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Best of 2023: Dave and Erik's Top 10 Toys of 2023
444 Plays9 months ago
Let's put a clear exclamation mark on 2023 before we put our focus on 2024 and beyond - on our annual list episode, Dave and Erik break down their top 10 toy releases of the year! Who made the cut? Who got dropped from the half way list? Controversy? Intrigue? Listen and learn!
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Transcript
Introduction to The Adventures in Collecting
00:00:03
Speaker
Are you ready, kids? Get your parents' permission, check your mailbox, and grab your shopping cart. It's time for the Adventures in Collecting podcast. I'm Eric. And I'm Dave. Welcome to Adventures in Collecting, where we talk toy news, culture, and halls, along with our journeys as collectors.
Toy Community and 'List Season'
00:00:28
Speaker
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Adventures in Collecting.
00:00:34
Speaker
Hi, everybody. Uh, man, if it's three weeks in a row, three weeks in a row, full length episodes where we're firing on all cylinders, where, uh, we're bringing, we're going, we're powering through the holidays and into, I guess with like a holiday in and of itself in the toy community, right? Like list season.
Promoting 2024 Most Wanted Wishlist
00:00:57
Speaker
Um,
00:00:58
Speaker
If you didn't hear our 2024 Most Wanted wishlist episode, pause this, go back, listen to that. It gives you kind of an idea of what we're looking forward to in 2024. Or while you're listening to this, take a look at our Instagram because we posted in full detail 10 different Most Wanted lists across some of the lines that we collect.
00:01:24
Speaker
most fervently. And Dave, if they wanted to take a look at those lists on our Instagram, how would they go about doing that? They would go to at AIC underscore podcast on the Instas. You can also go to youtube.com slash AIC underscore podcast and see all of our fun
00:01:51
Speaker
posts and top 10 want lists and ultimately these top 10 lists and make sure to like and share your own subscribe at the YouTube hit the bell so that way you could see me you can see my hands open cards or see me talk about
00:02:17
Speaker
a Gamora and see Eric talk about a CM Punk and other things.
CM Punk Collectibles Giveaway
00:02:25
Speaker
Yeah, and also our monthly giveaway, which if you're listening to this episode as it is brand new, our monthly giveaway this month is a pair of CM Punk collectibles. So a gallery, a PVC gallery diorama statue from Diamond Select Toys and the Walmart exclusive jazzwares AEW
00:02:48
Speaker
Supreme CM Punk. If you head over to our Instagram, you'll see that too. We're always having a good time over there, always trying to do fun stuff like what we're doing today, our top 10 lists.
Dave's Top 10 List Criteria
00:03:02
Speaker
In a second, we'll each give our ground rules for our lists. We both have some different rules in place as we build our top 10s throughout the year.
00:03:14
Speaker
And then we each have kind of a, I guess you could say a pair of honorable mentions to go with our top 10 lists as well. Dave, do you want to do the honors with your rules first? Do you want to set the stage for your list? Yeah, so nothing on here looks like it's anything that was given to me. But if it was something that was given to me in order to make the top 10 list, I would have had to have
00:03:44
Speaker
wanted to purchase it on my own. Um, I know Dan Larson has changed his rules this year, but I refer to them as the Dan Larson rules. Um, yeah, that's pretty much it had to have been made within this year and all that good stuff. Yeah. Yeah. So my rules, um, basically this year I went with individual
Eric's Top 10 List Criteria
00:04:07
Speaker
figures. So in the past I've done, you know, releases. So like,
00:04:12
Speaker
If you've listened to previous versions of our top 10 from previous years, you've heard me talk at length about things like the Razorcrest and the, you know, you've heard Dave mention, you know, the new gen arena. I think I actually even had that on my list.
00:04:26
Speaker
as well. But this year, I'm not doing that. So playsets, I'm doing specific individual figures. And I am also only allowing myself to take a single figure from a line for my list. So you won't find two Marvel Legends figures on here. You won't find two WWE figures.
00:04:53
Speaker
wanted to get kind of a nice variety for this top 10 of things that I really enjoyed.
Honorable Mentions Discussion
00:04:59
Speaker
And, you know, as soon as we get into things like Star Wars of Vintage Collection or Marvel Legends or WWE, um, it can end up making up like, you know, a third of my list, if not more of just those figures. So, um, I have, I have forced myself to pick, uh, individual, only one figure from a given line for my list. And that's, that's where I'm at my top 10.
00:05:20
Speaker
And unlike in years past, this is a proper top 10 for me. My number 10 is a number 10. My number one is a number one. There's no like ties or anything. I actually forced myself to rank these in order of kind of enjoyment and joy and whatnot.
00:05:40
Speaker
So yeah, so I think with that, we should probably start with our honorable mentions before we hit our start at 10 and work our way up to one. Since I'm already talking, I'll just cover my honorable mention first. So we're each gonna do two honorable mentions. Mine is combined into one because technically it is two separate releases. Honestly, you could take any figure from
00:06:08
Speaker
this honorable mentions section and make it just a single release because it's kind of They're all the same with you know, just being you know slightly different sculpts in the face and you know some different accessories but Four figures that I thought for certain I was going to be able to skip because I hate the source content that they're like truly hate the source content that they're from and
00:06:32
Speaker
I don't find it redeemable or enjoyable in any way. I recently tried to watch it with my children and they both asked me to turn it off. It was so bad, it was actually somehow worse than I remembered it, but these figures are
00:06:46
Speaker
just absolutely stunning and amazing. And were it not for two other releases from this company, they would have miraculously ended up on my top 10 list. But the live action Jim Henson, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from part three, the Samurai Turtles, Turtles in Time, fantastic figures. Two two packs available at Walmart. I saw them in person and literally
00:07:16
Speaker
groaned out loud because I knew I had to get them just because they look so cool and you know my oops all Donnie's collection gets another Donatello and you know they're just they're really cool absolutely gorgeous work down to Nicole Fox work on the the soft goods the way that
00:07:37
Speaker
the soft goods fit, the wired bottom, the fact that Leo's has some extra holes cut in the back so you could slide the scabbards through. It's just, they're fantastic. I feel bad for you if you are forced to see them in person as a Turtles fan because if you see them, I think you're gonna have a really hard time not buying them. Yeah, so that's my honorable mention.
