Cappy

Boy, it's so hard to tell with SHS -- some things look fine, others too chunky. Tell you what, I do have very limited SHS collection (mostly Spidey stuff) and I'm going to have acquire that lamp post. I'll let you know how it looks with 'Mates.

My heart quails to see 'Mates I want show in a TRU wave. Even if these are evenly packed, my local TRUs aren't likely to order them, since they still have Wolvie packs on the pegs. We shall see, we shall see...

Well, I know it's a heavy ballot this year: more Minimates than ever before and a lot of categories to consider. But the time for pondering is over, the deadline rapidly approaches -- that would be Tuesday, January 26th. Want your voice to be heard? Want to impose your opinion on the meek? Vote now. Over the years, I've noticed that the early voters carry some punch: people will read your voting post and think, "Hmm, yes, that is a good Minimate," and before you know it they're voting just like you! Talk about power. So get off your democratic butts, break out your #2 pencils and start filling in your ballot for the probably the most important issue of the year: just which is the Best Celebrity Likeness Minimate of 2009?

Ah, bhm, you got here before me, but I thought of you when I saw those pics! Yeah, they're very un-'Matish and pro-Ma.K. Meaning my biggest decision is 1 or 2 cases?

So, we've the Zombie version of grannyhog: So now I'm wondering about the other half of his prize: a custom from Luke. What character did you order up, and has it arrived yet?

To follow on Customizer's excellent advice: it is generally best to replace the axle rather than trying to straighten the existing one, because: 1) Getting the original perfectly straight is nigh impossible. 2) You can substitute a stronger wire. Consider straight pins or paper clips for source material. Best of luck, my friend.

Missed your birthday because I had to go on holiday and celebrate my Second Son's birthday, Bob. So you're in good company. Hope it was a good one!

I'm all for the Titanic Captain. As a character, he's got plenty of story outside of GBs. As a figure... heck, who doesn't want a Mr Howell custom! I'm not one to second guess DST's line up, but I'm shocked Janosz didn't make the cut (and surprised no one else has commented). He's my favorite guest character from that film.

Actually, it's a bit of a compliment that he uses the term "Minimates." He could have said "Lego" or "Kubrick". Instead, he chose Minimates as the default term for block figures. Which means our little plastic friends are moving up in the world.

Do you think Obama voted for McCain? If your customs are the best, then vote for them. Period.

First post updated with the official ballot and rules for 2009 voting. So get in there, my Minimate addicts, and let your voice be heard!

Oh! Wait, wait! This one I can do.... Lemme guess, lemme think... :biggrin:

Right now we are nominating customs that will be put on the voting list. Then every one will have chance to vote on those customs selected by their creators.

