The Best Disney Tsum Tsum Display Shelf— At Least For Me!

The Tsum Tsum craze is stronger than ever. More and more Disney collectors are getting caught up in all the stackable cuteness— and I'm one of them! From plush, to vinyl figures, to blind packs, to clothing, to just about anything you can think of (heck, even lip balm), Tsum Tsum products are everywhere now. That leads many to wonder, "what is the best way to display my Tsum Tsum collection?" (specifically the mini plush). That is a great question with many answers.

There are a lot of awesome Tsum Tsum displays out there (just Google it, you'll see). I've seen some very effective basic ones as well as some extremely creative methods. Cube shelves, book shelves, custom shaped shelves, corner shelves, shadow boxes, nets, cubbies, etc... I've seen them all and they're all great options! Really it comes down to you and the the style/look you're going for.

Over the past couple years I thought a lot about how I personally wanted to display my Tsum collection. Well, I finally got my answer just a few days ago while I was browsing my local Target. I stumbled upon this large mesh metal circle shelf and knew right off the bat that it would make a perfect Tsum display shelf—and I was right! It's like it was made for Tsum Tsums. Come to find out, after searching the web, I'm definitely not the first one to have this idea. But hey, I'm excited to share it with you in case this is new to you as it was to me.

Since I exclusively collect Pixar Tsum Tsums, I only have around 50 currently (though I'm sure that will change big time this year). This shelf can comfortably fit, according to my calculated guess, around 120; so that gives me plenty of room to grow! I cannot wait for this to be filled to the brim. It will look adorably perfect.

The shelf is 25" H x 25" W x 5" D in size. It's very easy to hang (comes with two screws) and retails for $29.99. If this has got you interested, be sure to pick it up at your local Taget store (seems they've been around since last year) or online right HERE!

For me and the amount of Tsum Tsums I have/plan on having, this is the definitive way to display my collection. I'm excited to hang it up in my kids' room (or office or playroom...wherever it might end up) someday. Until then.

How do you display your Tsum Tsum collection? I'd love to hear, or even better, I'd love to see! Shout it out in the comments below and feel free to share any pics you might have.

UPDATE 6/28/20:
Wow. What a difference a few years makes! Look at all these Tsum Tsum releases I've added to my shelf since I wrote this post. I'm officially out of room now (Tsums seem to be done anyway, so good timing as much as I loved collecting them) and the shelf looks amazing on my Pixar office wall! In the end, I was able to fit 137 Tsums on here.

Epic, if I do say so myself!

A Pixar Valentine For You

Happy Valentine's Day 2017 from Dan the Pixar Fan and all the Pixar couples! Hope your day is filled with love (and chocolate). Thank you all for your continued Support!

Cars: Artie and Brian Fee Clamp 2-Pack

Now here's a release I got very late in the game last year...this Disney·Pixar Cars Artie and Brian Fee Clamp 2-pack! This set was available around last May, but it never showed up in my area. In the end I finally had to resort to Amazon (well, my mother in-law did, who got this for me for this past Christmas). As usual, these are 1:55 scale diecast vehicles from Mattel and are part of the 2016 "LA Speedway" sub-series (#10/11 and #11/11).

As shown in the screenshot above, both Artie and Brian are directors for the RSN Racing Network. They can be briefly seen [a couple of times] during the film's final climatic race at the Los Angeles Speedway.

Though I already have an Artie diecast (seen in my post from years ago HERE), the version I have has lenticular eyes. With that said, it was pretty easy justifying getting another one here with this set, since this version has standard "fixed" eyes (plus the coloring is a tad different, the windows are darker and the mold is now a unibody). Brian Fee Clamp, however, is a brand new never before released character.

Interestingly, Brian Fee is being released AGAIN this year as a 2017 "Deluxe" size single. That was a quick re-release.

Let's take a closer look at these guys...

Artie

Brian Fee Clamp

Fun Fact: "Brian Fee Clamp" is named after Cars 3 director Brian Fee! Brian has been in the art department at Pixar since work began on the original Cars.

Having trouble finding this 2-pack in your area as well? No worries. You can always check out current eBay listings HERE or Amazon using the direct link below. Have fun on the hunt!

Cars 2: Towga Gremlin

Today I'm taking a closer look at Towga Gremlin from Cars 2...yet another 1:55 scale diecast from Mattel! This was one of the last ones I needed from last year (release was around September) and I finally just acquired it. Woo-hoo! He is part of the 2016 "Oil Rig Gettaway" sub-series (#5/8).

