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Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Cars 3: Jimmy Cables

Ready or not, I have another Mattel Cars 3 1:55 scale diecast to share with you tonight—Jimmy Cables, the Piston Cup stock car racer sponsored by team Intersection (No. 00)! Jimmy was originally available way back in 2017 as an exclusive in THIS Motor Speedway of the South 11-Pack. There was no way I was forking out $45 for just this and one other "first look" character in that set though, so I'm happy my patience has finally paid off. This diecast started hitting Target shelves just this past month (2021 singles Case E) and is the very first time Jimmy has ever been released as a single. 

As shown in the screen shot above, Jimmy Cables can be briefly spotted at the beginning of Cars 3 during the opening "Run That Race" montage. Blink and you miss him! Later on in the film, he is replaced by next-gen racer Flip Dover.

 
I will note, Jimmy's colors appear much more pinkish/purple in the film compared to this diecast's red/pink look (not sure why Mattel's colors are off with this one)—so keep that in mind when looking out for him while watching the movie. Maybe Mattel will correct his colors one day; they tend to go back and do stuff like that.

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Jimmy at your nearest Target (or on eBay HERE) and stay tuned for more from my Disney·Pixar Cars collection right here soon. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Cars 3: Sputter Stop Racing Tractor

Welcome back Cars fans! Tonight I'm taking a quick look at yet another Cars 3 1:55 scale diecast from Mattel...the Sputter Stop Racing Tractor! This one started hitting shelves just a few weeks back (as part of 2021 Case E) and is a brand new, never-before-released character. This is the fifth racing tractor release following Shiny Wax Tractor, Rev-N-Go Tractor, Bumper Save Tractor and Easy Idle Tractor.

As shown in the screen shot above, the Sputter Stop racer (Sheldon Shifter) appears in tractor form when Cruz Ramirez imagines all of the Next-Generation Piston Cup racers as tractors during the climatic Florida 500 race. This is right after Lightning tells Cruz to "sneak through the window", which hearkens back to their training with Smokey in the field of tractors earlier in the film. Such a fun and clever "pay off" moment!

There are definitely more "tractor racers" coming soon (I know View Zeen has been confirmed so far), so stay tuned to my upcoming reviews. I found this one at Target around three weeks ago and you can still find it pretty easily in stores, so be sure to check your nearest Walmart or Target. If you'd rather just pick it up online, you can check eBay HERE or Amazon (not yet available).

Good luck on the hunt! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Toy Story "To Infinity & Beyond" Fantasy Pin and MORE from Skaro Crafts

What a surprise! Just a couple days ago, I came home to such a fun and unexpected package from the U.K. —I hadn't ordered anything, so I literally had no idea what it could be. Lo and behold it ended up being this amazing and very generous box of goodies from Shannon McCarthy who runs the Etsy shop called Skaro Crafts (Instagram HERE)! Shannon creates some stellar pop culture designs (mostly Disney and Pixar inspired) and sells them through her shop on bookmarks, pins, stickers, art prints, badges, patches and more. I wasn't familiar with the shop previously, but now you can bet that it's saved under my favorites.

Here's what I received: five shiny/rainbow holographic stickers (Zurg, Remy, Baby Dory, Little Mikey and Bing Bong), two bookmarks (one pattern featuring the iconic Pixar ball and the other featuring Ernesto de la Cruz's guitar from Coco) and a glitter/enamel Toy Story Buzz Lightear jet pack "To Infinity and Beyond" fantasy pin & corresponding sticker! I could not be happier with these. Everything about each item here is quality made and very professionally done! Count me impressed. 

Here's a closer look at the Buzz Lightyear wings pin! Beautiful—I especially love the glitter aspect. Once again, this is as good as any officially produced Disney pin and has already earned a spot on my ever expanding Pixar pin board.

 
If you like what you see here, be sure to check out the Skaro Crafts Etsy shop for more and place an order! I'm sure Shannon would really appreciate the support and you'll be super happy adding any of her products to your collection. 
 

