James May of UK's Top Gear Builds House of Legos

For as long as I can remember I've had the standard obsession with exotic, sports and classic cars. Of course, I still don't have my DeLorean or even 1970s convertible Benz, but it's still fun to keep up with the new and the old. The best show, at least that I've seen, to give you beautiful photography of the latest and greatest along with humorous challenges and witty British banter, is the much-imitated Top Gear. Of the three hosts, I unsurprisingly find myself relating most closely to James May (aka Captain Slow!), the self-proclaimed straight-man of the group and classically trained pianist. Well, apparently he digs Legos too and we just saw today that he's building a house from them! Click here for the fantastic story over at geeksugar about his vineyard estate, made from some 816 million legos!
Posted by charlie on August 31st 2009, 08:59 PM
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Scout Class Nightbeat

Continuing our enjoyment of the new Scout Class figures from the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen line, it's time for the most iconic character in the range, Nightbeat! Always a fan favorite, it's great when Nightbeat can find purchase in the latest line, and what a great set to be a part of. Given our already-professed enjoyment of this scale out of the entire RotF toy collection, I'm glad that Nightbeat found a home with these excellent kin. Click the image below for more packaged shots, and his great bio!


Posted by charlie on August 30th 2009, 06:46 PM
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Playmobil - Skull Pirate, Special Set #4690

Friend of the Preserve, Chase, has commended us on finally delving into the wide, wide world of Playmobil figures, so as such here is a Saturday Special of another single packaged figure, the Skull Pirate! Set #4690 comes complete with a hat, sword and pirate flag for staking claim to those distant Gilligan Islands in far away reaches of the sea. Click the image for a few more shots of this set.


Posted by charlie on August 29th 2009, 09:42 PM
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Soundwave

From the first teaser wave of the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen line, we have a character with a classic name and sadly Michael Bay alt mode of a satellite. At least we got Frank Welker to voice Soundwave in the movie - maybe they'll let him actually voice Megatron in Transformers #4 or #5 or #whatever. Click the image below for more shots of this first wave Deluxe figure from the new toy line!


Posted by charlie on August 28th 2009, 06:54 AM
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Masters of the Universe Classics - New Figures Posted

Mattel has added the next four figures in their stellar Masters of the Universe Classics line to the mattycollector.com site. Go take a look at Teela (October 15th), a repainted Zodac Bonus figure (also October 15th), Webstor (Sept. 15th) and Scareglow (Nov. 15th)!


Posted by charlie on August 27th 2009, 08:14 PM
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Ejector Scout Class

Another member of the fantastic Scout assortment from the new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen line is wave 4's Ejector, the toaster-bot! This Decepticon is dumb, extremely low ranking and under-skilled, but at least he has flamethrowers and a 10 level of courage! Click the image below for his full bio and images.


Posted by charlie on August 26th 2009, 07:46 PM
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Transformers Q&A Round #4 2009 - Results

The Transformers team over at Hasbro has just sent us their answers to our fourth Q&A for 2009. See below for the details!


Preserve: Possbility of a RotF Ravage figure in Legends scale?

Hasbro: Definitely very strong!

Preserve: Any RotF Leader Class repaints on the way?

Hasbro: We certainly are considering several redecos of our Leader figures, but it is too early to comment on what they might be at this point in time.

Preserve: About how long will the RotF toy line be in stores?

Hasbro: The Revenge of the Fallen product will be available for the remainder of 2009 and into 2010.


Thanks to the Transformers team for all of the great answers to our questions!
Posted by charlie on August 25th 2009, 08:52 PM
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Picture Pages - Mortimer Ichabod Marker Decal

We are huge fans of Bill Cosby's learning show Picture Pages around here. The occasional VHS editions of selected classic episodes are treasured as artifacts of awesomeness gone by. One of the most prized pieces associated with Picture Pages, by far, is Mortimer Ichabod Marker, Cosby's music-playing drawing device. In the past we've just barely missed scoring one of these super rare pieces from eBay, and they only come up about once a year. Well, it's a pale imitation, but amazingly there are so few hits for the character in general that even these knock-off stickers are pretty remarkable. Click here for a look at a current auction that features Mortimer decals, that let you at least make your own facsimile out of a marker and some hopeful dreams.
Posted by charlie on August 24th 2009, 10:04 PM
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eBay Watch - Captain Power

We like finding obscure Captain Power items and of course eBay is our constant ally in this pursuit. Today they bring us both a battery powered water rifle, complete with $30 shipping from Italy, as well as a suspicious looking "blue print" from an estate sale which may be something legit or a tracing that a kid made in the '80s. Who knows! Check 'em out and keep your fingers crossed that we'll finally purchase a Stingray Johnson someday soon!
Posted by charlie on August 23rd 2009, 05:03 PM
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Reverb Scout Class

I have finally gotten around to posting one of the wave 3 scout class figures that were picked up the other day and I figured to start with my personal favorite. Something about the coloration and styling of this figure is just so indicative of a gobot from back in the day, I can't help but love it. Even the vehicle and robot modes seem to be directly from the '80s, unassisted by the crutch of computer design or Michael Bay style character obfuscation. Enjoy this figure and bio by clicking on the image!


