fatcow

I bet he gets cake, too. And he gets to ride all that buzz into tomorrow's FCBD. It's really not fair that some of us had to be born during boring months like August.

I get cake and SUPER BURGERS too! my fave burgers from a place that only sells them a couple times a year has them on right now...how could that be more perfect timing...and yea free comic book day too! its a geek a polooza birthday weekend!

thanks for all the birthday wishes, its great to have such awesome people around!

Jeff of the Miniacs

And you have half of the avengers ( minimate ) cast headed your way! I wish my birthday was this awesome....happy bday sir!

What an honor to have a place named after my suggestion. Of course, if the place goes bankrupt, I'm sure I'll be the one to blame. Now I'm glad I didn't suggest the name I had originally planned, Squirrel Girl Fitness Center: A place to work your nuts off.

Where exactly are you going to be located? I'm sure this will be a stop on next years trip to C2E2.

Wicker Park most likely. You guys will HAVE to stop by! c2e2 is my new favorite yearly event.

And to the earlier idea, its GENIUS. How do I get customizers involved though? What sort of incentive do I offer?

Hey guys! As you may have read in the other thread, we decided to go with the name grounhog suggested for our alternative fitness facility. RetroActive should be opening sometime in September of this year and we are very excited about the project.

I want to chronicle the construction, brand creation process and eventual opening of the gym on this forum and while I have been a member of many other online communities, I have yet to come across such a pleasant mix of the traditional fanboy with actual real world intelligence and experience.

Thank you to everyone who helped in the other thread ... here we go!!!

Things we are still working on figuring out, THE DECOR!

We have a general theme we are going with, and it is a broaaaad one. Retro toys, vintage furniture , comic books, movies and music.

So far I have planned a lot of wall art, some posters Zach at DST was kind enough to link me to, and plenty of comic/movie related unique fine art pieces.

We also have Luke ( from Luke's toy store ) possibly getting his own display case ( thinking of dark polished wood with a nice metal plate with www.lukestoystore.com on it ) with some of his customs.

I have a modest collection of DC mates and will doing a display with them, not sure how that will work.

I also have a a custom hal jordan, kyle raynor and green lantern sinestro along with the dc lantern mates so I'm thinking of doing a seperate lanern display and possibly buying a replica GL or a set of all the different rings to display.

A friend of a friend is selling me a back to the future replica hoverboard. ( LOOKS AMAZING )

We have money to spend, but I am confused on how to cover surface area with cool looking items that don't break the bank. Also I am turning to the internet for advice because being a massive fanboy it is hard not to decorate a place of business like I would my own hobby room!

Anyone who has any suggestions regarding decor? Links to cool or cheap items? Prop replicas? 12 inch figures? Statues...anything that you think would be aesthetically interesting PLEASE send it my way.

We are also looking at music, movies and tv items but since most people here as far as I know are isolated to toys and comic book collecting I didn't ask. If I'm wrong please feel free to speak up.

Pretty excited about this guys, we have just placed an order for our first batch of equipment that will be going straight into a storage unit.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day and this message isn't too annoyingly happy or needy.

p.s. Still in search for BB gators ( ANYONE?...couldn't help myself )

Two gators down! Two to go. Oh and one gray Vorin...must have battle beasts!

er.....since I started this thread I feel it fitting to say that you really need to take a look at this.....

http://www.littlerubberguys.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74927&pid=411356&st=216entry411356

Class.

I'm an idiot. Posted in the wrong thead...lol...sorry about that.

Thanks guys! I am looking on Ebay now, might end up getting some of the pricier figs, the only problem is they don't cover a lot of surface area and thats what I'm looking for right now.

I'm a complete novice when it comes to collecting 12" inch figures or 1/6 scale or whatever they are called, not sure if this is appropriate for that forum and 1/6 scale figures seems to vary DRASTICALLY in price from what are referred to at retailers as 12" figures.

This is related to my gym post if anyone is following. I'm looking to get a few toys that are visually interesting and vibrant, and do not break the bank as in this case quantity does somewhat matter. I'm willing to ebay, or look for older toys...but any help going in the right direction would be great because all I can find right now is 150 dollar figures which look lovely but I cannot afford to get a decent number of them to put together a cool display.