00:08:02
Speaker
Um, so I have two separate ones, um, that I would like to mention. Um, first is, uh, my first ever NECA purchase, which was the ultimate misfits fiend. Um, I just think it's a really cool figure. Um, it was a way for me to kind of get into, get a NECA figure, but get a one-off bigger, if that makes sense. Like, you know.
00:08:31
Speaker
Yes, there have been multiple fiends, like, you know, there's different cloaks and things like that over over history, or at least have been portrayed as such. But, you know, this is this is it hit my little punk rock soul. And I thought it was cool.
00:08:52
Speaker
And my second one is something that was on the list, but I'm going to kind of tweak it a little bit. It was on the first half of the year list. Um, and that is the super seven, uh, Disney parks, exclusive Tron figures, the reaction figures. However, I'm going to put a focus on the light cycle and figure kind of two pack. Um, I was recently able to finally pick those up on a recent trip and they are from
00:09:23
Speaker
Last year, so we're from 2023. Um, I was there in 2023, found them. It's not something you see very often. Usually, you know, your super seven vehicles are something a bit larger. Um, so it was really cool to see a super seven vehicle that is kind of smaller and, you know, I'll say more multiply displayable, if that makes sense. They're definitely more display friendly. That's.
00:09:53
Speaker
That's for sure. And, um, you know, it's just really cool. It's, it's a really cool way of saying like, you know, how can we make this cool light cycle? That's a bright color and matches the movie, but still make it something that we put a reaction figure. And that's the answer. Fair, fair. Um, do you want to roll right into your, your 10
Dave's Official Top 10 List Begins
00:10:19
Speaker
from there? Do you want to, do you want to kick off the official, the official list here?
00:10:24
Speaker
Um, I can kick off the official list. Sure. Um, number 10. Um, this one is one that appeared on my first half to took a little bit of a dip in the number, but I still thought it was good enough to, um, to put on here. Um, and it is, this is like a multiple, the first of a many multiple appearance thing.
00:10:51
Speaker
Um, there's a couple of lines that I do multiples of. Um, and this is the zombie sailor toys, wrestling's heels and faces. Dan house it. And, um, it's, I think one of the best heels and faces figures, um, was the best until a certain point, which we'll get to later. Um, maybe, but.
00:11:19
Speaker
I think it's really cool, especially if you got the pre-order with the teeth and the extra hands. Well, the extra hands are in there, but the teeth and the human money and all that good stuff. What a year for Danhausen. What a year. What a year. 2023. For somebody that was injured for the majority of... Most of 2023. 2023. He still had an incredible year. Good for Danhausen. One could say it was a very nice, very evil.
00:11:52
Speaker
Okay, so before I head into my number 10, something else that I just wanted to note because you mentioned it. In terms of this list compared to my list from the first half of 2023, it is entirely different. There isn't a single figure that was on my first half list that made it to the end of your list.
00:12:12
Speaker
It's just the back half of the year was, was really, really packed with some, some heavy hitters. And the one figure that I thought was going to be kind of, um, uh, insurmountable, not only was, was surmountable, but again, because of the rules that I set up for myself, no longer appears on
Eric's Official Top 10 List Begins
00:12:31
Speaker
the list. So, uh, with that number 10, uh, one of the kind of hottest underdog sorta, you know, low key, you know,
00:12:42
Speaker
Toy lines of the year a toy line that made it all the way to the finals in our in our our 2023 Archie award tournament J two toys Street Fighter Ryu What a figure for a company that has only been making action figures granted they've been making toys for a very long time right with their their diecast cars and everything but For a company that has only been making action figures for about two years
00:13:12
Speaker
roughly these star are these Street Fighter figures are unbelievable. Ryu is my favorite of the three. They recently revealed that LA Comic Con the kind of entire lineup and it's you know everyone you'd hoped it would be for the most part. All the core characters are there but there the Ryu is great has one of the coolest accessories ever that comes with a little stand on the little Hadouken
00:13:36
Speaker
Accessory and the fact that like the the matched up hands are kind of buried inside that like orb It's just it's it's phenomenal multiple head sculpts great deco great articulation great feel to it great price point really excited to see what Jada, you know continues to do with not only the Capcom license because
00:13:56
Speaker
There are some really big brands in there that I would love to see them kind of sink their teeth into like maybe a Resident Evil. But you know, excited to see what they do past that too. So yeah, that's my number 10. Number nine. We are going to jazzwares for this one. And I think it is the best
00:14:23
Speaker
AEW supreme figure that they've made thus far It's another kind of late in the year one But it came on like a storm just in time for the re-emergence of CM Punk and I'm of course talking about the AEW supreme CM Punk You know the multiple
00:14:49
Speaker
the multiple gear options with the extra set of legs. You got all the hoodies and t-shirts and head options. I think it probably is the best likeness of Punk in all the figures thus far. And yeah, it's just a great figure that kind of had some
00:15:16
Speaker
initially kind of poor, but ultimately great timing. Yeah. Yeah. Shouts to, to magic and the, uh, that was a Walmart exclusive by the way. Yeah. Yeah. Which you could win right now on our, on our Instagram. You can enter to win. Um, yeah. Shouts to magic and Dan, uh, you know, who designed over there that those, it's just so good. And, and the Supreme,
00:15:41
Speaker
From the first half of the year, I initially had Kenny, the Walmart Kenny on my list, which I think is also fantastic. So the fact that they were able to get both of those out this year, it's a testament to what they're doing over there. The Lucha Brothers figures were also very good. Yeah, it didn't hurt that it was one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, too.
