Ghostbusters Ecto Minis (2016 & Classic movie figures, Mattel)

So there's a new Ghostbusters film coming out. Which of course means there's new Ghostbusters toys. Which thankfully means there's new ghost mini figures!

I'm a big fan of the mini ghosts from Kenner's '80s-'90s The Real Ghostbusters line -- so much so that I set out to complete a whole set of them -- so naturally these new ghosts piqued my interest. They're called Ecto Minis, they're made by Mattel, and instead of coming packed with normal size action figures, they're sold on their own.

Ecto Minis three-packs

Honestly, after seeing photos online and reading some collectors' thoughts on them, I wasn't sure I wanted to buy them. Of course, that all changed when I actually saw them in the store. Who was I kidding, thinking I'd be able to pass up new Ghostbusters minis?

Let's take a closer look at these new ghostly chunks of plastic. Note that there are several human character Ecto Minis as well, but here we'll focus mainly on the ghosts.


PACKAGING / ASSORTMENTS

Ecto Minis tied to the new 2016 movie are sold a few different ways, with certain figures being available in multiple types of packaging and others being exclusive to one type. These items include:

• Three-packs (unchanging assortments of two ghosts with one human, with all three figures visible in a carded blister)
• Blind bag single packs (ghosts and humans included)
• Slime sets
• Vehicles / playsets

Here are the 2016 movie ghosts that are exclusive to the three-packs:

Rat Ghost (purple), Slimer (w/ hot dogs), Rowan (blue), Gertrude Eldridge

These 2016 movie ghosts are exclusive to the blind bags:

Mannequin Ghost, Rat Ghost (blue)

 And these 2016 movie ghosts can be found in both the three-packs and blind bags:

Bug Ghost, Slimer, Rowan (in trap), Splitting Ghost

There are a few other new movie ghost minis not shown here, like Ms. Slimer (available in a Slime set) and a Subway ghost (available in a Trap playset).

In addition, there are "Classic" Ecto Minis that feature characters from the original '80s film. As far as I know, these are only available in blind bag single packs. The ghosts in this set include clear and solid versions of Slimer and clear and solid versions of a Terror Dog.

Terror Dog (clear version), Slimer (solid version)

So far I've only seen Ecto Minis at Wal-Mart. I'm not sure where else they might be available.


SCULPTING / SIZE / MATERIAL

New Ghostbusters Ecto Minis taking on some ghosts

Ecto Minis are about 1.5 inches tall, give or take a bit depending on the figure. That's actually a bit smaller than I thought they'd be after seeing photos online, which is a good thing as it actually enhances their appeal.

The sculpting is nicely done, on both the ghosts and human figures. Some figures are better than others, but they all have something interesting about them. A really fun feature is that all of the clear ghosts have little glow-in-the-dark skeletons inside them, which gives them a cooler look, even when the lights are on and they're not glowing.

I think my favorite sculpts are the two female ghosts -- the Mannequin Ghost and Gertrude Eldridge (which some have also called the Library Ghost, but I'm not sure if there's a difference between the two) -- because they are the most unusual-looking. It's also nice to finally have some good Slimer mini figures, something that the vintage Real Ghostbusters line failed to deliver.

Unfortunately, the skeleton feature comes with a trade-off. The ghost figures are made of a light hard plastic, and are very hollow inside except for their skeletons. This gives them a bit of a cheap feel, and a look that brings attention to the fact that they're made of two halves put together. I'd much prefer for them to be made of a nice hard rubber / soft plastic that wasn't hollow, although I'm not sure if it would have been possible to mold the skeletons in them that way.


OVERALL THOUGHTS

Ecto Minis are really fun, and I'm glad to have them. If you're a Ghostbusters collector or a fan of mini figures (particularly vintage Ghostbusters minis), you'll almost certainly be able to find something to love about them. The hollow, lightweight hard plastic leaves something to be desired, but once I finally saw these figures in person it wasn't a deal-breaker. They're also pretty pricey -- around $3 per single figure blind bag and $10 per three-pack (why do the three-packs cost more per figure than the blind bags?) -- but I guess that's par for the course these days.

They're also cool to display alongside the old Kenner ghosts. Here's a comparison shot of old with new:

What do you think? Have you picked up any Ecto Minis or do you plan to collect them?