Collection update from back in April 2018

Been lazy keeping the website up to date! Here's my video walkthrough of my collection from back in April. Hope you can check it out :)

New Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel trailer

Here's the new Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel trailer showing some of the photos over the past few months. Hope you can check it out, give the video a like, and subscribe to the channel! :)

One Sixth Scale End of 2016 Collection Update

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and awesome New Year break. It was a huge year for me in 2016 on the 1/6th scale front. I was silly enough at the beginning of the year to think I was actually going to slow down, but 2016 turned out to be my biggest year yet for 1/6th scale collectibles.

I got around 30 new 1/6th scale items in 2016, but also sold quite a few to make room and recoup the cost. I sold all my Sideshow Clone Commanders, and also some of the Hot Toys Star Wars figures that I really didn't need, such as the Shadow Trooper and Space Trooper.

Overall, I need to be more selective and focus on source material I love. I think it'll still be a pretty big 2017 for me, but should not have so many things coming in. Hope you can check out the collection as it stands now at the end of 2016 :)

Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel trailers

Have missed my usual quarterly YouTube channel trailer videos showing some of the photos I've taken during 3 months periods. So figured I'd play catchup with three trailer videos covering the quarters from July 2015 to March 2016. Hope you can check the out at the links below :)


July 2015 - September 2015

October 2015 - December 2015

January 2016 - March 2016

2015 End of Year Collection Summary

Forgot to post this up on the website! Earlier in January I posted my 2015 End of Year Collection summary video over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.

Definitely was a big year in 2015! Hope you can check it out :)

Stay tuned through 2016 for all the upcoming awesomeness :)

A couple of quick pics of the room now.

NECA Alien Queen Deluxe figure

Here are some pics and the video review of this amazing figure from NECA. I couldn't have asked for more with this Alien Queen!

Here's the link to the full video review. Hope you can check it out!!

And here are some pics. Such a fun figure!

"Get away from me you bitch!! " ;)

With her warriors.

Definitely head on over to BBTS and order it for yourself! You won't regret it! Click the link below to head on over for all the order details:

Big Bad Toy Store - NECA Alien Queen

Video review of Sideshow Collectibles Captain Rex Phase 2 figure

Here's my video review of the new Sideshow Collectibles Captain Rex Phase 2 figure!

If you want to get one for yourself, click the link below to head on over to Sideshow for more pics and order details! :)

Sideshow Collectibles Captain Rex Phase 2

Here's the link to my review. Hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on this warrior :)

Overall another great Clone Trooper release by Sideshow.

Behind the scenes at Supanova Pop Culture Expo

I was lucky enough recently to get some behind-the-scenes access to the exhibitors section at the Supanova Pop Culture Expo here in Adelaide, South Australia.

All the exhibitors were still setting up their displays, but I managed to grab a few that were OK with me taking some photos and videos of their stalls.

Check out the videos below! :)

Here's a look at the Popcultcha Supastore display - looks pretty amazing even when nowhere near complete!

And here's the setup from local Adelaide retailer J2OZtoys. Great stuff out of Japan!

Here's a taste of the photos I took as well.

For all the photos from the Preview Night, check out the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page behind the scenes album at the link :)

Supanova is heading to Brisbane after Adelaide, so definitely check it out if you're there! You won't regret it :)

2014 Quarter 3 Collection Update

It was nearing the end of October 2014, so I figured I better do my regular quarterly collection update video. So here it is :)

Hope you can check it out! Remember to subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on my collection! Feel free to post photos of your own collection on the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page too :)

Kotobukiya Street Fighter Bishoujo Cammy

Kool Kollectibles Review – Kotobukiya Bishoujo Cammy statue

Kotobukiya have been releasing some amazing statues recently, covering a large range of source material from DC and Marvel comics, to Star Wars and anime, and also gaming with Tekken and Street Fighter. I reviewed their first Street Fighter Bishoujo statue in Chun-Li a few issues back, and now they have released an equally amazing statue in Cammy.

Click the link below to head on over to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel and check out my full video review of this gorgeous statue! Make sure to give us a like and subscribe to the channel :)

If you want to see some more pics and read about my thoughts, keep on reading below :)

As always with Kotobukiya, the sculpting and paint application on the statue is outstanding, and up close really brings out the detail in the character. The pose is dynamic and for the most part faithfully captures the Bishoujo artwork by renowned artist Shunya Yamashita.