Posted by charlie on August 22nd 2009, 06:57 PM
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Masters of the Universe Classics - Tri-Klops Sells Out in 3

Because it is delightful to me to keep track of such things, I wanted to post for the record the sell-out time for the latest MotUC figure. Given the recent track record of these guys, you may think that '3' is 3 hours, but in fact it was 3 days! Mattel had seriously upped their order number for Tri-Klops, so they assured us, but have still fallen far short of the several-week goal they were hoping for. This certainly shows that the line is going strong and continues to beat all estimates!


Posted by charlie on August 21st 2009, 12:15 PM
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Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Red Tornado

We'll keep the Batman BandB train rolling today with another basic figure from the line, Red Tornado with Cyclone Spinner! Another figure with solid design and bold colors, you just can't go wrong with these guys. Now I guess I need to catch a few episodes of the cartoon so I know what's been going on! Click the image below for more shots of this next figure in our series.


Posted by charlie on August 20th 2009, 12:07 PM
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Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Black Manta

While we do make a cursory effort to not start collecting new lines around here at the Preserve, we were sucked in by the new Batman: The Brave and the Bold line. The styling of the figures is great, if slightly under-articulated, and as usual our love for the packaging wins out, with the bold colors and sharp artwork. It's another win from the mighty Mattel, and we're delighted to have a solid start on this line. Click the image below for more shots of the single packaged Black Manta figure!


Posted by charlie on August 19th 2009, 06:38 PM
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Scout Class

The figure offerings for the new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen line are not bad, but some are not as smashingly interesting as one would hope, drawing in part from the 2007 line and containing a lot of similar looking cars and oddly transforming motorcycles in the Deluxe line. It was therefore a pleasant surprise to discover just how refreshing and cool the Scout class assortment of figures is in this line! We managed to stumble upon waves 3 and 4 at Walmart the other day, having not really looked into them at all before that point and the variety and design of the figures was cool to say the least! Reverb looks and transforms for all the world like a GoBot from back in the day, and who wouldn't want a transforming toaster in the form of Ejector! Plus, we get a figure of Nightbeat, always a fan favorite! Click the image below to see a larger shot of the figures we picked up, and look for them to be added to the archives soon.


Posted by charlie on August 18th 2009, 07:17 PM
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Masters of the Universe Classics: Tri-Klops

The mid-cycle release of He-Ro threw off our timing a little - it's amazing that tomorrow already marks the release of Tri-Klops in Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics line! He'll go live at noon, and you can bet will sell out in about 1 hour. If you can, be near a computer then, and good luck vs. the red screen of death!


Posted by charlie on August 17th 2009, 06:28 AM
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Target Channels Toys R Us from 1984

When I was a kid in the '80s, every other Friday evening was a very special time. My dad and I would go to the Cheltenham PA Toys R Us (which was like taking your life into your own hands, even then) and we would see what amazing new additions had been released to the toy lines that still drive sales and collections today. Of course, there was no Internet, there was no handy constantly updated checklist, but at least Hasbro and most others saw fit to keep us mostly informed with their beautiful catalogs and box-back figure lists. One day it was Stinger from the M.A.S.K. line, the next it might be the Defiant Playset from G.I. Joe, but those mammoth shelves always held a new surprise.

It's probably that I've just returned from finally seeing the G.I. Joe movie that puts me in such a nostalgic frame of mind. Without getting into too much detail, as I know many other sites have already done, I'll say that I didn't hate it, I appreciated it as a fun action movie and there were enough classic nods and character respect that I was pleased on several levels. If you haven't seen it - go! I was a little concerned that there were only 5 other people in the theater, granted for the Sunday evening show, but still. G.I. Joe 2 is already green-lighted, though, so I guess there's no real rush!

