I'm a sucker for a tiny cartoony She-Ra figure. Unlike a lot of iconic heroes, She-Ra doesn't get this playful treatment very often. She's had a handful of Funko Pops (2013, 2021a, 2021b, and 2022), a very cool Dorbz, a criminally-scarce Rock Candy, an "unreleased" Eternia Mini, and a recent Funko Mystery Mini. That may seem like a decent list, but He-Man literally has dozens of figures in this aesthetic, so her exclusion from a lot of these lines is very noticeable to me. Luckily, Thrilljoy, the new vinyl collectible company by Brian Mariotti (the former CEO of Funko), has produced a She-Ra vinyl in two scales so far (plus a variant). That's a very strong showing right out of the gate for me. The character selection for Thrilljoy seems a bit random without the clearly defined "waves" of characters belonging to the same license we've come to expect. But that kind of excited me because I immediately dreamed of a Cheetara and Jem to display along with her. Fingers crossed! Let's check out She-Ra below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Blind Bag. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blind Bag. Show all posts
Monday, August 17, 2026
Thrilljoy Pixl - SHE-RA!
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Thrilljoy Pixl - BATGIRL '66!
No, you're not experiencing déjà vu. This figure is virtually identical to the Thrilljoy PIX Batgirl I posted yesterday, but half the size. Actually my only complaint with my scant Thrilljoy PIX purchases is that they seem fractionally larger than I would prefer, so these 2.5-3" PIXL figures are a great solution. I only fear that they won't have the wide characters selection I predict the larger figures will have. Plus the larger blind-box assortment cases mean it will be harder to get your specific character (I picked up mine on eBay to avoid the stress and because I didn't know where to buy them - I have since seen them at Hot Topic). I don't expect to be buying a ton of these vinyls. I have hopes I can get some more key iconic characters like Cheetara and Jem - that will honestly be the only way I stay engaged in this collection. But so far I've been enjoying my little foray into the Thrilljoy universe and I look forward to seeing their booth at NYCC in a couple months. Let's check out the Batgirl '66 PIXL below!
Monday, August 10, 2026
DC Blokees - JUSTICE LEAGUE WONDER WOMAN!
It's pretty amazing that the first DCEU Wonder Woman we saw was so spot-on. Gal Gadot had a perfect blend of beauty, grit, and presence that set a high bar for all future live-action Dianas. Her four films, the Zack Snyder Cut, and two film Cameos (The Flash and Shazam) is a lot to live up to. I figure the new James Gunn casting will be leaked before too long and the comparisons will begin. But in the meantime, we are still getting slow trickle of Gal Gadot Wonder Woman product. This second wave of DC Defender Version (2.5" scale) Blokees features a DCEU Justice League assortment that thrilled me with the inclusion of both Mera and Wonder Woman. And if the DC lines are anything like the Transformers assortments, we are likely to see dozens of new characters over the next few years. I expect there to be themes like Batman '66, Teen Titans Go, or maybe Batman: Hush, but my fingers are crossed for some seriously obscure deep cuts. Let's check out Wonder Woman below!
Saturday, August 8, 2026
DC Blokees - JUSTICE LEAGUE MERA!
Although Mera's presence in the Justice League and Aquaman movies wasn't groundbreaking or even very memorable (I'm a big fan of the character and I can barely remember her role), that silver screen incarnation granted us eight action figures between 2017-2023 that fit in nicely with a comic-based display (thank goodness for a classic costume!). For comparison, the upcoming McFarlane Mera figure is only the third non-cinematic action figure of her we've ever seen (not counting the two Imaginext figures). So my little Mera shelf is dominated by representations of her fleeting three live-action appearances. This second wave of DC Defender Version (aka 2.5" scale) Blokees is based on the Justice League movie, but with a cartoon design aesthetic. The inclusion of Mera is what made me start obsessively collecting Blokees a few weeks ago. I had to make a detailed spreadsheet to sort out all the scales and characters. This could be a very slippery slope. Let's check out Mera below!
Thursday, August 6, 2026
DC Blokees - ARKHAM KNIGHT BATGIRL!
Blokees has been dominating both the collector and commercial toy markets in the last few years. They produce figures at a rapid pace, they have great character selection, they are inexpensive (these Blind Box model kits are $3), and they are fun to put together. Other cool thing is the wide variety of scales that exist within each license. These Defender scale figures are the smallest at around 2.5" tall. I think they are pretty fun and adorable. The Transformers Defender line is already up to Series 08 (in two short years), so I have hopes that same momentum will exist for DC and give us a flood of characters. My excitement for these is reminiscent of how I felt when I discovered Mini-Mates or Medicom Kubricks; A fun tiny scale, cool characters, and a lot of product. The Arkham Knight Batgirl design was never my favorite. I always felt that her cowl was too bulky and the gold gauntlets and boots contradicted the gritty aesthetic. But in this scale I find it much more palatable. Let's check out Batgirl below!