The standout feature is definitely the musculature, that really captures the strength and beauty of Cammy. Many statues have only one or two directions in which the it looks best on display. But with such a dynamic pose, this Cammy can be placed in many directions with all looking equally awesome.

Front on shows her strong fighting pose with her fist close to her beautifully rendered face, and her outstretched arm flashing out in attack. While from behind, the statue really brings the focus to her hair, legs, and of course iconic leotard.





The leotard itself is nicely molded and painted, with no bleed through onto the skin texture. It even has great molded lines and black wash to bring out the realistic nature of the costume.

And as always with Kotobukiya statues, it's the little details too that bring the statue up a level. The molded detail on the boots with the laces, to the shiny metallic red finish on her gauntlets, to the painted details on her fingernails and eyes, all sum up to make for a statue with incredible presence on display.

When paired up with Chun-Li, these two perfectly complement each other, almost as if they are sparring. I was so impressed with Chun-Li previously, but I think this new Cammy statue out does it on almost every level.

If you’re a fan of Street Fighter, or anime, or just the Bishoujo line of statues in general, I would highly recommend the new Cammy statue.

Kotobukiya have already teased the upcoming statues in the line with Juri, Sakura, and Poison confirmed to be next in the Street Fighter series. I can’t wait to get those as well! J

I get all my Kotobukiya statues from Big Bad Toy Store. Just click the link to head on over and check out all their amazing stock!

The Big Debate - "Originals vs Recasts (Knock-Offs)" Part One

Recently there has been some interesting, animated, and sometimes heated debate on an issue that has been around for decades, and not just in the toys/collectibles industry. At its roots, the topic revolves around essentially the theft of someone's original work. In the music and movie business, this concept has been around for years with pirated CDs, DVDs, and blu-rays, and then of course the many torrent and illegal download sites.

In the toy industry, the concept has been around for decades too, with knock-off versions of original toys seemingly up for sale whilst the (usually more expensive) originals are still on the shelves! With official toy manufacturers like Hasbro, Mattel, NECA, and now even Hot Toys, it's pretty clear where things lie when fake copies are made of these figures, at least for me. Right up front, I'll say that I do not support fake copies (aka knock-offs) of genuine figures (my reasons will be explained below).

But the recent debates in the collecting community seem to be focused not so much on whether people support knock-offs of officially licensed figures, but also knock-offs of custom figures made by customisers who create their own unique molds. This is where things certainly get a little grey, a little contentious, and bring up all sorts of issues that speak to the heart of collectors around the world (and thus generates the kind of passionate debate that has been going around recently).

I've been involved in some debates in collecting groups on Facebook, and also some animated discussions in recent Google hangouts with collectors around the world. I've learnt things from both sides of the argument, and can certainly see the viewpoints of both sides. So I just wanted to write down here in this article my own thoughts and opinions on the various key parts of the debate. Hope you can stay around to read through the rest :)


Official licenses
OK, so let's start with what I think is the easy part of the debate. When toy manufacturers including the likes of Hasbro, Mattel, Takara, and Hot Toys make figures, they do so officially through properly obtained licenses and agreements with the holder of the intellectual property (IP). For example, Hasbro has license agreements with Lucasfilm for Star Wars figures, and Hot Toys has agreements in place with Marvel for all of their Marvel related figures.

The licensing fees associated with these properties are quite substantial (that's how George Lucas became a billionaire!). Even in the case of Takara, they themselves are the holder of the IP and own the rights to the Transformers (with a close relationship with Hasbro). But essentially, these toy manufacturers either own or have paid for the right to produce these official toys.

In addition to that, these toy manufacturers employ designers to go through the full design process of making toys, from initial sketches, engineering, prototype molds and materials, paint application, final manufacture, and distribution/marketing. That whole workflow costs a lot of money for any organisation, and so the companies set the figure price points such that they can recoup that investment and actually turn a significant profit for their shareholders! Of course it's also based on what the market itself can handle, and companies are always pushing the limits on price to find that fine balance between cost and sales with the number of figures they need to make.

