As some of you may have heard, Castle Grayskull Week went a little askew after I found myself in the middle of a five-car pile-up on Wednesday. I’m doing just fine, but the site kinda trailed off last week. My bad. So Grayskull Week gets one more day and it’s kind of an important one.
Before I dive in, just a quick shout out & thank you to all the well wishes I received here, via e-mail, on Facebook, and on Twitter! They were all greatly appreciated. I just run a silly toy blog, but you guys rock my world. Thank you!
So, today’s kind of an important day for MOTU Classics. Not to get too overdramatic here, but, barring an extension, it’s either the day that Classics gets an iconic (& once-thought-impossible) playset to cement itself in the annals of awesome toylines… or it’s the day where all that hope & excitement takes a swift kick to the balls. The line will go on, presumably for awhile, but not getting the Castle would really hurt.
Going into the weekend, the thermometer was at about 81-82%. Ideally, we’ll get an update on the thermometer early today. If we’re lucky, the weekend sales have already done the hard work or at least most of it and today won’t be too stressful going into the closing hours. With no charges being made to the credit card used to pre-order, I don’t know why folks would wait until the last minute, but we’re a weird lot. I’m hoping for that weird lot to come through.
So, I’m already past the second picture and I’m not even talking about the subject of the review. Great! If you’ve looked over the proposed Castle’s blueprints, you would’ve noticed that a very important piece of the original toy was missing: the Weapons Rack. If you’ve followed the line, you also know why. We done already got it way back in April 2011.
For whatever reason, I never got around to the Weapons Rack review back then (and not a week goes by that I don’t get an e-mail about it. Or the first He-Man for that matter, I’ve never reviewed him either), but with the looming possibility of a Castle to put this Weapons Rack in, I thought today would be a good day.
The Weapons Rack more or less served as the 2011 Weapons Pak. It included an all-new sculpted stand and nine repainted weapons. The stand itself is a great sculpt and can actually hold quite a bit more than the set included, but I’ve honestly never gotten much use out of it. It does look great hanging out with the figures as a diorama piece and I have used it in the review backdrops a time or two, but it really needed to be nestled in its home in the Castle. I’m honestly much more excited about this piece now that the Castle is very close to becoming a reality. Continue to Page 2…
Cripes, glad you got out of the collision all right, mate!
Great review! I always get a massive kick out of the Weapons Shop comics. Here’s hoping this review’ll push those last few laggards to take the plunge! I really don’t want to have to shoot a “No Grayskull” epilogue photocomic . . . .
Also, love the way the shop keeps getting redecorated, like the new Turkish rug and jars of candy. (I’m assuming that’s candy in those jars. Even weapons shops need impulse-buy sweets near the check-outs!)
Thanks, Beedo!
Great review, very funny pics. I agree this could be a hit item if the Castle goes through. I’m sure Mattel have a lot of these in stock, which they could bring out again for sale.
Thanks!
I know it was in a CS stock sale not too long ago, but if they have any more left, they should definitely bring ’em back. They might even look into a second run with all-rusted weapons. I’d buy it…
I just got the news right now, Noisy. I’m sure glad you are okay!
Love the mini dio story as always. Nice custom figure as well. I guess she could be called Clerk-Ara? Great job and good luck to all today.
Clutch brings up another good point: this young lady needs a full bio and a nickname like Vendora, Pantechnica, or Sales-Woman. };D
“Vendora” sounds like classic She-Ra. That gets my vote.
Veronicaitlyn Bree?
Vendora for short. or Fred.
or since she sells weapons, Militia? Millie?
Just because she has to serve you, doesn’t mean she likes you.
Hah! Took me a while to catch on, but after it’s been tickling the back of my brain for a coupla days, the penny just dropped — love the Clerks homage!
Sounds like it might be a good idea for a poll… Hrm…
Thanks, Clutch! I’m doing good. I’m a few days out so most of the soreness is over.
I am glad to hear you are alright noisy. I read that news and wantd tonsay something but hard to get them out.
Okay, on to the review, have to agree if CG makes it this should sell more. Ofcourse ran across my old one and ditched it not recalling what it went to. This had a much nicer update and hearin about the early rusty look makes me hope to see that set emerge down the road.
I agree with Clutch and beedo your custom shopkeep lady needs a bio. I can’t think of a name though myself.
