Wanaka National Transport and Toy Museum

One of our more surprising stops during our South Island road trip was the Wanaka National Transport and Toy Museum. We did not research beforehand our destinations and left the itinerary in the capable hands of our friends who have been in the South Island before. The name of the place is as obvious and as unassuming as it can get - it's a place with toys and cars.  What an odd combination, I first thought to myself.  And I wondered what sort of toys would be on display.  Surely not the anime-related stuff that I've been so enamoured with in the not so distant past... those are not so popular here in New Zealand.

Well, it wasn't.  But what I saw with my kids was something way beyond ordinary.  The collection was colossal, to say the least!  And I was very, very impressed. If I could spend an entire day checking out each and every nook and cranny and every single item in that place, I would!

Check out some of the photos (and video) we took from the Museum.

This is the front desk.  It doesn't look much, but boy were we in for a surprise!


LEGO! A toy museum would not be complete without LEGO.


Nintendo Game and Watches -I haven't seen these in a long time. Very popular in the late 70s to 80s in the Philippines. In the mid-2000s a colleague and I searched and high and low for these portable games but never found any. Seeing these again brought back happy memories.

Lego Galaxy Squad Model 70707 Review

I have this agreement at home that we will buy Lego only when it's on sale (at least 20% off), or when there's a special occasion for it.  Well, it was Father's Day last weekend and that was a good enough excuse!

After lingering for about half an hour on the Lego section, we skipped the licensed stuff (Star Wars and Super Heroes) and got a Galaxy Squad box instead.  There are couple of things that we liked about this model: a robot and a spaceship.  And the fact that these can combine made it all the more attractive.

Despicable Me 2 Minions from McDonald's Happy Meal

Jo-Lo's Hangout No. 5 
McDonald's released 12 Minions in New Zealand, and we were able to capture them all! Here's my video of the Minion toys. Guess which ones I like!

Kinder Surprise surprise

Kinder Surprise went on sale at $1.99 a couple of weeks ago and so we bought one from the Smurfs box.  The thing about Kinder Surprise is that you cannot guarantee that you will get a Smurfs toy, but that's part of the excitement.  At the regular price though, I find this treat to be too expensive so we buy only when it's on sale.  We got lucky the first time and got a Papa Smurf!  Very nicely detailed.

Artoo Detour

I was walking in Johnsonville Mall one day when i stopped in my tracks. R2D2! Right in front of a store chock full of Lego boxes!

The astromech driod was waist-high and is itself made of Lego. But its dome would occasionally swivel, lights would blink, and beeps and whistles would elicit awe.

They had lots of Star Wars Lego items on sale. Tempting!

It reminded me of the R2D2s I left in Baguio. They're all packed away, waiting for the day to be displayed on a display cabinet once more.

I still have a small memento though... this Lego R2 unit went aboard the plane with us.

Here's to having more astromech droids in my collection! One of my simple pleasures.

More toys errr... action figures

I hauled out some stuff that were hidden in boxes and remained that way ever since I moved most of my things to Baguio a couple of years ago. I am repacking them to send to my parent's house where they will stay for the time being. This is my simple treasure trove:

Star Wars Metal Cards. This was given to me by David, a good friend who I met only briefly.
Some anime-related stuff
Gundam SDs!
I started my movie tumbler collection with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and then it grew from there.
A testament to my fascination with robotics: R2D2 figures from the Star Wars movies.
Star Wars action figures from the Jollibee Kiddie meals


I have some unopened Star Wars figures as well.
Vintage and not-so-vintage Voltes V items!
M&M dispensers
More more more Star Wars stuff. These were in my display cabinet and will be hauled off to make way for Jo-Lo's toys.
A couple of Masked Riders. David also gave these to me in the 90s.
The Han Solo figure (which needs assembly and painting) was a gift from Arnold, a colleague and fellow model builder enthusiast (but that was sooo long ago...)

See the transparent Star Wars vehicles? Believe it or not, those were given to me by my former boss, Renan Velonza. He knew I loved Star Wars, and so every time he would go out of the country, he would go to a Toys R Us outlet and buy me one of these transparent figures.
More Voltes V items
They say that people are natural-born collectors. I also collected stamps, shells, and rocks. What about you? What is your treasure trove?

70s and 80s Toys for Sale

In the mid-90s, I became fascinated with toys from my unforgettable 70s and 80s years and amassed a considerable number of action figures (they're not toys, they're action figures!). I did not play with them though, just the joy of being able to find these and display them in the living room gave me enough satisfaction. I even bought some with boxes kept intact because I dreamed that I will be putting up my very own toy shop ten years hence.

Well... it has been ten years. Time does fly when you're having fun! I contemplated about selling some of my action figures because ever since I transferred apartment and had most of my things hauled off to Baguio, my collection has been all over the place. 75% of my display cabinet's glass panels were shattered and so I had to keep most of them in boxes and containers. I still have some of them here in Manila, actually. But early this week, while sorting them out, I can't part with many of them. The Macrosses, the Autobot Jetfires, the Dragonballs, a vintage Voltes V, a Soul of Chokogin Mazinger Z, various Star Wars items, 80s Transformers ... many of these have sentimental value.

