The Imperial Shipyards
General Collecting => Misc. non Star Wars => Topic started by: The Spectre on August 21, 2018, 08:35:21 AM
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This thread will be for items that are not technically 1/18 toys (can be larger scaled or even non-toy items) but are still useful for 1/18 scale customizing/dioramas.
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Michaels has some interesting items for 1/18 scale customizers in their Halloween section.
2 favorites from last year (crystal ball, fountain) return and there are 8 new items that could be of use.
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Michaels' Halloween (continued)
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Michaels Halloween (continued)
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Just great stuff for your Dungeon Dios. I love Halloween. Fall is my favorite time of the year. Thanks for sharing this Dan.
Am I correct in thinking Michaels also sales Bandai Items?
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Just great stuff for your Dungeon Dios. I love Halloween. Fall is my favorite time of the year. Thanks for sharing this Dan.
Am I correct in thinking Michaels also sales Bandai Items?
Michaels has a model section and they do have a small Bandai selection. Hobby Lobby does as well.
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While I have not seen them in person myself as of yet, for $29.98, these might make for some great large dragons for dioramas!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Accents-Holiday-19-in-Wind-Dragon-with-LED-Eyes-8342-19221/304805224
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Accents-Holiday-19-in-Fire-Dragon-with-LED-Eyes-8342-19194/304273759#customer_reviews
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Accents-Holiday-19-in-Earth-Dragon-with-LED-Eyes-8342-19690/304805228
There are also 69" long versions for $350!
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Wow, home depot is really sprucing things up!
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I went to the Home Depot closest to my house this afternoon to see if any of their Halloween decorations could be useful for customizers.
The 7' long dragon is beautiful but way too big, it would be "Godzilla"-scaled to 1/18 figures.
The smaller 19" long dragons (3 different, all the same sculpt but different decos) are just about perfect despite the lack of articulation. I plan on getting one when I have some fun money.
There were some skeletal animals/dinosaurs/spiders as well that would range from colossal to Kaiju scale compared to 1/18 figures. The spider, which looks like a scaled up version of the Walmart spider from 2 years back, was probably the best one. The spider's legs were not fully unfolded so it would actually have a larger footprint than how it was on display.
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Continued
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Continued
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Great stuff Dan. I wondered how those dragons would be in real life. They look fantastic. I wonder where one would store one of these huge ones outside of Halloween time?
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I saw this awesome electronic giant dragon skull at Target this afternoon. It is over a foot long and has an articulated jaw.
It is only $15.
I plan on getting one next paycheck :)
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Those do look cool.
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Thanks for the alert! These Halloween items in 1/18 scale are something special, indeed! And they would go along perfectly with ImperialOfficer's latest custom skeleton based on LEGO Ninjago...
Awesome stuff there!
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5 Below has some great diorama fodder from the "Hex Bugs" "Nano Space" line! Prices range from $3-$5 per item!
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5 Below has some great diorama fodder from the "Hex Bugs" "Nano Space" line! Prices range from $3-$5 per item!
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Great customizing potential here. Thanks for letting us know Dan.
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I picked up this T-Rex skull kit at Marshalls tonight for $7.99.
I figure it will make a nice diorama element.
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Scale pic with a 3.75" figure.
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Oh yeah, I can see that being fun in a dio.
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I found this cool dragin skull aquarium decoration tonight at Petco for $9.99!
I pried the red plastic jewels out of the eye sockets and plan to completely dremel out the sockets to more closely resemble an actual skull.
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I picked up this Hallmark ornament at Walmart for $7.94.
It scales nicely with 3.75" figures.
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Picked up 6 bags of these great glow in the dark "crystals" from Dollar Tree tonight!
They are a great scale for 1/18 customizing/diorama building as they are about 3/4 the size of an action figure's head.
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Michaels has set up their 2019 "Tiny Treasures" spring collection. Most of the offerings are very cartoony looking but there are a few usable 1/18 offerings.
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Michaels has set up their 2019 "Tiny Treasures" spring collection. Most of the offerings are very cartoony looking but there are a few usable 1/18 offerings.
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While running errands today, I went into ACMoore and saw that they have their "Woodland Garden" accessories stocked. There are a few items that could be of use to 1/18 scale collectors.
Remember that ACMoore often has 55% off coupons that will make these items really affordable.
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While running errands today, I went into ACMoore and saw that they have their "Woodland Garden" accessories stocked. There are a few items that could be of use to 1/18 scale collectors.
Remember that ACMoore often has 55% off coupons that will make these items really affordable.
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Dollar Tree score!
The eggs are full of candy dinosaurs. The eggs will make great dragon eggs in a diorama.
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Cheap diorama fodder finds!
The "Build A Straw" sets have returned to Dollar Tree! These sets are EXCELLENT for making pipes for dioramas and are only $1 per set making stocking up cheap and relatively easy. My wife picked this one up for me today, it was the only one in the store. I have many Dollar Trees in my hunting area so I will be on the look out for more.
