Playmobil Dracula & Witch Figures

Playmobil occasionally releases some Halloween, or at least Halloween-adjacent, figures and playsets. I didn't see any last year but they're back this year with a witch and the Lord of Vampires himself, Dracula.

 

I don't have any stores (that I know of) in the area that really carry Playmobil so I usually have get them online. I haven't even found the blind bag figures anywhere lately which is too bad because they tend to sneak in a horror themed figure in each wave.

But on to what I do have...

Playmobil - Children with Costumes (70283)

 Playmobil has put out some really fun Halloween/monster stuff over the years. Unfortunately, since TRU closed I don't have anywhere along my usual travels to get Playmobil stuff but thankfully you can get it all online. Sadly, no monsters this year but we did get a fun dress up set.

Technically, it's not a Halloween specific set but it's the closest thing this year.

 

 

This set comes with a rug, a chest, 3 kids and a ton of costume accessories!

 

Halloween is all about being whatever and whoever you want. If the princess wants to go out and slay some dragons, she can! You can't really see it here but the cape that goes with the devil head piece has a tail attached to it.

And if a boy wants to dress up as a woodland fairy with a tutu and wings, go for it! I love the ghost costume accessory that goes right over the figure. It's got a classic bed sheet with eye holes cut out feel to it. Plus, it glows in the dark.  

What kind of costume would you put together from this chest? 

I'd probably just go with your average wizard.

Click below to visit the main Countdown site to see all the participating blogs.

2018 Halloween Playmobil

Playmobil is (pardon the pun) killing it this year for Halloween! They put out a fun, portable Haunted House set last year but they went above and beyond this year.

I collect any Halloween/monster type Playmobil figures so picking all these up was a no brainer. I first saw them for pre-order on Entertainment Earth but the expected delivery was after Halloween. That would not do! Since TRU closed, there is no local place to get my Playmobil fix so I went right to Playmobil and ordered all three sets. I also found some other spooky stuff but I'll get back to that.

Quick note: the back drop for the photos is the previously mentioned Haunted House.

The first set is a Frankenstien (FRONK-en-steen) monster and a vampire. They're a little similar to the figures that came with that Haunted House set. But maybe I'm being monster-ist because they're not that similar. 

This Monster has a bald pate instead of a full head of hair and his clothes look maybe a step up the social ladder. Mr Vampire has a cape to die for that matches his vest. He's also carrying a scepter topped with a tiny red bat. But that mustache tho...

I just recently saw What We Do in the Shadows and all I can think of looking at this figure is Vladislav. It's totally the mustache.

The next set is this delightful Reaper and Mummy. I always find it funny when the personification of Death is reproduced in a kids toy. The Mummy actually comes with that spiderweb as an accessory. It's a nice bit of decoration but I could have gone for something with a bit more Egyptian flavor like an ankh or something. I have an Egyptian queen I picked up from an older blind bag series so maybe they can hang out in the off season.

The last set is a Wolfman and Witch. I somehow only just now am noticing that the Wolfman's feet are not the same color as his skin! He is, understandably, one hairy dude. The detail work on the Witch's is wonderful. She's wearing a little necklace and has a few mystical doodads hanging from her belt.

In addition to the figures, they also put out two new Halloween sets. I passed on them both but if I had room to keep the Haunted House out year round I would snatch it up because I've got too many figures that need a place to hang out.

This Night Walk set is pretty cool. It comes with a real flashlight that you can shine through the trees to make the faces light up. I think it's just the right amount of spooky for little kids to have their own not-too-scary adventures.

But this Take Along Haunted House is where it's at! It comes with the same Vampire in the first set, a more zombie looking version of the Monster, and a rando villager that I'm presuming is a Renfield-type. There's also a coffin, some lab equpiment, and a spice rack complete with little jars with animal labels on them. If you take out the floor, the house folds in half so you can take it along with you. It's currently marked down at Playmobil from $40 to $32 but only until 10/28.

If you want to get a better look at these sets, head over the to Action Figure Barbecue, he gets up close and personal with some great photos.

Take Along Haunted House

Night Walk

Be sure to visit the participating Countdown blogs by clicking below!