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
DC Blokees - ARKHAM KNIGHT CATWOMAN!
About ten years ago the Arkham Series of video games dominated the Gotham Girls merchandizing. For a brief period of time, I loved the new spin on my favorite characters. But I can admit it got old pretty quick. The darker, grittier designs were just too far of a stretch from the simplified comic designs that initially drew me to the characters. I would have been more excepting if almost every action figure of Catwoman between 2012 and 2018 wasn't in this style with a little tuft of hair on her forehead and unnecessary cleavage. But by the time her 2022 McFarlane figure was released, my criticism had abated a lot. So last week when I first learned that the third wave of the Blokees DC Defender blind box minis was Arkham themed, I was genuinely excited to hunt them down. And then within a couple days, my local toy shop got them in stock. Luckily the ladies are almost always the lightest figures in the assortment so they're relatively easy to pick. Let's check out Catwoman below!
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Transformers Blokees - ARCEE!
It's amazing how quickly Blokees have become one of the most popular collectibles out there. Every store I stop in has displays or counterboxes. The mom and pop stores seem to have the best selection, followed by FYE, and then Walmart and other big box stores are good for a counter box or two. They seem to be filling in the void left by the dwindling selection of Funko product. The selection of female characters is not very impressive overall, but every one I buy I like better than the last and the lines are so prolific that there will undoubtedly be more. At the very least I predict Arcee to be repainted as a green Paradron Medic in the near future. When I went into my local toy shop yesterday, I was excited to see the Series 9 counterbox. I had been keeping my eye out for this new wave for months. But to my dismay, there were only two boxes left. One weighed a lot, and one was light as a feather. I took a gamble and bought the light one.. and huzzah! Got her. Let's check out the Arcee Blokees below!
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Transformers - ELITA-1, ARCEE, & BLACKARCHNIA!
I'm a sucker for little Transformers collectibles, especially if there is a diverse character lineup. Some past favorite lines include Kre-O, Tiny Titans, and Tacticons. I was pretty obsessed with all of them. Between 2017 and 2020 there was a fun (but frustrating) line called Tiny Turbo Changers. They stood out because they actually transformed, they were inexpensive, and prolific.. I believe they released 100 different figures. The reason the line was frustrating was because of distribution. Most of the waves I really wanted were only released in Canada. Luckily I have friends up North who could hook me up. Flash forward to 2026 and the last thing I expected was for the Tiny Turbo Changers to be rebooted. I think all 15 new figures are repaints of the old ones, but luckily the three females have pretty distinct deco changes so I was excited to pick them all up. I even appreciate the weird attempt to differentiate between Arcee and Elita-1 with the same mold. Let's check out the Tiny Turbo Changers ladies below!
Sunday, January 18, 2026
DC x Sonic - ROUGE as CATWOMAN!
Back in November, I came across some leaked images of a powerpoint presentation revealing details of the next few waves of DC x Sonic products. If these images were genuine, I was very excited. For a line that could have been a quick one-and-done release with the main characters all getting their second to shine, I was impressed by the offbeat choices and ambitious production schedule in these images. But those same reasons are why I suspected it was fake. I shared it on Instagram out of curiosity with a grain-of-salt caveat. Then to my surprise, I got a DM from Jakks asking me to remove the post. I complied of course and then got really excited at the prospect that the plans I saw were real. Now within six weeks of that ordeal I have in-hand proof. Wave 2 of the Mystery Heroes blind bag featuring Rouge the Bat as Catwoman. This is a very cool little toy that I'm very excited to add to my collection. I hope this line maintains the same momentum that Prime did. Let's check out Rouge below!
Monday, January 12, 2026
Titan Vinyls - LADIES OF STAR TREK!
It's been a while since I've purchased or reviewed any Star Trek merchandise. But the upcoming waves of figures from Nacelle Toys have me excited and looking back to what I already own. I realized that I never posted these fun super-deformed vinyls from Titan. I've have them for nearly 9 years and I love how odd they are. I also love that they included so many of the women from Star Trek: The Original Series. I will always loved the TOS episodes most and the trifecta of Uhura, Rand, and Chapel bring me a lot of joy. Nacelle's announcement of all three ladies in Wave 3 of their new Star Trek is a gift. I'm still feeling loss over the cancelled Diamond Select/Art Asylum figures of Rand and Chapel... 17 years ago (I can hold a grudge). I kind of miss these Titan Vinyls. Somewhere I have Ghostbusters and Edwards Scissorhands ones too. They remind me a lot of the KidRobot Vinyls (of which I have many). Let's check out the ladies of Star Trek: The Original Series below!