The "Mini Garden Furniture" is from Family Dollar. They have many different pieces that fit different scales and range from $1-$5 each. The benches and stone paths were the best looking items in my preferred scale and were only $1 each.
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Scored some cheap diorama parts at $ Zone on Rt46. Each one has 8 cactus spears that can be pulled out with some effort. After trimming the bottom posts, they will be excellent for diorama foliage.
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Nice Dan.
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Picked up this cool resin "crystal" skull at a pet store in Paramus for $3.99.
It fits in the palm of my hand. I plan on using it in a mystical temple diorama eventually.
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I picked up 3 cheap costume jewellery necklaces at the dollar store for the pendants. I figure I can use them in dioramas at some point.
They are quite large, the largest is 2" across.
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Start checking your local craft and home decor stores!
Picked up these awesome creepy items in the Halloween section of a store called "At Home".
The skulltopus looks like the Hydra symbol come to life!
The black tentacles are candle holders but will hold eldrich relics in my Cult of Cthulhu diorama :)
Scale pics with figures at the bottom.
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I also saw this at Michaels, but it was too expensive ($15) for its tiny size (less than 12" long):
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Found these tonight at A.C. Moore.
They are resin Halloween ashtrays but will make excellent diorama elements!
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Some great 1/18 scale diorama elements in the Halloween section at Michaels!
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Some great 1/18 scale diorama elements in the Halloween section at Michaels!
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Some great 1/18 scale diorama elements in the Halloween section at Michaels!
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Some pretty cool items, off to share on the front page.
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McFarlane Toys is releasing a Frostwing Glider in their 7" "Fortnite" line. This looks like it will scale well to 3.75"/4" figures and has movable limbs. It should retail for $22-$25.
I plan on getting at least 1. If it scales as well as I think it will, I will probably end up with 3-6 LOL
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McFarlane 7" scale "Fortnite" Frostwing Glider (continued).
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I saw all your great new toys news on Facebook and shared it too the front page. I know you will be getting this one!
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Found these cool Halloween LED "candles" at Dollar Tree on the way home from work.
They will make excellent diorama elements in the future :)
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Pics of the "Fortnite" dragon with a 4" figure:
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Pretty cool looking dragon.
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McFarlane Toys is making some pretty cool fantasy creatures under their "Games Of Thrones", "Harry Potter" and "Elder Scrolls" lines.
They are not necessarily 1/18 scale, but are close enough to be used as small or juvenile creatures.
I have 2 of the 3 that have been released already (still need the "Harry Potter" Hippogriff) and they are very cool little creature figures. The 4 pictured below are due out any day now.
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Nice. I saw your great updates on FB and shared them to the front page.
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Awesome idea! Would you also share the drangons' dimensions with us, please?
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Awesome idea! Would you also share the drangons' dimensions with us, please?
Sorry, just saw this.
I will try to take some pics tomorrow.
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Got these fish tank decorations today at a pet store in Paramus.
They are solid resin and quite heavy. The 4" "Fortnite" figure is for scale.
These will work beautifully in a future diorama. They were $12.99 each. They had 1 more or of each color and it was hard to resist buying all 4 LOL
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New 1/18 compatible Halloween items at Michael's.
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New 1/18 compatible Halloween items at Michael's.
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I saw all your great finds on FB and got em on the front pages.
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Dollar Tree has some tiny "Fairy Village" type accessories for $1 each that can be useful to 3.75" scale customizers and dio builders.
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Nice, time to share this info
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Found these great dragon figurines at Five Below while running errands for my mother today!
They are static (no articulation) heavy vinyl and are quite rigid. They are cast in a single color with a black wash over them to bring out the details.
3 of the 4 sculpts (one sculpt is duplicated in the set) are "inspired" by dragon figurines from Schleich and Safari Ltd. The 4th sculpt is not one I recognize.
The red and purple dragons are based on the Dragon Warrior from Schleich's "Eldrador" line.
The blue dragon is based on the Sea Dragon from Safari Ltd.
The green dragon is based on the Dragon Hunter figurine also from Schleich's "Eldrador" line (my all time favorite dragon from the line).
The orange one is the one I do not recognize from any previous line.
I really like these figurines and plan to repaint them in a realistic manner. I want to grab 4 more sets when I have some more fun money.
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Found these great dragon figurines at Five Below while running errands for my mother today!
They are static (no articulation) heavy vinyl and are quite rigid. They are cast in a single color with a black wash over them to bring out the details.
3 of the 4 sculpts (one sculpt is duplicated in the set) are "inspired" by dragon figurines from Schleich and Safari Ltd. The 4th sculpt is not one I recognize.
The red and purple dragons are based on the Dragon Warrior from Schleich's "Eldrador" line.
The blue dragon is based on the Sea Dragon from Safari Ltd.
The green dragon is based on the Dragon Hunter figurine also from Schleich's "Eldrador" line (my all time favorite dragon from the line).