One last point, and the initial purpose of this post - pertaining to the new Target reset. Something I hadn't realized at first, but a reason that I feel so at home in the new layout, is their new decision to pile overstock on top of the toy aisles to nearly the cieling. Most rows contain plastic storage bins (fitting, given the home of many of the new additions to the Preserve, due to lack of display space) but one row even had hundreds of electric tea kettles reaching to the sky! The effect, to me, recreates the warehouse style shelving that defined Toys R Us back in the day. It adds a touch of comfortable closeness to the shopping experience, and perfectly compliments the ingenious new layout of the products themselves. If you're longing for the sort of toy shopping experience you can only barely remember, Target has done a pretty bang up job of bringing it back to us, so very many years later.
Posted by charlie on August 16th 2009, 07:40 PM
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Playmobil - Special Set #4691: Arabian Warrior

It's Saturday, and what better way to celebrate than with a 'Special' figure from Playmobil! Today we have the Arabian Warrior, set #4691 from 2008. Coming with a mighty battle axe and durable shield, this guy is nothing to mess with. Click the image below for some more packaged shots of this addition to the 'special' line!


Posted by charlie on August 15th 2009, 05:45 PM
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Mattel's Ghostbusters: Egon Spengler

After posting He-Ro, I could hardly resist turning the spotlight onto the other Mattel Exclusive from the San Diego Comic Con that caught our attention, Egon Spengler! It has seemed a long wait since we first learned that Mattel had acquired rights to make Ghostbusters figures and it is exciting to at last have one here at the Preserve! I am just delighted with the packaging that Mattel has come up with for these figures, and they are even experimenting with an easy open/close clamshell design - how perfect for the collector market! The back of the package features an amazing picture of a messy desk, complete with toasted marshmallows and a post-it with the number for the Sedgwick hotel - I bet Toy Guru had a good time setting up that diorama!

The 6" figure itself is looking fantastic, and comes with an articulated Slimer figure on a clear stand! The face sculpt on Egon, while not perfect, really captures Ramis from some angles and is another win for the Horsemen. Click the image below for a bunch of packaged shots, and our full case break!


Posted by charlie on August 14th 2009, 02:31 AM
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Masters of the Universe Classics: He-Ro

We may not have made it to the San Diego Comic Con this year, but thanks to the magic of the Internet and of mattycollector.com, we were able to pick up two of the key figures from the show, He-Ro and Egon! He-Ro has arrived, and he really looks great. We haven't opened one yet to see what color crystal we got, but will do so soon. I wonder what the rare color is - eBay to the rescue! (Sounds like green is the most common, red is in the middle and purple is the most rare). Click on the image below for more shots, and the great bio!


Posted by charlie on August 13th 2009, 02:14 AM
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The Ballad of G.I. Joe

Yesterday we saw this amazing gem over at toplessrobot.com, and knew that it was our sworn duty to pass it along. Now, I'm not totally up on all the hip young actors that are popular these days, but I do like Henry Rollins, Alan Tudyk and Julianne Moore quite a bit. Watch this video and delight in the super surprise cameo - you'll know when you see it. More amazing work by the Funny Or Die crew.




Posted by charlie on August 12th 2009, 10:08 AM
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Transformers Q&A Round #3 2009 - Results

The Transformers team over at Hasbro has just sent us their answers to our third Q&A for 2009. See below for the details!


Preserve: Does Hasbro play test Transformers movie figures in their "Funlab" facility or do these figures bypass kid testing because the designs come from the movie producers and cannot be altered even if kids would like to see changes?

Hasbro: Safety is of utmost concern at Hasbro and as such our products meet or exceed standards and regulations. While we will not get into the specific details of how we test all of our products, we can say that all of our products undergo rigorous testing to ensure that they are safe, reliable and also meet or exceed the high standards that we have for our products.

Preserve: Will you be making a version of Devestator that includes his "Wrecking Balls"?

Hasbro: No.

Preserve: The Doc mail away for the 25th anniversary GI Joe line was an excellent way to get a fan favorite into the hands of collectors. Any plans for a Transformers mail away?

Hasbro: We certainly agree that this is a great manner to deliver a favorite figure to the fans. While we do not have any immediate plans to participate in this type of program in 2009 for Transformers, it is certainly something that we would consider if it made sense moving forward.


Thanks to the Transformers team for all of the great answers to our questions!
Posted by charlie on August 11th 2009, 07:15 AM
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Playmobil - Pirate Captain Deluxe Set #4293

I'm having such a good time posting Playmobil figures, at long last, that I figured I'd keep it up today! Here is set #4293, the Pirate Captain deluxe set! This figure comes with a ton of accessories, giving you a map, a chest, a feather quill and a full set of pirate finery as well! Click the image below for more packaged shots of this great figure.


Posted by charlie on August 10th 2009, 07:16 PM
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Playmobil - Two Robbers with Camels, Set #4247

Back at Toy Fair, earlier this year, we saw the new Playmobil Egyptians line which features a number of really spectacular sets. The most overwhelmingly cool, of course, is the pyramid set itself, but there are a number of smaller playsets and figures that are worth a look. Today we're featuring the Two Robbers with Camels - an Egyptian set wouldn't be complete without grave robbers! Click the image for a few more shots of these raiders as they escape with the loot!


