knows no labels or limitations. It’s a wonderful thing.

Along with sharing his story of being from out of town but making it a point to pop into Walmarts along the way in search of these little prizes, he also shared so much about his connection to the toys and his hopes for kids to discover them as well. So many times his answers sounded like my own thoughts, words and deeds. I’m telling ya, gang, it was a fantastic exchange. That is until he posed the question back to me that I had started this journey off with; “So, which one are you going to pick?”

I had to pause due to this new x-factor which came in the form of John and the figures in his hands. I shared with him my points of consideration to which he completely understood. He also understood how the scale was now tipped with his selections. I’m not aging this was like a scene in a movie where the camera cuts into an extreme close up of the heroes eyes and we see the one bead of sweat appear and slide down his eyes… but it was close.

Scarcity. That would be my determining factor! But… it is MY money and this challenge is dumb and I might miss out on the one if I pick the other… damn it! So I grabbed them both. There was no shaming glance from John as it appeared my will power fell through and I put both Aquaman and The Flash into my handcart and we both headed toward the registers.

Before we made it all the way up though, I did need to touch base with my wife to see if there was anything else I did need to pick up before I left. Perhaps it was in this moment of responsibility, I made the internal judgement call to put one back. And I did.

*To note, John saw his three selections all the way to the end.

Act 3 The decision

So what did I do?

Who did I choose?

Why did I choose this one?

What is the moral of the story?

As I walked away from the collectibles section having returned The Flash to his spot amongst the remaining Shazam’s and Green Lantern’s, I looked down at the Aquaman in my hand basket and smiled. I had practiced self control and used (once again) my own form of collectors logic and justification in making this choice. I decided to proceed forward by staying chronological in my selection. Way back when, Aquaman was one of the original four including Superman, Batman and Robin so that made sense and also set the order of operations for my next pick ups in the coming days or weeks. I still want to give other fans a shot at them although, jumping ahead of the four Shazam’s to get to the now one lonely The Flash will be a chore I’m sure.

So the moral? Self control is still possible in an on demand, I want it now and not only that, it’s incredibly satisfying to know that in the most unexpected ways and at the most unexpected times, we all have opportunities to connect with like minded folks and share stories and moments so long as we’re willing to accept a challenge.

Now, Go Play!

Jim 03/28/2023

If you liked this article, I’d truly appreciate it if you would take the couple seconds to time to like, comment, subscribe and share it far and wide. It would also be swell if you are in the market for Mego toys to stop by your local Walmart and pick one up there. I can’t speak from a position of authority in this but I do believe the more that sell at retail the longer the line will go on. But of course, supporting your favorite online retailer is a great thing to do too as they are truly committed to helping folks bring the magic literally home via the various shipping services available. Yet if all that fails or those avenues are out of stock, I would ask you to consider buying a Mego their official store on Amazon where I do get a piece of as an Amazon affiliate. And if you want to learn more about all things Mego consider joining the official Mego Ambassador group on Facebook for the latest news and informs straight from the source.

“You can pick ONE!”

A story of self control and making connections 🙂 https://jimstoybox.com/2023/03/29/you-can-pick-one/ #MakeMineMego #walmartfinds #dccomics #greenlantern #aquaman #Shazam #TheFlash #Mego #jimbumgardner #jimstoybox

Happy Mego Day? A timeline adventure.

UPDATE!!!!! Want to let you all know that right now (11/20/2022) You can order the new 50th anniversary Mego Superheroes from Movie Posters Etc NOW! I know I stressed the “retail experience” and I do hope to do that BUT more importantly I want what I want and I also would MUCH RATHER see a small business benefit from your purchase. Check ’em out and Collect ‘Em All!

Jim’s note: This post will be updated throughout the day. Check back or refresh the page often.

Introduction: Why it all matters to me. They’re just dolls for God sake. But not really. They’re a life long source of inspiration, entertainment and joy for nearly 50 years. And now we’ve come to a bookend.

Preface/ prelude 11/05/2022: the discovery.

