My Modern Collection: My Accoutrements!

[BrandonDaCollector]

As a special bonus showcase, here is the Dino Eco Expedition which is also made by Wild Republic. I bought these from a dinosaur web shop not to long after I received My "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin set. I saw this and I thought it looked dandy as it was quite different looking and differed in general to what I was used to. Now normally I would put this in My Dinosaur topic but I am making an exception with this one and with good reason. Here is the front & back of the box and the company info. It looks really nice with a lot coloring & artwork





The Dinosaurs: So included in the set is one of each of Tyrannosaurus Rex, Allosaurus,Velcioraptor, Dilophosaurus, Brachiosauris, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus & Triceratops. Their not depicted very realistically like the Croc Hunter Set but they look fine and you can recognize what species their supposed to be. They have a few POA and are painted well and are all different sizes as well. Like the Croc Hunter Set, they are good quality.




Copyright: They have greatly sculpted Copyrights on their bellies. These guys came out in 2001 so actually years before The Croc Hunter Set. I really like that they have sculpted their names on their underbellies as well, it seriously reminds of the dino figures of many years past that I have already showcased in My great Dinosaur topic. I am talking about ones such the sets by Larami & Battat, it was a cool trend companies were doing that back then for animal life figurines.



Size Comparison: Here is the Allosaurus size compared to My previously seen Stikfas T-Rex and G.I. Joe Classics Scarlett with Wild Republic T-Rex...amazing both are Hasbro



T-Rex vs. Allosaurus: Here it is, one of the encounters that never happen in the age of reptiles...or did it



Dinos with the Croc Hunter: Now here they are with Steve Irwin & his Crocodile. See why I put together this second bonus showcase, its really a remarkable display for animal lovers of the past & present...I mean how can you go wrong with Dinosaurs & Steve Irwin



So I hope you enjoyed this and were surprised, if you didn't see My actual showcase of Steve Irwin then you missed it, get back to the very beginning so you don't miss a second Next I will continue this and post My favorite Croc Hunter Episode of all-time, until then I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

Crikey! My wife got me into watching the Crocodile Hunter. It was tragic when he died.

[BrandonDaCollector]

Well that's cool about your wife PB Oh it was, it still seems like it was a few years ago

As I said before, as a special BONUS, here My favorite episode of his, it's in 5 parts, watch them in order. It's so funny, extreme & insane!







Again seen them in order and I hope you seen My actual showcase of Steve Irwin, he's one of the best figures I have! More to come later

[BrandonDaCollector]

So it was long ago in the early 2000s that Me & My Grandma found a new store on Hampton called Almost Everything (I will provide ALL of the wonderful details at the climax of this showcase) and they had McFarlane figures none other than the 2000 comedic horror & fantasy film Little Nicky I had seen the film before and knew the figures but really wasn't interested in them but at the price I had to get them and he had the WHOLE SET Again at the climax there will be a very special location entry that will WILL NOT WANT TO MISS

So if your not familiar with the film go here for all the info --->https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Nicky plus I will provide a cool trailer in PB's Halloween Coming Soons topic as well

In short I was a HUGE McFarlane collector, I collected most of his Movie Maniacs, MLB and more in the late 90s & to mid 2000s during the times when his company was so remarkable then it seemed like he was running out of ideas and/or the passion of what made him who he was and not pulling at the all the strings he could to get licenses that fans demanded and companies like SOTA & NECA was not only coming to the point where he left off but also doing even much better because they got licenses that he failed to capture such as Hellraiser, Hannibal Lecter & Darkman to name a few but sadly SOTA (I personally knew Jerry Macaluso for a while more on that at later time) folded a few years after and NECA was getting getting better an dthey were still great later on but seems like they just lost their creativeness (ever since the golden days of McFarlane ended collector's attitudes had really changed toward horror movie lines which irks Me cause I was part of them days and I recall them like it was yesterday but for things like this you can always count on the plebeians for it cause look how it is now

Some of the figures are electronic with phrases from the movie. So here we go in a brief write up of all of the figures of My Little Nicky Collection

Here is two of your main characters of the film: Little Nicky & Mr. Beefy that was in a set together. Look at the beautiful sculpting & realism, this is one of the many categories that made McFarlane THE PREMIERE toy company of the late 90s & to mid 2000s because very few did wonders like this then



Here is another version of Little Nicky...



