Playmobil - Figures Series 4

Look who also has surprise packs!

They are figures. Not minifigures.

They are Playmobil!

This is already Series 4 packs so I don't know where have I been but never saw any of these packs before.

I thought that, since the Playmobil figures are static that I would only open the pack and see what I got without the need to assemble them.

As you may see they come in parts and we need to assemble them like LEGO minifigures!

Glad for the manual help because I've never assembled a Playmobil before. And after putting all the parts together I noticed that they don't look quite like the other Playmobil figures. There are small differences because the normal figures are monolithic.

There are no official site nor the manual had names to the figures.

LEGO is more professional about this.

This figure seems like an aircraft carrier crew member.

Even if the map he's looking at seems like the map to the nearest McDonalds.

Next I got the Roman Legionary. I already got a few on the last LEGO series and now got one for the Playmobil.

But this figure next to the LEGO ones seems like the Goliaths!

It's cool that he has a place to put the sword on the belt.

But the figure I really wanted was this one!

The baseball player!

And au contrair to the LEGO minifigures that had one hitter minifigure and a fielder minifigure separated, on Playmobil I got both in one.

The glove is put on the hand and ball is really a small ball.

But then he can go and have his at bat.

He even has a jersey number.

All together now.

Those were the first three packs I got. After those I got two more.

In one I got this huge clown. And huge is because he's almost double the size of the normal figures.

He has the red nose painted in the head. But besides that he also has the nose to give a more 3D effect to it.

And to finish the last pack gave me the wizard. It was the figure with more parts to assemble and therefor the most fun to put together.

Like the little moon on the keyring.

Also the wizard staff is quite cool. The ball is like the baseball but with two small holes to get stuck on the staff.


I haven't found more packs in the stores. But I'd give it a try for more a couple of packs and see if I get more of the 12 figures collection.

LEGO minifigures - More Series 10 packs

I got more packs of Series 10 but some of the figures seem to run away from me and from, like 10 packs, I only got the next 4 I missed yet.

“Why laugh when you can cry?”

I got the Sad Clown who is sad. Who would tell!

“Is this the right purple? It looks a little off…”

Also got the Decorator even if he seems more like the Painter than anything else.

“Give me liberty or give me disassembly!”

The Revolutionary Soldier whom only lacks singing La Marseillaise.

“Ah, the most dangerous game…paintball!”

And finally the Paintball Player who would have a great competitor in the Decorator. Who would win!?


I'm preparing an other collecting figures post, but this time around about Playmobil!

Christmas came early on the mail

Lots of surprises!

So Bob at The Five Tool Collector sent me a great package full of surprises. Very good surprises!

Since I started this blog I've read in many other blogs that there are a great way of living this hobby.

Trading!

There is a little downside to me because almost everyone I follow the blog is from USA. International shipping can be a sad thing for your economies.

But there are some people that makes you want overcome that little stone on your shoe.

Bob's blogs are on my list almost since the beginning and since I found out he had Portuguese family that made it for me to choose the first person to whom I'd send some cards.

I decided to present him with a little of what we have here that are mainly stickers. And I also got him some O's cards and other extras.

It was not the idea of getting a pack in return that made me send him one. But it was very cool to know that he was sending me, a week ago, a small package too.

I thought it was small. But it turned out to be full of great additions to my collection.

Lets see what he got me.

Sliding stars and Dust stars

These are for my Dust-Is-In-The-Air collection.

But they are also special because they are the first Gypsy Queen cards that I ever had!

I know many people don't like them because they tend to be a bit grotesque sometimes but I must say that I find them quite nice in person!

And when there is a sliding play there is dust.

Old time players, Dust and PC

Here three old time Orioles stars.

Two 2012 Topps Archives reprints of Brooks Robinson and Eddie Murray and an other Brooks Robinson from the 2006 Topps Rookie of the Week.

These cards is to learn more about great old players that Bob said I have to know about.

The other 5 cards are for my Players Collection.

One Paul Molitor 2011 Topps 60 Years of Topps inert set. He looks gorgeous!

Two Nick Markakis. One with beard and other without. It's for me to choose how I like better.

Then one Matt "Perfect Game" Cain and one Ryan Zimmerman.

The 2010 Bowman cards are also a first to me.

Almost all cards Bob sent me are from sets I've never seen in person. Or even on someone else blog.

Lots and lots to learn in the hobby.

More dust and PC!

Next two more dusty cards. The Crawford one is from this year Series One release and I've wanted it since I first saw it.

Ryan Zimmerman card is from 2007 Topps Flashback Fridays. It looks like those pop-up cards we had in kids that you would play with.

