This was our third time attending this local comic, game and toy convention. It’s always great to see how hard everyone worked and how it all came together. It was great to get out and mingle with some familiar face and meet some new ones.
We did our rounds and checked out all the amazing vendors. We brought our two youngest kids this year. It was fun and both of them (plus the Mr.) left very happy shoppers having found some treasured comics and must have video games.
I think the highlight for all of us this year (aside from going to begin with) were the cosplayers walking around. Incredible jobs done on their costumes and being in character just put the cherry on top. They’re always also so friendly and welcoming to take a picture! We ran into a Jawa, Darth Maul, and we also saw the capital ghostbusters among many other characters. So fun!
Thanks to the team at Fanaticcon for hosting us! We had a great time! A day well spent! Stay tuned for future announcements about Fanaticcon 2024!
It’s that time of year again folks, when Mr and Mrs Toybox start getting hyped up for some summer collecting and also summer events happening in our local city!
This summer, geeks and nerds alike will be gathering in Ottawa, Ontario for our favourite local event: Fanaticcon 4!
Fanaticcon is described as a fan-driven convention for nostalgic toys, collectors items, games, art, cosplayers and more! It’s a day to get together and celebrate all things geeky with other enthusiasts like you!
What happens at Fanaticcon?
Vendors
Fanaticcon will have over 33 vendor booths to check out featuring some of the Ottawa areas finest nostalgic toys and games vendors, collectibles, artists and much more. There are also games and prizes throughout the day. Make sure to stop at Flacs Collectibles and Kaboom Comics stations!
Flacc’s Collectible’s!
Cosplay
Expect to see the unexpected! Fanaticcon attendees have amazing cosplay skills and they will definitely be on display once again this year for us to be in aw of! Plus, there’s a contest and you have a chance to win a prize if your costume is judged THE BEST of Fanaticcon!!! So fun!
Celebrity encounters
Come and rub elbows with some spectacular special celebrity guests like Abby Hagyard (You Can’t do that on TV/Carebears), Ken Sangoes (Nightmare on Elmstreet 3), Kurt Lehner (Celebrity Artist) and more including Lance (the loser) from Canadas Worst Driver 6 for pics, chats and fun!
I did actually meet the real Abby but this prop was too fun to pass up!
There is just a whole lot of awesome going on at Fanaticcon, it’s impossible to write it all here in the blog. Seriously, you walk in and it’s like 🤯 – mind blown, where do we start!!!
If you get VIP tickets and come early you get first dibs on all the vendors. Plus, kids under 12 get in free and have the chance to get a surprise bag (first come first served).
How much is it to get in Fanaticcon?
$15 at the door 11am-5pm or $20 early bird VIP 10am-5pm. Kids under 12 are free!
When and where is Fanaticcon?
August 13th 2023 at the Ottawa Conference and Event Center
Being children of the ‘70s and ‘80s, Mr and Mrs Toybox can fully agree on this collectible treasure heading into their collection (specifically, Mrs Toybox special shelf). There was no hesitation for either to agree that the My Little Pony x Transformers Crossover – My Little Prime figure is more than meets the eye!
Based on the Comic Books
My Little Prime is a pony released by Hasbro which celebrates the MLP X Transformers Crossover Comic books where the Transformers find themselves somehow crash landed in Equestria and the Matrix ends up mashing a pony with Optimus Prime creating My Little Prime. You’ll have to read the comics to learn more but that’s the basic idea. We recently picked up this comic series, hence why we also got the associated figure.
My Little Pony x Transformers Crossover My Little Prime is 4.5” in size and looks like a pony mashed with Optimus prime; basically what it’s supposed to look like. I suppose it would be cool for the huge Transformers fans if this figure transformed but traditional original pony fans will agree, it’s better off as a figure.
Cutie Marks and Bots!
CUTIE MARKS AND BOTS: Crossover Collection My Little Prime is an exciting character mashup. 4.5-inch figure has a retro My Little Pony form factor with Transformers-inspired design
There was no question in mind that this My Little Pony x Transformers crossover My Little Prime would some day be in Mrs Toybox’s special collectors shelf. MLP was one of her ultimate favourite cartoons as a young girl. She even had many ponies and the pony castle as a child that unfortunately disappeared over time. This new collection makes up for lost treasures.
Looking for your own MLP x Transformers Crossover My Little Prime figure? Look no further than searching eBay or Amazon. We were able to snag this one for under $25 including shipping via the latter.
Not sponsored or endorsed by any mentioned brands. This post is for entertainment and informational purposes only.
Mr and Mrs Toybox have been collecting items of nostalgic interest their entire lives and now do it as a serious hobby together. Mr Toybox has always been a huge fan of Transformers and he doesn’t collect just any Transformers collectible figures, he has been focussed for over ten years with no end in sight. Aside from
Something that always grabs our attention when it comes to collecting toys is artwork themed with our favourites. The best kind of fan art is always the handmade kinds, fans really put their hearts and soul into their crafts for their favourite nostalgic characters. Sometimes, reprints are also fun to get your hands on.
hello Etsy!
