Blokees

You already know the Trump Tariffs raised prices across the board for all goods. Don’t let them spin it that tariffs are a good thing, it is not. It’s basically a tax on the consumer. One of industry that was heavily affected by the tariffs are the toy company. For years and years, 99% of toys were manufactured and produced in China. Toys that used to cost $15 (the Masters of the Universe Origins) now costs close to $24. Toys that used to cost $20 (those McFarlane figures) now costs close to $30. The price increase caused me to just stop collecting toys altogether.

The last few toys I bought were the Fallout 76 Power Armor ($60), Street Fighter Guile ($30), Transformers Thundercracker ($42), and Man-Wolf ($40). In the old days, normally, I would have bought all the Fallout action figures at $20 apiece for Transformers Deluxe at $25 apiece. Now that they are $30 or $40, I’m only buying one. Maybe down the road, when they are on clearance, I will pick them up… but for now, I’ve put toy collecting in the rear-view mirror.

Not all is lost. Lately, I’ve been really into these Blokees figures. I started picking up these $5 blind boxes, and I felt each figure were really well-made, with lots of value for $5. You have to assemble each figure, like Legos, and they come with a stand. I bought a bunch of them, until I started getting duplicates.

I like Blokees so much that I decided to pay $40 for their Super Deluxe version. I think they only made a few characters (Optimus Prime, Megatron to name a few). I bought the Soundwave figure.

Let me tell you: it’s worth the $40. You get to put together Soundwave, but he also comes with Ratbat, Laserbeak, Ravage, and Rumble (with alternate hands). Sure, it sucks you can’t transform them, but think of them as model kits and you’ll have a good time. Assembly is easy, but time consuming. As I have previously mentioned regarding model kits, I just don’t have the patience.

The best part is that when I put it all together, I discovered that the stand’s head activates the light and sound! I had NO IDEA! That was just an added bonus. This build was so fun, even though it was pricey… it’s still way cheaper than the Lego version (which costs $190).

Fabric Comic Book Box

I recently took a chance on these Fabric Comic Book Box, sold online. I’ve seen them as alternative to the cardboard boxes and they’re priced about $15 each. Anyway, I bought one to check them out.

They ship them to you flat. It’s very easy to assemble, there is one floor piece, or the mat, that you need to put at the bottom. Once you put it all together, it does look flimsy. However, once you put books in, they hold together well, and it looks like a standard cardboard box.

I feel like inside the fabric are durable flexi-plastic, so the box does flex, which I don’t like. As for the fabric design, it’s generic. You can get other styles – but they’re all pretty much boring designs.

Will I get more? Maybe. It’s because I like the external handle and the fact that the box is completely seal so no dust (or bugs) can get inside. But for now, I think I’ll be sticking to the standard cardboard comic book boxes.

P.S. BCW raised their plastic bins to $40. I thought $30 was too much, now at $10 more, it’s better to just stick to cheaper storage option. For example, you can get 4 fabric comic book boxes for $30, making them $7.50 each.