Throwback Thursday - Dippy Dawg

Series: Classic Collection

Artist: Eric Caszatt

Released: November 2012

Preview of the Topiaries Series

The Disney Parks Blog posted an article today previewing the upcoming Topiaries series. This series was first previewed at the 13 Reflections of Evil event at Walt Disney World last September, but now we have more information on this series, including actual pictures of the figures.

Topiaries has been dubbed a "revealed/concealed" set, which means every blind box will have the "revealed" Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey figure (pictured on top of the box) as a combo topper and one of the other 4 figures will be a "concealed" mystery figure inside the box. 

This series promotes EPCOT's annual Flower and Garden Festival and will be released on March 28. All 5 figures were designed by Caley Hicks. No retail price has been announced as yet. 

Snapshot Sunday - Troll

2014 Valentine's Day Set Release: Lady and the Tramp

This year's Valentine's Day Vinylmation has been released today at D-Streets and the Disney Store Online. It's a two 3" figure combo set of a lovestruck Lady and the Tramp, both designed by Monty Maldovan. You can pick up this set for $29.95

Indiana Jones Combo Topper Release

The combo topper for the Indiana Jones Series has been released today at D-Streets and the Disney Store Online. The topper is Indy in disguise with a Staff of Ra accessory. This is the only figure in the series to be designed by Maria Clapsis. You can pick up the combo topper for $24.95

Throwback Thursday - Red Scarf

Series: Cutesters Too

Artist: Maria Clapsis

Released: February 2011

The Backside of Vinyls - The Land

This Vinylmation draws inspiration from the hot air balloons inside The Land Pavilion at EPCOT. I love the bright colors in that pavilion, Caley has done a perfect job of translating the color and detail over to the Mickey canvas!

On the backside of this vinyl, we see detail from 2 of the 5 balloons in the pavilion - a snowflake and a flower. I love the back of this vinyl just as much as the front! (In fact, it currently has its back to me on my dresser). Here's a picture of The Land's hot air balloons:

Vinylmation Stories - Big Al

Big Al

Series: Park #3

Artist: Randy Noble

Today's Vinylmation Story is about my second Vinylmation - the lovable Big Al from the Country Bear Jamboree. Here's the bear himself for those who don't know him:

The Country Bear Jamboree in the Magic Kingdom has always been one of my favorite attractions (and very under-appreciated in my opinion!) and I have been visiting Big Al for as long as I can remember. He was always my favorite Country Bear and as a child, I had a Big Al plush that I got from a cart in Frontierland. When I saw him in Vinylmation form, he was an immediate must-have!

By the time I got into Vinylmation, he had retired, but I was able to get him for a great price on eBay. Big Al was the second Vinylmation I added to my collection and was also my very first Park Series vinyl.

Cutesters #6 Snow Day Release

Cutesters #6 Snow Day has been released today at the Disney Store Online and D-Streets. This is an 8 figure, blind box set designed by Maria Clapsis and Caley Hicks. Each box retails for $12.95

Animation #4 Huey, Dewey & Louie Set Release

Animation #4's Huey, Dewey and Louie combo set has been released today at D-Streets and the Disney Store Online. This set has a limited edition of 2,000 and retails for $44.95. All three figures were designed by Thomas Scott

Vinylmation Promotions at the Disney Store Online

The Disney Store Online is offering 25% off Disney Parks Authentic Merchandise for today only - and that includes Vinylmation! Just purchase 1 or more Park Authentic items (it doesn't have to be Vinylmation) and use the code PARK25. There's also free shipping if you spend $75 or more. Offer ends at 11:59pm PST January 16, 2014.

The Disney Store Online is also offering a promotion on the Villains #4 series - Buy One Get One Free! Just place them in your basket to automatically receive the offer at checkout. Each Villains blind box retails at $12.95 and the BOGO offer expires at 11:59pm PST on January 26, 2014.

Throwback Thursday - Argyle

Series: Urban #5

Artist: Susan Foy

Released: November 2010

The Backside of Vinyls - Festival of the Lion King

This Vinylmation is the vinyl form of Animal Kingdom's popular show, "Festival of the Lion King". This is a wonderful, must-see attraction at the park, featuring singing, dancing, acrobatics, live actors, animatronics and audience participation.

There's some great detail on this vinyl: giraffe, zebra and leopard print on the back and arms to represent some of the animals in the Animal Kingdom show, whilst on the back we have the painting of Simba, taken from the show's logo (pictured above). The back of this figure is just as great as the front. Beautiful artwork here!

