Cars 2: Mack Truck Playset

Here is everyone's favorite semi-truck, Mack from Cars 2! This Mack is almost exactly the same as the Mack released from the original Cars. The only difference is the outside picture is just a little different and now adds the Piston Cup logo. Also, Mack's forehead/hat is now red when previously white. The inside is exactly the same. This Mack includes one Cars 2 diecast...Lightning Mcqueen of course! Mack is an all plastic vehicle but is meant for use/play with Mattel's 1:55 scale diescast line.

Check the back of the package below for all the awesome play features!

 Mack has appeared on shelves MANY times since the release of the original Cars in many different ways. This playset, like mentioned, is almost exactly the same Mack that was released in the first line of cars back in 2006, the "supercharged" line, "the world of cars" line and so on. It has appeared in almost every line since its initial release yet is still very pricey on eBay and Amazon for some reason. This Mack sells for about $60-$80.

Mack has also appeared as other "Mega" playsets (with pop open playworlds), diecast vehicles and many different carrying cases. This is the only Mack I have since, admittedly, I only started collecting cars (more seriously) with the release of Cars 2 but have come a LONG way in only 2 years catching up with all the older cars. The latest 2013 re-releases have really helped me catch up even though I know hardcore Cars collectors are sick of them and just want new characters.  : )

I'm not interested in getting all the Macks out there (all the carrying cases, haulers, playsets and what not) but I was actually really drawn to this one that I don't have (images are from Google and are not my own):

I really love movie/scene specific playsets and this one looks really fun as it captures some really key moments from the film. Does anyone have it? Let me know, if you do, how you like it! I'm looking to track it down since it has become pretty hard to find. I know that there was a Cars 2 version of this (that opened up to World Grand Prix scenes rather than Radiator Springs), but that one didn't do it for me like this one above. Any help would be really appreciated!

Anyway, thanks again for checking out today's post and be sure to come back daily for updates from my Pixar collection!

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: Action Figures

Back in 2000, Pixar released their first (and only) direct to video and traditionally animated full length feature movie, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (which has now been long forgotten by many). It also spawned Pixar's first (and only) TV series based on the film and with the same title. The series was from 2000-2001 and only lasted two seasons.

MOVIE FUN FACTS: 

• In the movie's intro (which is the CG animation we know from Pixar and involves many of the classic toys in Andy's room), Rex, Sarge, Wheezy and Buzz are the original voice actors but Woody and Hamm are not. Woody is voiced by Tom Hanks' brother Jim Hanks and Hamm is actually voiced by Pixar director (Wall-E and Finding Nemo) Andrew Stanton-who also voiced Zurg in Toy Story 2!
• For the TV series, Tim Allen did not voice Buzz like he did in the direct to home video feature film. Instead, Patrick Warburton (best know for Kronk in The Emperor's New Groove) replaced him in the leading role.

Ok, onto these figures! When the film came out, I was ten. I was the perfect age to really be excited about it and I remember watching it over and over again on VHS. As a toy lover, I couldn't wait for there to be figures from it and sure enough, there was. 

In the first wave, there was Booster, XR, Zurg, Buzz and Warp Darkmatter. The villains came with with a "grub" and the heroes came with a "LGM." Mira Nova (one of the main characters) never got an action figure for some reason. 

As seen here in this post, I never got the Warp or Buzz figures. I wonder why!? Anyway. here are the ones I do have:

Booster with break away door! He was my favorite character in the show if I remember right. I'm pretty sure I just thought he was hilarious as a kid.

 

XR with weapons! As you can see, I no longer have a few of his guns or the LGM that he came with. One of the very few things I don't have from all my childhood toys!

 

And the Evil Emperor Zurg with firing missiles! 

 

There was a second wave of figures but characters included were basically the same as these, just with different action features. It added just one new character, NOS-4-A2 (who was one of the villains from the TV series which I did not watch very much of).

Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to check back daily for updates from my Pixar collection!

Cars 2: Cartney Brakin

Here's Cartney Brakin, a chase car from 2012 and #40 from the Cars 2 initial line!

