We got figures almost up to the buzzer this year, in one of our favorite bits that is somehow nearly old enough to vote: the Seventeenth Annual Year in Toys!
1-22 Fortnite Lynx, (19.99), Big Lots.
1-29 ML Thena, $16.19, ML Age of Apocalypse Rogue, Magneto, $6.89 each; Fortnite Deo and Seona, $47.99, total $84.54, Target.
2-16 ML Astral Dr. Strange, $20.02, Target.
2-19 ML 2 Skrull Troopers arrive, (15.99 each, last year!)
02-22-22! ML Quasar, Fortnite Dark Raptor, total $43.25, Walgreens.
2-25 ML Quasar, $35.14 shipped, Zavvi.
3-9 ML America Chavez, D'spayre, Master Mordo, Wong, Sleepwalker, $100.03 shipped, Target.
4-3 McFarlane Lex Luthor, $13.09, GameStop.
4-5 ML Binary, $22.99, Walgreens.
4-14 ML AoA Cyclops, Iceman, Shadowcat, (14.99 each) Sabretooth (18.99) total (69.72), Amazon with points.
5-1 McFarlane Batman '66 Riddler, $5.39, Target.
5-6 McFarlane Curse of the White Knight Batcycle (11.99), Jurassic World Ellie Sattler, (10.79), Star Wars Black Porgs, (6.99), Amazon.
5-7 Power Rangers in Space Phantom Ranger, $14.78, Big Lots.
5-9 McFarlane Warhammer 40,000 Tyranid Genestealer, $16.34, GameStop.
5-14 Fortnite Funk Ops, $24.99; Loki Thanos-copter, $5.99; total $33.55, Walmart.
Toy Show: ML Guardsman, Pirate Deadpool, $20 total; SWB First Order Stormtrooper, Executioner Stormtrooper, $10 total; Grover, $4; Whac-a-mole, $8.
5-16 SWB Koska Reeves (11.39), ordered G.I. Joe Dusty, (24.99), total out of pocket $26.60, Amazon.
5-26 ML Jigsaw, $26.15, Walgreens.
5-27 Disney Toybox VinC.E.N.T, $6.70; Playmates Star Trek Enterprise (classic), $6.40; ML Deathlok, $8.70; total $22.40, EntertainMart.
McFarlane Batgirl, $5.79; ML Kro, $4.99, ML Dr. Strange, $11.49, total $22.27, Target.
5-29 Fortnite Chaos Agent, $14.99, Big Lots.
ML Kro, $9.99, ML Hammerhead, $16.09, total $26.08, Target.
Sand Ninja, Green Ninja, Sakit (martial artist), $6.99 each, $32.59 shipped, the Fwoosh.
7-4 Westworld Maeve Millay, Dolores Abernathy, $1.69 each, $3.58 total, Walgreens.
7-13 NECA Flash Gordon, $20, Wal-Mart.
7-20 Jada Universal Bride of Frankenstein, $24.99, the Comic Book Shop.
7-25 Jada Universal Creature from the Black Lagoon, ($24.99), Amazon. (Darwin and Maggott arrive.)
7-26 Jada Universal Frankenstein, ($22.99), Pixar Lightyear Hyperspeed XL-07, ($5.96), Amazon.
7-29 WWE Legends Stacy Keibler, $22.99, Target. (Sabretooth arrives.)
7-31 Westworld Dr. Robert Ford, Dolores Abernathy, $1.69 each; Diamond Select Tron Sark, $3.39; total $6.77, Walgreens.
8-5 ML M'Baku, $24.99, Target.
8-7 Diamond Select Tron, $3.70, Walgreens.
8-17 Marvel Legends retro 3.75" scale Sentinel, $32.69 shipped, Big Bad Toy Store.
8-20 McFarlane Super Powers Superman, $5, Supermobile, $29.99, total $34.99, Wal-Mart.
8-26 Fortnite Skye and Ollie, $10, Wal-Mart.
8-27 SWB the Client, $16.39, GameStop.
8-31 ML Havok, ($24.99), McFarlane Batman Drifter cycle, (10.99), total $15.21, Amazon.
9-2 2 SWB Figran D'ans, $24.99 each, Fortnite Metal Mouth, $24.99, total $74.97, Wal-Mart.
ML Captain America (retro) $10, Big Lots.
ML Thing (retro) $7.41, GameStop.
9-22 SWB Heavy Infantry Mandalorian, $22.98, Amazon.
9-23 WWE Wreckin' Slamcycle, $7.98, Amazon.
ML (armored) Thor, $11.49, SWB Galen Erso, $6.89, Anton Merrick, $7.49, total $25.87, Target.
Diamond Select Rocketeer, $24.49, Walmart.
