Japanese Indiana Jones Capsule Toys

Continuing with my nerd theme from yesterday, check out these Indiana Jones "capsule toys" -- toys dispensed from capsule vending machines in Japan. Think bubblegum machine toys, only of much higher quality. I've said it before: the Japanese excel at "cute"!

The good news is, they're adorable and they're slightly unusual in the U.S., which means the lucky person who gets one of these in his or her stocking is more likely to be surprised and delighted by it.

The bad news is, even though these are available from an American company (Think Geek) that has imported them, you still don't get to choose which figure you want -- you're taking a chance, just as you would if you got one from a vending machine in Japan. For instance, I love the Indiana Jones, Prof. Henry Jones, and Marion-with-the-monkey figures (click through the link at the bottom of the post to see an image of the Marion figure from the packaging), and I wouldn't mind paying $7.99 for one of them. However, I wouldn't be thrilled about paying that much for the Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) figure because I didn't care for the most recent movie, or for whoever that head-dressed guy is supposed to be (probably Mola Ram from The Temple of Doom). Still, even the figures I don't like as well would be a fun stocking stuffer for Indiana Jones fans. And they certainly would be unique!

There are also Indiana Jones "artifacts" available -- originally $3.99 apiece, but marked down to $1.99. These include the idol head that Indiana stole from the temple in the first movie, with the famous rolling boulder scene; the headpiece from the Staff of Ra; the crystal skull; the Shiva stone.... (Really, how pathetic is it that I know the names of all these artifacts without even looking them up?!)

What: Japanese Indiana Jones Capsule Toys
Where: Think Geek website
How much (as of today's post): $7.99/figures; $1.99/artifacts (plus shipping)