015. How we package our Collectible toys!

Hello fellow Comrades,

Our toys: Floating Magnetic Ironman by Beast Kingdom

Every once in awhile people start asking questions about how we package our collectible items that we are giving away. Top questions include how we justify the outcome of the shipping price, how we package, where was it from.

Well, Here's a quick article to answer those questions!

Q1. Where is the item from? Why sell it?

First off, our toys are mostly bought from friends and relatives who work in collectible toy, comics and gaming shops. Other reasons include our own toy collection which we have amassed. Sometimes we streamline our collection to make way for other toys too. We are collector's first and foremost. Most are toys that come off from a local convention display. Hence, our toys that we giveaway are given away at reasonable prices meant for the purposes of spreading joy.

One of our toy items sold to us by a friend who works in a toy store.
Item was in a local convention display.

"We would rather giveaway a toy, comic or gaming collectible than to throw it away...where's the honor in throwing something precious anyway?" 

Here's what we check for before we give it away to you:

1. There's a strict ethic code when it comes to choosing what toys we choose to take. We always look for the manufacturer's seal, but when there is none, we ensure that the toys joints are tight, no broken parts and no missing parts. We are extra careful when it comes to Loose collectibles, as they have the tendency to show signs of wear, loose joints, missing parts etc.(of which we reject)
2. Our toys are usually convention display sets which people close to us want to giveaway at an affordable price. Let's face it, no one gives away something they love for free, and if they do, that is like a big giveaway that something might be wrong with the collectible!

We also wrote an article on how to spot bootlegged toys

Q2.What goes into our shipping pricing?

Our giveaways are shipped using the strictest, safest and cheapest method possible. Most people might agree with our shipping prices, but there are those that don't. For anyone in the middle of the fence,here's how we calculate our shipping(toys):

We use a kitchen scale to measure the exact weight of items to be shipped.
Our local postage service uses grams to weigh items.

1. Overall shipping weight.(Original package weight + shipping box + bubble wraps/foam/pads etc) Also, our local courier has a restriction on custom shipping boxes that are too big, of which, we need to repackage it in the courier's own package.
2. Tracking price. Some of you might grumble on this point, but the truth is, having this addon will be a lifesaver. Not only does this build trust between buyer and seller, this also ensures both our local couriers don't mess with our transactions(couriers do it more often than not, trust us, we have friends working with the local post). Among other things, it has been reported that it's easy to 'lose' some items between transactions, or at least, if you do surface shipping, your item might be tossed, slammed, or pinned down during the delivery process, leaving you with a defect box, we wouldn't want that do we?
3. Travelling expenses. Just in case people don't know, we are normal working adults, with just enough love for collectibles to share it with you. We do take some time away from our busy schedules to travel and travelling fare is a cost which we cant do completely free, so there's that element.
4. Shipping materials. We do custom boxes coated with a waterproof turqoiuse paint whenever we can(if we don't, it means, we just don't have time or we have to change the packaging as dictated by our courier postal service). We also buy pads, foams or wraps specially made for our toys. Tape. And printables and promo materials in case you're interested.

This isn't just a one-off thing, our items do get tossed! except with better aiming than this guy.
Thank you Mark Bridgman for opening our eyes to the world of freight handling.

" I remembered a customer of our local postal service wanting to claim China plates which they imported from overseas. It was surface shipped, but the worse was that it didn't come with the fragile label. The postal counter girl gave it a slight shake and told the customer it'd be best if it wasn't opened, and shipped back to the sender..."

-Our friend who works in the postal service


As for cards & comics(Shouldn't be a problem, since there's no complaints, but here it is anyways):

1. Overall shipping weight.(Cardboard protective backing + envelope/Manilla envelopes + original item)
2. Protective sleeves for cards. Very essential if you'd like to avoid scratches, and we'd like you to have the items in a pristine condition.
3. Tracking Price(Same reason as toys)
4. Travelling expenses(Same reason as toys)

Q3.How do we package our items?

Captain America: First Avenger By Hot Toys, Hong Kong(a subsidiary of 'SideshowCollectiblesUS').

How do you package your items? is it safe? In sending an item overseas for shipping, we are dealing with variables. With us, it's all about eliminating variables. We are toy collectors ourselves, so we are always ensuring that not just the figure is intact and in mint condition, we do that for the original packaging itself!

Below is an example of how we packaged our Loose Hot toys item for one of our guys...

fig1. Individual items are individually wrapped

 

fig2. Cont from fig 1, the items are kept in a bubble-wrap for prevention

 

fig3. figure is bubble wrapped along the joints and limbs to protect against movements

 

fig4. figure is placed inside of a wrap to prevent friction.

 

fig5. This shows all the individual components...ready to ship

 

fig6. Place one pad on either side for weight distribution upon impact

 

fig7. A closer look



fig8. protection fitted on the side too

So there you have it. All our normal packages will be like fitting the original packaging within the shipping box. Inside it you will find:

• Protective items. Surrounding the original packaging are bubble wraps/ peanut foams or pads
• Our printable items e.g. buyers' shipping summary & promo poster for upcoming toys

This is our promo poster, which keeps updating itself. If you like our items,
do visit our store and become a member now to get updates on great offers!