Statues or busts? I have no idea what to look at or what companies make comparatively more affordable products.

Hope this makes sense...thanks in advance!

Elseworld Fitness - The Alternate Gym

Ohhh, I really like that one. It might be a little to obscure for the non-comics fan, but it's got a real ring to it.

Thanks but yeah I know, it was a long shot!

Here's a slogan for Retro Active:

"Old-School Hobbies Meet New-School Health"

AWESOME. going to pitch that to my partner and the people doing our branding today. I am blown away by this forum.

Looks more than likely that we will be going with groundhog's RetroActive!

Seriously, just happy to help.

It seriously appreciated, hopefully we get the go ahead. Its trademarked by an obscure greeting card company though but we should be able to use it since it is not a household name and we are involved in completely separate lines of work...not like I'm calling it X-Men Fitness. Haha. We may have to use it with a space in between so Retro Active...will see how it works out.

You should be fine. A trademark on a common phrase like that would only really apply in the event you're in a similar business, and one could be confused with the other. Since it's unlikely that anyone could confuse greeting cards with a gym, I wouldn't think you'd have a problem. Of course, I'm NOT a lawyer; just a librarian that's had a decent amount of schooling in copyright/trademark law.

Also if anyone can think of any interesting additions to the name that would be appreciated because I'm lost. In the event that we can't do RetroActive we will need to modify it. I was thinking gym,fitness,health club, athletics but none of them roll of the tongue and sound like something we want to do.

Sorry, Crisis of Infinite Fitness is still all I've got....

Hellpop, I say this to no one except my wife and son...and honestly for your post I LOVE YOU. Thanks for the input. Sorry, business partner shot down COIF..otherwise I was sold.

depending on how big you want to go on the statues I always found the scrap metal art to be cool. but the big ones can run into loads of money.

This place is in my neck of the woods Liverpool UK http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Steel-Art-Productions I'm sure there must be artists etc in chicago doing this sort of thing.

The pub I goto has a large guitar playing scrap metal statue. They are cool close up.

awesome idea! looking into it now.

Just to keep you guys updated some cool stuff we are purchasing/in the process of building :

Indoor running track ( small but important in chicago with the horribly unpredictable weather )

Indoor bleachers ( kind of like you see in high schools, so that people can actually run the stairs instead of using those insufferable stair climbers )

a minimate display case

arcade machines/lounge

vintage tin posters

trying to build a life-size dalek from doctor who but looking very difficult at the moment

ice bath area for accelerated recovery from workouts.

Looks more than likely that we will be going with groundhog's RetroActive!

Seriously, just happy to help.

It seriously appreciated, hopefully we get the go ahead. Its trademarked by an obscure greeting card company though but we should be able to use it since it is not a household name and we are involved in completely separate lines of work...not like I'm calling it X-Men Fitness. Haha. We may have to use it with a space in between so Retro Active...will see how it works out.

The help is greatly appreciated and will paypal you as soon as we get it registered, you're the man! Now we're trying to come up with a caption.

Earlier we had, Fitness For The Discerning Chicagoan but that seems out of place now.

Also we are looking for busts and statues, just things that are aesthetically interested even to people who aren't into comics. Obviously we'll have to keep the scantily clad ladies and skulls and satan statues to a minimum.

Also if anyone can think of any interesting additions to the name that would be appreciated because I'm lost. In the event that we can't do RetroActive we will need to modify it. I was thinking gym,fitness,health club, athletics but none of them roll of the tongue and sound like something we want to do.

It's extremely frustrating keeping quiet about how many Minimates I have but I came to the decision ,years ago, that actually declaring how many of this or that might be counterproductive . I'm still defensive about it but in this instance I'm going to answer Fatcow's question . A couple of points you should consider before judging me harshly ,everything I buy costs me a cross-Atlantic shipping charge & invariably a customs charge.I have travelled twice to SDCC from the UK purely/specifically to go to the Minimates booth ,meet MMMVers,Chuck & the gang .....although it cost me big bucks it was worth it . I also get tons of help from fellow-members & I hope I do fairly well in giving others help . Whilst I'm not poor, I'm buttheadsmate not billgatesheadmate.

