Surprise and Expected Friday Releases

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

We knew of a few releases today, but we also had a few surprises on the DisneyStore.com this morning (thanks Brad for the info!).

6 of the NCAA teams are for sale online for $14.95: FSU, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA, Florida, USC. They were supposed to release online and in select park locations on 2/10. Find all the details about NCAA teams here.

Similar story here, the first wave of 8 MLB teams are for sale online. They were also not supposed to be available until next Friday. Check out MLB explained for all the details.

Now for what we knew about… Tapestry of Nations will be available at the D-Streets and select EPCOT locations.

The NFL Teams figures went up for sale online last Friday, this week they hit the stores. Check out NFL explained for details on what figures will be available where.

Variant vs. Regular

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

A couple weeks ago, on podcast #56, Annemarie, MC and I took a list of all the Vinylmation variants to date and discussed which ones were better, the variant or the regular version. I contend that while many of the variants make sense, the regular version is the more desirable design most of the time. I understand the variants are added to create an extended level of collectiblity. They are a figure that is even more rare than the chaser. But shouldn’t the variant also be desirable for the design as well? Here are the results.

My best count has us at 25 variants so far. The two most important questions posed as we went down the list where: 1. Does the variant make sense? and 2. Which one do you like better? By a wide margin (18 or 19 out of 25), we all agreed that most variants make sense based on the design and what the figure is. In all cases of it not making sense to one of us, the figure was and Urban design and for the most part just a color change for the sake of creating a variant.

Urban 7 Green Cyclops Variant

But the more important question is which one do you like better? Annemarie liked the regular version 14 times and the variant 7 times with 4 figures being a toss up. To date, there are only 2 variants she wants to add or keep in her collection… Alice Hedgehogs and Villains 2 Shere Kahn.

Alice Hedgehog Variant (aftimes.com)

MC liked a few more regulars than AM, 17 in all. Only 8 times he liked the variant more. In both AM’s and MC’s case, they liked the variant better less than a third of the time.

Ghost Obi-Wan was a unanimous favorite Variant

My personal results were more drastic. I liked the variant better only 4 times and the regular version 20 times. My only toss up is the Urban 8 Barricades. There are some good Urbans, but I think variants can be used extremely effectively on Disney characters… and for the most part they are… I’m just saying the variant is almost never the better version of the two. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I like that the version I like is easier to get. Out of the four I like better, I was lucky enough to pull one from a case, there are two I’m not actively seeking but that darn Shere Khan is still avoiding me.

Shere Khan Variant

What are your thoughts? Here’s the list (in no particular order):
Wet Paint Donald
WDW Road Sign (2 variants)
Texting (2 variants)
Blue Thumb / Green Thumb
Mod (Nature Cycle)
Candy Apple / Sour Apple
Bubbles
Candy
Obi-Wan
Pinocchio
Pink Elephants (3 variants)
Shere Khan
Fantasia Donald
John Henry
Christmas Ornament
Jelly Beans
Mad Hatter
Hedgehog
Barricade
Rudos
Figment
Paint Splatter
Phone
Cyclops
Alien

Japan USB Vinylmation

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

Vinylmation World posted these pictures last week of a geeky little treat only available in Japan right now.

An 8 GB USB flash drive. Pretty cool, especially because they used the Urban 1 Oopsy Mickey design. No word on price or other designs. I like the way the Vinylmation brand branches out into products we can use in our everyday life. You can customize your iPhone with a Vinylmation case, keep your sketches in a Vinylmation notebook or accessorize with a Vinylmation themed purse. This USB drive is a nice idea, but for me is a little big for a travel drive. It’d be a cool item to keep on my desk at work and use in a pinch to grab a few files from the computer. Would you pick these up if they made it to a location near you?

Animation 2 Limited Edition Explained

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

Update 7/29/12 Geppetto, already released in Disneyland Paris, gets an August 10 release date online and at D-Streets. The Disney Blog says it will cost $12.95!!! Super value? Most likely a mistake. Also August 10, some quantity of the LE 1000 Rhino will be made available online after selling out at both D-Streets.

Update 6/22/12 Vinylmation Blog Event Calender updated dates for Roger, Humphrey, and Rhino

Update 6/6/12 Rhino removed from Vinylmation Blog Event Calender

Update 5/29/12 Release date of June 15 and price of $18.95 confirmed for Rhino

Update 4/21/12 Saw the box side for the 9″ LEs revealing the entire lineup.

