The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope

Yes, I'm back again, to prove once more that money really can buy happiness. Here are a few bits of sunshine to brighten up your day.

Talking Bart Simpson!

Anybody sensible around my age can testify to the fact that Bart Simpson is an American icon. He was undeniably a major influence in my life, teaching me that mouthing off to my parents was cool. To me, Bart is a symbol of everything that the youth of the 90's stood for: watching TV, skateboarding, and generally raising hell for every adult who was unfortunate enough to deal with us.

This particular Bart talks. At first I thought perhaps he had a button to squeeze inside, but no. Shaking Bart causes him to talk, and "shaking" is something of which Bart has an apparently broad definition. The slightest shift may set him off. In fact, he scared the cashier at Vinnie's when she went to pick him up and he said "Whoooaa!" She probably thought Bart was about to get all "Toy Story" on her ass.

Bart also says things like, "I didn't do it," "Aye, carumba!" and "Cool your jets, man." Bart is clearly meant to be used as a toy, as he is completely incapable of standing or sitting. He's still fun, though, so I won't have a cow, man.

Cost of Talking Bart Simpson: $.59

DBZ Manga!

I mentioned how much I used to love Dragonball Z in my last post, so this was a welcome find. I've never been big into Anime/Manga as a whole, but I've always found DBZ to my extreme liking. Extreme anime buffs may scoff at such a notion, but I can't say that I give a shit.

For one thing, the cover is an immediate eye catcher. You've got Piccolo looking as pissed off as ever, and a happy little Gohan waving in the background. Precious. What's more important is of course what's on the inside, and that's truly the most exciting feature of such a find. Goku vs. Vegeta. Maybe you've never watched the show and don't know what I'm talking about, so if that's the case, I'll just lay it out like this: the ultimate heroic figure versus the most bad-ass bad guy. We humans love such a storyline, and the more explosions, the better. In fact, this was my personal favorite "saga" of the series.

The two of them later become allies. Although a strained friendship is formed, Vegeta is constantly trying to one-up Goku, but is never successful. Vegeta, evil as he may be, has always and will always be my favorite DBZ character. Nothing against Goku, but I can identify with Vegeta's conflicted nature between good and evil, rather than Goku's unquestioning acceptance of the good. The deep characters are always more interesting.

Anyways, graphic novels are cool, so this should make for a good read if I can remember to keep reading from right to left.

Cost of DBZ Manga: $.86

Vrrrroooooooom!

Yes. That is a toy chainsaw. Toy chainsaws, real chainsaws, it doesn't matter. Holding one in your hands and feeling the power is what it's all about. The toy chainsaw may not have the power of a real chainsaw, but it still makes noise and a little chain goes around the blade, and that's half the fun anyways. It's enough for me.

I've always wanted a toy chainsaw, especially since I first watched the 1973 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one of my favorite horror films. And by the way, fuck that stupid fuckin' remake. Okay, had to get that off my chest. Now, with a toy chainsaw, I can actually be Leatherface! I may not hang people on meat hooks or wear masks made of human skin, but I can still dance crazily with a chainsaw and make humping motions with it. What better use could there be for such a toy?

There's actually a handle broken off of my "new" toy chainsaw, but that's no biggie. It's lightweight, so that's all the more reason for one handed chainsaw action.

Hail to the king, baby.

Cost of Toy Chainsaw: $1.44

So ends another week. Next week is spring break, so I'll come up with something. Maybe I'll pull something out of my private collection. And I'm not talking about my penis.

Action Figure Stockpile

Today is an example of why it's necessary to make regular visits to St. Vinnie's. You never know what may have turned up in the past couple of days. If I decided to stay home and take a nap instead, I would have missed greatness. The lesson is therefore get your lazy ass out of bed. I did, and found an action figure stockpile in the process. Though there was an entire box full of them, I narrowed it down to the four which mattered most to me.

The Terminator!

No longer the Governator.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800, sent back in time by the adult John Connor to protect the young John Connor from the T-1000. Yes, I'm referring to Terminator 2, and if you didn't know that, you should stop reading right now and watch the first two Terminator movies. I'll wait.

Okay, now that we're all on the same page, this is an action figure released along with T2 in 1991 by Kenner. The figure is an apparent tie-in with the final scene from the film, where Arnie is getting his ass kicked by the T-1000. The figure displays what could be called "battle damage," although they embellished a bit in that department. For example, a "metal" rod comes out of Arnie's fist, and I sure don't remember him doing that in the movie. It makes him more like Wolverine. The cool part is that it's in the right position for you to use Arnie to flip off other action figures before beating the plastic shit out of them. Oh, and that whole arm detaches, but it's supposed to, for some reason.

