Researching Slangards' Theory of Escalating Aquisition

Originally posted at slangards.multiply.com on Dec 20, '08

Gah!

So I went back to the toyfair yesterday because I had to return one of the toys I bought from Curejinx. My MP Thundercracker was missing his thumb outta the box. Guy offered to exchange it with another he had brought with him from Singapore. Now that's CUSTOMER SERVICE! Hear that Toy Kingdom?!



If you know me at all, then you understand that I have serious impluse control issues when two factors coincide:

ONE: There is money in my pocket.
TWO: There are toys on sale, placed in a location that is geographically accessible to me.

The December Toyfair is a situation fufilled both pre-requisites. The company I've worked for for the past 3 years is religious about being on time with payroll and we get our 13th month at the start of December. Then we get commissions and leave conversions right before the fair hits. It's total serendipity.

First day out was pretty good; some good deals, some great finds, and best of all, no people. Since everyone else is at work in the moring, people there pretty much have their pick. Bad side of that is that a few stalls don't alwayw bring out the best stuff on the first day for some weired reason. I'd think that's what you'd do, so that you can sell it immediately without someone trying to haggle down the price at closing, but meh.

Some stuff I saw on that first day was:

• PITT BAF (P3,500)
• AOA SUNFIRE (P1,000)
• ARES SETS (P12,000)
• RED HULK SETS (P8,000)
• SINGLE MOC FIGS FROM ARES OR RED HULK WAVES (P1,000 and up)
• TFTM LEADER CLASS PREMIUM SERIES OPTIMUS PRIME (P1,500)
• REVOLTECH, FIGMA, and other MECHA/SENTAI figs from WASABITOYS (discounted for the con)
• JOES (4 for P1000), TRANSFORMERS, MIGHTY MUGGS, and IRONMAN CONCEPT from from RTOYS (discounted for the con)
• CASTLEVANIA SERIES, HELLBOY SERIES 2, Pegwarmers form NECA and DCD at 2RATS
• 6" scale ML, DCD, Wrestling figures in the loose bins
• SIGMA 6 JOES, KFG JOES (P1,600 and up)
• METAL MEYHEM W/ SNAKE EYES (P2,000)
• DISNEY PLUSH TOYS (P150 and up)

I was hoping for a Henkei Thundercracker, but the only one I saw was the one the Robert had, MISB at P3,000 or something. whew. The Metal Meyhem was sort of my fallback in case I didn't find anything. P2,000 is P500 still cheaper than asking at Comic Odessy. Was really thiking about the Premium Prime at P1,500; it's just a P500 markup from the sale price at Toy Kingdom. If any one else has been looking for these sale price Optimus Primes or Brawls, then you know what a bitch it was to try and find the normal versions a week ago, let alone a PREMIUM one. That vibro-sword and all that shiny metallic paint was tempting, but I didn't think it was worth it since I already bought the regular version AND the Nightwatch version. If by some cosmic chance, the universe smiles at me and I find it at SM Taytay or Marikina for P1,000, then I might get it, but that day, I passed.

I was hoping to avoid the 2nd day, maybe go Sunday to try and picturize the toys for tots thing that they had set up, but the defective MP7 tied my hands. I couldn't very well tell Curejinx after he had so kindly offered to replace the unit that I was lazy and couldn't meet him - could we do it some other time? No, I'm not that much of an ass.

So he tells me he'll be there about 12:00 or 1:00 pm and I had some time to kill. What I SHOULD have done is pay P150 bucks and watch Transporter 3, which would have been a good 2-3 hours or so (I normally go in at the middle of a movie and wait till the beginning - if it's good, I'll stay to the end again). Any normal person would have done that. Any person who is conscious of how much money they piss away on their hobby might have done that. I did not do that.

I, being the nut I am, decide to walk the room again while I wait. Bad idea. The sellers brought out more stuff! They have bins and bins of product in storage somewhere and when one bin is empty, they just call up and have new items on the table for the next geeks to pass through the gate. Probably business 101, I'm sure, but it's hard for someone like me to wait on the off chance that "Something better will come by tomorrow" right? Hence, I blew most of my wad yesterday.

Still, I had about P2,000 leftover AND there were toys to be had not 10 minutes from the office. The stars aligned and the prophecy is fufilled. A hunting we will go.

Some finds I saw on the 2nd day:

• NECA MOUSERS (P800) - Holy shit! I wish I had seen this yesterday. Army for my turtles
• COMPLETE SET OF NECA TMNT - Robert had these. Best toys ever made. Ever.
• BATTLE ROLLER (P2,000) - The transforming one in the black box. I prefer the classic version and I'd already asked Curejinx to reserve one. When I get an MP4, it's gonna be sweet!
• TFU INFERNO (P1,600) - Was about to drop what I had left until I saw...
• NEMESIS PRIME (P1,000) - That's about P800 off the asking price at Greenhills shops! Score!
• NEW TFU WAVE (P900-1,600) - Cyclonus, Starscream, and Cheetor, along with the other Voyager class toy in this series. Azrael already bought the HOUND yesterday. Lucky bastard! :)
• REVOLTECH FIGURES (P500) - the one onsale was the idol signer girl. I don't know the name, but they had the black one with pink ribbons, and the black one with a white skirt
• AOA SUNFIRE (P800) - Craptastic. Just bought this yesterday at P1,100. Same stall too I think.
• DCD WONDER WOMAN SERIES (P2,800) - I'd love to have gotten this. Sculpt is great, but I never have the cash when I see it.
• MUGGS SET of FA IRONMAN, VISION, and two more I can't remember (P3,000) - Robert was selling this. Really unbereable kewt this line is.
• CONCEPT SERIES IRONMAN WAVE (P650 and up) - Alot of stalls had these. Variations and repaints of the Ironman movie toys. meh.
• STICH AS POOH BEAR KEYCHAIN (P50) - Out kewts anything I saw. awwww...
• 8" ALIEN STICH PLUSH TOY (P150) - I wanted one I had seen yesterday, a 6-limbed 12" one in the red suit with his blaster, but someone bought it. Another one of those "Buy it now and eat crackers for the next month or regret it later" moments collectors are familiar with.
• IGNIS STATUE (P1,500) - Original version of the bootleg I have on my shelf. Again, would have gotten it if I had the scratch.
• RED HULK WAVE FIGURES W/O BAF (P850) - I aint falling for this one again. I'm gonna wait.
• ARES WAVE FIGURES W/O BAF (P850)
• MS THANOS (P2,500) - One of the only Marvel Select figures I'd consider buying (others I'd consider are all females in tights)
• LOOSE 3.75" BARONESS, SCARLETT, CRIMSON GUARD, Et al (P100) - Bought a Baroness and Scarlett to sit on my Ultra Magnus' shoulder. And when I get that TFU Ravage, I'm gonna make a leash and pose it next to Baroness. YEAH!
• LOOSE YELLOW FLASH 3.75" FIGS (P100) - also saw some Comissioner Gordons and others, but Flash is the most numerous
• LOOSE MARVEL SHOWDOWN COLOSSUS (P150) - sweet little figure. I love it and he will go on my desk at work!
• McDO HAPPY MEAL PO THE PANDA for P50 - 3 days after selling off my Kung Fu Panda set, I find this. The universe hates me.
• OPTIMUS PRIME GASHAPONS SET (P500) - It's that little pointing one; a regular, battle damaged, and clear version. Tempting, I started counting points of articulation again and got to like, two.
• CUSTOM RED HULK (from an MS Ultimate Hulk) - SWEET! Big, big improvement on the RULK from the ML line, even considering it's got crappy articulation. The paint work guy did, and the hair he sculpted in are really great. I'd have gotten him, but y'know, money.
• CUSTOM STEALTH IRON MAN (from an Icons IM) - Paint on this one was a little dodgy, not as smooth as the hulk, but if you like 12" scale, this would be nice to add to the armory.
• CUSTOM WAR MACHINE (from an Icons IM) - Same customizer. Much nicer than the Stealh re-paint. With Canons on his shoulders. Ooooo...
• LOOSE HAVOK (P650) - He just seem so plain to pay this much. I got the archangel and ghostrider for the about the same and they've got other stuff to play with. Havok's a guy in a black suit.
• LOOSE HC ABOMINATION (P500) - might have gotten this for my Hulk collection, but it's just so small...
• LOOSE HC ABSORBING MAN (P500) - again, might have gotten it, but I think he must have been customized at some point, and he's not complete.
• ART DEPARTMENT STATUES - Great, great, great way to start statues. They've got this Hulk one that just rocks! all "Hulk is the strongest one there is!". Their Abomination looks awesome to. I'd consider buying, but I don't have an extra P7,000 lying around.

Still alot of MOC and loose DC and Marvel figures, as well as Wresling figures. Prices for MOC are about what you'd expect for them. The auction looked like it had some nice items. There was a Black Cat Comiquette at P7,000 when I left. First thing I'm buying when I switch to statues, right after the White Queen Comiquette. Adam Hughes is a geek god.

I was hoping for another Stikfas booth like last year so I can get some of the plain bodies to use with my extra accessories, but no such luck.

When I got home and counted up the spoils of this weeks toy runs, this was on my desk:

• MP2 Ultra Magnus
• MP7 Thundercracker
• AOA Sunfire
• Loose Classic Ghostrider
• Loose Archangel
• Loose Thorbuster
• Loose Energon Arcee
• Figma Kanu Ucho (Ikkotousen)
• Loose Baroness
• Loose Scarlett
• Loose 3.75" Colossus
• Happy Meal Po the Panda
• TFU Nemesis Prime
• 8" Alien Stitch Plush toy
• 3" Stitch as Pooh Bear Plush keychain
• Transformers the Movie Leader Class Optimus Prime (from Toy Kingdom)
• Transformers the Movie Leader Class Brawl (from Toy Kingdom)

The cosplay folks were out also yesterday. Mallgoers were all snap-happy taking pics with them. Missed the show though since I was straight off nightshift and I had like no sleep the past two days and was already crashing by 2:00 pm. Wendang had my digital camera for the day, and I ran out of film on day one, so unfortunately no pics of hot cosplayers dressed like Tifa this time around. I have no idea who half of them are supposed to be, but i did see Pedo Bear! PEDO BEAR FTW! I would have loved to have a pic of with Pedo Bear...

Oh, well. Maybe he'll be at the TAGCOM in February. I still have to develop the pics of this convention, and hopefully I can edit this post next week with them.

Some guys have said that the toy conventions here really aren't for hard-core collectors and to an extent, that's true. If you have specialized collections of obscure lines that no one else has heard of, you're about as likely to find something here as you are in Toy Kingdom. The fun is in going there, digging through piles and piles of toys until you hit on one that catches your eye. Like an ukay-ukay, but with toys.

So forget whether or not you'll find that rare vinyl toy you've been looking for and go. Worse comes to worst, buy something you've been eyeing at Greenhills and get a nice discount from Pat or Robert or Veetoys.

If everything goes to pot and you come up totally empty handed, it's always fun meeting people even geekier than you are. P30 seems a bargain for that.