Bear all that in mind when I say that it is incomprehensible why everybody here who has been here since the Battle Beast announcement years ago hasn't got at least one 'gator ......WTF didn't you buy the carry case containing the 'red' one ? Those cases have been consistently available online & ebay for years & it is only this week that they've become 'interesting' & flown ...just $20 for the case & the 'gator. The promos are a different matter,the 'silver' is a 'retailer give-away' & like rocking horse-shit ......I'll take the opportunity to say that this type of promo is a kick in the bollocks to ordinary collectors (me & you).

C2E2 2010 brought us the 'black' which seemed plentiful (on ebay) & remained so for a long time . Then came SDCC2010,in due course I lined up for my 'gold' ,subsequently in conversation with Chuck he personally gave a 'silver' each to Cappy & I ...just gave them,no pressure no cookie I'm actually embarrassed to say that I nearly succeeded in unloading a rubber,imitation cookie onto Chuck the previous day....he twigged it just in time

Go to the Con get a promo ...that seems fair to me ,get more than one ....that's a bonus & you'll either spread the karma or find ebay . I have yet to sell any of mine ......work it out. How much are they worth? Now is a seller's market rather than a buyer's market but there are few Minimates that have consistently held up at over $40 over the years ....'silver gator' might be one of those for a long time yet.

So how many have I got ? Still not saying

I understand what you're saying in its entirety but am curious to why you think I would judge you? You're awesome! Travelling across the world to get minimates, despite the word being severely misused now is EPIC to say the least! I can't say I've ever experienced toy envy like I did after seeing your gator pics but along with the envy is a massive sense of admiration and I do appreciate your post.

This is a website full of collectors and people who have been involved with them for many years, for you not to snap or poorly use sarcasm to "e-intimidate" a newbie is very refreshing.

Thanks buttheadsmate! And if you do ever decided to part with one of those gators I'll be waiting, if not, I'll still be lurking in the dark shadows of the multiverse...waiting.

What is reasonably priced to you?

$100 is standard. Anything below that is reasonable. Now go get a job and stop bugging me. Between you and the greek kid, I don't want to come here any more.

Sorry Dinobot, will get a job asap. The question wasn't directed at you if that makes it any less annoying.

And Minijeff I sent you a pm.

Before you break the bank, fatcow, or sell your soul to minijeff, keep in mind that there will likely be another Gator made made at some point, one that fits in a little better with the current look of the line. I'm not saying he'll be in Wave 1, but I've seen the comic design, and it's pretty dope. And there will be multiple painted Vorins.

And screamfleet, I have to say I read your first comment and had to double-check what board I was on. I feel like I have never met a casual collector here.

*sigh* Why can't you just let me have the gators...I will consider controlling myself...hopefully minijeff doesn't ask for my soul. Already sold it for tickets to c2e2 last minute so I could come see you guys!

Also Zach, have you read about my new business venture? A gym with a collectibles/video games/retro pop culture theme? We are doing a minimate display case!

Good luck with the silver. It RARELY shows up. Unless someone wants to trade it. Your best bet for him or any of them is eBay. I am still looking for a reasonably priced gray it red vorin. Or trade.

What is reasonably priced to you? There is a gray Vorin for 40 bin on Ebay. Not bad considering the other prices. I have a red one but like it way too much to trade. Where should I look for someone to trade with? Do I just keep reminding people here? Haha. Are other toy forums are good bet?

Whistling?

Also just ordered the gold gator guys, pretty excited. Now to get the other three and a gray Vorin...I MUST.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to look for the silver and black gators? Are local comic book stores a good idea? I'm not much of a comic book frequenter, I usually shop online.

Ouch That's gotta hurt. I'm looking for a Black and Red Gator myself, not to interested in the silver. I have a gold already. Still looking...

The guy I'm getting the Red from may have two, as soon as I find out I'll let you know.

I'm really only interested in the universal lien and the battle beasts.

Waiting on the mummy, and the other BB to come out.

Found a red gator and a gold gator for 35 each with shipping...GRR. So much money...

The only minimates I own are a few of the universal monster ones.

I've been curious about the gators for a while, but I've never actually bought one. I just can't pay that kind of price. I do find myself looking at picture of them from time to time.

I remember when I first saw the silver gator guard I started drawing pictures of gatormen, so it was inspiring.

