groundhog7s

Since I was stopping by anyway to drop off my Charitymates entry, I thought I'd drop in here and say thanks for all the well-wishes. I posted this thread really because I just didn't want to be one of those people that just disappeared and no one really knew why, but I do appreciate the support and thoughts that have come out of here. In some ways it's helped, in others it's made it harder. Having had a bit over a week now to begin to process things and begin to sort through things (physically and mentally) it's very clear to me I'm on the right track. As much as I'm not thrilled with how suddenly it happened or that it wasn't by my choosing, I know that leaving my job was what was best for me personally and what was best to get me moving in the direction I need to be going in life. For that I'm thankful for. And although I have no clue where I'm going yet, I'm very much at peace with it all and the decisions I'm making now (which is something that I can't say I've had much of for a while). Once again, thanks for the words of support-I shouldn't have expected anything less from what has been a home away from home.

Thanks. Yes, bitten by both a radioactive horse and radioactive buggy. You wouldn't believe how often that happens in Indiana.

So, for anyone that thought that my leaving the board (or having a general lack of talent) meant I would back out on my commitment to help out charity, I will answer you in the form of The Amish Avenger Life was all black & white mediocrity for Graver Milkencöws, that is until that fateful day when he was bitten by a radioactive horse and buggy. That day, he discovered the Good Lord had bestowed upon him the combined strength, stamina and facial hair fortitude of every Amish man, woman and child that resided in Northern Indiana (not including Shipshewana, Indiana, which was already being protected by the Shipshewana Shunner). With his newfound power and unbreakable beard, Graver defends his community from such threats as the Mennonite Menace, the Liberated Woman and the 21st century. Although his signature moves 'the Barn Raiser' (an uppercut at mach speeds) and 'the Butter Churner' (a fury of 100 punches a second to the gut) are usually enough to stop most foes, sometimes Graver must turn to more unconventional means do the Lord's will. Recently, when an outbreak of undead ancestors rose from the grave and tried to devour a group of women making quilts, Graver upgraded his normally plain costume to something more fit to take on an army of the Zambish. The Amish Avenger (Hardcore Shunning Gear)

The title kind of says it all. I've decided to leave MMMV soon and will be giving up collecting pretty much altogether. I've had to face some harsh truths about myself recently that I've been avoiding and the avoidance has begun to cost me. The consequences haven't been severe enough for me to have to really respond too much until I lost my job yesterday over something that was entirely my fault and was avoidable. I had been there for 15 years and was fortunate to not only have a steady job, but one with a decent salary, hours and benefits. Of course, that has accelerated my need to begin to reevaluate where I am at and where my actions are leading me and my family. I know that I tend to be obsessive/compulsive when it comes to things and that's very bad when mixed with collecting toys. Obviously, I'll be starting to sell off my collection to support my family while I search for a job, but I know that if I don't make a clean break of things that I'll end up back where I started and that's not something I can do. Not for me and not for my four kids that I'm already seeing behaviors in that are like mine. It's very hard to teach them the value of money or to not be obsessed with worldly possessions when their father has thousands of toys. I can't do that to them any more and set them up for failure and struggles. Anyways, back to the point, I know that if I continue on here that I'll get sucked back in at some point and that then it'll be back to the way it is now and I can't do that. At least not for a long, long time. I want to thank all of you for the interaction over the years and much thanks to Shane and the mods for all that you do. I've been around enough to know there's not another board like this and it's been a pleasure to be on here. I wish you all the best and I hope you all avoid finding yourself in the position I'm in.-Joshua

I had to drop out to make sure I had the money at the end of the project and with all the changes I wanted to makes sure I found the best way to just get the figures without having to get everything else. So, what's the best way to get the figures without having to get everything else?

Congrats (on guessing better then other people)! It is an awesome thing to have. Way to go Shane for putting on the contest!

I'm not sure I totally agree with you on Trek. I would've agreed up until recently, but I think Battle Beasts showed that TRU can be on board for one wave, have it sell well, not be on board for wave 2 and DST will still move forward. I wouldn't be so certain that there's a pattern any more to how to predict how things go.

New Q&A is up: http://www.artasylum.com/2013/07/ask-dst-216-marvel/ I don't know who this Kostis guy is, but he sure is asks a lot of questions... It would seem the questions about Thor 2 didn't make it in in time. :sad: And it seems things have changed from DST not being a video game company to not being a huge video game company. Hey, it's a step in teh right direction.

