Gratuitous merchandising: The Final Frontier

November 20, 2009 by Jorge Labrador 

Nothing beats collectible swag.

Every niche has some kind of fan economy revolving around collectibles, some a bit more ridiculous than others – which is particularly the case when said hobbies are… err… a bit on the geeky side.

The launch of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” is not only making Activision’s shareholders happy, but collectors as well. The game’s so-called Prestige Edition (which retails for $150, $90 more than the standard retail edition) comes with your typical collector swag: a steel case, a bonus download and an art book – oh, and night vision goggles.

Fully functional night vision goggles, banded with the “Modern Warfare 2” logo.

Of course, official “Modern Warfare 2” night vision goggles: a) improve the gaming experience and b) are useful for daily tasks.

Collectible bonuses are nothing new for video games – there are thousands of metal lunchboxes and Vault Boy bobbleheads from the collector’s edition of “Fallout 3” out there, while game pre-order bonuses stack up in stockrooms of local Gamestops and Best Buys.

This phenomenon extends to other markets too – DC Comics has been releasing collectible colored plastic rings along with some of their comics this month, like the weapon worn by their Green Lantern character, to promote their “Blackest Night” crossover event. This move has spurred sales for a few titles, and the rings are a sought-after trinket.

Although all seven colors have yet to be released in most stores, complete sets of rings run for around $50 on eBay. It seems a little steep to pay $50 for a set of seven plastic rings, which are freebies in the first place.

Sure, they could improve our nerd cred… but what is it about swag that drives some folks crazy?

We’ve gathered a few of our favorite particularly interesting or strange game and comics collectibles. Is owning something special worth the price? Or is novelty not that valuable in the first place? You decide.

Nite-Owl Coffee

The marketing for the film adaptation of “Watchmen” saw a reprint of every edition of Watchmen that wasn’t already in print and the release of dozens of other trinkets, from bloodied smiley face pins to Rorschach messenger bags.

Nite-Owl Coffee was one of the stranger tie-ins to the film and proof that the art of cross-promoting using foodstuffs didn’t die with the Nintendo Cereal System.

A 10-ounce tin of this coffee was $20, but a complaint by Chock Full O’ Nuts coffee saw it pulled off Internet store shelves in short order. As a result, you can find these on eBay occasion for upwards of $50 now.

Soul of Chougoukin Leopardon

In the “Spider-Man” film series, Tobey Maguire has infused each film with this dorky, loveable charm, bringing the Peter Parker of the comics to life on screen.

In its “Spider-Man” TV series, Toei Company infused each episode with a big, giant robot, bringing a big, giant robot out of nowhere onto the screen.

Here’s an odd bit of trivia: Toei and Marvel Comics co-produced a “Spider-Man” TV series for Japan in 1978, omitting some of the elements of the comic in favor of Leopardon, Spider-Man’s “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”-esque giant robot. The proportional strength, speed, agility and talents of a spider are nothing compared to a sword-wielding robot that turns into a space ship.

This particular Leopardon figure is made of die-cast steel and can transform into it’s space ship mode, Marveller (har, get it?). A vinyl Spider-Man figure (with only one large web shooter, as opposed to the traditional two) and the Spidermachine GP-7 formula-one racecar that docks with Leopardon (which, along with the giant robot, is the other thing the Spider-Man mythos was missing).

This collectible would be the envy of all your friends who merely know the American Spider-Man, and runs about $70 on eBay.

10K Gold Super Mario

It’s-a-me, Mario! And I cost an arm and a leg!

With an MSRP of $9,000, this is one of the priciest video game collectibles out there (granted, some mint-condition video games from the eighties cost even more).

This 3-inch pendant has the Nintendo mascot pendant blung out with diamonds and several other precious stones and is the ultimate form of expressing one’s love of this beloved fictional plumber’s video game adventures. As of press time, the existence of a diamond studded mushroom could not be confirmed.

The few that are on eBay run about $2,600. At least the shipping is free.

Do you own an interesting collectible or are you aware of one? Send an email to chief@unlvrebelyell.com and it may be considered for a future article!