Santa Jack by boisy17
5 Questions With > October Toys
As you know, October Toys was the kind sponsor of our Halloween contest a few months back. After much hounding (i.e., a few emails), I was able to get them to discuss such diverse topics as the history of their company, zombies, and shamwow.
Codename: October Toys
Specialty: Toymakers
Base of Operations: www.octobertoys.com
History: Formed in 2004, October Toys is a purveyor of fine toys and collectibles with an artistic twist. The three creative misfits who own October Toys – George, Ayleen, and Matt – have a lifetime of experience collecting toys and two decades combined experience working in the toy industry. They are currently focusing on expanding their new line of Z.O.M.B.I.E. micro statues and finding a cure for keepitinthepackageitis. They also host and produce the weekly Internet show Toy Break which feature toy news, reviews, and much more!
A few quick observations about DCUC5
I’ll be doing separate reviews of each figure for OAFE, but I can already tell you I like these figures more than I expected to. This is easily the DCUC wave I was least interested in, but as action figures the characters are quite likable. I was particularly surprised by how much I like Amazo.- Almost every single hip on every figure was stuck. Fortunately, with a combination of the freezer trick, heating, and patience, I was able to free every stuck joint. There have been a lot of reports of breakage on DCUC figures, though, and I sometimes wonder how much of that is due to a lack of patience. I’d much rather spend an hour loosening my figures’ limbs than weeks looking for a replacement.
- Metallo’s joints are very loose, especially his torso ball joint and the sockets in his hips. I ended up supergluing his hip sockets, though you can still pose his legs by popping out the peg and putting into the socket in a different position.
- For the most part, the paint work on my set is very good. Only the Eradicator has a major flaw on his abdomen. And as far as I can tell, there are no incorrect limbs or feet.
- The Eradicator loves his BluBlockers.
- Amazo looks like a Christmas elf on steroids.
DCUC5 in the house
Thanks again to yo go re of OAFE for making this shot possible.
More great MOTUC pics
P. Gayatin (Guia X on He-Man.org) has added a few more awesome photos of He-Man and Beast Man to his Flickr gallery. Check out the thumbnails below, and click this link for full-size versions.
UPS=FAIL
That’s my Lightray/Orion two-pack you’re making me wait for, UPS! It was supposed to arrive today! Today!
And what’s the deal with that “mechanical failure”? What’s that about?
Toy manufacturing costs to go down in 2009?
We’re all feeling the pinch of rising prices for toys, but could relief be around the corner? Richard Gottlieb thinks so:
It looks like toy manufacturers and consumers may be looking towards some pricing relief in 2009. There are a number of factors that contribute to the cost of toys made in China (and that means most toys). Three notable ones that have affected toy prices over the last twelve months have been:
- The value of the Yuan versus the Dollar
- Salary demands by Chinese factory worker
- The cost of petroleum
Read the rest here.
Pic of the day
Masters of the Universe Classics He-Man by P. Gayatin
News round-up, 12/3/08
- Hasbro G.I. Joe Q&As: TNI, Figures.com, Hisstank
- Behind-the-scenes video about the new Hasbro Millennium Falcon (Hasbro)
- Diamond Select releases photos of their upcoming Borg-themed Trek line. These look pretty awesome. (Cool Toy Review)
- Diamond Select partners with Toys ‘R Us. I guess TRU is serious about appealing to collectors–good for them. This is great news. (DST)
- Color pics of Masterpiece Grimlock and first pics of ROTF deluxe Bumblebee (Seibertron)
- Have you always wanted a M.U.S.C.L.E. man to screw your computer? Your wish has been granted–by Japan, of course. (Topless Robot)
Odds n’ Ends
Apologies for the late Odds ‘n Ends today. I’m down with a bit of a cold, and it took a while to get up the energy to snap the new O&E pic.
You know the drill–feel free to add your own Odds and Ends in the comments section. (more…)