The orange one is the one I do not recognize from any previous line.
I really like these figurines and plan to repaint them in a realistic manner. I want to grab 4 more sets when I have some more fun money.
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Noticed a variation on the dragon 5pks I picked up. The set on the right is the ones I have been buying, the set on the left has color variants and the mold that is duplicated is the weird one that I cannot identify instead of the Schleich Dragon Warrior one.
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As a customizer, I am always looking beyond the usual outlets for usable parts.
1/18 Archive on Facebook posted a pic of a box full of figures and one stood out (I copied it with the figure below as an example) as it had beautiful translucent fairy wings. He said that they were from a Dollar Tree doll. Apparently they were sold a while ago as only an out of the way DT had any left, but I snagged all 10 that they had.
These little dolls utilize the same type and size peg system to attach the wings that is used by most 3.75"/4" lines including "Fortnite", "G.I.Joe", "Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S", etc. use to attach backpacks so they are compatible without any modifications.
I have had plans to make warrior fairies for my fantasy world for quite a while but lacked decent feminine wings. Now I have some, and in a few different colors no less. Ideally, I would like to find 2 more to have an even dozen, but am happy with what I found today.
The dolls themselves will go to a coworker that has a little girl on Monday.
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1/18-ish "Batman" 1966 Batmobile from McFarlane Toys at Target.
Retails for $29.99.
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Those fairy wings look great on your AFs.
Nice idea to give the dolls to a co-worker too. Class act Dan.
Off to share some of this on the front pages.
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Those fairy wings look great on your AFs.
Nice idea to give the dolls to a co-worker too. Class act Dan.
Off to share some of this on the front pages.
Thanks, they fit my needs quite nicely.
I wasn't able to gift the dolls today as my coworker called out, but I will give them to her tomorrow if she is in :)
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1/18-ish cats and dogs at Dollar Tree.
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Customizers/diorama builders take note!
These Lemax textured mats are 50% off at Michaels! Currently $12.49 instead of $24.99!
I just ordered 4 of the pebble mats for the future date when I can set my giant Schleich castle diorama back up again.
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What a great way to get a brick or a rock base.
Off to share on the front page.
Thanks for letting us know Dan.
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Those are pretty cool
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I am not a Funko "Pop!" collector by any stretch of the imagination (in fact, I think they are this generation's "Beanie Babies" and will be occupying landfills in a decade), but every now and again, I will see something that can be used for our scale in an outside line.
This "Stranger Things" monster makes for angreat, gooey monster for 3.75"/4" figures.
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Oh yeah, that will work great Dan.
Off to the front pages with this.
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Some "thinking outside the box" diorama fodder!
These rigid plastic stickers from Dollar Tree are embossed and three dimensional. They will be used as accents in dioramas. They will make great artwork/decorative tiles/mystic objects/crests/etc. depending on the style.
You cannot beat them for $1 each :)
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Dollar Tree embossed stickers continued:
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Seem pretty awesome.
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I picked up 6 of these "Hanging Organizer Trays" after work at Dollar Tree for $1.25 each as I immediately recognized their diorama potential.
They will make for great sci-fi hallway walls with some modifications (greebles, repaint, etc.) although making hallway corners corners will require some more advanced fabrication techniques as the ends do not have shapes conductive to cornering. They can even be doubled up to make taller walls with some glue and reinforcements on the reverse sides.
The open organizer trays can either be sealed off completely and turned into consoles or sealed off internally at different depths depending on how you want to utilize them.
I think they have great potential for inexpensive diorama material.
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Yeah, these look great. Off to share.
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Creatively Organized by JOT Square Shaped Pegboard review for sci-fi collectors/customizers:
I found these square shaped pegboard 2pks today at Dollar Tree. They are part of the "Creatively Organized" line by JOT (same company that makes the Hanging Organizer Trays that I showed a few weeks ago).
They are made from a heavy, rigid plastic that will keep their shape well and stand up to everyday display needs. They measure 5" on each side and are just over .5" tall. The shallow but sharp pattern on the surface is what caught my eye and made me take a closer look at them. There are small "connectors" on 2 perpendicular sides and corresponding "ports" on the opposite perpendicular sides, but they really do not do anything as they fit extremely loosely.
I believe that they can serve many different purposes for sci-fi collectors and customizers including but not limited to pallets and wall or floor panels. You can see some pictures below showing their scale with a 4" "Fortnite" figure, the "connectors"/"ports" and how they look connected into a 10" square. I hope to find a few more of the 2pks at the many Dollar Tree stores in my immediate area.
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Those are a great find! I agree with you 100% about the diorama potential for these. I'll have to keep my eye for them. Thanks for the heads up (cheap resources are always a plus).
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Sure seem nice to me.
Off to share on the front page.
