30th Anniversary: Lego Ghostbusters ECTO-1

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Note: Originally appeared at my personal site, iRich.

The idea and physical creation of Ghostbusters Legos is by no means new. Talented people with far more technical skill then I have been creating custom Ghostbusters toys for years. They’ve included Ghostbusters mini figures, equipment, ECTO-1s, Firehouses, (exterior and interior) Stay-Puft, and not for the faint of the heart, Gozer’s roof top temple or “55 Central Park West.”

I grew up during a different era, the ’80s. While it makes perfect sense to make Lego sets from a popular cartoon or movie franchise in this era, it would have been unheard of in 1984. Ghostbusterswasn’t made to be a children’s movie. For its humor about the supernatural and two years later a spin off cartoon, The Real Ghostbusters. Kids loved Ghostbusters. I was one of them. It would have ruled along with my Lego City sets if Danes had come out with fun The Real Ghostbusters Lego sets.

About thirty years later time, generations, the internet, pop culture, and nostalgia made GHOSTBUSTERS “a legitimate phenomenon.” Without Ghostbusters LEGO communities would still have thrived, including Lego Ideas. Formerly Lego Cuusoo.

Two separate custom Lego fans/builders and ghostheads had ideas to propose and create possible Ghostbusters Lego sets. If I remember, one wasn’t necessarily for the upcoming 30th Anniversary. The second one, from Brent Waller was. Eventually the projects merged to see if 10,000 LEGO and ghostheads would support and eventually buy a Lego ECTO-1 set with 4 Ghostbusters mini-figures.

Not only did (over) 10,000 people, including myself support official Ghostbusters Lego sets, the Lego Council (which should meet at LegoLand) approved the first official Ghostbusters Lego set, an ECTO-1. With Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary coming for June 2014, the timing couldn’t have been better.

It wasn’t originally clear that the collectible Lego set wasn’t going to be sold in non Lego stores. I pretty much assumed I’d order one from an on-line retailer at retail price, not “gouging the consumer prices” because its rare or hot from third party retailers and eBay sellers.

If they’re in stock, the physical Lego stores are carrying them. Globally they can be ordered from Lego’s web sites, Amazon, (which last I checked was sold out) in the US Target‘s web site, and Ghostbusters Fans shop. I would think at least for a time these will be sold in physical stores that sell Lego sets, such as Toys ‘R Us. That information hasn’t been confirmed.

The release date was June 1, 2014. Ghostheads were reporting they were in Lego stores sometime Saturday and were available (in high demand) from Lego’s on-line store. I would have preferred to have driven to a Lego store, it wasn’t really practical.

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Custom Kenner The Real Ghostbusters Figures & ECTO-1

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In May 2014 ghosthead tw1478 posted at Ghostbusters Fans about his custom The Real Ghostbusters figures and ECTO-1. Molds were made of the figures for more and multiple customs!

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Other variants include The Real Ghostbusters hero figures from Kenner‘s  Slimed Heroes, GhostbustersGhostbusters II/Power Pack Heroes, and Citizen Ghost.

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Custom work was also done to The Real Ghostbusters equipment.

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The next project was tw1478’s Kenner ECTO-1 build.

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As of the latest postings, custom The Real Ghostbusters slime blowers are being worked on.

To follow the build from the beginning, learn more about them, seeing more build and finished pictures, check out tw1478’s custom The Real Ghostbusters thread at Ghostbusters Fans and check out his photobucket album.

Photo Credits: tw1478

Ecto-Containment Photo Of The Moment

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Friends and ghostheads Ronald Giameo and Carol Jacky set up a photo shoot using Ron’s recent upgraded Firehouse, ECTO-1. and new Diamond Select Toys 24″ Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man bank.

Pretty sweet right?

Photo Credits: Carol Jacky

Ronald Giameo’s Kenner ECTO-1 Mods

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After Ronald Giameo modded and upgraded his Kenner Firehouse it was time to restorehis  Kenner ECTO-1.

Painted and added lights to my old toy from childhood into a collectors model for my adulthood enjoyment.

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For all build and progress pics and a lot of related pictures, check out Ronald’s Facebook album.

Photo Sources: Ronald Giameo

Matty Collector Ecto-1 Pre-Order Deadline May Be Cut

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Ever hear of the crop tool Mattel?

I didn’t see this posted on a lot of websites, now that I have the time I wanted to pass along what Mattel posted on their Facebook page, which was later updated to suppress an already niche collector market.

“At this time, both of the 2014 subs and the Ecto-1 pre-sale are quite below our expectations. We want nothing more than to see both clubs and the amazing Ghostbusters vehicle move forward. But we can’t do that if we don’t hit the bottom level of sub holders. This is very similar to “Kickstarter” campaigns. Only for the subs and Ecto-1, due to the logistics of the toy making process, we need to lock in our quota and customer base early before we start spending on tooling and other fixed costs.”

“Because of this, Aug 19th is the DEADLINE for both subs and hitting the bare minimum on the Ecto-1. While we hope to keep the Ecto-1 pr-sale open longer after Aug 19th to gain additional pre-sales, if we don’t hit the minimum by Aug 19th, the Ecto-1 will also close down.