Mrs Toybox is an Etsy seller and from time to time she enjoys helping out other small businesses like the print shop Patere on Etsy who sell patent blueprint prints. You can get them on cardboard, map or regular paper and in different sizes depending on your needs. The shipping is fast and the product is superb! We highly recommend them for your print needs and they make a great gift for the collector in your life!
Optimus Prime ‘85
The first addition to his new Transformers Prints collection was of course Optimus Prime from 1985. I believe there is more to this print, perhaps description of the numbers and more detailed toy instructions but having something like this hanging in the Transformers collection area is really something. It brings authenticity and nostalgic value to the look of the collection of bots.
Other choices of Transformers Patent Prints
Thanks to Damon for going out of their way to find us some other Transformers blue prints and putting them up to order. Considering the price of true prints plus the cost of shipping and also purchasing an 8×10 frame, these prints are worth it from a decorative perspective.
Other Transformer Patent Prints Available
Soundwave
Megatron
Starscream
Buzzsaw
Grimlock
Ironhide
Perceptor
Visit Patere on Etsy
Visit Patere on Etsy to see his full library of patent prints available, he’s got more than just Transformers. He also has patent prints of cartoons, movie characters and vehicles.
*Not sponsored or endorsed by Etsy or any mentioned shops. Honest review and opinions are those of the Authors of The Toybox Collection and are a reflection of our experience and impression of the product and brands mentioned.*
It’s not often since covid 2020 that The Toybox Collection has gone to any major events, except Fanaticcon 2 last year. We had a great time and just had to do it again. Fanaticcon 3 happened this past weekend and what a time was had by all! We went. We saw. We bought some comics and met some really cool people.
The event
Fanaticcon 3 was a smash, we would say. The place was packed with people of all kindred collectors, cosplayers and folks of all kinds. You could feel the excited energy in the room as soon as you walked through the doors.
There was so much to do and see, the first stop we made was to Ka-Boom comics where Mr. T picked up some Transformers comics missing from his collection. He did good knocking several off his list in one shot. The owners of Ka-Boom Comics are pretty awesome too. While they aren’t a store per-say, they do have a warehouse but you need to be on their list to shop. Call it the VIP treatment. Make sure to follow them on social and keep with the latest!
Political comics
This next artist was so awesome! His name is Marc Roy, (@cartoonist_CAC on instagram) and he hails from Montreal, drawing political parody comics. We at the Toybox Collection don’t usually like to bring politics into our toy collecting but this guys work is not only funny but honest and so creative, we couldn’t resist not sharing his work. Marc is such a genuine guy too who took the time to answer our questions, talk about how he started in cartooning and also signed the copy of his comic we picked up! Check his work out via Instagram!
Meet n Greet with “You Can’t Do That on TV” MOM
Mrs T went to Fanaticcon on a mission: to meet the one and only Abby Hagyard (@abbyhagyard on Instagram) of Care Bears (Teddy Ruxpin, For Better or For Worse), You Can’t Do That on Television fame. You can read about her entire experience here. Abby is the sweetest and funniest, she made the meet and greet comfortable and fun! She was down to earth, our TV Mom! You can tell she truly loves what she does!
Friends of The ToyBox Collection
This next mention is an old friend of Mr T. We had to stop by and check out Flac’s Collectibles! He and his Mrs sell super hero action figures and other collectibles. You can follow @FlacsCollectibles on Instagram!
Mr T with Mankind!When there’s something strange in the neighbourhood…
While we didn’t get a chance to stop and say hi (sad face), or get a picture (sadder face) with the man of the hour, Lance aka @TheToyTimeMachine, we would like to thank him (and his team of hero’s) for giving us the opportunity once again to join in on the geeky fun and rep our blog at his super awesome event! We hope to do it again next year, maybe with The Toybox Collection t-shirts? 🤔
We would love to sit here all day and write about all the amazing people and things we saw at this year’s Fanaticcon but I don’t think WordPress has enough drive space so we’ll end it with some awesome video to remember.
Fanaticcon 4
Fanaticcon 4 is already in the making!!! Check out the Facebook events page and click GOING. We already did!
One of our favourite shows produced by Disney is the new Star Wars: The Mandalorian starring Pedro Pascal as the main character.
{Spoilers ahead!}
If you haven’t seen or heard about this show, you must come out from under the rock you’ve been hiding and join us when Season 3 hits Disney+ sometime soon we hope.
So far, through the first two seasons we’ve watched our hero Din DJarin battle his way through a quest to protect a special cargo and bring him back where he belongs. This little cargo being the ever popular “Baby Yoda” or as we now know him, Grogu.