Once the figures are released (or even before!), into the midst comes a recaster/knock-off maker that takes that original design, makes a copy of it, and then sells the replica at a fraction of the price. To me, it is pretty obvious that this is clearly theft of someone else's design, for which the original manufacturer has no benefit. In fact, in many cases the original manufacturer may be adversely affected if many people decide to buy the knock-off instead of the original.

I will never support the purchasing of knock-off versions of official figures. I work in an industry that engineers products, and a lot of resources are used to protect intellectual property, ownership, and fighting against copies and duplication of designs. So perhaps that's why I lean towards always buying official products even if there is a much cheaper recasted/knock-off version.


Exclusivity
Some throw into this argument the exclusivity of collectibles. If a manufacturer releases an official item, but only makes 300 of them, is it OK for people to buy a recast of that item at a cheaper price? I don't think that is OK either, and wouldn't support that. There are many collectibles out there that have been released in limited numbers in the past that I can no longer obtain (at least at reasonable prices anyway). If a recast of that item was to become available, I still would not get it, as that concept just seems wrong to me. For me, that is buying something that is clearly stolen from something else.

I understand that it takes a lot of skill, time, and money to run a recast/knock-off production chain. These recasting operations cater for those collectors that perhaps can't afford or can't obtain limited items that they really want. But in the end to me it's about the creative person or manufacturer that matters. Who was it that put in the time, effort, and artistic skill to generate the item in the first place? That is who I should reward with my money, not the person who manages to make a copy of it that can obviously be sold for a fraction of the price (all the creative hard work was done for them!)

Some collectors go on to say that manufacturers should make their items more available to stop recasts/knock-offs. To me, I don't see how that can be a feasible solution either. Toy makers determine how many figures they need to make and sell in order to generate a decent profit. As they're making that figure, at the same time they are already investing money designing the next figure, which will ultimately use the same factory and resources. So a company cannot simply just keep pumping out the same figure until every collector is able to get their hands on one! Finding that balance between supply and demand is always difficult, with so many figures selling out, and then so many figures also peg-warming too!

The best manufacturers will usually announce the edition size of items well in advance of preorders, so that collectors can be prepared when the listing goes up. I stayed up all night to secure one of 300 Pop Culture Shock exclusive statues recently that sold out in 10 minutes. What annoyed me most was that instantly after the preorder sold out, there were already listings on ebay for the statue at well inflated prices. I would've preferred that real collectors who actually wanted the item got it, instead of scalpers.

If I had missed out on the exclusive, I would've been upset for sure. But then I would simply be content with getting the regular version, which has a much larger edition size. We can't have it all, and never will. I've missed out on some beautiful items, but managed to get others. In some way, it's almost part of the fun (my heart has never beaten so fast in my time collecting than during that 10 minute preorder period!)

In the end, I understand why manufacturers put limits on their figure sizes, and I accept that I will sometimes miss out on items that I really want. But I would still not support a recast of an exclusive item just so I could get a copy of it at a cheaper price. That just seems like a cop out.


Elitism
Some also say my point of view above is elitist, but I don't think it has anything to do with elitism. To me, someone is being elitist when they look down condescendingly on someone else's collection based purely on criteria like scale/size, value, or source material.

I've posted in forums about my small Kotobukiya statues, only for those that collect 1/4 scale statues to state how lowly my collection is compared to theirs. That is elitism.

I've posted in forums about my 6" figures, only for those that collect 1/6th scale or 1/4 scale figures to comment on how shit my figures look compared to theirs. That is elitism.

But being against the recasting of limited collectibles so that the masses can obtain copies is not about elitism. I don't think those collectors that have items I want are any better than I, it's just they were lucky enough to obtain them when they were available!

For me it's about respecting the original artist or designer that put their creative efforts into making something collectible, something we want. I think buying a recast/knock-off disrespects that, and means you support the stealing of someone else's hard work to get an item cheaper.

In the end, people will buy what they want to buy, and there's obviously a market for these recasts/knock-offs. But for me, it just feels wrong.


Up next - Part Two!
I think my thoughts above cover the easiest part of this debate. For me, I do not support recasts/knock-offs of officially licensed products. In part two, I'll get into the grey area that has generated perhaps the most discussion - is there a difference to the argument if the original item is not officially licensed? How should we treat customisers and 3rd party companies?