Playmobil Haunted House (5638)

I don't remember how I found out about this set. I think a fellow blogger posted pics of it. If so, sorry I forgot who you are but thank you!

The official product name of this set is Haunted House Play Box. I don't think it's so much a haunted house as a mad scientist lab but I guess you can't market that to young kids? Either way, they packed a lot of fun into it.

I've seen a few different Playmobil Play Boxes but never got my hands on one. The whole set packs up into this case with room to spare. The doors snap shut nicely to keep it all in. ProTip: Put all the bits in a Ziploc bag, that way if a little monster opens it up in a hurry, the bits stay together.

You can choose not to insert the pumpkin piece at the top to make the handle easier to hold, but really, why would you not?

It comes with two figures: a vampire and a Frankenstein-like monster, which I thought was a zombie at first. After strapping him into the equipment, it's obvious he's a reanimated corpse. Although I guess a zombie is too, right?

In addition to the figures, you get all sorts of lab accessories. Check out that distiller in the top left, it's even got a little Bunsen burner! The "slab" the monster is placed on is pretty neat too, it's got a translucent plastic "crackling electricity" effect. Then you have an assortment of bottles, a skull and bone, along with a raven, mouse, and scorpion.

One of the silly things I really like is that the side parts are ribbed which allows you to put the shelves at any height you want. The graphics on the sides are a nice little touch to the lab.

I'm not clear on why a vampire would want to make a Frankenstein like monster. I mean, if you need more friends, wouldn't you go out an make more vampires? Maybe he just doesn't want the hassle that comes with new vampires. You have to train them how to feed, how to apply sunscreen, and probably have to get more coffins for them to sleep in. #TransylvaniaProblems

Mr. Vampire is sharply dressed with a bat-tie and is rocking an Elvis pompadour like nobody's business. I can't really criticize the monster's fashion sense, he's pretty much stuck with what he was buried in. Of course, I'm presuming he was dug up and not a cadaver Vampy picked up somewhere.

For $20, this is well worth it if for no other reason than it gives my other Halloween Playmobil people some place to hang out in October. If you can't find it locally, you can order from Amazon and get a couple bucks off.

Be sure to visit all the participating Halloween bloggers by clicking the link below!

Minifig Mania!

I've picked up quite a few minifigures over the past month so I thought I'd share them all in one post. If you're wondering  why there's a half naked LEGO guy up there, read on!

First are a couple of Funko Mystery Minis. I got both from a fellow Loot Crater on a Facebook group for buying/selling/trading subscription box related things. He either owns a store or is crazy obsessed with these and buys them by the box because he had a lot of them for sale and they were pretty cheap. I got them both for $12, including shipping!

Dr. Doom is probably my favorite comic book villain of all time. I don't normally collect bobblehead toys but it's not really noticeable when he's on the shelf and the oversize noggin just fits the design really well. Next to Doom is Pumpkin King Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I've been wanting him for awhile but didn't want to fish for him in the blind boxes. I love the movie and have a thing for pumpkin-headed people.



Each one of these LEGO people came to me through different trades with the folks at Miniaturetrading.com. I've made lots of trades with people using this site and highly recommend it! (If you sign up, please list me as a reference: Dex13). You can also trade other blind bag figures like Kre-O, Playmobil and Doctor Who there.

Starting on the left is a Spaceman from the very first series of LEGO blind bag minifigs. I was super happy to get hold of him as the series 1 minifigs can go for a pretty penny nowadays. There isn't anything really spectacular about him, he's like a modern update to the classic Spaceman figure from yesteryear.

You may recognize the half naked guy if you saw the LEGO Movie. It's the "Where Are My Pants?" guy! I mainly wanted him for his awesome facial expression and hair that I may one day use to make a custom minifig for a member of one of my favorite bands. The trick there is I also have to find parts for the other 2 members.

Hey! Give me my pants!

And on the right is the Evil Mech from series 11. "Built with antimatter microcircuits etched in the heart of a black hole and programmed by the top cyber-slicer of the sinister Blacktron space raiders, the Evil Mech is a dangerous force for interplanetary crime and chaos.
A cutting-edge nano-coating lets this robotic menace slip through force fields and scanner nets undetected, allowing it to steal, spy, or sabotage as its mission commands."
He is one bad robot!