Look at the detail of his canteen and especially his jacket



Here is another version of the naughty Bulldog Mr. Beefy but this figure is much, much larger and LOOK at that superb sculpting, that is so fantastic Holy dog poo...his PEE-PEE is a actually a DEADLY WEAPON as it is spring loaded like the action features of years prior and shoots out a Projectile



Here is the Gate Keeper & Gary the Monster that was together in a electronic set. These guys filled the movie of funny lines and shenanigans from hell. Gary looks likes a Gobinlish-Faun/Pan but his pal The Gate Keeper really has something going on here as his head is really BOOBS Kinda big ones too with tassels no-less




Ah so here's Cassius, the surprise of the movie and of this collection because he was played by one of My favorites of ever, of all-time and that is none other than Tom "Tiny" Lister jr. aka the Human Wrecking Machine ZEUS This is such a tremendous looking figure. It really makes Me wonder what McFarlane could have done with a Classic Wrestling Series, gosh, shame he never did anything like that




Here is the great and crucial Copyright as I feel it's always important to look for them on your figures & know what year they were made and who made them



Here is a Little Nicky Group Shot



Here is a special Little Nicky Scale Comparison as we see them next to My McFarlane X-Files: Fight the Future Set (I may showcase them once I get to the 90s in My Vintage Action Figure Topic and look at that, that's Mystique from the great 2000 X-Men film by ToyBiz In the near future, I have a huge, A HUGE plan for My X-Men & Marvel figures...Vintage & Modern alike so look forward to that in time



OK, now here is what I was talking about. I had originally posted this in My Odds & Ends. If you never went to that topic, DO SO because it's one of My most imperative ones I have ever created. I posted this a while back there and I was quite pleased about it. Get ready for a cool ride down memory lane of Mine and see how I got My great McFarlane Little Nicky Set as you you might be surprised along with some great bonus stuff as well

Now here is a local store that has been gone about a decade already. It was one of My favorites to go to. Whenever Me & My Grandma were out and about to go to her bank on Hampton and grocery shopping at Schnucks. Sometimes I'd what to go to Target but I also I wanted to go to check out ALMOST EVERYTHING. Back in the times when I was a youngster and even these days of later times, Hampton Avenue was so fun, I have showcased Hampton Village before within this topic when I showcased Johnny Brock's. We were quite thrilled that a new store was opening up there in the early/mid 2000s and when Almost Everything was ready to open We weren't a bit disappointed. They were mostly a sports store. They really focused on our beloved St. Louis Cardinals of MLB, the St. Louis Blues of NHL and of course the St. Louis Rams when they were here (shows you how long it's been). It was always pleasant there. They had an odd entry way, you entered the store from the back door Yep but actually I liked that way because it was different. There wasn't many sports stores around in Our area believe it or not. There was one further down on Hampton but it was hardly open so We never gave it chance. Sadly Almost Everything has been defunct at least a decade now

Almost Everything & Louie's Pizza Co.

Here is the building they were in and shared it with Louie's Pizza Co. Both are unfortunately out of business. I will talk about Louie's in a moment. They were the second door on the left of Elite Title, Almost Everything, the third door on the left/middle from Elite Title which is still there on the corner/first door.



