Zelda Breath of the Wild Collector Pin

I bought this Zelda Breath of the Wild collector pin because it features the same artwork from the special edition Switch big box game; so I thought it would be cool to own a mini version.  Unfortunately it is a blind box, meaning that the pins are random.  I was hoping to get the Sheikah Slate, but I wasn’t lucky enough, so I just bought it online instead.  The quality of the pins are nice, but the back stud does worry me that it might fall off because the pins have some weight.  Overall they are awesome, and I can’t wait to display them on my jean jacket.

PowerA:

www.powera.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNdRR_4cVOE

Zelda 7-Eleven Collector Cups

Something I miss from my childhood are collector cups.  Those things used to be given out primarily at fast food restaurants, and were made of glass with beautiful painted images on the side.  Unfortunately over time they stopped giving them out because the glass would break or the paint they used was poisonous.  They were then made out of plastic and usually came in jumbo size cups.  Unfortunately over time they also became rare to see, except at movie theaters and places that sold Slurpees or Slushies.

Thankfully this year 7-Eleven released Zelda themed collector cups to celebrate the release of Link’s Awakening on the Nintendo Switch.  They made three different variants and were exclusive to 7-Eleven Canada.  It’s nice to finally have something in Canada, because I always have to import things from the US.  Unfortunately 7-Eleven Canada wasn’t prepared for Nintendo and Zelda fans because these cups sold out immediately and only had one run.  Fortunately I was able to find all 3 cups and was able to complete my own version of the Slurpee tri-force, lol.  I’m glad that 7-Eleven worked with Nintendo on these cups and I hope to see more of these collector cups in the future (and hopefully they’re not limited).

7-Eleven:

https://7-eleven.ca/

Link’s Awakening:

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-legend-of-zelda-links-awakening-switch/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSXKfsskNaA

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Glassware Set

Cowabunga Dudes!  Here is my set of two etched 16 ounce glasses of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I bought them from a store called Winners, and they cost me $9.99.  I would never pay that much for glasses, but in this case it was of The TMNT’s and I couldn’t pass up on them.  The Turtle’s was one of my favourite TV shows as a kid, and every time I see their animated cartoon version’s I smile and think of all the good memories I had of them.

This set is comprised of one version that features the turtle’s ready to battle that says’ “heroes in a half shell”, and the other of them surfing that says “Cowabunga”.  Back in the late 80’s I remember screen printed glasses like this used to be very popular.  Even back then I had a collection, but unfortunately over time fast-food places stopped selling them; either because of price or the danger of glass or poisons used to make them.  Regardless I am now happy to once again be able to collect collector cup glasses.  I also hope to see more TMNT character’s released as well such as Shredder, Krang, and Foot Soldiers.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

http://www.nick.com/ninja-turtles

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXo4jiEBVak

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Piggy Bank

A while back I was watching a pickup video when I noticed a guy had bought a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) piggy bank.  I wanted that bad boy instantly and so I went on a search for it.  Unfortunately it wasn’t sold in Canada, and importing it from the US would be too expensive so I decided to pass.  Thankfully my patience paid off because this week Walmart finally stocked the TMNT piggy bank.  From my knowledge the Raphael version is the only version released in this model.  Michelangelo is my favourite Turtle, but I’m okay with owning Raphael.  Ralphy is directly inspired by the original TMNT animated series, is pictured with his weapon of choice the sai, and is wearing his signature red bandana.

The piggy bank cost $10 in Canada, which is a steal because that’s also the US price (considering our dollar value is plummeting).  This piggy bank was produced by FABNY, and was made in China in 2014.  The paint job is pretty nice with a lot of detail and very little imperfections.  While it’s meant to keep change, I plan to keep it as a collectable.  FAB NY has also produced other figures such as Batman and Hello Kitty, so I hope they keep up the great work and we get to see other popular figures such as the Simpsons and Nintendo characters in the future.

FABNY:

http://www.fabny.com

Walmart:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ninja-Turtle-Piggy-Bank/26616333

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collector Cup

Well I finally had a chance to watch the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) movie last night.  I gotta say it was pretty decent and I actually enjoyed it.  The thing is, the build up to the movie was kind of a bummer with all the negative rumours surrounding it such as Michael Bay playing a big role, the TMNT possibly being aliens, and Raphael being a girl.  Thankfully most of those rumours didn’t come to fruition or were probably cancelled.

While the movie isn’t on the same level as an Avengers movie, it’s still pretty good.  To enjoy it you have to be a fan of TMNT, and what they’re all about.  If you cringe at the word cowabunga, than this movie isn’t for you.  However, if you come into it with an open mind and a fanboy attitude then you will love it.  At the very least this movie is a great start for a new beginning of a beloved boyhood franchise.

So the movie is good, however the reason I’m writing this post is because I also upgraded my popcorn and drink combo to a special edition TMNT version, which included a collector cup.  Of course I had to get the version with my favorite turtle, Michelangelo (which matched the TMNT Mikey shirt I wore).  The collector cup is minimalistic in design by only featuring the hand and weapon of each turtle, but what makes this cup nice is the mini-figure that is included at the top of the lid.  The figure is nicely painted and it was made by a company called Snapco.  This is my first collector movie cup, and I now plan to collect more cups in the future.  These cups add to the movie experience, and create great memories.  Movie Collector Cups I plan to get in the future are: Star Wars, Avengers 2, Batman v. Superman

Snapco:

http://www.snapcollc.com

TMNT Movie:

http://www.teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com

Blue Jays 2014 Bobblehead Wish List

With the announcement earlier this week of R.A. Dickey and Jose Reyes becoming 2014 Blue Jays bobbleheads, I decide to make a list of the 3^rd and possible last bobblehead that could be chosen.  This list is in no particular order, but just a few guys I would love to collect as bobbleheads.

