The Nightmare Before Christmas (Diamond Select)

The Nightmare Before Christmas
Diamond Select
2016 - 2017

The Nightmare Before Christmas has had merchandise based on it ever since its release in 1993, and rightly so. It's one of the most popular animated films to date, right up there with your typical Disney classic. Fans love it, and obsessed folks can't get enough of it. Now if only we could get a sequel.

It seems that every so often a new wave of action figures are released. Hasbro started it all in 1993. NECA had a go in 2003, and Funko even made a ReAction line in 2016. Mind you, that's just the tip of the iceberg as many other companies released merchandise in between all of that.

Diamond Select's 2016 (and still running) line is a wonderful addition to any Nightmare Before Christmas fan. The sculpting is spot on, and what the figure lack in articulation is made up in spades with the accessories and backdrops included in each package.

Wave one featured Jack Skellington, Sally and Oogie Boogie - Three common figures that seem to jump start every Nightmare Before Christmas line. Not that this is a problem. It's just typical.

Wave two featured The Mayor, Dr. Finkelstein and Santa Jack. You've got to check out those amazing accessories packed in with the trio. They're spot on renditions to those seen in the films.

As of this writing, the line is only on wave two. A third wave has been announced that will include Pumpkin King Jack, Santa Claus, and Oogie's Boys - Lock, Shock and Barrel. What's not to love about that?

Much like any series of toys based on Tim Burton's animated classic, prices will most likely start to rise quickly. For now though, you can still get each figure for roughly twenty to twenty-five dollars. It's highly recommended that you jump in now if these are something you're planning to add to your collection.

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Peter Cottontail (Diamond Select)

Peter Cottontail
Diamond Select
2002

Rankin / Bass Productions was behind some of the most well known holiday specials which started airing in 1964. Their most famous being the stop motion animated short, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Though the company produced a fair amount of stop motion animated shorts (and films), they also dabbled in traditional animation as well as live action films.

These days you won't find any new Rankin / Bass Productions airing on television. The company closed its doors several years ago. However, that hasn't stopped the individual entities that have assumed the rights of their products from creating sequels, nor stifled them from hitting the air waves with seasonal reruns.

However, if you're looking for a more collectible, plastic, action figure based Ranskin / Bass Production, turn your attention to the 2002 Diamond Select Peter Cottontail line. The figures are based on the 1971 stop motion animated short, Here Comes Peter Cottontail starring Danny Kaye.

 Peter Cottontail*Donna

As is usually the case with this type of line, the series was rather small. It featured only four figures, and nothing else. It was aimed at a very specific target audience, and sadly said audience didn't seem to care much. Sales were bleak, and secondary markets these days are even worse. A full carded set can sell for as little as $40.00. However, this seems to not be a gauge of the actual value of the series as a full set of opened / complete figures can sell for the exact same amount. This is definitely a unique if not odd scenario.

Irontail*Sassafrass

It's not that the series was (or is) a bad one. It's just very confined to the type of person that would want it. First and foremost you have to find a Raskin / Bass fan - Which granted, there are probably a lot of them. However, you then have to have one that is also remotely interested in action figures - Or more specifically - Buying and collecting action figures. That's probably a very small demographic.

Though there aren't many toys based on Rankin / Bass shorts, there are still some to be found here and there. We've personally covered another of their series in our post on NECA's The Year Without A Santa Claus.

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Thundercats Classics Minimates (Diamond Select)

Thundercats Classics Minimates
Diamond Select
2012 - 2013

Minimates are something we jumped on the bandwagon way to late for. By the time we realized they were something we were interested in, a vast amount of them had already come and gone, and were showing massive increases in value on secondary markets - In short, we didn't buy many, which is why you don't see to many posts around here on the subject. In fact, this is only the second post we've done on Minimates to date.

There's not much we can say about the Thundercats cartoon that we haven't already touched on in our original LJN series review. So, we'll just jump right into the toys.

Minimates are a block style action figure (or vehicle) which was originally produced by Art Asylum. Though Art Asylum handled the concept well, it wasn't until Diamond Select took over that development/production really ramped up to the point you have so many vast series today - One of which is Thundercats.

The Thundercats Classics Minimates line started in 2012 with the San Diego Comic Con exclusive set which featured Lion-O, Panthro, Spirit of Jaga, Mumm-Ra and Snarf. Disappointingly to fans, this would end up being the only way to obtain these particular figures as they were never released in retail stores.

 Set 1 - San Diego Comic Con 2012 Exclusive

Sets two through three were released as a retail sets, though most retailers, with the exception of Toys R' Us, didn't carry them. Instead, these could be found at specialty shops - Such as local comic book and hobby stores (that ordered them).

 Set 2

 Set 3

Set four was yet another San Diego Comic Con exclusive. It was if Diamond was telling people, "If you want Lion-O or Mumm-Ra, you better come to SDCC."

 Set 4 - San Diego Comic Con 2013

Thundercats Hooo! was the last set of Minimates released in the series. Much like sets two and three, it was released mainly at Toys R' Us and specialty shops.