00:16:05
Speaker
So moving into number nine for me, we are headed into the world of indie toys with a pretty recent guest of the pod, Spiro, Animal Warriors of the Kingdom, Lexion. So these figures, I was drawn to them back when the Kickstarter launched, I guess it was well over a year ago now.
00:16:36
Speaker
But the Kickstarter delivered these figures in 2023. Um, I initially got a, you know, just a couple of them, just because again, the designs really spoke to me. And once I got them in hand, they just felt so good. Again, like a company that, you know, they've, they've produced some three and three quarter inch figures in the past, but this was their first endeavor into one 12. And, um, you would think that Jason and you know, the folks at spirit have been making figures for decades. That's how, how good these things are.
00:17:04
Speaker
And I particularly like Lexi on just the the color way the the orange gray brown The whole story that they have enveloped around these these toys to the comic books It's just a fantastic little world. They're creating much like the same kind of spirit energy as as as plunderlings
00:17:26
Speaker
you know, just a different design, but again, just really, really cool figure. And I got to, got to give some love to those, those people out there that are trying to tell new stories and, you know, create their own, their own path, pathways to success. So, um, yeah, that's my number nine Spiro animal warriors of the kingdom Lexion. So number eight is, um, my only one on here that's I'm putting two figures together.
Highlighting SH Figuarts Spider-Gwen and Miles Morales
00:17:56
Speaker
Um, that's not a two pack, but we're from purchased like the same day at the same experience. Um, and that is the SH figure arts, uh, Tamashi nation's 15th anniversary world tour exclusive of spider Gwen and miles Morales from, um, of course the animated film and, you know,
00:18:23
Speaker
I think I said all I needed to say or all I could say in the first half of the year version, but I mean, it's, so I think this was my first actual experience with my own kind of current figure arts, Sumashii Nation's figures, and to kind of open them myself and really kind of play around with them and, you know,
00:18:53
Speaker
change out heads and hands and display and kind of take a look at them and appreciate them. It's one thing to appreciate them kind of from afar, but it was another thing to kind of appreciate them in hand. And you kind of understand what everyone tells you about them once you own a figure for yourself.
00:19:23
Speaker
Just two phenomenal figures. It looks like they kind of walked right out of the movie.
00:19:28
Speaker
And that is a wonderful segue, Dave, into my number eight, because my number eight is also something from our friends at Bandai and Tamashi Nations. This was a figure that I was really, really looking forward to, and it absolutely, I think, over-delivered in that category. It's something that, you know, I'm not sure the Marvel Legends team are ever going to get to. So I'm really, really, really excited that they tackled this in SCH Figure Arts form.
00:19:56
Speaker
This was a very tough call for me, though, because this figure was, for a while, I flip-flopped back and forth between this and another release from SH Figure Arts, but I ended up going with the carnage from Let There Be Carnage.
00:20:13
Speaker
As everybody knows, I talk about it ad nauseam. I love the MCU. I love the figure creations from the MCU world. It's some of my favorite stuff out there. And this carnage figure absolutely just crushes it. It's my favorite carnage figure that's ever been released. I don't know if we'll ever see him again in the MCU in any kind of form, considering the, you know,
00:20:43
Speaker
the way storytelling goes but uh... yeah that's my my number eight is uh... bandai tamashi nation's s h figure arts let there be carnage carnage number seven uh...
Ringside Collectibles Exclusive CM Punk vs. MJF
00:20:57
Speaker
another one that was pretty high up on the list in the first half uh... as always with your your jazzwares a e w figures you yet not only a
00:21:11
Speaker
a specific character or person in AEW lore, but you also get moments. And I think this was a phenomenal moment in AEW, and it was the Blood and Guts, CM Punk versus MJF, Dog Collar Match, Ringside Collectibles exclusive. Just kind of spot on.
00:21:41
Speaker
to me is like the best non-ultimate CM or non-Supreme CM Punk. But also you got the, you know, the old school Ring of Honor style trunks, the long shorts, MJF, it's everybody's bloody, you get to recreate all like the fun moments from the match. It's probably the best Blood and Guts release thus far.
00:22:10
Speaker
My favorite thing about that set is how sweaty CM Punk looks. Like you just look at the figure and I mean, granted he's covered in blood, but like he also just looks like that like combination of like bloody, sweaty, greasy, like they did a really good job of the deco on those figures. Yeah, I agree. Like the hair, the way the hair is in his face and stuff. Yeah, really good job.
00:22:37
Speaker
Is that really your favorite Blood and Gus? I guess... There haven't been that many, right? Oh, there's been a few. Um... It's only two packs. No. No, Kenny... No, Kenny and Mox. Which probably was my favorite before that. And there's the Darby Brody thing. The Darby... Which probably will become... Yeah, the fact that Darby has the bloody handprint on his shoulder. Yeah. It's kind of awesome.