This car was extremely hard to find and sold for a pretty penny online (and still sells for about $20-$40). He seemed to be just as rare as a "super chase" car.

Cartney (as seen in the screen shot above) can be seen in Cars 2 during the arrival to Tokyo montage. He (or she?) seems to be a little kid super fan car who faints upon seeing the real Lightning Mcqueen there at the store.

Earlier this year, after having given up on finding Cartney since Cars 2 singles had long passed, I was thrilled when I  randomly checked the Walgreens toy section one day. Not looking for anything specific and definitely not expecting to find anything I needed, there was one Cartney Brakin seemingly out of nowhere-a good 7 months or so after the original release. Super random right? I was so exited! 

For you Cars collectors, it's always a good idea to check your local CVS and Walgreens stores as they sometimes have some random older cars that might be exactly who you're looking for!

Monsters University: Scare Students Figures Update-Randy!

Today's blog post is actually a page update to the Monsters University "Scare Students" post from a few months ago. Visit this page to view the Randy Boggs update! Just scroll down the page a bit to see more pictures of this awesome figure. The collection is finally complete!

Lego: Cars 2 Lightning McQueen

Here is the Cars 2 Lego "Ultimate Build" Lightning McQueen and pit crew Guido from 2011 (Set 8484)! This was the first and only Cars themed Lego set I got. I'm looking to get a few more someday, but there are just SO many of these sets out there.

Below is a picture from when I first got this one/assembled it:
 

Looks awesome when all put together!

If you're interested, browse through these Amazon pages to see many more Cars and Cars 2 Lego sets including those from the regular line and many from the "Duplo" line (great for if you have younger kids who are just getting their first Legos).

This set can pretty easily be found online for under $30.

Cars 2: Nick Cartone

Nick Cartone (as shown in the screenshot above) is seen in Cars 2. He is one of the few cars that try to interview Lightning about why he lost the Tokyo race. Nick is #46 in Mattel's 1:55 scale Cars 2 line and was released late last year.

FUN FACT: Nick here is actually named after one of Pixar's Lighting Technical Directors, Nick Bartone.

Monsters University: DMR Lithograph Set

Yesterday, I was excited to finally get my Disney Movie Rewards exclusive Monsters University Lithograph set! There are four 8" x 10" lithographs included featuring beautiful concept art from the film. For me, there couldn't have been a better selection of images here...not only are some of my favorite scenes and characters represented, but I just absolutely love the style and colors of each illustration.

 

This set is $9.95 plus $2.97 shipping and processing. It's available when you purchase the MU Blu-ray (And I'm assuming the DVD as well), but hurry! The offer ends January 31, 2014 or "while supplies lasts."  

 

And here they are...the colors are just outstanding and so vibrant! Wait till you see them in person. The paper used is very high quality and has a great shine/gloss to it. I'm looking forward to framing them and putting them on my Pixar shelf someday...Once I actually have my own Pixar themed study. 

 

Something I noticed when looking at this stinging glow urchin piece, is that it appears Brock's character design is in the background competing in the game! Was his character originally used for one of the fraternity members before being used for the Greek Council? Interesting. Also, if you look in the lower left corner, it appears to be a blue (rather than burgundy) Chet.  

 

Again, this is a great set and I couldn't recommend it enough if you are a Monsters University fan. If you're on the fence about getting these, I would say go for it!

Lego: Toy Story RC

Here is the Toy Story RC LEGO set with Buzz and Woody minifigures! This was released in 2010, a few months before the release of Toy Story 3, and was the first Pixar themed LEGO set I got. Below are a couple pictures from when I first got/built it:

 

This is a great set. I'm a sucker for LEGOs (I always have been) and when they released Toy Story and other Pixar themed sets, I was of course immediately sold. Look for a few more of my sets in the coming days including: Lotso's Dump Truck, the Green Army Men and Lightning McQueen! 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get every Toy Story set. There are still a few I'd still like to get including: Woody's Round Up Town, the Western Train Chase, Garbage Truck Getaway and the Trash Compactor Escape.

