My Hardest-To-Find Set-Completer Toy Of The Year Award 2009 goes to:

2 Winners: “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” toyline - Cyclops & Iceman!

Comments: These 2 figures from wave 3 were not sold in Singapore.  I nearly gave up having them in my collection until I found them by chance during my recent holiday trip to the US!  I got Cyclops at Walmart in LA, and Iceman at FAO Schwarz in Las Vegas.  Without these recent acquisitions, I could have considered getting them from ebay.

From left: Maverick, Deadpool, Wolverine & Gambit.

Cyclops and Iceman are currently still Mint-On-Card (MOC) as I can’t bear to remove them from their packaging yet.  Someday when I do free them, they shall join the rest of the above figures in my collection!

From left: Sabretooth & Wolverine w/motor bike.

These 2 figures fight ‘can’t get along’ and they ‘fight’ a lot.  Hence it’s best to separate them to minimize possible paint damage to them.  Hasbro didn’t name this pair “Back Road Brawl” for nothing, LOL!

I don’t collect every figure from this toyline, just the main characters whom I like in their classic uniforms.  (Okay Cyclops isn’t exactly in the 90’s blue and yellow straps uniform that I prefer him to be in.  Here he looks like he’s wearing a diving suit!)  Hence in a way, I do consider my set “complete” for now!

This is the second year that I’m running the Toy Awards for my toy collections.  It was inspired last year by Shaun when he and several fellow toy bloggers did ‘daily blog posts countdown’ of their respective “Top 10 Favourite Toys of 2008″.

As this year draws to a close, it’s once again time for me to review my toy collecting hobby for 2009!  Fellow toy bloggers (like Shaun and LittlePlasticMan) have already began posting the countdown of their “Top 10 Favourite Toys of 2009″.  Just like what I did for last year, I shall continue with an Oscars-styled Awards for my toys.

There 5 Toy Awards to be given out over the next 5 days are:

My Hardest-To-Find Set-Completer Toy Of The Year Award

My Fastest Expanding Toy Line Collection Of The Year Award

My Most Short-lived Toy Line Collection Of The Year Award (to replace “My Fastest Shrinking Toy Line Collection Of The Year Award” in 2008)

My Most Unexpected Toy Line Collection Of The Year Award

My Top Favourite Toy Of The Year Award

These 5 Award Titles will reflect my toy collection patterns for 2009.  At the end of last year, I had planned to devote less of my ‘Play’ funds in 2009 to buying miscellaneous toys and focus just on the core toy lines that I already collect.  This was mainly due to storage space constraints at home.  Let’s see how much I managed to stick to my original toy plans as the various Toy Awards Winners get announced in the coming days! 

The host whom I have appointed to give out this year’s awards is my SDCC 2008 Ninja Pony, winner of last year’s inaugural “My Top Fave Toy Of The Year Award”!

Look, it’s “Stealth Bumblebee” without the yellow racing stripes!  I was kinda worried that the driver would mind me taking a photo of his car without asking for his permission first.  The 2008 Chevy Camaro is very hard to spot in LA and Las Vegas where I visited.  This one was seen at Hollywood!

This black GMC truck was parked outside the LA hotel I stayed at.  Guess which Autobot from the 2007 live action Transformers The Movie (TFTM) does this vehicle remind you of?

It took me many days to find a GMC truck that resembles Movie Ironhide’s robot mode.  It had to be in black color too, but most of the GMC trucks I came across were not black in color!

Here’s another “Ironhide truck” I spotted in LA.  The road sweeper nearby was a bit puzzled on why would anyone want to take a photo of a truck, LOL!

I also saw many variations of ”Optimus Prime trucks” along the highways, at the truck stops etc., but I was always in a moving bus or tram when I saw them, hence no photos taken.  Nevertheless, none I saw were painted like Optimus Prime in the movie. .

On the last day of my trip, I took a tram in LA and passed by this bridge which I found to be familiar.  Could it be the bridge filmed in the 2007 TFTM, in the scene where Bumblebee got captured by Sector 7?  I haven’t checked my DVD copy of the movie to confirm it.  When I took this photo, I couldn’t help thinking it was. 

I also passed by the tunnel in LA where Michael Bay filmed the scene of Bumblebee transcanning and transforming into a 2008 Camaro, according to the guide of the LA city tour that I took a day earlier.  

Overall, I had an enjoyable time visiting the US.  Someday, I’ll like to go back again to visit the other states and places of attraction.  If you haven’t been to the US yet, you’ve got to visit it at least once in your lifetime, while you’re still young and fit for long distance flights and travel!

I didn’t take that many photos during my recent visit to Disneyland California.  As I bought only a 1-day pass, time was of an essence as my friend and I rushed to complete as many of the rides that we targeted as we could, before our bus came to pick up us in the evening.