00:23:04
Speaker
that Brody is just like, that one Brody head is sick. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm very much. I'm looking forward to all of the Brody King figures, especially now that we've seen him in person, like seeing how large he is. Yeah. I'm very much looking forward to that. Um, all right. My number seven, my number seven takes us to our GI Joe classified entry, uh, for, for the year for me. Um,
00:23:30
Speaker
Really heavy on the back end of the year from GI Joe classified. It was kind of kind of quiet You know for most of the the first half of the year and then all of a sudden cute q3 and q4 Boy, did they start showing up? I and this is a figure that I played with heavily as a kid was one of my was one of kind of my go-to figures even though I
00:23:55
Speaker
He really is kind of like a mission specialist, but I kind of had him doing everything. Um, he does have a terribly unfortunate name, but, uh, I do love, I do love this figure. I love what classified did with it. Um, my, what are we on number seven? I said, aren't my number seven pick, uh, is GI Joe classified snow job. Um, on unbelievable figure, absolutely unbelievable release. Um,
00:24:23
Speaker
It just has everything you could ever want from it. He's got the snowshoes. He's got the long-distance skis. He's got ski poles. He's got two different weapons. He can holster and carry everything all at once. He's got two different heads. He's got goggles. He's got a hood down. He's got a hood up. Great articulation. Looks amazing with the
00:24:49
Speaker
Arctic bats that that came out. Unfortunately, I missed out on the the the snow serpents That was another I loved pairing the two of them up as a kid So I'm hoping I get another crack at snow serpents at some point. But um, yeah, so that's that's my number seven snow job Eric if you if you weren't sure I I do love some pro wrestling and I do love some independent wrestling and someone who
00:25:19
Speaker
Really short of like t-shirts.
Zombie Sailor Toys Nick Gage Likeness
00:25:22
Speaker
Never really had a lot of merch until I would say this past year. And one of my favorite kind of characteristics of wrestling figures is when it looks like the person has been shrunken down into, in this case, a Hasbro sized figure. Okay. And
00:25:47
Speaker
talking about, of course, zombie sailor toys, wrestling seals and faces, the king, the man, the god of this, you know what, Nick F. Engage. Yeah? Well, I mean, one could argue that a friend of the pod, Matt Cardona, would argue that he is the true king of this. Yeah. Well, you know, he would argue. Yeah.
00:26:16
Speaker
Um, well, he is the deathmatch King, but, um, I mean, if it's probably one of the best likenesses that, um, and I, I've said this before for other, like, you know, I've said this for Dan house and I said this for Jeff Jarrett, um, even for, for Matt and Brian, um, you know, this is the best likeness that's ever been that zombies done for, for these, but this is to me, like,
00:26:46
Speaker
I think just high marks the best one so far. I mean, he doesn't miss, he doesn't miss. No, it's just, you know, topping himself after topping himself. Um, I mean, if there's any wrestler too, that deserves like a kind of elite scale figure is Nick Gage. So, but it's, yeah, fingers crossed on that one. Um,
00:27:17
Speaker
If we did indie top 10 once, that would have been on one of mine. But just what a great figure from the gear to, you know, there's like GCW branding on it. It's just fantastic. What a great figure. I can't say enough about it, including the light tube accessories. So from the deathmatch king,
00:27:48
Speaker
Now, we talked about this a little bit, and we have not seen each other's lists on purpose. And I gave Dave a few weeks ago, a couple weeks, no, a week ago, I gave him three guesses as to what WWE figure was on my list for this year. And he did not get it. Did you want to take one additional guess? Do you want me to remind you who you guessed? Or do you remember?
00:28:18
Speaker
I don't remember, but... You guessed Ultimate Edition Seth Rollins. Okay. You guessed Ultimate Edition 1990 Undertaker. Okay. And you guessed Ultimate Edition J. Jimmy Uso. Those were your three names. Is this gonna be the gobbledygooker? It is not. No. It is not gonna be the gobbledygooker. That's a great figure. It is. It is. But it's not that.
00:28:48
Speaker
That was my other guess. Oh, that was your guess. Okay. Well, you, you should have guessed the best there, the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. My, uh, my number six pick is Mattel Ultimate Edition Legends, Bret Hart, clad all in pink, got the pink coat, the best likeness we've seen of the hit man so far. Um, you know, I, I, I just, I, I love this figure. It takes me right back to new, like new gen era, Bret Hart.
00:29:18
Speaker
like Ultra Babyface, Bret Hart. It's my favorite version of him. It's the version I think of when I think of him.
00:29:26
Speaker
Um, obviously slots right into my new gen collection, um, perfectly. And again, like it was another crazy year for, for wrestling figures. Like it could have very easily been Seth Rollins. It could have been, um, the, uh, what is it? 105 or 106 elite of, of Dominic Mysterio. It could have been Jay or Jimmy Uso. It could have been Razor Ramon. It could have been, uh, I mean, there were just, there were so many good. Eraser ultimates pretty good too.
00:29:56
Speaker
Yeah. There, there, there could have been, um, it could have been so many different figures, but that Bret Hart figure, I just keep going back to it. Like it's the one, like I said, I built this list around the figures that kind of brought me the most joy. And sometimes when I'm just kind of tooling around at my desk, um, you know, when I, when I'm working.
00:30:13
Speaker
I just like to have like a figure that as I'm, you know, I'm on conference calls or whatever, I just kind of sit and play with and I keep pulling that Bret Hart figure out. And I keep just having him either pose or put people random figures in the sharpshooter. Um, so yeah, that's, uh, that's my pick. And now a word from our sponsors.
00:30:36
Speaker
This segment is brought to you by our friends at Chubsy Wubsy Toys. A traditional mom and pop toy store in Little Falls, New Jersey, Chubsy Wubsy Toys brings you the best new toys from the brands you love without the hassle of pounding the pavement searching for them at larger retail stores.