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An addendum to yesterday's post:
The mini pegboards are also available in white and I found a different model that is one solid piece that is equivalent to the 2 smaller square pieces. I only found these rectangular ones in black but there is no reason to doubt that they also come in white like the smaller ones.
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Talk about all kinds of potential here. Thanks for making us aware of them Dan!
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Just saw this cool skeletal fish decoration at Spirit Halloween.
I am seriously tempted to pick it up for use with my action figures as it is a decent size and has an articulated jaw. It is $19.99, but I will probably hold off for the inevitable 20% or 25% off coupon that Spirit Halloween puts out in early September every year.
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That's a cool find. I can see several applications for it. Waiting for a price reduction makes good sense to me.
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Skelefish scale pics with a 4" "Fortnite" figure:
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Thanks for the scale reference. That would make a great skeleton for the bottom of the Naboo ocean, or some other fossil. I bet you you could cover it with something and paint into a living fish too.
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That looks awesome Dan. Man, I could see that being the perfect zombie fish.
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I found another variant of the plastic pegboards, this one is basically a giant square the size of 4 of the small squares.
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I found these Halloween decorations today at Dollar Tree.
The pumpkin teeth glow in the dark and the curved ones are very reminiscent of the spikes on Snake Mountain from the "Masters Of The Universe".
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While grocery shopping at Walmart this morning, I found this set of tiny fossil models (complete with display bases) in the Halloween section in a floor display of small non-candy items.
The detail is pretty basic, but they work for diorama builders wanting to fill out a paleontologist's office, museum or even a kid's room.
They come 6 in a bag for $1.98 +tax ($2.11 in NJ) and I got 4 unique models and 2 duplicates. They only had 1 bag that I saw in the display (I didn't check the 2 bottom rows of baskets as I was not wearing my knee braces and kneeling without them is painful) so I do not know if there are any other models or different pack out ratios in other bags. The addition of a display base is actually pretty classy and not something I expected from cheap items meant to be given to trick-or-treaters.
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Very cool find there! I'd sure be a happy boy if I got something like this as treat for Halloween!
I also found some similar ones for roughly the same price on AliExpress:
(https://i.imgur.com/gu2m9W8.jpg)
Here's the link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256802699424686.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.33f9c5b0Y5YLw0&algo_pvid=93122d77-8156-4bfc-86bd-3d8fe096c2dc&algo_exp_id=93122d77-8156-4bfc-86bd-3d8fe096c2dc-1&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000022620544674%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21EUR%218.01%214.96%21%21%21%21%21%400b0a187b16629767748484521ed8ff%2112000022620544674%21sea&curPageLogUid=7cysC6JjXJpV&gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt
And also some more detailed ones, some of which could be 1/18 scale as well:
(https://i.imgur.com/4ItZkr9.jpg)
Here's the link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256804040230153.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.33f9c5b0Y5YLw0&algo_pvid=93122d77-8156-4bfc-86bd-3d8fe096c2dc&algo_exp_id=93122d77-8156-4bfc-86bd-3d8fe096c2dc-3&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000028446446900%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21EUR%2114.31%217.01%21%21%212.14%21%21%400b0a187b16629767748484521ed8ff%2112000028446446900%21sea&curPageLogUid=GysytBSGb393&gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt
And even a T-Rex in 1/18 scale:
(https://i.imgur.com/mmaInW2.jpg)
The link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256801297361371.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.33f9c5b0Y5YLw0&algo_pvid=93122d77-8156-4bfc-86bd-3d8fe096c2dc&algo_exp_id=93122d77-8156-4bfc-86bd-3d8fe096c2dc-5&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000016293376642%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21EUR%2129.69%2123.76%21%21%21%21%21%400b0a187b16629767748484521ed8ff%2112000016293376642%21sea&curPageLogUid=sjjTk14biij0&gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt
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The more I look the more cool stuff I find on AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20220912015934&SearchText=dino+skelett&spm=a2g0o.home.1000002.0
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These skeletal creatures were found in the Halloween section of Walmart. They are $4.98 each.
They have screw holes all along one side, like Chap Mei and other lower value toylines so I photographed their good sides ;)
The Gryffin and Velociraptor feature swivel heads and hinged jaws. The Triceratops only has the hinged jaw (this is the least impressive of the 3 due to not having any form of visible neck, looks like a turtle pulling its head in :( ). All 3 feature bendy tails (rubber with a wire running through it).
They are decently sized as seen in the images below with a 4" "Fortnite" figure to show their scale.
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These are great Dan.
Off to share this review on the front pages.
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Found this Bigfoot at Hobby Lobby in the section with plastic dinosaurs. Scales pretty well. They had a Yeti too that wasn't just a repaint, but a different sculpt, though I didn't care for it.
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You are right, that doesn't look bad at all.
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These skeletal creatures from Family Dollar are a bit lower in quality than the ones from Walmart, but for $3 each they are great!