My first 2013 Heritage card is Joey Votto. He doesn't have that eyeliner I saw other players had for this set.

I'm liking Bowman cards more and more.

Two more Markakis cards. Even if the signature is not real it looks so good in gold that I truly don't mind!

Cole Hamels batting!? That's a bonus! And you get to see his face which in some cards is almost impossible because of the angle they took the photo.

Madison Bumgarner featuring his rabbit teeth. He wants to bite you at every pitch.

Dust and tongue. You have to love it!

Now for the landscape cards. Which look great in my binders because they are landscape oriented.

Lots of dusty clouds. Vizquel card features old time dust. Back in '95 they still had it.

The Gordan Beckham has an extra: tongue. And in my notebook, tongue is love!

Allen & Ginter's is probably my favourite set. And in this What's in a Name insert card I've learn that Cole Hamels' Cole came from Colbert.That's quite an imposing name.

Numbered party.

And Bob paid true attention to my PC collection.

Four Hunter Pence cards!

2011 Topps Lineage cards are great looking. Did Topps decided to not release that set anymore? It's a shame...

The Upper Deck 2007 Future Stars is numbered 88/500. That is cool because Hunter's number is 8.
The other serial number is from this year set and it's numbered 1895/2013. Even Hunter's eyes are popping out!

Other numbered card and PC card is Matt Cain blue bordered 2012 Bowman card. It's numbered 156/500. Workhorse is an expression that I particularly like.

But if it wasn't enough an other Cain's numbered card. This time a 2009 Topps Triple Threads numbered 261/525. The card is quite thick! I like to have cards like that without them being relic cards.

To finalize this bunch of cards two vintage players. The gold glove Will Clarck and yet an other numbered card this time for Paul Molitor numbered 832/999.

More numbered and draw.

Continuing with Paul Molitor and numbered cards a Tools of Trade card numbered 232/250. This is a great card to have through a trade!

Last year Gold Standard card features the feat of reaching 3K hits club.

2006 SP draw of Matt Cain looks great showing on the back his first MLB year stats. And that cap should be used by Giants more often.

Christmas in town.

This Paul Molitor card makes me think of Christmas! I think I'll hang it on my Christmas Tree this year. It is also numbered 1487/2299.

Other two Markakis that look awesome in person. Believe me! The shinny one on the right is a 2009 Topps Chrome XFractor. I have the base card and this is truly an upgrade.

The one on the center is one of my favourites that Bob sent my way. It's a 2008 Topps Chrome T205 insert card. I loved the T206 Topps released these past years but this is even better!

Great looking PC and dust.

Kurt Suzuki and Craig Biggio are two more cards for the dust collection.

And talking about T206 heres Markakis base card for the 2010 set and also his 2010 Bowman card.

Topps 2010 Heritage look so good! Couldn't they learn from the best years!? Two more Hunter Pence cards and sorry Giants but I've always preferred him with the Astros uniform. Maybe is just the colour...

Zimmerman Bowman card makes me think he's running the bases after hitting an homer.

An other Paul Molitor from the 2011 Topps 60YOT insert set.

Pee Wee Dust and Flamingo poses

Right next to the Markakis favourite is this Pee Wee Reese dusty card. It makes me stay looking at it without remember the time passing.

Chris Hoiles is tagging some Braves' player whom trying to slide is getting more dust in the air. Put him out in a cloud of dust. It's poetic.

Two more Paul Molitor being the one on the left with the same photo from the 60YOT I showed before but this is from the Archives reprint set.

Make the Flamingo pose Mark!

Two Mark Teixeira!

I got a doubt looking at the photo...he is trying to get under the ball to catch it or is impersonating a Flamingo!?

Eating dust

Almost ending the post more horizontal beauties.

The 1996 Pinnacle Will Clack card is all shinny and refractoring. Is one beauty in person.

Joey Votto playing first with a giant behind him!

And more four dusty cards extravaganza.

Three of them from my favourite Upper Deck set: Collector's Choice.

Luis Gonzalez is almost eating dust! And to add to it it's one of those silver signature parallel cards.

Making sand castles

Teixeira Walk-Off card was on my wantlist for last year insert sets. I really wish Teixeira would get back to health and hitting like before. He still is a great defense player at 1B but is getting difficult to see him batting.

Ken Caminiti dusty card is my favourite. Why!? Look closely and you'll see that besides getting the dust in the air he seems to be making a sand castle. How cute!

Packs surprise!

And if the cards I showed were not enough Bob also presented me with three hobby(!!!) 2013 Heritage packs.

The results of the packs I'll show you all in a future post.

Right now I'm still savouring the cards and very happy with my first trade.

Mail Box

I was going to lunch and I receive this package.