I love the first two Terminator movies, so it was an easy pick out of the box. I believe this is the first action figure I have modeled in the likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and if there's anybody in the real world who has enough manly clout to be an action figure, it's him. My only question is why they chose to put him in a maroon colored undershirt. Why not blue, or any colors other than maroon, pink, or purple? At least the bandolier and gunshot wounds partially make up for his wardrobe malfunction.

Cost of T-800 Figure: $.74

Cell from Dragonball Z!

In case you missed one of the defining cornerstones of my generation, here it is for you now. Dragonball Z was the absolute shit from the time I was in 5th grade until probably 8th grade. All of my friends watched it. One friend would even call me daily after the show was over so we could have a discussion about it. Yeah, it was kind of a big deal.

Dragonball Z, or DBZ for short, turned up in the American culture at large when it appeared on Toonami, the Cartoon Network block of bad ass shows for adolescent boys hungry for action packed cartoons. Getting into all the specific details and background of the show would take forever, so I'll just leave it at the fact that we got everything we wanted and more from DBZ. I mean, the show was 99% battle, and always kept us coming back for more.

Cell was a character who came towards the later part of the DBZ series. Like every major villain that appeared on the show, he was the strongest that the heroes had ever faced up to that point. Cell was some kind of genetically created organism, and to increase his power, he had to absorb a couple of powerful androids, who were actually only created to be absorbed by Cell. Yeah, it was kind of a weird plot line.

Cell himself was a big asshole, of course, and was eventually defeated. His green color always made me think of guacamole. That's about all I have to say about ol' Cell.

Cost of Cell: $.96

Mekaneck!

Finally, something as monumental as Masters of the Universe/He-Man is able to become a part of my blog. It's a close second to the Ninja Turtles for largest cool factor from childhood. Not to mention, Masters of the Universe came first, and had what was probably the most inventive action figure line to date. The names were very inventive, they were well crafted,  a good number the figures had an interesting special skill, and on top of it all they simply looked cool. They still do, which is why I buy them.

Masters of the Universe figures, made by Mattel, came before my time. Mekaneck here, for example, is from 1983, which makes him one of the earlier figures in the line. Luckily for me, I had older cousins who owned a good number of the figures and were nice enough to let me play with them. Thus, some of my earliest memories involve one of these figures in my tiny hand, and for me, that's an ideal place to begin my life's timeline. I've changed less since then than I probably realize.

This is not the first Mekanek action figure I've owned. In fact, I may now have more of him than anybody else. He must've been a popular figure in his time, hence the reason he keeps turning up at every thrift store I shop at. I can see why. He's got those cool silver glasses and a red pointed head, not to mention his neck extends when you turn him at the waste. Put him in a cool display box with a couple fancy weapons and you've got a sale on your hands, bucko. They just don't make action figures like this anymore. No wonder the kids are all such bastards.

Cost of Mekaneck: $.96

Another Battlestar Galactica Figure!

I am also this man's God

I thought that this figure had a familiar shape, and sure enough when I picked him up, I saw the same "1978 Univ. Studios" that I saw on Friday. I quickly grabbed him, and was that much closer to having a collection of Battlestar Galactica action figures from 1978.

For whatever reason, this guy, Commander Adama, was in a completely different place from his partner. While the first Battlestar Galactica figure was near the front of the store in a plastic bag and priced for over a dollar, this guy was in the back with the toys, unmarked and in a bin with other random toys. They had to come in together, so why the separation and vast difference in price? My only guess is because this guy is old, and no one will pay a dollar fifty for an action figure of an old man.

Much like the other Battlestar figure I found, this one originally came with a jacket, which can be viewed here.

Cost of Commander Adama: $.25

That does it for the Monday edition. Check back at the end of the week to see me lose a few more of the precious pillars on which my sanity rests.

Fried Day

Way too damn crowded in that store today. Squeezing down every aisle, being careful not to step on an old person, that's not my idea of a good shopping experience. Nevertheless, I'm a provider, and aim to provide. Here are the items collected February 18th, in this foul year of our Lord, Two-Thousand Eleven.

Boots Randolph Boot Glass!

 To be honest, I knew nothing about Boots Randolph when I made this purchase. All I knew was that he was on a glass shaped like a boot, and that was cool. If I'm on a glass shaped like a boot someday, I'll know I've made it.

