For one day only, Matty Collector will be running a not-quite-spooktacular Ghostbusters sale. While Matty is offering solid savings (31%), unfortunately the selection is limited to all of three items: photon-stream Movie Masters Peter Venkman, Movie Masters Ray Stantz (with a Ghostbusters logo accessory), and the PKE meter. The Rookie, while part of the sale, sees no savings at all.

My other general grievance is that the 31% savings does little more than take the items to more reasonable prices. The Movie Masters Ghostbusters figures currently sell for US$22, which is egregiously overpriced considering that the Movie Masters lines that go to retail (Green Lantern, The Dark Knight Rises, etc) are only US$15~16. While the 31% savings puts them roughly at the retail pricing, I would still seriously question the overall value considering that Mattel has recycled the same awful character likenesses (the worst being that of Dan Aykroyd's character, Ray Stantz). Not to mention that there are many iterations of each of the four main Ghostbusters yet we've seen few supporting characters and no ghost packs.

The Rookie, the hero protagonist introduced in 2009's Ghostbusters: The Video Game, stands out in the line simply for not being a Ghostbuster variant. The figure has seen at least one previous release and includes a removable trap effect (much like Venkman's removable proton stream effect, both of which really should be available with all the Ghostbusters figures). While I greatly enjoyed the video game and would consider picking the character up, I once again hesitate given the price tag (again, he doesn't get the savings) and cost of shipping which turn the figure into a mediocre value.

Finally we have the PKE Meter, a 1:1 scaled fun little prop for cosplayers and collectors alike. The PKE Meter features an LED screen with adjustable animations and the "wings" can be displayed in or out like in the films. The PKE Meter is usually a meaty US$70 but will likely be around a more reasonable US$48 with the savings. While I find the deal mildly tempting, I can't help but wonder when Mattel will get around to giving us a much fan-demanded ghost trap prop.

[ Matty Collector ]