When I dropped by SM Megamall last June 16 for the 11th Philippine Toy Convention, I thought I was in for a big day. I had set aside a huge chunk of my incentive pay for the said event and I was really raring to go. Yes, I was able to score a bunch of Funko Pop! bobbleheads and figures (my newest addictions) at the Con but the Marvel Universe and Iron Man figs which I really came for were nowhere to be found. Fortunately, I was able to spot and score these Super Hero Squad sets to somehow make the long trip worthwhile.
First up, we have the Iron Man and War Machine two-pack. One of my fave eBay.ph sellers, mizterkrabs, managed to put up a booth at this year's Con and though he didn't really bring his usual truckload of goodies, I was still happy to meet him at the event. I bought this two-pack from him for 550 bucks (13 USD) and though it might seem that the set was overpriced, I still believe that what I got was nothing short of a fair deal. I've been collecting toys for years and I've literally scoured the country's most prominent toy shops over and over, but trust me when I say that I had never seen this particular set in person prior to this year's Toy Con. So, yeah, I believe that my money was very much well-spent on this couple.
The two-pack features Tony Stark in his Pentagon armor (or modern armor, as called by some) and War Machine in his most iconic color scheme (black and silver instead of black and gray), making this a balanced set in terms of appeal. So, while I really dig the Iron Man figure because of its sophistication, I'm a bit unhappy with the War Mac fig due to its dullness (this is already the fourth incarnation of this mold in my small collection) and to say that nothing in this figure excites me is a huge understatement. Thankfully, Iron Man is here to save the day and even things out. This is the first manifestation of this Pentagon Iron Man mold in my armory and boy, am I glad to finally own one or what?! Yes, the fig's head looks ridiculously big with the helmet on, but tell me, what really happens when you put a helmet on? Tell me.
Then, after an hour or so at the Con, something caught my attention. There was this War Mechs three-pack on top of a heap of toy boxes in an unattended booth. I was impatiently waiting for the shop attendant to resurface when two bickering adults suddenly showed up and to my surprise, they happened to be the peeps I was waiting for. Apparently, they were mad at each other for leaving the booth unattended but having spent a good five minutes waiting for them, I just didn't have time to hang around much longer. So, while they were still at it, I decided to inquire about the three-pack's price. One of them simply answered, "400" (9.50 USD) and without skipping a beat, went back at barking on the other. Baffled, I asked if I could check the stuff out and after doing so, I paid for the set and hurriedly left. 400 bucks for this set is definitely a steal and I had to run away from the booth before any of the sellers could realize the coup!
Amazingly, it was also the first time I had seen this set in person and it was really like deja vu because two of the three figures from this pack happened to be just repaints of the two figures that I had just purchased a while earlier. What a coincidence! So, with the back-to-back SHS purchases, I now have two Pentagon Iron Man squadies and I'm loving them both. I like the three-pack Iron Man more because of the metallic paint scheme but both figures are really fantastic. On the other hand, I also get to own five War Mac figs of the same dull mold and although that's not really a bad thing, I'm not really too giddy about it. The three-pack War Mac is painted Initiative-style (black, white, and green) and that actually works in the figure's favor. Among the five figs that utilize this mold, this fig ranks a high second on my list, finishing just behind the black-blue-red version.
Completing the three-pack roster is a Detroit Steel figure which is basically just a repaint of the Iron Monger fig from the Iron Monger Attacks! four-pack. It's a beautiful piece with intricate paint apps but unfortunately, it doesn't have a place in my collection. This one's going to the bin and sometimes, that's just how things go. Sorry, big guy!
Finding additional Iron Man squadies to expand my SHS armory has been very taxing, both to the body and to the wallet. The figs are not easy to locate, they don't come cheap, and sometimes, they come with other figures that I do not need. Still, every single figure I can add to my collection is a blessing and I'm completely happy to be in this hobby. In toy collecting, there are rough stretches, but without a doubt, they don't measure up to the good times.
So, I guess that's all I have for now, dear readers: Iron Man squady numbers 36 through 39. Thank you for visiting the site and I hope you enjoyed today's entry. If you have friends who happen to be toy collectors too, please spread the word! Again, thank you! (",)
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