One of the most extensive collections out there, the Hard Rock Pin Catalog contains more than 80,000 pins from around the globe and has been in existence since 2001. Inside the catalog you’ll find a full historic assortment of collectibles from Hard Rock. Currently, the catalog focuses solely on collectible pins which are a trademark collectible for Hard Rock. However, we plan to add many more families of collectibles to the catalog. Stay tuned!
The catalog is maintained by Pin Masters, an amazing group of volunteers who are each assigned a Hard Rock global location. Overseeing the Pin Masters are a group of collectors that make up the Pin Master Advisory Board. This group ensures new locations, pin groups, catalog entry standards, and other information about the pins and catalog are conveyed to the Pin Master membership so they can assure the catalog’s accuracy. As new Hard Rock locations open around the globe, the Pin Master Advisory Board searches for new Pin Masters to oversee that portion of the catalog.
The catalog itself will live within the hobbyDB collectibles database. As many of you know, it’s our mission to preserve databases and provide free, accurate information to everyone. Adding the Hard Rock Pin Catalog to the database is our perfect way to continue to achieve this mission and preserve this information for pin collectors all across the world.
Whether you’re a novice collector or well on your way to becoming a Pin Master, your Pin Locker is safe in our hands. And then some. We’re working closely with Pin Masters to provide an even more comprehensive catalog with new features and options that are free to use.
Among them is a simple, three-step process to transfer your collection fully intact from the Hard Rock website. All you have to do is –
The Hard Rock Pin Catalog on hobbyDB also allows you to boost the look of your pins with the ability to add extra photos. For example, now you can feature those different pin back designs.
Does your Hard Rock collection extend beyond pins? The hobbyDB catalog affords its users the opportunity to add all their cherished Hard Rock items, such as shot glasses, magnets and hoodie bears. You can learn more about adding to the hobbyDB catalog here.
If you have any questions, find more info here or feel free to reach out to our team at any time by clicking that little green support button on the righthand side of your screen.
Ron Ruelle hobbyDB
One of the greatest, most mysterious super-spies in history is hitting his busy season. He’s been surveying you and everyone in the world ‘round the clock, ‘round the calendar. He’s been compiling notes on everyone’s behavior in order to exact his own special brand of justice. But on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus rolls up his sleeves and really gets down to business.
As Christmas approaches, he has a network of “helpers,” doppelgangers who pop up at malls and shopping centers and street corners all over the world in December to give the illusion that he’s close by. Of course, some of those Alt-Santas have other motives, many of them quite naughty indeed. Here at hobbyDB, we decided to compile a list of Santa’s subterfugers (is that a word?) from the benign to the sinister to the positively evil. And of course, we have our own intel on each one.
Harmless Imitators
There is a long history of fictional characters donning the red suit mostly for good natured hijinks, or simply to sit in the chair at the mall. Generally affable characters such as Yoda, Mickey Mouse, and Freddy Funko have all gone red for non-canonical merchandising reasons. Which really fits the spirit of Christmas if you think about it. Heck, even Darth Vader can be found in Santa garb, but since it’s not in any of the movies, we have to assume he was just goofing around, right? Right?
Cuddly But Creepy
Anyone who doesn’t think of “Gremlins” as a Christmas movie really needs to have their spirit checked. The Gremlins start out cuddly, but (Spoiler alert for a 35 year old movie) if they get wet, or are fed after midnight, they turn into horrifying little monsters. So it’s tough to say which side of the fence Gizmo, seen here, falls on. Also, is he really impersonating Santa, or just wearing a hat to be festive? Intentions and consequences unclear.
Good Intentions, Bad Ideas
Jack Skellington has to go here, right? Sure, he plotted to take over Christmas, and sure, he usurped the good name and costume of St. Nick, and sure, he actually hijacked the sled (Spoiler Alert for a 25 year old cartoon) and attempted to deliver the goods on his own… but he swears it was all in good fun. Okay, and a bit of jealousy. However you want to judge his intentions, he probably could have done some jail time for his malfeasance if he ever went to court.
Also in this category, we have Droppo, the lovable goofball from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, possibly one of the worst holiday movies ever. In any event, Droppo dons the suit to cover for Santa while he… look, I don’t want to spoil this one for you. You really should watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of it, though.
Looks Kind of Scary, but Who Knows?
Psycho Santa’s main motive is… well, that’s hard to say. He’s a crazy goblin-looking creature, with wily eyes, a mischievous grin, and a creepy tongue dangling out of his gap toothed mouth. The Psycho Goblin character is an original Funko creation, so he’s still building his back story.
Your heart’s an empty hole, Your brain is full of spiders, You’ve got garlic in your soul
And of course, Santa’s most sinister imposter has to be the Grinch, right? His elaborate scheme to steal the spirit of Christmas by stealing the materialism of the holiday was diabolical. He didn’t just wear the suit, he mimicked the sled, the reindeer, the mannerisms. And of course, (Spoiler alert for a 50-year old cartoon) his diabolical plot could only be derailed by… his own heart. Now for a real mystery… in Who-ville, does the real Santa look human, or Who-man?
Bad Intentions, Bad Ideas
Oh, wait, you thought the Grinch was the best of the worst? In the year 3000, Santa’s duties are relegated to a harmless four-ton robot from Neptune. Well, Futurama’s Robot Santa Claus would be harmless, except he was erroneously programmed to judge the naughty from the nice with extreme prejudice. (Spoiler Alert for a 20 year old cartoon) He deems just about everyone naughty and worthy of a death sentence.