Turns out, Boots Randolph has his own Wikipedia page, and if you're a fan of Benny Hill, you may know of him. His biggest hit, "Yackety Sax" from 1963, was Benny Hill's signature tune. Thank you, Wikipedia, for always shining a light unto life's biggest mysteries. You can listen to it here.

Unfortunately, Boots Randolph has passed on from this world, but has left his mark on a boot shaped glass, and will be remembered every time that boot gets tipped to the sky. Cheers, Boots Randolph.

Cost of Boots Randolph Boot: $.74

Holiday Inn Ashtray!

I bought this ashtray knowing at some point in history, it was lifted out of a hotel room. It's quite a rush buying stolen merchandise. I don't smoke cigarettes, and to think of it, there probably aren't any hotels left that you can still smoke in the rooms. Weird. The times, they are a-changin', and you needn't look further than this Holiday Inn Ashtray to realize the factuality of the statement. Maybe it wasn't stolen at all. Maybe they just got rid of all the ashtrays. If that's true, don't ruin it for me. In my mind, there's still a Holiday Inn trying to track down a missing ashtray.

Cost of Official Holiday Inn Ashtray: $.96

Currently Unidentified Action Figure!

I am this man's God.

This is where a keen eye comes in handy, friends. I took one look and grabbed him, recognizing him as 70's-looking action figure. I looked closely at his back, and sure enough, stamped right above his belt, "1978 Univ Studios." Universal Studios! I could tell that the guy was more than a throwaway, and bought him with the quickness.

Now I have a project on my hands, and am looking into the identity of the mystery man. Aha! He's Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica. Searching "1978 Universal Studios Action Figure" brought me to him with the first result. I knew he looked similar to the Star Wars figures from the same era, and it turns out that the Battlestar figures were made in an attempt to cash in on the success that Star Wars figures had. He originally came with a coat, and you can see what that looks like here.

I've never watched Battlestar Galactica, but that hardly matters when it comes to owning a Battlestar Galactica action figure. It's a well made figure, and the fact that it's over thirty years old hardly shows at all. I found a piece of action figure history that plenty of others passed over without a thought, and that means something to me. It takes a special skill to be a successful second hand shopper, and I think I'm getting the hang of it. Bring on the goods!

Cost of Lt. Starbuck Action Figure: $1.50

Well, that's about it for today. This is your pal Secondhand Jesus signing off for this week. I'll be back Monday, saving treasure from obscurity one piece at a time. Oh, and St. Vinnie's has another copy of Lord of the Dance. The swiiiiiiiiiiiine.

Consumption Insanity

It's Monday, and since I've established Monday as an official blogging day, here I am. I really don't have much of an introduction today, but I just remembered that it's Valentine's Day. Maybe I should've done something with that... No matter, let's cut to the chase, shall we?

Loch Ness Monster Book!

Oh, Nessie... You're so good to me.

I glimpsed this little paperback gem sticking out a bit from the kids book section and yanked it out with no hesitation. When I was a kid, I was completely convinced of the existence of the Loch Ness Monster, and it's all thanks to reading books like these. I was also a fan of Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, UFO's, ghosts, the Bermuda Triangle, and spontaneous combustion. Looking back, I think it's good for people to believe that there are still fragments of mystery and magic somewhere in the world that goes beyond human understanding. Although, admittedly, some of those people are nuts.

The book is filled from cover to cover with historical information, scientific interpretation and inconclusive photographs of what may be Nessie herself, or just plain old logs and gas bubbles. Regardless, it's a fun thing to suspend your disbelief for a while and immerse yourself in crazy legend that reaches far back into history. While the possibility of a giant monster living for such a long time without some asshole shooting it seems highly unlikely, the tales of the Loch Ness monster continue to intrigue and amaze both adults and children the world over.

Cost of Nessie Book: $.36

Big Ass Leonardo!

C'mere, Leonardo, and give me a hug.

Somebody knew I was coming. Somebody knew that I am powerless over Turtles merchandise and put this out especially for me. The price tag made it potentially the most expensive item I've covered in the blog, but I knew if I didn't buy it today I'd never see it again. They got me.

This guy is huuuuuuge! He's a foot tall, and quite bulky. I'm pretty sure Leo was more intended for display than play, as I'm not sure how a kid could lug him around all day. And what if the kid in question owned all four turtles? He'd need a wagon to haul them around in.

