The multi-pack figure concept has been a huge part of the Lanard CORPS! marketing strategy for most of its history. A cursory search for carded figures often turns up three packs, eight packs and even twenty-four packs. Yep, at one point, you could buy twenty-four CORPS! figures in one fell swoop. Amazing. The line continues to throw numerous repackagings at
Read moreby KansasBrawler Figures like Cutter are what really killed me about the 25th Anniversary line. I loved Cutter growing up (though my only version was the really awesome D.E.F. version). The figure I had was great and reading his filecard, I found out he and I shared a birthplace. That was really awesome to my kid brain and it’s still
Read moreSometimes as a collector of large, long lived toy lines, you get burned by the repetition of main characters. Often, it doesn’t hurt so bad to buy multiple versions of one person. For instance, the vintage Star Wars line, for all its representations of Luke, Han and Leia, the big three were wearing outfits significantly different than the last. Of
Read moreThere’s something interesting about this starkly decorated Storm Shadow. Part of the short-lived o-ring rebirth at the beginning of the millennium, he was packaged with his sword brother, Snake Eyes. While Stormy was outfitted in all-white, Snakes had emblazoned his unit’s logo on his pant leg. So much for stealth on both accounts. It’s ironic that this barely painted figure
Read moreAlthough the Real American Hero line wrapped up in 1994, GI Joe wouldn’t stay down for long. With two attempted relaunches in the form of Sgt. Savage and Extreme, the brand branched out beyond what had come before. Though both of the attempted refreshes were unsuccessful, Joe marched on with more large scale figures, and eventually came back to retail
Read moreI’ll admit that I was one of many who began to compile a wish list of figures once the 25th anniversary line appeared to be successful enough to continue beyond a couple of assortments. High on that list were the 1983 offerings, and the nostalgic feelings that they spurred. After all, what 80s kid wouldn’t want their old favorites upgraded
Read moreOn the eve of the annual Lanard Toys sale, I thought it would be fun to delve into one of the many odd items I’ve picked up from sales past. Each year presents at least a few interesting deviations from the usual fare that shows up at Walmart. I’m hoping the pattern continues this year. Stay tuned this week to
Read more2004 was the year of the revived blueshirt. Between the comic pack that spawned this brightly colored version and the uber-popular Infantry Forces six-pack, collectors could get their fill of the generic Cobra ground pounder officer. I certainly did. I’m sure my buying binge was due not only to the colorful nature of the figure (I’m a sucker for brightly
Read moreI went totally ape feces for the new sculpt viper mold. From the first funky red number, to this one and the subsequent classic inspired repaints, I’ve got a veritable army. Can I explain why? The only thing I can think of these days is that I wanted to make up for the fact that I didn’t have much of
Read moreI love clear plastic toys. I can’t really explain it, other than to say there’s some intrinsic coolness to the look. Along with chromed parts or a light-up feature, if I see a toy made of the wondrous material, I’ll probably buy it. My fascination with the stuff probably stems from a purchase of Remco’s Crystar back in 1983. Although
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