Thrift Justice – UnM.A.S.K.ing

So, a few days before the wedding, I went thrifitng with my sister-in-law’s boyfriend, Sam. He loves thrifitng out in Denver, but tends to focus more on clothing. Anyway, I wore him out as I took him to 4 of my favorite shops. I guess the stars aligned, as I found some pretty cool stuff. Let’s jump right in, shall we?

@Shezcrafti – you ever seen one of these?

This is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles BATSU from NECA. Yeah, I had to research that. Lindsay and I have been collecting Marvel Mighty Muggs for a few years, and when I saw Raph here, it reminded me of that style. I’d never seen anything like it before, so I had to snatch it up.

Next up, we’ve got Sgt. Slaughter’s Triple T. I never had this vehicle, and I almost bought it at a flea market a few months ago for $15. I’m glad I passed, as this cost me 10% of that. I’m actually done collecting vintage G.I. Joe, as most of my focus now is on the anniversary style figures. Still, every now and then you find a piece that you simply can’t pass up. Sure, it’s missing some panels behind the cockpi but it’s in good shape, even with the slight discoloration of the white parts.

“Well, of course she’s guilty, your honor. She’s a dame!”

Apparently, after leaving Quinn Mallory and Rembrandt, Professor Arturo went on to form the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

I acquired two more 3M Bookshelf games for my collection. I’ve also realized there are imposters afoot! You see, eventually 3M handed the bookshelf games over to a Baltimore company called Avalon Games. Avalon went on to reproduce the 3M titles, but in a cheaper, less “booky” way. They’re the same size, and still fit on a bookcase, but they just have a flat black edge instead of the faux book binding of the originals. I’ve found a few titles that I don’t own, but I’ve thrown them back because they were the cheaper Avalon editions.

OK, are you ready for the BIG find of the day? Even I couldn’t believe I’d found it. When children of the 80s fondly look back on the “good ol’ days”, they tend to remember certain cartoons. Yup, there’s G.I. Joe, Thundercats, He-Man…and M.A.S.K. Intact M.A.S.K. toys rarely show up on the thrift scene. When I find them, they’re always broken or missing their labels. While this find isn’t complete, it’s the best specimen I’ve found to date. I give you the Rhino.

As you can see, it’s missing its missing its left door, but the ejection seat feature still works. Also, the battering ram grille still works. The attack module is still attached behind the cab (I actually can’t figure out how to disconnect it). In all, this is a pretty good piece. Just like last time with the M.U.S.C.L.E. guys, this piece doesn’t hold as much sentimental value for me as it might for you. I was a M.A.S.K. fan, but never owned this, so it’s not part of Operation: Childhood Buyback. With that said, if you have a Rhino-sized hole in your heart, make me an offer. It’ll save me from having to list it on Will’s World of Wonder.

Until next time, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the SARS. What? I had to modify it. Casey Kasem is all lawyered up, and nobody talks about SARS anymore…