So here is the back entrance I was talking about in the prolog. It was really convenient to do this because it was a really large parking lot plus it was very easy to access when Me & My Grandma MiMi was doing our banking as the bank is right next door on the other side of the lot. It was really cool seeing Louie's Pizza Dudes coming out of the back getting their orders ready to deliver



So as a special bonus, here is Louie's Pizza Co. I thought show them too since they were also major part of My life for a long while. They were really good. They had some issues along the way like oh we have to discontinue our Hot Dogs, burger & Chicken Wraps when We always ordered them from Louie's but according to their explanations it did no good and just didn't sell enough. As foolish as they seemed they had such great food items. They specialized in Chicago Pizza but also St. Louis Style Pizza as well. If you never had St. Louis Style Pizza, its very thin crust and arguably the best type. I loved their taste. I loved to dip their Calzones, Strombolis & Mozzarella Cheese Sticks in Marinara & Garlic Butter Sauce. I absolutely loved their Fries, they arguably had the absolute best Fries, I would order at least two cartons each time We'd order from Louie's. They had some great Chicken Tenders & Breast as well. I really liked to get their 32 oz soft drinks. The 2 usual delivery dudes for a very long time was a somewhat moody but nice Caucasian guy who always wore a Mizzou cap and a the other was a crippled up Black guy. I always felt sorry for him and he was very nice too. In Louie's final years and of course their last days before the p!@Demic a younger guy, teenage-like was extremely charming and always thanked Me for the business. He'd always go back right away if an item was missing and be back ASAP with it. Even though they no longer exist, today the company has been totally taken over a new company & management and their new name is Salvage Yard Bar and Grill. When the TPTB slowed down the p!@Demic this happened and I was really bummed about it. I have no idea how their food is nor if their doing good business or not. No matter how good they are they will never replace the original Louie's. So here is Louie's logo. I loved how they depicted St. Louis & Chicago together. It was such a very creative box graphic on their part. I mean back in the day the most greatest rivalries was the Yankees & Red Sox and then their was the St. Louis Cardinals & the Chicago Cubs and Louie's brought that mental aspect every time you ordered from them



Now here is special that I made of Louie's & Almost Everything back to restoration the way it was back in the day



So now going back to focus on Almost Everything. the owner of the great shop was Chip Bartz. He has a small eBay store still but like anything that is digital and has a digital location, its absolutely nothing compared to the physical item and/or physical area. I mean in this androgynous day & age where this generation is obsessed with digitality, VR, Meta and streaming has no clue how it was going to old fashion stores regardless of what kind they were nor do they care. Its so pathetic, it irks Me a lot. TPTB has conditioned this limbolic society so much, its beyond deplorable I mean the thrill of going to places like this was fun So many times when We went to Almost Everything the nice lady that I do not recall her name was usually there and sometimes Chip Bartz was too and he was a decent fellow. He gave Me his business card. It's quite fancy with puffy raised lettering. I have kept it in pristine shape and HERE IT IS



So during the early days of Almost Everything's, I appreciate the great sports stuff but he had a special section where he had toys which was mostly adult collectibles. He had some McFarlane action figures. I had some of'em but then I noticed he had the movie figures from the 2000 movie Little Nicky. I wasn't absolutely crazy about the film but gosh I had to have the figures because not only are they McFarlane but he had the entire collection and get this...they were only about $2.99 a piece His stuff was very cheap and arguably the most affordable place of the whole region. So it was a no brainer that I had to get everyone he had The good guy's comic shop down the street on Hampton was great too (I have spoken about him before, more on him in a later showcase) but charged a lot more for his McFarlane figures however I miss his little comic shop a lot too I had previously and briefly showcased My Little Nicky figures in My overlooked ginormous Halloween topic that I posted last year along with so many other great spooky stuff in My collection



So that wasn't all that I got from his wonderfully fun shop, I got a lot of other things but here is 2 major...MAJOR PRIZED items that I got from Almost Everything and these two were the Headliners XL MARK MCGWIRE and the We Shocked The World: 2006 St. Louis Cardinals Win the World Series Book!




As I spoke just a moment ago about how cheap My Little Nickyfigures were, well check the lovely price stickers here My Headliners XL Mark McGwire was only a $1.99 My special Cardinals Book was only $4.99 Now where in the world could you get this terrific MLB merchandise at for these insanely low prices...huh.. you tell Me Now see, this was way before this era we're stuck in now where prices keep on soaring to ridicules heights on just about everything especially action figures & collectibles alike. Things were much, much cheaper then but Almost Everything was really the cheapest around which to this very moment I have never understood why his great shop went under...one of the reasons I know is because of people of course

So there you have it. I hope you liked My McFarlane Little Nicky Set as well as how I got them long, long ago for this spooky time of Halloween. If your just now seeing this then get to the top as you just missed the whole thing. Next will be another great presentation but this will be the one that made him famous and that is SPAWN Until then I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

Wow, never knew they made figures of that movie. Pretty random.

