Another strange thing to collect

I like strange things, and nothing piques my curiosity even more than strange Rei Ayanami collectibles.

Its no secret that I love that particular NGE character, and its no secret either that I share that very same interested with thousands of other NGE enthusiasts. If I had lots of money to throw away I would have made my own little shrine in no time, but instead i live within my means and settle with finding that one little Rei in the most obscure or unlikely places.

This particular item was on sale at Comic Alley. And yes, its not an official NGE merchandise. Its a keychain of sorts made of yarn, thread, beads and felt paper, about 2.5 inches tall. I was visiting the store in Megamall (the day KFest was going on, but decided to roam around the mall instead) and was looking for random Rei figures and checking out their prices when at the corner of my eye i saw this lonesome keychain figure tucked in a corner near the manga sale shelf. It was actually missing part of the head gear (one of the beads was missing) so it was 50% off the original price of P120. The keychain even had a little brass bell attached to it.

Neways, it goes straight to my collection box of NGE stuff, adding to what I aim to having a rising collection of strange bootleg or original Rei collectibles.

Toycon Thoughts: Toys and Cosplay

I hate going to Toycon. Because of the fact that, no matter how hard you try, no matter how long or how much, you will not be able to leave the premises without turning your wallet into a desolated wasteland (read: spending until you have just your commuting money left. Not even enough for food).

So I will rant my "hate" by showing you some of my thoughts and stuff I got on the first day of the convention.

GENERAL THOUGHTS
I arrived quite late around 3pm but the place is still packed with the usual cosplayers. That was the thing that bothered me actually, there was a huge increase of cosplayers this year, and most of them were there for social reasons, and not to join the event's contest. It proved both boon and bane: the costumed characters attracted a lot of attention from bystanders by their colorful costumes but made that part of the building wing almost impassible by mall goers. In the point of view of a con goer (i didnt cosplay this year, i went there to look around and check out toys) I had a hard time trying to get from point A to point B. It even came to the point that the mall admin decided to clear out the spaces in the immediate vicinity of the entrance/exits and would only allow those who actually want to go in the con to enter the area. I cant blame the cosplayers hanging outside the venue, because once i got inside, i saw there werent any space for them anyways. It was packed full of toy booths and people mingling and buying.