The fish has a hinged jaw and the dragon has swivel head and wings in addition to the hinged jaw. My favorite thing about these are that the dragon's tail is made from the same hard plastic as the rest of the figure instead of the bendy wired rubber of the Walmart ones. .
Hilariously, the dragons use the goat skull from the same company's skull bag from last year instead of the usual dragon skull. When I bought a ton of the skull bags last year, I did so because with the ears removed, the goat skulls look like dragon skulls. I guess the company thought they were close enough as well LOL
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Very nice Dan. Off to share.
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Scored these cool "Party Shot Glass Rings" at Dollar Tree.
The grey rings are removeable and I think the top pieces will make for interesting cargo crates once painted up. I my go back and get a few more sets.
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"Boneless Super Street Sk8prk" Review For Customizers:
The fences are scaled well, but 4 out of the 12 in the box have sculpted "Boneless" logos that will need to be covered with a sign or cut out for damaged fences before they can really be useful. The fence height is pretty good against a 4" "Fortnite" figure. The smallest closed shape that you can make is a pentagon due to the shape of the fence stands.
The center obstacle is a decent size but has a woodgrain pattern that will need to be sanded before it can be used for most dioramas.
The large yellow standing bowl is the hardest piece to find usage for, but I am sure I will figure something out.
The graffiti stickers are good for use in urban dioramas and will be going into my Swap Shop as they are written in English and my "Universe" is based on the "Star Wars" Universe so I have no use for them.
For $5.99, these were a great fodder purchase.
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"Boneless Super Street Sk8prk" Review For Customizers:
The fences are scaled well, but 4 out of the 12 in the box have sculpted "Boneless" logos that will need to be covered with a sign or cut out for damaged fences before they can really be useful. The fence height is pretty good against a 4" "Fortnite" figure. The smallest closed shape that you can make is a pentagon due to the shape of the fence stands.
The center obstacle is a decent size but has a woodgrain pattern that will need to be sanded before it can be used for most dioramas.
The large yellow standing bowl is the hardest piece to find usage for, but I am sure I will figure something out.
The graffiti stickers are good for use in urban dioramas and will be going into my Swap Shop as they are written in English and my "Universe" is based on the "Star Wars" Universe so I have no use for them.
For $5.99, these were a great fodder purchase.
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Radar installation?
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Radar installation?
That is certainly a possibility.
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Just a thought. The fences look good though. I'll have to think about how I might use them.
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Very interesting Dan.
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Saw this cool Halloween 8" or 9" decoration at Michael's. Would make for a great fantasy diorama element. It is the same on both sides. I believe it was $19.99.
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That's cool. Great find.
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Nice Dan. Time to get that review to the front pages.
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"Astro Venture Mars Mission" Mars Base review:
This playset comes with a nice sized habitat, a botanical pod with "growing" plants (gimmick works EXTREMELY poorly), 2 figures and a bunch of accessories.
The habitat is scaled to the included 3" figures but works quite well for standard 3.75" figures like "Star Wars", but is less compatible with 4" figures like "Fortnite". 3.75" figures fit well at the chair and can stand inside the habitat with the lid closed, although the chair has a protusion in the front that works better with ball jointed hips than with swivel hips. 4" figures fit at the chair but cannot stand in the habitat with the lid closed without stooping a bit. There are electronic lights in the interior that are EXTREMELY bright and a small turning wheel on the underside that raises and lowers the comm antennae on the top of the habitat.
The interior has a control panel with an adjustable chair, removeable toolbox, storage spots for the included tools and places for the specimin containers to plug into the console, a food preparation station with removeable foodstuffs and an adjustable rack for the sleep chamber (which I will not be using as it is too small).
The botanical pod is kind of a waste as the gimmick is pretty badly done, but I can take it apart and use it for a custom project so it is not a total loss.
The accessories include handheld metal detector, drill, grinder and a gas analyzer. The set also has some terrain pieces including a rockpile, a crater and 2 rocks that pop apart to reveal trilobite-like fossils inside. The grinder's handle is too thick for most figures, but can be customized to work. The metal detector is really short for 3.75" figures but can be modified to work.
The robot figure is kind of cool, but the waist joint on mine snapped when I tried to turn it so it will need to be repaired. I want to use it as a labor droid but will be swapping the lower arms for something less cartoonish.
The astronaut figure is way too kidish for my needs but the backpack is great and I am going to try and modify the head/helmet for a custom figure.
This set is worth the $29.99 I paid for it and I will be grabbing more if/when they hit clearance.
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"Astro Venture Mars Mission" Mars Base review:
This playset comes with a nice sized habitat, a botanical pod with "growing" plants (gimmick works EXTREMELY poorly), 2 figures and a bunch of accessories.
The habitat is scaled to the included 3" figures but works quite well for standard 3.75" figures like "Star Wars", but is less compatible with 4" figures like "Fortnite". 3.75" figures fit well at the chair and can stand inside the habitat with the lid closed, although the chair has a protusion in the front that works better with ball jointed hips than with swivel hips. 4" figures fit at the chair but cannot stand in the habitat with the lid closed without stooping a bit. There are electronic lights in the interior that are EXTREMELY bright and a small turning wheel on the underside that raises and lowers the comm antennae on the top of the habitat.
