The Vinylmation world was recently introduced to a new classification called “Vinylmation Jr.”. The concept is actually pretty radical considering that only the 3″ and 9″ sizes of Vinylmation figures existed until this point. Why introduce a 1.5″ Vinylmation figure? It’s actually pretty easy to see the merit in the idea. We have become comfortable with the idea of mystery being involved in every Vinylmation purchase (and even trading activities), so I think it’s a good idea to provide some element of mystery with the first two 3″ Vinylmation series to feature “window” boxes, “Oh Mickey!” and Sports. While we can finally see what 3″ figure we are buying with these two series, there is still a concealed Vinylmation Jr. in the back of the packaging.

In the “Oh Mickey!” series, the Vinylmation Jr. are a bit plain, simply varying in colors and facial expressions of Mickey on the back of the figures head. I can sleep easily buying just the four 3″ figures in the series and will never be upset about not collecting all 6 of these designs:

However, the Sports series is a different story. While the 3″ figures mostly feature sporting equipment such as balls and nets, the Vinylmation Jr. designs feature some sports icons any Sports fanatic will love. (You can view all of the Vinylmation Jr. designs for the sports series HERE)

The Vinylmation Jr. addition to these figures does come at a price, the figures are not just $9.95. These 3″ plus 1.5″ packages will cost you $14.95 each. This raises an interesting question. Does this $5 price increase stop a collector from buying either of these series, even if they were previously very interested in these figures? That remains to be seen. Vinylmation Jr. brings us into a size where not much detail is possible, and details in the designs are arguably what makes Vinylmation such a popular Disney collectible.

While I have no problem buying these figure 2-packs at the new price point, I could never imagine buying a single Vinylmation Jr. at $8.95. Considering 3″ figures are $9.95, this seems like an unfair price. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Vinylmation Jr. Series 1 sitting around with the Clear series on shelves for a while.