post 205

By anders pearson 21 Nov 2000

a while ago, a friend who works for the IT department of a big firm said, while describing a coworker, something to the effect of “what do you do when you’re 20-something and making a little more money than you actually know what to do with? you collect the toys that your parents wouldn’t buy you when you were a kid and you cover your desk or cubicle with them.”

i have one of those coworkers. actually i have several of them. one day (when i reach the “making more money than i know what to do with” stage), i will probably become one of them.

anyway, today i get the following email from said coworker:
Subject: Zoids Some people have asked me about the wierd things on my desk… “Zoids” are available from an importer based in Berkeley, called ActionAce. I’ve ordered from them several times now and never had a problem. These toys used to be available in the US market in the ’80s, but the ones for sale now are Japanese. However, the instructions are picture-based and all you’ll be missing are some safety warnings (do not eat batteries). Generally the ones under $12 are wind-up, and above that are battery-powered. You twist or cut the plastic pieces off of sprues, then fit them together. None require glue, they all use small rubber caps which hold the pieces together. My recommendation is to start with one of the $5-$7 types, such as the Scorpion or the Dinosaur: http://shop.actionace.com/cgi-bin/ActionAce.storefront/1651849654/Product/View/TMY5627600 http://shop.actionace.com/cgi-bin/ActionAce.storefront/1651849654/Product/View/TMY5627900 My favorite larger ones are: RedHorn http://shop.actionace.com/cgi-bin/ActionAce.storefront/1651849654/Product/View/TMY5628400 Gordos http://shop.actionace.com/cgi-bin/ActionAce.storefront/1651849654/Product/View/TMY5643100 and of course, Iron Kong http://shop.actionace.com/cgi-bin/ActionAce.storefront/1651849654/Product/View/TMY5643600 The entire line is available at: http://shop.actionace.com/cgi-bin/ActionAce.storefront/1651849654/Catalog/1137