When I was a kid I always wanted “Yoda’s House” playset; this was one of the mighty grails that I never got. But now I’ve restored one and collected all the figures on the packaging, I’m ready to celebrate and show off. I had been eyeballing purchasing a vintage Dagobah playset for some time, but it was finding a mostly complete set with a box in good condition that made this too hard to pass up. Not only is the box in reasonable condition, but I love the retail stickers on it. Not only was this particular box clearanced, it ended seems it ended up at $3! THREE DOLLARS?! Holy crap.

Click below for a ton more pics, including my attempt at recreating this packaging shot.
…continue reading Grail Acquisition: Vintage Dagobah Playset

By sheer luck, I HAVE THE POWER! It has taken a lot of patience and a lot of stops in random Wal*Marts, but I finally got my hands on a Masters of the Universe Origins He-Man and Skeletor. After watching seemingly hundreds of fellow collectors defy the odds and the scalpers and post pics of their own hauls, I finally had my day. I took a ton of photos, click below for more!
…continue reading MOTU Origins: He-Man & Skeletor

I have wished for a decent Luke lightsaber for many years. I haven’t been happy with many of the offerings, and the few that I did like were really expensive. I couldn’t justify the high cost on a lightsaber. Talk about a luxury item. Anyway, due to certain circumstances, I was able to get one I’m really happy with, both for photography and swishing around. I took some more fun shots, click below for more! …continue reading Grail Acquisition: Luke’s Lightsaber

It took quite a few eBay auctions and connecting with collectors all over the world, but I finally completed these two vintage Playmospace sets from Playmobil. I have plenty of time right now so I worked to replicate the general look of the 1980s catalogs in the studio. Click below to see more 80s playmobil goodness!
…continue reading Vintage Playmobil Space

I recently bought a display box of Diamond Select’s Glow-in-the-Dark Aliens on eBay. Each Xenomorph minifig comes blind packed in a plastic egg with glow in the dark slime. I couldn’t pass up the deal and I got a display box to boot! I was super psyched and couldn’t stop checking the online tracking. Once I got the set in my grubby little hands on the box, I started cracking open eggs, and I was heart broken.
…continue reading Glow in the Dark Aliens in slime

Of all the historical time periods, I’ve always been the most fascinated with the American Civil War. I grew up close enough to Antietam and Gettysburg National Parks that my family visited often, and I felt the most connected to that moment in history because of those family trips. I recently rekindled my obsession with Civil War paraphernalia and decided to use this extended time at home to challenge myself to making an accurate studio photo suitable for framing and hanging in your game room. Read on for the research I did and the lighting process to get the perfect shot. …continue reading Civil War Poker Game

Ever since we’ve had so much time on our hands, I’ve re-arranged my basement to beef up my studio. I’m starting getting into the swing of things with my vintage Masters of the Universe toys. I have tons of pics to share, and some photo tips along the way.
…continue reading MOTU Studio Photography

With the current at-home situation, I got inspired to check out the Mega Construx Castle Grayskull. At 3500+ pieces it was a little daunting. The $250 price tag also made it prohibitive, but I managed to snag it for $85 on sale online. With all the pics I had seen online, and the fun I heard from others, I jumped at the chance. This thing is full of detail and play features. It was a ton of fun to put together, and now that it’s done, my son and I are having fun playing with it too. Check out the details, and a sweet time-lapse video of the build.

…continue reading Mega Construx Castle Grayskull

I received a vintage 1982 Castle Grayskull for Christmas. On the outside it looked like it was in great shape; but inside, most of the accessories were missing. I decided to do what I could to restore it to its former glory. Using a combination of 3D printing, eBay, and facebook trades, I just recently completed the restoration. Check it out! …continue reading Restoring a Vintage 80s Castle Grayskull

For Christmas this past year I received a vintage 80s Castle Grayskull. This was one of the very top items from my childhood that all my other friends had and I did not. Apparently it was gained for $35 at a comic book shop on Black Friday (20% discount was in full effect).
I’ve decided to start restoring it the best I can, using non-traditional methods when appropriate. Follow along as I restore this Grayskull to its full glory. In this article, I 3D printed the elevator rail. …continue reading Grayskull Restoration Project: Elevator Rail