Posted by charlie on August 9th 2009, 07:30 PM
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G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra - Target Exclusive Eel with Wave Crusher

The new G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra Target exclusives are hitting stores, and they are fantastic! There will be two waves of figures w/ vehicles, four figures to each wave, and they are really solid. For a price of $10, which at this point is only a few bucks more than a single figure, you get a figure, with accessories, and a really sharp personal-scale vehicle. We picked up a Cobra Eel with Wave Crusher, and it's a fantastic set! Click the image below for the Eel bio, and more images.


Posted by charlie on August 8th 2009, 02:35 PM
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We All Love the '80s!

It is no secret that I love the '80s. Well, these guys do too, and they made an excellent music video about it, complete with DeLorean. Watch it, courtesy of toplessrobot.com, and enjoy.


Posted by charlie on August 7th 2009, 07:34 PM
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Target Watch - Toy Reset

This week at our local Target we've gotten to see one of the great yearly events, the toy aisle reset! They have quite rearranged the layout, and it's definitely much cooler than the last format that sat for over half a year. It almost seems like there is now a Hasbro aisle, and a Mattel aisle, and it's great to see Mattel have so many excellent products on the shelves. Also, this is the best stocked, most exciting we can remember seeing the Target shelves in many moons. With the new Transformers and G.I. Joe lines in full swing, there is just a ton of new and cool product waiting to be taken home. While we're not totally into the new Devestator figure, it's cool to see it on the shelf, along with the Transformers RPM race track and cars. G.I. Joe is also running hot and cold from the shelves, including some fantastic new Target exclusives that are totally worth picking up. Be sure to get on down to your local Target store, and enjoy the reset and well stocked shelves!
Posted by charlie on August 6th 2009, 09:21 PM
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STARCOM - Sgt. Bill Travers

Harkening from 1986, the S.T.A.R.C.O.M. line is a semi-well known fantastic space series with a rich set of figures, and a great batch of vehicles and space stations making up the line. The figures have retained a good eBay value, and we're happy to have a number of them in the archives as originally purchased at the Flourtown PA KMart! Today we wanted to feature Sgt. Bill Travers - click his image for more details on this Laser Gunner!


Posted by charlie on August 6th 2009, 07:42 AM
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MotUC - October Figures and He-Man and Skeletor Re-Releases

Mattel has released some excellent new product images from their rampagingly excellent Masters of the Universe Classics line, over on their facebook account. The figure for this October will be Teela, looking excellent as you would imagine. Also released that day will be one of the 'bonus figures', that of Zodak in his 'mystic enforcer' version.

Also of great interest are the first looks at how He-Man and Skeletor will be re-released to meet demand for these two key figures. The only modification appears to be the addition of a 'The Original' burst on the package, and a retool of Skeletor's hand. While that packaging burst seems at first to be counter-intuitive for a re-release, it in fact matches a marketing label that was used back in the day on the wave 1 He-Man figures that were released in later product waves along with all the 'Battle Damage' and other modified versions. Go Mattel, once again, for the vintage nod! We'll get some pictures up soon for those not down with the facebook.


Posted by charlie on August 5th 2009, 02:07 PM
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Atari: Champions Online Beta

Press Release - Atari has just sent us another bit of news, this time about the new Champion's Online game! You can join the beta to test out this new super hero inspired multi player online game at www.champions-online.com and click here for the hi-def trailer! For the full press release, click the 'read more' link.  Read More
Posted by charlie on August 4th 2009, 11:50 AM
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SDCC 2009 Exclusives on MattyCollector.com

Ok folks, the Uncle just reminded us that Mattel's left-over San Diego Comic Con Exclusive figures have gone up for sale right now at mattycollector.com. Get on over there, and pick up He-Ro and Egon!

Update: As usual with this line, He-Ro has sold out in 2 hours and 40 minutes! Ok now, let's go Egon!


Posted by charlie on August 3rd 2009, 08:31 AM
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Ghostbusters Video Game Sells 1 Million copies!

Press Release - Our friends at Atari have let us know that the brand new Ghostbusters video game has already sold one million units in North America! This is a great accomplishment and speaks to the quality of the game as well as the ongoing love we all have for the franchise. Click the link to read their full press release!  Read More
Posted by charlie on August 2nd 2009, 08:11 PM
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G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra - Ice Viper

It's the start of a new month, so lets kick it off with our first Preserve archive post to the G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra line. The Cobra troops in this line really look great and, like all figures in the range, they come with an astonishing array of accessories and weapons, and this one is certainly no exception. Click the image below for more packaged shots of this excellent figure, ready to defend their Arctic stronghold.


Posted by charlie on August 1st 2009, 12:46 AM
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