00:30:53
Speaker
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00:31:19
Speaker
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00:31:36
Speaker
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00:32:00
Speaker
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00:32:28
Speaker
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00:32:54
Speaker
and use the code AICPOD12 to get 12% off your order and free two-day shipping. Shop today to get the best deal ever. And now back to the show. Yeah, if I were gonna do a wrestling top 10, I would say Gobbledygooker and Razor would have made mine. For sure. And that was Target exclusive too, I didn't.
00:33:23
Speaker
didn't specify. That's the target exclusive one. Number five. This replaced a different version of this figure in the top 10, which was like pretty high up there in the first half of the year. But there were some things that came up in the second half of the year that were just kind of
00:33:48
Speaker
pretty off the charts amazing that surpassed it and including this figure slash playset. And it is the McFarland DC multiverse McFarland toy store exclusive. The Dark Knight interrogation Joker. Now, the original Joker was unreal. Unreal likeness, unreal just
00:34:18
Speaker
figure, right? Um, but how do you make like the filthiest looking character in probably comic book movie history look even like kind of grimier and they managed to nail it. Um, and you can recreate your favorite moments.
00:34:42
Speaker
Um, and all that good stuff, which I did. I took that picture. It was very, it was very fun to take, um, at AIC underscore podcast on Instagram. And, um, yeah, it's just, you know, you, when I look at that, I think of the shot of him clapping his hands together at the end. It's just, uh, it's, it's so good. And it's, it's another one of those instances of this is that.
00:35:10
Speaker
thing shrunken down to small statue size my favorite piece my favorite part of that set because i also too you know obviously have it um is the smudge on his forehead where his head gets bashed into the table yeah you know where you get the you know never start with the head line like they actually smudged the paint on his head there and it's just so
00:35:37
Speaker
Such a good, that's like, that is to me, is the- Doesn't he have the filthy fingers too? Yeah, he's got the dirty hands. Yeah. Um, my, that is a proper store exclusive release. Like that is, that's the way to do it. Um, hopefully we get more of that from, from McFarland. All right. Uh, my number five, um, from, from a, from a character that's really, really dirty to a little character that has a very, very dirty mouth that we never actually get to,
00:36:06
Speaker
get to hear dirty vocabulary but we never get to hear what he's actually saying but we know he's got a potty mouth based on the characters around him. My Star Wars The Vintage Collection entry for this list is our number five.
Unique Engineering of the Chopper Figure
00:36:21
Speaker
It is The Vintage Collection Ahsoka or Star Wars Rebels. Take your pick. Chopper. So the little droid with a potty mouth.
00:36:31
Speaker
Um, he's, he's rickety. He's, he's, uh, he's a feat of three and three quarter inch engineering. If you, if you ask me, um, it's, it's perfect. And in a year where we got some really, really awesome vintage collection figures, uh, this is the one that's, that's kind of, I just keep looking at them and smiling. Uh, if you don't have the vintage collection chopper, uh, unlike any other droid, uh, in this scale before him, he has an additional, um,
00:37:00
Speaker
joint in his kind of like top bucket spinny thing where you can make him look all disheveled and like out of out of kilter which is just amazing because he kind of has this appearance to him with the little like doohickey hands on his head and um
00:37:16
Speaker
and that kind of like tilt to his body that he kind of looks like he's unstable. And yeah, they just really captured that awesome. And paired with the Hera figure, it's great. He comes with a little tracking device that she can hold from Ahsoka. So yeah, I'm so excited for next year's Has Lab to Deliver. Like I'm really, really excited to get that ghost ship.
00:37:45
Speaker
And now I have Chopper to go in it. So yeah, really, really, really excited. That's my number five. Number four for me. What a year it was for wrestling figures. And I feel like we say this every year. Was it a good year for wrestling figures? But I'll say more so. What a year for independent wrestling figures. You're non Mattels and jazz wearers.
Powertown Ultras Magnum TA Appreciation
00:38:13
Speaker
because there was a company that was much maligned from out of the gate that could have had something really disastrous happen at launch but kind of made you wait a little bit longer and boy was it worth the wait I am of course talking about Powertown and the Powertown Ultrasline and there was one figure for I would say
00:38:44
Speaker
It was probably the one that I, of the ones that I bought, the one that I wanted the most only because I never got the elite of this person, which is one that's kind of gone up in price a little bit. It's not insurmountable like somebody else in this set.
00:39:05
Speaker
Or it's not like like a huge purchase, but it's still one that's that's gone up a bit and They any of those figures were just knocked out of the park, but I think this was the best of the three that I bought best likeness best all-around and and you can see the the unboxing on On our YouTube
00:39:32
Speaker
And that is for Magnum TA. With the old NWA title and all of that good stuff, it's just a phenomenal figure. And after everything that was going on in the run-up to the figures getting released, it's really cool to see another real player in the game come up and say, like, no, and drop the mic.
00:40:02
Speaker
And Power Town kind of did it with this, this first ultra series. And, you know, to your point, uh, there is, they are now a third player in this scale, you know, game. I mean, they're, they're going to be making figures for impact. Yeah. TNA for impact. So for TNA, yeah, that's right. So, uh, yeah, I can't remember the last time it's been a long time since there were three, like,
00:40:29
Speaker
major wrestling figure companies having figures at the same time like this. Um, probably back, going back to like Jack's toy biz originally makers and toy makers, you know, it's been a long time. So, um, really, really excited. Of course they do have their Matt and Brian figures, um, coming. Most pre-orders have closed. So those should be coming sometime this year. And that special edition carry on Eric is out. Yep.
