Mattel Thingmaker FIghting Man Set

One of the few things I did purchase at the Gettysburg Toy Show was this Mattel Thingmaker Fighting Man molding set. The box was in very good condition. I really liked the packaging art - it was the main reason I purchased it. Some of the metal dies were still in there. I need to look at the instructions. Apparently, you can still buy the PlastiGoop used to pour into the molds.

HIYA Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I was never a big fan of the original Planet of the Apes. However, I REALLY liked Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It seemed to be a realistic start to the whole story. It was well done and the CGI actually looked real.

There wasn't much in terms of collectibles, but HIYA toys released a Caesar and Koba. I bought these off Ebay....Caesar is enroute, but Koba arrived. They are smaller than I expected but think they will fit in well with NECA's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes figures coming soon. Looking forward to that diorama.

Gettysburg Toy Soldier Show

Went to the Gettysburg Toy Soldier show on April 27th. It was a pretty cool event. There were plenty of plastic army men. Mostly it was about the higher end painted toy soldiers which I admire but could never start into - too expensive.

There were very few vintage or modern playsets. I did buy some cool stuff. Not a lot. Of course, my two regrets that I second guessed was the Barzso/TSSD Battle of Stalingrad Playset and a set of six Marx 6 Inch Germans including the rare bayonet stabbing soldier.

There were plenty of dioramas, including Civil War Lego set ups.

More Puzzles - Terminator Harvester and Smurfs

Don't even get me started on the atrocious lineup of Terminator: Salvation figures by Playmates. What a missed opportunity. However, one cool - and rare - item they released was the Harvester robot.

I had also bought my daughter a large lot of Smurfs on Ebay years ago. As I wondered what the Harvester could...harvest...I thought why not Smurfs. Anyway, this was a fun one just for the heck of it.

LEGO Modular Building Parisian Restaurant

This is the next big bad boy for the collection. My wife and daughter got this for me for my birthday! They have great taste. Of course they also asked for a trip to Paris for real, especially since I have to travel there for business. Maybe one day.

So far I've completed the first two floors. Very complicated and challenging, but a lot of fun.

LEGO Friends Beach Party

This one's for my daughter - and to hell with all the parents who protest against gender specific toys. She loves them.  After this winter - I think we could all use a beach party like this.

Back to My Roots - Jigsaw Puzzles - San Jose Sharks

This blog started as a compilation of my toy dioramas which I turned into puzzles, many moons ago. It's been awhile since I built one. Last night - since I haven't had internet at my house for eight days. I found other ways to be more productive.

Anyway, this is a simple diorama of three San Jose Sharks McFarlane figures and the McFarlane ice rink. I like how the figures reflect off the ice.

Players include Jonathon Cheechoo, Evgeni Nabokov, and Joe Thornton.