EndNote

Now that you've gotten an insight as to how we ship our items and how we calculate our shipping prices, we do understand that sometimes your budget doesn't allow it, that's why we're flexible. Upon request, we:

• Allow anyone who is interested to order our items loose(only for toys), so as to get a significantly cheaper price on shipping
• We sometimes offer combined shipping on items(Stated on listings)
• We like to offer auctions every once in awhile
• Most times, you can just "Make an offer" to us, as long as we don't lose too much on our purchasing price.

We hope that clears any doubts up, but if you do have a question, leave comments below so that we can answer you and also anyone who reads this page!

Do check out our other toys on sale on eBay(or through this blog's homepage banner!)

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012. Warcraft: The Movie Trailer...What does it tell us?

Disclaimer: All media and materials listed here do not belong to me. It is for educational purposes for the sake of discussion.

Warning: This article might contain spoilers, as we try to piece together what we can of the current information given to us about the movie.

You may use this article as a support for your article, provided you credit this blog article as a source.

Warcraft:The Movie

Geez..What a teaser!

Finally we can say, "Finally!". A much anticipated Warcraft movie, don't y'all agree? Ever since young, we were enraptured by this game that has caught our imaginations. Such a vast world, courtesy of blizzard.

We were caught in the craze early on, and we wished for more didn't we!

Personally, for this writer, I started off with an instant liking for the orcs in Warcraft II. That was my first foray into this wonderful world. Some of you, would've caught on earlier, in the game that was the original: Warcraft 1. Such was the fervor when you had a lot of mages to control, a lot of resources to plunder, a lot of research to do and finally, a lot of wonderful characters to play around with. Ahhh...the nostalgia!

The story: The lore states that In the first war, the orcs came from nowhere to wipe out the kingdom of Azeroth as they did with other worlds. The Orcs orginated from Draenor under the guidance of Gul Dan who was influenced by the burning legion. The orcs formed the horde which wiped out Azeroth until all human survivors were pushed back to the north.

In the 2nd war, Six years later, The scattered armies of Azeroth band together under the banner of the alliance to make a stand against the horde, rallied by Lothar.

It didn't take Lothar(or at least, his presence to be felt again though)...

Somewhere in 2000s, Blizzard released an expansion into the Warcraft world. Warcraft III was born, and we were introduced to tasty cinematic trailers and two new races(not to forget, upgraded graphics!)

Warcraft III stretched our imaginations further. Do you remember this 1v1 map? Booty Bay?

The evil Undead campaigns which bought us a plethora of new race features

Not to mention our love for the night elves

The Story:The third war introduced all the races banding up to fight against the true evil that is the undead who were the original presence that haunted and manipulated the orcs to initially wreak havoc upon the world of Azeroth. The orcs, after being freed from their demonic roots, now help the humans against the Burning Legion(Undead), whilst the century old Night Elves are once again summoned at arms to once again combat the burning legion. They join the fight with the orcs and humans. The war culminates at the battle of mount Hyjal where our bandied forces make a last stand against the demonic Burning Legion.

The Warcraft III expansion later on shows the fall of knight, Arthas who murdered his king and was influenced by his dark sword: Frostmourne. Each time, he falls deeper and deeper into insanity by the whispers of the dark blade until he loses all shred of his humanity, consumed by hate and anger...Now, he soughts to end the world of Azeroth.

Then in 2004, in quick succession, Blizzard created a phenomenon. The World Of Warcraft MMORPG was introduced to the world. It saw millions of fans get their "groove on" with a character that they could play with in the land of Warcraft lore. Travelling by foot from one end to the other, will take you a few hours IRL! imagine the vastness!

In the WOW mmorpg and it's expansions, players control a customizable character as they explore the land of Azeroth and do quests. Along the way, they discover more of the lore surrounding the vast world of Warcraft. Fans around the world caught on to the craze and you could see tournaments being held, cosplayers roleplaying as their beloved WOW characters...and there were shouts and a trememdous demand for a Warcraft movie.

And boy, did Blizzard Entertainment responded.


This upcoming 2016, Blizzard is at it again, introducing to us(with the collaboration of Universal & Legendary Pictures), a live-action story to the World of Warcraft as we know and love. In case you haven't catched the trailer, the watchable youtube link is below:

The Story of Medivh

A long time ago, the Order of Tirisfal was formed, originally to protect the world from the corruption of magic. Namely, the Burning Legion. The order contained a band of powerful mages in their ranks to carry out the protecting. They were called the Guardians of the Order of Tirisfal. They were also awarded the honorific name of :Magna, which in dwarvish tongues, mean "protectors". Each guardian were given considerable power and longevity.

