News/Updates 

This fall's show at HobbyTown USA was a little different than usual. By the end of the day there had been several dozen models on the tables, but unlike most model shows these were all built right in the store during one of the largest Make-N-Take events the store has seen. From 11AM to 4PM, kids of all ages (with some help from parents and volunteers) built Revell's Camaro Concept Car, 1957 Chevy, or 2006 Corvette. By the end of the day, what had been two full boxes of kits was reduced to a few spare parts and a couple of leftover kits. It was really great to see such an enthusiastic turnout; several of the builders commented about how they were surprised that building a simple snap-together kit could be so much fun.

But that wasn't all that went on today: in addition to the usual tables of models from my modeling group and the local IPMS representatives, the sidewalk in front of the store featured historic reenactors, games for kids (apple bobbing, bag-toss, puzzles, etc.), and Halloween decorations. In the parking lot, local Fire and Police officials were on hand with their trucks & equipment, there was a section of the lot cordoned off for RC car demonstrations, and over 100 classic and custom cars were on display.

Many of the people - kids and adults both - came in costume, adding to the overall fun atmosphere. Even a few cars came dressed as their favorite celebrities:

If you'll be in New York's Capital District tomorrow, swing by the HobbyTown USA in the Kohls Plaza after 10am for a model show. I'll be there with a couple of models at the club table, and I'll post photos from the event Saturday night.

Round 2 has posted photos from iHobby, including some great shots of the upcoming Batmobile art created by Alex Ross: http://www.collectormodel.com/round2-models/868-polar-lights-model-kits-ihobby-recap/.

Not one but two famous classics have been put up for sale: I had heard about the #3 Batmobile a short time ago, and today I heard that 007's Aston Martin just sold for $4.1M.

I first found out about this movie through Dencon a couple of weeks ago, and was immediately intrigued. It seems to have the all-too-rare combination of "love of the subject" and "good people working on it," so I have high hopes for it. The Outlaw Mouse certainly doesn't hurt things, since I'm a sucker for classic bow ties. Check out the official movie site here, and spread the word to other drag racing/classic car fans!

As a specific collector of the ~1/24 Transformers, I notice it more when one of them gets shortpacked than I do with other mainline figures. In the case of Alternators Swerve, I could understand that - as a modified version of an existing casting - it was probably not highly sought after and therefore not a high priority for Hasbro. The SDCC Exclusives? Of course those are limited - that's the whole point of an exclusive, frustrating though it may be. I could even understand the limited accessibility of Ravage & Rumble, coming in at the very tail end of the Alternators line. But I can't figure out any reason why Mudflap is so impossible to find.

Ignoring the negative character traits, he was still a big part of Revenge of the Fallen, and he has gotten multiple figures in other sizes. The Human Alliance figure is an all-new tooling, so I'm hard pressed to figure out why Hasbro isn't pushing harder to get their money's worth out of it. And as much as I wanted to have the full HA series, there was no way I was going to pay $75 or more for him.

Fortunately, I was able to snag one through Amazon.com for the MSRP, and have now been able to add him to my collection.

It appears that the Tip of the Month page was not updated properly - this has been fixed.

As a natural, on–going part of our work as parents, teachers, early childhood specialists, and others involved with children at home or elsewhere, we observe children at play. With our own eyes we see what works…and what doesn’t hold up under tough testing – the normal barrage of active, inquisitive, and resourceful babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and older children. This guide is offered to complement your observations and to help you in selecting the right products to enhance play and learning.

Following are examples of award-winning toys and products and the companies that make them grouped in selected categories of “smart” play. You can find more products by assigned codes that designate types of products.