Are you only interested in the Universal line or are you waiting for a new line to launch like Walking Dead or BB?

And yes the gators are just awesome. I'm dying trying to find all four.

I feel like I haven't had the chance to talk about gators enough and how desperately I want them now. After receiving the red Vorin from a very enthusiastic Zach at c2e2, reading the ashcan comic and reading an interview on comicbookresources with the writes behind the BB comic...I have to say I AM HOOKED. I love my DC minimates which is still my core collection, but BB are taking over. I am in the process of trying to acquire a gray vorin without breaking the bank and now am obsessed with the promo gators from the past few years.

I've managed to track down a red one and a golden one but haven't confirmed a purchase yet so still nervous. Is anyone else as obsessed with these as I am? Anyone have extras? What should I do...have you ever been obsessed with a minimate this disturbingly much...I feel ashamed.

Looks more than likely that we will be going with groundhog's RetroActive! We just have to make sure we can use the name. If anyone has any ideas for captions or slogans please feel free to contribute. As soon as we confirm we can use the name some paypaling will occur. Looking at arcade machines for the place right now, and perhaps some cool statues. Anyone have a good source for cheap-ish statues, I realize cheap is relative when talking about comic book/movie busts and statues but still.

Thanks again for everything guys, hopefully we can use the name, if not the name suggesting will continue! And I will keep everyone up to date on how things progress.

Fatcow, I can conform that you will not be getting a 2 pack.

This is not funny...my emotions are only to be toyed with by my wife and infant son.

There's going to be a SDCC exclusive BB two-pack right? Someone is going, they will help me get one...or they will witness a grown man covered in tattoos of 80's cartoons cry...cry tears of battlebeast envy.

I really love Mary Poppins & Dick van Dick has always been my most fave best actor of all time. His almost perfect English accent has endeared him to me since I first heard him sing that wonderfully accurate olde English song that we plucky ordinary cockney types sing daily in England the capital of London...

Howzabout 'Gym Cheree' ? Here's the TV ad......

"Gym,gym & me,gym,gym & me

Gym gym cheree

Our members is as lucky as lucky can be

Gym,gym & me,gym,gym & me

The pounds will rub off when you join our club for free*

So blow up your biceps & bring your friends too."

I love that movie

*Terms apply ,'free' is an overused term implying 'no payment'

Seriously fatcow, all the best,all the very best & I wish you well in your venture

Best post in the this thread....well Fatcow's Sweat Shack is close. Dick Van Dyke = genius. Mary Poppins = genius.

So far groundhog's name is looking like a keeper RetroActive.

UPDATE:

If anyone has ideas for a caption, and we go with it, you will be rewarded...maybe not handsomely but still...you can buy mates .

I've said this numerous times in different threads, RED VORIN MADE C2E2 AMAZING FOR ME! I missed out on the first two days and barely made it on Sunday and Zach was awesome. I must have some gators...someone help me...I has monies...I want to trade my monies for gators. Why is no one selling them anymore?

Also if anyone is going to SDCC in this thread PLEASE pm me. I am dying to confirm that I will be getting a 2 pack! PLEASE. ( if you can sense the desperation here it is ) *BEGS*

I will actually be in Chicago for a family reunion at Wrigley this summer, but I'm not sure I'll have much time beyond that (it might be a very quick trip, unfortunately). Hope you're planning a Minimate display. I think you might be able to even talk some of us suckers into donating a custom or two if you do (and I bet you can get Zach to give you some pub).

Incidentally, I was kidding about the whole women's asses thing. I hope that' clear. I mean, I like them just fine, but there is a time and place for them. And everyone should be able to work out without feeling like they're on display.

Yes definitely doing a minimate display. If anyone is interested in donated customs when the time comes you will definitely get credit. I have a modest collection but my GL corps is growing everyday , I'm at 7 now so hoping to grow to at least 15-20 before the gym opens though don't think I'll have time.

Is anyone in this thread from Chicago or surrounding areas per chance?

I've opened gyms for other people in the past but this is the first time its my own business and not for someone else so going all out with the geekdom. I'm hoping to get some autographs at chicago comic con without paying an arm and a leg.

Hope the reunion goes well!