Aegwynn was Medivh's mother, a great magna who defeated the Lord of the legion, Sargeras, who came to Azeroth in an avatar. Although, she managed to trap the physical form of the avatar of Sargeras, the dark lord Sargeras had predicted this and let it be, as his spiritual presence, after being killed, absorbed itself into Aegwynn's body. That was his plan all along.

Following this historic event, Aegwynn , was tasked to choose a next successor to be a guardian: instructions from the Order of Tirisfal. Hearing this, Aegwynn, disobeyed as she grew arrogant after her big victory...without her knowing, the dark lord Sargeras was starting to manipulate her.

Aegwynn then didn't want the order to choose a successor to her, so she seduced Nielas Aran, another mage(but not a magna) so that she could bear a child, who would be her successor. Little did she know that the essence of Sargeras transferred itself unto the newborn child with the intent to corrupt it. The Child was Medivh.

Medivh issuing a warning to the Lordaeron Council on the invasion of the Burning Legion leading
to the third war. Medivh in this timeline has apparently been purged of his corruption.

Medivh rose to power(but never received the honorific of magna, instead he was referred to as Magus). In his corrupted stupor, he banded with an orcish war chief shaman called Gul Dan, and they both, under the influence of the Dark Lord, opened the dark portal allowing demon-influenced orcs into Azeroth.

Later on in the lore, he was killed by his close friends, one of them believed to be Anduin Lothar , and he passed on to the nether, but his soul persisted in the form of the prophet. Later on, before the third war, he sought an audience with humans, the newly purged orcs and night elves to undo his wrongdoings by uniting to fight the burning legion. This led to the third war.

 

 

The Story of Gul'dan

 Gul'dan was an Orc shaman who was the first to become a warlock and lord of the shadow council. He was under the tutelage of NerZhul who took Gul'dan in because of his impressive skills in controlling the elements. Gul'dan was also known to be a betrayer of the orcs when he led his clan to drink the blood of Mannoroth(an agent of the Burning Legion) who would grant the orcs with power, but at the price of consuming their souls and spiralling them to do the bidding of the Burning Legion.

In doing so, Gul'dan had cursed the orcs.

Later on, in the lore, Gul'dan was brought to seek the tomb of Sargeras, in maelstrom whereby Magna Aegwynn had buried the physical form of the avatar of Sargeras. He went there believing that he could quench his thirst for more power, only to find out that he had been tricked by the Dark Lord and was trapped in the dungeon where the tomb laid. Wave after wave of burning legion hordes attacked him, and before his final dying moments, knowing that there was no escape, wrote his story on the wall panels in the dungeon with his own blood.






Gul'dan writing on the wall panels with his own blood

After his death, his skull became an artefact there as his memories still survived within it, holding immense powers.

Let's Examine the trailer

 



Now, that we get the lore out of the way, let's look at the screenshots of the trailer to see if we can come up with something. By now, most of you would've probably somehow know how the story will be, but do take note that continuity in the Warcraft lore and what we see in the trailer have some stark differences, which couldn't really fit any existing WOW timeline. But oh heck...

We see stormwind at the start of the trailer, with the arrival of...

Our main human protagonist, Anduin Lothar.(notice the alliance banner at the back)

This picture seems to show what seems to be Khadgar with an important piece of news to tell
the council

Lothar deduces that some dark being is behind this attack

As in the end of the first war, the scattered armies of Azeroth are pushed into stormwind to band together under the banner of the alliance.

We see our orcish protagonists; Durotan and Orgrim Doomhammer leading their uncorrupted
orc brethren out of badlands.

Most probably a dark portal energy imploded whilst being opened, leading the orcs
to seek new sanctuary.

Not to mention, the corrupted fel orcs plundering the helpless frost wolf clan, led
by Durotan.

With nowhere to go, our Orc heroes travel as far as westfall, which is already pillaged

On the other hand, our orc heroes, led by Durotan, whom isn't consumed by demonic influence finds that his people are in tatters. He needs to do something...besides, baby thrall is in danger.

So Durotan bands up with Lothar to stop the dark portal from letting in more chaos. Both are fighting to protect their people.

In the end, our heroes must find a way to stop BlackHand, Gul'dan and Medivh.

Circled in red, the Dark portal!

Blackhand angry at why Durotan refused to side with his people.

Here we see Durotan punching Gul'dan in the face.

Lothar attempting to go through deadwindpass to go Karazhan to assassinate Medivh to prevent further damage.

We see nerzhul here

Conclusion

I think it's fair to assume we all know where the movie is headed towards. Although, how our characters go about doing so, is a different issue. I hope this did not and will not spoil your movie experience. Just keep in mind that this article was constructed on a hunch based of of the Warcraft lore. Nevertheless, nostalgia will hit Warcraft fans when they see how closely accurate the locations are.

If you have any comments, do leave them below. And don't forget to visit my eBay store to find any cards, comics, games and toys that you like. http://stores.ebay.com/Confaderal

Hope you enjoyed this read!

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