DI Treasures Heads in a New Direction

Good morrow dear readers! I, the DI Treasurer have decided to turn things around here. As I start a new business venture it has become abundantly clear that I am just too old for all this toy nonsense. As of this Saturday I will be selling every last scarp of toy refuse for cheap at our Grand Family Garage Sale Extravaganza. Every last LEGO brick, plush creature, video game console, and action figure must go! It's just way to distracting and isn't compatible with running an enterprise! 

Just look how ridiculous I look. So unprofessional!

From now on I will feature only bargain dress clothes and blazers found at my local DI. I may also feature the occasional piece of office equipment as well as offer sound and affordable business advice. So mark your calendars and be ready to earn millions (of dollars) and forget all those silly toys! [They're only worth the money you can get for them on eBay]

My Life Square

This week’s assignment from the League: My life in one square foot

Last week, we were lamenting about wasting money, and this week’s challenge for the League of Extraordinary Bloggers is a photo assignment…

Photo Assignment: My life in one square foot.

Arrange items that describe you within a 12″ x 12″ space and take a picture. If you want some inspiration, check out these photos on Flickr. Added incentive: The first person who responds to this challenge will get to select next week’s topic.

Once you put up a post on your site, add a comment below with the URL so everyone knows where to find it. Remember to include links to your fellow League members in your article, along with a League logo and link, so other bloggers can learn how to join in the fun.

Blog karma is a good thing — by cross-posting like this, we will help send each other new readers, and receive a few in return. If you would like to join the League, all you need is a love of pop culture and a blog. Come join the fun, and tell your friends!

I've been a busy bee lately, working 2 jobs. Direct sales mornings and retail nights. So, I could include sticky notes, pens, neckties, and big ol' binders in my 12x12 snapshot; but that's no fun!!! So, instead here's the fun, happy go lucky version of my life in a square foot.

I just know I'm missing several key items, but oh well. This is a good chunk of my life here. See anything in there that looks familiar? Tell me about it in the comments! 

Then go check out the rest of The League's life squares:

The Nerd Nook

Stunt Zombie

Cool and Collected

Achievements in Gaming

Happy Haunted Sunshine House

Space For Rent

I'm Obsessed With Outer Space!!!

This week’s assignment from the League: My Latest Obsession

We were on a break, but now it’s time to get back to the important task of entertaining the masses. This week’s challenge for the League of Extraordinary Bloggers…

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My latest obsession.

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Once you put up a post on your site, add a comment below with the URL so everyone knows where to find it. Remember to include links to your fellow League members in your article, along with a League logo and link, so other bloggers can learn how to join in the fun.

Blog karma is a good thing — by cross-posting like this, we will help send each other new readers, and receive a few in return. If you would like to join the League, all you need is a love of pop culture and a blog. Come join the fun, and tell your friends!

I know I'm way late on this one, but it's like Brian gave this assignment specifically to me! Just recently I have become fixated on space and all things sci-fi!

Photo dump time!

It all started when I decided to create a LEGO Space City. I wanted to focus on just LEGO, specifically space themed LEGO. Of course, I am way too addicted to toys to be limited to one brand for too long. So, within a week or so I started collecting ANY sci-fi toys and memorabilia I could get my hands on! Robots, aliens, spacemen, all that good stuff. My desk is now littered with cosmic goodies.

I even went so far as to join Instagram as @SpaceMason. I also started a blog specifically for the LEGO Lunar City Project! It's funny, because I just barelly blogged about all this and I didn't realize there was a League assignment. DANG IT! Oh well, it's all good.

I'm not the only obsessed collector out there folks. Check out these guys n' gals:

Jathniel's Spidie sense is tingling over at This Space For Rent!

New comer Matt has a fantastic obsession on The Dusty Shelf!

Good old Hobby lays the smack down in his Monster Cafe!

As usual, Kal has an interesting current fixation in his Canadian Cave of Cool!

Nerd Cantina will horrify you!

That Yellow Duck stocks Walter Sobchak!

Brian of Cool and Collected goes on a binge! 

Pop Rewind drinks up orange drink!

Derek is just straight up possessed with obsession, after all he's the Really Rather Random Guy!

Eric is the Toyriffic King of the Airwaves! 

Vikkiverka is jaded by Charlie Jade!

That Figures latest obsessions are truly legendary!

G.I. Jigsaw is one Muppet of a man! Or is he a manly Muppet?

The Stunt Zombie is obsessed with Glyos yo! 

Branded in the 80's is obsessed with 80s branding!

Everything from Sweet Pickles to Jason and the Scorchers is an obsession where Flashlights Are Something To Eat!

AND, last but certainly not least Rich fixates on The Goldbergs in The Nerd Nook!

What a great turn out this week! This is a wonderful resurgence! Be sure to check out every last one of these guys and share in our obsessions!

Mason Spaces Out

SHEESH! I've been gone for a good long while! Sure, it hasn't been that long, but I was used to posting, like, 3 times a week, and it's been what...almost...A MONTH!?

Blasting off past 100 followers on Instagram! Corny, I know.

Man, sorry about that. I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't died or anything. I've just been working like mad and I'm currently in between careers. Right now I'm studying for the State Insurance License Exam. I will soon be an independent insurance agent. It will be hard, commissioned work; but I will be able to set my own schedule and I will hopefully be able to whip this lil' blog back into tip top shape!

Out of this world DI finds! Again, corny. But check out these awesome toys!

And speaking of spacing out, I have been able to express my goodhearted geekiness via Instagram @SpaceMason. I have always heavily favored the sci-fi side of nerdom (would that be considered the Dark Side or the Light Side?) and my Instagram account reflects that. Almost every image is in some way sci-fi related! 