Of course we jumped onto the Mandalorian bandwagon and got our hands on some of the best collectible toys that were available at the time. Oh I remember the frenzy when the show first aired and everybody who’s anybody wanted a Grogu for the upcoming holiday season only to find out they’d be delayed due to popularity and the toy makers basically not being prepared for it.
Thankfully waiting paid off and our two biggest brands “Hasbro” and “Mattel” released some really great Mandalorian stuff!
Plush Grogu: one of my first Grogu collectibles. I have always been a Yoda fan so for me, having a new character of the same unknown species 40 years later is really cool!
Talking Grogu Plush: This Grogu is a smaller plush version with a little voice box inside. Press his belly and he makes cute Grogu sounds from the show! He comes with a little soup bowl and frog, if you’re a fan of the show you’ll know what those are for!
Animatronic Grogu: My favourite (and most expensive) Grogu in my collection.
He is just like the Furreal Friends Star Wars Co-Pilot Chewie except: Grogu! He makes sounds and even moves. His eyes blink/close, he raises his hands (using the force), he tilts his head and wiggles his ears, if you lay him down he falls asleep; it does a whole bunch of cute things from the TV show. There were only three left on the shelf when I got it last Christmas! He now lives in our special glass Star Wars display case!
3.75” Mandalorian and Grogu action figure set. We haven’t taken it out of its packaging because its that nice. lots of detail on both Mando and Grogu. Comes with accessories like a little seat for Grogu, for those who like to play with their toys.
We would love it if we could get our hands on the 6” Mando figure but as of late we haven’t been able to. There is so much stuff out there for the Mandalorian from stuffies to action figures and even stuff for kids although I wouldn’t consider this show one for younger kids. It would be fun to collect them all but lack of space, you know.
Mattel Hot Wheels Star Wars ships and vehicles from Dollar store!
When it comes to collecting, serious fans can spend some serious dough adding their favourite characters, accessories, vehicles and add-ons to their collection. Spending money you don’t have takes the fun out of collecting and it can become a dangerous addiction kind of like gambling if you’re not careful.
We began collecting a few years ago. Most of what we collect we get at a fraction of the price. No, we aren’t special. We are just smart shoppers! Watch for local and online sales! You may still pay a bit but you’re getting the latest. Also, look for the sales both online and off. We got a few collectable Christmas gifts through these kinds of sales.
It’s a win or lose situation with eBay. You can get great deals but like anywhere else you have to shop around. You have to do your research on what your buying and the seller from which you are buying it. Beware if you notice the images look like stock images off the net (like those you’d find on store websites), the description is brief or nonexistent, the price is too good to be true and check if the buyer has a lot of negative feedback. Those signs are red flags to back the page up and keep shopping around.
Buy and sell marketplaces are great resources as well. You can often find mint (never opened) or slightly used collectables and often the price can be negotiated with a local seller; after all, we all know what it costs to collect the best of the best!
Buy and sell groups are popping up all over Facebook from transformers to Star Wars, Retro toys and dolls, I’m pretty sure there’s a group for everyone. People post what they’re looking for and what they’re selling privately to sell among like minded collectors.
Dollar stores often sell overstock, old stock or slightly “defective” brand name toys. By “defective”, I mean it could be as simple as the plastic capsule ungluing from the back card, the figure still in tact. It might not be the newest releases but you could find figures you didn’t even know you needed for a fraction of the price.
Used shops (like Salvation Army or Value Village) might have something someone got rid of. You never know unless you go in and browse around. I’ve seen posts from people who got some sweet deals, even if they are a little used.
Princess Leia Organa from Star Wars Rebels $4 at a dollarama!
During the summer months, garage sales can be a steal when it comes to finding used collectables. Most people don’t know or don’t care about the value be it monetary or sentimental behind collector toys and probably just want to get rid of what they think is just old junk.
You never know unless you go! 😛
Good luck on your hunt for your next collectable gem!
Force Link Rey in Jedi Training suit, also from Dollar Store.
Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away, an awesome brand we love sent one of their biggest fans a huge box of awesome to check out! We couldn’t believe the SIZE of the box first of all (14 lbs anybody?) but what was in it…incredible!
We knew new toys were coming out soon but weren’t expecting this…Thank you HASBRO for the “out of this world” surprise!
To celebrate “Triple Force Friday” we created an awesome video showcasing the latest and greatest from Hasbro’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premium collectibles (The Black Series, The Vintage Series), toys (Galaxy of Adventures 5″ action figures), RC Robotic Droids and the all-new Scream Saber Electronic Lightsaber.
Follow @Hasbro on Twitter and Instagram using hashtags #StarWars and #TheRiseofSkywalker to get in on all the Star Wars celebratory fun! May the force be with you!
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