HAPPY MEGO DAY? 11/06/2022

5:50 am: up and at em! Fall back in full effect. Feel pretty good with the “extra” hour of sleep I got. Now for the morning chores with the cats and dogs. Then off to work.

7:11 am: popped into the home base Walmart. Nothing as expected but tried anyway. Now on to work… best word for today: Anticipation!

7:46 am: thinking about it all (which is always my thing anyway), how to make a game of it beyond the silliness of it all, my mind is pondering using these 50th anniversary figures as a reward system. Trade the treat for a bad or non existent habit I want to break or create. In essence treating myself like a kid who needs to finish his vegetables before desert . So silly. Time to do the day job… bet your bippity that my mind will be filled with ideas for the blogs and podcasts to come inspired by this new hunt.

8:35 am: in regards to last point… work tasks are getting done quicker. So much for the passage of time being manipulated by distraction. I

10:25 am: I truly enjoy and appreciate my day job… but man oh man would I like to be able to check those pegs right now! Not completely obsessed as much as I want to see this happen.

But regardless of the days final results… my heart will go on. Just like Celine sang 😉

Going for a better outcome then these two.

The trick is to just focus on the workday stuff. I swear, these posts come at times that are ethical. No slacking here from this fanboy.

1:34 pm: Lunch time but not enough time to run across town. AKA adult problems. “Just call or order online.” How about no. This about the retail experience and showing support at the register for the company. More on all of that later.

2:01 pm: Could it be any slower? As Johnny Cash so intensely sang; “Tome keeps dragging on.” Now, while I’m not stuck in a prison, the clock is certainly an annoying warden at the moment.

Like sands through the hourglass that doesn’t actually have a hole in the middle. Welcome to my Sunday.

3:33 pm: just found out I have dinner plans right after I get off sooooooo…. I broke and called the store. The young man was nice but had no clue even after looking. The tension builds like a Willie Wonka meme.

4:42 pm: So close to quitting time but the dinner plans have taken precedence. Grrrrrr…. But the biggest reveal so fat is how much I’m getting a kick out of these timeline updates. Something to this form of storytelling 🙂

5:07 pm: dinner party is still waiting for the table sooooo….. update shortly. 🙂

5:28 pm: Nevermind . Family first. 🙂

7 pm: Almost done with dinner. Anticipation slightly muted by post pasta grogginess. Honestly though, I’m not feeling that the final stop is going to turn out with a happy ending.

7:59 pm: It appears to be a bust. But I ain’t going without some digging…

Photo credit: Alicia. She totally gets me and I appreciate that more than you know.

8:18 pm: Learning new things. While the system shows that the figures will be here, when is actually an uncertainty.

“not in transit”

So in at the end of the day the anticipation was left unfulfilled, but most certainly not a waste of day or unbearable disappointment. Watch this space for more on this “Happy Mego Day” that wasn’t plus the podcast that will talk more about the true significance of all of this silliness.

Now, go play!

Jim 11/06/2022

P.S. Not a total bust at the CCP Superstore. Found this fun little star of the FNAF universe from Funko for Freddy’s biggest fan. We call her Kaitlynn. 🙂

How does the champ prepare for the main event? A big bowl of MegO’s cereal of course!

Recently I received a really cool gift from a buddy of mine; the ZLC Collectibles exclusive Rocky Balboa “training variant”. It’s a fun figure with sweat suit outfit, black beanie and shoes and athletic taped hands.

Overall it’s a nice and solid Mego action figure but the greatest part about it to me is the fact that it’s an exclusively produced figure. It’s nice to see a company that obviously loves the brand and product enough to go all in and working a deal like this. Real teeth in the game. As such I hope you consider ordering one today.

Another thing I really like about this figure is that it gave me the opportunity to put to some kind of use to an idea I turned into reality a couple months back.

One October morning I challenged myself to do something for the the sake of doing something fun and funny graphic wise. What popped into my head was a parody cereal box. Long story short, I have a real appreciation for the art that goes into cereal boxes. If you think about it, the makers put a lot of thought into adding value to that packaging. The old school days of a “prize inside” was great but it was also cool to be able to spend breakfast time reading the box.