Speaking of robotic Santas, over the years, “Doctor Who” has ended many of their seasons with a Christmas special, some of them featuring Santa. It makes sense: He doesn’t hop across dimensions, and he doesn’t travel in time, but Santa does manage to cover a heck of a lot of square miles in an absurdly short amount of time. So it figures he would know Doctor Who to some degree. But he’s the good guy. In most of those specials, anyway. One year did feature a super creepy Santa Robot, the kind who occupied the uncanny valley, so he was the stuff of nightmares.
The True Meaning of Christmas is Ham… no, Presents!
The very first five-minute South Park cartoon features Santa Claus battling Jesus to settle the true meaning of Christmas. As bad as that Santa might sound, (and in subsequent appearances he’s not the nicest guy) he’s not an imposter, so he doesn’t really count for this list. On the other hand, Eric Cartman has been spotted in a full Santa suit several times over the years. Whatever his specific motive might be at any time, we can assume that Cartman Claus must be the most truly evil imposter of all.
Regardless of intent, it’s clear that the spirit of Christmas lives inside all of us. So merry Christmas to all and to all… make sure you look closely at who actually slides down your chimney this year.
Do you have a favorite undercover Santa Costumed character? Let us know in the comments below!
John O’Neil – MCHOF
The Model Car Hall of Fame 2018 Awards are here! With 24 Inductees, this year marks the biggest ever for the Hall. We have our first ever Inductees in new categories including Slot Cars, Automotive Art, Model Trucks and many more.
The best part? It’s you, the collectors we have to thank. Together with a larger, more talented and more diverse Selection Committee, you cast more than 4000 votes to induct all the best for 2018, another milestone for the Hall of Fame.
Model Truck of the Year
For the first time, you can also watch our awards yourself and dig into a bit of the history of each Inductee. You can find awards videos for each inductee on the new Model Car Hall of Fame Youtube channel.
1/43 Scale Car of the Year
Here’s the full list of awards videos:
Model Cars
1/8 – 1/12 Scale Amalgam Collection 1/8 Scale McLaren Senna
1/18th Scale CMC Models Bugatti type 57 SC Atlantic
1/24-1/25 Scale Automodello 1965 Buick Riviera GS
1/43 – 1/55th Scale GLM Cadillac Broadmoor
1/64th Scale Autoworld ’64 Galaxie 500
1/87th Scale Oxford Diecast Chevrolet Impala 1961 White Roman Red
Model Kits Tamiya 2CV Fourgonette
Model Trucks CMC Mercedes-Benz Racing Car Transporter LO2750, 1934-37
Farm Equipment Weise Toys 1055 Schlüter Super 1250 V with Cabin
Slot Car Slot classic CJ-47 ALFA ROMEO 2900B 8C “CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE”
Brands
Automotive Brand Porsche
Novice Model Maker Goldvarg
Supplier Brand Gulf
Model Car Dealer Replicarz
Model Brand GreenLight
People
Automotive Legends Ken Block
Model Car Customizers Brian Moffit
Model Car Designers Tom Daniel
Model Car Entrepreneurs Rodney Smith
Model Car Historians Christian Falkensteiner
Collector of the Year Jim Gallegos
Automotive Artist Cris Cross
Model Builder of the Year Wayne Moyer
Slot Car Racer of the Year Mike Swiss
Congrats to all the winners.👍
Over the past few years, we’ve contributed articles to Die CastX magazine for publication on their website and in their quarterly print edition. Here’s the story of one of the coolest cars ever from Mercury.
Ron Ruelle hobbyDB
For many years of its existence, Mercury was a brand in search of the right identity within Ford Motor Company. The late ‘40s finally found a spot as the slightly cooler, tad more performance-oriented, bit more expensive option to base Ford models. But when the Ford Mustang was introduced in 1964, it (and the freshly redesigned Thunderbird) kind of squeezed Mercury out of that spot.
So when the Mustang got its first redesign in 1967, Merc got anew car based on the same platform. Price and image wise, it fit in between the ‘Stang and the ’Bird, and became sort of a flagship for the marque. Designers did a remarkable job disguising its Mustang roots. But as those Mustangs got more powerful with its Mach and Boss models, the Cougar needed an upgrade to make sense.
Enter the Eliminator package. With a 351 engine (it slotted nicely between the 302 and 428), it was a civilized, worthy alternative to other more brutish muscle cars. Sales numbers never came close to its Ford counterpart, but that was never really the intention. Mercury was cool again.
In the diecast world, the production discrepancy is even greater. There are countless Mustang models in every scale, but very few Cougars, and even fewer Eliminators. Welly made a really sharp 1/18 version of the 1970 Eliminator, a real rarity for that size.
The exterior follows the Cougar’s unique lines faithfully, including the blackout grill split by a third, protruding middle grille. There isn’t a lot of chrome to reproduce, as the original had a very stark, sporty look. The rally stripes from that nose and down the sides are crisp and cleanly done. And if the hood scoop looks kind of plastic-y, well, it actually matches the real thing in texture and material. The wide bank of taillights look sharp with a wash of red over chrome. You can almost see the “Eat At Joe’s” sequence blinking from the turn signals. The side marker lights are well done too, recessed into the fenders with separate chrome and lenses.
The chassis features working steering and suspension. Blackout wheels look plain but aside from needing a dot of paint on the lugnuts and some center caps, they are actually correct. The engine bay has a lot more detail than you might expect from Welly, with more parts in more colors than usual.
Interior detail includes lots of painted “wood” accents, which brighten up the otherwise solid black surroundings. The rest of the cabin looks appropriately sparse and purposeful.
By 1971, fuel economy needs and other regulations squeezed most of the performance out of American cars. The Cougar left its Mustang roots behind and became more of a bloated cruiser. The new version sold better (go figure) but over time hasn’t captured the hearts of collectors like those first generation models. Welly’s model recreates one of the last gasps of cool from the Mercury nameplate.