Snapshot Sunday - Wet Paint Donald

2014 Vinylmation Release Previews

The Disney Parks Blog posted previews this week of a few upcoming Vinylmation releases. Not much information was released, exact release dates and prices have yet to be announced, but I'm already excited about some of these!

First up is a blind box Eachez Oswald release. Similar to the Park #13 Tower of Terror Ghosts set and the Frozen Olaf blind box, there will be a potential variant (pictured right) or common (pictured left) in each Oswald blind box. Easter Oswald will be released in March.

Another blind box release this year will be Duffy. It was unclear in the blog article if this will be an entire series, or another Oswald/Olaf blind box setup. No release date has been mentioned yet.

As part of Park #14's release this year (no date has been announced yet) there will be a Cranium Command 2-pack, which I'm super excited about! I have been wishing on a Buzzy Vinylmation for a long time! The set will include Buzzy (pictured left) and General Knowledge (pictured right) from the now extinct attraction formerly housed in the Wonders of Life Pavilion at EPCOT.

And finally, we were teased about Park Starz #3 and I have to say this set is looking fantastic already! Pictured above from left to right is Trixie from the Country Bear Jamboree, Sonny Eclipse from Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and the Dreamfinder from the original version of Journey Into Imagination. Park Starz #3 will be released in June.

Indiana Jones #1 Release

In my opinion, one of Disney's best choices for a Vinylmation series and one of Vinylmation's most anticipated released was finally released today - Indiana Jones Series #1: Raiders of the Lost Ark. This series is based on the first Indiana Jones movie and follows the new case setup of 8 figures in the series, all designed by Disney Design Group artist Thomas Scott.

Indiana Jones #1 is available at D-Streets and the Disney Store Online for $12.95 per blind box. A combo topper, also featuring Indiana himself, will be released in 2 weeks on January 24.

Park #12 Vinylmation Deal at the DisneyStore.com

The Disney Store Online is currently running a deal on Park #12 Vinylmation - 3 blind boxes for $24.95 against a regular retail price of $12.95 each. I think Park #12 is a wonderful series and this is a great deal! No promo code necessary, just add 3 to your basket. Currently no date has been set on when this promotion ends.

Throwback Thursday - Penguin

Series: Urban #7

Artist: Maria Clapsis

Released: July 2011

The Backside of Vinyls - Creepy Wallpaper

Welcome to the first post in a new topic here at Vinylmation Isle - The Backside of Vinyls! If you're as big a Disney fan as I am, the title needs no explanation! In this series, I will be showing off the back side of Vinylmation across all series every Tuesday.

In my opinion, the back side can sometimes be the best side of a vinyl. I feel like the detail and artwork on the back of figures can often be forgotten about, or ignored, so I want to show off and give credit to the amazing backsides of vinyls!

Starting with...

Park #1 Creepy Wallpaper

It's the same image as on the front of the vinyl, but I love how the creepy wallpaper icons from The Haunted Mansion continue onto the back, arms and sides of this vinyl, wasting no space. The creepy eyes will watch you from all angles!

Free Shipping on New Vinylmation at the DisneyStore.com

The Disney Store Online has a special offer valid only today and tomorrow (January 6th and 7th) that gives free shipping on new arrivals. The purchase can be any amount, as long as at least 1 item you buy is from the New Arrivals section. The code you need is SHIPNEW

I took a look at the Vinylmation in that section that you can buy to receive free shipping. These include:

• Jr. #10 Aladdin
• Animation #4 Jaq and Gus combo set
• Animation #4 King Louie combo topper
• Animation #4
• 2014 Sorcerer Mickey Walt Disney World
• 2014 Sorcerer Mickey Disneyland

This is a great offer, especially if you just want to pick up a couple of figures or blind boxes. But don't forget, this offer expires at 11:59pm PST on January 7.

Jr. #10 Aladdin Series Release

The 10th Jr. Vinylmation series - Aladdin - has been released today at Disney Stores and the Disney Store Online. The series will also be released at D-Streets this Friday, January 10. These are blind boxes containing one 1.5" figure on a keychain. The series features 16 characters and 2 chasers, including: Aladdin, Jasmine, Jafar, Genie, Prince Ali, Abu and Razoul. Each box retails for $9.95. 

