Review – UNKLE Nosferatu

Originally priced at about $150, I managed to snag this UNKLE Nosferatu toy for only $40. Why so low? Because it was a display piece in a store and had been broken. Looking over the toy, and seeing that the repairs were fairly seamless, I figured $40 was a great deal and I grabbed the toy. I’m glad that I did, because I’d been wanting one of these, but now that I’ve got him I can say I’m happy I never paid the full retail for one of these designs.

Remember Nosferatu?

You may remember this basic toy design; I posted about a customized Nosferatu back in June of this year where I gave a little bit of info on the toy’s relation to the band Unkle. Digging around online doesn’t uncover any great information or reviews on this toyline, so I guess I’ll have to make do without sending you guys off to read info on Nosferatu at other sites. I will say that I still recommend Unkle’s Psyence Fiction* album, but we’re not here for music so let’s get back to this brief toy review.

Awesome Statue, Terrible Toy

At roughly 15-inches tall this is one beautiful work of art. The toy stands on those tiny stubs and leans on one hand; there’s no way this thing would stay vertical if it wasn’t for that one hand that reaches down to touch the ground. Those wiry, skiny forearms are a weak point and one of them on this toy was broken; the repair solved the problem but this is a very fragile work of art. The camo design is just okay; I could see myself customizing this at some point in the future because I definitely love the sculpt more than I do the paint.

But it is not a toy. Between the fragile design and lack of any articulation at all I’ve gotta say this is more statue than it is toy. You do not play with the Nosferatu unless you’re ready to break it; even picking the toy up is an exercise in danger management because the slightest bump feels like it’s going to shatter one of the hands off of the design.

Closing Thoughts

Not a useful review, I know, but it’s not a toy that needs a lot of words. As a statue you can get what you need to know from the photos. It’s not a durable work, it’s horrifically expensive (unless you get lucky like me and score a broken display piece), and it is not recommended unless you’re a massive fan of the band and want a statue for your collection.

A great visual design, but a terrible toy.

Philip Reed is gonna have to pull out an actual toy now, because he needs something he can play with that doesn’t feel like it’s about to shatter.