The interior has a control panel with an adjustable chair, removeable toolbox, storage spots for the included tools and places for the specimin containers to plug into the console, a food preparation station with removeable foodstuffs and an adjustable rack for the sleep chamber (which I will not be using as it is too small).
The botanical pod is kind of a waste as the gimmick is pretty badly done, but I can take it apart and use it for a custom project so it is not a total loss.
The accessories include handheld metal detector, drill, grinder and a gas analyzer. The set also has some terrain pieces including a rockpile, a crater and 2 rocks that pop apart to reveal trilobite-like fossils inside. The grinder's handle is too thick for most figures, but can be customized to work. The metal detector is really short for 3.75" figures but can be modified to work.
The robot figure is kind of cool, but the waist joint on mine snapped when I tried to turn it so it will need to be repaired. I want to use it as a labor droid but will be swapping the lower arms for something less cartoonish.
The astronaut figure is way too kidish for my needs but the backpack is great and I am going to try and modify the head/helmet for a custom figure.
This set is worth the $29.99 I paid for it and I will be grabbing more if/when they hit clearance.
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"Astro Venture Mars Mission" Mars Base review:
This playset comes with a nice sized habitat, a botanical pod with "growing" plants (gimmick works EXTREMELY poorly), 2 figures and a bunch of accessories.
The habitat is scaled to the included 3" figures but works quite well for standard 3.75" figures like "Star Wars", but is less compatible with 4" figures like "Fortnite". 3.75" figures fit well at the chair and can stand inside the habitat with the lid closed, although the chair has a protusion in the front that works better with ball jointed hips than with swivel hips. 4" figures fit at the chair but cannot stand in the habitat with the lid closed without stooping a bit. There are electronic lights in the interior that are EXTREMELY bright and a small turning wheel on the underside that raises and lowers the comm antennae on the top of the habitat.
The interior has a control panel with an adjustable chair, removeable toolbox, storage spots for the included tools and places for the specimin containers to plug into the console, a food preparation station with removeable foodstuffs and an adjustable rack for the sleep chamber (which I will not be using as it is too small).
The botanical pod is kind of a waste as the gimmick is pretty badly done, but I can take it apart and use it for a custom project so it is not a total loss.
The accessories include handheld metal detector, drill, grinder and a gas analyzer. The set also has some terrain pieces including a rockpile, a crater and 2 rocks that pop apart to reveal trilobite-like fossils inside. The grinder's handle is too thick for most figures, but can be customized to work. The metal detector is really short for 3.75" figures but can be modified to work.
The robot figure is kind of cool, but the waist joint on mine snapped when I tried to turn it so it will need to be repaired. I want to use it as a labor droid but will be swapping the lower arms for something less cartoonish.
The astronaut figure is way too kidish for my needs but the backpack is great and I am going to try and modify the head/helmet for a custom figure.
This set is worth the $29.99 I paid for it and I will be grabbing more if/when they hit clearance.
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"Astro Venture Mars Mission" Mars Base review:
This playset comes with a nice sized habitat, a botanical pod with "growing" plants (gimmick works EXTREMELY poorly), 2 figures and a bunch of accessories.
The habitat is scaled to the included 3" figures but works quite well for standard 3.75" figures like "Star Wars", but is less compatible with 4" figures like "Fortnite". 3.75" figures fit well at the chair and can stand inside the habitat with the lid closed, although the chair has a protusion in the front that works better with ball jointed hips than with swivel hips. 4" figures fit at the chair but cannot stand in the habitat with the lid closed without stooping a bit. There are electronic lights in the interior that are EXTREMELY bright and a small turning wheel on the underside that raises and lowers the comm antennae on the top of the habitat.
The interior has a control panel with an adjustable chair, removeable toolbox, storage spots for the included tools and places for the specimin containers to plug into the console, a food preparation station with removeable foodstuffs and an adjustable rack for the sleep chamber (which I will not be using as it is too small).
The botanical pod is kind of a waste as the gimmick is pretty badly done, but I can take it apart and use it for a custom project so it is not a total loss.
The accessories include handheld metal detector, drill, grinder and a gas analyzer. The set also has some terrain pieces including a rockpile, a crater and 2 rocks that pop apart to reveal trilobite-like fossils inside. The grinder's handle is too thick for most figures, but can be customized to work. The metal detector is really short for 3.75" figures but can be modified to work.
The robot figure is kind of cool, but the waist joint on mine snapped when I tried to turn it so it will need to be repaired. I want to use it as a labor droid but will be swapping the lower arms for something less cartoonish.
The astronaut figure is way too kidish for my needs but the backpack is great and I am going to try and modify the head/helmet for a custom figure.
