Vinylmation Stories - Br'er Rabbit

Splash Mountain has been a favorite attraction of mine for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories of Walt Disney World are of riding Splash Mountain, and even meeting Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear in Frontierland. When I saw the release of a Splash Mountain Eachez, I thought it was about time! If I had my way, there would be a whole series of Splash Mountain Vinylmation!

(Photo Credit: WDW for Grownups)

I love the design choice Alex Maher went with. Instead of Br'er Rabbit's usual blue pants and pink collared shirt, he chose to use the design of Br'er Rabbit from the final scene before plummeting down into the Briar Patch. Br'er Rabbit is stuck in a beehive with honey dripping down. I love the perfect scared expression the artist used for his face. This is definitely a memorable scene and that's captured in the design of this figure. I'm happy to add another Splash Mountain figure to my collection, to accompany the Vulture vinyl I have from Park #12.

Throwback Thursday - Real Wonderland

Series: Cutesters #2

Artist: Maria Clapsis

Released: February 2011

Throwback Thursday - Hamm

Series: Toy Story #1

Artist: Thomas Scott

Released: June 2010

6 Year Anniversary

Today is the anniversary of the day I bought my first Vinylmation back in 2011. I joined the hobby and started collecting Vinylmation 6 years ago exactly. Here's an update on what my collection looks like after 6 years...

I currently own:

3" Vinylmation - 184

9" Vinylmation - 11

Jr. Vinylmation - 15

Park Starz - 9

Making a grand total of 219 Vinylmation!

My collection hasn't increased by all that much over the last year. There are still quite a few more that I want to add to my collection, but now that most vinyls are no longer available at Disney Stores, I haven't bought a blind box since 2015. Prices on the secondary market have therefore increased because vinyls are harder to acquire than they were previously, and so the market isn't nearly as flooded. I don't think much of dropping $10 on a Vinylmation, but $20-$25 on the secondary market means I'm buying one figure for almost the price of what 3 cost just 2 years ago. It's slowed me down, but it hasn't stopped me! We'll see how much has changed a year from now!

If you're interested in seeing how much collection has grown in the past year, check out my 5 Year Anniversay update from 2016.

Happy 4th Birthday Vinylmation Isle!

Today is my blog's 4th birthday. How time flies! To date I've published 865 posts! I still love voicing my thoughts on the world of Vinylmation, sharing my pictures, dreaming of future releases, and keeping track of new Vinylmation offerings.

Sometimes life ramps up and I'm not able to post here as much as I'd like to, or as much as I have done in the past. Thanks to everyone who's been patient and stuck with me during the "lulls" on this blog. I appreciate your understanding. Knowing people read keeps me coming back when I do go through those dry spells here.

I'd like to give a huge thank you to all my readers! Whether you visit once a week or once in a blue moon, I appreciate that you took the time to stop by :) thanks also to everyone who comments, I love hearing your thoughts! Unfortunately due to tons of spam I was getting, I do have to approve every comment before it's published. Don't be upset if it takes a little while for your comment to appear, like I said, life gets busy. I read every comment (because I have to approve it) so if you don't see a reply, that's just an oversight. I read what you said ;)

I hope you'll stick around with me for another year!

Happy Easter!

Throwback Thursday - Easter Egg Bunny

Series: Holiday #1

Artist: Maria Clapsis

Released: September 2009

Vinylmation Review - Park Starz #5

It's been a while, but it's time for another Vinylmation Review! Today I'm reviewing Park Starz #5, which was released in January 2017. I know some collectors still aren't sold on Park Starz figures. It took me a while. The most off-putting aspect for me is the higher price tag at $18.99 a blind box. But we now have the 5th series in the line and I think they're still going strong!


Things to love about this series:

• The return of some greats - we've already had a Vinylmation of Trader Sam, Waldo, the goat chewing dynamite and the hitchhiking ghosts, but here they are again with a new mold and looking fabulous! I love that Trader Sam actually has an umbrella, Waldo has a butterfly on his back, and Phineas the Hitchhiking ghost has a briefcase.
• The theme continues - for those collecting a specific theme, Park Starz #5 continues many of the themes the earlier Park Starz series created. There's another Pirates of the Caribbean figure, Hitchhiking Ghost, another Country Bear, and another It's A Small World pair. 
• Good mix of parks represented - while this set is still Disneyland/Magic Kingdom heavy with 3/4 of the set being from those two parks jointly, Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Hong Kong Disneyland are all represented.
• New characters - this set offers a couple new characters that we've never seen before on any Vinylmation canvas. We have an elephant from the Kilimanjaro Safari, Henry (and Sammy) from the Country Bear Jamboree, and a Computer Engineer from Spaceship Earth.
• The added nostalgia - I love the inclusion of Skippy from extinct Magic Kingdom attraction Alien Encounter. It brings some nostalgia to the set and appeals to collectors like me who like to remember past attractions in Vinylmation form, as well as add current park icons to their collection. For Disneyland park goers, Henry from the Country Bear Jamboree may also serve as a nostalgic figure.
• Variants really are variants - for the first time in a Park Starz series, the variant figures are actually variants, seeded into sets in an unknown ratio as opposed to being limited edition figures sold separately, as was the former method with Park Starz.

Things that aren't so great:

I honestly think there's something for everyone here. However, the chaser for me is a huge let down. For those who haven't visited Hong Kong Disneyland (which I assume is the majority of Vinylmation collectors here in the U.S.) Albert from Mystic Manor is pretty much unknown and therefore undesirable. I know that Vinylmation are sold overseas, and so Disney wants to add characters that give a more widespread appeal, but I can't help but think that the main market for Vinylmation is here. Having said that, perhaps the chaser is the best way to go in that respect, because collectors like me who don't want that particular figure are less likely to blox it and get stuck with it. Either way I think the chaser is supposed to be one of the more sought after figures (hence the "chase") and this figure does not fit that description.

Overall I think this is a very strong set and I am glad to see Park Starz return for another series!

Throwback Thursday - Mike Wazowski

Series: Pixar #1

Artist: Ron Cohee

Released: November 2012