1. Joe Carter

For many Joe Carter was the World Series hero of the 1993 World Series with his game winning home run, which is why I think he deserves that moment to be immortalized as a bobblehead.

2. Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler

For me, these guys are like family.  I mean I get to hear them during the game, talking about their glory days (most of which are exaggerated or made up), or just interview old players.  What I like about them is that they’re always positive and never put down a player when their having a slow period, unlike some other announcer jerks.

3. George Bell

As far as I can remember he was my first Blue Jays hero.  The man could hit, and catch in outfield.  I know that the Jays did release his bobblehead a few years ago, but it was very limited and released during Spring training, so we’re due for a general release version.

4. Rance Mulliniks

I’ve always thought of Rance as being odd looking in a good way.  With his skinny frame and huge glasses this man is a real-life bobblehead.

5. Roy Halladay

One of my favorite Blue Jays of all time is Doc Halladay.  He was just such an inspiring player to look up to.  He was an amazing pitcher, and extremely altruistic off the field with his children’s charities.

Blue Jays:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/schedule/promotions.jsp?c_id=tor

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaF1SjnCFIU

JP Arencibia Bobblehead

The JP Arencibia bobblehead was a free giveaway at Rogers Centre on Sunday, July 7^th, 2013.  20,000 were produced and they came nicely packaged in a box and plastic.  This bobblehead finally honours one of my favorite Blue Jays, Arencibia.  JP is the current catcher and wears number 9.

This is a unique bobblehead for me because JP is in a squatting catcher’s position.  The paintjob is a little better than average for a free giveaway.  You have many details painted on such as his beard, home white uniform with red highlights, silver on the helmet, and even the dirt on the ground has texture.  The bobblehead was made in China by BDA Inc.  To top this day off I was also able to catch a fly ball during the game.  Catching that ball now makes my bobblehead much more significant and memorable for me.

Blue Jays:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n8bsnNnirE

Collecting Gift Cards

My collecting habit went a little over board last year when for no apparent reason I started collecting gift cards from stores.  It started with a few here and there; when I would be near the cash register and I would pick one up because they seemed interesting.  I liked collecting unique ones that I assumed would be collectable one day.  Eventually I wasn’t able to leave a store without making sure there weren’t any gift cards available.  Thankfully this week I started doing a little cleaning and decided to throw all my gift cards away, and I now feel grateful that I won’t become a future profile on the show Hoarders.

Club Nintendo Gold Member 2012 Prize Calendar

After becoming a gold member on Club Nintendo this summer, my 2012 prize finally came in the mail.  It is a 2013 Nintendo calendar set.  One calendar features a monthly pull out, and the other calendar is a regular pocket size calendar.  I used to think Club Nintendo was a big scam because you had to spend a lot of money on games and systems to eventually earn a gift.  But then I thought, at least it’s better than nothing.  I also discovered that most of these gifts are also sold on E-bay and if I wanted one so badly I could just go on there and buy one (for much less than having to earn it as a gift).

I think Club Nintendo is basically for people that just love Nintendo, and would have bought the games and systems anyhow.  It’s almost like a way for the company to say hello to the Nintendo enthusiast community, and acknowledge them.  Every time you buy a game you have to fill out a survey about your interests and dislikes, so in a way it’s like they’re listening to us.

It would probably cost a lot of money to improve it and have them give out better gifts, so I think its better the way it is now than having to pay more for games to even out the costs of their gifts.  One could dream of course, and imagine a Club Nintendo where better gifts were really exclusive and limited.  People would compete and try to win them, and knowing how hard you had to work to earn them would make it fun to collect.  But then I think, I already collect limited edition toys and sneakers, and if Nintendo did the same thing too, I would never be able to sleep.  And Nintendo should be the last place I should worry about collecting.  Now that’s the fun part.

Nintendo:

www.nintendo.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkG1BMRS-Ss

Nintendo Power Final Issue

Like most people who were waiting for the final issue of Nintendo Power to arrive, I am both sad and happy now that it’s been released.  I’m sad because I used to read it when I was younger and it won’t be around anymore.  I was even a subscriber at one point when the Nintendo 64 had released.  Back in the days when we didn’t have the internet at home, this magazine was where I would read about the up and coming games.  I wasn’t much into school academics at the point, but my parents would buy me the magazine because it was the only thing I liked to read.  I remember a teacher once told me that if I wanted to improve on my reading skills that I should grab something the interests me, and read everything on it.  So in a way, Nintendo Power was more than just a magazine about gaming, it was what initiated a spark in me to want to read, write, and eventually care about what I learned in school.

Now that it’s over, I am also sad because I wanted a younger generation to also experience what I and others felt when we read the magazine.  It wasn’t just about Nintendo games, or news, it was also a magazine for Nintendo fans to come together and show their love for the company.  My favorite part of the magazine was always the letters they would publish from readers.  In a way you got to see the diversity of fans of all ages, countries and cultures.  I also liked it when other people had written about certain issues in a game that I had noticed as well.  It made me feel like I wasn’t the only one.

Despite seeing Nintendo Power go; not all is bad.  I am happy that they went out on top, and were able to release a final issue the way they wanted.  In this issue you get a list of the top Nintendo games NP staff likes, a look back at moments from the magazine, and a poster with a picture of all the covers from past issues.  I like the poster because it brings back a lot of memories of issues I had read, and of games I played.  The cover is also nice because it’s similar to the original first issue.  While it is a sad moment to see this magazine go, I am happy that I was able to be part of the generation who grew up on this magazine.  Nintendo Power!

Nintendo Power Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Power

Nintendo:

www.nintendo.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhGxhxaLS6w