Wasn't sure where to put this. They aren't Joe, and they aren't really ready to go straight off the shelf, so Off-Topic or General Customizing could also fit the bill. They are however, Joe scale (from what I can tell anyway, I don't carry Joes around with me as a habit, and I don't think pluv would appreciate me opening up his 50th Snow-Job/BAT pack just for size comparison) so here it lays. Feel free to move it if need be mods.

Anywho, I was at Michael's buying some spraypaint and wandering around I ran into these:







They're wood, they hinge in the center and close with a clasp. Each one has an opening door/drawbridge. The castle was 24.99 and the Train Depot, House, and Barn (not pictured because it was the least in scale and kinda lame) were 29.99 each. They're simple, but I think they'd be a great starting point for some cool dios. And the folding bit helps keep them contained and compact, which is cool in my book. I got a 40% off a single item coupon when I paid for my paint (not active till next week though) so expect a more in depth look soon. At least once I decide which one to buy . . .

The castle looks the most elaborate, but it's the cheaper one?

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I want two of that castle: one for castle Destro and another to turn into castle Greyskull.

I can only guess the castle is cheapest because it's nearly identical front and back and doesn't have an angled roof.

I need to get off my butt and go see if mine have these this weekend.

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Nice craftsmanship and loads of painting and design potential. What's not for a customizer to love?

Sitting here looking at that castle while helping a friend online ID some figures he wants to sell. I think if I were inclined to get that castle, I'd spray it with some of that paint that leaves a rock-like finish, then go over it with a couple of shades of gray in a random pattern, and find a dark gray pen or marker of some sort to outline bricks on it. Detach the drawbridge ahead of time and maybe give it a nice antique stain, and draw some lines on it to look like boards.

So yeah, picked up the castle. Still dunno exactly what I'll do with it, but I think it works well.



Also found these cool plastic bins.

Some tips about those 40% and 50% coupons from Michael's.

1). Even though they are dated for the following week (starts sunday and exps on Saturday.) They are good IMMEDIATELY after the purchase from which you got it.

2) They honor 1 coupon per person typically, so if I have my kids with me, we each get a 40% of item, even if you put them all on the same transaction, and it will hit the next highest, regular priced item on the ticket.

3) You can get at least 1 40% coupon 24/7 from their website, and if you download it on your tablet/smart phone, they'll scan it from there and generally don't care how many times you use it (we go in with one coupon and all 5 of us use it, even if the items are all for just my wife.)

Yeah, a FleckStone or DecoArt stone painting over the initial primer would make it pop. Sponge dab some Floral Green Folkart paint here and there, then sprinkle some lose flock on it while wet for Ivy and moss, and hand line some Umber paint ivy tendrils and you've got gold there.

You can gouge the wood with a kitchen knife in patters of three claw strikes, and blast it here and there with Flat Black spray paint, and you've got dragon ravaged castle in no time. Extra points if you take a bristle brush and stipple some flat white on the perimeter of the flat black blast, and go over that with stippled neon orange, and you've got FRESHLY dragon ravaged castle.

Extra-extra points if you cover the windows (since this is more of a donjon than a castle perse) with the stained glass firm film that they have in the special papers section of the crafting aisle.

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These are really great starter pieces. May be a good project for me and my 4-year old daughter

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Cap's got some great ideas there, and boy, does the scale of that castle work well!

Very nice castle and bins.

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