9-27 SWB Death Watch Mandalorian, $27.99, the Comic Book Shop.
10-1 ML Quake, $22.99, Target.
10-4 ML Thor, Speedball, Blue Marvel, Viper, USAgent, $22.99 each, total $124.72 total, Target.
10-6 WWE Wreckin' Rampage Rig, $36.20, Target.
10-7 ML Bombastic Bag-Man, $22.99, Target.
10-8 Comic Show: McFarlane Fortnite goon, boxers Deadpool, Fat Thor, Dark Beast, Yellowjacket, Moira Mactaggert, total $40.
SWB Val, $7.47; Alien, $7.99, Walmart.
10-14 Alien runner, $7; die-cast Transformers, $11; total $18, Wal-Mart.
10-20 Funko Pop swashbuckler Nightcrawler, ($9.99), ML Baron Zemo, ($21.99), Walgreens.
NECA Flash Gordon, Ming, $10 each; ML Lizard, $26.99; total $46.99, Wal-Mart.
10-24 Fortnite Meowscles, ($24.75), Amazon.
10-28 ML Sentry, $15.04, Walgreens.
10-29 Entertainment Earth order: ML Ghost Rider, $27.99. Backordered: ML Spiral, Dark Phoenix, Jada Universal Wolfman, $24.99 each, Funko Pop glow-in-the-dark Nightcrawler, $29.99, Nightcrawler Minico statue, $39.99; total $188.15.
11-3 SWB Halloween Clone Trooper, $27.26, Target.
11-5 Toy show: Alex Ross DC Direct Plastic Man, $10, DCUC Superman, $5, DC Direct Superman/Lois Lane, $20; total $35.
SWB Holiday Wookie, $19.99, GameStop.
11-06 SWB Holiday Mandalorian, $15.38, Target.
11-08 SWB Holiday Clone Trooper (Phase II, gingerbread) and Protocol Droid, $27.99 each; pre-ordered G.I. Joe Cover Girl, $24.99; Indiana Jones, $24.99; total $123.09, Hasbro Pulse.
11-13 ML MCU Moon Knight, $22.99, Amazon.
11-19 2 SW Mandalorian models, $11.24 each, total $22.48, Hobby Lobby.
11-26 ML Sharon Carter, $22.49, Target.
ML Toei (Japanese) Spider-Man, $35.98 shipped, Big Bad Toy Store.
11-29 Entertainment Earth order: ML Firelord, $24.99, Diamond Select Tron Flynn, $9.21, WWE Shirai, $4.44, MVP, $7.36, Raul Mendoza, $7.36, Happy Corbin, $6.26, Bray Wyatt, $4.79; total $64.41.
12-3 ML MCU Mr. Knight, $24.99, Amazon.
12-5 SWB Holiday First Order Stormtrooper, (27.99), total $4.47, Amazon.
12-6 Fortnite Brutus, $31.07; ML Spider-Man set (Purple Spidey, Silvermane, Human Fly, Razorback, Molten Man) $84.99, total $107.26, Amazon.
12-11 Fortnite TNTina, $25; ML Ulik, $27.98; SWB Holiday Scout Trooper, $27.98; total $80.96, Wal-Mart.
ML MCU Mr. Knight, $22.99; Spider-Mobile, $18.39; total $42.86, Target.
12-14 G.I. Joe Dusty arrives.
12-16 ML Ravager Thor, Gorr; $11.99 each, total $25.94, GameStop.
12-17 ML Groot, $12.97, GameStop.
SWB Halloween Wookie, $27.98, Wal-Mart.
12-18 ML Jimmy Woo arrives; Howard the Duck, Red Skull, He-Who-Remains, Classic Loki, Zombie Scarlet Witch, ($24.99 each), $111.24 total, Amazon.
12-19 Classic Loki arrives.
12-20 ML Moonstone, $23.15, Walgreens.
12-21 ML Star-Lord, King Valkyrie, $11.99 each; ML Black Panther, $2.98; Apex Legends Caustic, $7.98; $37.78, GameStop.
12-22 ML Korg left leg, $9 shipped, eBay.
12-29 ML Wolverine box set (shirtless Wolvie, Callisto, Mastermind, Cyber, Omega Red) $92.60, Amazon.
12-30 ML Zombie Scarlet Witch arrives.
Total $3604.09. 2021: $3449.00. 2020: $2345.67. 2019: $2472.30. 2018: $1752.31. 2017: $1968.71. 2016: $1753.72. 2015: $1895.35. 2014: $1523.25. 2013: $1101.93. 2012: $706.32. 2011: $564.71. 2010: $966.10. 2009: $558.16. 2008: $555.16. 2007: $426.00. 2006: $620.00.
