Today’s batch of toy photos is a mix of vintage and new. First up is the ‘Dog’ figure from Jim Henson’s Muppet Workshop Happy Meal set, circa 1994. These were designed to be disassembled and rebuilt in different configurations, much like the Dr. Seuss Zoo kits. Since these toys were meant for a younger audience (and possibly because safety regulations have become much stricter over the last thirty-odd years), there’s far fewer parts here. In point of fact, they’re probably a little closer to Mr. Potato Head than Norval the Bashful Blinket.

What they lack in versatility, though, they do have in appeal. Granted, the colors are somewhat wonky, but the classic design motifs of Don Sahlin, Jim Henson & company still shine through. There’s four toys in the set, so if you get all of them, that makes for a decent amount of combinations you can create!

Next is another Underground Toys Doctor Who Character Building micro-figure - this time featuring a Cyberman. Doubles of this character aren’t really a problem, as it’s more like army building than duplication!

Lastly is another character from the more recent wave of Funko’s Pop! Disney vinyl figures, Elastigirl. While it’s true I find the mouth-less designs a little creepy, I’m always happy to see more Elastigirl merchandise. Now that Helen and Edna Mode are part of the line, I’m hoping we’ll see Violet (and maybe a clear vinyl ‘invisible’ variant) soon too.

Naturally, the secondary market is your hunting ground for the Muppet Workshop Happy Meal set. There’s plenty of full sets on eBay right now, some as low as $7.99 + shipping!

As before, if you want to buy CB Doctor Who micro-figures online, gohastings.com has series 1 figures for $2.99 + shipping each.

If you’re willing to be patient, toywiz.com will have Elastigirl for just $9.99 + shipping in April. If you’re willing to pay a few dollars more and get one right now, the Disney Store website is selling it for $12.99 + shipping. Have fun!

Today’s photos feature two toys from last weekend’s shopping trip, and one from eBay.

The eBay item, of course, is DC Direct’s Ame-Comi Wonder Woman figure from 2010. I passed on it when first spotted at my local comic shop, which meant paying much more for it later - these figures sell out fast! Wonder Woman is such a popular character, she’s appeared in the line three times - this is my favorite (version two). The hair is one of the most interesting accessories, as it can be attached to the head pointing upward or downward. I first saw it flowing up, and that’s what made it stand out from all the other anime-styled figures.

Then there’s Underground Toys’ Doctor Who Character Building micro-figures, featuring the eleventh Doctor himself. Character Building strikes me as the UK equivalent of Mega Blocks - they’re fully compatible with Lego, but without the brand cache. Like their high-profile counterpart, CB has started selling individual blind-bagged mini-figures. Happily, each figure comes with its own display stand shaped like the new ‘DW’ logo. Series 1 has ten different characters to collect, which can get a bit pricey at $10 + a pop. I recommend buying them at a brick-and mortar if you can, in order to save on shipping costs.

Last but not least, Funko’s Pop! Heroes vinyl figure line keeps growing bigger and bigger, gobbling up licenses as it goes. This Green Arrow toy (from last year) is one of the early additions - I bought it on sale (box damage). Some of the Pop! Hero toys are simplified almost to the point of blandness - I don’t find the absence of mouths appealing. Since that’s the case, I tend to stick with characters who either A) have a clearly-defined mouth (like the Cheshire Cat) or B) have features that suggest one (like Green Arrow’s facial hair). It’s a cool design, so unless you prefer the Golden Age costume, I’d put it on your ‘get’ list!

Wonder Woman is sold out, so you’ll have to pay dearly to get this version now: it goes for $180 and up online (there are smaller versions of these figures, but I don’t think they look as good)! Green Arrow is still quite easy to find, with bbtoystore.com being one of the best bargains at $9.99 + shipping. If you want to buy CB Doctor Who micro-figures online, gohastings.com has series 1 figures for $2.99 + shipping each. Enjoy!

This group of photos is all about the packaging!

While Funko’s Blox figure boxes aren’t themed to fit the Monster Cereal figures, they’re still got loads of retro shelf presence. Bif Bang Pow’s Rusty Venture lunch box (the container for their Jonas & Rusty Venture figures), on the other hand, is a theming home run - it not only continues the Jonny Quest homages of The Venture Bros., it’s retro merchandising featured in one of the episodes (nice). While Hot Toys’ Priscilla & Rango vinyl figure set packaging isn’t as outlandish, it’s still designed and built with as much care as the figures themselves. The box art is consistent with the film’s promotional materials, and the card stock and printing give the set a luxurious feel without being gimmicky.

If you’re interested, you can get the Boo Berry Blox figure for $15.99 + shipping at toywiz.com, the Jonas & Rusty Venture costs $41.39 + shipping at tfaw.com, and the Rango & Priscilla figure set goes for $76.50 + shipping at ccgarmory.com.

More of the Funko Disney Pop! figures have been added to my collection. Here’s Edna Mode, Captain Hook and the alien from Toy Story. So cute, and you can buy them at the Disney Store website (or the brick and mortar, if there’s one near you) for $12.50 (+ shipping if by mail) each!

Here’s some of my recent purchases: two Funko Pop! figures (V For Vendetta, a Mars Attacks! martian) and KidRobot’s new Matt Groening toy. Pretty neat! You can get V for $7.91 + shipping at animeharu.com, the martian for $7.89 + shipping at amazon.com, and Mr. Groening for $50 + shipping at kidrobot.com.