Whats new with Wicket?

We finally have some new shoots done, and are in the process of editing. The shot that you see below will also be a part of our new layout that will be up soon. So all that and more soon. Keep checking back for updates. Check us out on flickr.com/wickettoys.

The Search for Sideshow

I recently came into some money and finally able to buy some new collectibles. I immediately ordered the Hot Toys 1:6 The Joker and the Hot Toys 1:6 Bank Robber Version The Joker. So I got them in mail this week and very happy with my purchases. Next, I promised Andrea I’d buy her the Sideshow Collectibles 12” Stormtrooper as an early Christmas present. So we decided to make a trip over to Things From Another World this weekend, instead of ordering online. When we arrived we looked around for a bit and found the figure. Unfortunately to our disappointment the figure’s price had skyrocketed from $90 to $120.
We were a little bummed out, but Drea looks up and notices a Sideshow Collectibles 12” Luke Skywalker Eps IV Version for $90. She lit up with excitement and asked “you sure you want to pay that?”. I smiled and said of “of course.”
So now we have 3 new additions to our family. She’s going to do a shoot with SC Luke sometime this week, so look forward to that. =]

New Additions to the Wicket Family

We've finally bought some new toys to add to both Drea and I's collection. We've recently recieved the Hot Toys Bank Robber Joker, Hot Toys The Joker, and Sideshow Collectibles 12" Luke Skywalker Eps IV Version. We're going to be doing some new shoots with these, and we're really excited, and happy we have these new items in our collection. =]

1:6 Batman Original Suit...The Comparison.

The Dark Knight released July 18, 2009, and the world was ecstatic. To most of the media, the cash in was purely for promotional purposes. To merchandisers though, that was a whole different story. Many companies rushed to get the license to manufacture toys of all kinds and age groups. Mattel was a main player in this race, modeling children’s toys after vehicles, scenes, and characters from the movie. They sold very well, and to many it was a surprise that such an aggressive movie would be so accepted by the general public.
However, like most movie merchandise, interest fades and production of these toys slows down to accommodate the lack of sales. Even with public interest fading, true fans stay interested and want more. That’s where high-end toy manufactures come in. These companies’ products availability is very exclusive and can become very pricey. But true collectors spend the money on these figures, and the market moves on.
Three companies seem to be the most popular when it comes to the high-end Batman 1:6 figures: Hot Toys, Takara, and Medicom. All have been debated greatly on ever since the release of The Dark Knight, because it’s the first time there has been 3 different figures of Batman in his original suit available. In my opinion (and what seems to be most) Hong Kong toy maker Hot Toys has the most movie accurate, detailed, and best scaled figure available. The suit is made of complete rubber, stretched over a plastic Hot Toys Truetype body with 32 points of articulation. The head sculpt is completely movie accurate, and has the best cowl out of the 3. It comes with many accessories and separate interchangeable head sculpt featuring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. Takara offers a separate Bruce Wayne head as well, but does not even come close to the detail that Hot Toys offers. The scale of the figure is actually too tall, and throws the overall look of it off. The only plus that the Takara Batman offers is the accessories. Takara offers the harness and ski-mask from the beginning of Batman Begins. In my opinion, last place goes to Medicom’s rendition of Batman in his original suit. One of the negatives that throws me off, as well as Takara’s, is the fact that his neck can turn. In the movie The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne asks Lucious Fox to design him a new suit, because his original suit’s cowl does not allow him to move his head and turn his neck. This was a critical detail in the plot of the movie, and is the whole reason why The Dark Knight bares a new suit. I’m very disappointed that Medicom and Takara didn’t take this into consideration. Medicom didn’t seem to care about accuracy, because he is far too short, and for the most part the body of the figure is made of plastic and just makes it appear very cheap. The detail is very poor as well, and makes this figure fall short below the other 2.

Hot Toys 1:6 Iron Man Mark III

It’s no doubt that Hong Kong toy maker, Hot Toys, has the best and most accurate movie replicas in the high end collectible market. They’ve shocked us all with superb realism, and amazing detail with all their collectibles. The 1:6 Iron Man Mark III figure is no different, as Hot Toys offers yet again another superior addition to their Movie Masterpiece series.
This figure is truly a sight and will make any true high end toy collector drool over, may they be an Iron Man fan or not. Hot Toys paid amazing attention to detail on this. With Mark I and Mark II figure already available to the market, Mark III had to exceed the rest. From the Tony Stark head sculpt, to the many moving and working parts, the all-around composition of this figure is incredible. One the finest contributions to this figure, are the three LED lights, located on his chest and in the palms of his hands. This feature is movie accurate, and completely functional. It’s a worthy addition to any toy collection. Whether you’re an Iron Man fan or not, this figure is a must have.
 

"Things From Another World" Crashes To Earth

To anyone that lives in California, or any other part of the world that owns a television for that matter, knows the word “Hollywood.” For decades, the word has been a main staple for entertainment. In the city of Universal lies a little theme park by the name of Universal Studios. The park is the home of many movie and television filming and features an inside look at how movies are created, as well as some interesting attractions of its own. Located just outside of this utopia of sights, sits City Walk; a large shopping center featuring a variety of stores and restaurants to choose from.
Just inside this shopping mecca is a true treasure by the name of “Things From Another World (TFAW)”. You honestly can’t miss this amazing little shop, as it boasts a gigantic space ship smashed into the side of the building. Inside lies an amazing array of collectibles, toys, statues, figures, comics, books, posters, and many other little gems to feed your hunger for out-of-this-world possessions. The store offers a seemingly endless amount of choices, such as DC, Marvel, Ex-Machina, Star Wars, Alien, Terminator, Batman, Predator, Sin City, X-Men, Watchmen, Star Trek, and many more. The atmosphere of this store is truly unique. Circular in shape, the design of this building offers one the feeling of being completely surrounded by this marvelous selection of goods. Each wall of the store hosts a number of diverse items, and even the tops of the shelves sit an arrangement of different figures to observe. In the middle hangs a giant UFO, about 10 feet in diameter, with a life size R2-D2 directly underneath it.
Things From Another World has just celebrated their 30th Anniversary, opening the store in 1979 making it one of the oldest collectible venues of today. With 30 years of service well under their belt, they have definitely earned their bragging rights in a world becoming conquered by internet merchant sites such as Ebay, Craig’s List, and Amazon. They refuse to admit defeat, and continue to offer a great selection of quality products, at excellent prices with amazing service. Their employees are knowledgeable and very friendly, and always try to give you the tools you need to become a great collector. Stop by TFAW, look around, and enjoy one of the last true collectible stores of today.








For more pictures click here.

Hot Toys 1:6 Batman MMS-DX-02

Hot Toys stays true to their great quality, with the new 1:6 scale BATMAN collectible figure. It’s a life-like Batman collectible, true to 1/6th scale and stands approximately 32 cm tall, featuring Hot Toys True-Body figure with over 32 points of articulation and the movie accurate The Dark Knight Batsuit. This deluxe version comes with two functional Batman heads: One features Hot Toys ground top-of-the-line Parallel Eyeball Rolling System (PERS), Translucent Iris, and the other head features the sonar vision device – light-up eyes. It also features three different interchangeable unique faces capturing Batman's classic facial expressions, which will fit both functional heads. The collectible also features a newly sculpted and developed Batman complex suit with his 1/6 weapons and accessories-Transformable Sticky Bomb Gun, Back Pack, Grapnel Gun, Mini Mine, removable Holster and two interchangeable and Magnetic Utility Belts. Predicted release date is Q1 2010(January-March)