2009 was clearly a banner year for Minimates, DST really raised the bar on our favorite block figures. Increased accessories, the inclusion of army builders, some unusual character choices, and bold new licenses all added to last year's collecting intensity. Now, it's time to recognize that effort by voting in the 2009 Best (and Worst) Minimate poll. - In each category, vote for three (or sometimes one) Minimates you think best fit the bill, in order of preference. Base it on whatever you wish: detailing, character popularity, rarity, eye color. Feel free to campaign and argue in this thread all you'd like. - Balloting will be done by posting your votes in this thread. If you'd prefer, you may submit a private ballot to me (Cappy) via PM. - Only one ballot per member will be accepted. - The polls will be open for roughly two weeks, the vote ends at 11:00 PM on Tuesday, January 26th. - Feel free to include honorable mentions, half point votes, or whatever. These help with tie-breaking and worthy also-rans may get a mention. Best Minimate of 2009 Ballot The categories for the 2009 balloting will be: 01) BEST MINIMATE (3 choices) 02) WORST MINIMATE (3 choices) 03) BEST VARIATION (1 choice) - not just a labeled variant, but an alternate version of a previously released figure 04) WORST VARIATION (1 choice) - not just a labeled variant, but an alternate version of a previously released figure 05) SEXIEST MINIMATE (3 female and 3 male) 06) BIGGEST SLEEPER (3 choices) - "didn't see that one coming" - unexpectedly good, an unsung hero 07) BEST CELEBRITY LIKENESS (1 choice) 08) BEST 2-IN-1 MINIMATE (1 choice) - "need another so I can display both versions" 09) FAVORITE CUSTOM (3 choices) - see end of this post for eligible customs 10) BEST ACCESSORY (3 choices) 11) WORST ACCESSORY (3 choices) 12) BEST ACCESSORIZED MINIMATE (3 choices) 13) BEST PACKAGING (1 choice) 14) BEST BOX SET/WAVE (1 choice) 15) WORST BOX SET/WAVE (1 choice) 16) Because They Deserve It: BEST GHOSTBUSTER MINIMATE (3 choices) - any figure from that line, doesn't have to be a 'Buster 17) IN MEMORIAM (3 choices) - favorite 'Mate from a line that retired in previous years. Those lines are: Bruce Lee; Rock Mates; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Star Trek (3"); Lord of the Rings; Indie Mates; Street Fighter II; Speed Racer; DC (C3); DC (DC Direct); Movie 'Mates: 24, Desperately Seeking Susan, Rocky, Dollars Trilogy, Platoon, Silence of the Lambs The Minimates released in 2009 and eligible for your vote are: Promo 'Mates & Blanks: Art Asylum Diamond Select Toys ComicsPro Ghostbusters Free Comic Book Day 2009 Black AFX Fan Boy keychain Blue AFX Fan Boy keychain Green AFX Fan Boy keychain Red AFX Fan Boy keychain Unification Spock Barry Lyga's Goth Girl Marvel Wave 25: AIM Soldier Captain America (Bucky Barnes) Iron Man (bolt face) Iron Man (classic update) Red Hulk Red Skull (Nazi) Ska'ar Marvel Wave 26, Wolverine movie: Blob (movie) Deadpool (movie) Logan (movie bone claws) Sabretooth (movie special ops) Sabretooth (movie) Wolverine (movie special ops) Wolverine (movie) Marvel Wave 27, Ultimates: Ultimate Captain America (WWII) Ultimate Captain America Ultimate Hulk Ultimate Iron Man Ultimate Nick Fury Ultimate SHIELD Soldier Ultimate Thor Marvel Wave 28, X-Men: Deadpool Gambit Psylocke Sabretooth Sabretooth (first appearance) Skrull Wolverine Marvel Wave 29: Black Panther Armored Daredevil Hydra Agent Moon Knight Storm (90's) Wolverine (WWII) Wolverine (X-Force) Marvel Wave 30, Spider-Man: Electro Scorpion Spider-Girl House of M Spider-Man Insulated Spider-Man Ultimate Spider-Woman Vault Guard Marvel Wave 31: Black Bolt Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) Marvel Wave 32: Extremis Iron Man Titanium Man Marvel Heroes box set: Captain America Hulk Spider-Man Wolverine Marvel Villians box set: Dr Doom Green Goblin Magneto Red Skull (green suit) Marvel Champions box set: Angel (red) Black Widow Ghost Rider (Johny Blaze) Hercules Marvel Dark Avengers box set 1: Captain Marvel (Noh-Varr) Iron Patriot Spider-Man (Venom) Wolverine (Daken) Marvel Dark Avengers box set 2: Ares Hawkeye (Bullseye) Ms Marvel (Karla Sofen) Sentry Marvel Thunderbolts box set: Norman Osborn Penance Radioactive Man Venom (Mac Gargan) Marvel Infinity Gauntlet box set: Adam Warlock Drax the Destroyer Mephisto Thanos Marvel Punisher: War Zone box set: Frank Castle Jigsaw Mob Thug Armored Punisher Marvel Secret Invastion box set: Beast (Avengers) Jewel Phoenix Wolverine (first appearance) Marvel Secret Wars box set: Beyonder Photon Secret Wares Dr Doom Spider-Man (symbiote bond) Marvel Wolverine Through The Ages box set: James Howlett Logan Logan (old, duster) Wolverine (Weapon X) Marvel X-Factor box set: Beast (X-Factor) Cyclops (X-Factor) Iceman (X-Factor) Jean Grey (X-Factor) Marvel Silver Age X-Men box set: Beast (first appearance) Cyclops (first appearance) Iceman (first appearance) Marvel Girl (first appearance) Marvel Toys R Us exclusives: Union Jack Wonder Man (classic) Bullseye (black) Moonstone War Machine (Mk I, Tony Stark) Angel (X-Factor) Molecule Man Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) Warpath Hawkeye (old man) Logan (old man, red tank top) Silver Surfer (cosmic) Swordsman Marvel Toys R Us Wolverine exclusives: Agent Zero (movie) Logan Silver Fox (movie) Wolverine (tank top) Deadpool (movie final battle) Gambit (movie) Wolverine (damaged) Wolverine (movie WWII) Ghostbusters Toys R Us Wave 1: Library Ghost Peter Venkman (courtroom) Peter Venkman (slimed) Ray Stantz (gooey) Slimer (clear) Stay Puft (exploding) Terror Dog Washington Square Ghost Winston Zeddemore (GB2) Ghostbusters Toys R Us Wave 2: Egon Spengler (lab coat) Jogger Ghost Louis Tully (GB2) Slimer Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (happy) Taxi Driver Zombie Terror Dog (energized) Ghostbusters Box Set 1: Dana Barrett (possessed) Dr Egon Spengler (GB1) Dr Peter Venkman (GB1) Terror Dog (Louis Tully) Ghostbusters Box Set 2: Gozer Stay Puft (angry) Dr Ray Stantz (GB1) Winston Zeddemore (GB1) Ghostbusters Video Game box set: Architect Azetlor Black Slime Monster Chef Demassi Ghostbusters exclusives: Dr Ray Stantz (GB2) Slimer (glow-in-the-dark) Dr Peter Venkman (GB2) Stay Puft (glow-in-the-dark) Battlestar Galactica Toys R Us Wave 1: Aaron Doral Admiral Adama (dress uniform) Apollo (flightsuit) Brother John Cavil Cylon (stealth) Cylon (tylium mine) D'Anna Biers (Cylon fleet) Leoben Conoy Starbuck (unzipped) Battlestar Galactica Toys R Us Wave 2: Athena Chief Tyrol Colonel Tigh (eye patch) Ellen Tigh Sam Anders Simon Six (captivity) Tory Foster Battlestar Galactica exclusives: Cylon (Red Stripe) Starbuck (exhausted) Cylon Commander (gold) Hot Dog T2: Judgement Day Wave 1: Endoskeleton T-1000 T-800 T-800 (damaged) Kyle Reese T-800 Biker SWAT Officer T-800 (assault gear) T2: Judgement Day Wave 2: John Conner Sarah Conner (damaged) T-1000 (motorcycle cop) T-800 (combat) Sarah Conner (inmate) T-1000 (asylum assault) T2: Judgement Day Cyberdyne Assault box set: Dr Miles Dyson Endoskeleton (scorched) Sarah Conner (SWAT) Terminator (T-shirt damaged) T2: Judgement Day Terminator assortment: Endoskeleton (damaged) General John Conner T-1000 (silver) Terminator (half human) MovieMates, The Spirit box set: Octopus Sand Saref (catsuit) Silken Floss The Spirit (movie) MovieMates, The Spirit exclusives: Sand Saref (gown) The Spirit (movie, damaged) The custom Minimates nominated and eligible for your vote are: (click on the name to view the custom) Aquaman (Brave and the Bold) Batman - B&W Batmonger Bishop - Final Battle (Alien) Bride of Frankenstein Captain America (Earth-X ) Charlie Chaplin Duke (GI Joe) Dutch (Predator) Grey Beast Grim Reaper Han Solo (Star Wars) Hellboy IG-88 (Star Wars) Iron Man Hall Of Armor Iron Man Mark III Armor (clear resin) Iron Man - Samurai Armor Jack Torrance (The Shining) Jason Vorhees 2 (Friday 13th) Jason Vorhees 3 (Friday 13th) Johann Kraus (Hellboy/BPRD) Kaylee Fry (Firefly) Marcus Phoenix (Gears of War) Martian Manhunter (Blackest Night) The Maxx Morbius (Dr. Who) Mordo Pamela Vorhees (Friday 13th) Predator Roger (Hellboy/BPRD) Rorschach (Watchmen) Scarecrow (Aarkham Asylum) Stel Two-Face Warparth (X-Force) Warth - Blue Lantern The Wrecker General Zod Zorro