Hope you can stay tuned for my thoughts tomorrow! :)

New Kool Kollectibles Pose-Off Battle to celebrate 30,000 Facebook fans and 1000 YouTube subscribers!!

Hey everyone! If you follow the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page or the YouTube channel, you'll know that recently we reached 30,000 fans on Facebook and 1000 subscribers on YouTube!

So to celebrate another big milestone, I'm holding another giveaway Pose-Off Battle competition. And the prize this time is the awesome Star Wars 6" Black Series Boba Fett figure!

Click the link below to watch the video explaining some of the details.

The set of rules are:

1) Subscribe to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!!

2) Like the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page!!

3) The theme is "ACTION!", so take a photo (one entry per person) of your figures in the most creative, dynamic pose setup you can (no matter what line or scale).

4) No photo manipulation (eg. photoshopping) allowed. Make the pic about the pose and figures, not about any additional special effects!

5) Message it into the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page! When sending in the photo, please confirm your YouTube user name.

6) Comment on the video with your Facebook username so that I can cross check you on both FB and YT!

Entries close Mon 8 Sept 2014, 7am Australian Central Time!!

Once I get all the photos, I'll post them together into a new Pose-Off Battle on the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page.

Judging will be by a 5-person panel consisting of myself, my 6 yr old son, and three Kool Kollectibles fans that will be found from a request on FB :)

Have fun!!! And thanks again for following the FB page and YouTube channel! You guys rock! :)

Kotobukiya Star Wars Bishoujo Mara Jade

I reviewed my first Kotobukiya Bishoujo Star Wars statue in Jaina Solo recently. The Jaina Solo was actually released over a year ago, but when I saw the teaser for the Mara Jade statue, I had to get both. I received both together, but the statue had a scratch on it that annoyed me, so I asked for a replacement.

I'm happy to report that the replacement is pretty much perfect, so finally had the chance to take some decent photos and write up the full review here. Read on for more details on this absolutely stunning statue! :)

Packaging:
The packaging is no surprise, and follows the same black/gun metal Star Wars design as other related Star Wars products. I'm still a little confused as to why these Star Wars statues are labelled with both Bishoujo and ArtFX designations, since I thought they were totally separate lines. If anyone knows why, please enlighten me!

The box art is pretty stock standard too, with various photos of the statue, and of course the amazing prototype Bishoujo artwork by renowned artist Shunya Yamashita. This is one statue that I believe well and truly lives up to, and exceeds, the beauty of the artwork.

Assembly:
Similar to many Kotobukiya statues these days, some assembly is required, but is not overly difficult. The right gloved hand needs to be inserted into the arm. The left "force push" arm, right up to the wrap around her bicep area, also needs to be inserted. Unlike the Jaina Solo assembly, the arms on Mara Jade were very easy to insert.

A choice of two lightsabers is provided, with the purple being my favourite. Placing the hilt into her hand is a little tight, but no real issue. Regardless, I love the fact that she has the option of being displayed as a Jedi, or as one with the Dark Side - a girl gone bad is just that little bit sexier for me :)

The base art comes with the respective Rebel and Imperial insignia, of which I chose the latter. Inserting her feet into the base is very easy, and I love how the clear plastic doesn't distract any attention away from her high-heeled boots.

And what lovely boots they are! I mean, they cover the longest legs leading up to......the best damn ass in the galaxy!! But more on that later :)

There's no assembly required for the pistol in its holster. It is unfortunate though that it is not removeable, as that would've been a nice extra touch. But it still looks great, as does the brown leather look of the holster and belt.

Here's a look at the other accessories that come with the statue. The blue lightsaber is nice enough, but I think the purple just has that extra presence on display. The cape itself is quite nicely molded and painted, with nice flowing lines and great shading. The goggles aren't particularly great though.

As you can see from the photo above, I chose to simply use the small scarf around her neck that pegs in just at the top of her chest. The display options include also adding the goggles, but I thought that looked a little too busy, and I didn't like the way the googles sat on her chest.