Active Play - Carrera (Police Chase), GeoPalz (Kids Pedometer), Hallmark Cards (Interactive Story Book/Buddy), Hap-Pal Music (Learning in Two Languages), Int'l Playthings (Shop'n Cart), Maranda Enterprises (Rollors), Monkey Business (E-Z Bat) ,MGA (Cozy Shopping Cart), Music Together (Family Favorites® 2), North American Bear, (Pet Doctor), One World Futbol Project (e World Futbol), Patch Products (3D Sneaky Singin' Sea Creatures), Rubbabu (2Skoolbus), Tangle Creations (Hairy Tangle Jr), Tot Talk (Let's Play Soccer Placemat).

Construction Play - Big Voorah Productions (Staccabees), Bloco Toys (Velociraptor & Pterosaur), Innovation First Labs (HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set), K'NEX (Light-Up Ferris Wheel), LEGO Systems (Minotaurus), WABA Fun (Superstructs Custom Kit), Yoshiritsu Co (LaQ Imaginal Hamacron).

Creativity & Art - Center Enterprises (Paint & Clay Texture Rollers), Cra-Z-Art (Electra Doodle), Creativity for Kids (Create Your Own 3 Bitty Books), Eye Think (Strobotop LightPhase Animator), Fundamentally Kids® (My Wrap®), Giddy Up! (Fuzzoodles Fluffy Friends), Goldberger Co. (Zip-ity Princess), Hallmark Cards (Interactive Story Book/Buddy), Jade's ToyBox (Moody Foodie Mini Box), Spin Master (Moon Dough Barnyard),VELCRO KIDS® (Royal Princess Castle Playset), Wikki Stix (Wikki Stix for Rainy Day), Wooky Entertainment (Block Crayon).

Creativity & Music - Abligio Books (Best Multiplication Songs EVER!), ATP Electronics (Sesame Street Video USB), Exploramania® (Exploracise® Gymathtics), Hap-Pal Music (Learning in Two Languages), Juno Company (Day the Music Stopped), Little Pim (Spanish Deluxe Gift Set), Look Out World (New York Adventure Kit), Maestro Classics (Tortoise and the Hare CD), Music Together (Family Favorites® 2), PBS Home Video (Dinosaurs in the Snow), Rock 'N Learn (Phonics Vol. 1 & 2), Smithsonian Folkways (Sunny Day), TMT Global (Teach Me Tiger Value Pac), Whistlefritz (Cha, Cha, Cha).

Technology - ATP Electronics (Sesame Street Video USB), Cepia (ZhuZhu Pet Wild Bunch), Chicco (Magic Window Talking Farm), Eye Think (Strobotop Light Phase Animator), Ganz (Webkinz Jr.), GoLearn Toys (TimeBuddy), Hallmark Cards (Interactive Story Book/Buddy), Inspiration Software (Kidspiration 3), Learning Journey (ABC Melody Maker), Publications Int’l (Record a Story), WowWee (Paper Jamz).

Language/Learning/Math & Reading Readiness - Brainy Baby (Natura Nativa Learning), MediaBright Spots Games (Feelings in the Wild-Bingo), Bright Starts (Activi-Tree), Creativity for Kids (Create Own 3 Bitty Books), Discovery Toys (Story Stacker), Fun & Function (Guess What I Feel?), GoLearn Toys (TimeBuddy), Grasshopper Kits (Grasshopper Preschool Prep Kit), HABA (Domino Zippy Scooters), Hap-Pal Music (Learning in Two Languages), Playmates Toys, Inc. (Hearts for Hearts Girls), Jade's ToyBox (Moody Foodie Mini Box), Learning Journey (ABC Melody Maker), Learning Resources (Gingerbread Shape Sorter), Little Pim (Spanish Deluxe Gift Set), North American Bear (Pet Doctor), Paradigm Devices (Word Wheels), PBS Home Video (Dinosaurs in the Snow), Pearson (Stay-on-Track Packs), Plushy Feely (Kimochis-Toys w/Feelings Inside®), Publications Intl (Record a Story), Rock 'N Learn (Phonics Vol. 1 & 2), Rubbabu (2Skoolbus), Sandvik Innovations (Jump into Numbers), Schoenhut Piano (Dog Piano), Smart Play (Easy Translator), Teach My Toddler(Teach My Preschooler) Tier Toys (Animal Stackers Barn Yard) Tot Talk(Let's Play Soccer Placemat)Twisterz Toys (Alphabet Matcher), Whistlefritz (Cha, Cha, Cha) Wild Republic (Audubon Birds - Babies).

