Hasbro continues it’s Transformers line with an all new Bumblebee Potato Head. Bumblebee was the yellow Camaro in the movie in case you didn’t know. It appears that this item will only be sold in the UK starting next year, but we’ll see.
Click Here for the first pictures of the toy!
Hi everyone. I am still here. I’m sorry I haven’t updated the blog in a while. I have been working on a big studio set building project all month and it has consumed my every waking hour, and most of my few sleeping hours too. The install date for the project is this weekend, so next week I’ll have time to get back to updating all the Potato Head news.
Stay with me, I’ll be back soon!
Dennis
The Mr. Potato Head Toy Story Mania Animatronic is up and running in Disney’s Calaifornia themepark. 3 videos have been posted to Youtube showing him in action. Click on the links below to see the videos. And thanks to the people that shot and uploaded these clips!
Mr. Potato Head removes his ear…..AWESOME!
Mr. Potato Head in action.
Mr. Potato Head long version.
Hasbro has confirmed the release of the coming Celebration Potato Head. It is one of the special toys they will release this year as part of the companies 80th anniversary. The “Celebration Spud” will be released in the fall and will include 80 parts and pieces (80 years…get it?). Given their history of re-releasing the same old parts in different packages, and the fact that the latest info confirms that the party hat and birthday cake will be included, makes me wonder if the new set will include any new parts at all. Let’s hope they are saving some new surprises for us this fall. Hey, at least we have Indy!
A very creative seamstress has produced what she calls the Picasso Potato Head. This plush item is handmade and for sale on her site.
Click here for the sale page.
This is not really Potato Head news, but actually accolades for the site. Mrpotatohead.net has been honored as one of the top collector sites as compiled by “The Collectors Weekly” website. I have to agree with them. :-) Thanks for the notice!
See the mention here
A new photo has been released showing the finished Mr. Potato Head animatronic at the Toy Story Mania ride at Disney. It looks really cool…I can’t wait to see it in action. I hope Disney releases a Toy Story Mania version of the toy with the same parts as the robotic one.
See picture Here
Something I haven’t talked about recently is packaging changes. That is, small changes Hasbro makes to Mr. Potato Head packaging or accessories from year to year. The changes in question are subtle enough not to be noticed by the average consumer, but they stick out like a potato in a carrot patch to those of us who know our tubers. So far this year I have seen several small detail changes in the marketing of the same Potato Head toys from last year.
1. The Spider Spud has black stripes on his red suit. However, the one sold in the 2 pack (along side the black Venom Spud) has silver stripes.
2. The Sweetheart Spud originally was sold with the smiling teeth mouth. This year it has the red lips.
3. Several of the Potato Head character specific models were re-released in yellow boxes. No change in the toy, just a new box.
4. The Spud Bunnies have a new blue background package, the front cardboard packaging is different, and the blue bunny now has the eyelash eyes. This is the second or third time they have changed the bunnies. They changed the name once and the eyes every year.
5. Several of the holiday related Potato Heads (Santa Spud, Trick or Tater etc) that originally were sold in boxes are now sold on blister cards. They still sell standard Potato Heads in boxes, why did they change the holiday ones?
I know these changes seem small, but my question is “what’s the point?” You can’t tell me that these items are expected to fly off the shelves faster in their second or third year of release because they come with a different mouth or different color background. Does Hasbro really spend money with focus groups to learn that the white eyes scare people but the eyelash eyes attract them?
It seems to me these changes are geared toward collectors. They know we can’t sleep at night if our Spider Spud doesn’t have the black stripes AND the silver ones. They know that no self respecting collector would have a Spud Bunny but not a Spring Bunny.
I say “Hasbro, STOP IT!” You’re killing our bank accounts and we’re running out of room. We don’t need 8 of the same toy just because you changed a box printing order. We want to spend our money on different Potato Heads, (i.e. Taters of the Lost Ark) not different packages or colors.
Who am I kidding, you know you got me. Just please…keep it to a minimum. I’ve got to go now, I’m on my way to Target. I like how that new Potato Head bunny is looking at me.
(edit….After arriving at Target, I noticed that the Spud Bunny was indeed different! The ears are now much smaller and are flat. The old ears formed a hook.)
I know this probably isn’t new, but I found a very funny commercial on one of Hasbro’s websites. Watch it until the end!