Thundercats Hooo! Set

On average, the retail sets will set you back about twenty to thirty dollars. However, to nab the SDCC sets, you're going to pay around $70.00 for the 2013 set, and anywhere from $130.00 to $150.00 for the 2012 set - Ouch.

Join us next time when we take a look at Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids!

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Mad Monster Party (Diamond Select)

Mad Monster Party
Diamond Select
2012

Rankin/Bass was a production company best known for its work on animated holiday specials such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and so many more. During the 60's and 70's, they produced many of these made for TV animated features which aired on stations such as ABC and NBC.

In 1967, the group produced the full feature animated film, "Mad Monster Party?". Though it wasn't as well known as the companies prior Christmas holiday based shows, the film has since gone on to find a cult following status.

In 2012, Diamond Select produced a small batch of statue based figures. Each one was a spot on rendition of the classic film character, and included fantastic paint work.

Fang

Since the line was never officially cancelled by Diamond Select, it is possible that we could see a few more characters trickle out for this line. Considering the film included the likes of The Mummy, Quasimodo, The Werewolf, The Invisible Man and several more well known horror icons, there's definitely room for expansion here.

The Baron

The Count

Since they're still relatively new, these items aren't too hard to find on secondary markets. A full set can be grabbed for about sixty dollars, which is actually right in line with the original retail price - Give or take a few bucks.

Join us April 28th for a special post!

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The Expendables and The Expendables 2 MiniMates (Diamond Select)

The Expendables MiniMates
Diamond Select
2012

The Expendables was a dream come true film for action movie fans of the 80's and 90's. Where else would you get Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke all at the same time? Throw on top of that wrestling superstars Randy Coutoure and Steve Austin, and the film only rounds out even further. However, even if that wasn't enough, toss in a couple cameos from the likes of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now what kind of movie do you have going on?

Okay, cast aside, the film received mixed reviews praising it for its action sequences, but condemning it for its paper thin story. When you pull it apart, the film was what it was expected to be - An outing of our favorite action stars of yesterday all under one roof. Did it really plan on being anything more than that? Probably not. It was probably sold on actors alone.

Despite the power house cast, toy companies didn't seem to interested in marketing products to coincide with the film. MiniMates produced an incredibly small batch of tiny figures based on a few of the characters, however out of the two sets produced, one was a Toys R' Us exclusive.

Pack 1 with Lee Christmas, Hale Caesar, Mr. Church and Tool

Pack 2 (Toys R' Us Exclusive) with Paine, James Munroe, Barney Ross and Trent Mauser

The Expendables 2
MiniMates
2012

Expendables 2 upped the anit with the returning cast of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren by also throwing in Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and full inclusion from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Once again critics praised the cast, and tore the plot and dialog to shreds.

MiniMates once again followed up with two packs of figures, with one again being a Toys R' Us exclusive.

Pack 1 with Yin Yang, Toll Road, Gunner Jenssen and Jean Vilain

Pack 2 with Barney Ross, Mr. Church, Booker and Trench

A third Expendables film was released in August of 2014, but its box office profits were far from what the prior films saw. Regardless, a fourth film is rumored to be in the works.

 

These days it's not difficult to find any of the packs above, and with each set ranging between five dollars and ten dollars, it's also not difficult to grab them all at a reasonable price. Whether prices stay this low for the foreseeable future is another story.

 

Join us next time when we take a look at The Fall Guy!

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Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Diamond Select)

Conceived in 1975 in between the third and fourth series of the television show, Monty Python and the Holy Grail would become the troupe’s first official movie. It would also launch the group from BBC stars to international cult film status. When the film launched, fans new and old were quick to adopt catch phrases and personas of the characters. It would also open new opportunities up to the cast which included; Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.

The film follows King Arthur as he searches for the Holy Grail, picking up a quirky band of Knights on the way. From angry French guards to deadly rabbits, and a Black Knight that refuses to yeild even in defeat, pretty much every minute of the film is filled with some form of quirky, or down right silly humor. Its a classic masterpiece.

Despite the success of the troupe, and their continued hits both on television and film, it wouldn't be until almost three decades later that they would be bestowed the honor of having an action figure line. Diamond Select produced six figures based on the film The Holy Grail in 2003, and while it included the majority of the main cast, left room to grow - which unfortunately never happened.

Each figure came in a window view box, and despite the incredible detail to the characters clothing and accessories was unfortunately lacking in detail when capturing the look of the actors.

While the line found a niche in the action figure world, it didn't sell as good as anticipated, and was cancelled. Had this line been released twenty years ago, or even right after the film was produced, sales would have probably been through the roof. Sadly by the time someone finally figured out that there was a market for these figures that market had already come and gone.

But, missed market or not, these are some great figures, and well worth adding to your collection if you’re a fan of Monty Python, or simply great figures in general.

Join us next time when we take a look at Moore Action Collectibles - Futurama!

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