 

 Geppetto

Pinocchio (1940)

Artist: TBA

Release Date: August 10

LE 1000

Price: $44.95

 

 9″ Humphrey

and

3″ Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore

Various Cartoons (1950’s)

Artist: Monty Maldovan

Release Date: July 6th (D-Street)

July 20th (Online)

LE 1200

Price: $74.95

 

 9″ Maleficent

and 3″ Prince Phillip

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Artist: Casey Jones

Release Date: April 20, 2012

LE 1200

Price: $74.95

 

 Three Little Pigs

& Big Bad Wolf

Three Little Pigs (1933)

Artist: Monty Maldovan

Release Date: March 2012

LE: 1200

Price: $44.95 

 

 Roger Rabbit

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)

Artist: Maria Clapsis

Release Date: July 27th (D-Streets and Online)

LE: 1200

Price: $44.95Roger looks great on this large canvas.

 

 Rhino

Bolt (2008)

Artist: TBA

Release Date: July 20th D-Streets

& August 10 Online

LE: 1000

Price: $18.95A great expression on this hamster’s face and wow! It comes inside his own ball. Brilliant!

 

 Bernard and Bianca

The Rescuers (1977)

Artist: Casey Jones

Release Date: January 12, 2012

LE: 1200

Price: $26.95

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Jr 6 Explained

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

Jr 5 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Release Date: April 20th, 2012
Price: $9.95
Artists: Thomas Scott and Alex Maher
Details: This series is based on the 1937 Disney animated classic movie. It was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history. Due to it’s importance in the history of Disney animation, the Vinylmation team thought it deserved its very own set… and rightly so. This should be a tradition Junior set in that it will have 16 known figures and 2 mystery chasers. (Disney Mozart did a great speculation piece on this set) They have made leaps and bounds in the designs of juniors, and this set has some of the most remarkable detail we have ever seen.

Update 4/21/12 Set was officially released on 4/20 and we have added pictures of all the figures below, including chasers. Price of each blind box raised to $9.95.

Update: 4/11/12 Thanks to Vinylmation Kingdom, we have a look at the side of the case that gives us the remaining set list (minus chasers).

Prince, Raccoon, Squirrel?, Blue Bird, Turtle, Evil Queen, Mirror, Huntsman. By the way, the box art is fantastic!

Update: 3/8/12 We know have an actual product shot of all seven dwarfs and the princes herself.

Update: 2/17/12 We found a picture on the website http://gdpinvestigation.blogspot.com/ of what appears to be the case packaging.

 Raccoon
Turtle
Magic Mirror
Deer
Bluebird
Prince
Huntsman
Evil Queen
Snow White
Doc
Grumpy
Happy
Sleepy
Sneezy
Bashful
Dopey
 Chaser 1
Snow White
Tattered Dress
Chaser 2
Old Hag


(picture from Facebook)

Alice in Wonderland Limited Edition Explained

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

Flowers
Artist: Thomas Scott
Release Date: April 20, 2012
Price: ?
LE 2000

A four figure LE set.

Cheshire Cat
Artist: Thomas Scott
Release Date: April 13, 2012
Price: $26.95
LE 5000

This 2 pack of 3″ figures features the Cheshire Cat in both his “disappeared” and “reappearing” forms.

Walrus and Carpenter
Artist: Thomas Scott
Release Date: TBA
Price: $74.95
LE 1500

The big Walrus fills out this mold well. He comes with a 3″ Carpenter.

9″ Crying Alice, Jr Happy Alice, Jr Drink Me Bottle and Jr Eat Me Cookie
Artist: Thomas Scott
Release Date: April 13, 2012
Price: $74.95
LE 2500

3″ Queen of Hearts and Jr King
Comic Con and Online
LE 2500

ZoMG: Popcorns!

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

by Zoe

On January 31st, Disney Parks Blog informed us of a fun holiday, National Popcorn Day! While that sounds fun and tasty, something caught the eye of Vinylmation collectors! Popcorn Vinylmation! The Vinylmation Blog decided to fill us in a little bit about this new series created by none other than Thomas Scott! This new series will come out in Summer 2012! After looking at the shadowy picture Disney provided us with for a sneak peek, I decided to lighten up the photo! After adjusting the brightness of the photo it revealed a Mickey!