As shown in the screen shot above, Towga is one of the Lemons seen trying to kill Finn McMissile at the beginning of the film (right next to Jerome Ramped and Stefan Gremsky). He actually sports the same awesome blow torch and goggles getup as Stefan, who is ultimately pretty much the same diecast sculpt (just a different color scheme).

As an added detail, Towga's goggles lift up! Cool little touch.

This is another awesome looking "Lemon" diecast for scene building. I really like his brown and orange colors, which is different from all the other Lemons released thus far. The rust, scrapes and dirt details here are top notch once again. Nicely done.

If you still need to find this one for your collection, be sure to check out eBay HERE or Amazon using the direct link below. Happy hunting to all my fellow Cars collectors!

Cars 2: Alloy Hemberger

From Disney·Pixar's Cars 2 (supposedly), here we have the Mattel 1:55 scale diecast of Alloy Hemberger! Alloy here is one of this year's very first releases and is part of the 2017 "#95 WGP Race Fans" sub-series (#3/8). If this diecast looks familiar to you, it's because he was originally available in a Target four pack as an exclusive pack-in back in 2013 (seen HERE). It just goes to show you; though multi-pack exclusives may be frustrating at the time, if you wait long enough they almost always eventually get re-released as a single. Works for me!

As you can see, I did not include a screen shot of this character in the film like I usually do. That's because many Cars fans speculate that this specific race fan did not actually make the final cut (OR that it's entirely made up by Mattel). I watched the Blu-Ray closely and even took some shots frame by frame and could not find him. Upon more research, I then found out no one has found him. I have looked through countless Cars forums and Wiki pages and everyone is saying basically the same thing: he is nowhere to be found.

Anyway, regardless of whether he's in the film or not, I love this diecast! This color blue is just so awesome. It's so vibrant and unlike any other color we've seen in this collection. Plus additional race fans are always fun to collect for scene building.

I like the additional details here as well. For example, Alloy is obviously a fan of World Grand Prix race car, Max Schnell. His flag sports Max's German colors and race #4 logo. His license plate even says "Go Max." Pretty neat!

Fun Fact: The name "Alloy Hemberger" is a direct reference to Pixar visual effects artist Allen Hemberger (who worked on Cars 2, Brave and Finding Dory).

I found this one back in late December last year, but it's still pretty prevalent at Target stores (I see him almost every time I go, including today).  Best of luck on the hunt if you're still looking to add Alloy to your collection!

Video Update: Finding Dory Swigglefish Waves 2 & 3

Today's post is another long overdue video update...this time featuring waves two and three of the Finding Dory Swigglefish collection from Bandai! I've been meaning to show these in action for months now, though I still seem to be the first one who has covered them on YouTube. Check out the video above and be sure to like and subscribe!

For my original detailed write-ups, visit the original wave two post HERE and the original wave three post HERE.

Video Update: Mattel Ratatouille Action Figure Collection (2007)

Hey everyone! Today's blog post is a video update to yesterday's Mattel Ratatouille action figure collection write-up. I was excited to show you them in action! I've also added this video to the original post HERE, so be sure to check that out if you haven't already. And if you've yet to subscribe to my YouTube channel, you can do that right HERE.

Thanks so much for dropping by—the support means a ton!

Ratatouille: Mattel Action Figure Collection (2007)

Today we're throwing it back to 2007 with these French-tastic Disney·Pixar Ratatouille action figures from Mattel! These were part of the original line of toys released just before the film hit theaters nearly 10 years ago (can you believe it?). I recently got these as a Christmas present (thanks to my parents and eBay) since I missed out on the original release all those years ago.

If you follow my blog pretty regularly, you might remember me posting on the Disney Store 2007 Ratatouille figure collection last May. Since I already had those, I wasn't planning on getting these ones (since I thought they were pretty similar). I ended up not being able to resist these though, mainly because of two characters here that weren't released at the Disney Store: Git and Django (not counting the mini Django that came with the Chef Skinner figure).

These figures actually ended up being quite a bit different than the Disney Store ones, so I'm super glad I got them. First of all these are smaller in size; not by a ton, but they're smaller. Secondly, these don't have as much detail or articulation and feel more "plasticky". Lastly these ones don't talk, but they do have some fun action features that the Disney Store ones don't have. Ultimately, both collections are fun for different reasons. The Disney Store figures feel geared more towards older kids/collectors and these Mattel ones are most definitely for younger kids (hence the cheaper feel and added play features). 