Monday, August 11, 2025
Auldey Transformers - ELITA-ONE!
I'm thrilled with the Alpha Elita Transformers blind box figures from Auldey. In quick succession they have given us the two most iconic female Transformers in amazing G1 designs and for a very reasonable price (for blind box imports of course). No, these figures do not actually transform. But for a collector of fembots with a penchant for classic animation designs, the modern Hasbro and Takaratomy transforming toys have so much kibble that the sleek animation references get lost pretty quickly. I realize that the female autobots in the G1 cartoon defied physics with their transformations even more than the male characters did, and that's exactly why these figures are so great. We've seen some great figures of Bumblebee, Megatron, and Optimus Prime that both closely resemble their animated appearance and also transform, but for the female characters we haven't been so lucky. Their petite designs just can't contain the sheer mass of their vehicle forms without a miracle of modern engineering.
Saturday, June 14, 2025
MCU Infinity Saga - RESCUE!
Once again I'm playing catch-up with the toy trends and just beginning to dabble in the blind-box Blokees figures that are all the rage in the toy stores. I've been very aware of the Transformers products, but just learned of the extensive Ultraman lines and these newer Marvel Cinematic Universe waves (plus a series for Spidey and His Amazing Friends). I actually don't love the human faces made for this scale - they look a tad too cartoony for me - but luckily the only two MCU females so far (Wasp and Rescue) are completely masked. I have a major fondness for Pepper Potts in her cinematic blue Rescue armor. Back in 2019 I was bummed that she wasn't in her traditional red comic colors, but the blue has really grown on me. It's doesn't hurt that this armor has sparked a significant amount of toys, whereas the comic version got almost no recognition. Plus I think it made way for Ironheart to adopt red armor (and I can admit I like her even more than Pepper). Let's check out Rescue below!
Friday, June 13, 2025
Auldey Transformers - ARCEE!
With all the movie and modern television versions of Arcee and Elita-1 action figures filling the toy shelves in recent years, it is really nice to see a series super classic G1 figures. Auldey is Chinese company with origins making knockoff racecar toys and yoyos in the early 90s. Over the years, they have legitimized their business and become well-known for producing toys from popular brands like Pokemon and Super Wings. But this Transformers blind box series is the first thing that got me excited. The sculpts are very representative of the 80's animated look and the figure scales vary drastically depending on the character.. but reflect the actual character scale in the vintage cartoon. (Arcee is on the small side). This was my first Auldey purchase but I have a movie Elita-1 on the way and there is a classic G1 Elita-1 coming in wave 2. I'm very hopeful we might see some more classic ladies. I for some reason keep envisioning a Firestar as a chase figure. Here's hoping! Let's check out Arcee below!
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Transformers One - ELITA-1!
The Blokees obsession in the toy market today has seemingly come out of nowhere. Around this time last year I picked up my first Blokees figure (a Rise of the Beasts Arcee) that I was moderately happy with. My second purchase, however, was a Transformers One Elita-1 last year that I was obsessed with. But the current obsession has nothing two do with those two figures, but rather the smaller blindbox designs that have filled up every toy and comic shop overnight. This new Elita-1 is the first female to be included in the blindbox assortments so my firsthand knowledge is a little lacking. I believe there are two scale of blindbox figures. This Elita-1 is in the larger Galaxy Version, and then there is a super tiny and cute Defender Version scale which look like the old Playskool Robot Heroes, but super articulated and slightly SD. I hope they make a female character in that scale soon. The larger scales are not blindboxed and come in larger holographic packaging specific to the character you want.
Thursday, March 4, 2021
WWE Beast Mode - BECKY LYNCH!
I'm such a sucker for 2.5" action figures. They remind me of all the classic tiny action figures of my youth: M.A.S.K., Dino-Riders, Sky Commanders, Legions of Power, etc. But if you think female characters in traditional-scale lines are rare, these 1:28 scale figures are a verified sausage fest. If it weren't for the recent Star Wars Mission Fleet figures, this Becky Lynch would have been the first female in this scale since the Power Rangers movie three years ago. This new WWE Beast Mode blind box line was a total surprise to me when I found them in Walmart last week. I saw the image of Becky on the box and immediately started googling for cheat codes. Luckily they were easy to find and I came home with a couple. The feature of transforming into Beast Modes is really fun. I don't know enough about wrestling to know if there is some connection between wrestlers and a mythical beast theme, but it sure makes for an inspired toy line. And I'm especially glad Becky's beast is a Phoenix. Let's check her out below!