[BrandonDaCollector]

Really? Well thanks for the reply PB, I appreciate that a lot

[AcidDragon]

I've seen those figs back in the day at EB Games, I think. Pretty good details.

[BrandonDaCollector]

Thanks for your reply Acid, that't cool and long time you posted on My stuff. I think you have missed a lot. Happy Halloween

[BrandonDaCollector]

So continuing My McFarlane presentations (if you want to know My history with him go back to the beginning of My Little Nicky showcase, I explain everything there.

With with everything I was collecting of McFarlane there was one line I was kinda late getting to and that was SPAWN Ultimately I just decided to get whom I liked the most (I'm really not a cherry picker like a lot of people are but I will make exceptions) as I really didn't want to get involved with the line as I never got the comics and was only familiar with the 1997 movie which 2022 marks it's 25th anniversary So with that being said, I was a member of McFarlane's Collector's Club (remember how cool it was back then to be part of that It was years before the Matty Days when this was ongoing I loved their forum but there was some really big time weirdos there including one guy that was obsessed with Emma Watson Things was really changing and the board was getting harder to be on and I just left it. The Collector's Club was really cool but I only got a couple of figures from it however and she was My VERY FIRST SPAWN figure EVER so without further delay here is...

Lotus Angel Warrior from the Spawn Series 19: The Samurai Wars from 2001. I really liked her design and instead of getting the regular version which was all in black armor, I chose her Collector's Club REPAINT with blue paint apps as I thought she looked much better this way. Take a gander at her fine physique, armor and all of her glory



Here is closeup of her gorgeous Asian face



As you seen she is quite as they say scantily clad. This was a welcomed feature for Me as I really liked how McFarlane designed his female characters and really how women looked in the 90s in comics and in real life alike. You don't see this type of style in much as this day age just doesn't allow it. To think there was a time when women could be very revealing, handle weapons and looking good doing it. Thanks to the TPTB changing times and your society following suit, this is the reason why a thing of fun is a thing of the past and that seems like it was hundreds of year ago, not decades Speaking of revealing, her armor can be removed. Here is a look under there as she has a bra



Her armored loincloth can also be taken off as she reveals a blue bikini/panties. Now keep in the mind, this is the repaint so her blue underwear is her Collector's Club exclusive color. She has a great looking booty The strap looks really nice. She has a cool tattoo on her cute & slim belly down to her right leg which is a nice touch




Here she is without her armor from a distance and man-o-man does she look sweet



Here is a look at her hands. One thing I always admire of women is their hands and her's look really good holding here mighty Kantanas



I know there's a lot of guys that likes women's feet or at least there used to be anyway so here is a nice look at her sandled feet as well as here accessories.



Oh I kept her McFarlane Card-Insert for a number of reasons, see, ya never know when your gonna need it



Here is the McFarlane Collector's Club headliner of the Insert and notice is of a blueish-turquoise



Here is the back of it as it reveals many of the lines including McFarlane's Monsters. See how creative & horrific his stuff was back then in the early 2000s, I don't know about you but I sure miss that over today's generic, been there done that, insanely priced offerings from what we call today's market Oh there's the Copyright 2002, he still had it then, the spunk, original profound masterly



NOTE: I got all the Spawn Series 20: Classic II from 2001 & Spawn Mutations, Series 23 in 2003 figures at My local Big Lots! that I have talked about and showed many times here. I got them in the mid 2000s and I got all that they had.

Here is Clown, the main baddie of the series. I thought he was so cool. Look at the bloody knife!



