{"id":26447,"date":"2014-01-09T01:57:56","date_gmt":"2014-01-09T07:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=26447"},"modified":"2014-01-09T01:57:56","modified_gmt":"2014-01-09T07:57:56","slug":"noisydvl5s-2013-highlights-disappointments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=26447","title":{"rendered":"NoisyDvL5’s 2013
Highlights & Disappointments"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s just me again for today\u2019s entry into our 2013 Retrospective. Vault looked back across 2013 and didn\u2019t find much one way or the other, so I\u2019ll be taking lead on the Highlights & Disappointments. Hopefully, he\u2019ll be back for Friday\u2019s forward-looking wrap-up (& how about some reviews next week \u2013 you guys miss those at all?)! <\/p>\n

2013 was a fairly up and down year for me personally. There were some setbacks here and there, my job went through some crazy changes \u2013 one of my longtime friends at work was fired which caused for some real challenges, and we lost one of my favorite uncles (miss you, Jim!)<\/em>. <\/p>\n

There were some undeniably good things that happened too though. I\u2019ll be an uncle for the first time myself in a few days (kinda a 2014 thing, but still), my wife & I moved into our first home, and that topsy-turvyness at work did ultimately include a lot more money. (might explain those Hot Toys hanging around…)<\/p>\n

Hobbywise, I think 2013 was pretty solid overall. A few dumb things happened like always, but a lot of great toys came out too. So sit back and I\u2019ll see what I can put together for 5 Highlights & 5 Disappointments in 2013 Toy Collecting. I always start off with the disappointments first, so the highlights can end on a high note. Who wants to end an article on what I think the suckiest thing all year was?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Disappointments!<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
No.5 – The High Cost of… Well, Everything.<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nWhile I was very fortunate this year, I did want to get something on the list about how expensive our little hobby is increasingly becoming. I know that we\u2019re well past the days of getting a Super Powers figure free with a tank of gas, but the economy (& some savvy accountants taking advantage of said economy) have really combined to put the squeeze on the collector. I love MOTUC, but I do cringe a little when paying $33 for a month with just one figure+shipping (& that\u2019s splitting shipping with Vault). There are somewhat cheaper alternatives at retail, but often times, and especially this past year, I wasn\u2019t that that impressed by the retail offerings. I only bought two Transformers at retail this year; that was a HUGE change. There were some good things to be had, like 6\u201d Star Wars Black, but when $20 feels like a deal \u2013 well, we\u2019ve come a long way in ten years. I wonder where we will be in ten more? <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 4 – The Desolation of Toy Store Shelves.<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
The other big disappointment is another familiar concept: distribution. I was trying to think of the figures I walked into a store and purchased at retail this year \u2013 it\u2019s very few. I could\u2019ve bought some stuff from Playmates were I inclined. Most of my NECA purchases were at TRU. That\u2019s a win. Mattel basically abandoned boys retail this year, so maybe I\u2019m just complaining about Hasbro? I never did see any of the \u201cUltimate\u201d Joes in later Retaliation waves. The Masterpiece line, even when brought to the states by Hasbro, is clearly undersupplied. (I won\u2019t armchair quarterback a ton, but more Soundwaves woulda been good for everybody). Target had some Marvel items on occasion. (Zemo & Red Skull were a nice Target find recently), but Walmart is the island of misfit toys at this point it seems. I do sometimes feel like we\u2019re living in a \u201cgolden age\u201d for toy collecting, but it\u2019s an online golden age for sure. <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 3 – Characters not Classic Enough for MOTUC.<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nOkay with the perennial cost & distro complaints out of the way, let\u2019s get to the meat of it. While there are some great things going on with Masters of the Universe Classics, one disappointment this year has essentially been reality setting in. Early on, the subscription model (which I love for this very reason) helped collectors of lesser important characters get their characters subsidized, but with the promised removal of concept characters the sub the line grew a little dimmer. In 2013, we saw a poorly handled poll for NA characters and the knowledge that NA was being scaled back due to sales. You guys know that Red Beast & Calix are high on my list, but Darius & Tuskador are on there too! The line still has life left in it, but knowing there are characters whose chances are even more slim to none now means we\u2019re more towards the end then I want to be. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 2 – Goldilocks and the Three Keaton Batmen.<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Of all the boneheaded, aggravating, OMG, why-do-they-hate-me-decisions this year, it was the announcement that the line that would essentially be replacing DC Classics would be 4\u201d. At first, I could deal. But the announcement of Superman movie & Batman Returns figures \u2013 Reeve Superman, Keaton Batman, Catwoman, Penguin \u2013 figures I\u2019m dying to have in my 6\u201d collection would be included. I think I might have let out one of those \u201cKhaaaaan!\u201d howls. I will give the caveat that I’m still hopeful they’re cool, but this is Classic Mattel giving you what you want in a way you don\u2019t want it. Hot Toys & NECA have my back with their scaled up Keaton offerings and I will be buying the 4\u201d Mattel figures \u2013 I suck at protesting, okay? \u2013 but damn it if Mattel can\u2019t just be consistent. I guess their data must tell them that no collector wants to put compatible figures of Adam West, Michael Keaton, & Christian Bale together on a shelf? C’mon! <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 1 – DCUC finally goes DOA.<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThe biggest disappointment this year should be easy to guess: the dissolution of DC Classics. I know that technically there are five figures left, and one of them is going to kickass. I\u2019m thankful for the two years of subscription figures, but I still have, like, eleventy billion characters I would love to see in Classics style. The disappointment though is not simply that the line ended, but that the joy seemed to go out beforehand. The 2013 sub didn\u2019t really have a killer figure. Huntress was probably the closest thing to greatness, but at one figure a month, Mattel & the Horsemen needed to turn the notch up to 11 \u2013 and they didn\u2019t. (Sadly, Hook Hand Aquaman looks like an \u201c11\u201d, but he was too little, too late and is kinda cancelled out by Superboy looking like a 3 ). The folks at Mattel may feel that the support just wasn\u2019t there to bring the sub to life, but I\u2019d tell them the results just show that they didn\u2019t put enough heart in the offerings to begin with. