Since my last blog post in October 2008 about wanting to add the Bburago Lamborghini Gallardo Polizia 1:24 scale model car to my collection, I had waited and waited extremely patiently for this toy to arrive “naturally” at our local departmental stores.  At long last, the first sighting showed up sometime in January 2010 at Metro Causeway Point, but the only 2 pieces there had imperfect paint jobs.

Finally, I got a piece from OG Orchard using their latest Bburago catalog.  The OG staff were very helpful in helping me secure this Lambo Polizia, which I had waited very long for.  The kind lady OG staff offered to order the model car for me when I spotted its picture in the catalog.  To my delight, the Lambo Polizia “drove” into the store within 2 weeks!  I collected it over the weekend and here are its photos.  It is the 10th Lamborghini to join my 1:24 scale model car collection!

Side front view.

Rear left view.

Rear right view with opened engine hood.

Front view with closed trunk.

Front view with opened trunk.

Close up engine view.

Closed up steering wheel view.

Like my other 1:24 scale Lamborghini model cars, this 1:24 scale Lambo Polizia has painted interior details on the steering wheel, dashboard, plus additional police patrol car equipment molded inside the car!

Close up interior door view.

Even the interior of the doors spot the Italian Traffic Police logo (I think this is what it is, it’s too small for me to make out the words) like on the actual car.  YouTube videos featuring the actual Lambo Polizia car can be viewed at my earlier blog post.

There is still 1 more piece of this model car at OG Orchard while I was there last weekend.  Even if it is sold out, you can approach their helpful staff at the toy department to order it for you.  Happy model car shopping!

Here’s a couple of Avatar movie toys video reviews that I came across some time ago. 

Well, talk about the ultimate level of doing toys video reviews, such that the reviewer even dresses up to suit the theme of the toyline!  Happy viewing!

Avatar Interactive Battle Pack with 3.75-inch Jake Sully action figure review

Avatar AMP Suit toy review

You can also check out my previous blog posts on Avatar movie toys:

Avatar toys review

Avatar toys Augmented Reality demo

Avatar action figures - Pandora creatures

Avatar Interactive Battle Pack Set

Following yesterday’s blog post, here are some more video reviews of the latest Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) toys for your viewing pleasure!

ROTF Deluxe Lockdown toy review - This figure doesn’t look like he belongs in the ROTF toyline, more of to the Transformers Animated (TFA) toyline instead. 

Selling at our local departmental stores now and part of ROTF Deluxe figures wave 9.

ROTF Scout Skystalker toy review - He can combine with ROTF Voyager Mindwipe in their jet modes! 

Not spotted at local mass retail yet, but expected to be anytime soon.  Part of ROTF Scout figures wave 6.

The following Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) Deluxe figures have been spotted at our local departmental stores in the past few weeks.  They are part of ROTF Deluxe figures wave 9. 

These are their video reviews posted on YouTube for your viewing pleasure!

ROTF Deluxe Ratchet toy review.

ROTF Deluxe Brawn toy review.

ROTF Human Alliance (HA) Mudflap & Chromia with Agent Simmons toys video review

Nope, this trio of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) toys have not been spotted at mass retail in Singapore yet.  However, their video review is available on YouTube.  Enjoy!

Today’s the start of the Singapore Air Show 2010 (2 Feb to 7 Feb).  The first 4 days are for the exhibitors and trade visitors only.  The show will be opened to the public on 6 & 7 Feb (Sat & Sun).  The flying displays on those days will begin from 11.30am and 3pm.

I’ll be visiting the Air Show on Saturday and I hope to snap some nice photos of the aircraft and other military vehicles etc. on display there.  I’ve never attended such military related events, so this shall be my first time!  I’m sure it’s going to be an eye opening experience for me!

If you are an aviation enthusiast and are keen to visit the Air Show, you can still purchase the tickets online.  Shuttle bus services to and fro the venue are available from Changi Airport.  Do note that parking space is limited, and there will be a surcharge of SGD 8.00 if you take a cab from the venue. 

For security reasons, prepare to get screened before you enter the premises, so don’t bring too much bulky stuff along.  Some essentials to have with you for such outdoor events would be the usual - sun shades, sunblock lotion, caps, comfortable clothing and shoes, digicam or videocam, lots of drinking water, and some money to buy souvenirs, just to name a few.

Enjoy your visit to the Singapore Air Show 2010!  For readers who are not going to this event, you can commence or continue with your spring cleaning chores in preparation for Chinese New Year (14 & 15 Feb)! 

Looks like this is the next level for such action figure toys that are based on pop culture movies, especially movies that use lots of CGI to generate all those make believe special effects!  Above is a video demo of how the webcam i-Tags that come with Mattel’s Avatar toys work. 

First you’ll need a webcam and download an application from the website specified on the Avatar toy packaging.  Then place the i-Tag in front of the webcam.  A 3-D model of an Avatar character (the same one as the toy you bought) will appear on your computer screen.  You can go on to control the movements of the 3-D model on screen by moving the i-Tag around or pressing the ‘buttons’ on the i-Tag!  Quite cool isn’t it? 

The DVDs of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) and G.I.Joe movies also come with similar Augmented Reality.  I’d expect the upcoming Avatar DVDs to have this special feature too!  As for the Avatar toys, I still don’t see any at mass retail in our departmental stores.  So far only collector’s toy shops carry them.  Anyway, till the Avatar DVDs and Blu-Rays roll into town in the coming months, happy waiting for them!

ROTF Leader Shadow Command Megatron action figure (SGD 109.90 each)

Hasbro has done it again with their Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) toyline - another repaint.  This time it’s Leader Class Megatron who is adorned in new colors for the new year.  And he’s not just Megatron now, they call him “Shadow Command Megatron” to suit his change of colors.  Overall seeing the robot colors of Shadow Command Megatron (what a typeful of a name!) is like seeing Human Alliance (HA) Barricade in robot mode!  Don’t they look like brothers now?  LOL!

