Antiques and Collectables – The Collectors Blog

This is just the kind of thing to make collectors of vintage Master of the Universe toys salivate like a bunch of dogs coming across a knocked over hot dog cart. Anyone who grew up with the classic fantasy/sci-fi hybrid action figure series will be able to recall the vividly epic artwork that was found on all of the packaging, especially the vehicles and playset, with fantastic scenes of a war-battered world, gray clouds roiling across the sky, towering fortresses looming in the distance and in the foreground, a muscle-bound hero, gleaming weapon in hand, astride his rearing giant attack beast, readying his leap into the clashing fray!

Aaahhh… good times.

Well now you can own a piece or two of this brilliant artwork as the CAAF (Children Affected by AIDS Foundation) and Mattel, the makers of the MOTU line, have teamed up to auction off a couple of original pieces of packaging art from two legendary MOTU toys, the Battle Armor He-man with Battlecat and Battle-Bones figures and accessories.

According to The Fwoosh:

Please join the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) and Mattel in a celebration of the artists and artwork participating in the 2009 Dream Halloween the Art Show! The Preview Night exhibit will include a silent auction of over 70 pieces of unique art created by Mattel employees. All those in attendance will have the opportunity to bid on one of these original works of art! Proceeds will benefit the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF), a Mattel philanthropic Signature Partner.

Phone bidding is available for art marked with a RED RIBBON. The Live Auction by phone is October 24, 2009 at approximately 5:30pm Pacific Time. To register as a phone bidder, please call 310-258-0850 between Monday, October 19 and Friday, October 23.

PLEASE NOTE, PHONE BIDDING IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PAINTINGS WITH THE RED RIBBON AND HAVE A MINIMUM STARTING BID OF $1,000.

So break out those checkbooks, MOTU fans! Come on, it’s for a great cause!

For more information, visit the Fwoosh at the link above or visit www.caaf4kids.org.

Old School MOTU Artwork Up for Charity Auction originally appeared on About.com Action Figure Collecting on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 19:50:31.

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As collectors, there are very few things as sweet as collecting an entire set of a particular line of action figures, especially if the figures are somewhat vintage, or at least out of production and therefore harder to find. This is the thrill of the hunt and the rush of the capture!

We stalk our prey, combing the thrift store aisles, toy show booths and online auction sites, then feel the quickening of our blood as we spot our quarry, and then quietly, calmly… we buy it! BANG! And then we take it home and mount it on a shelf along with all the other trophies of the noble hunt.

Well, I may be over-dramatizing it a bit, but you collectors know what I’m talking about. I have personally felt this thrill in some recent finds that brought together a collection which I had been meaning to hunt down for quite some time. I’m referring to the 1997 Burger King Kid’s Meal Universal Monsters action figures, one of which, Frankenstein’s Monster, I showcased in a retro spotlight article. With Halloween around the corner, I got it into my head that poor Frank was rather lonely and needed his other three cohorts.

So, with a little online digging, I managed to find a fellow collector with a Dracula figure for sale. BANG! The next day, I checked a local antique store and spotted my next quarry, the Creature from the Black Lagoon. BANG! The final figure, the Wolfman, was the toughest to find, but after a few days of looking another fellow collector happened to spot one at a flea market, remembered that I had been looking for one after a post I made on an action figure forum, and we made a deal. And… BANG!

Sure, they’re all incomplete, missing a some accessories, that is, and there’s only four of them in the series so it’s not like I finally scored every single Star Wars action figure ever produced or anything, but the figures are all in decent shape and they’re mine and that’s what count. When I finally got them all together and posed them on my shelf, I felt that elusive flow of warmth that a collector gets when finally completing a collection.

It’s moments like this that I remember why we do this, so pardon me if a take a moment to bask. And here’s to hoping that you will do the same very soon, too.

The Sweet Victory of Completing a Collection! originally appeared on About.com Action Figure Collecting on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 01:51:43.

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As a fan of all things lychanthropic (anything dealing with werewolves), I’m about seven different kinds of excited about the upcoming Wolfman movie starring Benicio Del Toro and the occasionally fuzzy-challenged. Of course, any time I get excited about a new line of eye candy (movie, TV show, comic book) I can’t help but wonder if there will be accompanying action figures and if so, when?

Well, well, wonder no more fellow fur-fanatics, news on the street is that the official Wolfman 7″ action figure made by Mezco, will be available for purchase in January of 2010! Wait.. what? January of 2010? Are they serious?! Well, if that’s not a kick in the pants, the movie is not coming out until February of 2010. Seriously, because nothing says “Valentine’s Day” like a werewolf movie, right?

Now, I’m no marketing genius, but when I went to see Zombieland last weekend (quickie movie review: awesome!) and I saw the trailer for the Wolfman before the feature presentation, I nearly lost my mind right there int he theater for several reasons, one being that this is the Halloween season, a holiday tailor-made for things like curse gypsy men who turn into man-eating half-wolves. But do they release the movie around Halloween? Noooooooo. They save it for a holiday season based on candy hearts, bouquets of flowers and fat, little babies with vestigial bird wings. Brilliant.

Oh well. What I’ve seen of the figure looks great (although I’m already suspicious of a lack of articulation) so the chances are pretty good that I’ll pick one up, taht is, as long as I can keep up my Halloween mood for the next 4 months. Wish me luck.

For a sneaky peek at the figure, visit www.entertainmentearth.com.

Wolfman Action Figure Just in Time for Halloween… Oh Wait… No, it’s Not… Sorry. originally appeared on About.com Action Figure Collecting on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 16:31:23.

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