He has such a great expression and big belly



Here is his accessories



Here is Violator, one of the Phlebiac Brothers and the Clown's alter-ego/real form/identity. I love his face and his only accessory is a Heart that he just pulled from an unsuspecting victim:!: One thing McFarlane always POed Me about is his quality. This figures looks great but gosh his durability is not to put it mildly



Here is the main villain/antagonist in the series, Malebolgia from Spawn Mutations, Series 23 in 2003. He is so radical looking and is a heavy figure. Take a gander at his grotesque awesomeness




So here is another hot female of the Spawn series and that is Domina I saw her and I had to get her too



She has a really cool 80's & 90's design to her with a bit of a ancient yet futuristic vibe about her as well.



I never found here as sexy as Lotus but she is still great. She can be revealing as well as under her loincloth is her panties where her nice booty can be seen



NOTE: I got both of these guys at My usual Walgreens (I just showcased them recently in My Odds & Ends) they are from Spawn Series 22: Dark Ages & The Viking Age in 2002.

Here is Berserker The Troll v1. When I saw him I just had to have him. I loved how he looked. I love fantasy barbarians and stuff like the 13th Warrior so he was right up My alley. This was during a time when McFarlane was really experimenting with articulation (one thing I hated about them is the quality and how the joints would get stuck and you'd have to put'em in the freezer, same thing with others such as ToyBiz) and a bit better quality. The figures would feel really different as well. The sculpting however was still superb.



I loved the wolf cloak he has on. Look at this brute's face and fur-covered armor



Here is a look at the example of his Articulation as I noted earlier. Even after 20 or so years later, his movements seem a bit odd but it's all quite cleverly done so he can get into those needed archer-type poses



I love how his Crossbow is and he even has a Quiver with additional Arrows. I have always loved this nice touch on the part of McFarlane



Now here is Berserker The Troll v2. They decided to make variants & repaints out of this series as well (see even then they were doing it). I never once considered this figure a variant but as a TOTAL NEW CHARACTER YET ANOTHER TYPE OF TROLL At first glance he looks like a repaint only. Unlike Lotus, he has a completely new head sculpt



Take a gander at the "new" kisser...



he even has REAL HAIR now



SPECIAL GALLERY!!

Ah yes, here is one the Copyrights, by now you know that I always feel its very important to find them on your figures however, on these Spawn Figures, they're kinda concealed



So here is the Berserker The Troll v1 & v2 Comparisons



Holy Toledo...Clown meets Wolverine from Marvel Legends... ain't that a weird dream match



Now here's the Spawn Group Shot, look at that dark coolness of McFarlane



SUPER SPECIAL ENTRY!!

Ah yes, one of the most crucial items I ever bought from the McFarlane Collector's Club was the McFarlane Stand I bought tons of'em. I mean the figures are so fragile and they topple over so how can you afford that to happen Well I don't know about other people then but I sure couldn't. I bought bag after bag. The pegs weren't the strongest as they could snap off but that's why I got a lot them. They are arguably the most ideal action figure stand you could buy. I mean they fit just about any 6" action figure like most from NECA, Marvel Legends, MOTUC, GBC, DCUC and so many others. I mean it's almost limitless of what they could fit. Sadly they quit making them a while after I got'em which POed Me so much I mean accessories like this should be number uno. I think I still should have bought more when I could have. If anybody has a huge action figure collection that is older or modern and is not somehow familiar with them I would look to see if you could get these from the bay or somewhere else as these ARE STILL THE ULTIMATE action figure Stand you could ever buy...no question about it



Here is the McFarlane Stand's Copyright, OH YEAH look at...1999



So there you have it with My small but great McFarlane SPAWN collection for Halloween and I hope you liked it. This was for Halloween but I will have more great spooky stuff here and in My other fun topics soon, until then I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

So as I had revealed in the WCW topic...

