This may not apply to every Mattel product line or every toy company as smaller companies are more flexible but this is the general process. For purposes of simplicity, I’ll just cover the CARS diecast process but since diecasts are the most complicated in the CARS lineup as they cover the most characters, here is […]
Mattel Disney Pixar CARS Diecasts: From Concept to Prototype to First Shot to Approved
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Time For A Little Downsizing
If you've been following along with my blogs and websites over the last ten years you know that the "dollies" and I have had quite a few websites and quite a few blogs. Ten years ago for a small business owner to have a website online that you had control over you basically had to either create your own using HTML or some comparable software that could publish to the web and then FTP (file transfer protocol) it to what-ever service provider was hosting your website and domain name.
I wanted to be able to update my website whenever I wanted and change it whatever way I wished. As a result my first two websites were created in Publisher and FTP'd to my hosting accounts at GoDaddy where my two domain names resided. I used Paypal HTML coding back then and had to copy and paste their payment HTML coding for every item I wanted to sell. While I had complete control over my website design the coding was tedious at best.
When instant download e-patterns came along I used PayloadZ and Paypal to handle the "Buy Now" capabilities. This, too, utilized HTML coding which, again, was tedious at best.
So, before long I outgrew the capabilities of these two websites and needed websites with more sophisticated shopping carts and with the ability to handle instant download e-products. So, I decided to open two new websites utilizing a CubeCart shopping cart at In A Pickle Web Design, which is owned by Annie Kelly.
With the two new websites with Annie I now had 4 websites and a GoDaddy Website Tonight "About Me" page. Two of the websites I was still maintaining with Publisher and transferring via FTP to GoDaddy, two I was maintaining using the In A Pickle Web Design CubeCart interface, and one I was maintaining through GoDaddy.
Five websites, however, wasn't all I had. I had jumped on the blogging craze back in 2003 utilizing an AOL blog, then a Yahoo 360 blog, and then several Blogger.com blogs. For me blogging was the perfect solution for disseminating information about your small business and letting your customers get to know you. Back then, however, there was a lot of skepticism about blogging with some small business owners even claiming they would never buy anything off a blog. Not me. I took a giant step forward and stopped issuing newsletters. I jumped on the blogging band wagon and have never looked back.
My online interests continued to expand over the years as well as my doll & craft interests. Over time my blogs multiplied as each had a different audience and, therefore, a different subject to discuss. So, at one point in time I had 5 websites, 18 blogs, an Etsy shop, a Zibbet shop, 3 Zazzle shops, and several other secondary e-pattern and handmade goods online selling venues. I also had a topsite, several plugboards, and a lot of social media pages and/or groups to maintain.
Needless to say after ten years this had all become too much to handle so I decided to start downsizing gradually. The first to go were the plugboards, followed by half of my blogs, followed by several social media communities and groups, followed by some of the selling venues.
The first of this year I decided to consolidate all of my websites into one selling website that could handle not only all my e-products, all my print patterns, and all my handmade goods but be expandable so it is able to be displayed correctly on all the desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices out there.
I did a lot of research and decided to create my new Linda Walsh Originals Shop at GoDaddy utilizing their Quick Shopping Cart. What I liked about the GoDaddy website is that it would handle all of my different businesses under one roof as well as all my handmade products and all my e-products.
I have a section for my Handmade Animals, Dolls & Crafts, a section for my E-Patterns and Print Patterns, a section for my Custom Fabric Designs handmade products, a section for It's Raining Doll Parties, a section for Alpacas Rock, a section for It's Raining Baby Showers, a section for Gray Is Beautiful, a section for my sister's Inspired Creations By D products, a section for my E-Printable and Printed Printable Sets products, and a section for my E-Books.
It also has a wonderful feature that allows you to have different skins for the holidays and seasons. I could save the skins I liked and easily change the look of my website for the holidays and seasons.
I also decided to upgrade my Linda Walsh Originals Information website which is a GoDaddy Website Tonight website to be an "About me" portfolio with multiple pages of sorts for Linda Walsh Originals.
I'm still in the process of critiquing my business interests as well as my creative interests so don't be surprised if there are a few more changes to come. Sometimes too much is too much and down sizing is good for the soul.
I hope you have a chance to visit my new Linda Walsh Originals Shop and my Linda Walsh Originals Information page and would love to know what you think.
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Military artifacts, space toys and arrowheads: Broomall man ‘collects collections’
Steel banks, tin toys, military memorabilia, weapons, helmets and uniforms, space toys, knives, arrow heads and legos- people collect all these things- but a “collector of collections?” It’s a description that might fit Ron Collas of Broomall the best. The avid collector has unique and extensive collections of everything listed above and then some.
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Disney Pixar Movies Anywhere – CARS Shorts & Featurettes
In addition to the Radiator Springs 500½ Road Rally Toon only available on the Disney Movies Anywhere site, you can now watch a couple other “Tales of RS” shorts. The Disney Anywhere site is available online (Flash required) or on the “Disney Movies Anywhere” app for your iPhone, or iPad. Online is essentially like any […]
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our new favorite crayons, markers, pens, pencils, etc.