With that top of mind I decided to apply my general love and inspiration that comes from the Mego style toy to this project. What you see here is the final culmination of that. Silly and kind of pointless in general, my efforts popped into a practical use when I got the Rocky. So now I share with you the pics as well as a version to print and make for yourself.

Right now you can finish your day just like the Italian Stallion starts his, with a big ole bowl of MegO’s cereal and imagination.

Now, go play!

Jim – 12/10/21

P.S. Here’s another fun little project I’m working on you might want to take a look at… we’ll, so long as you’re not scared of being “red-pilled” 😉

Click here to order the sample.

Logan: He is the best at what he does, bub!

Logan7Good morning gang! I know, I know: Why time stamp this post when you never know when exactly someone is going to actually be reading it? Because its morning right NOW, duh. And morning was very crucial to the decision to do this sunrise photo session and quick post about Logan: the Wolverine.

Logan here is from the Diamond Select / EMCE Toys Marvel 8 inch Re-Mego collector set. Well one of two heads and outfits separate from the complete Mego-style Wolverine figure in the set. And on a Type S body from ZICA / Castaway Toys (as constructed by my pal Gregory Harris. Again sir, you are much hoss!). Hopefully this week I can do more of a full on review but right now this post is all about THIS figure and the fun that it inspired on a Sunday morning in August, 2015.

Taking our lovely little Yorkie out to do her morning business, excuse me, be demanded to take out Her Royal Roundness for her morning water blessings of the lawn, everything looked “just right” to bring this guy out and get some pics in natural light that I hoped would show how fantastic this figure is. And I don’t say that lightly at all.

I have been on the fence with these DST/EMCE Marvel 8 inch figures for some time and still have some issues I want to discuss later this coming week but for now I just want to share and celebrate with you this Canadian that means nothing but business. Check out the pics and tell me what you think either here or on Facebook.

Now, Go Play!

Jim 08/02/2015

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ALSO !!!!!! I’ve created a Streaming Channel for the ROKU! It’s much more than toys but I would appreciate it if you would take a look sometime. Plus you never know when I may get more playtime in for the Toy Box that will find it in the Arts&Entertainment section of the channel. Still waiting on the final approval from ROKU to put it in the official channel store (fingers crossed) but in the mean time you can still access the channel using the Vanity Code below. Thank you again to all of you wonderful folks for the encouragement in all of my weird and wacky adventures 🙂 – JB

ROKU AD 1

Six Million Dollars? Not today, baby!

BBP15100AAlgSunday, Sunday, Sunday! It’s the big super Six Million Dollar Man sale day at Entertainment Earth and no better time to round out or double up on your Bif Bang Pow, Re-Mego style action figures. Seriously Steve and Bigfoot for $27? Oscar and a Fembot for $31? Dr. Rudy Wells for $20 and Steve pimpin’ his ‘tache and in khakis no less,for only $14? It’s a mighty fine day to be a Six Million Dollar Man Fan. Go check ’em out for yourself, share and tell your friends it’s the right thing to do. Plus if three of you folks order a complete set of these I just may earn my wings!

Ok, maybe not. BUT if three of you order a complete set of these I will know that at least three of you didn’t waster your money on a Wings greatest hits CD?  Oh sure they had a couple of good tunes but they also had crap like this….

 

Yeah that really happened. BUt here I’ll make it up to you….

See? Wasn’t that a better way to spend some time on the net? Of course it was. Now, go get you some Six Million Dollar Man fun and do it NOW while they’re on sale! Seriously the special prices end tonight at Midnight!

Now, Go Play!

Jim 05/11/14

BBP15100BBlgBBP15060lgBBP15054Mlg

Looking back and forward at the Venture Bros.

Entertainment Earth

Dear Reader I present to you the coolest Re-Mego yet!
At one time Henchman 24 knocked my socks off, the options have only gotten better and better so the top spot is always changing!