Finally is a pair of lovely Playmobil ladies from series 6. I bought them in the store and somehow managed to pick out the blind bags holding the exact two figures I wanted in the series! The Sorceress is clearly inspired by Disney's Maleficient, right down to the horns on her head and green skin. She's also rockin a sweet collared cape that you can't see very well.

I generally try to limit myself to the Halloween-ish/monster/sci-fi figures in this line but I do have an affinity for things Egyptian. Plus, Cleopatra here can hang out with the Playmobil Mummy that I have on Halloween and pretend to be Anck-su-namun. Now I just need to get a male Egyptian! I was very curious about her before seeing her in person because of her earrings. I wasn't sure how they handled them, were they attached to the hair piece? 
Nope!

CAUTION!
Graphic Playmobil image below!



They are actually a single piece of plastic connected by a short length that rests in slots that are cut into her head. Who knew? Props to the person that designed this.

League Post - Shelf Expression

I've been away from the League of Extraordinary Bloggers for a bit and am happy to be back this week! The topic is pretty straightforward this week...

Shelf Expression. Take a picture of your shelves, featuring a few of your favorite things.

The "correct" term for this is Shelfie. Yup, it's a thing!
Here are a couple Shelfies for ya

This is the SciFi/Pulp/TV tie-in shelf. The Star Wars books on the left are maybe 10% of all the Star Wars reference books I own. I just can't get enough info beyond the movies. But now that that whole Expanded Universe has been tossed out, do I still need these? There's also the multi-color trades of the original Marvel Star Wars series from the 70s/80s. Fun!

In the middle-ish are a few pulp reproduction books including The Shadow, Domino Lady, Doc Savage, Captain Future and an Eerie Stories. I absolutely love these because they reproduce the entire pulp as it was printed, including the illustrations and even the ads!

There's also the only physical Doctor Who novel I own: Forever Autumn which takes place on Halloween. And as you can see, there's a variety of Doctor Who things on the shelf too.



And here is the spooky shelf! Starting on the left is my growing Gris Grimly collection. I highly recommend his Nursery Rhyme books if you've never read them! Although looking at Amazon, it looks like a lot of his older books aren't available. That's sad.

Next to those are a mixed lot of monster lore/field guide books. I've always wanted to have something like a Watcher's library filled with books dealing with all things occult and how to fight monsters. But lately those kind of books have been cranked out like nobody's business and there are too many to choose from.

Most of the right half is Halloween-eriffic! October Dreams is a great 650+ page anthology that will put your in a festive mood. I also suggest checking out I Luv Halloween if you like twisted comics. The book on the top (Stars, Spells, Secrets, and Sorcery) is one of my most cherished books. I got it at a book fair when I was in middle school (early 80s) and it was the first "magic" book I bought. Of course this was also around the time of the D&D/Satanism scare, which I also got into then (D&D, not Satanism).

What's on other League Members' Shelves?
Revenge of the Toy Box has the kind of storage space I dream about.
While Goodwill Geek has the more crowded shelves I'm used to.
You want monsters? Head over to Monsterfink's place!

And you can see the rest at Cool and Collected!

League Post - Why Did I Buy That?

This week, the League of Extraordinary Bloggers wants you to ask yourself:
 Why Did I Buy That?

At first I didn't think I was going to have anything to contribute this week as my initial reading of the topic brought to mind something you regret having purchased. Sure there's probably something Episode 1 related sitting in my basement that would cause me to question my collecting judgement, but I wasn't about to go looking for something to fit the bill. Then I paid a visit to one of my local Savers and found a sweet bag o' stuff.

I went back and forth in my head several times as to whether or not I should pick it up. Sure, it was only $3 but did I really need it? After walking around the store, I went back to look it over again and found something I missed in the first look over which sealed the deal.

So after getting it home and sorted out, here's what I scored for $3...

I think the animals are Littlest Pet Shop? At any rate, they're Happy Meal toys. If they're not adopted, they'll be going to a nice farm in the country. The Robin is also McDonald's Happy Meal toy from a LEGO Batman tie-in, missing the bat-projectile. The little guy is from a company called Brio that makes wooden train sets. Internet says he's a fireman.



