Monday Madness: D.I. Joes!

They say Monday morning, opening time, is the best day and time to shop the DI, and they weren't kidding! I have to say this is one of my best hauls yet!

Toys were the name of the name this trip. Before, I wouldn't have even given the plush toy section a passing glance, but after reading about some great plushy finds on Laura's blog, Boo Bobby, I realized there are some great plush toys out there. They're not all crane game rejects. 

The Plushies

Picture quality=Toy Quality

Iss a me, Malleo!

The first plushy I came across is a Super Mario bootleg, Super Malleo! I just couldn't say no to this ugly fella. I probably saved some poor kid from getting this cruddy thing from his mom. I can see it now.

Ma: look Johnny, it's that turtle man you love so much!

Johnny: Uh, gee, thanks mom... *tosses Malleo in trash when he thinks his mom's not looking*
Ma: Johnny, are you throwing out that turtle man?
Johnny: Ummm, no Ma, I'm just, uh, I'm storing him in the trash bin, yeah! For Science!
Ma: Oh, all right. You crazy kids and your science!

Anyways, this thing's pretty messed up, Malleo is stiff as a board. What is he made of? Hard styrofoam? It feels like his feet are filled with some cheapo foam pellets. I kinda feel ripped off paying a dollar for this guy, but hey, he's good for a laugh. Now all I need is his brother Weegee and I'm set!

How the heck do you pronounce AiAi?

Next we have AiAi from Super Monkey Ball. I was never really a big fan of Super Monkey Ball, but I do love SEGA and he's pretty cute. Plus, You can totally see his cute little tush! Which apparently is "NOT FOR SALE". Well that's just weird.

Come on, wear some pants AiAi!

Moving on. The last and best plush I found was Cookie Monster! Who doesn't love Cookie Monster!? I hear they have him eating fruit now, what's up with that!? What were they thinking? I know we should teach our kids to eat their fruit, but come on, he's Cookie Monster, not Fruit Monster!

I just couldn't keep Ava away from Cookie Monster!

Now this is Cookie Monster at his best! Great new video.

Sorry about my little rant there. Where was I? Oh yeah, Cookie Monster also has the official Applause tag on his bottom. :D 

Official Applause Cookie Monster!

While I was trying to take a picture of the C Man, Ava kept trying to play with him. What a cutie! Did you like my Cookie Monster impersonation? I also do Elmo, but I don't do parties, sorry.

I also picked up this little gargoyle lion warrior guy. He was a tad pricey at 75 cents (I'm so cheap!) but I like him. The only marking to be found reads "HONG KONG". Does anyone know anything about this guy? Is he one of those no name brand toys? Who knows?

Raaawr!

The Ultimate Grab Bag!

Now, on to the other toys. All the rest of the toys came in a $1 grab bag! Let's see what's inside.

Grab bag Jackpot!

G.I. Joes!

I'm guessing the 2 on the left are Cobra and the on on the right is a Joe

The G.I. Joes in this grab bag are what really caught my eye. I've actually never come across Joes at the DI before, so I was pretty lucky. The grab bag they were in was still being wheeled out on a cart from the back room. Sadly one lost an arm, in the war. I never had many G.I. Joes as a kid, so I'm not sure which Joes these are. I'm guessing one of them is a Cobra. I could probably research it, but I'd rather get the expert opinion of John at the The Clawful Punch. I'll let you know what he has to say, in the mean time go check out his blog, it's totally rad, you'll be glad you did!

Meet Tiggy and Blobby, the Outer Terrestrial Creatures

As I was peeking into the grab bag I spotted these little beauties from the Outer Terrestrial Creatures toy line! I never thought in a million years I'd ever come across these figures! In fact, I would've had no idea what I'd come across we're it not for Weirdo Toys. You should check out Justin's review of these awesome toys. It's fun and educational!

I like how one head is snake-like

Now, this awesome 2-headed dragon toy looks like it was made by the same company that made the gargoyle lion warrior above, whatever company that is. These things are pretty solid plastic and I must say, very classic 80's style! Once again, the only marking to be found reads "HONG KONG". Does anyone out there in Internet Land have any info on these creatures? They look so dang familiar!

Froggacuda, Monster of the Red Lake

Look at that maw!