While I’m on a pretty hardcore Sheldon Cooper / Big Bang Theory kick at the moment some of you may recall my appreciation for the Venture Bros. line of 8 inch Classic style of action figures. And as some of you may recall that appreciation of the fun and fantastic show came after the discovery of their Mego style action figures from Bif Bang Pow.

This still impresses me; the fact that the merchandise was so so cool I couldn’t help but get lured in. Well played BBP, well played. I really enjoyed talking up these figures in the past and Dr. Orpheus is still my absolute favorite of the line.

 

 

 

The special "magic hand" is simply to die for.
The special “magic hand” is simply to die for.

With the rest of the Triad coming out later this year my collector gene is kicking into high gear.  While they are not a part of the in-stock sale you can Pre-Order Jefferson Twilight and the Alchemist (plus Pete White and Shore Leave) via these links: Order The Venture Bros. Pete White and Jefferson Twilight Figures from Entertainment Earth!Order The Venture Bros. Shore Leave and Alchemist Action Figures from Entertainment Earth!

Microsoft Word - Dexterl022608_approvedfinal.docThis all came to mind again because of the big Bif Bang Pow sale going on now through February 20th at Entertainment Earth. Sadly I had to sell off the majority of my collection last year but 2014 is looking to be much better and brighter. I hope the same is true in your situation whatever it may be. If that is the case do yourself a favor and check out the sale. There are a lot of really good deals on some really GREAT collectibles and toys from BBP.

However if things are still lean for you rest assured that your old buddy Jimbo is gonna keep my eyes peeled for good deals to hopefully help all of us get back on our collecting feet and get our shelves overflowing with fun and merriment that only comes from officially licensed, product tie ins. Now, Go Play! – Jim 02/16/14

8 Inch Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. Dean Venture 8-Inch Action FigureThe Venture Bros. Series 4 Hank 8-Inch Figure, Not MintThe Venture Bros. Dr. Venture 8-Inch Action FigureThe Venture Bros. Dr. Girlfriend and Hank Action FiguresThe Venture Bros. Dr. Orpheus & Phantom Limb Action FiguresThe Venture Bros. Brock Samson and Killinger Action FiguresThe Venture Bros. Molotov and Billy Quizboy Action FiguresThe Venture Bros. Shore Leave and Alchemist Action FiguresThe Venture Bros. Pete White and Jefferson Twilight FiguresVenture Bros. Monarch & Dr. Mrs. in Tin-Convention Exclusive

3&3/4 inch Venture Bros.
Venture Bros. Dr. Venture 3 3/4-Inch FigureVenture Bros. Hank Venture 3 3/4-Inch FigureVenture Bros. Dean Venture 3 3/4-Inch FigureVenture Bros. Naked Brock 3 3/4-Inch Figure - Con ExclusiveVenture Bros. The Monarch 3 3/4-Inch FigureVenture Bros. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch 3 3/4-Inch FigureVenture Bros. Phantom Limb 3 3/4-Inch FigureVenture Bros. Monarch Unpainted 3 3/4-Inch Figure-Exclusive

FTC Robin on the new S-Type body

Review coming soon but in the meantime dig this awesome action pose impossible to do before!  Be sure to order your S-Type bodies NOW while they are still at the introductory (read: crazy low) price of $7! A more in depth review is on the way as well!

Now, Go, Play! – Jim 02/02/2014

P.S. You can get a great deal on the FTC Robin by clicking HERE. Do me a favor and tell him Jim sent you!

Robin Zica Pose

8 inch Commander Adama from Bif Bang Pow!

me and carded adamaIn 1978 ABC Television took us all on a journey across the stars with a gaggle of refugees who were seeking to set up a new home on the little blue marble we call Earth.

 

via 8 inch Commander Adama from Bif Bang Pow!.

Bif. Bang, Pow’s! Dr. Orpheus = Simply amazing and fun!

Entertainment Earth

The Venture Bros. Dr. Orpheus & Phantom Limb Action Figures Okay fellows and girls I’ve gotten really excited about this figure so I’m slacking on the review aspect but I’ll add that later. Right now however I strongly urge all of you to GET THIS FIGURE!

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