These are the ones I will be parting with, though ...

V-Gundam

The various components of this model kit has never been removed from their plastic bags. All decals are present and unapplied.
This kit has metal parts. Though the silver coating has dropped off in some areas, there is no rusting whatsoever.
This is the Soul of Chogokin Mazinger Z Black.
I had the metal body displayed in the cabinet with the original color Mazinger Z. I did not assemble the arms. The only thing I removed from the package is one of the the Hover Pileders which I docked onto his head. The rest of the parts remain sealed and unassembled.


Includes the die cast metal Koji Kabuto figure (below right).
Do you recall the 80s cartoon SilverHawks? I think it was about the same time ThunderCats were shown. I'm selling mine, still sealed in its blister pack.
I Googled this figure and found out that it has become quite a collectible item. Usually, the figure is sold without the box (called loose figure in toy collecting circles), and Tally-Hawk is either not included or sold separately.
This is a more recent acquisition, the super-deformed version of Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz's Heavy Arms.
I had a huge fascination with Macross. The model kit below was one of my purchases which was never assembled. I have a couple of die-cast metal versions which was released in the 80s.
All parts still intact, awaiting assembly. There are some metal components as well.
Lastly, here's the Voltes V De-Classified Book, never opened, although the plastic seal has already torn up at the upper part.

I'm still thinking about where to advertise these to sell... if you're interested though, let me know. I will be advertising them in trade websites soon. Remember, they're not toys... they're action figures!

For the kid in all of us

Have you been waiting for Wall-E to arrive at the big screen and wondering how come he hasn't arrived yet? You're not alone. This has got to be the most-delayed, highly-anticipated movie ever.

So what's the next-best thing without Wall-E on film? Wall-E on plastic. Toys, that is. We made our rounds at SM Toy stores one time, but wasn't available yet. However, I chanced upon online articles stating that toys are already available at Toys R Us. Lucky us, we have an outlet here in Manila (specifically at Robinson's Galleria). And lucky me, I was in the area last week. Lo and behold, Wall-E toys galore!

Prices range from 300+ to 2,000 pesos. I bought a U-Repair Wall-E (this one's 300+) to adorn my office table. Just the right size to be inconspicuous! And I like the detail on this toy!

Wall-E, meet Po, Devastator, Gundam, and Yoda.

And one time, we had dinner at Glorietta and the food left an aftertaste (think sinigang na tuna, but the tuna was no longer that fresh. Ugh). So we scouted around for something sweet. Lo and behold! Sweets at the Candy Corner!
Sweets are sold at 100 grams each. You can get a little bit of each until you reach the desired weight. Nice concept, huh? Actually I have been buying sweets and jellybeans from them ten years ago but they get gobbled up quickly at the office... this is a sort of re-captured delight.
I brought a pack home to Baguio which I gave to Jo-Lo. He asked for it to be opened and he was happily rummaging through the Gummi Bears and the Blue Dolphins and the Mushrooms when he suddenly did a double-take and returned the pack to us. He got a worm! Hahaha. He liked the strips (ahas! ahas! he said and proceeded to eat anyways); my wife and I gobbled up most of it.

Here's to the kid in all of us.

It's a kaleidoscope world

My memory of kaleidoscopes is a comforting one. I had such a toy when I was a kid. I remember having one vividly because there was a time when we were in Jungle Town (this is a neighborhood in Baguio - nice name, huh?) and I got sick for a week or so. My Nanay or a relative would keep me company, but most of the time I was alone in bed. A kaleidoscope kept me company. It was such a simple toy and yet it entertained me immensely. I wondered how the beautiful images were rendered when the cylinder is turned.

The kaleidoscope of those days were adorned with gift-wrapping paper., and at the opposite end where light enters is a round, transparent piece of glass. When my kaleidoscope finally got worn out, I discovered the hidden wonder within. Three long strips of mirrors formed an equilateral triangle, and colorful bits of flat, hard plastic were reflected on these mirrors. So that's how it worked.

I have been looking for ages for a kaleidoscope to share with my kid. Last December, I finally found one. A DIY kaleidoscope from Toy Kingdom! I bought one and had it wrapped up as a gift for Jo-Lo and me.

During Christmas vacation, I assembled the piece. Instead of glass and mirror components (which can be dangerous), this one has highly-reflective, metallic strips and a plastic cover.

If I were to do a review of this particular product, I would say that assembly is not as easy as 1-2-3. The cardboard tube is one size too big to comfortable fit the plastic covering on both ends. That was the frustrating part. I ended up with having the shiny wrapping torn and warped out-of shape at the cylinder's ends because I had to force the plastic covers on both ends. I also had a difficult time with the three reflective strips. You have to carefully "force" the strip into the tube, ensuring that the strips wouldn't bend and create unwanted folds onto the surface.

But having finally assembled the piece, I took a peep and was transported back to my childhood. This kaleidoscope has a nifty feature: you can change the bits that form the patterns in the chamber. And this is included in the kit as well.
It's nice to know that aside from toys, there are now many wonderful gift items for kids that not only entertains but educates as well. Aside from the kaleidoscope, there are science kits, magic tricks, pattern-making and beadworks for the girls.

Visits to the toy shop just became more interesting.