There's also couple of ImagiNext figures. They have their headgear but no other accessories. They look like a tribal warrior and...? His head gear says fighter pilot but the flames on his outfit make me think stunt driver. They're cool but they should really live somewhere where they could have have more friends for awesome adventures.



Ah, now this is the main reason the bag caught my eye! Lots of Playmobil! Single figures could go for at least the cost of the bag so even without the bonus at the end, this would be awesome. The accessories were loose in the bag and I tried to match them up as best I could or, failing that, what looked cool.



Watch out for zombie fireman! Poor guy had no hair. The objects in front of the odd man out there are detachable sleeves you can put on his arms to turn his vest into a jacket.

I'm not going to keep all these guys, my main Playmobil focus is Halloween-ish figures and gladiators (Do you like movies about gladiators, Joey?). I know some readers like to do custom work with them so if you're interested in any of them, drop me a line.



And here is the pièce de résistance which I only noticed when I went back to look at the bag again! Star Wars Minifigs can get a decent price on their own, especially if it's a figure that was only available in a pricey set. The set she came from is currently eBaying for $150-$200, yikes! What I didn't know until I got Luminara out of her plastic prison is that her lightsaber lights up when you push down on her head! Granted, she's probably not glowing as bright as she used to, but it still works.

And that's the story of how I met your mother, I mean, why I bought that.

Other League members tell you why they bought stuff
Jathniel got swindled by a suave intergalactic con man.
Why didn't you buy that stuff, That Figures?
Not to be outdone, CrookedNinja lists his Top 5 WDIBT? Moments.

Check out the full lineup over at Cool and Collected.

League Post - Shelf Expression

This week's League assignment is a fairly simple photographic request:

Post a photo of a shelf of items that displays your love for pop culture.

It's a little cluttered but if you click for a larger view you can find all kinds of stuff here.

And I couldn't just let it go at one. Here's the top 4/5 of another bookshelf.

Here's what other League Memembers are showing off
Monster Cafe Saltillo has lots of pics!
Plenty more toys over at Goodwill Geek
Lair of the Dork Horde shows a glimpse of his work desk

Countdown to Halloween Day 19 - Playmobil Pumpkin Man & Contest

Last year I blogged about my Halloween Playmobil figures. Some of them were specifically created for Halloween and others have found their way into my collection because they look right at home.

Like LEGO, Playmobil has been running a series of blind-bagged figures. Each series has had at least one figure that I've had to get for my gallery of creeps and spooks. Series 1 had a Grim Reaper and I'm still trying to get a Vampiress from Series 2 .

The latest series brings Pumpkin Man but I prefer to call him Lord of the Harvest.

I was able to locate him in the bag very easily due to his unique pitchfork. He's got some good detail in his tattered clothes. I don't know if it's fashionably ok to wear a sash and an ascot but I'm not going to call him on it! The hair is unfortunately molded to the head. I'd like to see what he looks like with just the hat on and no hair. Why does a pumpkin headed man have hair?

And Playmobil will bring us to the final AEIOUwhy contest of the Halloween season.

There will be two winners for this contest!

First place gets to pick their prize and second place gets the other set.
Contest is open to US Residents and ends at 12:01am on 10/24 so I have time to get them out for Halloween.

A Post That's Not a Post

This is a post to let you know there won't be a regularly scheduled Wednesday post today! However I wanted to let you know that I updated my former LEGO Trading page to a more general toy trading page. You can see the link right up there under the banner.

I updated it because I also have Playmobil and SLUG Zombie figures to trade if anyone's interested.

Also in about 7 hours I will no longer be the last geek on Earth that hasn't see The Avengers.

Yay me!

Just checking to make sure you're awake...

Mailbox Inavders - Dead Bear & Playmobil

It may be Creepmas eve, but I'm still stuck in Halloween mode! 

Ah, who am I kidding? 

I'm always in Halloween mode...