Also out there by LEGO (if you have young kids) are four Toy Story "Duplo" sets: The Pizza Planet Truck, Jessie's Round Up, The Great Train Chase and the Space Crane

Toy Story 3: Buddy-Pack Garbage Truck Playset

Here is the fun Garbage Truck Playset from the Mattel Toy Story buddy pack collection! Yet another cool playset that adds another level of fun to buddy figures.
 

This truck opens up to reveal a pretty big Tri-County dump playset with four sounds and five play features. The playset simply folds out when the truck is opened with no assembly required.

 Recreate the emotional climax of Toy Story 3 by using the "loading ramp" to dump the characters onto the "working conveyer belt." Use the "kid controlled claw" to save the toys before they get trapped in the "spinning sand pit!" You can also attach Lotso to the front of the truck, just like in the film...he might wanna keep his mouth shut though!

Check out my other posts from the Toy Story buddy pack collection:

The buddy packs themselves

Action Links Playsets

Pop-Open Playworld 

Pull and Go Vehicles 

Partysaurus Rex Tubtime Buddies

Dr. Porkchop Playset

Check back daily to see more items from my Pixar collection. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Cars 2: Siddeley the Spy Jet

Here is the Cars 2 Siddeley the Spy Transporter Jet vehicle from Mattel! This was released in 2011 with the original first wave of Cars 2 diecast cars. This thing was everywhere and I never imagined it would become hard to find. Surprisingly though, this actually has become pretty rare and sought after! It currently sells for about $150 on Amazon and not much cheaper on Ebay. Wow!

 Siddeley of course is not diescast but, like the other vehicle/playsets (Mac, Stephenson the Spy Train, Turboloft Jet, etc...), this character is plastic. Still, Siddeley is part of the 1:55 diecast line and is meant to be used with them.

This is a pretty neat toy with a very cool design and some fun features. It's well made/durable, has rolling wheels, a tow cable, a loading ramp, 2 (secret) missile launchers and can fit up to 3 cars inside for storage to to recreate the scene from the film.

This is definitely a must have to complete your Pixar Cars diecast collection...good luck on the hunt if you're still trying to track him down for a good price and keep checking Ebay often for additional listings!

Toy Story 3: Chuckles Plush

There are a few Toy Story characters I'm still hoping get an official replica release someday...Chuckles being one of them! Because, I feel, there won't be any Chuckles released anytime soon (if ever) I got this 7" basic plush version from the Disney Store so I could at least have him represented someway in my Toy Story collection.

This Chuckles came out last year and sold for about $10. It is still available at most Disney Stores and can be found on eBay for about the same price, if not cheaper.

Of course this Chuckles is really not movie accurate at all. He is only plush, no plastic head, shoes or buttons like the character in the film had. He's much thinner and his outfit materials are incorrect. His facial expression and hair are completely different as well...but even though he's not an exact replica by any means, he still a fun plush to have since I really like the character in the film.

There was a frowning face Chuckles plush also released by the Disney Store as well. That one was a bit smaller-around 5". 

There have also been many custom made Chuckles over the years that show up on Ebay or Etsy once in a while. One reader sent in pics of the Chuckles being custom made for him. Those pictures can be seen on my "Collector's Collection" page above. 

I'm still hoping for a film accurate version...It's possible but unlikely. I guess we'll have to wait and see! In the mean time, however, this is the Chuckles I recommend.

Cars 2: Ichigo

Here we have Ichigo! This is another 2013 "chase" edition car (which means it has had a very limited release) from Mattel's 1:55 diecast line. Ichigo can be seen in Cars 2 (Screen shot above) when Mater and Mcqueen arrive at the Tokyo party.

Ichigo is cool for a few reasons: 

1.) She completes my 2013 diecast collection-Bring on 2014!

2.) She is the last car I needed from the "Tuners" series.

3.) She completes the group of cars seen in the screen shot above! All 6 of those cars have now been released this year.