Do you remember when Bill Goldberg met Mark McGwire

Oh man I sure do, this was such a special time for Me on so many levels This WCW crossover with MLB happen on 8/31/98 which was on a Monday and Bill Goldberg was WCW World Champion at the time. This is how I found out about it cause Me & My family was watching WCW Monday Nitro and I just flipped out about it, I mean I just totally marked out and yelled "The Man" meets "The Man" (never mind about that Becky Lynch Man crap we have now). I was so excited [/b]98[/b] was a great year in WCW. The Warrior also made an appearance that night too! It was in Miami Florida and Goldberg visited there and met The Homerun King! He and the St. Louis Cardinals was against The Florida Marlins. They won the game but Mark didn't bang any outta the park this time.

In some other topics as well that I had revealed and talked about how I loved Mark McGwire and how it he changed the way I looked at Baseball and many things of life as a whole. It was a time like no other that I really miss but I feel so fortunate to have experienced it because there will never ever be a time like it ever again

As a proud member of St.Louis My entire life, I felt very fortunate to have this happen that he became a St. Louis Cardinal that came from the Oakland Athletics. I know many people were excited during the Home Run Race and I definitely know what others thought/felt then in 98 - 2001 that was from My city as just about ever store I went to especially Schnucks on Loughborough, they's have all kinds of displays, caenda and home run balls made of paper at the customer service desk. I mean there were women there that My Grandma knew that wasn't baseball fans but they'd watch the games just for Mark McGwire. it was such a tremendous experience and I never experienced anything like it before it or since. The only thing that came close when I first saw Hulk Hogan & The Ultimate Warrior long before this. I know 98, McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemons & Raphael Palmeiro and all that great stuff is long in the past that hardly anybody ever thinks about anymore over a stupid steroid scandal that should have never have happen in the first darn place. The 61/62 record has been reset and I know that Aaron Judge is a huge man that came out with a ton of homers during his second year and how convenient years later he went for the record and broke it in the nick of time last year of 2022 I remember how people went nuts over Mark McGwire breaking the record in 98 I mean it was the biggest historical moment in sports ever and it was talked about for a very long even passing into the next season in 99 yet Judge's reset was a huge headline in it's own right but it had such a low impact I mean with today's generation's frame of thinking of hurry up for tomorrow and who cares about the past makes this like it's nothing cause nobody is talking about it now and this was only several months ago, again, people were still talking about Mark & Sammy long, long after the one of a kind 1998 Season, it just shows you how today's society excitement psyche is which has really been lowered on a pathetic level I'm afraid Like so much it's all part of a great reset like with all of these reboots in movies. He's a plant to erase history and to make new standards and that's all he's ever gonna be and I don't know when people are going to realize what is going on in these androgynous days of this pathetic modern age "Big Mac" Mark McGwire will always be My Baseball Hero no matter what anybody says So with that being said. I have been thinking of this for a long while and since it's Baseball [b]Season already (I don't watch baseball anymore, it's just not the same anymore since the mid 2000s) I decided to present one of My most cherished & prized action figures in My whole collection regardless of era & genre. I was already collecting McFarlane Toys long before with his excellent Movie Maniacs series and Spawn as seen in My previous showcase. When I found out he was going to make his own series of Baseball figures and Mark McGwire was going to be the first one I was so euphoric about this and man-o-man he didn't disappoint Me at all whatsoever. I only got one figure from McFarlane's Big League Challenge and that figure was none other than Mark McGwire He's arguably the most realistic figure ever made that is based on a real person...bar none IMO. Take a gander at what a true figurine masterpiece looks like



I love Mark's arms, he was one of the biggest, most muscular of all MLB players and McFarlane captured the pure full body of this legend. His forearms are done so well, I thought it was so extraordinary how great this was the first time I saw it, really it still amazes cause I like I said, he's one of My most cherished figures of all His Baseball Bat is tremendous with the Rawling's logo. Also TAKE NOTE the background. If your wondering what that is. That is My Upper Deck 1999 MVP Card Collection that featured many chase cards of Mark McGwire that I collected the entire set of in 1999 which is one of the greatest baseball trading card sets I've ever seen and I will be showcasing a My huge Baseball Collection in My Odds & Ends in time and that Card Collection will be a huge presentation within it



They made his shin guard look so superb.