Well, I count 214 new Minimate figures, but who's quibbling. Either way, the final cost was quite painful. If next year is bigger... well, that just frightens me.

Thanks for the clarification, PL. Utter, frellin' BS, to clutter my toy with lawyer-gasm smurf, but thanks.

Sweet! My favorite holiday special combined with 'mates! Thanks, BS, that almost makes up for your disturbing asylum pictures during the last Hunt Contest.

http://www.minimatemultiverse.com/index.php?showtopic=3903 You'll have to do a sort for 2009, but they're all there. As for the dollars spent, I do track these buggers in Quicken for some sick reason. I haven't checked this year's total, but I know it'll hurt.

Updated through year's end 2009.

There a lot of cool 'mates out there and so many that are fun to play with -- er, set up for display. Some are beautiful little sculptures, others elegant examples of block figure simplicity. In trying to narrow this selection down, I've come up with the following definition: In the end, when they find a Minimate clutched in each of my cold, stiff fists, it'll be Bomber Mate #31 in one hand and Wave 2 Spider-Man in the other. (if only I had more fists)

Good Lord. In the wee hours, I remembered why I had save those pictures out: because Party Girl Hulk made a visit to Minimate Headquarters one holiday season...

Yep, still says "Amazon Exclusive" despite my purchasing it at a comic shop. And my Slime Monster, like Ivan's, has two two-toed feet.

So . . . Hulk in Drag? Hulk wearing rainbow pride pants? Can we get clarification on what 'Out of the Closet Hulk' is. . . and maybe a picture? I knew I'd saved this pictures out somewhere (Gods only know why...). Created by our very own minivenom! wait for it....

Same thing happened at one of my local TRUs: Wave 5 and Secret Wars showed up (yay!). And all the peg-warming Wolverine Origins packs disappeared (yay!). Hmmm. Not on the clearance aisle. Are they in the back room, waiting to come back in January? Have they been returned to DST? The other TRU near me still has old packs behind the new Wave 5. So maybe this isn't true.

So . . . Hulk in Drag? Hulk wearing rainbow pride pants? Can we get clarification on what 'Out of the Closet Hulk' is. . . and maybe a picture? I believe we have seen pictures of that early Hulk variant. More of a "Tranny Hulk" really.