Vinylmation Stories - Quorra

Welcome to my first post in my new Vinylmation Stories series! I wanted to start this series of posts to give the background on why I own the vinyls I do. There are over 2,000 Vinylmation in existence, so I'm always interested to hear how collectors choose what makes it into their collection, as very few of us have the space and money to collect them all. Some choose characters from their favorite movies, some choose great pieces of artwork, others choose to get vinyls from places they've been.

I choose my vinyls for a number of different reasons and this will be explained as one of my vinyls enters the spotlight for a new Vinylmation Stories post. I will also post a photo of that vinyl from my collection. Where better to start than with the story behind my very first Vinylmation? Here's Quorra's Vinylmation Story...

Quorra

Series: TRON: Legacy

Artist: Eric Caszatt

One of my absolute favorite movies is TRON: Legacy! I loved the original TRON also, but I remember seeing TRON: Legacy in the movie theater and being blown away by the colors, graphics, story and the soundtrack. I can't get enough! I had a hard time choosing my first vinyl at D-Street, but when I saw this series - decision made! Well, almost... that narrowed it down to the series, but which character?!

Kevin Flynn, Zuse, Sam Flynn, Quorra, Kevin Flynn, C.L.U., Jarvis, Rinzler

This was an open window series so I got to choose. That, by the way, was a great way to ease me in to the hobby. I knew I wanted to collect vinyls, but I wasn't ready to start my collection by blind boxing. What if I got one I didn't want? I wanted a character from the second movie (the second Kevin Flynn in the above picture is from the first TRON movie) and I liked the artwork on Zuse, Sam Flynn, Quorra and C.L.U. the best. I didn't want a bad guy and Quorra was my favorite character, so I went with her.

The back might be my favorite part of the vinyl

So Quorra joined my collection because she's my favorite character in one of my favorite movies. I don't usually pick vinyls of my favorite characters, or vinyls from movies, but I loved the artwork on Quorra so much that it was another great reason to get this figure.

Here's a picture of Eric Caszatt's inspiration:

Olivia Wilde as Quorra in TRON: Legacy

How Times Change

I have probably mentioned before about how unpredictable Vinylmation can be in terms of knowing that will happen to the price/value of a figure. Most of us know about vinyls so popular that their price has skyrocketed beyond affordability. Park #1 obviously, but that's to be expected. Usually the firsts of any collectible item become the most valuable. Take comics for example. I'm thinking more about sets like WALL-E and Eve, which now sell for over $500 from an original retail price of $24.95. Or Pixar #1's Carl and Ellie, which now sells for around $90 from an original retail price of $26.95.

I think it can be hard to predict what will sell out and go for crazy money and what will ultimately lose its value. The strangest thing to me is chasers. You'd think that a chaser would at least hold its value, if not increase in value, since they're often very desirable and by definition more rare. But today I came across a listing on eBay for the Animation #3 chaser, Nessie, that surprised me.

The listing is a Buy It Now for $20 plus $2.58 shipping - a grand total of $22.58 for a chaser I saw selling for $100 back in April. There are some commons in other series you can't get for that price! I guess you never know what will happen with most figures. I don't even think it's possible to form a rule, even from experience, because each situation can be different.

For the most part, everything seems to decrease in value. Many common Urbans and Park releases sell for under $10 now, many variants (whilst still expensive) have dropped some in price. I've seen Wet Paint Donald variants decrease from around $150 to $80, Blue Monorail variants decrease from $300-$500 down to $100-$150, mostly it just takes some time.

It's looking to me like Marvel might be the exception to the rule. At first I saw these selling for around $15-$20 on eBay, but now the popular figures like Captain America, Hulk, Thor and Iron Man have crept up to $25-$30. Will they drop later down the line? Or increase more and more because the series has sold out?

Leave a comment if you'd like to offer your tips, predictions or observations :)

New Year's Resolution

My New Year's resolution for 2014 is to bring more structure to Vinylmation Isle. In 2013 I posted about current events, my reviews of Vinylmation series, advice and tips for those starting their collections, and other topics as I've thought about them. But this year, I'd like to introduce some new topics, keep previous topics and establish set days for each one.