So what do you think? Which item is your favorite? Let me know down in the comments below and be sure to stay tuned right here weekly for more from my Pixar collection.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Pixar Soul McDonald's Happy Meal Toys

 
In mid-December just this past year, McDonald's released six Pixar Soul inspired Happy Meal toys to promote the film! I don't believe this set got very much attention when it was available, so I'm excited to share more details on it today in case you missed it. This is essentially a continuation of McDonald's "25 years of Pixar" assortment that was released last summer, as they're the same plush/bag clip style toy—in fact, Joe Gardner is the same exact toy (a straight up repack) as the one that came out last summer. Since I already had Joe, I didn't re-buy him here.

This collection includes: Newb (#1), Mr. Mittens (#2), 22 (#3), Joe Gardner (#4), Terry (#5) and Moonwind (#6). If you didn't know, just a general FYI, you can actually buy the toys on their own without a Happy Meal for $1.60 each. I didn't go on the hunt this time though and ended up just buying them on eBay for a really good price (I think I ended up paying only around $10 for the five I needed; it was worth it so I didn't have to drive around to countless McDonalds every week).

Just like last year, some of the characters have plastic bag clips (Newb, 22 and Terry) and some have a double sided feature without a clip (Joe, Moonwind and Mr. Mittens—one side is their living form and the other is their soul form; reverse sides below). I love the shiny and sparkly iridescent fabric on all the soul characters! They have both printed and embroidered features and measure about 4"-5.5" tall.

And here's the back sides of the bag clip characters. Again, love the colors.

While I don't think these would appeal much to very young kids (not much play value), elementary school kids and older (including adult fans) will enjoy displaying them and/or clipping them to their school and vacation backpacks (or really anything; handbags, luggage, car's rear view mirror, etc...). Overall I think they're really cute and really dig the designs! If you're a Soul fan, these might be right up your alley since there isn't too much merch out there.

What are your thoughts? Did you collect the whole set as well? Or maybe just a few of your favorites? I'd love to know about your experience with these! Shout it out in the comment section below and be sure to stay tuned for more from my Pixar collection right here soon.

REMINDERSoul is also now on Blu-Ray/DVD/4K and Digital! I won't be doing a full review this time, but I definitely wanted to let you know it's available to purchase (as of this past Tuesday, the 23rd) and document it here as part of my collection.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

PIXAR All-Star Rivals Minis (from Mattel)—with BLIND BAG CODES!

Just a few days ago, I was checking the Pixar section at Target like I always do (not really expecting to find anything new) and, well, I found something new! Not only something new, but something I had no idea was coming (which doesn't happen very often)—this brand new Pixar "All-Star Rivals" blind bag series as part of Mattel's ongoing collection of "Minis"! Just when I thought this line was coming to a close, we get this. So will it be continuing on? Will we finally get the final Toy Story and Pixar Minis shown at the 2020 Toy Fair last year that never got released? Time will tell, but right now I'm thrilled we even got these. You know I love the Minis!

This series is made up of 12 characters spanning several different Pixar films—Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 4, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo. Some characters are completely new, some are repacked from previous Minis series and some are retooled variants. 

Here's the breakdown:
  • Sulley (repack from Pixar Series 1)
  • Randall (retool of Randall from Pixar Series 2—he now has "invisible"/clear legs and tail; same overall sculpt as original)
  • Laser Firing Buzz Lightyear (retool—same sculpt as the Laser Firing Buzz which has been released numerous times, but now has an updated face with both eyes open instead of him winking)
  • Scud (NEW)
  • Bo Peep (repack from Toy Story 4 Kroger Series; it's subtly different from the Toy Story 4 Series 1 Bo)
  • Benson with mouth open (repack from Toy Story 4 Series 2)
  • Quick Draw Woody (retool—same sculpt as the Quick Draw Woody from Toy Story Series 5, now with an updated face) 
  • Stinky Pete (repack from the 2020 Al's Toy Barn Toy Story 2 Series; I haven't found that series yet though, so I got him here)
  • Flik (NEW—was supposed to be in Pixar Series 3, but that hasn't happened yet)
  • Hopper (NEW)
  • Stern Expression Nemo (NEW)
  • Darla (NEW)
 
Below is what the CDU (counter display unit) looks like. Fun design with the Pixar skee-balls! Of course the "rivals" aspect is that they've paired select Pixar heroes with their antagonists (I should clarify that there is only one mini per blind bag; $3.49 each). On the packaging and CDU, Randall and Scud are highlighted as "Top Prizes". Does that mean they're harder to find? From what I remember, I think there was only one each of those in the full case I found—so yah, I believe they're the rarest of the characters here. 