Let's take a closer look at the figures below— both in and out of their packages. In this collection we have four awesome characters: Git (the oversized, buff lab rat), Remy, Emile and Django (Remy's father). Each stands at around 4.5" tall.

Git

Git isn't in the film much, but he's subtly funny and memorable when he's on screen. I had to have him as part of my collection—this might even be my favorite of the four.

Action feature: press the button on his back repeatedly and watch as he lifts the "weights"!

Remy

Remy here is really cute and has a nice likeness to the character. He comes with a removable cheese piece accessory. 

Action feature: Remy is a classic "pull-back" style toy. Roll him back and forth on a hard surface several times to "wind" him up and watch as he scurries away with the cheese! He actually gets rolling really fast.

Emile 

Remy's brother Emile, voiced by Pixar's very own Peter Sohn, is one of my favorite characters in the film...I can't get enough of this guy! This is a pretty cute, very simple figure figure with no articulation. 

Action feature: Load the grape into Emile's mouth and press the button on his back to launch! 

 

Django  

Django here is a very cool figure and might be the most detailed of the bunch. He has a very solid sculpt (I love his fatherly, welcoming stance) and great paint application. He also comes with a neat accessory— an opened sardine can that he can attach to. 

Action feature: Once Django is attached to the can, roll him around to see him and his arms wobble about!

Overall, this is a fun, simple line of toys perfect for any young fan of Ratatouille. Heck, even if you're an adult collector such as myself, they make cool display pieces. They look awesome on my Ratatouille shelf currently! And with only four characters total, it makes it easy to track them all down.

Check out my video below to see them in action!



If you'd like to pick these up for your collection, be sure to check out this direct link to current eBay listings or Amazon using the links below. Amuse-toi bien!

"Best of Pixar" Tsum Tsum Collection Review

It's the first Tuesday of the month...you Tsum Tsum fans know what that means. It's "Tsum Tsum Tuesday" at the Disney Store! I was incredibly excited to see a few weeks back that this Pixar inspired Tsum Tsum release was on its way. This time around we have not one, but two film's represented in what they're calling the "Best of Pixar Collection": Wall·E and A Bug's Life. SO MUCH YES.

This has got to be one of the cutest Tsum sets ever right? I love the characters they chose here and I absolutely love how they look altogether. The colors mesh perfectly when the characters are stacked and their faces peeking out are just adorable. I'm also thrilled to see A Bug's Life and Wall·E represented again with new merchandise. It seems like they've been getting some love lately!

The six characters included here in this set are Wall·E, Eve, Flik, Princess Dot, Heimlich and Heimlich as a butterfly (absolutely hilarious). To be honest though, I do wish they made this a collection of eight and rounded it out with two more characters from Wall·E. That would have made it feel more balanced here, but that's a nitpick (I guess I'm just greedy). The characters we did get are awesome.

Once again, the creators here went all out with cuteness and fun little details for fans. For example, I love that Wall·E's cockroach friend is standing on his tread— that's my favorite little touch. Other details I wanted to give a shout out to include Eve's plant icon, Dot's cute wings (and freckles) and Heimlich's tiny feet.

These plushies are part of the Tsum Tsum "mini" collection and are only about 3 1/3" in size. Like usual, they're soft with embroidered features and retail for $5.95 each. Let's take a closer look at each one, shall we?

Wall·E

 Eve

 Flik

 Princess Dot

 Heimlich

 Heimlich (Butterfly)

So far Toy Story (1, 2 & 3), A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Wall·E, Inside Out and Finding Dory  have all been represented in the overall Tsum Tsum plush collection over the years. I cannot WAIT for more. Who could be next? I can totally picture The Incredibles characters in this style as well as a select few characters from Up (Carl, Russel, Dug and Kevin— can't you just see it now?). Of course I'd also love to see Cars Tsum Tsums, which very well could be on their way this year because of Cars 3.

If I had to choose an overall favorite here in this assortment, I'd no doubt have to go with Heimlich. He literally was meant to be a Tsum Tsum, since they're all caterpillar shaped anyway. His face and rosy cheeks are just too cute, not to mention Heimlich has been one of my all time favorite Pixar characters since I was a kid.