Puzzles & Logical Thinking Games - b. dazzle (Dragonflies Scramble Squares®), Idea Storm Products (Yamodo! Good to Go! Themes), Wonder Chess (WonderElla), Griddly Games (Chronicles of the Mind), Purrfect Games & Puzzles (Architectural Collection), Patch Products (3D Sneaky Singin' Sea Creatures), Gorgeous Products (Boikido Geometric Stacking Puzzle).

Social & Dramatic Play - ALEX (Talk of the Farm), Cepia (ZhuZhu Pet Wild Bunch), Corolle Dolls (Lou), Dandelion (Organic Toddler Doll), Discovery Toys (Story Stacker), Dream Big Toy Co (Go! Go! Sports Girls), Gamewright (Sounds Like a Plan), Goldberger Co. (Zip-ity Princess), Hallmark Cards (Interactive Story Book/Buddy), Playmates Toys, Inc. (Hearts for Hearts Girls), Int'l Playthings (Shop'n Cart), Jade's ToyBox (Moody Foodie Mini Box), LEGO Systems (Minotaurus), Little Pim (Spanish Deluxe Gift Set), North American Bear (Pet Doctor), Plushy Feely (Kimochis-Toys w/Feelings Inside®), Rubbabu (2Skoolbus), Safari (Fairy Fantasy Tea Set), Tier Toys (Animal Stackers Barn Yard), Velcro Kids® (Royal Princess Castle Playset), Wild Republic (Audubon Birds – Babies), WowToyz (Deluxe Classic Train Set).

Socially Responsible Products - Gestalt Institute of New Orleans (T'was the Night Before the Storm), Brainy Baby (Natura Nativa Learning Media), Bright Spots Games (Feelings in the Wild-Bingo), Corolle Dolls (Lou), Dandelion (Organic Toddler Doll), Dream Big Toy (Go! Go! Sports Girls), Free Spirit Pub. (Going Blue), Gorgeous Products (Boikido Geometric Stacking Puzzle), HABA (Domino Zippy Scooters), Playmates Toys, Inc. (Hearts for Hearts Girls), Jade's ToyBox (Moody Foodie Mini Box), Kabongo (GoGo Kabongo), North American Bear (Pet Doctor), One World Futbol Project (One World Futbol), Plushy Feely (Kimochis-Toys w/Feelings Inside®), Publications Intl (Record a Story), Rubbabu (2Skoolbus), Stickey Cup (Stickey Cup), Tier Toys (Animal Stackers Barn Yard).

Ten Best Toys - ALEX (Talk of the Farm), Bloco Toys (Velociraptor & Pterosaur), Bright Starts (Activi-Tree), Discovery Toys (Story Stacker), Goldberger Co. (Zip-ity Princess), MGA (Cozy Shopping Cart), Monkey Business (E-Z Bat), Rubbabu (2Skoolbus), Schoenhut Piano (Dog Piano), WowToyz (Deluxe Classic Train Set).

Detailed information and artwork is available at www.drtoy.com

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future, Spike TV produced this clip, a reshoot of the original teaser for the first movie featuring Michael J. Fox and the DeLorean:

The perfect add-on for your Batmobile (TNGM1994 sold separately)! The Cocoon is a limited edition, fiber glass display cover made to completely encase the Batmobile. The interior is fully lined with felt to prevent any damage to the surface of the Batmobile. As with the other Batman prop replicas, the Cocoon is a limited edition of only 500 pieces world wide. Available for preorder at Entertainment Earth