I am at the parks a lot (obviously) so I take note of just about EVERYTHING. And the second I saw the shadow, I knew the shape looked familiar. There is a shirt that has this same Mickey shape on it at Disneyland! I wasn’t able to find the shirt at Disneyland to take a picture for you guys but keep your eyes open for a shirt with this little guy on it because I know its out there! If you have the shirt or have seen it please share it with us in the comments!

The information given about the set is that it will give popular Disney characters as ‘fresh’ new look! Thomas Scott is one of the most innovative Disney Artists to date, and I do not doubt that this set is going to be awesome. He likes to think out of the box and make everything he does extremely unique. Just looking at Mickey’s shape it is an extremely fun and different take on everyone’s favorite mouse!

No word yet on if the set will be open window box, or blind box BUT if you look at the picture they provided us with it almost looks like the back of one of the open window box figures! That’s just my guess! Or maybe something similar to Park Starz where it’s a new innovative tin that looks like a box of popcorn? Who knows! With Disney anything is possible.

Now, lets talk characters! First of all we have Mickey, I love the ‘pop’ feeling of the design. Its new, its fun, its not our original Vinylmation mold but I like it! I don’t think that they are going to stick with the same mold for each figure because that would be too easy! I think they will change each mold to go best with each character. If the set is open window, I doubt there will be 12, but if it is indeed a set of 11 with a chaser that would be fantastic as well – we will have to keep you updated when we hear more on that!

Now I’m going to throw out some ideas of characters,

  • Mickey
  • Minnie (if you have Mickey you have to have Minnie!)
  • Goofy
  • Pluto
  • Donald
  • Daisy
  • Winnie the Pooh
  • Tigger
  • Cheshire Cat (Thomas loves Alice in Wonderland)
  • Ariel (why not!)
  • Buzz
  • Woody
  • Dumbo
  • Pinocchio

I am thinking with this set they will stick with more classic characters rather than more park related/movie related characters. But you never know! Hey I mean there could be a few princesses in there right? Crazier things have happened!

I am looking forward to seeing what Disney decided to do with the set. It is a really fun and ‘fresh’ idea for Vinylmation. Stay tuned, we will keep you posted with any new info! Please share in the comments section any ideas you guys have for this new set!

Meet Artist: Quincy Sutton

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

The Disney Store Blog today took a look at Disney Store character artist Quincy Sutton. Quincy is new to Vinylmation design, but not new to creating amazing products for guests. He designed 2 of the Furry Friends; Peter Pegasus and Percy the Pug.

Production issues aside, these were great designs (and my personal two favorites in this set). In this interview with the Disney Store Blog, Quincy hints to more Vinylmation he has created and takes us inside the process a bit.

“The whole process starts out as a concept. We come up with an idea of what a series will be about and the next step is to choose characters that are relatable to Guests and relevant to the series. The characters in the series should be a mix of popular and classic characters. We then figure out how to design the selected characters to fit on the Vinylmation form. Sometimes a particular character may fit better on the form than others, but we never give up on a character, we always try our best to make it work. Our initial concepts then go through a series of approvals, and once approved, we complete the illustrations. These designs are then sent out to be painted onto the forms. It takes a few months to see the first pieces and usually about a year of work before the whole series is released.”

Check out the full article and more behind the scenes pictures here at the Disney Parks Blog.

The chaser could be This, could be That.

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

In another interesting development, Disney has revealed that the Chasers to the Jrs 5 set “This and That” have changed. Disney had this to say.

“We learned that the trays were accidentally assorted incorrectly. If you buy a tray, you will still get the entire series yet the mystery chaser figures were switched. -Vinylmation.com”

So Wing and a Prayer and Up and Down become the more rare figures and therefore the chasers. And you will now get 2 each of PB&J and Smoke and Mirrors.

Original Chasers
New Chasers

To me, this is a good thing. I really enjoy the “Smoke and Mirrors” and “Peanut Butter and Jelly” over “Ups and Downs” and “Wing and a Prayer”. This also explains the curiosity we discussed on the latest podcast, because both the old chasers were on display.

But this production error after Furry Friends and whatever happened with the Disney Store 25th Light up set makes for some curious problems in the Vinylmation arena. Does this bother anyone, or do you accept it as one of the downfalls of the world?