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Hey, we're all looking for the maximum bang for the buck. Ok, ok, so finding a G-1 Optimus Prime, mint in box, for under $200 is a 'bargain.' Still, we're all looking to stretch our pay-checks. So what's out there? What can you get for, oh, say under $10 that rocks? Good news is there are actually a number of options available, and they aren't that hard to find.
1. Gundam, Bandai America. LOTS of rocking reviews on these guys. What's the deal? Well, you normally get a figure and about two accessories, MAYBE, in your blister-pack. Not so with these guys. With few exceptions, your average Bandai figure comes with a ton o' accessories ranging from hand-weapons to shields to even fighter craft. And we're not even talking about the amazing work on the figure itself; sculpting that does an amazing job of capturing mechanical details and articulation that is out of this world. All this for less then $10. Woohoo.
2. GI Joe Two-packs, Hasbro. Nostalgia doesn't necessarily mean you just bring out the same out stuff. Case in point; rather then just re-releasing old molds of Joe figures, Hasbro released new sculpts of characters we love. The figures themselves are very good; lots of articulation and decent amount of accessories. On top of that, you get TWO of them in a pack. Sweet.
3. Lord of the Rings, ToyBiz. Ah, remember when getting a movie figure meant some toy company was just cashing in, creating a bunch of... oh heck, it was CRAP; lame sculpts, figures that never existed in the movie, and all those action features like net-launching this, missile-firing that. Oh, the humanity!!!!! Well, ToyBiz got it right with this line; put out figures that look GOOD, not just pander to fans who will buy anything with the movies name on it. Not only do you get super sculpts, lots of accessories, and even neat action-features like arrow-launching action, but these things are about 5" tall.
4. Spawn Figures, Todd Toys. No, they aren't perfect by any means. There are times when the figures are brilliant; the perfect combination of high art and still something you can quietly play with when the boss is not in the office. Other times... well, hey, nothing wrong with a statue, right? ... even it if is 5" tall and you expected to at least move the shoulders of the dang thing. None the less, these figures are consistently the BEST SCULPTED figures out there, and for $10 for art, that ain't bad.