Remember that thing in high school that everyone loved? Then you’re out at college or a bigger city and no one has heard of it. A locally popular TV show, CD or tape? That’s how I feel this Halloween season. One thing has surfaced this year that is desired by the loose network of geek bloggers. I couldn’t find it in my area, but thanks to my friend Ed at AEIOU and Sometimes Why, a gift showed up at my house.

That’s right. I too now own a plush Dinosaur Dracula.

For those of you that don’t know, Dinosaur Dracula is arguably the biggest geek blog today. The host, Matt, began with the now archived X-Entertainment site and then rebranded as Dinosaur Dracula. He is a pop trash culture archivist. Finding treasures in the garbage of old VHS tapes, flea markets, and cobweb corners of eBay. Every one of us in this world, even if we don’t share the same interests, still subscribe to his feed.

So imagine the surprise as we all discovered Target has released a plush very reminiscent of his persona. Technically, it’s a dragon. Says so on the tag and everything. But dinosaurs and dragons are at least cousins, so we’re all counting this as an unofficial tie in. Unfortunately the nearest Target to me is not that near and also not into the Halloween spirit this year. I put out a call to see if anyone had an extra, and my brother in blogs and metal Ed at AEIOU and Sometimes Why stepped up.

Now the plush is loads of fun. Great snaggle tooth grin. Fat bottom. Wobbly legs. Goth clothes. If this was teenage girl Dinosaur/Dragon Dracula chances are I would have dated her in high school. But wait, there’s more! Allow the stuffed host for this evening show you the rest of the treasures inside.

 

First of all, I have to admit the box is no longer complete. The Kinder Eggs candy is long gone. That little crispy ball chocolate pudding thing is delicious. Lately I’ve been a bit disappointed with Kinder Egg toys and steered clear over the last couple months. Thanks to this box o’ goodies I have to go back because these little “Mystery Lab” monsters were a hit.

 

On their own they look great. Little loops to hang from a backpack. Cute faces. The heads make clicky noises when turned on the necks. Even better, they also change color in heat or cold! We set up the kitchen science lab with warm (not too hot for the kids) and cold glasses of water. My son (hey readers of the previous blog, Bear posts will resume) went nuts. Science found it’s way into his mind and his heart. He thought these were the coolest things. Changed colors then played with them, then ran back to the lab when room temperature was reached. I want to find a few more of these and squirrel them away as rewards. Or say screw it on a rainy day and open them all.

 

We have Ephemera! The AEIOU blog started in 2011 and I think we’ve been reading each other’s sites since shortly after. When this blog switched over, Ed was one of the ones that helped get me through and a reader that came over here with me. Pieces like the paper shown here are exactly what I want this site to embrace. A postcard from Salem. The Goosebumps mini poster (which I thought Bear already took for his room, but he left for me). Then there are the horror movie themed Garbage Pail Kids cards. I need to find more of these. The nearest comic store is all the way out by that not near Target. Similar stores are just as far if not more so. Finding things like this is getting tougher in my area, but that’s all the more reason to be thankful for my fellow geeks.

 

This is the last time the spiders were in a known location. Well, I’ve known where they have been since. Hidden on my chair. In my lunch bag. In the bathroom. Bear thinks it’s hysterical to hide these and then yell out “pranked you!” I’ll prank you kid, and keep the Werther’s for myself. Stickers and little erasers. I have been told Pez would count as a new collection and I’m not allowed to bring anymore into the house. So it will be hidden in the box o’ stuff the Mrs doesn’t know about. Why is this the first time she’s read my blog in months! There is no box honey! I was just kidding!

Speaking of…

So I don’t know if it is coincidence or if Ed puts in hours thinking of what matters to a person. These are bears. Monster dress up Halloween bears. For my Bear. I went nuts. I want all of these. These break the “no new collections” rule but I’ll be getting away with that. I want all of them now. I don’t know if they would be out year round or brought out seasonally. Either way, they’re now part of the household.

I ask Ed where they came from. “Oriental Trading Company”. Hysterical laughter followed. Story time…

Like most geeks, I dream of having my own store. Reality aside. One day when I was telling my wife all of my ideas I mentioned buying cases of things from Oriental Trading Company and having bins up front by the register. Sell these bears for a dollar each. Some rubber snake for two bucks. The cases are cheap and profits are made. “I could even have these glue dots up there for 10 cents and make a fortune.” I have never regretted saying anything more. That conversation was many years ago and still to this day she asks me how the glue dot empire is going and if we can retire yet.

 

Again, a big thank you to AEIOU and Sometimes Why. This is better than a neighborhood full of houses giving out full size candy bars.