Spidey Swag is the column for all your Spider-Man collecting needs. Whether it be where to score the lastest action figure or determining whether the lastest products deserve a space in your Spidey shrine, Spidey Swag has everything about the Webbed Wonder covered.

Spider-Man will swing into theaters for the fifth time in just one week. With excitement reaching its peak, people will be and have been going crazy for everything Spidey. But as with any huge blockbuster the amount of merchandise and promotions thrown the public’s way can be overwhelming. (Did you know Spider-Man delivers your mail now?) So how do you know what cool stuff is out there and how to get it? That’s where I am step in. I’m here to guide you through all the stuff that deserves your attention and the best and most affordable ways to obtain them.

For the purposes of this article I’m only going to be looking at the merchandise that is directed towards the adult collector as opposed to every bit of merchandise or tie in. First we’ll take a look at the collectibles offered by the current darling of the collecting world, Funko. Having already dne a Spider-Man pop-vinyl for the first “Amazing Spider-Man,” Funko is now upping the ante by producing a new Spider-Man as well as the main villain of the new film, Electro.

The latter is actually a Hot Topic exclusive, so you’ll have to venture to your local mall to find it. Hot Topic is selling the Electro pop vinyl for $12.50, which is only a little more than they usually go for. If you have the patience, you might want to wait for Hot Topic to have one of their “Buy one, get the second 50% off” sales. You might even be able to score both Spidey and Electro that way for a good price.  The new Spider-Man pop vinyl will no doubt be far easier to find and is already up on Amazon for $10.99.

Funko will also be releasing Wacky Wobblers of both Spider-Man and Electro that will no doubt be gracing many a geek’s desk. These will be retailing for 13.99, but Amazon already has them reduced at $12.16.  They should be available at the usual spots such as Target, Wal-Mart, etc. but Amazon is probably your best bet.

Now on to the offerings from Diamond Select, which include eight new minimates, which come in two packs.  These minimates are Graduation Peter/Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man/Green Goblin, Battle-Damaged Spider-Man/Electro and Alistair Smythe/Aleksei Sytsevich. These minimates are usually most easily found at Toys-R-Us, where they retail for $9.99 or less. If you don’t want to hunt them all down individually, Bigbadtoystore.com offers the entire set for $19.50.  Diamond will also release a new Spider-Man action figure in its Marvel Select line. The figure will come with such cool extras as swappable hands and a fireman’s hat, like the one worn by Spidey in the movie.

Finally, Diamond is releasing a new seven-inch resin statue for $125.99, available this August. The best part about Diamond products is that you can request them at your local comic book shop and they’ll be delivered directly there, which definitely makes things easier.

Hasbro got a heads up on every other company as they released their line of six-inch action figures months ago. The line includes Spider-Man and Electro from the film as well as several characters from the comics. The Spider-Man is relativily easy to come by in the usual spots (Target, Toys-R-Us, etc.) and Electro also hasn’t been too hard to find.

However the comic figures, especially Carnage and Black Cat, are a lot harder to come by. These figures are one-per-case (a case being the box delievered to the store). Each case comes with 8 figures total. When these first came out they had were $19.99. Now Toys-R-Us sells them for $21.99. The figures seem to still be $19.99 everywhere else.

The best way to get the figures if you are still seeking them out is to go to your local store and ask when they get their shipments and head out there on that day. Scalpers have been out in full force for this wave, which has made the price of some of the comic figures skyrocket on Ebay and Amazon.  Hopefully Hasbro releases better case ratios some time soon which will drive the price on these down. Until then, it’s happy hunting for all us Spidey collectors.

But what if you are a collector with more exotic tastes? Well I got you covered with a pair of Spider-Man collectibles that any webhead would be proud to be able to display in their collection.

First up is the new 1/6^th scale Spider-Man figure from Hot Toys. Hot Toys is known for making the most impressively detailed figures ever and the new Spider-Man is no exception. The figure has authetic looking fabric for the suit and you can see all the little details on the suit perfectly. Not to mention it comes with a tons of extras including several swappable hands, a megaphone, I guess Spidey needs every one to hear his quips these days, Peter’s backpack and. of course. some warm clothes for Spidey to during those Winter months.

Hot Toys figures are also known for their great posability, so you’ll be able to get Spidey into plenty of iconic poses from the film. But how much will these piece set you back? $229.99. Steep, I know. But there is no better figure on the market and if you want it it’s best to buy as soon as it’s released in October. Hot Toys figures tend to get to be rare and don’t go down in price.

If you’re looking for an elite figure at a more traditional scale and a bit cheaper you can’t go wrong with Medicom’s MAFEX figure. It is 7 inches tall and comes with even more accessories than the Hot Toys version. It comes with a skateboard, cell phone, fireman helmet, fire hose, manhole cover and a base Spider-Man can attach to. The figure is also super posable, assuring you can re-create all your favorite scenes. A feature exclusive to this figure is its magnetic hands and feet which means Spider-Man can crawl up any metallic service, which is sure to create even more cool poses. You’ll have to import it and it’ll set you back about 75 bucks for what is a very nice alternative to the Hot Toys figure. Also you have time to save as it doesn’t get released until February.

Well that’s all of it, for now at least! It is probable that more merchandise will be announced, probably including the other two villains of “Amazing Spider-Man 2.” For now I hope my tour of the Webbed Wonder’s lasted merchandise frenzy was helpful. I also hope you look forward to more Spidey Swag as I expect to post reviews, restrospectives and more as I get settled in here at Superior Spider-Talk.Until next time, Superior Spider-Fans!