Trivia: She also appeared in the "Cars Toon" Tokyo Mater!

 "Ichigo" means strawberry in Japanese-hence the strawberries!

 Check back daily for more items from my Pixar collection! Starting soon, I will be showing many more cars and they will be making up the bulk of my posts. If you're a Cars fan, you'll like what's coming in the next couple months!

Toy Story: Games

 When Toy Story 3 came out in 2010, it was extremely exciting to see Toy Story merch back on the store shelves in full force after 11 years. Being that the Toy Story trilogy is my favorite of all the Pixar films, I went all out getting everything Toy Story I could get my hands on...from band-aids, to books and, of course, games!

Here we have the classic Memory Game, Yahtzee Jr. and Trouble, mainly to give to my kids someday and are unopened. Since I've never actually played them, I can't do a full review of them, but hey, they look great! If you already like these games, you'll like these versions of them, I'm sure.

There are many more classic board games turned Toy Story out there, like Operation, Monopoly Jr., Chutes and Ladders, Buckaroo, etc...but had to draw the line somewhere, right? :)

I'm not sure if these are still found in stores, but these and more can be found easily at Amazon.com. Check it out below if you're interested!

Monsters University: Rosie and Carla D23 Vinylmation 2-Pack

 Here is the last follow-up post to the Halloween care package from my parents...I was super excited to finally get the 2013 D23 exclusive Monsters University Vinylmation 2-pack!

This set is is a limited edition, only 1500 made, and includes Rosie Levin (from the HSS sorority) and Carla Delgado (from the EEK sorority). As usual with Vinylmations, these are top quality figures with fun and detailed designs. And of course, they go great with the with the original MU blind box series!

 The chalkboard style package really captures the college feel with all sorts of fun MU assignments due and monsters equations. 

 

My favorite thing about this set is now each fraternity and sorority from the film is represented by at least one Vinylmation figure (seen below)!

 

 The MU Vinylmation series isn't complete without this set so be sure to track one down on eBay if you haven't already! Luckily, they're not too rare or expensive and sell for about $30-$40, which I feel is very reasonable for a D23 exclusive set like this.

Cars 2: Fabrizio

Following yesterday's post, here's another awesome surprise I didn't expect to find in the Halloween package from my parents...from Cars 2, Fabrizio! This is a chase diecast from Mattel that was released last year towards the end of the original Cars 2 line. He was one of only two cars I was never able to find in that collection so I'm super exited to finally have it! He was (and is) really hard to track down. A huge thanks to my parents for surprising me with this and for Brita who gave them the tip that I still needed this car.

 Fabrizio can be seen in Porto Corsa a few times (one of those appearances is in the screenshot above).

 Fabrizio is an awesome, unique car and much different than any other design I've seen released. He also has a really cool orange paint job which is my favorite color and was perfect for Halloween : )

 

 And yes he does have eyes under that visor even though it's hard to tell at first glance. 

Well there we have it! Fabrizio- #47 of the Cars 2 collection.

Monsters University: Alumni License Plate Frame and Window Decal

Last night, Brita and I got our very generous Halloween care package from my parents (since we couldn't be home in CT for all the festivities) and I was so excited to find a couple of Pixar prizes in there amongst all the treats! 

So in the next couple days, I'll be posting about the few items I got...starting today with this awesome Monsters University license plate frame and window decal! 

 

These are fantastic. I was so pumped to get these because I just got a new car last month and I really wanted it to be a "Dan car" and really show my personality. Already the car is burnt orange, which is my favorite color, but I really wanted to represent my love for Pixar in some way as well. 

 

These accessories were the perfect way to do that as I absolutely LOVE Monsters University and the themes/message throughout. As soon as I was reminded about these items by looking around at DisneyStore.com a few weeks ago, I knew they were what I needed to show off my Pixar "fandom."

I hope people will get a kick out of these as they drive behind me and say to themselves "Ha! Monsters University! That is awesome."

 

As soon as I woke up this morning, I was excited to put them on the car...and there we have it all decked out with MU pride!