A new day.

After a lot of thought, I have decided to stop buying new toys. It is a decision that makes me simultaneously happy and sad.

I will miss the excitement of twisting the capsule toy knob and the thrill of the claw machine hunt. But, I am growing increasingly concerned about the damage these pursuits do to the planet. Particularly the plastic bits.

So, I will continue to collect toys by buying second-hand, but nothing new. I already have noticed that I appreciate my collection more because it is now very finite.

I am trying not to think about all the Futurama figures I want (thank goodness I already have a Bender!), the dunny's I will never open and the Japanese toys I don't even know about yet.


My plan is to keep the blog going with posts about toys in my collection I haven't talked about yet, and add new content as I discover new, old treasures at garage sales, antique stores, and Goodwills.

Wish me luck.

Marshall

This marshmallow fellow is adorable. It is a shame that he is so unhappy! He is part of a series by Squibbles Ink and Rotofugi, designed by 64 Colors. So, if none of that meant anything to you, I will explain! The toy was designed by 64 Colors (designer) and then produced by Squibbles Ink (toy manufacturer) for sale at Rotofugi (a designer toy shop in Chicago).

These toys are sold in blind boxes. The one I have is called, "You Don't Love Me." I am very grateful to my friend Daniel for picking him up for me! I am looking forward to buying another and hope that I end up with "Sleeping" next.

I checked out Rotofugi's site and learned that they sometimes sell toasted Marshalls which is absolutely adorable. 

I also must admit that I can't look at these marshmallows without thinking about a little toy from my childhood that I wish I still had. A Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man pencil sharpener.

I carried that thing around everywhere! And, I always agreed with Ray's decision to think of him. I mean, c'mon, how could you be afraid of a marshmallow man?

Numb Skullz: Part 2

Many months ago, a blog reader in Florida sent me some info about these little guys and I have been seeking them out in Indy ever since. (If you missed that post, you can check it out here.)

I love them as much as I had hoped I would. Though, I was a little disappointed to see that they are a little rough around the edges. Not so cleanly pulled from their molds.

However, something I couldn't have seen in photos is how carefully balanced they are on those two tiny feet. Quite amazing for having such giant heads!

I will definitely be buying more of these (at the Meijer in Avon if you are looking locally)!

Pokemon: Azurill

I am mesmerized by Pokemon. There are SO many of them and they are all SO cute! And they are pocket monsters, so there really isn't anything not to love about them.

In a typical shopping trip, we swing through the toys and I ogle a bunch of Pokemon but I almost never buy them. Why? Anyone who has seen my office collection of Hot Wheels knows why. (I may have a little problem with keeping quantity under control.)

Anyway, I fell in love with this guy and after putting him back, John bought him for me.

According to the package, he is 8' (or .2 m) tall and weighs 4.4 lbs (2 kg). If you would like to know more than you could ever imagine about this little guy, you can read all about his abilities, stats and evolution.

I am sure this is not the last Pokemon to find it's way home with me...

Domo Update: Set Complete!

Finally! After many attempts, I have finally collected a complete set of these guys. The final hold out was the Domo I wanted most...dino Domo.

Many thanks to John for all the quarters he contributed to my goal!

Cupcakes!

These tiny treasures were a surprise gift from my sister.  They are little pots of sweet-smelling lip gloss in addition to being tiny cupcakes.

I have an obsession with cupcakes, especially those from The Flying Cupcake, and everyone who knows me knows that I go to great lengths to try the latest and greatest sweets.

So, many thanks to my sister for the adorable minis! In general, I am excited to see that there are so many tiny capsule-toy inspired products out there right now...erasers, toys, cosmetics. Everyone is jumping on board. I can't wait to see what's next!

Despicable Me: Minion!

This plushie Minion is a recent claw victory for me, one that I am ecstatic about. I have tried winning one of these a handful of times in a variety of different claw machines.

Finally, after seeing Tron at the Trader's Point AMC theater, I jammed a dollar into the machine and expertly plucked this guy out of there. I spent the rest of the afternoon grinning like an idiot. (Or at least the car ride home.)

By the way, if you haven't seen Despicable Me, do it! It is a great story with some really fun characters.