Here's a terrific look at his face. He looks so life-like and authentic. I love his expression as he's hitting a homer over 500 feet Notice he isn't wearing St. Louis Cardinals attire. That's because McFarlane hadn't landed the rights to the 30 MLB teams yet but he soon would for his ultra real Sports Picks series.



Here is a look of his tremendous ultra-realistic figure's physique from above. Gosh I love how this looks. I'm truly in awe about even now despite I've had him for about two decades already While McFarlane had probs with MLB licencing at the time he didn't with companies that makes the gear like Rawlings. Franklin & Benik which was such a great feat within itself. The knob is removable and that's how you slide it in & out of his big gloved hands



His display stand looks superb with the lines & diamond. He is pegged there via two metal pegs in his cleats. This works wonders as he stays on there pretty tight however these stands are prone to be warped damaged by the Sun



Mark looks fantastic from the back as well with his Number 25 and I absolutely dig how My Upper Deck Card Collection provides such a fantastic background and I am quite grateful to have this



On the Base there is the Todd McFarlane International/TMI and the Major League Baseball Players Association/MLBPA 2002 Copyright which they and this extraordinary Mark McGwire figure just had their 20th anniversary last year



Here's Mark with My selected McFarlane figures with My Spawn figures from My previous showcase...gosh I loved those old days of McFarlane when he was so creative and it was so fun getting his toys



So as a very special bonus here is a continuation but this time in action figure form as you saw above how this presentation started. Here is My McFarlane Big League Challenge Mark McGwire with My previously seen Vintage ToyBiz WCW Bill Goldberg figure that I had My Mom pick Me up at Sears when she worked there cause they had just got in a new stock and I wanted him really bad before they went out of stock so she did it This was in 1999 as it says on his Copyright. As you can see My great Upper Deck Baseball Cards however look to the right, there's a 1999 Topps WCW/nWo Trading Card Package there with Goldberg himself on there so yes, I got some WCW Trading Cards but I never completed it with My complete MLB ones, check out how cool this is of these great times of the very late 90s





That'w right, I'm going with with a bonus entry which this is a special one that will coincide with My McFarlane Big League Challenge Mark McGwire as well will set up a major showcase that will follow after sometime in the future. Now I have expressed how I regret not collecting the original Starting Lineups under the Kenner banner many times throughout the board and just very recently. It was about 2001/2002/2003 when I found out that Hasbro had actually continued the line after they cancelled Kenner in 1997 and claimed it all as their own like that have everything else they took over years prior that they had made a great looking Mark McGwire figure that was actually a St. Louis Cardinals version and not a Oakland Athletic so I was pretty stoked. While I knew it wasn't going to be as thrilling at the McFarlane version seen and to be honest what can be more realistic than that so I ordered him on eBay and to be honest, I actually wanted his Trading Card more than the figure but people was selling them loose even higher than the figure itself at the time so it was a no brainer just get the figure brand new in the package at a lower cost and you get both of two worlds so here is the set with My great Upper Deck MVP & Mark McGwire Baseball Cards




Now compared to the McFarlane version this Hasbro had the MLB Team license so he is clearly dressed in St. Louis Cardinals gear however unlike McFarlane's, there isn't any more licensed gear here. His helmet is nice looking and his shin guard is removable but I don't recommend doing so. His face is pretty good with a cool goatee and green-blue eyes and his skin tone wash is a very nice touch since he is a real & natural redhead




Now his baseball bat is removable too and you can adjust it a ways how you like,



Here is the 2001 MLBPA Copyright, look at that



Now here is truly the real reason why I got him and that's because of his Baseball Card and here it is with the figure...



