What I Bought With My Hake's Americana Prize Money

As many of you may know, I won the Cool and Collected and Hake's Americana contest for League of Extraordinary Bloggers members. Hake's selected my post as the winner from the many posts entered by my fellow Leaguers. I am humbled to have won with so many great posts of pop culture collectible dreams hoping to come true.

The Prototype Hypothesis

Hake's Americana and Collectibles is once again having a incredible auction and to boot is giving pop culture collectors a chance to make their virtual collection a reality. Hake's is doing this by giving League of Extraordinary Blogger members a chance at a $100 credit towards their latest auction.

I've been really considering changing up what exactly I collect and one of those collecting choices has me pursuing prototype toys and Hake's latest auction definitely has items of interest to help me accomplish just that. Here's some items from the catalog that caught my eye:

Happy Halloween 2013 From The Batcave Toy Room

This weeks League of Shadows assignment...Whoops! I mean this weeks League of Extraordinary Bloggers assignment asked us to do a photo story on our hometowns goings on for Halloween.

So, here's a look at what's happening in Fabulous Las Vegas.

It's cool that several of my neighbors go all out for All Hallows Eve, but for us we're a little bit more simple.

I am looking forward to the haunts going on the night of 10/31. I know my daughter is really going to crazy love it. Last year she was just getting the idea of it all and didn't want to stop. This year we're probably going to have a long night.

You can see my daughter hiding behind the pumpkin she's about to carve. We had a blast.

Here we're waiting in line to take on the giant 50 foot slide at one of our local pumpkin patches. The Vegas patches are in dirt lots. I long to visit a real down home feeling pumpkin patch one day.

My biggest thrill this year however is going to be my daughter dressing as Batgirl. Although, she insists she's Batman despite my insistence that Batman does not wear a tutu.

I wish I had shots from the Zombie walks and runs or even any Cosplayers dream the Fetish and Fantasy Ball, but I didn't make it out to any of those events this year. Anyway, on behalf of the Batcave Toy Room have a safe and insane Halloween.

Other Leaguers Hometown Haunts:

• Cool and Collected
• Junk Fed
• Double Dumb Ass On You
• The Nerd Nook
• AEIOU...and Sometime Why
• Nerd Out With Me
• D.I. Treasures
• Whatever I Think Of

About the author: John Sholtz is an avid toy collector and the interim editor of the Batcave Toy Room due to the abrupt death of Bruce Wayne. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter at, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.

Regrets...I Have A Few

At times I actually drive my super cool, yet non-geek wife crazy.

"Unbelievable!", you say. I know...right.

However, the fact is it is true. There are probably a few things that drive her crazy about me, but one thing for sure is the fact that I generally won't buy something unless I absolutely love it.

Have We Met? BTR's Editor Reveals the Truth About Being a Geek

The latest assignment from the League of Extraordinary Bloggers asked us to introduce ourselves and many who follow The Batcave Toy Room know exactly who I am. So much so, I feel like we're the same soul split up into different physical vessels.

However, those who don't know, it's okay. There are others just like you who don't. In fact, my own relatives I live with don't know.

This year has been a year of soul searching for me. Not only for what resonates deep within my soul, but what exactly is my truth and who is John Sholtz really.

Bring Back Star Wars Action Figures

This weeks assignment from the League of Extraordinary Bloggers asks:

Bring it back! What product or media property would you like to see revived, and how would you imagine it being different today?

There was a time I wanted Battlestar Galactica to be brought back totally re-imagined and I wrote a story treatment and a first draft to a script and then just dropped the idea. Ironically, twenty some odd years later it happened for real and was redone amazingly by Ronald Moore with many of the same ideas I had for a reboot.

Why Not Be A Toy Collector?

This weeks League of Extraordinary Bloggers asks the question, Why?

This is a question that could have endless possibilities and is one I had an immediate idea for. I thought about this assignment all week and thought I may be the only one to answer the question this way. However, Mike from the Sexy Geeks House of Swag pretty much had the same idea.

Star Trek: Into Day 16 and Another League Assignment

I am going to kill two birds with one stone with this post. To not only complete my Day 16 post for my 31 Days to a Better Toy Collection Challenge, but also to complete this weeks League of Extraordinary Bloggers assignment: Star Trek.

Day 15 of my Toy Collection project was not very productive and for good reason as my little apprentice had an earache and the cry for Daddy's help did not go unheard. Of course, her need of assistance was my only priority.

Famed Toy Collector Reveals How He Survived on a Deserted Island

We once again take a break from our 31 Days to a Better Toy Collection Challenge to complete this weeks homework assignment from The League of Extraordinary Bloggers.

This weeks assignment:

You are stranded for 10 years on a deserted island. You can take with you the following:
One food item (in a never-ending supply), one movie, one game, and one pop culture character.

League of Extraordinary Bloggers: Comic Books

We interrupt our regularly scheduled 31 Days to a Better Toy Collection to present this weeks assignment from the League on Comic Books.

Comics, Stormtroopers, and Spider-Man, oh, my!

League of Extraordinary Bloggers: First and Maybe Second Impressions

As soon as I read this weeks assignment my first thought was of the first Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve. League member Las Vegas Yankee beat me to the punch, but I thought I would still give my two cents. Especially, since this week marks the 75th anniversary of the character.