Meanwhile, here’s a video review of the first version of ROTF Leader Megatron action figure (in movie colors) that was released last year in conjunction with the ROTF movie screenings.  I’m still disturbed by the fact that his left arm is so tiny compared to his right arm, giving him a rather lopsided appearance.  In his tank mode he looks just fine though.  So far I’ve not managed to sport this mean Decepticon leader at local mass retail yet.  He might be coming anytime soon, provided Hasbro Singapore is still importing the rest of the ROTF toyline for 2010. 

Happy ROTF toy collecting! 

As mentioned in my blog post yesterday, here are more photos that I took of the San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC) 2009 exclusive G.I.Joe The Rise Of Cobra (ROC) McCullen-Destro 3.75-inch action figures 2-pack box set.

This is the front view of the exterior box that is sealed.  You can’t examine the figures contained inside while you’re at the store, unless the store personnel slice open the clear tape for you.

Once you open the exterior box, you’ll find another box packaging inside that resembles a very thick ancient book.  This the “front cover” of the “book box” packaging.  

Another view of the “front cover” of the “book box” packaging. 

The back view of the ”book box” packaging. 

Another back view of the ”book box” packaging. 

The “book box” can be opened (like a real book) to reveal the 2 MOC 3.75-inch figures inside.  The medieval ancestor of modern day Destro is on the left, while the latter is on the right. 

A close up view of ROC 3.75-inch James McCullen IX (the 9th) action figure MOC.

A close up view of ROC 3.75-inch James McCullen XXIV (the 24th) action figure MOC.

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Overall, this is a very nice pair of ROC 3.75-inch figures.  The original retail price tag was SGD 59.90 during the Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention (STGCC) last year.  It used to be a Toys “R” Us (TRU) exclusive here, but not anymore.  It has since showed up in other local departmental stores on clearance sale (@ SGD 15.00). 

I prefer the corporate attire version of ROC Destro figure to the single pack version in some classic dictator uniform.  If you see this SDCC exclusive on sale, it’s worth picking up for your ROC toy collection!  It’s still available at OG Orchard where I got this piece from.  Happy ROC toy sale shopping!

I was at OG Orchard yesterday to pick up some of the heavily discounted G.I.Joe movie toys for an overseas collector.  I thought that it was going to be a quick toy shopping trip (I wanted to leave before the impending rain outside) until I encountered the Hasbro delivery guy busy unboxing all the newly supplied G.I.Joe movie toys there.  

There were some other adult male collectors ‘hovering’ around the delivery guy.  Some were in a clique, while the others were “lone rangers”.  It was interesting to observe how some of the very eager collectors ’swooped’ in for their ‘kills’ as soon as the G.I.Joe movie toys were unboxed and placed on a surface (e.g. on top of other merchandise, on the floor etc.) by the delivery guy.

For me, I was more like a ‘jackal’ who lingered along the fringes until the main ‘hyena pack’ had dispersed, before I could go in to pick at the ’scraps’, LOL!  For the G.I.Joe movie toy collectors who weren’t there yesterday, there are indeed new stocks, and not re-stocks! 

1) G.I.Joe movie 3.75-inch figures - Bench Press & Snow Serpent @ SGD 10.00 each.

2) SDCC 2009 G.I.Joe movie Destro-McCullen 2-pack (above) @ SGD 15.00 each.

3) G.I.Joe movie Senior Ranking Officers 3-pack - Cobra & G.I.Joe Teams @ SGD 14.90 each.

4) G.I.Joe movie Attack on the G.I.Joe Pit HQ boxset - containing 5 x figures & a repainted Mole Pod @ SGD 24.90 each.

5) G.I.Joe movie assorted Accessories Packs - the most notable are Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow on Bikes @ SGD 14.90 each.

Updates on previously reported G.I.Joe movie toy stocks there:

a) Night Raven, Steel Crusher APV & Cobra Gunship @ SGD 29.90 each, are still available, even after a customer called in to reserve 10 pcs of Night Ravens.

b) Smaller vehicles like Mole Pods @ SGD 17.90 each, have diminished to less than 10pcs.  But with the new availability of the glossier repainted and cheaper Mole Pod in the Attack on the G.I.Joe Pit HQ boxset, the single pack Mole Pods may not be as popular for now.

c) One of my blog readers asked me to name all the 3.75-inch figures (@ SGD 10.00 each) I saw there.  (Wow, he wants to test my memory skills is it, LOL?).  I’m new to this toyline, and I am still dazzled by the new stocks that came in yesterday.  Still, I do my best in what my memory could afford me:

- Neo Viper (Attack on the Pit)

- Cobra Viper (Desert Ambush)

- Duke (in brown army uniform)

- Heavy Duty (in army uniform)

- Zartan

- Cobra Commander

- Destro

- Bench Press (arrived yesterday) 

- Snow Serpent (arrived yesterday)

- Storm Shadow (Ninja Mercenary, just 1 pc but with bad face paint job) 

- Abel ‘Breaker’ Shaz (the techie guy)

- Duke (Reactive Armor Suit)

- The Baroness (Attack on the Pit)

- Ice Viper

For collectors looking for Storm Shadow (Paris Pursuit) and Snake Eyes (Ninja Commando), there are a few pieces left at OG Chinatown.  But their backcards are all badly folded.  Most of the stocks there are like that.

That’s all folks, happy toy shopping!

Update: The above toys are indeed there on sale as of 12 January 2010.  On any date after that, I cannot guarantee.  You’ve got to go there and find out yourself.