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue to Page 2 for my 2013 Highlights<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Highlights!<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 5 – Give Them All Your Money!<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nSo what was good in 2013? Well, to help bring things around to the glass being half full, let’s talk about some of that aforementioned expensive stuff! While the rising costs are a friend to no one, I found that the gap towards \u201chigh end\u201d has closed somewhat. It’s not for everyone, but I’d rather spend $60 on an amazing Prowl or Sideswipe than $22 on an underwhelming FoC Grimlock. For collectors that were fortunate enough to have some extra dough there were some amazing items to pickup this year. Hot Toys continues to up their game. Third Party Transformers, particularly combiner teams really flourished in 2013. Some of our favorite lines got back into doing vehicles & playsets. Hasbro & Takara went big with the new Metroplex & reissuing the old Fortress Maximus! The Transformers Masterpiece line is probably the most amazing TF line to come out in years. If you had the money to blow… er, spend on your collection there were some great items last year. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 4 – The Expansion of Glyos!<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Another great 2013 trend was the continuing domination & expansion of Glyosdom. I don\u2019t get all the releases onto the site as much as I\u2019d like, but I\u2019m always amazed and happy to see the Glyos system grow and expand. 2013 saw the addition of the new swing (a huge step forward!) along with new designs like Noboto & the Syclodoc being added to their amazing lineup. Even more exciting is the proliferation of Glyos joints into other lines. The Four Horsemen added the Power Lords to go along with their OSM in 2013. Spy Monkey\u2019s Weaponeers of Monkaa had a fantastic year (their SDCC exclusive was to die for!). In 2013, we also saw Toyfinity jump in with their killer Robo Force revival. I got Enemy last week and I could not stop playing with him. The Glyos System is more than just compatible joints, it\u2019s a fast-growing cable of toy genius. <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 3 – Four Horsemen Kickstart the Universe<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nA seemingly perennial member of our highlights lists, the Four Horsemen didn\u2019t get out as much product in 2013, but they did have a huge success all the same. When Cornboy told me the Ravens would be a Kickstarter, I wasn\u2019t sure how I felt. They\u2019re great guys and I always want to see them succeed, but Kickstarter seemed like such a gamble to me. I knew this was the<\/em> Four Horsemen, but so many toy-related KSs seems to go down in flames. My mind was just awash with a bunch of \u201cwhat ifs\u201d. What ifs that were completely erased when the Ravens were fully funded in about a week. A week. Heck, they pretty much got fully funded every week the funding was open and they finished an amazing 467% over goal. Solid product, a great reputation (cultivated over years), and savvy add-ons utilizing the pledges that were pouring in made for one giant ball of well-earned success. I may have been wrong to doubt the Kickstarter, but I have little doubt where the Ravens will be ranking on next year\u2019s top lists! <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 2 – NECA Makes You Wish They Owned Every License, Ever!<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
If we were handing out company awards, I think NECA would take 2013 hands down. My favorite thing about NECA is that they operate on a learning curve. So many toy companies talk about what they can\u2019t do, keep using the same old formula, or are just simply unwilling to invest in bettering their product. Not NECA. NECA seems to have \u201cImprove\u201d as their motto. The figures just keep getting better in just about every category. Better sculpting. Better articulation. Better paint. This year\u2019s crop caused me to go into full NECA mode. Amazing Aliens figures. Greatly improved Predators. Dutch \u2013 who out there even knew that Dutch could be the next Batman, Wolverine, or Spider-Man of the toy aisle? Or who could\u2019ve guessed a year ago that NES repaints would be all the rage? Those crack me up. There\u2019s Bioshock. Gremlins. Pacific Rim. Kick-Ass. Rambo. Fortress 2. I find myself wanting cool figures from properties I know nothing about. That\u2019s when you know they\u2019re doing great. Oh, and their quarter scale line? My first one of those is on the way as we speak. And then there is the pure awesomeness of the Sgt. Windrix figure<\/a>. NECA owned in 2013 & they\u2019re surely the company to beat in 2014. <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 1 – You Knew It Was the Castle!<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nI\u2019ve barely mentioned this particular toy all week. I specifically kept my 2013 Top Ten to figures<\/em> just to keep some suspense. While MOTUC may be closer to the end of the line than the beginning and while the character selection may be getting a little deep for the average fan, there was one giant thing that just about every MOTUC collector surely wanted even if money & space were at a premium. Mattel really did it: A Masters of the Universe Classics Castle Grayskull. There was the usual drama and some Digital River snafu throw-in for good measure, but the end product simply doesn\u2019t disappoint. The heart & soul missing from the DC line (& a few MOTUCs) is evident here. It was created with so much obvious TLC that Mattel mass producing it couldn\u2019t even manage to squash it out. It\u2019s a gorgeous display piece open or closed, but the coolest thing might just be that it retained its play value. Three stories. Plenty of moving parts. Extra accessories. Even an action feature or two for good measure. It\u2019s a $250 collectible to be sure, but doesn\u2019t forget to be a toy either. I love that. I don\u2019t know if the Castle was always as unpossible as Matte let on, but the fact that it\u2019s a reality for the line just makes it one more epic part of what will be remembered as a great line, well beyond 2013. td>
\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

What were your Highlights & Disappointments of 2013? Let me know in the comments below!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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