And now what everyone is here for—the blind bag codes! Here you go, so you don't have to stand in the Target isle for 30 minutes deciphering each one like I did (I've circled where to find the code in my photo above):
 
A- Sulley
B- Flik
C- Woody
D- Buzz Lightyear
E- Stinky Pete
F- Scud 
G- Benson
H- Nemo
I- Randall
J- Darla
K- Hopper
L- Bo Peep
 

Now let's take a close-up look at each character! I only picked up the Minis I didn't have of course. I didn't need Sulley, Bo Peep or open-mouth Benson (since I purchased their original releases and reviewed them), but that may be different for you if you missed any of those previously. Who's your favorite here??

BUZZ LIGHTYEAR (LASER FIRING)

SCUD  

WOODY (QUICK DRAW)

STINKY PETE
 

RANDALL (DISAPPEARING)
 

DARLA

 NEMO (STERN EXPRESSION)

FLIK
 
 HOPPER

Well that just about covers it. So what do you think!? Were you able to find these at Target as well and were you just as surprised as I was? What other characters do you hope get made in future Pixar Minis series? Let me know all your thoughts and any questions you might have in the comments below!

Follow me on Instagram @danthepixarfan

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Toy Story 2: Stinky Pete & Woody 7" Action Figure "Classic Pack" (by Mattel)

"Oh, we've waited countless years for this day!”

Ever since Stinky Pete The Prospector was introduced in Toy Story 2, countless fans everywhere (myself included) have been hoping and waiting for a full-scale replica release of the character. Woody, Jessie and Bullseye have all been made at this point, so why not Stinky Pete to complete the Roundup Gang? Well, almost 22 years later and we still don't have one. That's the bad news. The good news is at the very least he's now a part of Mattel's ongoing and award winning 7" scale Toy Story action figure collection—and man does he look absolutely incredible! This is the first of many new Toy Story 7" scale figures scheduled to be released in 2021 (others include Stretch, Rocky, Spanish Buzz & Jessie, Combat Carl, Evil Dr. Porkchop and more). 

Note for collectors: As I've mentioned before (like in THIS post), I'm fully aware of the "Young Epoch Stinky Pete" from Japan that was released in 2001 (which sells for thousands of dollars on eBay). When I say "they haven't made a full-scale replica of Stinky Pete", from my perspective, I mean a wide [dare I say "official"] release of the character—an accessible version for fans here in the U.S. (from Thinkway Toys, Disney Store/Parks, or the like). That is something that has never been made.

From the figure's near-perfect sculpt, to the amazing movie-inspired packaging (plus the general scarceness of Stinky Pete merch out there), this has got to be my favorite 7" figure Mattel has done. When I first saw this revealed, I'm pretty sure I let out an audible gasp. 

Stinky Pete here also comes with Woody, but I won't be focusing on him in this post since it's the same exact 7" Woody that has been released many, many times since the line was introduced in 2019. I do wish a new/unique Woody was included here (like one with a ripped arm and different expression?), but that's just the way of things. I'm not convinced a Woody needed to be included either way as I think The Prospector would have sold just fine on his own, but that would have at least been a little better. 

Stinky Pete's side of the packaging—his box—is attached to Woody's side (it's all one piece), but I've seen it can be removed pretty easily with a razor blade if you just want to display The Prospector in his box on his own. As you can tell, it's not exactly the same as his box seen in Toy Story 2, but it's pretty close. Overall, the striking packaging design is definitely one of the coolest aspects of this set! Kudos to the team involved. I feel like they really had us fans in mind and put a lot of thought into it.

 
Speaking of the packaging, I'm certainly keeping it! There's no way I could throw this out. I did take Stinky Pete out for some loose photos (I know, I know...), but I was able to carefully put him back in with very minimal damage to the cardback. 