It’s rare that I get to wander around a stationery store these days, but last weekend I got the chance and oh what goodies I found! Thanks to stationer Mara-Mi’s store in Stillwater, I now have a long list of wants that I don’t really need but I don’t give a damn because I’m going […]
The post our new favorite crayons, markers, pens, pencils, etc. appeared first on Small for Big.
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set database: LEGO 6601 ice cream cart
set database: LEGO 6601 ice cream cart
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set name: ice cream cart
theme: town
year: 1985
pieces: 26
price: us$na
minifig: 1
nice town set.
image courtesy of bricklink
image courtesy of peeron
image courtesy of brickset
image courtesy of avante
image courtesy of Rick83
set number: 6601set name: ice cream cart
theme: town
year: 1985
pieces: 26
price: us$na
minifig: 1
come with a ice cream cart.
minifig included a vendor minifig.
great playability.
overall design is great.
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Kidrobot is coming out with new Simpsons figures for their 25th anniversary
When it comes to Kidrobot, their Simpsons figures are probably my favorite line. All of their toys remind me how awesome that show used to be. So now to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Kidrobot is coming out with a number of new Simpsons things.
This will include a new blind box series that will feature all new figures from some of their best episodes. So there will be figures of The Collector, Mr. Burns wearing a gorilla vest, Radioactive Man, Poochie, Barney as the Plow King, Mayor Quimby, Matt Groening, Hank Scorpio, Frank Grimes, morbidly obese Homer, Fall Out Boy, Bartman, three different versions of Mr. Sparkle, and Tipsy Duff, Edgy Duff, Sleazy Duff, Remorseful Duff, and Queasy Duff. Hey, what happened to Surly Duff?
I would love to own so many of these figures, especially Homer in a muumuu! This series will be released in August. Also coming out is a seven inch figure of Mr. Sparkle.
The figure will show Mr. Sparkle’s head floating out of his box looking very sparkly. The base will have his box surrounded by soap suds. It’s so cute, even the box the figure comes in will be designed after the laundry detergent box. The Mr. Sparkle figure will also be released in August.
The last two Simpsons figures that will be released has already been a favorite of mine in the past. It’s two new versions of Homer Buddha. There was already a seven inch version of this figure released, now he’s coming out in a special 25th anniversary silver version, and a three inch version.
That makes me happy, because it means I can actually afford the three-inch one. Homer Buddha sits on a giant donut meditating with beads in one hand and a pretzel in the other. The three inch version will come in a white Chinese food style box, and the silver seven inch version will come in a special red Chinese food style box. Both of these figures will be released on June 12. All of these figures are available for pre-order now on My Plastic Heart.
[via Myplasticheart]
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"Maiko" Coming Soon from 2PetalRose
It's been quite a while since we've seen any movement on UK-based 2PetalRose, but that situation is immediately settled with work-in-progress snaps of their new sculpt dubbed "MAIKO"!"Few bits still to refine but hoping to have some finished pieces on show soon." -shared Liam Scriven.![]()
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MILK MAGAZINE Exclusive for 3A Toys' The Invincible Iron Man
Pre-order for exclusive Hong Kong's MILK Magazine version of 3A Toys' The Invincible Iron Man opens June 5th at www.milkcargo.com. Priced at HKD1888 shipped worldwide (est. US$244), pre-order ends 30th June 2014. Inclusive with this 1/6th-scaled figure is a Numbered certificate and named cert. card (which is pretty "rare" for any3A product lol). Estimated shipping date is the 4th Quarter 2014.
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Rocap Marketing Inc. Announces Acquisition of Spiral Toys, Inc.
Rocap Inc. announced today that the company will acquire Spiral Toys, Inc. which develops connected entertainment platforms for mobile smart devices.
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Superhero films may be hits, but their toys are flopping at retail
The NY Post is reporting that the toylines for many prominent films, including box office smashes like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, are pegwarming at retail.
The story, which also notes that the figures for the upcoming Summer blockbuster Transformers: Age of Extinction are selling poorly as well, cites such things as "figure fatigue" as reasons for the failing. BMO Capital Markets analyst Gerrick Johnson believes that the poor sales are "because young boys’ toy boxes are already brimming with gear from a host of previous movies filled with the same superheroes. Every kid already has Spider-Man and Captain America.”
While there's certainly some truth to this statement, the argument somewhat falls flat when you consider that these films introduced some new characters who subsequently appeared in the toylines (many, in the case of AoE) as well as the countless re-decorated or different costumed versions of the heroes. Basically Johnson has assigned all the blame to market oversaturation rather than address the fact that many of Hasbro's offerings for these films are just plain lousy or, as in the case of the movie-themed Marvel Legends waves, received a substantial price hike (going from a US$13 or US$15 MSRP to US$20 for the Spider-Man and Captain America waves... and now US$22 for the Guardians of the Galaxy wave).
