collectibles
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eBay will authenticate sneakers from resellers
Experts will verify all US sales over $100 by early 2021.
Amazon now lets you name your price on fine art
If you don't like the price on an Amazon Collectible & Fine Art item, you can now dicker for it instead. A new "make an offer" feature cropped up on the third-party marketplace site today, giving another option to paying the preset price. Amazon launched a failed auction site 15 years ago to compete with eBay, but the new system only allows private bids. Venders can accept, reject or counter an offer within 72 hours, and buyers can reply to any counter-offer within another three days. Amazon's upscale marketplace features over 15 million items valued up to three million dollars, though only about 175,000 carry the new option. It plans to expand it next year, however, so maybe you can clear space on your mantle for that $450,000 "Bat" Masterson manuscript after all.
Halo Plasma Rifle replicas enter Earth's atmosphere in Q3 2015
The replica masters over at TriForce have a new weapon up their sleeve in the epic battle to win your wallet. The company has gone and crafted a replica of the Plasma Rifle from Microsoft's Halo series, and is taking pre-orders on both "Brute red" and standard purple/blue variants. The cost: $600 total with a $150 deposit for the standard version, or $650 total with a $162.50 deposit for the red version. Both are full-size replicas, meaning these puppies are 24.5 inches long, 14 inches tall, and either 15 or 20 pounds (the website lists both weights, so this part isn't particularly clear). The rifles, which are limited to 500 copies for the standard edition and 150 copies for the Brute red edition, will begin shipping in fall of 2015. [Image: TriFroce/Microsoft]
Warcraft reaches max level in adorableness with Funko toys
Funko's Pop! Vinyl series of collectibles is recruiting heroes, villains and creatures alike for its second run of figures based on Blizzard's Warcraft universe, Toy News International reports. The series will include three standard, 3.75-inch tall figures: the Horde's former warchief, Thrall (as he appears in Warcraft 3), leader of the Forsaken, Sylvanas, and one of those lovable, gargling fish-men, a murloc. There will also be a "Super Sized" Deathwing figure, which stands at 6 inches tall and looks ... well, a heck of a lot less intimidating than when he shattered Azeroth's landscapes. The Pop! Games: World of Warcraft Series 2 figures will release in November. Thrall, Sylvanas and the murloc will cost $10, while Deathwing will sell for $16. [Image: Funko]
Evolve's Goliath statue is small child and down payment-sized
Sure, it's not the ridiculously huge monstrosity that loomed over us at E3, but this statue of Evolve's Goliath from replica specialists TriForce might be the next-best thing: standing tall at two and a half feet and weighing 35 pounds, this beast is one heck of a set piece to consider adding to your home. It's also one heck of a set piece to consider taking out a small loan for. The standard edition - which is limited to 500 copies - is a hefty $750, with $187.50 of that price being a non-refundable deposit. The Savage Goliath variant, which is colored with red stripes and limited to 150 copies, is $800 and can only be pre-ordered next weekend at New York Comic-Con. That may sound like quite a lot of money to spend on a collectible piece of art representing a game that hasn't come out yet, but hey: its eyes light up, and that's pretty cool. [Image: TriForce/2K Games]
This Skyrim Nightingale statue has 100 points in Awesome
Say what you will about the Daedric Princes of The Elder Scrolls games, but some of them have a keen eye for fashion. Case in point: Nocturnal, lady of night and darkness, clads her servants - the Nightingales - in the kind of outfit we imagine Batman would wear if Batman were a medieval fantasy character. Soon, you won't need a copy of Skyrim to admire said outfit, as Gaming Heads is producing a 1/6 scale statue of a Nightingale as they appear in Bethesda's epic roleplaying game. Bethesda revealed the 16-inch tall statue via its company blog earlier this week and we have to admit, he's a spiffy-looking fella. And he ought to be, as a standard edition of the statue costs $300, while a Gaming Heads-exclusive edition costs $330. The statue won't ship until early 2015, but pre-orders are now live. You can snag the standard edition straight from Bethesda's store, or get one with a light-up base from Gaming Heads. There are only 1,000 standard editions being produced, while the light-up version will only number 500. [Image: Bethesda]
Nintendo's Amiibo figurines explained, smashing retail this holiday season
Nintendo issued a trailer explaining the Amiibo figures it revealed during its E3 2014 livestream today. In the first Amiibo-compatible game, Super Smash Bros., players set the figures on their Wii U to bring their respective characters into the game to do battle with both other figures and human opponents. With each battle, the figures level up their attack, speed and defense powers. Players will also be able to customize their figure's special powers over time. The first series of roughly ten NFC figures will debut with the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. this holiday season. Among the games Nintendo confirmed Amiibo compatibility with are Mario Kart 8, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Mario Party 10 and Yoshi's Wooly World, with more to come. The company is also planning a NFC reader/writer device for 3DS, scheduled to arrive in 2015. [Image: Nintendo]
Breakfast Topic: Your must-have collections
I'm not usually a collector in World of Warcraft, mostly because when I start collecting I want to collect everything in true "gotta catch em all" style. It's a dangerously time-consuming hobby, and so I often avoid it by not collecting in the first place. But every now and then Blizzard throws something into the game -- whether it's a mount, a pet, a piece of gear, or a toy that I just need to have. Case in point: Hogs, the Hogger-alike pet that we'll be able to collect for WoW's 10th anniversary. The description alone is enough to get me: "Tenacious and terrible, the mighty Hogs slaughters weaker enemies without hesitation." Doesn't he sound adorable? Or if not adorable, at least tiny and fierce which is something my gnome monk can certainly relate to. And since he's presumably going to be handed out to anyone who logs on during the anniversary, this will be a lot easier to collect than some of my other must-haves, like Deathcharger's Reins. But tell me, readers -- what are your must-have WoW collectables? Is there anything on your list you've been trying to get but just can't?
