While I found The 40-Year-Old Virgin to be somewhat amusing upon a first viewing (and I do love Catherine Keener), I've grown to hate the movie. Not just because of its subtle, underlying message that being a virgin is somehow ridiculous -- and that one somehow isn't a worthwhile member of society until one has sex -- but because it's convinced a good number of people that they're going to get rich by selling old toys. I remember when I could go to a flea market and find action figures from yesteryear at even a fraction of their retail price, but now, instead of simply getting rid of junk, people seem to want 2000% returns on their "investments." Heck, I've even seen figures that are in stores right now, and are readily available because nobody wants them, going for three times Walmart's asking price. And don't get me started on eBay prices. Yeah, there are some figures that folks are willing to pay insane prices for -- and I guess there's always the possibility that some sucker out there will want a $5 toy so bad that he's willing to drop a Benjamin for it -- but c'mon!

But some eBay sellers realize that nobody's going to go for ridiculous BIN prices, so they start their auctions at $0.99 and let buyers' desire determine the price... which is how I ended up with this lot of Resident Evil figures for just under $16 before shipping. There's your Halloween connection! These really were some cool figures -- and since I was actually working at KB Toys during the summer that they were there in full discounted force, I've always regretted not picking up more of them. Some of the most enjoyable times of my teenage years involved me playing Resident Evil 2, and it's still the only game for which I've taken the time to write a FAQ/walkthrough (I believe it's still on GameFAQs if you need help in your Leon B game!), so now that I'm collecting toys in earnest I'd like to have more. I actually did pick up three sets back then, but I never opened two of them... and now I'm reluctant to do so. I mean, I doubt I'll ever sell them unless I have to, as they're dually nostalgic for me -- they remind me of both RE2 and good ol' KB Toys -- but I find it freaking difficult to "decrease the value of my property" since stupid eBay sellers want over $100 for William Birkin G-2 and Sherry MOC... and nearly $50 for them loose. Thanks a bunch, 40-Year-Old Virgin. :(

Anyway, it's fitting that I happened to acquire these little monsters just before Halloween, and since these figures averaged under $5 apiece including shipping -- in the current market -- I'll have no problem opening them and reminiscing about my Resident Evil adventures with the master of unlocking. Hurray! I won't be out shagging slutty goth girls on Halloween night, but I will be posing old RE figures and perhaps even watching Resident Evil: Apocalypse... and that's just fine with me. ;)

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