Also the full cape can be used instead of the scarf. It looks great from the front, and matches the prototype artwork. But it covers the best feature of this statue, and so I decided against using it :)

And what's the best feature of this statue you might ask? Well.....DAT ASS of course!!! Here's the gratuitous closeup :)

Statue:
I loved the Jaina Solo statue for its playful pose and just gorgeous facial features. But this Mara Jade takes all that to the next level and beyond!! The pose here perfectly conveys that strong force push dynamic pose in the artwork.

One of my favourite features has to be the red hair, and how it's sculpting is various shades of transluscent red/orange plastic. From all angles the hair is just outstanding, and it frames another beautiful Bishoujo face from Kotobukiya. The paint app on the skin is again flawless - I love the creamy smoothness and subtle shading.

The outfit itself is also beautifully done, with lots of different textures, molded details, and different shades of blues that accentuate that gorgeous female figure. The knee high boots are painted in a more metallic style that make them stand out from the more matt-like finish of the body suit.

The brown paint app on the belt and her shoulder/back harness is nicely done too. I love how the belt lays on her hips, with the holster slung to the side.

And how could I not mention her derriere once again! If there was any statue or figure that I would want to display facing the opposite direction, it would be this one! She looks every bit as amazing from the rear as she does from the front, if not more so! But really, this statue is pretty damn awesome no matter which way you look at her!

For me, this is another home run for Kotobukiya in the Bishoujo line. I haven't been collecting their statues for very long, but in the short space of time that I have, I can safely say that there is no other company that makes statues of such quality at such an affordable price!

Together with Jaina Solo, these two look simply stunning. I cannot wait to see who they announce to be next in the Star Wars Bishoujo line (uhh, Slave Leia pretty please!). I just hope they don't take another year or so to release the next one! Most highly recommended!

For the full video review, head on over to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! The link to the video is below, so I hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with your own thoughts! :)

If you're looking to get into Kotobukiya statues, look no further than Big Bad Toy Store! You can order directly from them via the link HERE! They ship worldwide, so definitely check them out! :)

NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4-pack!!!

I finally managed to find and get a genuine NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4-pack! It certainly cost a crapload, but man once I got them out of the box it was so worth it!!! :)

These portray the original comic look perfectly, and the sculpting and articulation is pretty damn awesome. Here are a few pics and the link to the video review on the Kool Kollectibles youtube channel. Hope you can check it out!! :)

Front box art:

Back box art:

And here they are posed together! They just look AWESOME!!! :)

And here's a quick pic of them with their TMNT Classic Collection brothers :) Great figures all of them!

Video review:

If you like what you see, please subscribe, like, and comment on the video with your thoughts! Talk to you all soon :)

Kool Kollectibles 10,000 Likes Celebration Album!

As part of the celebration for the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page reaching 10,000 fans, I requested fans to submit photos of themselves and their favourite collectible! I did something similar for the 5000 likes milestone, and I just love how it brings collectors from around the world together.

I received over 70 photos from collectors all over the world, from regular posters/commenters on Kool Kollectibles, to members of FB groups such as One Sixth Republic, Action Figure Addicts, and Transformers Addicts, to new followers of Kool Kollectibles just wanting to join in on the fun! There were also many submissions from some great YouTube reviewers that I've been fans of for a long time!

I have just posted the album of pics to the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page, so click the link HERE to go check out all the incredible pics. I am so thankful to all the collectors who were gracious enough to submit photos of themselves and their collections. The collecting community is just awesome, and I love being a part of it! Hope you can check it out :)

Kool Kollectibles "5000 Likes" Celebration!!!! We have a WINNER!!! :)

Morning all!! As you might know, I've been running a "5000 Likes" celebration on the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page this week. Folks have been submitting pics of themselves and their favourite nostalgic collectible, and it's been an amazing week of stories and pics.

As part of the celebration, one person would be randomly selected as the winner of a copy of the upcoming Dark Horses "The Star Wars" comic. The first issue is coming out in early September, so it was the perfect time to run the competition :)

So I filmed the podcast this morning to draw the winner. And congratulations to CALEB PIQUE!!!! I'll be in touch my friend!!! :)

Check out the podcast here:

Hope you can all subscribe to the channel, and head over to the Facebook page and give it a like! Share your collections!!! The competition might be over, but let's keep going with the celebration of all that is KOOL and KOLLECTIBLE!!! Thanks everyone!