00:40:59
Speaker
Um, diamond edition, I believe they called it. Yep. Yep. So, uh, which smart announced series two. Yep. They announced series two. And then they, they have their, um, for those that are, are not aware, the people that run power town were originally, um, the people who did the REMCO figures back in the day, the, the, um, AWA, REMCO, REMCO figures, excuse me. So they're putting out, um, more REMCO style figures too, that, you know, now we'll go with your.
00:41:28
Speaker
you know, um, Mattel superstars. So, um, then they announced and your Remco's and, and your, yeah. And your original Remco's, but, um, yeah. And those ringside man, Brian's or major pond ones. That's right. Uh, bell to bell is the company that makes those and they have more coming to bell to bell. So, um, all right. So number four, this one is, uh, it goes to show you that this figure is number four.
00:41:59
Speaker
Um, because I have to say, I, I love this figure so much. Um, part of a set. I, again, you could have picked any four of these, any one of these four figures, but, uh, designed by, um, by Paul Harding, who does amazing work, um, freelance designer, uh, released through NECA, the, uh, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage, uh, turtles four pack, um,
00:42:28
Speaker
I of course went with Donatello, duh. But yeah, they're just, they're so good. The whole kind of delivery of these figures, I ended up going in my mind's eye, I have what I consider to be kind of like a complete set, because it's like really issue one of the comic book. The original Eastman and Laird comic books, I have the Four Turtles, I have Shredder, and it's the rooftop finale Shredder. I've got two foot soldiers and I got Casey Jones.
00:42:58
Speaker
done. Um, but these, these turtles are just so good. They move incredibly. I love the paint. I love the deco. I love the proportions of them. I love the accessories. And again, the delivery method that four pack getting them all at once, not having to worry about chasing them down or anything. Um, yeah, just, just so good. Uh, arguably the, I mean, I w I would honestly say if not the best, one of the best Ninja Turtles figures that has ever been made, period.
00:43:29
Speaker
So yeah, so that's that's my number my number four pick So my number three Was the first half number one so there's there's a new champion But it is at this time because there are ones coming this
00:43:52
Speaker
coming year that I think are going to be the new best. Um, but at this time, in my opinion, the best WWE ultimate figure, um, from Mattel, and that is Seth Rollins, um, between the kind of long flowing entrance robe coat that he has, um, just the deco on it.
00:44:17
Speaker
it's the best Seth likeness that they've done. Probably one of the best likenesses that they've done ever. Just a fantastic figure. I still have him actually right in front of me. You know, any of the faces, whether it's that like kind of menacing cackle or just the, the grin or even just kind of straight kind of stern faced Seth, like it's,
00:44:48
Speaker
It's actually terrifyingly accurate. And for those that can't, obviously we don't have video here, but Dave still has his mint. I have mine out of the package, and I gotta tell you, Dave, that once you get him out of the package and you start to look at him on profile and stuff, it gets even more uncanny how good this figure is.
00:45:13
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's unbelievable. Yeah, the faux fur like it was my We will we're thinking about putting out kind of categorical top tens You know maybe in a week or so or throughout this week after this this airs Seth is is my my
Figura Obscura Jacob Marley Praise
00:45:34
Speaker
number two. It's right behind Bret Hart and very easily could have been that you know that WWE pick for me It's just like it is one of
00:45:43
Speaker
It's a 100%, as we're seeing number three for me, it is a figure of the year candidate for sure and was running very strong for most of the year for me. So my number three, that takes us to my number three. Talk about a figure that came in late, very late, with mere a week or two to spare late.
00:46:13
Speaker
Um, one of the four horsemen studios with their figure, figure, obscure align has been doing, has been playing to my, my, my weaknesses as a literary nerd and continues to make characters from, from books that have very, like I have very strong connections to like, obviously when they put out the headless horseman, that was a big deal for me last year. It's my favorite fictional character, literally of all time from anything.
00:46:43
Speaker
And then this year they had to go and hit me with this figure. Um, the, the gateway to horror for, for many people, um, is, is this ghostly Christmas story at Christmas Carol. And, um, the first ghost that appears to Ebenezer Scrooge, arguably the most terrifying. Um, unless it's a, unless it's the Muppet Christmas Carol, then it's, it's arguably the most hilarious. Um,
00:47:11
Speaker
But Jacob Marley, so the Figura Obscura, Jacob Marley, just an absolutely soul-crushingly beautiful figure, both from the deco, the fact that he starts to kind of fade into a translucent plastic, starting at the knees down to the point where his boots are
00:47:35
Speaker
you know, perfectly clear, uh, the, the real chains, the, the vest with all of the, the ledgers and lock boxes and safes and everything hanging off from the two different heads. He's got the, the head that's, you know, with the, with the stern face and the, the, you know, ghostly eyes. And then he's got the untied head where his jaws dropped and he's screaming, you know, uh, mankind was my business. Um,
00:48:02
Speaker
Yeah, it's just, it's just an absolutely, absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous piece. Again, fantastic box art and delivery on this. The thing that to me, other than it being a terrifying, um, you know, uh, ghost is, is the terrifying fact that all of the other ghosts and Ebenezer Scrooge are pictured on the box art. So me, I'm terrified of, of the ghosts of Christmas future.
00:48:31
Speaker
because I'm probably going to be on the hook for like five more figures from this book. So I don't know. And one of them is likely going to be very large, right? The ghost of Christmas present is usually pretty big, big old guy, big old fella. So yeah, I'm looking forward to see what they continue to do with the figure up, obscure a line.
