Toys are getting a little messy. You have what seem to be hits like the MOTU x TMNT Crossover that keep gaining steam. But then you have what we feel are flops like the Hiya Joe line and their new Gung Ho. Some are inadvertently messy, like making a 5 PoA line out of figures that were originally 5 PoA. I’m looking at you Phantom Menace Retro Collection. Some have got to know, right? Unfortunately, not the Transformers team. Or, maybe they do?

Something equally well-received as the HISS is the latest Figura Obscura from the 4Horsemen. Received not nearly as well, but still generating some excitement are the new O-ring Joes from Super7. I’m not sure Joe collectors will be so happy when they are $20+. Something that really impressed the crew this week was an intensely beautiful, or ugly, depending on your view, Threezero’s MDLX G2 Megatron. Not sure if it’s the piece or it’s ridiculous edition size of 50 worldwide. Something that obviously didn’t get a great reception was Hasbro’s Selfie Series; may it rest in peace.

No clever segue way this week, just the coolest stuff. The MOTU x TMNT crossovers have got us all excited. The revelation of the new Triple T in the Joe x TF crossover line sounds promising. Think Classified is killing it? The leaked listings prove that they are. While none of us collect Hot Toys, the new Ahsoka is yet another thing of beauty.

Can you feel the frustration with collectors nowadays? It’s either pricing, availability, or too much product. Almost everyone I know is cutting back or quitting altogether. It’s not stopping these companies. We still haven’t got our first big Classified vehicle. We just got done funding our second big vehicle, now we have a third coming our way. Transformers continues with a bevy of new exclusives. Same with Star Wars, but I ain’t mad at this EU Black Series multi-pack. While, still available, and relatively reasonable, it’s gotta be the price on some of these Power-Con exclusives that are making them hang around. Or, maybe there’s just too much MOTU out there to support 3rd Party.

I meant to save a bunch of time and do a really well-thought-out reflection of our 15th Anniversary show. Well, you see how well that worked out.

(mic drop)

Hasbro Pulse Con was kind of meh this year, but it’ll be an easy field to pick my favorites from, so here we go. Believe it or not, I think the weird rock truck was my favorite Transformer reveal. I still have no intention of picking it up. I’m a sucker for the Old Republic, so the TVC HK-47 and Jedi Revan 2-Pack was easily my favorite Star Wars reveal. I think Joe continues to kill it. It seems so much so, people are getting burned out on the whole line. I’ve always been a huge Big Boa fan, but who can really beat that deluxe Metalhead? No news for MOTU, so go enjoy Mattel’s awesome Origins stop-motion videos. They made me a lot happier when I thought I had Lady Slither on the way.

All of my favorites from this show you can put off. None of them are really required for any sort of collection. As much as I love Lady Slither and her articulated tail, do we really need her? I almost wish I had collected the Holiday Black Series figures from the beginning, especially because the latest batch is just killing it on a bunch of different levels. Another Transformers crossover to take or leave popped up as well. It looks great, but do you really need it? I don’t think anyone needs G.I. Joe ReAction figures, but the Sunbow deep cuts keep sucking me back in.

Why is it that I am constantly laboring on Labor Day? We just spent 3 hours doing yard work. That was after camping for the second time in so many weeks. Setting up and tearing down camp is always crazy laborious. The one thing I can skip is writing about it. Now you don't have to read it, win-win.

The way people collect can be equally as diverse as the way people choose to camp. And just as with camping, there’s no really right or wrong way to do it. I think this year’s Power-Con demonstrated this. The big two, Hasbro and Mattel, were nowhere to be found, but in their place was an amazingly diverse group of indy toy makers. The Four Horsemen had an extremely impressive setup highlighted by their amazing life-size Ogre. Fresh Monkey Fiction showed off some great new entries to the BBTS-sponsored Monster Force line. Mondo continued their stellar reputation with a flocked Panthor and Filmation Trap Jaw. My favorite by far was Creative Beast Studio, makers of The Beasts of Mesozoic. It looks like, besides just redecos and buck reuse, they most likely had an absolutely brilliant idea all along.