There’s mini lake in Disneyland where a pirate ship (from “Pirates of the Caribbean”) and a Mississippi-styled paddlewheel ferry would take turns plying.  The paddlewheel ferry also acts a stage for song and dance performances by the “cast” of Disney’s latest animated movie, “The Princess and the Frog”.

This was my first time seeing real live reindeer!  We don’t have these northern deer in our Singapore Zoo.  According to the staff, the 8-9 reindeer they have are there are still undergoing training to pull Santa’s sleigh, LOL!  Too bad no one’s allowed to pet these deer!

Yup, that’s the iconic Disneyland castle that visitors love to take photos of!  The sky was also getting cloudy when I took this photo during noon.  Fortunately it didn’t rain and we managed to complete all the rides that we targeted for the day!

This is how the same Disneyland castle looks like at night!  It actually turns into other shades of colors like green and pink.  There were also song performances in front of the castle, but I couldn’t see the singers due to the sheer numbers of the evening crowd in the way.

Doesn’t this photo remind you of Orchard Road during Christmas time, when Orchard Road gets sealed off to allow people onto the road itself?  It’s actually the main street of Disneyland where most of the gift shops are located.

The gift and toy shops at Disneyland had many Disney and even Star Wars toys, but they were mostly of little interest to me.  The most popular souvenir items had to be the plastic drinking cups with the figures of popular Disney characters on the covers, and the Mickey Mouse headbands and caps.

Overall, Disneyland California is definitely a fun place to visit, both for visitors who are there with or without young children. Most people drive there.  For tourists without cars, there are day tour operators along the Hollywood Walk of Fame that offer to take you there from and back to your hotel.  I highly recommend visiting Disneyland when you go to California.  It is after all also known as “The Happiest Place on Earth”!

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a road in Hollywood where the pavements on both sides of the road are lined with stars like these!  Most of these stars are engraved with the names of celebrities (e.g. Celine Dion), and a symbol (e.g. music record) indicating their fields of achievements in the entertainment industry.  Some stars do not have names on them, yet.

Even fictitious but famous Hollywood (e.g. Godzilla) and TV characters get their own stars!  Such others that I came across were those of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Winnie the Pooh, Bugs Bunny and The Simpsons! 

This is Grauman’s Chinese Theatre along the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  What’s special about this building, other than its unique oriental architechure, are the floor tiles just in front of it (where you see the people crowding there).

On the floor outside the entrance of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, you’ll see lots of these!  ”Wolverine” was there to leave his marks earlier this year!  On 7 Dec 2009, Robert Downey Jr (2007 Iron Man movie) was there to receive his star, and leave his handprints and  footprints on a tile in front of the Chinese Theatre.  I saw the tents and the area being condoned off from across the road that day, but too bad I didn’t see the actor himself.

An older cast by a Hollywood star would be this one.  Julie Andrews was best known as the cheerful singing governess in “The Sound of Music”.  Other notable tiles I saw were those done by the 3 teenage stars (Harry, Hermione & Ron) of the Harry Potter movies, and the main characters (Luke, R2D2 & C3PO) of the Star Wars movies. 

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That’s the famous Hoover Dam behind me!  It is situated at the narrowest part of the Colorado River, holding back the largest man-made lake in the world - Lake Mead.

One of the first things you see upon entering the visitor’s area inside Hoover Dam are posters like these.

Yes, Hoover Dam was featured in Transformers The Movie (TFTM).  According to this fictitious 2007 movie plot, the evil Decepticon Leader Megatron was kept in a secret facility under the Dam.

I’m sure Transformers fans remember seeing Hoover Dam and parts of Lake Mead in TFTM.  Even if you’re unsure, the posters remind you so!

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The following are the photos that I took while visiting the magnificent Grand Canyon, 1 of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World!

I love this shot showing the vastness of the Grand Canyon in contrast to the little people standing at the edge of its cliff!

This shot was taken at the “faraway’ viewing point seen in the first photo.

Look, there’s snow on the shady slopes, even in the afternoon!

Yay, I get to touch some snow at The Grand Canyon!  Seeing and touching snow is a big deal for a Singaporean like me, as it doesn’t snow in equatorial Singapore.

See how puny the lodge is, compared to The Grand Canyon?

Can you spot another lodge in this photo?  This one’s actually a very well camouflaged souvenir shop, with a lookout area beside it for visitors to access and take photos of the awesome landscape. 

Despite the sunshine, it was actually very cold and windy up in the mountains.  This fire place in the lodge is a welcome warmth relief for many visitors! 

You’ve got to visit The Grand Canyon if you go to Las Vegas.  You can go to the Canyon by bus or by helicopter from Las Vegas.  I went there by bus from Las Vegas.  The available Grand Canyon tours consist of the “South Rim” and “West Rim” tours. 

