Flyers will be Flyers

Up past midnight placing my new and highest Uglydoll shelf. Before I could climb down from the ladder, three flyers zoomed up and claimed the space.

All of my Poe's are keen for a high perch. Flyers will be Flyers!

First Mate Trunko almost on board

I'm so excited I can barely type. First Mate Trunko is nearly on board, along with his luggage. Let's see. What will he have in his duffel bag?

• A complete set of the new Uglydoll Glow in the Dark Ice Bats. These are the new 3 inchers just released at SDCC.
• An additional blind box GID Ice Bat for my sweet friend.
• New Uglydoll totes. Whoo hoo!
• Uglydoll postcard from SDCC with drawing of First Mate Trunko, signed by David Horvath. It says, "To Sidd". Insert big, dreamy sigh.

If you big up the picture, you can see the drawing pretty well.

SDCC must be a most amazing adventure. And one I surely hope to make myself someday. This year my gratitude goes out to Dean, for making it possible for me to anticipate this wonderful package. It helps to have friends in Ugly places!

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Notes: First Mate Trunko. Yep, he has wings. As far as I know, he is a limited edition of 500. They are already popping up on ebay. I will post when I find other sources if they do not all sell at SDCC. I suspect Giant Robot will get some.
Notes: Glow in the Dark Ice Bats. Released at SDCC, however, they will be available from selected retailers per David Horvath's blog. Will post a list when I find out. Also already on ebay, but hold out for retail if you can. It will be a better deal. If you buy a box of 6, you will get one of each color. There is no chase item in the set.

Ice Bat Shock and Awe

Opening a box of new adoptees is always a new experience. No two Uglydoll's are alike. Usually there's the first lovely moments of squeezing and cooing. Then the collectors eye takes over for the closer inspection and appreciation.

But seeing our newest Ice Bat was a shocker. I mean, LOOK at those teeth. My mind scurried for an explanation.

The only teeth I'd ever seen sorta like these were on a handmade Ice Bat sewn by Sun-Min Kim. Could it be? That would be the BEST possible luck I've ever had. I don't usually win anything. I have the Uglies I have by numerous means, none of it luck.

My heart didn't have time to leap before my hand touched the hang tag and I knew it wasn't a handmade. They don't come with tush tags or hang tags. They have what I call the umbilical loop. That's a little loop of thread Sun-Min puts on them for display.

So what then? A fake? I hugged the poor thing and told him IF he was a zombie (a fake Uglydoll) I would still love and care for him. But man, if that's a fake, we all said, that's a REALLY good one. Great stitching, cute as a button, and perfect tags.

The suspense was heavy when I snapped a picture and sent it off to Uglydoll creator, David Horvath. He very kindly transformed our angst into joy by telling us that only a few of this style Ice Bat were produced, and that our boy is "pretty rare". Now if you are a collector, you know the emotion those words produce. Our family danced with joy, then sat staring in AWE at our new family member.

We also sent a pic to our Ugly friend Dean. He is one of the only other people I know who could shed light on this stranger. He said he'd seen one like this some years ago at FAO Schwartz. So with this piece to the puzzle, we think we probably lucked into one of those. (Thanks Dean !)

Yes, LUCK finally visited ME. And not just random luck, but personally tailored to me kind of luck. It is a sweet feeling indeed. I'm grateful for the visit, luck. Come any time!

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Upcoming post: Our Ugly family spent the week of Ugly Independence Day, July 8th, on a fact finding mission as to the origins of Ugly Independence Day. What came before Ugly Independence? Our expedition was lead by Mr. and Mrs. Kasoogi. So check back soon to find what we discovered!

Anticipation Glows in the Dark

Anticipation Glows in the DARK, comes in 6 colors, and his head turns! I grabbed this pic from David Horvath's Flickr to show what the buzz is about. Their release at San Diego Comic Con 2009 is still weeks away and people are already planning, plotting, saving and scheming to get their hands on these delightful Vinyl Ice Bat Mini Action Figures. Myself included.

I'm amazed that something so bright and exciting can also be so calming and wonderful. Minty and magical. Hot and chilly. Hypnotic yet holistic. Paradox.

To secure a GID Ice Bat, there are several possible strategies.

1. Go to SDCC yourself and get your Ice Bat from the Uglydoll booth. This is by far the most reliable of all courses of action. So if you already have your SDCC ticket, great. If you don't, sorry. The tickets are now sold out for all four days.
2. Find a mule. For those of you new to world of toy questing, this is a term used to describe a person who agrees to attend the event and purchase by proxy your wish list of toys. Some people mule from the goodness of their heart. They love collecting, and they want to share the love. They pick up your item for you and you pay only the cost of the item plus shipping. For others, it's strictly business and you pay for their service. Many mules fall in a middle category. They are collectors who want to help you out. They charge a modest fee that helps them cover the cost of the tickets and the purchase of their treasures. In any case, make sure you settle on all fees before the event. Also be careful to select a person with a reputation for honesty.
   
3. Place a pre-order on ebay, where you will pay the ridiculously high price of over 100.00 for a set of 6. NOT recommended. See below.
   
4. Buy from retailer after SDCC. Recommended!
5. Go to Singapore and attend the Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention August 13th through the 16th. The Uglydoll booth will have some there.
   
   

This is what David Horvath had to say about availability of GID Ice Bats and SDCC.

"We do not make SDCC exclusives.
That has always been our company policy.

More info soon!

I would not go to Ebay for these though.

We will have them at the Singapore show in August as well."

What I take from this statement is that there will be stock left from SDCC. My guess is that the stock will be available at least through Giant Robot, and perhaps even other retailers. If you don't live near a Giant Robot store you may want to familiarize yourself with their web store prior to the release of the Glow in the Dark Ice Bats just in case the dash for the Bats if fast and furious. You know Ice Bats. They may fly out of there in a hurry.

As I sign off I'm picturing my six little GID Ice Bats, wing tip to wing tip, lined up along the edge of my shelf, shining happily, day or night. Anticipation Does Glow in the Dark.

Check back for updates.
Anyone with more info or more toy buying savvy feel free to share in the comment section.