Amazon's opening a store for coin collectors
Amazon's well known as the one-stop online shop for practically anything you might want, but apparently it has, until now, regretfully underserved numismatists -- that's coin collectors to the uninitiated. According to the company, rare and collectible coinage is one of the most popular product categories people search for on its collectibles and fine art portal. As such, Amazon's thought it necessary to open a dedicated page (in the US, at least) showcasing such items from "highly regarded dealers." The Collectible Coins store is now live for your perusal, through which you can even buy a 1907 Saint Gaudens Ultra High Relief Pattern $20 coin -- provided you have $3.75 million to hand. Not the best exchange rate, but the shipping's free, at least.
Mew-Genics wants you to hoard attribute-boosting furniture
Team Meat recently unveiled another aspect of Mew-Genics' gameplay: furniture collecting. Super Meat Boy creator Edmund McMillen discussed the game's furniture system in a blog post on the game's site, drawing comparisons to Nintendo's Animal Crossing series. In Mew-Genics, players acquire furniture through Baby Jack's store then place it in a room in their house. Each piece of furniture, which belongs to one of five "types," influences a variety of stats in the game, from disease rates to each cat's life span. The five types of furniture are large, medium, small, wall furniture and those belonging to item sets. Team Meat says Mew-Genics will include 750 pieces of furniture in total, not including rare alternates for each one. The cat genetics and breeding game will launch in 2014 for Steam, iOS and Android.
Disney Infinity to add Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, Frozen characters
Disney Infinity aims to live up to its name with the addition of three movie franchises to the platformer/adventure/sandbox/whatever-it-is game. Wreck-It Ralph and Tangled characters Ralph, Vanellope and Rapunzel have already found their way into stores, while Anna and Elsa from Frozen have yet to arrive. Ralph is available exclusively at Best Buy until December 31, while Vanellope is exclusive to Target until the same date. Walmart, meanwhile, gets to braid and play with Rapunzel's ludicrously long hair until December 31 as well. Anna and Elsa will be released nationwide on November 26, a day before the movie they star in. So if you already know you're going to love the movie and its characters - or you're a time traveler and have already seen the movie - these toys are for you. And everyone else who can find them. Along with the characters, Disney Interactive will also be releasing 20 new Power Discs. These discs grant various in-game bonuses, from items and aesthetic changes to boosts and abilities. You can see the full list of discs and their effects after the jump:
The Titanfall Collector's Edition statue isn't 'something that you'd find in a kid's meal'
The Titanfall Collector's Edition statue is so big it needs its own trailer. In the above video, Respawn Entertainment Lead Artist Joel Emslie describes piece-by-piece the limited collectible, sharing behind-the-scenes info for fans. The titan, for example, is posed in mid-run to reflect the "dynamic" nature of the game, where "things are always in motion." Although the official press release and accompanying image from the Titanfall Collector's Edition announcement both mention a height of 18 inches for the statue, Emslie mentions in the video that's only where the production team started. "We kinda crept up a little higher," Emslie says. "He's almost pressing 20 inches with the pilot on the back." Well, you know what they say: "The bigger they are, the harder they Titanfall." We may have messed that one up.
BlizzCon goody bag sneak peek
This announcement kills two Tallstriders with one stone -- we get more information on both what's in the BlizzCon 2013 goody bag, and what the Cute But Deadly stuff is all about! As many folks have already guessed, Cute But Deadly is a new line of Blizzard universe-themed figurines and, as the name implies, they are adorable representations of their horrifically menacing counterparts. For now, at least. The BlizzCon limited edition figurines include Arthas, Kerrigan, and Diablo, and are the Cute But Deadly kickoffs. I imagine they're only available through the BlizzCon goody bags, and they kick off what's sure to be a popular new set of Blizzard collectibles. Just look at Diablo's little face! Editor's Note: Kerrigan is cute, too.