Yet another awesome 80's toy! I had to do a little research on this one, as I never came across this as a kid. According to my research he's from The Other World toy line by Arco. His name is Froggacuda, monster of the Red Lake. How awesome is that!? I found a fun blog that discusses The Other World figures and other fun, weird toys called Little Weirdos. Go check it out!

This little Furby figure is a McDonald's happy meal toy. I believe he was the only non-80's toy of the grab bag bunch.

Furby, just playin' some smooth jazz

                                         When you press on his hat he plays a mean jazz riff!

                                                I'm reminded of this old Furby commercial.

                                                                          Classic.

I was never a fan of Furby.  It seemed like everyone wanted one until they actually owned one, then they hated it because it never shuts up, so they'd stuff it in a drawer! If i came across one at the DI I'd probably still pick it up, especially a Gizmo Furby. At least this one doesn't talk, he just plays the blues, baby! He some how plays that sax with his little Furby feet. Very impressive!

Just look at those red eyes!

He's so ripped!

Here we have what looks like an imp of some sort. I can imagine dozens of these little monsters infesting a home and causing mischief. He sure is ripped, just look at those back muscles! I have no clue as to this imp's origins, there are no markings to be seen. Does anyone have any ideas?

Well, that's all folks!

"Behind the Scenes"

Finger Puppet Monster falls in with the wrong crowd

Froggacuda's mouth is perfectly designed for quick consumption of prey

ISSSS A MEEE, MAAAAALLEEEEOOOOOOoooo!!!

Wow.

Pretty nasty. I might have purchased this classy item, but it was missing the butt.

Stay Tuned for part Deux!

I also picked up some cool, yet non-toy items. This post was getting a little long, so I decided to save the rest for a future post. Thanks for tuning in!

The one that got away

Just look at him in all his derpy glory! But come on, $10!? That's daylight robbery, practically retail!! This is a thrift store, not an antiques and collectables shop! 

Well, I decided to let this one go. I thought maybe they'd drop the price later, but I wasn't surprised that Napoleon was gone a week later. Some Granny probably emptied her coin purse and bought him for her grand kid. I swear, so many elderly women go into the DI with money to burn on the darnedest things.

Will I ever see a Napoleon Dynamite Doll again? Probably not at the DI, but if I wanna pay top dollar I found several on eBay. But where's the fun in that? It's the thrill of the hunt that keeps me collecting; that holy grail of a find that's underpriced at a dollar. Next time Napoleon, you will be mine!

Did you ever see something amazing, but let it slip away? I wanna hear about, so don't be shy and tell me about it in the comments. 

The Blue Meanies are coming! The Blue Meanies are coming!

This week’s assignment from the League: I’m feeling blue

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013 BY BRIAN 12 COMMENTS

It’s been a while since we’ve had a photo assignment for the weekly League of Extraordinary Blogger’s challenge. We’ve done green, and we’ve done red, so how about this time we do:

Blue.

Whoa, now I know I'm way late on this one and I went a little crazy, but heck, it sure was fun thinkin' of all the blue stuff I like!

When I thought of the color blue I immediately thought of the Blue Meanies from The Yellow Submarine movie. My Dad sent me a picture of one of his Yellow Submarine toys. It's George with a Blue Meanie!

 What blue themed post is complete without any mention of Blue Laser, the Cheat Commandos sworn enemies. I'm really tempted to order some of these before homestarrunner.com disappears forever. I hope the Brothers Chaps are okay. Does anyone know what happened there?

Let's not forget my favorite superhero band The Aquabats! Someone really needs to create some action figures based on The Aquabats Super Show.

My beloved Captain Crunch T-shirt. The Cap'n cost me $10 plus 3 proofs of purchase. Totally worth it!

My favorite blue-haired Battle Troll, The Trollminator!

Something a little more cuddly, the blue Totoro!

Our brand spanking new local DI!

This Muppet Babies lunch box was under glass in the collectibles section of the DI. For just 5 bucks I had to pick it up! I love that show. It even still had a tag where it was priced at $20. My brother asked if I got it for Ava. I actually got it for myself, but I wasn't about to admit that. If Ava wants to use it when she's older she is certainly welcome to it. :)

Found this a while back at the DI for $5. Not only does it include The WoW Wrath of The Lich King Expansion, The original WoW and The Burning Crusade Expansion was also stuffed inside!

