Hi there. I’m Jeff. Remember me?

It’s been awhile since I’ve written one of these here blogs. Like nine months or so. There’s been a lot of reasons for my absence. Much of the first half of 2015 was spent in preparing to move, buying a house and actually moving. But, really, that’s not the reason. Not really.

When it comes right down to it, I just haven’t had anything to say about action figures. I’m at a personal low point in the hobby. I still love action figures, and love my collection…but, there just isn’t much going on in the action figure world that excites me these days. Both Toy Fair and Comic Con were very disappointing for me. As long time readers can attest, I am primarily a 3-3/4″ figure collector. If I had my way, all action figures would be in that scale (and I would be very, very broke). 2015 has not been a banner year for my favorite scale.

A couple years ago it seemed everything was 3-3/4″. But, if I’m being honest with myself, a lot of it peg warmed. I don’t think the scale was the only reason, but it certainly was a contributing factor. Some lines had poor execution. Some were attached to licenses that tanked. Some tried to appeal to both 6″ and 3-3/4″ collectors which only serves to divide the audience.

So, right now there just isn’t much out there. Oh, there’s this little thing called Star Wars still chugging along. But, it’s pretty much Episode 7 product out there (if it can even be found)…and I’m trying to wait until I see the movie before diving into the action figures. I’m still a little gunshy from the Prequels. I did pick up a First Order Stormtrooper on Force Friday…just so I got something on what amounted to a Star Wars fan holiday.

ReAction, by Funko, has been my major source of 3-3/4″ figures in 2015…but, lately stores are trying to clear out old stock and the line is undergoing a bit of a re-evaluation from the company according to one of the designers on their forums…so releases have slowed considerably.

There’s Marvel Universe Infinity…or whatever it’s being called these days. But, waves are released so infrequently it makes it tough to stay excited about the line. But, I have to say, this line was the bright spot of Comic Con for me. There’s quite a few figures on the way that I’m really looking forward to….members of the original Guardians of the Galaxy (i.e. the ones I grew up with!), Machine Man, and some 90s versions of characters like Daredevil and Thor. So, there’s that.

Bif Bang Pow! did me good in releasing their retro Flash Gordon range. Oh, how I love these figures. If you saw the 1980 Flash Gordon masterpiece in theaters like I did, and wanted to walk into the toy store nearest the theater and pick up action figures…but couldn’t because there weren’t any!…BBP has provided you with a time machine so you can get the Flash Gordon figures you’ve wished for for the past three decades.  Between the Flash Gordon line and the ReAction Original Series Star Trek figures…my collectors heart was made very happy. Open a new tab, go to Entertainment Earth and order yours right now! Don’t wait another second!

But, now…looking forward….the prospects are a bit more bleak. I’m waiting to hear what survives the ReAction reorganization. Oh, how I hope the Dark Crystal line still happens. If there is any justice in the Universe this line will see the light of day. BBP has KISS coming later in the year, and I’ve going these pre-ordered already at Entertainment Earth. Who knows when the next Marvel Universe will hit stores? And, let’s face it, the next several months (years?) the pegs will be dominated by Star Wars.

But, really, it’s not so bad. A dry spell like this is easier on the wallet, and allows me the opportunity to spend more money on tabletop games (my other hobby about which I am passionate). So, perhaps I’ll throw more blog attention towards the gaming side of things. I’ve been pretty immersed in the new Warhammer: Age of Sigmar these past few months, and some friends and I have started a Dungeons & Dragons campaign…

There might just be some life in this blog yet!