Limited Killer Instinct boxed version holds pins instead of a disc
Killer Instinct, the Xbox One-exclusive fighting game based on the 90s classic of the same name, is getting a boxed edition for $59.99, available only through the Microsoft store. There will be no disc within said box however, as the "Pin Ultimate Edition" is a joint venture between Microsoft and Penny Arcade designed for displaying Pinny Arcade trading pins. Each copy of the Pin Ultimate Edition comes with one Jago pin and one Killer Instinct logo pin, with room for others, which will be revealed during the game's first season of content. Customers who purchase the Pin Ultimate Edition of Killer Instinct still get the game. A download voucher for the Ultra Edition of the game, which includes all Season 1 characters, a season pass for all costumes and accessory packs, early access to all Season 1 content and a copy of the original Killer Instinct will be included. The case will double as a folio for a 16-pin set designed by Mike "Gabe" Krahulik. The Pin Ultimate Edition's page doesn't specify how many units are being produced, but pin designer Krahulik wrote in a Penny Arcade post that it's "not a lot." Pre-orders are currently live through the Microsoft Store.
Halo 4 Master Chief statue coming to protect your desk from tiny aliens
A limited edition, 12-inch tall statue of Master Chief will be available via McFarlane Toys starting December 6 for $295, the action figure and collectibles company has revealed. The statue depicts Master Chief as he appears in Halo 4 - or more accurately, how he appears on the game, as the pose seems modeled after the Halo 4 cover. Each of the limited run of 1,000 statues will come with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Todd McFarlane, as well as three interchangeable weapons: the Assault Rifle, the Energy Sword and the Boltshot. The statue's official page does not currently offer pre-orders, so if you want to get your hands on Chief before the Covenant Didact other collectors do, you'll want to keep a vigilant watch on the McFarlane Toys site.
Plants vs. Zombies 'conehead zombie and peashooter' figures are pricey collectibles
Online-based collectible retailer GamingHeads has unveiled a pair of snazzy exclusives, a 13-inch "Conehead Zombie" figure and a 9-inch "Peashooter" figure both inspired by PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies series. The "high quality poly-stone" figure is limited to 350 pieces worldwide and comes with a hefty $150 price tag, so it's advisable that you do not fire seeds in its direction in an attempt to halt its advancement. For $150, it's allowed to trample your azaleas. The exclusive Peashooter figure is priced at $80 and is also limited to 350 pieces. For $10 less you can nab the non-exclusive versions of each figure, which removes the orange cone and pea items from each figure. Both characters are available to play with for free in Plants vs. Zombies 2.
Breakfast Topic: Are you a sucker for in-game pets and mounts?
Those cute little in-game pets -- they're not so innocent. Once you allow one of the little buggers to slip past your legs and dash into the house, there's no getting all those muddy little paw prints off the floor (or the couch). Is there anybody out there who can harden their heart after just one? I'm afraid to even dip a toe into those waters, fearful that Lil' Ragnaros will begin bellowing "By PayPal be purged!" as my pet tab ticks inexorably upward. Indeed, I whisked him from my Amazon wish list the morning I realized in horror that should someone ever bestow me with his code, the door would stand wide open to the rest of his irresistible little friends. So how are you fine, upstanding consumers coping with the pressure? Have you snatched up a brand new Swift Windsteed? Do purchasable pets and mounts hold no interest for you? Do you pick and choose? Collect them all? %Poll-79938%
Darksiders 2 statue brings Death and Despair into your living space
State of the Art Toys is preparing to let loose Death and his steed Despair on the collectibles world. A $249.99 statue of both Darksiders 2 characters is available for pre-order right now, with the first shipments expected to go out in mid-February.High intensity LEDs are built into Despair, lighting up his mane, hooves and tail. Death rides atop Despair with his scythes in hand, ready to reap the souls of all your other collectibles should they get out of line. What? That movie Toy Story was a documentary, you guys – your toys are alive and move when you're not looking.%Gallery-173141%
Charizard 3DS XL burns through Japan's Pokémon Centers in December, snag one if you're lucky
Nintendo is notorious for releasing awesome limited edition hardware abroad, but here in the US of A, we tend to get the short end of the joystick. Case in point, the house that Mario Miyamoto built is releasing a Charizard-themed 3DS XL on December 15th in Japan for ¥18,900 ($237). Available exclusively at Pokémon Center stores, aspiring buyers will need to complete an order form and win (yes, win) a drawing for a chance to purchase one of these beautiful monsters. Winners will have from December 15th through January 14th to claim and purchase their prize. As for you unlucky entrants, you'll have the opportunity to indulge in one of America's favorite pastimes -- buying Nintendo collectibles online at an extremely high markup.
Bell & Howell MICRO Computer Apple II Plus found on Ebay
Here is an auction, spotted by Steve Troughton-Smith, that you don't see very often. Seller christique1 is auctioning off an Apple II Plus that was built specifically for Bell & Howell and sold to educational markets. Internally, the unit resembles a standard, beige Apple II Plus, but it's clad in a black casing made specifically for that model. The auction includes only the computer. There is no power supply so the seller can't confirm the unit works. Even if it isn't operational, it's still a collector's dream. It's a rare model, less than 10,000 were supposedly made, and it's described as being in good condition with only a few dings and scratches. The keyboard is covered and in remarkable condition. Right now, the auction has one day left and has reached US$100. If you are into collectibles, here's you chance to own a rare piece of Apple history.
