Five Below: Mini Vending My Machine (Pink) & Rainbow Quacks

 When I found these bagged Rainbow Quacks at Five Below, I picked up another Mini Vending Machine to put them in- this one pink to complement the pastel tones of what I estimate to be about 250 ducks. The ducks are small enough to dispense into the machine drawer below, though not 100% dependably. Regardless, a makes a unique background piece for my "arcade" diorama. Below, She-Hulk, Tigra, and Capt. Marvel watch Dazzler retrieve a duck from the vending machine...

If you haven't picked up a Duck Launcher from Five Below, do yourself a favor- they're fun. I'm seriously contemplating picking up a green one because I liked my standard yellow so much. A fantastic toy!

More Later- Make It FUN!

Five Below: Mini Vending Machine, Gremlins Mini-Pops

Five Below often has some miniature item I can use in my dioramas when photographing action figures, like this mini vending machine that will fit great in my "arcade setup, in which I often pose Marvel Legends figures. The front of the box shows the machine stocked with small charms, but on one of the side panels shows it filled with Tic-Tac shaped candy, but I dumped in sixteen rails of Pez instead. The Pez capsules will dispense, but it can get jammed due to their size. Still fun!

Below, Lynx plays Dance Royale in the arcade, while Meowscles gets some Pez from the vending machine... take note of the Duck Launcher I also picked up at Five Below. So great! The Stumble Guys at the top/left and Care Bear to the right also came from Five Below...

I also found these two brightly colored Gremlins Mini Pops at Five Below that I could not resist! I almost picked up the exclusive Gizo figures, but these weren't that cheap at five bucks a pop. The store I was at had the entire wave pictured on back of the box. But these two will make great background figures on their own, in their neon-bright, blacklight colors- the perfect addition to my 1:12 arcade!

 

More Later- Make It FUN!

Duck Launcher

Perhaps my greatest find at Five Below, the Duck Launcher...

 

Check out the video:

More Later- Make It FUN!

Ron's Gone Wrong Action B-Bots, Stumble Guys

I've had these stashed for quite some time after enjoying the heartfelt Ron's Gone Wrong film in 2021. A couple were just casual pickups at a local Walmart, the other a special 2-pk I found on eBay. I wanted them as background figures for my toy photography, but kind of kept forgetting I had them stashed in a tote. They can be pulled back to wind them up and roll on their two front wheels which make them extra fun- a smaller back wheel keeps them stable while rolling. Their arms/flippers are articulated, giving them a little more personality, I suppose.

More recently I had found some of these 2" Stumble Guys figures at Five Below that have already made appearances in some of my posts. I'm particularly enchanted with the lions. They are just the kind of vending machine bubble figures we might find in the '80s/'90s...

Along with other odd figures/items I find (including a Care Bear), the Action B-Bots were picked up as background characters to fill my arcade when photographing Marvel Legends or G.I. Joe Classified figures. I've seen other toy photographers juxtapose their showcase figures against odd figures/disparate licenses, sometimes to great comedic effect, so when I find something interesting, I pick it up. The egg-shaped bots are toyetic in their color, shape, and wind-up action feature- any kid, young or old, would have fun with them.

Before I had a chance to finish this post, I realized I didn't have the Cat Action B-Bot!

Hunted one down for a great price on eBay shortly thereafter:

There's actually another Ron B-Bot wearing shorts on his head and an underpants on fire pictogram on his body, reflecting when the unit goes haywire in the movie, causing his owner, Barney, a great deal of trouble. Regardless, I'm happy with this little grouping...

Oh, by the way- these Action B-Bots glow in the dark- it wears off rather quickly, but they do.

More Later- Make It FUN!

Dojo Diorama

I've amassed enough ninja-related action figures to warrant my crafting my own "dojo" diorama, so I threw together this 2-piece dio that is vaguely oriental in design, but could be thematically transformed by changing out the banner in the middle that's connected by magnets. The tiny gong was a Five Below purchase that really sells the aesthetic- it's construction matches the minimalism of my design well. I just used a fifty-cent piece of felt for a rug, though I could acquire a proper dollhouse-scale rug to strengthen the illusion. 

.

I purposely chose to hand paint the characters on the banner as opposed to printing out more traditional Chinese calligraphy- it's angular style fit my futuristic/comicbook design. It's a Google-translator approximation of "Super Duper Toybox"...

The base and floor panels are joined by magnets, like the banner. I made a dungeon/fantasy diorama of similar construction just this February. With either, I could easily change out the back wall for an entirely different feel- a project I may focus on next time I'm feeling crafty.

I made this with 1:12 scale figures in mine, but it's big enough to comfortably accommodate my 8" MEGO G.I. Joe Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes ...which look to be a nearly perfect match! You'll be seeing more of this diorama in upcoming posts featuring G.I. Joe Classified figures soon.

More Later- Make It FUN!