So, join me on Instagram and please stand by for more DI treasures. I'm not done yet gosh darn it! I'll keep posting when I'm old and frail and farty! 

P.S.

I am currently working on an orbiting brother blog The Lunar City. There's not much to see right now, but I hope to add more soon!

Dad's Collection: Jar O' Yo-Yo

This weeks highlight from Dad's collection is fairly unique. I don't know too much about my Dad's yo-yo collection, but I do remember admiring it as a kid. Who knew there were so many types and styles of yo-yo!?

Here we're have shot of the entire collection, 32 in all and they're all winners in my book.

I like the Goofy yo-yo, and thy football shaped yo-yo is interesting to say the least.

Here's a comparison of two of my Dad's older Duncan Butterflies to the newer 90s model. I stuck my red Butterfly after the whole yo-yo fad died down. It's funny thinking back on all those assemblies we had at school. EVERYONE had a yo-yo after that! Did you ever experience the traveling yo-yo circus when you were a kid?

Here's the yo-yo collection all nice and neat in its jar. I wonder of yo-yos will make a comeback by the time Ava's in elementary school. If so, I hope I can brush up on my skills and teach her around-the-world and walk-the-dog.

It's Valentine's Day!

Geez, yesterday was busy and my dang phone wouldn't upload ths post! So yeah, it's the day after, but Happy Valentine's Day! Man, I love holidays, and Valentine's Day ranks as my 4th favorite right after Easter, Christmas, and Halloween. You can listen to Love You Like A Love Song as you flip through our Valentine pics if you like. I know it may be one of the cheesiest songs ever written, but Laura and I love it anyways and we I can totally rock out to it! Max Headroom Selena is kinda creepy though....here we go!

You've gotta respect Laura for putting up with such a goofball like me! I'm such a dork, LOL! I love that woman!

My cute little Valentine, Ava! Laura helped Ava make the cutest little Valentine present ever! With a little help from Mommy, Ava made me the cutest valentine card ever!

Laura got me this fun Minecraft themed gift and I love it! She found these printables on 

I never seem to be able to complete stuff like this.

An oldie but goodie!

Adventure Time McDonald's toys!

Valentine tree!

Little "Vendos"

Some of my "Vendos", as I call them.

I just can't seem to stop pumping hard earned quarters into toy vending machines! The whole vending machine landscape has changed quite a bit and it just ain't as nice as the good old days, but still, I like to keep the tradition alive. 

Not a bad toy line here. I don't know if this is a new one or a revived oldie.

One big change I've noticed is the toys don't cost just a quarter anymore. In some cases you have to pay 50 cents, but usually everything's 75 cents! Talk about pricey, GOSH! 

The classic Martian Men are just 23 cents (plus tax) at Zurchers vs. a whooping 50 cents at a toy slot machine!

Why are these sweet string dolls mixed with the zombie figures!? (Source)

I've also noticed there are a lot of shady practices going on with toy vending machines nowadays, such as the mixing of toys and deceiving advertising. I came across a machine that had these cool little voodoo dolls made of string. The display case of the toys looked very promising. So I dished out my 75 cents and out popped a freaking "zombie" figure! Like an idiot I popped in 3 more quarters, hoping for the best. Of course I got another crappy zombie. (Normally I'd like a zombie of course, but I had my heart set on the voodoo pals. Plus, the zombie figures were just...off. You can see what I mean in the first picture in this post) I was promised a voodoo buddy! What the crap!? On yet another occasion I was hoping for a sweet eyeball (twas Halloween month at the time) and out came a white Scottie dog. WHAT!? LIES! 

There's actually a very subtle hint of K9. At least it was only 25 cents.

The absolute worst machine of all is located in our local Smith's Market. It's the only machine with decent toys in it, but it's mingled with garbage. I have yet to get anything but crappy bouncy balls and half the time it eats my quarters! I wanted the parachuting bug dang it! I would even take the pinkie cuffs over those freaking bouncy balls! When will I learn! At least I stopped playing crane games. Well, for now. Curse you Sugar Loaf! What kind of name is that anyway!?

"Good Stuff"...plus many other total pieces of crap.

But I digress. There are ways around the whole vending machine hoopla. You can always buy the toys you seek online (Well, maybe not every toy you're looking for. Some can be quite hard to find and pricey to boot.) Another simple option is a party supply store. You can by them in bulk of by the piece. They usually have the classic trans-green aliens and I recently picked up a few monster finger puppets for under a buck at Zurchers. When I was a kid I'd buy all kinds of toy treasures at Party Time. I have some fond memories of Party Time. They used to sell some sweet Pogs and Slammers. Party Time is no longer with us, but it will live on forever in my memory. R.I.P. Party Time, you were a sweet store. Of course, you can always try your luck at an arcade like Nicklecade, Classic Skating, or Chuck E. Cheese. You just have to deal with the whole token/ticket system. It's been ages since I set foot in an arcade, so I think it's high time I paid some old favorites a visit. Skeeball anyone?

If you're lucky you can even find vending machine toys in grab bags at the DI or Goodwill. That said, there's still something about turning that crank and scoring a sweet toy. There's always that risk that you'll get totally jipped, but it's the risk that makes it all the more exciting when you win big! I always keep some quarters in my lucky pouch just in case. And of course, when speaking of vending machine toys, one cannot fail to mention Little Weirdos. Frank has some amazing specimens! You simply must check them out!

These shag carpet ruffians were hand picked and purchased at Zurchers. 

Am I alone in my vending machine woes? Does anyone else still frequent the toy slot machines (as I sometimes call them). Let me know in the comments below!