THE AFJ REVIEW: JADA TOYS' METALS!
By Jarrett Kruse
It is always a nice thing to cold e-mail a company and have them respond super enthusiastically. It does not happen very often but when it does, you remember why you got in this game to begin with. JADA TOYS is having a big year and they have a real comer on their hands with white hot METALS line. Fortunately, JADA TOYS e-commerce manager Darryl Li is a heck of a nice guy and sent a dream package to AFJ Headquarters. The best way to describe the METALS line come from the words of time traveler Marty McFly when he said, "This is heavy."
I could have kept the box sealed and cancelled my gym membership and used the box as a free weight. However, I dug through the box like a hungry Charlie Bucket with a candy bar to find not one, but two of my favorite properties, the old school and the new. They could have just sent one or two as a sample but JADA went first class all the way sending me the entire Ghostbusters & Suicide Squad waves....including their two-packs & oversized METALS! I was seriously wowed at the generosity by JADA TOYS and their commitment to the toy community. And if I did not love the product, I would not be writing anything about it--that's just not my way or how I operate. However, for those that might be Vinyl'd out or looking for a new cost efficient and fun collectible, you really are going to love the METALS line. Caution though: These really are heavy!
Stamped proudly on all of the METALS boxes are "CAUTION" reminders that what you are about to pick up is legitimately heavy. I love that angle of how the company is not hiding anything but instead laying it all on the line saying, "Yes these are toys but watch out, they are heavy." And not just heavy in poundage, these carry the proverbial weight of a possible seismic shift in the world of collecting. More and more Junkies tell me about the exorbitant extras they want in a figure before throwing down their hard earned cash. How many times as kids were told not to fool with something because it was heavy? Hundreds! And heavy meant what? Expensive. But here, as an adult, heavy immediately goes back to your childhood thinking of, "this must really cost a lot of money!" However, quite the contrary. In fact, METALS are some of the most "bang for your buck" items on the market today.
After a breakthrough license for the RoboCop reboot in 2014, it seems that JADA TOYS is bent on world toy domination picking up more and more impressive licenses including the mega-movie Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice & Captain America: Civil War. Their Armored Batman became a hot item among Junkies and was a terrific "gateway" piece for collectors to start their collection off. Now, more and more Junkies are asking me if I have added any METALS to my collection. Finally, I can answer with a resounding, "Yes" as I go through the wonderful assortment that Darryl Li sent to AFJ Headquarters.
I was very impressed with the METALS and to be honest I am really looking forward to see what they come up with next. I know that they did an excellent Batmobile for BVS but I would love to see some "no assembly required" vehicles down the road as the line grows and comes into its own. I think that it is fair to say that METALS, at a very fair price point, is going to start giving its competitors a run for their money. METALS give new meaning to the word "heavy" and I loved what I saw in this first assortment and recommend all Junkies to try one out for between $10 & $13. Now that's deal I can get aboard on no matter how heavy the product!