00:49:00
Speaker
Um, but, but Jacob Marley, he is my, my number three. Um, we go from something that is like terrifying. Um, from Eric's number three to something that is, uh, I would say, I would say nicer, but still evil. Um, so my number two, and that is, um,
00:49:28
Speaker
The Jazzwares, AEW, Danhausen, very nice, very evil ringside collectibles exclusive. The first Danhausen that made it to market from the line down to the outstanding packaging.
00:49:45
Speaker
on the box where it's just like in a manos hands of fate kind of keep opening sort of way with dan housen um you know you get him in in different gear comes with the curse hands um and again like another one of those you could say like oh it's you know a likeness of somebody in makeup which is true he does have a little red under the eyes but um
00:50:14
Speaker
as Danhausen will say, it's the only makeup is the red. So the rest of it is Danhausen's face. And it's still spot on, just captures the essence of Danhausen perfectly. To the point where it's Danhausen in wrestling gear, where it's like, man, I wish I saw this more often, not calling.
00:50:44
Speaker
anybody out or anything, but like. Hey, we get to see him wrestle. We got to see him wrestle at World's End. A very excellent battle royal. So, yeah, it's it's just. Like it is, it's as perfect with the cape and everything, like, oh, it's just it's a fantastic figure. Like it's the best wrestling figure of the year, I think.
00:51:11
Speaker
I try desperately not to double dip on characters, um, wrestlers where possible. Like I try to wait and get like the one that I think is going to represent them for the longest period of time possible. Um, I do that both for budgetary and space reasons. So when I saw for 40 bucks, I could get Danhausen and hook. I went with that version and got the two of them that way. Um,
00:51:39
Speaker
And I don't have any regrets. I love the Dan Housen figure that I have, but I am tempted every time I go on ringside to get another one. I mean, I've got three versions of Dan Housen from AW. It's a great figure. All right, so that takes us to my number two.
Super7 Ultimate Godzilla Review
00:52:05
Speaker
This character that's featured a number two here for me
00:52:09
Speaker
has had one hell of a year. One could make the argument that this character has had the best year of its existence in just about 70 years of existing. And this particular version of the character is something that I, truthfully, I never thought we would really get in figure form.
00:52:37
Speaker
NECA did a great job presenting this classic character for a while. Bondi and Tamashi Nations through the SH Monster Arts line, they do a fantastic job of going through this character's history. And now Friend of the Pod, Kyle Waddiga from Super 7 is making versions of this character. And this particular version, like I said, is one that I didn't think we'd ever get. It takes us back to the
00:53:06
Speaker
The early nineties and the dark horse comics days of art Adams designed Godzilla. So this San Diego comic con exclusive shouts to a friend of the pod and and a member of the toy amigos crew Dario for picking this up for me while in California.
00:53:25
Speaker
At you know at at San Diego Comic Con. I absolutely love this figure I have not it has not been put away or out of out of instant reach Since I got it back in in July End of July or early August forgot when it when it actually shipped over but the stunning figure I love just the size of of it though the feel of it the the deco it's got that like
00:53:54
Speaker
sea foam green color to it. He's got a little, little tiny guy that's screaming for his life. Godzilla's all his mouth is all bloody. You got two different two different Godzilla mouths. It's just for me.
00:54:10
Speaker
If I was going to only get one Super 7 Godzilla figure ever to go with my growing Godzilla collection, this would be it. To me, this is perfect. It represents the kind of aesthetic that Super 7 is kind of known for. It represents a part of the character that I don't think any of the other brands that produce figures for Godzilla will ever come near. They will never touch this version of the character.
00:54:36
Speaker
So not only it being a San Diego Comic Con exclusive, but it being something truly unique from somebody that we have the utmost respect for as an artist and as a friend of the pod. It's just to me, it's borderline perfect. It was almost my number one for the year and it was only slightly edged out.
00:55:02
Speaker
By my number one, but yeah, that's that's my number two pick is the super seven ultimate San Diego comic-con exclusive Godzilla So my number one This is a very unlike me number one we'll say You know, this is another one of those ones that I didn't know existed until I saw it and
00:55:29
Speaker
I didn't know I wanted until I saw it and couldn't be talked out of to purchase when I saw it.
SH MonsterArts Gamera Top Figure
00:55:43
Speaker
Um, but it is one of those things where when I first saw it, I was like, Oh, this is amazing. And then I kept looking at it and I'm like, this is really cool. Oh, this isn't this, this rules.
00:55:56
Speaker
I kind of want this. All right, I want it. All right, I'm getting it. Shout out to friend of the pod, Joe, for spurring me on and being like, dude, you want that? Like, don't not get it. And yeah, like, don't leave it there. Get it. So my number one
00:56:16
Speaker
from the film and I it's one we've talked about um and one we've uh talked about the villain from this film too oh god ad nauseam we've talked about this yeah from camera three revenge of iris it is the sh monster art gamera 1999 kyoto kyoto decisive battle version gamera um what can i say like it's you know i know
00:56:47
Speaker
I know you liked a gamma too, but this to me is like the gamma I remember because it's, you know, all of these kind of movies came out in like high school college leading through that run. And, um, it's just the gamma I remember. So it's, it's just really cool. It's like a cool, craggly,
00:57:17
Speaker
You can make them fly and all that stuff, but just the regular standing camera is my favorite and the way I'm going to display it. When I saw it at that Tamashi Nation's New York store opening, I was like, this is the best figure I've seen this year, and it still is. Yeah, we had quick shouts to Justin and Dave and AJ and Mike over at
00:57:47
Speaker
at Bondi, Namco Toys and Collectibles America, Inc. Shouts to them. This year, some of the best things that we got to do, or I should say last year, 2023, some of the best things, and I think I speak for both of us here, some of the best things that we got to do, toy-wise, things that we were invited to, things that we got to see,
00:58:14
Speaker
Revolved around the the installations and experiences that that bond I had set up going going back to the the Grand Central Station 15th anniversary Tamashi Nations pop-up, which was amazing the the Tamashi Nations Store in Times Square that opening Toy fair there their multi booth set up at toy fair and the things that we got to see there and
00:58:42
Speaker
New York, what they had set up in New York Comic Con and, you know, everything that we got to see at Comic Con, the invite through them that, um, you know, they kind of partnered with Toho and the Japan society. So we got to see two screenings at the Japan society that were, you know, kind of loosely connected to, to, to Bondi and, you know, and the relationship we have there, you know, getting to see an original screening of 1954 Godzilla and then getting to see a press screening of, of Godzilla minus one.