This set is worth the $29.99 I paid for it and I will be grabbing more if/when they hit clearance.
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That's pretty cool. Where did you find it? I think there are some decent applications for our little universes :) Thanks for the very thorough review of the parts of this set and its compatibility with different sizes of figures.
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This looks awesome. Thanks for the review Dan.
Off to share it on the front pages.
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Halloween clearance diorama fodder.
These skeletal pumpkins open up at the bottom via several really tiny screws. A 4" figure can comfortably stand in the center so it can be used as a fantasy styled jail cell (additional figures can fit but would require further disassembly to properly pose them inside as the opening is very narrow.
The skeletons, while larger than 4" figures can still be useful as diorama terrain scatter once the bones are cut into separate pieces.
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That skeleton cage is great. We can capture Ewoks for our Gorax :)
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The skeletal pumpkins are interesting.
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For my fellow diorama builders:
These stickers are at Five Below and have replicas of several of the various park signs from "Jurassic World".
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Thanks for the news Dan.
On the front page.
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McFarlane Toys "Avatar: The Last Airbender" Fire Nation Komodo-Rhino review:
I have never watched "Avatar: The Last Airbender" so I know nothing about this creature save that it is really cool looking. It is essentially a mix of a rhino and a komodo dragon.
The toy is a huge, solid and heavy chunk of vinyl. The sculpt is really good with a nice leathery hide, sharp nails and horns and some cool armor. The figure only sports 2 points of articulation- a ball hinge head and a wired, flexible rubber/vinyl tail. I know many people are sticklers for lots of articulation, but as I do not play with my toys, a lack of articulation is not a deal breaker for me. The figure's stance is highly aggressive, even moreso when the head is posed in a downward attack stance. What little paint is present (armored helmet, saddle straps, etc.) is neat and cleanly applied with no bleed or slop.
The figure is meant for a 5" or 6" scale line (the characters are teens so I am not sure of the actual scale) but smaller figures like my preferred 3.75"/4" work with it as well. My only real quibble is the lack of reigns for the rider to control the beast, but I will be adding a custom set to it soon-ish, along with some saddlebags and maybe a bedroll.
For the retail price of $20.48, this is a great figure since most other companies offer similarly sized items for twice the price or more.
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Nice review. Off to share.
Man, wonder if anyone will try to make a Mudhorn out of this one?
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Interesting customizing item found at Dollar Tree:
These 7-Day Pill Organizer packs have 7 small, 3 section cases that could work well for cargo crates or even cabinets in dioramas.
The last photo shows one of them with a 4" "Fortnite" figure for scale.
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I've seen those somewhere before...pretty cool!
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Yep, paint those up and they would be nice.
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I picked up these 3 vinyl hedgehogs at Walmart while grocery shopping.
The sculpt is really nice, but they are a bit softer than I would like. I am hoping after plugging the hole where the tag was attached that they will be a bit sturdier.
I plan on repainting them, adding fangs and a ratlike tail (possibly with a spiked club at the end) and using them as alien creatures in one of my eventual dioramas.
I would like to find 3 more so I can have my customizing OCD required "6 of everything" 🤣
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Picked up these multicolored foil flakes in the Dollar Tree+ section of Dollar Tree this morning while out running errands.
I will be putting them into small transparent containers and using then for magical ingredients or exotic elements in future dioramas.
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Great idea.
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This upcoming "Power Rangers: Lightning Collection" 6" scale Minotaur figure could work very well with 3.75"/4" fantasy figures!
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Yeah, it doesn't look too shabby.
Now if you can just afford Hasbro prices.
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I grabbed these today at Five Below. They are essentially 1/18 scale.
Action figure food items are not the easiest things to come by cheaply so I grabbed all 3 that they had. I might hit another Five Below tomorrow or Monday and grab some more.
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That is awesome! Food items in 1/18 is hard to come by, usually they're 1/12ish. Wacky Packages, mini brands etc. Ill swing by five below tomorrow see what i can find.
I went to Michael's a while back got the junkbots. I really just wanted the container, and was curious about the contents. Its cool, just it's overpriced for my application. The scale is all over the place. When I get time I'll post pictures, but they're interesting. If the price was lower id get more.
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The contents with a 4" figure. The Boba tea is too big unless it is a Double Gulp from 7-11. The pressure cooker is a bit big, but it can just be a large model. The instant noodles are a bit big unless they are supposed to be a family sized carton. Everything else is pretty spot on for 1/18 scale.
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I picked up this reptile tank decoration at Patsmart for $11.87 (down from $19.99). It makes for a great mini diorama accessory. It has several areas (on top of the skull, a larger landing behind the skull, stairs) where figures can be posed and there is even a cave that runs the entire length of the decoration with access through the side under the stairs and the mouth of the skull.