It's from Bob at The Five Tool Collector to whom I sent my first cards package last month.

I'll be posting the great cards Bob sent me in a future post.

Right now I'm just marveling them. (Can you say that?)

How to wear the cap

Even in the other side of the Atlantic we are dealing with that fashion that put everyone wearing hip-hop-caps.

I don't know how can someone use a cap like that.

But I'm too old school maybe to reach that...upgrade.

Other thing beside wearing those caps is wearing them a bit to the side.

While you might get it for people casually walking down the street, for professional baseball players I don't get it and don't like it at all.

See Fernando Rodney example.

That card on top is from 2002 Upper Deck 40-Man set.

He wears a normal cap in a normal way.

His 2006 Topps Updates & Highlights card you can see that the cap is getting a bit to the side.

But in most recent years like in the 2011 Topps set you see that the cap kept a bit to the side but nothing to worry so much about.

But then came 2012 Topps Update card and it's ridiculous.

Fernando Rodney is a good closer but that cap makes me do not respect him that much. Why? Because I think it is not respectful of him to wear the uniform like that.

Yes.

The cap is part of the uniform in baseball.

Imagine seeing someone in the Army, Navy or Air Force wearing the hat like they wanted?

I know is a bit far fetched the comparison but if they use the cap even at night games it's because it's part of the uniform.

If they put the shirt inside the paints to wear the uniform why do they use the cap like some boy band?

Sorry but I don't like.

But Fernando is not alone.

Feliz Hernandez might have a Perfect Game in the stats but he also uses the cap a bit to the side.

But Hernandez is less evident.

He follows more the style of other player.

CC also likes to be a bit different. But you have to pay a bit more attention to see the cap detail.

I see that the pitchers tend to be quite the hipster ones.

At least Romo didn't follow that trend and only kept with the beard.

Look a like - Thon and Mattingly

Today is an other look a like post.

Up there you see Dickie Thon in his 1991 Donruss card.

I got this card in a rack pack I bought. I like those fashion sets you know.

And the first time I was getting through the cards I got and looked at mister Thon card I thought I got a card of...

I confess I didn't remember Don Mattingly playing for any team in red unless Yankees decided to spice up the uniforms a bit.

But I swear that I had to make a lot of double takes to make sure Thon was no Mattingly.

I've searched for Thon cards and I might say he would make the Woman Perspective topic. I just need to get more cards of him.

Dust - Update page

On the few days I had of vacations I reviewed my dusty binders and decided that I had to update the correspondent page here in the blog.

So if you follow the section right up in the menu bar you'll find new addictions to my collection.

Some of them you might get to think why they are there because the dust is not sooooooo in the air.

Not all can be like the reigning dusty card.

This is almost impossible to reproduce nowadays.

As I said before many times nowadays the dust is different. And all the care they have is to make it not getting all cloudy and in the air.

They don't know what is good!

But at least I could add this beauty to my collection after buying a 36-packs-box.

If you know more of these pearls please let me know. Perhaps I'd finally invest in COMC cards if I know about other dusty ones out there yet to be added to my collection.

Stickers time

I ordered more packs on eBay from the usual seller and again I got a bonus from him.

One of the bonus were 3 packs of NHL stickers.

It feels a bit more home to me.

I got the John Tavares sticker to it was almost done to me.

And even better because he's wearing the All Star jersey.

One thing the stickers have better than the cards is the multi sticker image.

When you put 2 stickers or sometimes 4, all together and get a big picture is awesome.

And it needs high qualified skills to get the picture right. Sometimes the stickers are not cut well and it's quite difficult to get the photo nice and square.

The next step after getting Tavares is getting some Penguins.

I got two. Mister goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and James Neal.

I like the blurriness that makes it seems like the players are really skating fast.

Sad that the goalies I got, even the ones with masks, are not wearing it. Well, but at least I get to see their faces.

But the bonus were not only NHL stickers but also baseball stickers.

Two packs.

I thought they would look like normal stickers packs but they are quite smaller.

And if the packs are smaller what to say about the stickers?

They are even smaller than the ones Panini insist to do for the normal football releases (European League and Euro/Wrold Cups) nowadays.

They are a bit thicker too.

And I really couldn't find the best way to un-glue them. (I don't think that is a word...)

But not all is bad.

They look shiny like the Lou Gehrig one. Quite cool indeed!

And the base stickers have good photos. What I have yet to confirm if they are the same as the ones on the cards.

Besides getting a Yankee I didn't do that bad and got some players I actually like.

Like Gonzalez, Fowler, Zimmermann, Tim Hudson, Ichiro.


So this was a great fun opening this stickers packs.

But there is something in American sports that only feels good in cardboard.