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Temptation...
6 years ago
There... I was alone
In the Target Toy Zone...
And I faced Temptation.
Greetings Fellow FA Artists, Writers, Crafters, Fans and Friends.
Yesterday, while I was on a bus trip downtown to pick up my meds, I arrived at the Target store on Colorado, and discovered that the toy section had laid out all the new merchandise based on the new Disney animated Toy Story 4 feature. Now in viewing the trailers, and of course the movie itself getting surprisingly good reviews in it's first week of release, I imagine that the toys are going to become hot collector's items and they will most likely get squirreled away by others hoping that the merchandise will accrue higher value in a short time.
Hey. It's a big dream ALL Toy Collectors cling to.
Now I must confess that I have become... Lets say, "Charmed" with the character Duke Caboom who plays a dominate role in the new Toy Story feature, and I figure it is because he IS an Action Figure, and the way he's styled and performs, (At least in the trailers.) reminds me of the happy childhood memories I had of playing with similar toys n the early 1970s. So thus was my dilemma. The deluxe figure which closer resembled the character seen in the trailers cost over $50.00, a secondary, smaller and less articulated figure cost $20.00 and of course there was a third, "Representational" figure with Duke actually screwed onto the Motorcycle going for $9.99. -And here I was, with a $5.00 discount coupon burning a hole in my hot little hand too! To add further to my misery, the Marvel Deluxe Squirrel Girl doll was discounted to $6.89 which meant I could have picked it up for a Dollar and some change with my discount.
Then I got to thinking. I live now almost day to day, dime to Dollar, and even though I'm drawing a pension, I cannot really afford to get back into the toy collecting or model building hobbies I used to enjoy. I figured I'd save that discount coupon to help lessen the cost of say, a tube of antibiotic skin cream, a container of Blood Glucose testing strips, or perhaps getting a few 2 liter bottles of my favorite diet soft drink. It has now come to the point in my life that a mere handful of change can make the difference in getting something to eat, or taking the Bus back home.
I figured that it might be better to just leave the toys where they were, as I really have no room to store them, and I'm certain that I'm not going to last another 30 or 40 years for these mere things to become "Valuable". I walked out of the store hoping perhaps that the toys would be bought by adults for their children, and the youngsters could find their own "Toy-Magic" and maybe create future happy memories for themselves. I still have yet to see Toy Story 4 myself, but given the good reviews the feature has been getting so far, I'm really looking forward to seeing it. Besides, I'm curious about the character Bo Peep's back story, as she makes a return appearance too.
"Peace."
In the Target Toy Zone...
And I faced Temptation.
Greetings Fellow FA Artists, Writers, Crafters, Fans and Friends.
Yesterday, while I was on a bus trip downtown to pick up my meds, I arrived at the Target store on Colorado, and discovered that the toy section had laid out all the new merchandise based on the new Disney animated Toy Story 4 feature. Now in viewing the trailers, and of course the movie itself getting surprisingly good reviews in it's first week of release, I imagine that the toys are going to become hot collector's items and they will most likely get squirreled away by others hoping that the merchandise will accrue higher value in a short time.
Hey. It's a big dream ALL Toy Collectors cling to.
Now I must confess that I have become... Lets say, "Charmed" with the character Duke Caboom who plays a dominate role in the new Toy Story feature, and I figure it is because he IS an Action Figure, and the way he's styled and performs, (At least in the trailers.) reminds me of the happy childhood memories I had of playing with similar toys n the early 1970s. So thus was my dilemma. The deluxe figure which closer resembled the character seen in the trailers cost over $50.00, a secondary, smaller and less articulated figure cost $20.00 and of course there was a third, "Representational" figure with Duke actually screwed onto the Motorcycle going for $9.99. -And here I was, with a $5.00 discount coupon burning a hole in my hot little hand too! To add further to my misery, the Marvel Deluxe Squirrel Girl doll was discounted to $6.89 which meant I could have picked it up for a Dollar and some change with my discount.
Then I got to thinking. I live now almost day to day, dime to Dollar, and even though I'm drawing a pension, I cannot really afford to get back into the toy collecting or model building hobbies I used to enjoy. I figured I'd save that discount coupon to help lessen the cost of say, a tube of antibiotic skin cream, a container of Blood Glucose testing strips, or perhaps getting a few 2 liter bottles of my favorite diet soft drink. It has now come to the point in my life that a mere handful of change can make the difference in getting something to eat, or taking the Bus back home.
I figured that it might be better to just leave the toys where they were, as I really have no room to store them, and I'm certain that I'm not going to last another 30 or 40 years for these mere things to become "Valuable". I walked out of the store hoping perhaps that the toys would be bought by adults for their children, and the youngsters could find their own "Toy-Magic" and maybe create future happy memories for themselves. I still have yet to see Toy Story 4 myself, but given the good reviews the feature has been getting so far, I'm really looking forward to seeing it. Besides, I'm curious about the character Bo Peep's back story, as she makes a return appearance too.
"Peace."
Oh, trees, I grow them from seeds. I have a thirty foot tall Burr Oak that I planted about eight years ago for example. Anna cut down the two nine foot lemon trees because the seed's I grew them from were from Hybrids, they don't give lemons. Where did the seed's come from? A restaurant glass of tea, I hate lemon in my tea though I will chug lemonade.