Despite his size, Leo looks like he's been played with a good deal. He's knicked and scuffed in places, and a bit dirty. No serious damage, though, and the surprising amount of posable parts are still tight. Unfortunately, Leo is missing both removable swords from the holder on his back. Despite his few shortcomings, Leonardo would still look great on a shelf, alone or with other TMNT memorabilia.

To be completely honest, Leonardo was always my least favorite turtle. He's Splinter's golden boy and always the virtuous leader, which puts him in stark contrast to my favorite turtle, Raphael (the red one, in case you're not up on things), who's the angry loner of the group. Personal preference aside, Leo is still one of the turtles, and I like his action figures.

The figure is from the year 2002, as indicated on the bottom of Leo's foot. Also on his feet is the name "Thad Riddle," with one name on each foot. A riddle, indeed. Who are you, Thad Riddle, and what have you done with Leonardo's swords?

Cost of One-Foot Leonardo: $3.44

That does it for the Monday post. I'll see you on the other side of the week!

Conquistador of the Useless

It's a moderately sunny cold day in Marquette, Michigan, and your old pal Secondhand Jesus has returned from another excursion into the wilderness of the St. Vincent jungle. I've found that going out and spending money on things I don't need helps to fill some deep down void in the center-most pit of my being. If I can continually find items to surround myself with, maybe the world will be okay. Here are a few more of those objects, submitted for your pleasure and mine. Mostly mine.

Oscar the Grouch Beanbag Cereal Prize!

Have you ever seen anything more adorable? This was part of what may have been the best cereal box prize line of all time: little bean bags of all twenty-four of the major players on Sesame Street. They had all the characters anybody would want, such as Bert & Ernie, The Count, Grover, Betty Lou, and even Twiddle Bug. They were released through select Kellogg's cereal brands back in the year 2000. Holy shit, 2000?! It's been over ten years already? Craziness. It seems like I was just collecting these little beanie bastards yesterday...

But seriously folks, these prizes were worth the hunt through dozens of boxes of Kellogg's, even if you ended up with doubles of certain ones or a stomach ache from overloading on sugary-ass cereal. Oscar the Grouch was undoubtedly the cutest of the bunch, which says something about just how adorable these little guys are. On the show, Oscar was an asshole who lived in garbage, not Spanky from the Little Rascals, and yet looking at his little furry brow makes me want to snuggle him against my face.

In the style of Beanie Babies, Oscar wears a tag on his hand featuring some "fun facts" about him. Oscar the Grouch's birthday is June First, he has an elephant named "Fluffy," and he treasures the things others throw away. Oh he does? Talk about a man after my own heart!

I know I never collected all twenty-four mini beans, but my family and I did get the ones that we really wanted, plus some extras. Oscar the Grouch was the one that we wanted the most, and eventually we got him. Now, I've found him again. He was actually still in the original plastic bag, from which I immediately removed him. I may have decreased some sort of value that he may have in the future, but looking into those pleading eyes, I couldn't resist. Oscar wanted air. He'd been stuck in a plastic bag for ten years.

Cost of Oscar the Grouch Mini Bean: $.25

Shot Glass with Measurements!

For alcoholics good with numbers.

Everyone loves shot glasses because everyone loves drinking, and if you don't drink, I'm sorry but I just don't understand you. Schwing!

Shot glasses are a convenient thing to have around. For one thing, they help you keep track of how much you're drinking. Okay, so maybe they don't do shit in that department, but at least you feel like you're limiting how much liquor you put into your mouth at one time. This glass I purchased today has a usefulness above and beyond a regular shot glass. That's right, it's clearly measured in (fluid) ounces, right there on the side. In case you're a person who likes to know exactly how much you've had to drink right down to the half ounce, this glass is for you!

All right, I'm full of it. The shot glass isn't made for responsible drinking. Quite the opposite. Instead, you just go for the 4 oz mark right away and see how many you can put down before you black out. In fact, that's probably why somebody got rid of the shot glass. It was kicking their ass.

Cost of Four Ounce Shot Glass: $.25

Ninja Turtle Cartoon Tape!

Cartoons! And the one that most defined my childhood: the mutha-fuckin' Turtles! Anyone who was a kid in the late 80's/early 90's, not to mention their poor, helpless parents, know all about Turtle-mania. The Turtles were on everything, and, thanks to the cartoon, that included my TV screen. Ah, the good ole days... "Rejoice, O Young Man, in thy youth."

Upon closer look of this tape, I noticed the "Burger King Kids Club" logo stamped on the upper left corner of the label. It's been so long since I've seen that logo, I'd nearly forgotten all about it. Anybody else remember the Burger King Kids Club and their line up of multi-racial/social standing kids? Also, there was Kid Vid, who I guess represented the growing cyborg minority.