Thanks, J. Lee!
Nice!! I bought two of these day of and they are both jam packed to the gills with extra weapons.
Cool! You guys have me thining they should go back to the well on this piece and go with all rusted weapons…
Glad to hear you’re okay Noisy.
I went ahead and gave the red sword and rusty gun to SMAA since he didn’t include those, and I think they go well with him. They look like villain weapons.
Thanks, Bigbot!
Swiping the stuff for SMAA isn’t a bad idea…
Still wishing they’d have done all the weapons like the prototype . . . :/
Seconded! There’s always next year’s Weapons Pak . . . .
One more vote for a reissue with solid colors? 🙂
Reissue, or make up the rest in the next Weapons Pak, whichever. So long as I end up with the complete set, I’ll buy it.
I hadn’t heard. Glad you’re OK, Noisy!!
Thanks, ero!
I saw the picture on twitter–was that your car in that one? Glad you’re good; and I hope the Castle comes through for you!
Thanks, googum! If it was yellow, that was my car. 🙁
I love that the last picture features the two items absolutely nobody* wanted.
*In truth I wanted the spare Clawful mace; Camo Khan custom needed his proper weapon.
Thanks!
He does, but I’d rather it come with a Camo Khan!
Myra (My-Ra?), Heroic Mistress of Retail!
I’m glad she understands the principle of ‘turning’ the merchandise and the longer something sits the more it eats into her profit margin. A discounted sale is better than no sale at all. 🙂
So what the hell? 5 car pileup? CRIPES! Really glad you’re OK, Noisy.
Thanks, Steve! Five cars, yep. I was right in the middle.
Great comic as always…glad you got out of that fender bender okay!
Thanks, da man!
The palace guards went a long way towards helping fill out the weapons rack. Especially if you got two sets of them.
Back when I was *supposed* to do this review, it was going to incorporate the Palace Guards. I picked up two sets and have a ton of that gear too.
“With no charges being made to the credit card used to pre-order, I don’t know why folks would wait until the last minute, but we’re a weird lot.”
I can tell you why I waited ’til the last minute.
First of all, I kinda hate Mattel. I’d rather not give them any money, but my nostalgia for He-Man wins out over my distaste. My feelings do make me put the final decision off as long as possible, though. (Well, I guess the final, final decision would be at the end of the pre-order period assuming it goes through, or even getting it off Matty at day of sale, but I guess if I’m going to do this, I may as well do it when it might possibly make a difference.)
But, really, $300 (after shipping and tax) is a lot of money. If I pay right now, or a year from now, it’s a lot of money. Even if this was from Hasbro, or StoreHorsemen, or Onell Design, it’s a lot of money. Even if there were production level samples to show off, and it was every thing I could ever desire, it’s a lot of money. And, man, I just don’t want to spend that much money.
But I do want a Castle Grayskull, so I finally bit the bullet. 😛
It’s primarily cost for me, as well as the constant DR f-ups. I just changed my card and I still had to call them to activate the card for my account. I don’t know if this month’s DC subs went through or not, yet? this was AFTER last month’s was charged separately, despite what the email receipt said. What BS can DR pull off in the next year that’s going to rile collector’s collective bile?
On top of that, there were apparently reports that international shipping was over $100 before it was “corrected”. I know they said it was large and heavy, but half the cost again for shipping? That’s an easy pass for me.
On top of that, if someone really wanted one, they could build their own from dollhouses/craft store supplies, maybe hunt down a 2002 or 80s version even if it’s just for the front facade. Those would be WAY cheaper.
Remember, these are toys. WANTS, NOT NEEDS.
UPDATE: it took a couple days, but Sam and JC are on their way!
(now I wish I had some extra to buy a spare JC for a Jim Gordon custom! 🙁 )
Noisy, I don’t post that often (ok, very rarely), but wanted to let you know that I’m glad you’re ok. This site has become my favorite toy review site, even though there are now a ton of “We take neat pics of new toys and talk about them” pages out there nowadays. Glad
Gad! Sorry to hear about your accident, Noisy. Glad you’re doing well.
You know, I’d be insane to suddenly start collecting this line at this point, but boy do your pics make it look like fun. Curse you!
So “Vendora” (my pic) is a custom? She looks like a friend of mine.