Toys and Stuff

Friday, August 28, 2026

Adventures in Chat GPT - Play Along Toys Gandalf The White On Shadowfax

I will probably post a few more pics under the "Adventures in Chat GPT" title and then probably integrate the images I have into other posts - we shall see. But I am enjoying the heck out of seeing what it can do with my LOTR and military figures.

The basis for this image was a photo I took (and blogged back in 2011) of Gandalf the White on Shadowfax. This was part of Play Along Toys AOME Warriors and Battle Beasts series.

The prompt was: remove the base and stem from the horse figure. Place figures atop a hill with the sunrise in the background

Dark Side of The Moon

It's post-Apollo 17 and NASA has launched a secret mission to the far side of the Moon for 'research' purposes.

This was one of first 'toy on diorama' shots (vs. building a collage in Photoshop). I was trying different lighting: first with no lights on in the room, then with lights, with no flash on the phone, then using flash on the phone. All the photos in this first series were taken on my iPhone, forwarded to my computer, and then edited on the PC - I haven't yet used my point-&-shoot camera. At first I wasn't too happy with this particular shot but it grew on me and thought it would be cool to come with a fun scenario or background story.

Forces of Valor (FOV) / Unimax Deep Dive: Pt 105 Set #93305 (2008) German 716th Infantry Division - Carded Pt 4 Pose 3

It's a shame FOV never made more than a handful of German poses. This was only one of two poses firing a rifle. An inordinate number were either carrying or firing machine guns, there were a couple of prisoners, but no one lobbing a hand grenade or firing a Panzerfaust or Panzerschreck. Too bad.

FOV German Infantry - Pose 3

Thursday, August 27, 2026

FOUND PHOTOS: Burger King Gandalf Glass (2001)

I found yet another set of LOTR-related photos. These were taken in 2016 and I just never got around to posting them. I posted photos of Burger King's Frodo glass back in January 2016 and took these Gandalf glass photos on the same day, yet the Frodo glass got posted and these didn't - go figure. Burger King also made Arwen and Strider glasses but I never got around to buying those.

From 2001 when these glasses were sold, until 2016 when these photos were taken, the batteries still had a charge in them although it is a bit hard to see.

Forces of Valor (FOV) / Unimax Deep Dive: Pt 104 Set #93305 (2008) German 716th Infantry Division - Carded Pt 3 Pose 2

The second of five German Infantry poses in Set #93305. It's funny how FOV's German 716th Infantry Division figures look exactly the same as their 352nd Infantry Division. Just saying.