A little research and sure enough, Burger King had a TMNT promotion in 1990. There were four tapes in all, and each cost $1.99 with a kids meal OR a value meal order. See? The turtles were so big, even the adults wanted them with their fast food. The one I got, in case you missed it in the picture, is titled "Invasion of the Turtle Snatchers," which is surely the coolest title of the four. The others are "April Foolish," "The Great Boldini," and "Sky Turtles." There's an image of what the box art looked like here. Unfortunately I didn't get that part, as some savage kid no doubt tore it to shreds (Get it? Shreds? As in, Shredder? Never mind) back in the early nineties. No matter. At least they remembered to rewind.

Cost of Burger King Turtles Tape: $1.44

I guess that about does it for now, kiddies. Come back next week for more awesome things you never would've paid for yourselves.

Janet

Something strange happened to me in St. Vinnie's today, so strange in fact that it completely eclipses the need to discuss the small items that I picked up. Instead, I'm going to tell you about Janet.

I was moving across the store to check out a shelving unit near the front and barely noticed an elderly woman standing near the Coke machine looking a bit awkward. My attention was on the items on the shelves, so I was surprised when I turned to walk away and she was moving towards me.

"Can you get me a couple bottles of pop?" she asked me nonchalantly, sticking a few dollar bills into my unsuspecting hand. She was tiny, probably three heads shorter than myself.

I stood there for a couple of seconds, my mind completely blown. It's not often old women ask grown men with shaggier-than-average hair carrying around toys for favors After being dazed for a few seconds, I figured it best to just go with it. "What kind of pop?"

"Hmm, let's see. I'll take a Sprite." She thought carefully. "And a regular Coke. Here, I'll give you fifty cents for the change." She reached into her purse, pulling out two quarters.

I sunk one into the machine, along with one of the dollar bills. "Sprite you said?"

"Yes."

I pushed the giant "Sprite" button on the machine, still a bit mystified. It was when the bottle popped out that Janet revealed her true intentions.

"Can you open it for me too please? Both of them."

"Sure," I said, but when I started to twist the cap I could see the fizz rising. "I'm going to let this sit a minute," I told her. "I don't want it to fizz all over."

"You'll have to do it very slowly," she told me authoritatively.

I set it down and purchased the Coke. The Sprite opened fine, but sure enough the Coke threatened to erupt all over the place. I opened it slowly, like the woman requested. I realized she had given me an extra dollar. A tip! I stuck it into my pocket.

"Thank you so much," she told me.

"Oh." I laughed. "It was no problem."

"I'm Janet," she said, smiling and looking up at me like a flirty school girl.

I laughed a bit nervously. "Nice to meet you. I'm Josey."

"Josey," she repeated. "Nice to meet you." She then sauntered off into the back room. I decided it was time to go, paid for my couple items and left.

Basically, Janet really just caught me off guard. I don't think she was crazy or anything like that, but she needed a hand and for some reason picked me as a prime candidate. Being a grocery store veteran, I'm used to filling odd requests for the elderly and wasn't too blown away. Regardless, it was an interesting experience within the walls of St. Vinnie's that I found proved more interesting than any material items I might have found. I'm sure there are some philosophical implications to this event, so I'll have to dwell on it awhile.

Treasure Hunting on a Thursday Morning

You'd be surprised how many people are shopping in St. Vinnie's at ten a.m. on a Thursday. For some, it's a social gathering, sitting along the wall and chatting to one another. For others, it's an opportunity to torture people, like the guy who kept whistling through his teeth and driving me fucking nuts. For most, including myself, it's a way to get the good stuff before some less deserving cretin comes along.

Today was a day of randomness as far as finds go. There were a good amount of things I picked up and put back down, that if I were a richer man might be mine now. However, a budget can be a good thing. It leaves less room for mediocrity. So without further ado, here are some random little finds I came across today.

Wizard of Oz Drinking Glass!

"Sorry Dorothy, but yo' bitch ass is too damn slow."

Everyone loves The Wizard of Oz. You'll love him even more when you take a nice cool drink out of this vintage drinking glass featuring none other than the Oz-man himself! Anytime I see a glass like this with some sort of painted image, I grab it and take a closer look to see who's on it. They made a lot of awesome glass sets back in the day, one of which this glass is no doubt a part.