Here's what each upcoming week will look like here at Vinylmation Isle:

• Tuesday - a new topic "The Backside of Vinyls" will begin January 7. More info to follow!
• Thursday - will continue as "Throwback Thursday", where I'll post a Vinylmation released a while back and give info on the series it's from, when it was released and the artist info. This topic was created to help collectors become more familiar with different series and older releases
• Sunday - will have two new alternating topics, "Snapshot Sunday" and "Vinylmation Stories", beginning with Vinylmation Stories on January 5

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays will be reserved for other recurring topics, including the return of:

-My Thoughtful Spot

-The Collector's Space

-Vinylmation Beginners Guide

-Vinylmation Review

-Vinylmation Dreaming
-Mail Days

I will continue to post release information on the day of release (occurring almost always a Friday) along with any other news I discover in the Vinylmation world. I will also be updating my "About Me" page with my most recent collection information on the first of every month. I hope you enjoy my new topics and continue to read my current topics!

Please leave a comment if you'd like to share a thought, opinion, feedback or suggestion :)

1st Annual Vinylmation Isle Awards

Welcome to the 1st Annual Vinylmation Isle Awards! As an obsessive lover of Vinylmation, I decided there's no better way to honor the hobby I love so much, than to award some of the best figures and artists for their contributions to the Vinylmation universe this year. I've asked some Vinylmation Jrs to help me present these awards. Remember, a vinyl is only eligible to win in each category if it was released between January 1 and December 31, 2013. And the winners are...

Favorite Disney Artist

Ron Cohee

Ron Cohee wins favorite Disney artist for some of the amazing work he's produced in 2013, such as his figures in Park #13, Mystery Bakery, Dr. Facilier and Voodoo Doll set, the Tower of Terror Elevator Ghosts and the Haunted Mansion Portraits. Several of his figures went straight to my must-have list this year. 

Favorite 3" figure that I own

1st - August

Series: 2013 Poster Art

Artist: Jonathan Bishop

2nd - Donald

Series: Mickey's Wild West

Artist: Gerald Mendez

3rd - Stitch

Series: Animation #3

Artist: Ron Cohee

Favorite 3" figure that I do not own

1st - Native American Girl

Series: Park #12 Contemporary Set

Artist: Caley Hicks

Favorite 9" figure

Crush

Series: Pixar #1 combo set

Artist: Maria Clapsis

Favorite Jr. figure

Goofy's Candy Co. Logo/Gawrsh

Series: Goofy's Candy Co.

Artist: Maria Clapsis & Thomas Scott

Favorite Variant

Fossilized Carnotaurus

Series: Park Starz #2

Artist: Maria Clapsis & Thomas Scott

Favorite Minnie Platform

Native American Girl

Series: Park #12 Contemporary Set

Artist: Caley Hicks

Favorite Park Star

Orange Bird

Series: Park Starz #2

Artist: Maria Clapsis & Thomas Scott

Favorite figure from a Park series

1st - Dinosaur

Series: Park #12

Artist: Billy Davis

2nd - Vulture

Series: Park #12

Artist: Casey Jones

3rd - Trader Sam

Series: Park #13

Artist: Maria Clapsis

Favorite Limited Edition (individual figure or combo set)

Country Bear Jamboree

Series: Park #12

Artist: Monty Maldovan

Favorite combo set

Tower of Terror Ghosts

Series: Park #13

Artist: Ron Cohee

Best use of ears

Flounder

Series: The Little Mermaid

Artist: Enrique Pita

Best Chaser

Pardon Our Pixie Dust Variant

Series: Park #13

Artist: Caley Hicks

Best Packaging

Beauty and The Beast Series

 

Whiskers and Tales

Las Vegas Elvis Stitch

Most Creative Idea - this one's a tie!

Boo and Little Mikey

Idea: combining a 3" and Jr. figure in a regular blind box series

Series: Pixar #2

Artist: Enrique Pita

Han Solo in Carbonite

Artist: Maria Clapsis

Most Desired Vinylmation (individual figure or set)

Tower of Terror Ghosts

Series: Park #13

Artist: Ron Cohee

Most Anticipated Series

Park 12

Most under-appreciated figure, series or set

Catastrophe Canyon/Backlot Tour

Series: Park #13

Artist: Ron Cohee

Surprisingly Appealing (individual figure, set or series)

1st - 2013 Poster Art Series

 

2nd - Mickey's Wild West

3rd - Mystery Bakery

Worst Vinylmation Series Produced

1st - Behind the Mask

2nd - High School

3rd - Medieval

I hope you enjoyed the 1st Annual Vinylmation Isle Awards and please join me again next year! You can also check out the new 2013 inductees in the Vinylmation Isle Hall of Fame