A £10 Evening In by Poundland: Lockdown Edition

Trans Troop

 
Knockoff toys to me have this strange appeal of hot garbage mixed in with weird colours and liberties taken on the original designs bootlegged from.

Over the years, I have come into possession of these faux figures via Christmas presents, routine purchases and carboot acquisitions. Watered-down (and some decent) renditions of Transformers, Star Wars, TMNT, Power Rangers and other lines I don’t recognise have joined my archive or fallen apart from just standing there and doing nothing.

So, here comes Trans Troop, a captivating toy title in any context you choose. Imediately, my tat radar reads this as a mash up of Transformers and Goof Troop! :)

Looking at this figure through the blistercard - Trans Troop looks like some strange mash-up of Captain Power, VR Troopers and a smidgen of Silverhawks. The chrome adorning 98% of this figure looks cool and metallic, and also has a Golden Eagle companion to clip onto his back as the card illustration (and diagrams suggest).

Here is where I am glad I took packshot photographs before opening. As soon as the exacto knife removed the front bubble, the toy inside fell apart (or rather the right arm immediately dropped off). And there’s one big issue with buying knockoff toys in that the packaging these come in is the only thing holding the toy together. It’s a gamble.

Most toy collectors know of GPS (Gold Plastic Syndrome). This isn’t just a diagnosis taken from a Doc McStuffins episode, but also is a legit thing! Any toy vacuum formed in gold plastic is known to crumble or disintegrate over time. This is why most modern plastic items will never be colored in chromed gold. Assumedly, gold plastic has a self destructive chemical agent.

Further to my not-so-surprised horror, I discover the right arm that dropped from Trans Troop wasn’t a right arm at all, but rather a manufacturing cover up. As seen in the photo, the arm has an accessory attached in a way to make it look like a right arm. Dodgy going, but that’s knockoffs for you.  

As for the future of Trans Troop. It looks like the Raggy Dolls have gained a new recruit.

BLOGPOCALYPSE: Scoob! Movie Toys

In a unique situation with theaters staying closed, many movies are being released via the home streaming route. The latest Scooby-Doo incarnation Scoob! (2002) is one of these big releases.

Some of the toyline based on the movie has found its way into our office. Two sets of figures including: an Argos Exclusive 5-pack and a hard to find Blue Falcon & DynoMutt 2-pack. Most of this range features already released Scooby Doo toys repainted and retooled along with a few new toys to even it all out.

Without further ado - Marvel at the random photos we've uploaded!

Scoob! (2020) is released May 15th worldwide across Video on Demand.

(Left) Original Shaggy release, (Right) Movie repaint

BLOGPOCALYPSE: May The 4th 2020

Happy Star Wars Day!

I thought I'd re-upload the Star Wars ad I capped 4 years ago. I felt the sound was a little bit boomy and wanted to cut it down a bit. Plus, a better picture too!

So, here's Boba Fett & Slave-1 with some Episode 2 figures shilled from 2002. Enjoy (again).

BLOGPOCALYPSE: B&M Exclusive 3rd Doctor & Tardis set (2020)

 

 

B&M Bargains aren’t just killing it with awesome Halloween junk and Christmas decorations – they have an exclusive deal to sell some amazingly good Doctor Who toys too.
First up. I had to part ways with my collection of Doctor Who figures back in 2016 during a bad time. It was a hard sacrifice to make. My formerly owned Master and Data Bank Tardis set features in a previous article.
Secondly. I missed out on the very cool looking 3^rd Doctor and Tardis (The Time Monster) set from 2018. It was very hard to find! It gave me great joy to find that the gorgeous blue Tardis would return with a different 3^rd Doctor figure, and this time based on his appearance in The Monster of Peladon. 

 

 

The detailing is incredible on both the Tardis and the 3rd Doctor. That blue box isn't just a repaint, as there's brush strokes and scrapes everywhere for that authentic prop look. Fortunately, this toy version isn't as wobbly as its 70's TV counterpart.

The retooled 3rd Doctor figure is pretty much the same posture as previous variants. Screwdriver arm to the right and Judo Chop arm to the left. The facial sculpt has definitely stepped up a notch since I last owned a toy of the 3rd Doctor. Jon Petwee's intense stare as seen on TV is captured perfectly!

It's very cool that the chance has arisen again to collect the brigher blue variant of The Tardis.  Certainly a set not to be missed if anyone can get to a B&M store. Best of all, it's even cooler that the classics Dr Who is still running and continues to impress with the potential of material to transition into toy form.

Hopefully, a Happiness Patrol Tardis will see the light of day! (That'd be awesome)

Special Thanks to Angie for getting this one.