I would have posed the figure to be crouching inside the entrance (the cave is just slightly lower than 4"), but I was trying to keep my kitten from jumping up on the table while I was taking photos 🤣
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Thought this would be of interest to any 3.75"/4" action figure customizers/collectors:
https://www.shopcinemark.com/prod-57-2-496-86/blue-beetle-bug-ship-popcorn-container-with-lanyard.htm
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That looks interesting.
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Glanced at this and saw some other interesting ones too, like the light up Optimus Prime Head.
That one lights up. Pretty cool stuff.
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I found these cool resin skull 3pks for $1 each! They are too large for human skulls at the 3.75"/4" scale, but are great for titan or giant skulls.
They are in the $1-$5 section in the front of the store by the registers.
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I picked up this awesome Skelesnail at Spirit Halloween!
It is unarticulated, but has a wonderful sculpt. The plastic is firm and non waxy.
I plan on painting the snail a nice, sickly mucusy yellow-green and the shell a brownish shade with the skull drybrushed in my traditional bone colors.
It scales very well as a large creature with 4" figures as seen in the last 2 images.
It retails for $10.99, but I had a 20% off coupon which brought it to $9.34 including the sales tax.
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The crystal Halloween decoration from Spirit Halloween is pretty nice!
The colors are AMAZING, the sculpt is crisp, and the size is great with plenty of room to lay out mystic items for ceremonies.
I will need to sculpt or build up a base of some sort to bring the altar up to waist level to my action figures, but I am already very happy with this purchase!
It retails for $16.99.
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The crystal Halloween decoration from Spirit Halloween is pretty nice!
The colors are AMAZING, the sculpt is crisp, and the size is great with plenty of room to lay out mystic items for ceremonies.
I will need to sculpt or build up a base of some sort to bring the altar up to waist level to my action figures, but I am already very happy with this purchase!
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I saw these at Five Below today, if they were cheaper (like $1-$2), I would have grabbed some of them just for the coral bases (at least the blue and yellow ones, not crazy about the design of the pink ones) for undersea diorama elements. The coral bases are about 3.5" tall.
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I saw this "Micro Toy Box" set at Foreman Mills for $7.99.
There are more or less random assortments of micro sized toys in each package, but what struck me was the Nerf rifle in the upper right- it is perfectly 1/18 scale.
There is also a larger Nerf pistol that looks to be 1/10 scale as well in the same package.
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If anyone needs 1/18 scale cats and dogs, as well as their accessories (dog houses, assorted sized food bowls, etc.), hit up Five Below for this Show Pets "Fun! Bucket".
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Saw a "Space Exploration" Play Set that I have never seen before at Marshall's.
The satellites and accessory tree alone are worth the $9.99 price!
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These little articulated metallic dragons were from a dollar store called "1$Zone" and were $1.25 each.
The paint on the metallic dragons is super sloppy so they will need to be repainted, also, there is a ton of flash along the seams that needs trimming before they get repainted, but for $1.25 each, they are pretty decent.
The last picture is with a 4" figure for scale.
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The Hallmark "House Of The Dragon" ornament was 50% off so it only cost me $9.99.
The Dragon ornament is made from a pretty decent vinyl, not quite as rigid as Schleich, Papo or Safari Ltd., and has some beautiful sculpted details and great paint deco.
The last picture is with a 4" figure for scale:
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These Hallmark "Stranger Things" ornaments were 50% off at Walgreens so they only cost me $4.99 each.
I bought them to be dwarf Demogorgons for my 3.75"/4" figures. I have a bunch of the Funko action figures and these will supplement them in dioramas.
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There are 3 new "Teeny Tinies" food playsets available at Five Below.
The foods' scale ranges from 1/18 to 1/6, often in the same pack, but the "Market Place" playset is pretty much all 1/18 scale.
The Holiday and Sauce sets are not my photos.
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I cannot be the only one thinking that these 5" scale "Gwar" figures would make excellent trolls for 3.75"/4" fantasy figures, right?
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I cannot be the only one thinking that these 5" scale "Gwar" figures would make excellent trolls for 3.75"/4" fantasy figures, right?
You're totally right. Those are pretty cool, where do you find more info about them?
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The "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" Hollow Earth Crystals can contain 3.75" figures quite nicely for use as magical prisons. 4" figures can fit as well, but they would have to stoop a bit to fit. The crystals split in half to put figures inside (as well as contain the mystery mini monsters packed inside them).
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I cannot be the only one thinking that these 5" scale "Gwar" figures would make excellent trolls for 3.75"/4" fantasy figures, right?
You're totally right. Those are pretty cool, where do you find more info about them?
They are coming soon and are produced by Trick Or Treat Studios.
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Potential custom vehicle fodder.
Walmart is clearancing the "Rebel Moon" Imperium Dropship popcorn bowl for $14.96 (originally $34.99).
It is a decent size for a small 2 man assault ship, but you will need to scratch build an interior.
I passed on it for now, but will keep an eye out to see if the clearance price goes any lower.
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Cool find. It will be interesting to see if it goes lower.
Off to share.