When I first saw this card I was like I gotta have it, I love how that looks, I love how he's standing there looking at the homer he just blasted with his big body and he's away too which I have always loved see the in the Red Birds in their gray jerseys while visiting other teams. I really dig the silver background too, very attractive. I have a ton of McGwire cards but this is My favorite and most cherished of all The back of it is superb with all of his stats from his rookie year to 2000 plus a lot more, in fact this card is just as genuine as any baseball card I have, being the corporate locusts that Hasbro is known to be, they could have also gone into this hobby as well because this was sure done good enough I mean hey, I wanted this more than the figure in the first darn place



I must be one of the last people who actually likes stats in this world cause I see very few people ever talking about them and if anybody likes'em on this board I have talked countless times about stats about wrestlers and whatnot and nobody says nothing about it I mean wrestling feds don't even say where anybody is from nor how much they weigh, its just another conditioning tactic for this generation & others so the future will forget the past but I'm not falling for that crap as I have always loved stats & bios of all kinds ever since I was a youngster and that's how it will always be Here is a close up of his bio and see how big he was, he was the size of most or even bigger than a lot of wrestlers back then...



Here is his numbers from his 14 year career. Steroids or not, I don't care. I went through all the steroid stuff with Vinnie Mac in the early 90s and it wasn't a huge deal with Me about that then and the same goes here or with any baseball player. I want to see awesome players than can do awesome things and entertain Me and that's enough said about that Now 2001 isn't here because the season didn't occur yet when they made this set in around 2000 but sadly Mark retired in 2001 and the game was still fun to watch because like I said before, I watched the other teams's games and knew most of the players and I would continue to be one of the biggest baseball fans you could ever talk too until things changed after the Cardinals 2011 World Series Win, most of everybody I knew was retiring and it just wasn't the same anymore with just another new generation that just didn't make the cut like the previous with the personalities, abilities & more IMO not to mention now how it's severely been degraded by kneeling & doing more unneeded w0k3 crap that just ruins it like so many other things and what is truly being done about it So again here is McGwire's stats.



Here is the 2001 MLBPA & Hasbro Copyrights and like stats, I have always loved the copyright info on action figures and everything else, again I never read anybody anywhere ever say that they do...I find these so crucial for historical purposes and to see when & what was made by whom...it can be so crucial, I found it so interesting when I was a youngster too



So here's a special look at Starting Lineup thru the decades of the 80s, 90s & 2000s, this is truly remarkable



Now here is a special Kenner Starting Lineup Group you can see in My Vintage Action Figure Topic. I go all in-depth there and everything much like I did within this very showcase We have the Baseball Greats 2-Pack of "Charlie Hussle" Pete Rose & Johnny Bench, Joe Magrane, Mark Langston & Albert Belle along with Kenner's Shaq Attack's Shaquille O'Neal and there is many great stories I told how I obtained them within that great topic of Mine



Here's a size comparison of Starting Lineup's Mark McGwire next to Hasbro's Star Wars Ellorrs Madak that came out in 2001, strange in My Vintage My Vintage Kenner Stars encountered Vintage Starting lineup... what are the odds



Ultimate Mark McGwire comparison: So here is a comparison that any Mark McGwire fan would love to see as this is his McFarlane Big League Challenge and his Hasbro Starting Lineup...



As you can see there is really no comparison there. Despite the Hasbro one came out first, I assure you that is not the issue. As I said, McFarlane's version is far superior and is still one of the most authentic & realistic figures ever created IMO but even though this is so, I cannot deny that this Hasbro Starting Lineup version is quite nice as well

IMPORTANT NOTE: Notice the background is different this time around as this is of My Upper Deck Victory Card Set that also had a tremendous section of Mark McGwire Baseball Trading Cards that soon I will showcase in My Odds & Ends Topic when I present a massive, multi-part Baseball Showcase



So there you have it and I hope you liked this special McFarlane & Hasbro Mark McGwire presentation. Now you can see My Vintage Starting Lineup at this very link here ---> http://www.dctoyrevolution.org/post47287.html#p47287 as I go all in-depth in great detail with bonus stuff & great stories that you don't want to miss Also you see My great Mark McGwire Headliner & 2006 Cardinals Book that I go from All Most Everything which was a great sports store that is no more that I featured above and within My important My Odds & Ends Topic, don't rush thru any of it as you don't want to miss anything cause I really dislike it when people speed thru things and miss so much

Since My last one was by Hasbro, My next showcases will be big series' by them, until then I'll see you around