There are many tour operators that offer day tours to this Natural Wonder of the World.  You can easily find such tour operator booths when you walk along the Las Vegas Strip. 

The above photos were all taken during the “South Rim” tour that I opted for.  The bus picks you up from your hotel at 6.30am in the morning and sends you back to your hotel at around 8pm.

The West Rim tour has the U-shaped Skywalk bridge where the bridge floor is made of glass.  That location is nearer to Las Vegas and the tour ends around 5pm.  If I visit The Grand Canyon again some day, I’ll go for the West Rim tour!

Tomorrow I shall blog about my visit to the famous Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, which were featured in the 2007 Transformers The Movie (TFTM)!

Here are the indoor photos I took inside some of the buildings and hotels along the Las Vegas Strip in November and December 2009! 

A rearing horse statue inside The Forum Shops at Las Vegas.  Horse statues are a common favourite among the hotels along the Strip.

The indoor replica of “city streets scenes” inside The Forum Shops at Las Vegas.  This indoor street is very long.  It’s like no end to it when you walk there! 

The indoor replica of “city streets scenes” inside The Forum Shops at Las Vegas, complete with a car parked there as a lucky draw prize.

A Giant Trojan Horse replica stands at the entrance of FAO Schwarz (aka Toy “R” Us) at The Forum Shops in Las Vegas.  They sure spare no efforts on the grandeur of their shop decorations!

The indoor replica of “city streets scenes” inside The Forum Shops at Las Vegas.  The “sky” looks quite real in this photo, doesn’t it?

A rainstorm show area (The Forum Shops) where “rain” would fall from the ceiling (”sky”) above and into this pool, complete with thunder and lighting effects! 

A golden lion statue inside MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

There are way too many beautiful indoor sights to see and photograph.  Most of them are on a very grand scale that it’s best you are there in person to fully take appreciate them.  Tomorrow, I shall blog about my trips to the nearby Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead!  You simply can’t miss out on these when you visit Las Vegas!

The following are the photo attractions at the Las Vegas Strip, plus the great variety of beautiful hotel architecture to admire.

This is where I stayed for 5 nights at Las Vegas.  Just look at the luxurious amount of space they have for the driveway!  This is typical of the many large hotels there.  The dome-shaped roof above the lobby houses an indoor garden (which I forgot to take a photo of) that has a mini bridge and waterfall features.

There is a huge pond outside the hotel where everynight, a water fountain that replicates the the “eruption” of a “volcano” will take place.  You can view a video of The Mirage volcano eruption on YouTube.  This other video has the full version of the The Mirage Volcano performance.

Here’s a phot of the hotel taken at night while I was going back to my room.  The banners showing “The Beatles - Love” was sold out for the 5 nights while I was there.  I wonder why it was so popular though.  The replica volcano can be seen in the same photo.  You can view a video of The Mirage volcano eruption on YouTube.  This other video has the full version of the The Mirage Volcano performance.

This is the view from my hotel room on the 14th floor.  The pool belongs to the hotel.  In the distance, you can see one of the numerous mountain ranges of the Nevada desert.  Las Vegas is built in a very huge and flat valley.  There were hardly any clouds in the sky during my stay. 

These are Bally’s Hotel and Paris Hotel.  The replica of the Effel Tower is a distinctive landmark along the Las Vegas Strip.  The Las Vegas Strip is long stretch of straight road where the most happening attractions of Las Vegas are situated.  The various major casino hotels and hotel shows are located there.  The concept is similar to Orchard Road, our local shopping belt.  For the Las Vegas Strip, it’s their hotel casinos and hotel shows belt.

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If you are a toy collector on holiday in the US, there are a number of places to find the the toys you want.  Most of the time, the large departmental stores like Walmart, Cosco, K-Mart and Target offer greater selections of the typical collectible action figures and toys such as Transformers, Star Wars, G.I.Joe and My Little Pony.  But the variety and quantity available at each place will vary and may not be consistent.  It really depends on your toy hunting good luck to be there at the right day and time.

One thing for certain is that when you are shopping as a tourist, be very decisive on whether you want to buy the toys whenever you come across them.  You may not have the time to return to the store again should you regret not buying it earlier.  Usually we are quite pressed for time when on holiday as you also wish to visit the other places of interest, which can be very far away, especially in a huge country like the US. 

Some toy shopping opportunities that I found during my recent trip to Los Angeles (LA) and Las Vegas are at:

Walmart at Long Beach California, FAO Schwarz (aka Toy ‘R’ Us) at Las Vegas (The Outlet Center & The Forum Shops), Universal Studios and Disneyland.

Walmart at Long Beach, California.

My toy hauls from Walmart:

Top row - Movie G.I.Joe Paris Pursuit Baroness & Agent Helix. 

Bottom row - Arctic Assault Storm Shadow & “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” Cyclops.

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