This is especially true of the Transformers: Age of Extinction stuff which shipped the awful "kid-friendly" overly simplistic figures to retail before the collector-level stuff. How bad are the sales, you ask? Johnson notes that "the toys licensed around [Transformers: Age of Extinction] is nearly 50 percent below levels seen before the release of the previous franchise film in 2011". That's right, sales are down by HALF when compared to Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Of course, this trend could (and very well may) change now that the more serious offerings are starting to hit retail.
Frankly, it shouldn't take an analyst to realize that figures which are repeatedly gimped down to a more simple form (the articulation in the 3.75-inch Marvel movie figures keeps getting reduced) or receive significant price hikes won't sell well. Of course, that's also overlooking that the hero to villain ration is way off for some of these lines and, last I checked, some movie villains weren't represented at all (such as Rhino and Green Goblin).
Although it's gratifying to see bad toy lines fail, the problem (as noted before) is that it can send mixed messages to toy makers and retailers. Rather than look at what's wrong with the lines, toy makers and retailers can assume that the properties themselves aren't viable which can have long-term ramifications for the brands.
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Reeves International Offers Shopping Spree to Lucky ASTRA Attendee
One lucky winner will receive a $1,000 shopping spree from Reeves International when it debuts its mid-year releases to retailers at the American Specialty Toy Retailer Association (ASTRA) Marketplace and Academy, scheduled for June 9 to 10. The key is the Breyer Golden Ticket, which can be found inside one of the complimentary ASTRA Tote [...]
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Transformers: Rise Of The Dark Spark - New Video, The Voice of Prime
The official PlayStation video channel has posted a new featurette narrated by Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime for Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. Cullen describes the game's plot, the nature and purpose of the Dark Spark, and more. We also get to see more gameplay footage in the process, and it's looking good! Click the title to see the video!
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Pre-order Megahouse's Utena and begin the revolution
Having seen her in colour at MegaHobby Expo (alongside the freshly revealed Anthy) we knew it was only a matter of time before Megahouse's take on iconic heroine Utena Tenjou went up for pre-orders. Now she's pre-orders have started to be listed (although curiously only at some stores - we'll update as more go live).
We also get some nice new promo shots. I must say I'm a touch concerned by some of the close up paint detail, but the overall sculpt and colour is so good I think I'll be putting my money down. Who among you is with me readers?
[ Pre-order at AmiAmi | Big in Japan ]
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Pandamonium
The Pandamonium show - curated by Nicole Bruckman - will be at the Flower Pepper Gallery this month. The show is a group exhibition of works by 50 artists, inspired by one of the world’s most beloved creatures - the Giant Panda. The opening reception takes place this Saturday - June 7th 2014 - from […]
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Tomopop Review: Good Smile Company's Akane Isshiki
It's a lot of fun to follow a figure from genesis all the way to finished product. Good Smile Company's elaborate take on Akane Isshiki from Vividred Operation was one of the first figures I covered when I arrived at the site, and I've kept my eye on her as she's gone from prototype to pre-order and finally to a box sitting on my desk.
Problem is though, while I admired the figure, I was more ambivalent on the show she came from. I enjoyed Vividred Operation's bright, technology infused take on the magical girl genre, but hated its crass, creepy fanservice. I've got a pretty consistent rule that I only collect figures from shows that I like, but that rule can waver occasionally, and this was such a case. Was it the right move, or will I be regretting it?
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Watch Dogs from Ubisoft Breaks Industry Sales Record with Launch
The release of Watch Dogs has been the most successful title launch for Ubisoft to date. The video game has sold more than 4 million copies in its first week, and has positioned itself as the best-selling new IP launch across the video game industry. Watch Dogs has already broken sales records for a title [...]
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Mezco Toyz Presents Limited Edition Breaking Bad Challenge Coins Series 2
This past fall, Mezco Toyz introduced a series of Breaking Bad Challenge Coins that sold out in less than 24 hours. Now they are back with series 2, which are sure to be prized by fans of AMC’s Breaking Bad tv show. Challenge coins have a rich history, extending back to WWI, they have been […]
Action Figure Fury - Action Figure and Toy News, Reviews, and More!
Mezco Toyz Presents Limited Edition Breaking Bad Challenge Coins Series 2
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Mezco Toyz Presents Limited Edition Breaking Bad Challenge Coins Series 2
This past fall, Mezco Toyz introduced a series of Breaking Bad Challenge Coins that sold out in less than 24 hours. Now they are back with series 2, which are sure to be prized by fans of AMC’s...
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Transformers Generations 2014 Volume 2 - Alpha Trion Leading In Million Publishing Poll For Next Exclusive Figure
Autobase Aichi has reported that, with the voting period halfway over, Million Publishing Reports that Alpha Trion is in the lead for the limited figure to be offered with Generations 2014 Volume 2 that we reported on before. The @heroxnet Twitter account has posted the top four results - click the title to read them below!
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More Pages to Explore .....