Here he is out of his box! Yup, now I can't say "he's mint in the box, never been opened." What a fantastic figure; the sculpt/likeness, the paint application, the articulation—this is Mattel at the top of their game. The pick is obviously removable, but his hat isn't. This figure is a HUGE improvement on the last Stinky Pete figure Mattel did back in 1999 as seen in my post HERE.
 
What do you think!?

Now as far as the release, it's been odd. Over the last couple months, this set has been released sporadically on Amazon—seemingly only listing a few at a time as a pre-sale saying that it would be in-stock at some future date; then it would ship much sooner than the posted date. It happened to me that way and so many other collector friends of mine. It literally goes in and out of stock several times a week. One second it'll be there and then the next second it's gone. It's super weird! It's never been straight up "in stock". Right now it's "currently unavailable" once again, but keep checking my direct link below daily (even several times a day). Retail price is $19.99. 

Note: I've also heard reports that this is showing up in Walmart stores, so be sure to check there as well. I'm not sure about Target, but I'll update this post if I hear anything.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts and/or any questions you might have for me down in the comments. Are you as happy about this release as I am? Who would you like to see made next in this line? 

Happy hunting!

Follow me on Instagram @danthepixarfan

Friday, March 12, 2021

Bumkins Baby Toy Story Mealtime Collection Review (Bibs & More)

Last February at the 2020 New York Toy Fair, I happened to stumble across the Bumkins booth (which really caught my eye since Aidan had just been born a couple months prier and I was on the lookout for Pixar baby merch) and knew right away that I would need their adorable new Toy Story mealtime collection. Not long after that, I was so honored to have Bumkins reach out to me asking if they could send me the collection to review! I couldn't believe it and I'm still super grateful to this day. A huge thanks to them! 

Aidan was only 6 months old or so at the time (so he didn't totally understand what was going on), but he, my wife and I still had so much fun uboxing the package in the backyard and were in awe of all the cuteness (check out my original coverage on my Instagram story highlight if you missed it). We were sent the Pizza Planet Alien Silicone Grip Dish, the SuperBib 3-Pack (art my the amazing Joey Chou; one of my fave Disney artists), the Woody Caped SuperBib, the Buzz Lightyear Caped SuperBib and the Purple Spoon + Fork Set. Such a generous box of goodies! 

Note: Something that we weren't sent, but I wanted to mention here, was the Reusable Snack Bag 3-Pack (see & purchase HERE).

Flash forward to present day (Aidan is 15 months old) and he is still loving all this—now more than ever! Especially now that he's eating mostly all by himself in his highchair and continuing to perfect using utensils. Not to mention now he actually knows the names of and recognizes the Toy Story characters! Last year he didn't know much about Buzz, Woody and the gang, but now he certainly knows who they are/what what they're from. He gets excited about being Buzz or Woody at mealtime and eating off his favorite alien plate. I have fun asking him who certain characters are and find joy watching him be able to point them out. Proud Pixar dad moment! 

For a while, Aidan did not keep bibs on and would rip them off immediately (mostly why I'm doing this post a bit later; that and so Aidan would be old enough to actually use all this), but he's getting a little bit better about it. The bibs—and everything here for that matter—are quality made and exactly as described (though not exactly "tug-proof" for this strong little guy ;)! Plus is that not the cutest art ever? Heck I'd buy that art and hang it on my wall, it's that cute. 

Here's a closer look at each product and the official details from Bumkins:

Pizza Planet Alien Silicone Grip Dish ($17.95)—Inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story, we shaped this plate like a Toy Story alien. Little ones and parents will love setting the table with this friendly face. Our Silicone Grip Dishes are perfect for little ones learning to self-feed. Our dishes are perfectly sized for toddler portions. A strong suction base ensures they stays put – even with the most aggressive toddler! Great for use on highchair trays or tables. Silicone can withstand low and high temperatures, easily transitioning from the refrigerator or freezer to the oven or microwave. Made with 100% food-safe silicone that’s durable, stain and bacteria resistant.

