Toy OTD: Monsters On Ice Toy: Mike's New Car

The Kenneth Feld Disney-themed ice shows are yet another source for Disney/Pixar merchandise. Some items have never been offered in any other venue!

For example, when the Monsters On Ice show was touring, a moderately-sized, plastic version of the vehicle featured in Mike's New Car was sold at the concession stand. As far as I know, this toy was exclusive to the event, although a much smaller version was made separately from the show and sold elsewhere.

This is a good toy, but its primary virtue is obscurity. The sculpt, paint work, and construction are above average, but not anything that would grab your eye if the subject were a more common vehicle. It's sturdy enough, but there's really no other special features or embellishments other than free-rolling wheels. I don't remember any packaging to speak of (maybe a tag for branding), but if you don't want this particular car as a toy in the first place, it probably isn't going to convince you otherwise.

This item isn't for sale online right now, so yet another eBay favorite search might in the cards for you. Good luck!

Aptera Test Drive Clip

Check out this test drive video of the Type 1 Aptera, available on popularmechanics.com. It'll be available as a full-electric vehicle, as well as a hybrid model capable of three hundred miles per gallon!

Toy OTD: Walt Disney Classics Collection Figurine: Susie The Little Blue Coupe (2004)

This is one of my favorite Disney merchandising lines - the sculptors really have a knack for adapting 2-D cartoon characters into three dimensions!

The Susie figurine isn't as elaborate as past releases, but it's still very well done. The sculpt and pose are really solid, and they capture the character. Big points for adding the antenna, which could have been dropped to make production easier and cheaper. A small minus might be the paint job - the glazing looks a little thin, and I seem to remember seeing brush work in the finish. It's a subtle and minor detail, and doesn't affect the overall quality much.

This item's been retired for quite a while, so the secondary market will be your hunting ground. Earl's Jewlers has one for sale for $75 + shipping, which sounds lower than the retail price ($95) that I remember (though I might be mistaken). Gocollect.com also has it for the same price. So get shopping!

My Next Car Purchase

This car - the Aptera - is probably the only hybrid I could choose that would be less practical than my Honda Insight. It's closer, though, to my dream of being able to own a car that looks like those concept cars you see every year or so, but never get made... in other words, sweet...

It looks to have zero cargo space, but it also looks like it came off the set of Danger: Diabolik! At least it's not horribly expensive - you can get a full-electric version, too, if you're so inclined. Maybe someday... oh, who am I kidding? I want one! I want to be one of the Thunderbirds!

Article courtesy of OhGizmo! via Geekologie.

Toy OTD: Tyco RC Cars Toy: Sally

Here's another great line of Cars toys - Tyco's 1:32 scale, radio-controlled (27 MHZ) vehicles! On the plus side, you can zip one around with the controller (it's simple enough for little kids to use), and the characters are nicely on model - they don't have the clear plastic "eye stalks" like the Disney Store toys. The minuses are that they're made entirely of plastic, Tyco hasn't made as many of the characters, they cost more, and they'll take up a lot more shelf space. Still, they're very well done!

You can get Sally for $19.99 + shipping at idcow.com.