When I picked the glass up off the shelf, I couldn't tell if it was really scuffed up or just scummy. I picked at a spot with my fingernail and saw that it was flaking off, which was good news (I washed my hands when I got home). I turned the glass over in my hands a few times and saw that there were no chips or cracks, so I thought "what the hell?" When I returned home I gave it a good scrubbing (being mindful of the paint on the outside) and what do you know? A shiny, new Wizard of Oz glass.

There is very little wrong with this glass, which I am quite pleased about. The images and text is close to flawless, and other than a little minor scuffing on the bottom lip, it's quite perfect. So nice, in fact, that I'd hate to actually use it for risk of breaking it or wearing it down. This is the kind of glass best suited for a shelf.

I'm curious about this glass so I checked on ebay to see if I could find out any more about it. I found one immediately here for $10, which the seller calls "rare" and "vintage." I like those words, but they also mention it as being associated with the film, when to me it appears it's more likely associated with the book, as it says "c. Baum" on it. Here's another one that says it's from the 60's. I'm finding a lot more from the series as well, which I will link in case you're interested. There's Dorothy, Glinda, Scarecrow, Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion. Some of these are priced somewhat high, but whether they sell is another story.

From reading one of the ebay listings, apparently these are from something called Swift's Peanut Butter, which supposedly gave "more bounce per ounce." You can interpret that however you like.

Cost of Wizard of Oz Drinking Glass: $1.25

On a less serious note, what else did I find? Oh yeah.

Tamagotchi (Connection)!

 

A key-chain that lives, dies, and takes a crap.

I know some of you remember these things. They were the big thing on the playground for a while, after POGs but before Pokemon Cards. It was something I looked down on for a while, too low-brow for my 4th grade intellectual tastes. That is, until I visited the Toys R' Us in Green Bay and discovered they made a Yoda one, which I promptly bought.

Tamagotchi/Digi-pets/about a million other names and incarnations were basically little "life" simulation games where you raise your pet by feeding it, playing games, and cleaning up after it takes a dump. If you forget to feed it, it will die and forever scar your childhood with an image of a tombstone where your little friend now lies cold and dead. Of course, this led to plenty of kids getting in trouble for trying to feed their pet during class, which bears something of a similarity to today's 4th grade trend: sexting.

What I hold here is no ordinary Tamagotchi. According to the label at the top, this is a Tamagotchi Connection. Where the connection part comes in is an infra-red sensor at the top of the egg shaped casing. According to Wikipedia, the connection had a few capabilities to be used along with a friend's Tamagotchi, enabling you to 1)Play games, 2)Give presents, and 3)Have tamababies. Tamababies? You mean it's possible to get Tamagotchi laid? While the Tamagotchi may be a prisoner trapped in the key-chains of the human race, we don't mind sticking a couple of them together for a quick romp, which truly shows the lengths of human tenderness. I guess that gives a whole new meaning to Tamagotchi "Connection."

What surprises me is the year stamped on the back: 2004, long after Tamagotchi had fallen out of favor, at least on my playground. There's also a sticker on the back, reading, "CAUTION: Battery harmful if swallowed." Really?

What does Tamagotchi mean? Again, as claimed by Wikipedia, "According to Bandai, the name is a portmanteau combining the Japanese word tamago, which means "egg", and the English word "watch" (as in timepiece)."

Cost of Tamagotchi Connection: Unmarked, Cheap.

And last, but certainly not least...

Mario Shaped Ball! Or, Ball Shaped Mario!

Pure awesomeness. I uncovered this in a bin with a bunch of other random toys, grabbing it instinctively before my brain had a chance to fully process the greatness of such a find. Nintendo memorabilia is something I'm not sure I'll ever own enough of. It comes down to the simple fact that Mario rules, and if you don't think so, you're probably some sort of asshole.

Like the glass, I cleaned Mario up when I got him home and was much more satisfied with the purchase afterward. I did a little touching up on the black parts and the red M with Sharpies to enhance the spectacle of my Mario ball. He's looking pretty decent.

Apparently this was a Happy Meal toy back in 2006. Where was I and how the hell did I miss this? Oh right, I was a senior in High School. It wasn't cool to embrace my childhood yet.

I guess the most likely purpose of a Mario ball would be to throw at the wall after getting killed by the same damn turtle for hours on end. Just look at his face. He's ready for it.

Cost of Mario ball: Unmarked, >$1

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I suppose that about wraps it up for this week. As always, comments are encouraged and appreciated! Have a good weekend! Myself, I'll be turning 23 tomorrow.