Man, what a year for collecting. It was not an easy year, by any means, and sometimes it felt like we had to fight twice as hard to make those pickups– but when we did, they were excellent.
Narrowing down to a top pick though, now that’s a brawl. The quality and quantity of figures on offer were incredible, and they stacked pretty tightly for me. So, I decided to opt for something in my wheelhouse, but…. not.
I didn’t get a chance to review this Ghostbusters set for the site, mostly due to not getting my order in until it had sold out, and then starting the arduous task of moving. But, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again- ALWAYS PUT YOURSELF ON THE MEZCO WAITLIST.
So, seeing as I haven’t put my thoughts to print on this set before, I get the chance to explain why this set was such a big grab for me in 2019. For one thing, I thought I blew my chance for it. The timing, in a year full of obnoxious adult problems, made me truly lament not getting in on it sooner. But then, to have it show up, a few months later, was an incredible feeling. And of course, this box is a weapons grade shot of nostalgia. I picked up Mattel’s first Ghostbuster figure in person at SDCC, with Prod and VeeBee right next to me in line. I even completed that set with Zeddemore, and they were the last of my Mattel products I sold, weird “mattel dust” coated and all. Even though they weren’t the best of figures,for anyone growing up on the movies and the Kenner Real Ghostbusters line, they were a lot of fun. So, to get them from Mezco, almost a decade later, and fulfill the potential of a line long since past, is like a double whammy in the fond memories department. The attention to detail, from the suits to the packs, the great headsculpts- with solid paint out of the box, but nothing short of incredible with some touchups- to the fantastic uniforms, speaks to the love this set was crafted with. Add a set of optional terrified headsculpts, a PKE meter, ghost trap, NVGs, the Bacharach Sniffer, LEDs for the proton packs, individual proton streams, walkie talkies… I mean damn, I know it’s a premium set, but it’s hard not to feel a little spoiled. There is even a Slimer. Possibly the best damn Slimer this scale has ever seen.
The biggest thing that this set does for me in 2019, though, is it actually has me looking forward to 2020. Last year saw the rerelease of the love letter 2009 Ghostbusters game in HD glory, and right before Christmas we got a trailer for Ghostbusters Afterlife. It’s hard to say if this long-suffering property is going to finally get a sequel that honors it’s past instead of ignoring it, but it’s starting to look that way. There’s talk of a new master license and likely some new movie toys, stuff we might get a peek at as soon as Toy Fair. So that pipe dream of a 1/12 Ecto-1 might not be so down the tube after all.
And should that time come; a new era of Ghostbusters toys, all they have to do is stand next to these One:12 legends, and I’m good to go.
Special thanks goes to fellow Fwoosher Mild Mannered Reporter (@mildmanneredreporter on Instagram) for sharing his excellent pics with us, and his awesome venchiart (@venciart) custom repainted heads!