I don’t know if Mattel will actually make good on their scare tactic, as the Ecto-1 pre-sale page still reads November 5, 2013 as the deadline. I understand the pre-ordering and gauging interest to see what it may cost to produce Ecto-1, which no ghosthead thought Mattel would even attempt to make with an understanding that Ghostbusters™ more or less is a dead (no pun intended) franchise to them.

And what they’re trying to do is nothing like a “Kickstarter” campaign. Did they even look to see how Kickstarter or similar web sites actually work? We have no idea how many customers are pre-ordering their Ecto-1 or the new 6” figures most ghostheads don’t need. That is a difference between Kickstarter and similar sites to Mattel’s business strategies. None of us really know how this Ecto-1 will turn out, we’ve barely seen a model of it. They cut the deadline to try to increase pre-orders and try to reach their goal in less then 4 months.

Yes it take times to create and make these expensive, quality collectors toys. Their could have been a 4 month pre-order earlier in the year so Mattel would have the time for the “logistics” in “the toy making process.” Then their would have been plenty of time before Matty Collector would actually sell them and at this years comic con we could have seen an early prototype, not some cardboard graphic and a “foam” block.

Unless something changes I won’t be pre-ordering the Ecto-1 and I don’t need 6” figures with removable packs just so they can sit nicely in the car. I’m a real Ghostbuster, I don’t scare easily.

Matty Collector News: Ecto-1 For 6 Inch Figures

November 2013 edit: Omitted SDCC “prototype” images.

As expected on Friday, July 19, 2013 Mattel unveiled what was under the black cloth. Despite the hype (from what I could observe on-line) very few ghostheads would have expected “a new car” with new 6” figures! Mattel are working closely with Sony to bring ghostheads a highly detailed Ecto-1 as part of the Epic Creations line. Mattel showed off the beginnings of what this could look like, as well as a full color cardboard profile.

Due to the size and (supposed) expense to a (limited) fan base Matty Collector is taking pre-orders until November 5, 2013. I’m not sure why the display reads Aug 15th. That’s the scheduled sale date for their Ecto Goggles. I don’t know if it will be possible, at $215 USD just for the Epic Creations Ecto-1, I would prefer to wait to see what it will look like and how it’ll work before spending that amount of money (before shipping) on a pre-order. If their could be a way for the toy to have lights and sounds, one or the other, or none at all and keep the cost down, I think most ghostheads would be ok with that. if it meant this Ecto-1 would definitely get made.

This news has brought a mixed reaction from the fan base. With the 30th anniversary coming up it feels like Mattel and Sony needed to do something in a different category. After all Mattel is a toy company. It seems like if supposedly the 6” line didn’t sell well outside ghostheads, why do an Ecto-1 now? You almost know if this couldn’t happen, Mattel wouldn’t need to gauge interest in two new (not all 4 yet) figures that include removable packs so they can sit in the car and the packs can be stored on the pull out rack.

Kenner Instructions: Ecto-1

The Kenner Ecto-1 has remained my favorite The Real Ghostbusters vehicle. Other adults can understand how I felt. The real Ecto-1, a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance/Hearse was one of the first classic cars I had ever seen. It was in a movie, it was “restored,” (I was 6, I didn’t know how the movie business worked) could take the Ghostbusters and their “real” equipment anywhere, and do just about anything. The original drafts made it seem like Ecto-1 had supernatural powers, similar to another movie car from a few years earlier. Maybe that’s part of the reason Ecto-1 in the The Real Ghostbusters could do anything the story called for. I didn’t really know that at 8, it was one reason I loved Ecto-1.

I’ve taken the original 6 page Ecto-1 Instructions, scanned them, and made them into 4 PNG/JPG files. I’ve also scanned and included the decal sheet.

Ghostbusters Legos?

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When I first posted about The Real Ghostbusters minimates last September I had talked about how growing up I would have wanted Ghostbusters™ Lego toys. The only official toys that could be compared in the 21st Century are the Ghostbusters minimates from Art Asylum/Diamond Select.

It seems surprising today that Lego didn’t produce Ghostbusters or The Real Ghostbuster Lego toys and sets during the series run. A little research for Lego toys based on movie properties in the 1980s didn’t come up with anything conclusive.

In the twenty teens fans may get Ghostbusters Legos yet. Cuusoo is a Lego community that designs and support Lego toys that their members and definitely others would want to see be made. This wouldn’t necessarily be newsworthy for Ectocontainment,™ except for a couple of things. They’re coming up with ideas for potential Ghostbusters legos (like the Ecto-1 above) and Cuusoo has the ear of Lego.

Really? Yes! After 10,000 people signed one of Cuusoo’s petitions for Minecraft Lego agreed they would look into that properties license. If Cuusoo’s Ghostbusters petition reaches 10,000 supporters (155 + as of February 17, 2012) Lego will evaluate the possibility of acquiring the rights to make a Ghostbusters Lego series.

Please check it out. sign the petition, and share it through your choice of social media.

Photo Credit: TeeKay

Kenner: Ecto Toys

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The next page from the Kenner “chapter” of the Toys section continues with The Real Ghostbusters Ecto Toys. Because of the number of Kenner vehicles with Ecto in the title, one page would be pretty lengthy. On the Ecto Toys page I take a look at ECTO-1, followed with a new ECTO-2, page and an ECTO-3 page.

The next toy update will include ECTO-500, Ghost Sweeper, and ECTO-1A.