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Marvel Vinylmation - SPIDER-LADIES!
It's hard to deny the popularity of vinyl collectibles. These days, when you visit a collectible toy store, chances are it will be largely dedicated to vinyls (which can be unfortunate). While the Funko Pop line is the current industry leader, they weren't the first, and they won't be the last. But about a decade ago, it seemed like every single company took a shot on the fad. One of the more prominent lines was Vinylmation from Disney. They started in 2008 as Disney park exclusives, but soon they were in every Disney Store and all over the secondary market. Vinylmation used the successful blind box formula of a standard quirky mold with unique paint designs. Bearbricks, Dunny, and Labbit had laid the groundwork, and Disney had a guaranteed hit with an iconic Mickey Mouse body and an endless supply of popular licenses to tap into. Of course, even successful toy lines rarely last forever, and by 2017 these were all but extinct. The Spider-Ladies were my obvious favorite. Let's check them out below!
Thursday, June 11, 2020
MOTU Action Vinyls - SORCERESS!
The Loyal Subjects made a really smart move by making their figures only semi-blindboxed. At an average MSRP over ten dollars, having a true blind assortment was problematic. I had personally decided to stop buying these figures altogether before they changed their marketing. Now only a select few (rare) characters are in blind boxes, while most of the characters (with common ratios) have revealed window boxes. Despite how much I would have wanted Sorceress to complete my MOTU ladies trifecta, the idea of dropping $10-12 bucks for each attempt at a 1:24 character just pissed me off. I wasted a lot of money trying to get Cheetara a couple years ago and I was just done. But then I walked into Target and saw Sorceress just sitting there in a non-blind box. I'm not one for grudges so I didn't even hesitate before getting back on board. Now they just need to make their chases a little less rare. And of course give us more retro characters. Jem and Silverhawks would be awesome. Let's check out Sorceress!
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Loyal Subjects - CHEETARA!
I'm always a sucker for anything Cheetara. There's something about cat-themed characters that has always appealed to me. Catwoman was the first one that caught my attention. But Cheetara was the first felinoid with actual cat characteristics. The theme is huge in comics and cartoons. Something about felines and females complement each other and make for intriguing other-worldly characters, and I think the sheer amount of female felinoids in the toy world proves that is a recipe that works. But with all the popularity of this character type, I think Cheetara will be always be my OG Cat-Girl. I can't see a piece of Cheetara merchandise without purchasing it. Luckily all the items I've picked up looked really good. Most of these Loyal Subjects females have questionable aesthetics to me. It's mostly the eyes that look more like Bratz dolls than their intended characters, but this Cheetara has an updated look that I think is terrific. Now my fingers are crossed for a Pumyra in the future. Let's check out Cheetara below!
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Justice League Mighty Minis - WONDER WOMAN!
One of the most impressive things about about the toy world is that, generally speaking, the products keep improving. When I think of what Marvel Legends and DC Multiverse figures looked like just a few years ago versus today, it's pretty amazing to see how much the quality has progressed. And it's not just those prominent action figure lines. The oversized 12" figures get better and better. And the little 2" Mighty Minis haven't been slacking off either. This Justice League Wonder Woman figure is leaps and bounds better than its Batman v Superman predecessor (similar to the improvements in the Multiverse and basic figures between the two films). I was so underwhelmed with the BvS Mighty Minis that I didn't even have new releases on my radar until I saw a pic of this one on Instagram and knew I had to have it. Surprisingly I followed a tip and found them right away at Best Buy. I'm a huge fan of tiny action figures so adding her to my collection was a no-brainer. Let's check out Wonder Woman below!
Friday, May 19, 2017
Funko POP and Mystery Mini - ELVIRA!
Of all the traits I admire in people, talent and creativity really take the top spots. That's why when it comes to actors and comedians, I find myself most drawn to those who can create and embody a character persona that takes on a life of its own. It doesn't happen that often. In the US, I can only really think of a handful; Pee-Wee Herman, RuPaul, and Elvira. (Plus Mr. Bean in the UK and Dame Edna in Australia). Fun fact: I was listening to a podcast a few weeks ago where RuPaul was interviewing Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and they were talking about Pee-Wee and how Paul Reubens and Cassandra were in the Groundlings together in the late 70s when they developed their characters. I love when I realize things I adore are connected. There hasn't been a huge amount of Elvira merchandise in the past, but recently Funko got into the game with a Pop and a Mystery Mini - hopefully to be followed by many other products (Rock Candy! Dorbz!). Let's check out the first Funko Elviras below!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)