Blue Cosplayers at the Salt Lake Comic Con

I have no idea who this guy was supposed to be. He looked to be at least 60 years old. A guy that old still cosplaying? Awesome!

Don't ask why, but I wore my blue SPAM shirt to Comic Con. I went as SPAM Man. I really like SPAM.

The T.A.R.D.I.S.

Lastly, from the Dollar Store, we have...a blue...Thomas The Tank plush?...Good night everybody!

Is it weird that I wanna go bak to the Dollar Store and buy Thomas The Tank?

Now go check out the other amazing members of The League of  Extraordinary Bloggers that are feelin' blue:

The Goodwill Geek-You've gotta check out these awesome blue toys!

Boo bobby-What is blue, alien, and has a long nose? Find out here!

Monster Cafe and Bar-Ah yeah, some great blue themed memories here

Calvin's Canadian Cave of Cool-Amazing volley of in-your-face blueness!

Nerd Rage Against The Machine-Daft Punk, heck yeah!

Achievements in Gaming-blueness all around the world. Cool!

Stunt Zombie-Observe R2-D2 in his natural habitat!

Erik Johnson Illustrator-Amazing talent! Check out these great blue drawings!

Vikki Verka-Movies to make you feel blue

Neat Coolville-Cap'n Crunch, Charlie Tuna, Spock and more!!!

Diary of a Dorkette-More blue hair!

I Have Joined The League Of Extraordinary Bloggers!

The League of Extraordinary Bloggers, or LOEB for short, was started by Brian over at Cool and Collected. (Go check out his site @ http://coolandcollected.com, it's righteous! 

I'm joining a little late, but what a perfect time to join! 

Cool & Collected is recovering from a minor meltdown that occurred last week, and I figured it was as good a time as any to redesign the site to accommodate all those new-fangled gadgets and tablets. (Responsive website design is mind-boggling!) That being said, we’re going on a two-week hiatus while I get things squared away. Now, that doesn’t mean you have a two weeks off, it just means you will have two weeks to tackle the new League challenge. Kevin at Team Hellions came up with this idea and I think it is long overdue…

—

Hello, my name is… Tell us a little about yourself — even if we all know who you are, there are plenty of new folks wondering if you’re in fact a dog.

Hello, my name is Mason John, and I'm a toyaholic. 

I have a lovely wife named Laura and a cute little 8 month old daughter named Ava. Laura loves reading Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels and loves video games. Ava is an avid biter and crawls around like a racing snail. We were both born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. This really is the place. We are Latter-Day Saints, more commonly known as Mormons. I served a 2 year mission in the Philippines in Angeles City. I loved it there, the people are so kind and hospitable. While I was there I learned the local language, Tagalog. Shout out to all my Pinoy peeps: Ang galing galing ng mga Pinay 't Pinoy! I really miss the Philippines and all the friends I made there, and I want to return some day. Whenever I find something made in the Philippines I have to have it! Unless it's just too darn expensive, in which case I'll pass, cuz I'm a poor penny pincher.

Ever since I was a wee lad I loved shopping at the "D.I." (short for Deseret Industries, a thrift store and donation center owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) for sweet band T-shirts, fanny packs, cool tapes, and other such treasures. In the movie Napoleon Dynamite (best movie ever!) Napoleon frequents his local DI and finds some awesome stuff, including that legendary suit! 

Since I love the DI so much I thought it would be fun to start a little blog featuring my epic finds. I can't write worth a hill of beans, nor can I spell, I swear I have A.D.D. to some degree, and I can barely use a computer, but I thought, "What the hey, it's just for fun!" So here I am, the last person on earth you would expect to blog about anything.

I was born in the 80's, so naturally I like most anything from the 80's and 90's. I also love antiques. Old stuff just has a nice broken in feel, I like that. I caught the collecting bug from my dad. He collects EVERYTHING from buttons to barbed wire. Seriously, barbed wire! I didn't realize there were so many types of barbed wire until I saw his impressive collection.