  • BPA-free, PVC-free, phthalate-free and lead-free
  • Oven safe up to 400°F/204°C
  • Dishwasher-safe (top rack)
  • Measures approximately 7" tall x 9" across x 1" deep
  • For ages 6 months and up

SuperBib 3-Pack ($17.95)—These SuperBibs feature Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and a variety of other toys from the toy box. The bibs attach over the back of the shoulder with hook and loop closure for a quick, adjustable and tug-proof fit. With a handy crumb catcher / catch-all pocket for containing spills. Made from Bumkins lightweight, waterproof, easy-wipe, stain and odor resistant fabric. Single ply construction means no worrying about icky stuff growing between layers of fabric. Without a cotton layer, stains and smells don't stick. A pack of 3 ensures there's a clean one handy!

To extend the life of our bibs, we recommend hang drying our quick-dry fabric.

  • Machine or hand wash; air dry completely before storing
  • BPA-free, PVC-free, vinyl-free, phthalate-free and lead-free
  • 100% polyester with TPU coating for waterproofing
  • Measures approximately 10” across and 9” from neck down
  • Sized to fit ages 6 to 24 months


 

Woody Caped SuperBib & Buzz Lightyear Caped SuperBib ($9.95 each)—For little ones who would like to dress up for mealtime, the Woody bib looks like the toy sheriff’s outfit with his hat as a snap-on cape on the back. The Buzz Lightyear bib features the space ranger’s signature uniform, complete with snap-on jet pack cape. Our SuperBibs attach over the back of the shoulder with hook and loop for a quick, adjustable and tug-proof fit. With a handy crumb catcher / catch-all pocket for containing spills. Made from Bumkins lightweight, waterproof, easy-wipe, stain and odor resistant fabric. Single ply construction means no worrying about icky stuff growing between layers of fabric. Without a cotton layer, stains and smells don't stick.
  • Machine or hand wash; air dry completely before storing
  • BPA-free, PVC-free, vinyl-free, phthalate-free and lead-free
  • 100% polyester with TPU coating for waterproofing
  • Measures approximately 10” across and 9” from neck down
  • Sized to fit ages 6 to 24 months

To extend the life of our bibs, we recommend hang drying our quick-dry fabric.

Purple Spoon + Fork Set ($14.95)—Little ones can dig into mealtime with our Purple Spoon + Fork Set. Stainless steel fork and spoon heads are sized and shaped for toddlers. The concave heads help keep food on the fork or spoon, helping promote self-feeding with solid foods. The outer fork tines are bent to help spear foods and keep food on the fork. Handles are textured silicone so they’re easy-to-grip. Safe to use – made from 100% food-safe silicone.

Do not leave child unattended with product. Discard if damaged or torn.

  • BPA-free, BPS-free, PVC-free, phthalate-free, cadmium-free and lead-free
  • CPSIA compliant
  • Dishwasher-safe (top rack)
  • Measure approximately 5.5” long x 1.25” wide
  • For ages 18 months and up

The quality, the artwork, the theming...it's all pretty much perfection. For all you parents out there who are Toy Story fans just like me (and are trying to get your kids into it at an early age ;), I can't recommend this collection enough! It's just so fun that us fans who grew up with these films now get to pass them on to our little ones—and we can do it in style thanks to Bumkins! 

Be sure to let me know all your thoughts and/or any questions you might have in the comment section below. Did you pick up any of the items here for your mealtimes? What has been your experience with them? I'd love to hear it!

Monday, March 8, 2021

Up Wilderness Explorer Baby Onesie

 
The wilderness must be explored! Inspired by the iconic Wilderness Explorer uniform as seen in Pixar's Up, here we have this adorable baby onesie exclusive to BoxLunch! I got this for Aidan a few months back (because how could I not?) and was finally able to take him outside recently for some photos now that it's been warming up a bit. He's gotta be the cutest little Wilderness Explorer I've ever seen! 
 
This one-piece bodysuit with snap button closure is 60% cotton / 40% polyester and is such a cute representation of Russel's WE outfit at the end of the film when he receives "the Ellie Badge" (or grape soda pin) from Carl. I love the accuracy of the patches on the sash as well—it's just all around adorable.
 
This comes in sizes 3 Month, 6 Month, 9 Month. 12 Month and 18 Month. You can pick it up for your little one on BoxLunch's site HERE for $14.90. Let me know your thoughts down below! 

 
Note: The Dug plush in these photos is the 2014 Cuddle 'N' Talk plush from Thinkway Toys. Full blog post HERE