A couple housekeeping notes: totaling up this year, I can really see my bad handwriting and lack of near-vision working hand-in-hand to make my little log tough to read! That and a lot of totals seem more guesswork than usual: why was Binary more expensive than Quasar, then Jigsaw more expensive than either of them, if they were all Walgreens exclusives? I'm 40% sure I must've bought snacks or milk the same time as Jigsaw and didn't remember what it actually cost. (There was also a very brief window, when I could've got almost all the Walgreens exclusives for cheaper than dirt, but I would never count on that!) Also, Moonstone appears to be the last Walgreens exclusive, which might be less hassle for some, but could mean less figures? Unless somebody else picks up that ball, I suppose.
The trend for me seemed to be pre-orders; which can be the only way to make sure you get what you want, but I don't necessarily enjoy pre-ordering a figure and then not seeing it for...seven months, maybe? Just checked Dusty, for example: ordered May 13, arrived December 14? The Moon Knight figures were ordered April 12, arrived November 12 and December 3. Every time I order an entire wave, they've never come in all at once. (Technically, I suppose I don't usually get the entire wave; if I ordered a full box that might work?) That and it looks like maybe 80% of my purchases were in the second half of the year?
And this year's Build-a-Figures, let's see...Gilgamesh sneaks in at the start of the year, then Rintrah, Age of Apocalypse Colossus, Bonebreaker (I always think it's Bonecrusher! I still do and I'm looking right at a package.) Korg, Controller, and squeaking in at the last minute, Khonshu! Gilgamesh and Colossus were on pegs last year, weren't they? So five this year, out of a possible...seven? Barring a clearance miracle, it's doubtful I'll finish up the Infinity Ultron or Attuma. Korg was a clearance miracle: 5 clearance figures, but I outsmarted myself. I thought I had a piece with fancy-armor Thor, and forgot I didn't get Mighty (Jane) Thor! eBay to the rescue, there. Still, that seems like less BaF's than usual, and it feels like they're starting to be phased out a little? Conflicting feelings about that: I don't love getting wheedled into buying things like Zombie Scarlet Witch, but I really like that Khonshu figure! I do believe there's a Ch'od figure on the horizon, which almost definitely will get me to buy some X-Men I'm not enthusiastic about.
I know McFarlane also has "Collect to Build" figures, but they're not quite scaled right for my purposes, which saved me from building Batman's horse or Atrocitus. I bought more McFarlane figures than I had thought, and did not really love any of them except the Superman/Supermobile, and that one is not very 'McFarlaney,' if that was a word.
The Star Wars holiday figures are fun, if usually a mild pain to get: they're mostly from different stores, at different times. Most of them I had to order; but I think most of the other Star Wars Black figures I picked up were on varying degrees of clearance. I may buy some of those out of fear of missing out; which is also why I got the Spider-Man and Wolverine box sets! I was mildly disappointed in the Spidey box, and haven't even opened the Wolvie box as I type this.
Just like last year's Haslabs Sentinel, I sprung for two Galactuses: one for me, and one to flip later. It might take a couple years, but I'm fairly sure eventually I'll recoup what I spent on them. But aside from them, I don't think I had any higher-end figures this year? No Mezco One:12 or anything.
As usual, I don't have clue one for the upcoming year. Except, Jada Toys maybe has some more Universal Monsters lined up, as well as Mega Man, Street Fighter, and Chester Cheetah! I won't be all-in on any of their lines, but look forward to cherry-picking a bunch. I think they have a Boo Berry coming; that's the superior Monster Cereal! And I really want the Wal-Mart exclusive classic Star-Lord, although Wal-Mart exclusives have been more of a pain for me than Walgreens usually were.
But, all the best to you and your toy-hunting this year!
3 comments:
The annual tallying of toys, my favorite New Year tradition!
Wait, where can you vote at 17? You can drive but I think you have to be 18 to vote.
I think it's safe to say but the two Galactuses(Galacti?) sent you over the edge compared to last year, like you said you'll recoup that later.
Road Pig does seem to work better than Razorback doesn't it? Of course Light Hog, Hog Light, Hog Head, etc could also fit but admittedly suck.
No more Walgreens Exclusives huh? Interesting. Probably for the best considering what a pain in the ass the whole experience was overall due to spotty as hell national distribution. Thankfully thought you're able to buy said figure off their website, so I guess that kinda, sorta redeems them a little. If this truly is the end, then there goes my last excuse to ever shop there again then, as their prices are too steep to just casually duck in & browse unless you're buying a last minute gift for someone you don't care about on the cheap. CVS is also like this, but they don't sell figures.
I guess maybe Gamestop takes over maybe to fill that particular void. It'll be interesting to see who steps up now.
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