Back in October, I discovered Dead Bear Studios through someone sharing his link in my Twitter feed. He has some cuddly and creepy vinyl figures for sale on his site. I finally broke down and bought a couple when they went on sale and they arrived recently. I really liked what I saw online (obviously or I wouldn't have put down money) but seeing them in person, they are so much cooler than I expected!

LEGO mad scientist included for scale

First up is Pumpkin. I have a thing for pumpkin-headed people so this guy was on my Must Have list. The colors on him are great. The green is a perfect shade of eerie. Head and shoulders are articulated.

Next up is Batty. I had a hard time choosing between him and another one called Gargoyle. Gargoyle uses the same body but has a single large eye instead. The "fur" is done with great effect on him. Photos don't do this one justice, it's so freakin cute in person! The head and wings are articulated.

If you're looking for a unique gift for the monster lover on your Creepmas list, go check out the Dead Bear Studios store. You can follow the their mad creator on Twitter at @motorbot

Also got my order from Playmobil yesterday. I would have missed out on this guy had it not been for Shawn Robare (@smurfwreck) posting a pic of him on Twitter. I searched my local stores (no luck!) then eBay for him. And while eBay prices weren't too bad, buying him from Playmobil directly was the best deal.

He's simply called "Hooded Ghost." The main body and boots are similar to the previous Ghost Pirate figure. His "hair" under the hood appears to be a chain mail coif instead of hair, which adds a little something different. The bones and face glow in the dark. And how about that battle ax?

And because I usually can't justify spending more on shipping than a single item, these two Halloween sets found their way into my cart as well. Since Playmobil was having a 50% sale on them, it was too hard to pass up. I'll let you in on a little secret...I already have these figures. They are destined to be given away on the blog at some point!

Countdown to 10/31 - Playmobil Figures

Over the years Playmobil has released, and re-released, a variety of Halloween themed figures. Some releases are in a regular Playmobil box and other times they've been in plastic pumpkins (see mummy photo below). A few Octobers ago, I found out about these figures and decided I had to get them all for my Halloween collection...and a few others that fit in well with the Halloween theme.

Obviously, I enjoy these because they are Halloween related, but the other thing I like about the non-Trick or Treaters is that they are spooky and creepy figures in a toy line aimed at young kids. You can click on any of the images below to see larger versions. The haunted house backdrop was found at a dollar store.

A group of Trick or Treaters with loot.

Dragon - The eyes on his mask glow in the dark. Not sure if the Jack-O-Lantern thing is a balloon or something else. You can't see it very well here, but the costume has a tail to it also.
Tiger - This one also has a tail. I like that they made some kid-sized figures.
Devil - Again, costume has a tail. Also a red cape and pitchfork!
Witch - Her top has a flying bat and the skirt has a night sky.
Wizard (not pictured) - There is a child Wizard that either I can't find or don't have. He has a purplish robe (covered in stars), wizard hat, white beard and magic wand.

 

Here is the mummy/skeleton set that came in a plastic pumpkin.

 

Yarrr, here be pirates. The all have glow in the dark faces and bones. The one on the left came with the aforementioned child wizard and I don't remember where the one on the right came from. The one in the middle was part of a recent line of undead pirate sets. So technically he's not playing dress up like the other two...Uh oh...

 

Gh-gh-gh-ghosts! I'm not sure who thought a black ghost was a good idea, that is very odd. The two on the right have "normal" people under their sheets. The one on the left has a ghostly person with bones, a very pale face and white hair. Another one not dressing up for Halloween! He has a ball and chain and all his white parts glow in the dark.

 

This is actually two sets combined: the Scarecrow and Forest Witch. I think the thing on the witch's head is supposed to be some type of head-wrap a la your stereotypical Hollywood gypsy fortune teller. The Scarecrow set also comes with a little wagon and a child. Where has that kid gotten to now?

 

Oh, there he is! Well, as long as he's smiling...

 

 

Finally, here's a couple of gentlemen you don't want to meet in an alley...or anywhere else! The Reaper is available now in Playmobil's blind bag series of figures. The dapper Vampire was released both as a special and in a pumpkin. Both figures glow in the dark.
 

If you're looking for more Tricks n Treats, be sure to visit the main list of bloggers over at Countdown to Halloween by clicking on the good doctor below.