Thanks for the links. I never thought I'd see the day when you could order Minimate boobs off the internet, but I should have seen it coming. I guess the big question would be which option should you order for your Minimate boobs. White, strong and flexible or black, strong and flexible? Do I want them polished or not? So many questions I never thought I'd never have to ask myself.

Finishing mine tonight hopefully. Do we just send them out to you when they're done?

When does the Minimate wave hit again?

So long as we get S&M Aunt May in the poll I'm cool with this idea. She's no Bea Arthur, but she's as close as it gets.

You could put them in a plastic ball or bubble or something. Oddly, I think I have enough extras to fill a crane machine.

You know, there should be a poll as to what everyone thinks the poll should be... Or, you know, we could just find out what the poll is. I suppose that'd be better.

I'll ditto yb's requests. That's some amazing work there!

Ten or eleven years ago I got a fortune cookie that said I would find success and fortune soon by collecting a highly articulated mini block figure. I rushed out to TRU, found the LOTR 4 packs and quickly snatched them up. Now that I'm in the couple thousand Minimate club, I'm still wondering if I read that correctly since I'm still looking for both success and fortune.

Everyone.

Doesn't the movie hit DVD soon? That should bump sales of these, right?

Ouch Shogi. I'll admit I finally did get a Tick figure (not the Barry one of course), but it came from a member here who knew of my troubles and wanted to thank me for something by sending one to me (thanks lilgambit!). So, for me, it was easier to get Shocker Toys from someone in the Netherlands than it was from the company that makes them.

You can always read their wikipedia entry that kind of gives the overall feel of Shocker and Beckett (I find the list of cancelled items quite interesting myself): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shocker_Toys I think I can sum up the worst part of Shocker by saying that about four years ago they solicited a series and exclusives and then asked for customers to preorder (and pre-pay) for them. I believe they were supposed to debut at SDCC, but they then started giving excuses as to why there were delays (I believe one was that the boat carrying the shipment sank or something and then one time Mr. Beckett blamed an 'evil agent' in Hong Kong for why there weren't figures). Or something like that (it's hard to remember stuff that you know is just made up). Before the next SDCC, someone posted on their own site that they were the one that put together the prototype samples for Shocker and that they were telling their side of things since Shocker hadn't paid them for their work. According to them, the did the sample for Shocker right before the con that they were supposed to be selling them at (so they obviously hadn't been made, even though they had solicited them and taken peoples money for them). Shocker then tried to legally pressure the owner of the domain to shut down the sculptor site. The guy then had Beckett served court papers at his own SDCC panel. Shocker released a few of the figures from that wave eventually, but I'm prety sure the exclusives are in limbo. Last year Shocker was bought by someone and then Beckett started a 'new' company that,as far as I can tell, is trying to release the same products that Shocker was and is still run by Beckett. Obviously, I might be off a little on some of the specifics, but in a nutshell that's the deal with Shocker. I'd say their name is mud in the collecting community, but that would insult mud. Oddly, though, if you read their Facebook pages they have a strong following still and his latest attempt at funding a toy line through something similar to Kickstarter was successful (he actually started a Kickstarter project, but they shut him down; his claim was that it was because of a bunch of malicious Fwoosh members that told Kickstarters lies to get him stopped). If anything, looking at the history of Shocker Toys is fun because you really can't make up the kind of crap they do and get buy with. As to why I'm disgruntled with them, you can read my experience in this thread: http://www.minimatemultiverse.com/index.php?showtopic=9705&p=205787

I'll second that. The Minimate fans at C2E2 are very nice and smell better than the ones at SDCC (not my opinion, just quoting science).

I suppose when it comes to GB, I've decided I'm going to try and start using the old advice of 'If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all'. Having now said that, my opinion of Mr. Beckett and his practices is

You, my friend, have a sickness. Please let me know how you got because it's obvious I'm not infected with it nearly as much as you.

I just assumed that when he said 'big names' he meant names that were large. I'm already planning on casting my ballot for Big Bertha.

I'm disappointed, but I can't imagine that DST could have offered a better wave to TRU so I don't blame them at all. I'm sure no matter how disappointed we are by this (and Battle Beasts), I'm guessing DST is way more disappointed.