Let's Chat: Play Along Toys - King Theoden on Horseback

This Chat is based on Play Along Toys AOME LOTR King Theoden on Horseback, part of Play Along's 'Warriors and Battle Beasts' series. One of the frustrating aspects of working with Chat GPT is its tendency to want to make every image look realistic - even when that is not the goal. Mostly, for what I want to accomplish with these LOTR figures, is to place them in realistic settings, yet allow the toy to remain toy-like. It's like being a kid again and playing with your little Army Men. The toys are there in all their plastic wonderfullness, but in the child's imagination, they're battling it out in realistic settings. In that regard, this Chat image is a failure. Overall, it's a terrific picture, but the Chat image of Theoden looks nothing like the toy image - he's too real looking!

Ed

Gearbox Toys #57191 1941 1/43 Scale Diecast Chevy Pickup Army Recruiting (2005)

I've had this Recruiter's pickup truck laying around The Cave for years still in its packaging. In retrospect, I should've left it alone. Why? At some point during photography I broke off the very fragile rear view mirror - it went bouncing to who knows where and I can't find it!! Damn! While the scale of this diecast vehicle isn't specifically stated anywhere on the packaging, I'm going with 1/43 scale, which is among the most popular of the diecast scales, as well, it matches up with other known 1/43 vehicles I have. The truck measures 4.5" (11,43cm) L x 1.75" (4,44cm) W x 1.625" (4,12cm) H.

Ed

Packaging

Placard

A-frame Sign

Recruiter's Truck

Wheel's Turn Left & Right

Doors and Hood Open To Reveal Engine

Tailgate Folds Down

Let's Chat: Play Along Toys Attack Craft Orc with Sword & Shield

From yesterday's post of the Attack Craft Orc with Sword and Shield, we have the Chat images.

Ed

The Chat prompt was: "Remove base from figure, otherwise not altering or changing any details of the figure. Place this Lord of Rings Orc in the ruined streets of Osgiliath fighting Gondorian soldiers."

This was one of those times the program gave me two options. I like the second option the best in that it has a busier look with more warriors battling in the streets.

Payton Products, Inc. Little Green Army Men - Jeep with Star Appliques Update

Earlier this year I ran a series on Payton Products Army toys. In March, a set of four Payton vehicles that had star appliques was blogged and one of those vehicles was the ubiquitous Jeep. The Jeep I have from that particular set had only one star applique on the hood. A second Payton Jeep in my collection also had just one star.

Then, a month later in April I acquired another Jeep with star appliques but this one had two - one on the hood and one on the rear body. Sooo, the question is: was this original or did someone get the rear star sticker from a different toy and added it on?

Ed

Normally I clean my toys as best I can before photographing, but I got lazy with this one - sorry!