And writing? It isn't a hobby, it is a PASSION!
Trees? I had never thought of that as a hobby, but in a way, you're investing in the Future.
On a similar note, I detest cold potato salad, but I do enjoy eating Spuds, Pickles, Onions, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Herd Boiled eggs and a touch of black pepper. Moosh them all together though, and I get "Ewww!"
I see your collecting habits are similar to mine. Over here in Pasadena while visiting one of the big Flea Markets I saw a fellow selling antique typewriters, but what he would do is clean them like a good restorator would do, then he'd drill through the case, and into the works and turn the machine into a "Steampunk" style lamp. Appalling!
I consider it a major move when you pack everything up and move to another city. I'm ex-Military / military brat. We moved a lot, sometimes to different countries.
Hmm. I think I've moved more than 3, depends how they are counted. Most of my stuff has stayed with me. The last move actually consolidated a bunch of things that were in several different storage locations.
My income is fixed. It's me that's broke.After I was laid off from my last IT job, I worked as a security guard again for a couple months. Since the one jerk on the team decided it was his responsibility to create a hostile work environment, I looked around seeking other revenue streams. My IRAs were producing enough every year to match what I was making working, so I quit and retired. Well, that was true before the 2018 market 'correction' (stumble) ate 15% of my net worth. Today I'm looking for work again.
I wish they still made buffalo nickles so I could squeeze them and sell the buffalo... chips for a penny. I'm economizing on food; I shop at the warehouse stores, Aldi, MALL*WART. I like to use berries in my morning cottage cheese or yogurt (unflavored and unsweetened, I have dia-beat-mes, too). I tried the fresh ones, but keeping almost a quart of strawberries fresh long enough to finish them is difficult. I started buying Wyman's frozen blueberries (70 grams, 2 minutes on defrost) are great, but at $4 a pound even at the warehouses, they're too spendy. Aldi had 4-pound bags of mixed strawberries, blueberries and two kinds of cherries for $8. Seasonal deal; they're gone for another year. Heavy on the sugars, too; cherries are sweet. Now I see MALL*WART has 4-pound bags of strawberries for $7. The difference will put more than a gallon in my tank.
About the only thing I don't deny myself these days is tools, especially tag sale / flea market deals. I bought a complete pack of 8 1970s-vintage of Craftsman offset ignition wrenches for $4 Sunday. I did splurge and bought a Black and Decker Workmate for $15, but I know what a new one goes for, if you can find one. I love sets of things, especially if it's a Ā¢heap partial kit I can fill out.
I think the link will work for you in Europe. The smallest wrench is about 55mm long.
In the good old days when automobiles had ignition parts that frequently required repair and adjustment, tiny wrenches were needed to do the loosening and tightening. of course, these are useful for lots of other jobs. I desperately needed a tiny wrench a week or so ago, and I was able to make do with one from another set of similar wrenches I happened to pick up at a different flea market about three weeks ago. Those were combination style; an open end at one end of the wrench and a closed box wrench at the other. I have collected a number of these more or less at random over the years, but it's neat/fun/cool to have two complete sets with their original plastic pouches.
I learned professional car mechanic in late 80's, such things were my daily work. Opel wanted you to adjust valve play with the engine running idle. :P made things interesting...
I know what you mean about complete sets, even if you need only one or two ever. :)
I know what you mean, even if I don't have to turn every penny. :P
I got a hy000ge Buck Rogers book for a birthday or Christmas back in the 1970s. Couldn't have been the 50th anniversary; by 1979 I was working full time and making house payments. Anyway, I managed 'repop' copies of a spaceship and a gun -- both smaller than the originals, I think -- made for the 50th.
(* sigh *) I must console myself with pale relefctions of the real thing.
P.S. The only original comic art I own are two panels from
a good while ago someone photocopied some of the early Mickey strips and mashed the panels together to form a slightly different story, with decidedly naughty text and connotations. and it looks like some panels were "worked-over". needless to say they were soon slapped with a cease&desist... I only know because I stumbled over an issue of this Machwerk on a flea market... XD
the german parody of Asterix was soon slapped silly by Albert Uderzo and thus is a pretty rare sight. guess what sits on my shelf... :)
no, wait.
So i went to my usual hobby shop three months ago to make use of election day discount and get the Tamiya 1/48 Mossie (which is no less respectable kit in itself, as any other Tamiya kits) i've been saving for... While i was exchanging banter with the shop owner about the serial number of A-4 Skyhawks that took part in the Invasion of East Timor and the fact that the Dutch Hunter F.6 in the Indonesian air force museum is still in its original dark green - dark sea grey colour, i joked that getting a 1/32 Revell Hunter would be like a dream comes true.
The owner, by the name of Mr. Peter, paused for a moment then led me to a corner where he showed me a huge blue box of Revell fame in all its glory - 1/32 Hunter! Right next to it in equally huge box is another one of Revell masterpiece - the 1/32 Panavia Tornado (can't remember which version though). Even with 20% election day discount plus my usual 5% membership it was still way over budget, but it was 30$ well spent.
I'm currently saving for resin bang seat, metal undercarriage and decals for Rhodesian air force (don't worry, even Mr. Peter gave me a puzzled look when i told him of my plan) let's just hope he doesn't spoil me with more kits!