00:59:12
Speaker
I just wanted to take a second just to shout out our good friends at Bandai and Tamashi Nations who do a fantastic job, and they're lovely people, and their product is amazing. And yeah, we've enjoyed quite a few SH Figure Arts and SH Monster Arts figures this year. Yeah, I think at that opening, everyone was going for the
00:59:40
Speaker
Dragon Ball Z figure which kid Goku which I yeah I have from that but I immediately ran and grabbed Gamera Gamera and you also got you got Godzilla from that too right didn't you get the um the like midnight edition of Godzilla yeah from uh Monsterverse Godzilla yeah Monsterverse Godzilla I forget which movie he's from I think it's Godzilla the monsters I think it's it's I think yeah I think you're right I think it's king of the monsters I think it's king of the monsters yeah yeah
01:00:09
Speaker
But yeah, it's, I mean that gabbering of me is like borderline flawless, like it's so good. So that leaves it to me for my number one, huh?
Marvel Legends Green Goblin Top Pick
01:00:20
Speaker
All right. It does. So my number one, and I'm gonna take this guy out here carefully. Oh God. All right. This was my number one figure for 11 months.
01:00:36
Speaker
I got this in January. This that I'm holding right here is the Spider-Man, the animated series, Walmart-exclusive Marvel Legends. We actually gave two of these away. I pre-ordered a bunch because I wanted to be able to look at paint and pick the one that I liked best. And I got three that were fantastic, so I didn't have to return any of them. So we ended up giving two of them away. I love, love, love this figure. It is my favorite Spider-Man figure that has ever been made. It's perfect. I would change absolutely nothing about it.
01:01:06
Speaker
It's amazing. I said during the Half Way episode, I went back and I listened to it, that it would be extremely challenging for anything to top that figure this year. And then the Marvel Legends team had to go and put out the Green Goblin. They had to go and they had to put out the No Way Home Green Goblin that is just
01:01:36
Speaker
remarkable. The glider, the stand, the deco, the detail, the execution, the fact that you can like take the purple stuff off for the most part and basically make a Sam Raimi, you know, a Spider-Man 1 Green Goblin. Arguably one of the best human likenesses they have ever done in Norman Osborn.
01:02:03
Speaker
In Willem Dafoe, you know, you could take the unmasked head off and you can put it on a suited body and he can claim that he's something of a scientist himself. It's just, it's as close to perfect as I think any Marvel Legends figure has ever been in the history of Marvel Legends figures. I just love it so much and like,
01:02:29
Speaker
Really, you're getting three figures in one if you have an extra suited body lying around, which most Marvel Legends collectors probably have. It's just, it's so good. It's just so good. And I can't, I mean, I have a permanent display of MCU villains that is always up. So I'm so stoked that I'm going to get to look at this figure.
01:02:52
Speaker
in perpetuity, pretty much. So it's so good. It's so toyetic. It's just so much fun. It's the most fun I have had with any Marvel Legends figure this year. And there have been some absolute bangers. But the simplicity of why that Spider-Man works and is so good, that animated series Spider-Man, is the complete opposite.
01:03:22
Speaker
with this figure. It isn't simplified. They leaned in, and they did it right, and it shows. So my number one is the Marvel Legends Spider-Man, No Way Home, Green Goblin. That's the way it goes. And with that, that's our top 10.
01:03:51
Speaker
That wraps it up everybody. Um, you're starting off strong already. Already got some new toys in. It's not even, not even the first, the first week of January, isn't over yet. And already got some new things that are getting here that are awesome. Um, and some announced things to look forward to. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's, uh, there is, there is a lot, there's a lot cooking.
01:04:17
Speaker
And, uh, and this year is going to be, I have a feeling this year is going to be another, another really good one for, for collectors out there. Um, yeah. But, uh,
Encouraging Listener Engagement
01:04:27
Speaker
yeah. So, you know, we're, as we're sitting here talking, you know, when this episode is live, it will be on our Instagram, which Dave has mentioned, uh, multiple times at AIC underscore podcasts. It'll be on, on YouTube. It'll be.
01:04:40
Speaker
We'll have little promo videos popping up places, but, uh, we want to hear what your favorite toys were of the year. So, um, you know, head to those places, comment and let us know what, um, what your favorites were. Um, yeah. And, and, uh, you know, really, really looking forward to 2024. Dave, do you have any parting words for our, um, our listeners as we, um, we now venture forward into the new year?
01:05:10
Speaker
Shortest year-end wrap-up ever.
01:05:32
Speaker
Follow us on social media at AIC underscore podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Stop by and say hi. Show us your toy hauls and share your toy stories. Maybe we'll talk about it in a future episode.
01:05:55
Speaker
This has been a non-productive media presentation. Executive producer, Franca Blaui. This program and many others like it on the non-productive network is distributed under a Creative Commons attribution non-commercial no derivatives license. Please share it, but ask before trying to change it or sell it. For more information, visit non-productive.com.