You can purchase these right now at your local Disney Store or online (HERE for the Wall·E Tsums and HERE for the A Bug's Life Tsums). Also released today was a medium sized Wall·E Tsum (which you can pick up HERE) as well as a new blind box Tsum Tsum vinyl figure series (Pixar themed— right HERE). Get them as soon as you can...these will sell out quick!

My questions for you: Who is YOUR favorite here and which Pixar characters would YOU like to see in a future Tsum Tsum set? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and thanks so much for dropping by!

Toy Story: Buzz & Woody Deluxe Light-Up Figurine Sculpture

 To Infinity and Beyond!

Here we have a very, very special piece in my collection that I've been looking forward to posting about for some time now. This amazing deluxe figurine [statue] of Buzz and Woody blasting off was released a couple years back. I first saw this at the 2015 D23 Expo in the Disney Dream Store (seen in my post HERE, just scroll down a bit) and I was in awe. I was super tempted to buy it, but I could not justify the high price tag.

This is a very large (about 14"H x 12"W x 13"D), hand painted, highly collectible piece made of a poly-resin material. Original retail was $175.00. It wasn't until last year (with the help of an extremely good discount) that I was able to get it. This showed up on the disneystore.com last winter and I ended up paying around $70.00 for it– a price I could not say no to. I then waited and received it as a gift for my birthday last May.

And the coolest part? This lights up! Just hit the switch on the back and the lights on Buzz's wings glow vibrantly, while his jet pack contrail on the back glows softly and changes colors (from blue, to green, to yellow, etc.). It's soothing like a night light. Note: requires two AA batteries.

My connection with this statue goes even beyond the fact that I'm a mega Toy Story fan. This was designed by one of my favorite Disney artists, Ron Cohee, who I actually had the opportunity to interview back in 2014 (which you can read HERE).

Just look at the details! Even down to "Andy" on Woody's boot. The design of this figurine is out of this world. The look, the make, the paint app...everything about this was crafted to perfection.  

As you can see on the bottom here, this is an official "Art of Disney" product made exclusively for Disney theme parks. It was part of the commemorative line of merchandise released in honor of Toy Story's 20th anniversary in 2015.

Here it is lit up! This photo does not do it justice in the slightest, but I wanted to give you an idea of what it looks like. I hope to get a brief video up soon as well.

And last but not least, I included the photo of me holding it below so that you could get a sense of this thing's pretty massive scale.

I also wanted to note that there was a limited edition bronze variant of this statue made as well (only 60 were distributed). You can view my photo of it HERE at the D23 Expo.

I believe this has since sold out at the US Disney Parks (correct me if I'm wrong), but it's still available on the Disney Store's UK site HERE. You can also find it on the "Your WDW Store" website HERE or on eBay using this direct link.

I seriously cannot recommend this piece enough to all you Toy Story mega fans out there. If you have the opportunity to snag this, do it! This sculpture would no doubt be a prized centerpiece in anyone's collection.

Cars 2: Grem with Helmet & Acer with Helmet

Hello friends and fellow Pixar fans! Since my schedule didn't permit me to post yesterday, I thought I'd make up for it by posting not one, but two cars today as featured in this 2-pack from last year...Grem with helmet and Acer with helmet from Cars 2! These are 1:55 scale diecasts from Mattel and are numbers 7/8 and 8/8 of the 2016 "Oil Rig Getaway" sub-series.

Though Acer with helmet was already released clear back in 2012 (in a movie moments 2-pack with Professor Z, as seen in my post HERE), this is the very first release of Grem with helmet. It's a tad annoying I had to pay for a 2-pack here to get only one car I needed, but I guess this isn't the first time that's happened. I'm used to it. ;) They sure know how to get ya! For those of you that missed Acer with helmet back in the day, this is a solid re-release for you.

As shown in the screen shot above, both of these characters can be seen wearing their helmets during the opening scene of the film; right as the lemons and combat ships pursue Finn Mcmissile after his daring oil rig escape.

Let's take a closer look!

Acer with helmet seems to be the exact same release as the 2012 version. If there are any differences, they're too small for me to tell.

These are still popping up at Target stores periodically, but they're definitely at the end of their run. Be sure to snag them if you see them! If you're having trouble tracking them down, you can always check out eBay HERE or Amazon using the direct link below.

Happy hunting!