Seven Years of Random Nonsense at BattleGrip
Seven years ago today the very first post went live at battlegrip.com starting an exercise in random nonsense that continues today. That first post — a review of the 2008 Cobra H.I.S.S. with H.I.S.S. Commander from Hasbro — started the site off on one foot, and seven years later I’ve lost track of how many different feet we’ve landed on. The only thing I know for sure is that it has been one hell of a random ride!
Why the Site Exists
As I’ve mentioned before, battlegrip.com exists solely as a creative outlet where I can completely control the content and post anything that interests me. The primary focus of the site has been on toys, but even that has shifted as we’ve looked at everything from designer toys to mainstream toys to toys of the past. Nothing is off limits, nothing is required, and nothing dictates what I can and cannot post, making battlegrip.com an ever-changing reflection of my thoughts and passions at any moment.
This highly personal approach to the site has no doubt limited its reach and audience, but the personal nature of the site also means that I’m still having a great time posting odd bits of info semi-regularly.
By the Numbers
Over the years, battlegrip.com has racked up a fairly decent set of numbers for a random blog about toys, art, games, and assorted nonsense. To date we’ve seen:
- 12,232 posts;
- 15,947 comments;
- 2,230,946 page views;
- 815,077 users;
- an unknown number of smiles.
I know those numbers are pretty small next to the real toy sites and blogs, but for something that’s (mostly) the work of one person — and as a hobby — I’m proud of what’s been done. And it never would have happened without all of your support and encouragement over the years.
Top Ten Reviews
- Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 Zelix with Zemerik
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shellraiser
- Iron Man 2 Hulkbuster
- Marvel Universe World War Hulk
- Marvel Super Hero Mashers Hulk
- Iron Man 2 Deep Dive Armor
- Marvel Universe Nick Fury
- Jada Battle Machines 1:64 Scale Diecast Cars
- World War Robot Bertie 7 Pack
- Terminator Salvation Hunter-Killer with T-700
Top Ten Features
- What’s The Best Starting Point When Designing a New Game?
- Battletech Toys from Tyco
- What if Hasbro Accidentally Remembered that They Own Dungeons & Dragons?
- Five Reasons Why Action Figures Cost More Today
- Ten Christmas Gift Ideas for Transformers Fans
- LJN Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Toys
- Cardboard and Plastic: Cheap Star Wars Playsets
- Where Kenner’s “Star Wars Collection†Failed Cloud City
- The Genius of Kenner’s “Star Wars Collection†Mini-Rigs
- 1976 Gabriel Lone Ranger Toys
What’s Next?
After seven years of working on battlegrip.com I can report that I’m still figuring out what comes next. The random nonsense isn’t going anywhere — as you’ve probably guessed — and if I get the time I’ll be creating more feature articles over the next year. Balancing work, life, and hobby is always challenging, but I know that as long as you guys keep enjoying the work I’ll continue to find a way to add more content to battlegrip.com.
Thanks, guys, for reading the site for so many years. I’ll see you tomorrow for more random nonsense!
Congrats on 7 great years! In internet years, this makes you ancient. 😉
@Brian – Thanks, Brian! Ancient only matches my real age, not the age of the site.
Whew, I was worried you were about to shut down. It seems like my favorite sites are disappearing these days.
7 years? I guess I still have a lot further to go in your archives. Seriously though, congratulations, and thanks for the content. I always have to make at least one or two stops here during the day.
@Chris (Stunt Zombie) – No plans to close down the site. And thanks, keep digging because there’s a lot of stuff hiding in the archives.
I can’t imagine writing 12K+ posts, and I wish I received 15K+ comments! Congratulations, here’s to many more!
@Jon – Thanks, Jon! 12,000 posts is a lot easier to manage when you spread them across seven years. 🙂 I also use blocks of time to schedule posts; at the moment 50 posts are in the queue to post over the next month.
Congrats on seven years! What a milestone!
@BubbaShelby – Thank you. Hopefully the next year goes smoothly and the site continues to behave without too many technical headaches.
That’s awesome Phil! Hope that you’re around for another 12,000 or more. Battlegrip is one of my daily stops. I might not comment all the time, but I’m here to read everyday!
@Jay – Thank you! I’ll try to keep posting random nonsense every single day.
Congrats!