List O' Stuff I love:

Movies

Books

Trading Cards 

Pogs

X-Men

LOTR

MOTU

Disney

Star Wars

Star Trek

Spawn

Hell Boy

Dr. Who

Video Games old and new

LEGO, mini figures, action figures, and toys of all kinds

Antiques

Interior Design, gardening, and Landscaping

Candy, Gum, and Mints

Cereal, Cartoons, and Pop Tarts

Bugs and spiders

Halloween

Pop Culture

Comics (American Splender, X-Men, Tales From The Crypt)

This list certainly doesn't cover everything, but it's a good start. What things are you guys all obsessed with? Tell me in the comments below!

Enough about me, go check out these other members of The LOEB

Meet the Goodwill Geek and follow his adventures hunting down geeky relics located in the Goodwill! You'll laugh, you'll cry, your life will never be the same! 

Join Laura H. as she shares her awesome vintage finds. Her kids are just too cute. She also has a daughter named Ava. Great name for a girl!

Do you like weird things? Do you like toys? If you answered yea to these questions then you'll love weirdotoys.com. Check it out!

Do you have a burning question about the man behind this teeny tiny blog? Don't be shy, ask away in the comments!

First ever Salt Lake Comic Con!

Now, I know this blog is called "D.I. Treasures" and I'm supposed to talk about things I found at the DI. However, sometimes I like to share good finds from goodwill and other such establishments. Okay, so maybe Comic Con doesn't count as such an establishment, but so what, it's my blog!

Now, when I told some of my friends, we'll say my more senior associates, that I was going to Comic Con they immediately asked,"What is Comic Con?" One person simply said,"Good luck!" I resisted the urge to slap my forehead and kindly explained that Con is short for Convention an that it's a geek thing. Though, I don't think you need to be an all out geek to enjoy "The Con".

Anyhoo, it was a great convention, the attendance was over 9,000! In fact were are a total of more than 47,000 tickets sold. You can check out all the details at www.saltlakecomiccon.com.

Enough about The Con itself, let's talk about what I took away, namely toys!

Now, let's take a closer look at these guys.

First off, I present to you this vintage Star Wars Gonk Droid.

I love robot toys, so I just couldn't say no to this little guy. Just look at him in all his robotic goodness! His legs are even designed to make an endearing clickety-clack sounds as they move. Classic!

Next up, we have the 2 M.U.S.C.L.E. mini figures.

All I know is these are vintage M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. I loved these as a kid! I don't know which ones these are. These may even be bootlegs for all I know. Either way these guys are pretty cool.

Grizzlor!

This one ties as my favorite find. This here's a vintage Grizzlor from the He-Man and The Masters of The Universe toy line. From what I understand Grizzlor is one of the lesser sought after MOTU (Masters of The Universe) figure due to his grizzled look. That exactly why I like him! There's something about misfit toys that I just can't get enough of.

Last of the toys is Moss Man!

Just look at this thing! How could I not buy him!? He's covered in green fuzz! You may have guessed that this is another vintage MOTU figure. All the vintage Moss Man figures actually had a fresh pine scent added to them! I sniffed this guy, but it seems his scent has worn off over the years. After returning home from The Con I had to mow my football-field-sized lawn. I noticed that Moss Man is reminiscent of a freshly mown lawn, so I have named him Lawn Moe. I will use him as a reminder to mow the lawn.

Well, actually, there's one more toy!

IG-88! Him and the Gonk Droid look like an alternate version of C3PO and R2D2. I always thought IG-88 was so cool! A bounty hunter droid bent on destroying all organic life forms, now that's just awesome. Man I love robots! 

I actually almost didn't feature IG-88 (you'll notice he's not included in the group shot) because I was embarrassed at the fact that I thought he was vintage, but upon closer inspection later that night I found a dreaded "1996" on his foot. :( I had a funny feeling he wasn't vintage because of his tell-tale bowleggedness. The vendor assured me that all his stuff was vintage. I'm sure he wasn't trying to deceive me, but I should looked more closely. Oh we'll, I'll just let that be a lesson to me. The figure's still pretty neat, and it didn't cost very much.

Lastly, my own custom made stamp of all things! One of the last booths I visited was selling a stamp kit. They let everyone make their own stamp. This is what came to me. The little guy saying "'ello!" is Glumby. He's a character I made up one time while doodling. They let me keep the stamp for free!

All in all, Comic Con wasn't as cheap as a trip to the DI, but is was a lot of fun. Also, I would have to be extremely lucky to find these toys at my local DI. 

Salt Lake Comic Con haul: $16