Blue Beetle Icons Action Figure
In the action figure collecting hobby, there is what is referred to as a Holy Grail. This is a figure that is rare and considered a "chase" item that usually commands a considerable price. It is not necessarily a good figure in terms of articulation, paint, or features, and to consider a figure to be a grail is also subjective and can be personal. Some people may consider a particular collectible as a grail while others may consider it as trash or not worth pursuing.
The Blue Beetle figure from DC Icons is considered as a grail by many. Some speculate that only a few copies of the item were made, which made it rare, or perhaps collectors are unwilling to resell their figure so that there is relatively only a few of it available in the secondary market.
In this particular collector's part of the world, this Blue Beetle is quite hard to find. And when it is available, it has a relatively high price tag. One local store sells it at a staggering price of more than 60 US dollars. And it does not even have complete accessories nor even a box. Pretty exorbitant.
That is why when a sealed and new item became available online, it was not to be passed up, especially since the price was only 40 dollars. Still steep, yes, but at least it is complete, sealed, and brand new.
Initially, this collector was never interested in the Blue Beetle character at all. He grew up in the 80s, where the current Blue Beetle was Ted Kord, who did not have any powers and only relied on technology for his exploits and adventures.
The newest Blue Beetle represented by the action figure featured in this post is the third one to take the mantle and the name. He is a Latino named Jaime Reyes, and contrary to the past Blue Beetles, he is among the most powerful of all characters in the DC Multiverse.
An alien "scarab" chose him and attached itself to his spinal column, granting him various technological abilities such as creating various weapons from his hands and the ability of flight.
Since this collector likes collecting characters with extraordinary powers, the third Beetle is the perfect addition to the colleciton.
The figure came with a considerable number of accessories, which is quite unusual in the DC Icons line. He has two detachable wings, two hand weapons, and two detachable forearms and hands.
The figure itself is well sculpted and painted, and there is a decent number of articulations on its various joints and body parts. One limitation is the head articulation, since it cannot move up or down.
This is the scarab attached to his back. If this collector has his DC history right, the actual scarab is inside the spine, and this outer scarab is only a construct created by it.
This is Jaime with the wings.
The forearms and hands can be detached, and in their place the weapons can be attached. Sadly, the weapons have a loose connection in the pegs. But they are manageable.
One seems to be a sonic blaster of some kind, while the other looks some kind of gatling gun.
The wings can be positioned in various angles.
Beside the Icons Beetle is the DC Universe Classics version of the character. It is also great in its own way, and the collector bought it without the weapon included. A 3D-printed version of the weapon is on the way.
The wings of the DCUC version cannot be moved, although it is also detachable.
Here are some fellow DC Icons figures, namely Firestorm and Hal Jordan. The DC Icons is a great line that should have continued to create all the characters in the DC Multiverse. Fans have been clamoring for its return for years. Unfortunately, the company supposedly already closed.
$40 😲! Damn, being a collector is a hard life. Gotta have a lot of money! Same feeling here when I'm collecting crystals or for others - they simply see them as stones/rocks. Your blue beetle will surely sell 5x more after a couple of years? Do you ever plan on selling your collectibles in the future?
No plans on selling in the foreseeable future. After all, those who sell their items for a cool profit are not considered as real collectors by many. :-) I can't imagine parting with these works of art. For this Blue Beetle, $40 is really already a good bargain. There are some on ebay that are a bit cheaper, but international shipping fees double the net cost, so they still turn out expensive. I'm not sure about its resale price in the coming years; if it will be high enough, maybe I'll....nah, I probably still won't sell! :-)
How about your crystals? How much do they cost on average? How much did your entire collection set you back?
Then you are truly a collector by heart.
My crystal collection would be now at 40k in total and it might double this year as I'm also eyeing on rare ones! and i can't stop myself if a crystal im drawn to I can't stop thinking about it for a couple of days until I buy it!
Wow 40k! My heart! You really love your crystals. I think I've asked you this before, but do you collect them just for their beauty, or do you use them for some kind of energy work?
Omg, I am exactly the same, in that when I see a figure I like, I just have to get it and I won't have peace until I acquire the item!
Would you like to feature your crystals in a post? Is that alright, or not? I'll be interested in seeing them :-)
BOTH? Seriously, the latter. Energy work. It helps with my spiritual journey too. The raw and high quality the crystal is, the more potent energy it stores. I used to buy standard ones now I shifted on buying high quality ones. I just had a crystal bracelet arrive yesterday, its worth 6.5k. 😅 and I don't regret it.
I already made a post about it: Discover the Magical World of Crystals!. I will still have to do a follow-up post since my collection is growing.
Cool!!! Do you meditate too? I've been doing meditation ant tai chi since 2002. Just saw your post and it was cool!!! Very informative!
Woah I love that action figure I remember watching Batman and the Blue Beatle show back then.
Was it The Brave and the Bold animated series? I love that it featured this Blue Beetle in the very first episode. The story sucked, but it was good to see that Jaime connected with Batman well. After all, Batman is not an easy person to get along with.
Do you also have this figure? It's great overall, and my only gripe is the limited head articulation. He is perpetually looking down, and I have to position him high on the display to compensate for it.
Yay! 🤗
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It is curious to see that some figures that perhaps are not the best in several aspects become scarce and difficult to obtain. However, we have the counterpart, figures that are good, like this one, and that I really think it is justifiable the price they could reach. DC Icons is a good collection line, with good details.
I completely agree. This figure deserves a grail status in both its features and its rarity. And yes, I do see numerous figures that are highly prized and sought-for, but absolutely have no appeal for me. I'm glad I don't have the tendency to chase each and every grail out there.