Pirate Expeditions

[Ghouldrool]

Pirates of the Carribean inspired line that has everything exept Jack Sparrow.

[Ghouldrool]

In a brillaint move of Chap Mei to ride alongside the wave of success and resurgence of interest due to Disney's Pirates of the Carribean franchise, the company put out Pirate Expeditions, a line with great Pirate figures and ships. It was a great way for kids to get Pirate toys to use alongside their official Jack Sparrow toys, brought out by Zizzle in the 3 3/4 inch style to support the films.

Here are single carded figures of the second Pirate Expeditions line.

[Ghouldrool]

The first Pirate Expeditions line got their own single carded release, as well.



These were not the only configuration in which these particular figures were available, as is evident in these two packs:



This makes the first wave of Pirate Expeditions figures real easy to find. The later figures are much tougher to get, unfortunately.

Like this picture shows, the single carded release was with an extra small creature, and without.



Small sets were released as well, such as this set with an all too familiar snake.


This is a medium set, featuring a raft and a medium size white crocodile.



A large rideable version of the white crocodile was released too under Pirates 2, this time with Kid Croc, as its rider.



Here is another catalogue shot of a large set of the second series. Mega Fangs, the huge angler fish, makes an appearance here too with repainted bright colours.



The real treat of this line however are the ships. They're superbly done!



The ships were also available in an extra large set, which included an incredibly well done giant octopus!



And in the case of series 2, the Ghost Ship Mirage, with a rideable hammerhead shark!



Lastly, the back of the box. Just look at the Mirage, that ship is stunning....

[dinoviper]

The Devil's Trap playset was part of the Pirate series that was released in 2006 and the second largest playset next to the Ghost pirate ship. Chap Mei has always added a touch of realism to their fantasy lines. Although most of the figures and accessories in this series are placed in the real world, a little touch of imagination always helps sell a product. What I like about the pirates series in general is it uses all original figures and accessories. Very few series in Chap Mei have products never before seen in past lines. Pirates did pave the way with there sets and figures for more recent figure lines mostly for the Sea Life and Wild Park lines.The Devil's Trap was sold at Big Lots for $19.99 during the fall of 2006. It did not last very long in the store and was quickly picked up by eager pirate fans.



The Playset itself is made up of two pieces the skull rock and the beach with palm tree. The skull rock has been featured in several later lines including, Knights Quest for the Dark Beasts. The skull has jagged rocks that make up the lower jaw when you pull the ear ring the upper teeth move up and down. I guess when a figure enters the mouth to collect the treasure the teeth slam down and commence to "chewing" them. Their is no record if the upper teeth are suppose to be stalactites, build as a trap by the pirates or the rock is placed under some sort of curse. The skull portion is a large rather solid piece painted a metal gray with black eyes. Inside the mouth is a treasure trove of gold heaped all in a pile but cannot be removed. The skull also has two eye holes in the back that you can hang with either screws or nails. Their is also a slot on the left side which connects the skull to the beach piece.
The beach portion of Devil's Trap features a pop up dead pirate corpse. This is considered a little morbid and some what terrifying but is fun and exciting to play with. The piece is sculpted with grainy yellow sand and pieces of wood sticking out. A palm tree sits on the top left side with a sign that has a pirate symbol painted on it. A small blue snake sits coiled around the tree above the sign. The same exact snake that came with the Wizard Count Orcus. It too adds a bit of "danger" to Devil's Trap. The corpse pirate is a solid piece of soft plastic that attaches to the top half of the trap door. The pirate is in a tattered uniform with shackles around his wrists and is painted red with ash gray bones. The beach portion was also featured in the Pirates II series with Crocobite and Kid Croc. The beach portion may originally have had sound in the versions outside of the United States. A small hole under the set indicates a sound device was placed their. If anyone has any information about the sound active version, by all means let us know.





The Pirate raft is crudely constructed of barrels, rope and wooden planks. It does float rather well as I have tried in the sink at home. The raft features a working paddle and sail with mast that rotates left to right. The raft also has a rotating periscope that can also move up and down. The raft can only fit one figure but other figures can be placed on the raft. It just won't float very well with more then one person. The raft is very well detailed with fish bones and ropes all scattered on the floor and parts of the raft. I also love the shark bite taken on the side it adds a little flare to the doomed passengers. This raft appears to have been through a lot, and may in fact be the only means of reaching the Devil's Trap... A very nice addition to the playset.



Fritz the Cyclops is one of the main characters featured in the pirates line. I believe Fritz came with the same exact accessories and crocodile as his single pack did. Fritz is a large muscled pirate with a bushy beard, one eye and a peg leg. His head, arms and legs move and he is a very typical looking pirate figure. He does look more like a circus strong man with his pin striped pants and bushy beard and red due rag. Fritz has a nice belt that can be removed to customize. He is also one of the "only" pirates that can store is sword on his belt. Of course like all Chap Mei figures he is not painted on the backside. Fritz is a nice colorful addition to the Chap Mei pirates and a good "shoe in" for this playset.

As I have mentioned above, Fritz has pretty much the same accessories that came with his single pack. A pick, shovel, lantern, periscope and powder horn. All helpful tools for searching for buried treasure and fending off oceanic terrors. Fritz also has his trusty fly swatter which is simply a net attached to two poles and used to capture large beasts. I think the fly swatter first appeared in this series and was later an addition to the Dino Valley II line. A treasure chest is also included with this set, I guess it is used to haul all that loot back to the ship. Or to add it to the Devil's Trap collection. The chest can be opened and is attached by two hinges on the back side. The chest is a popular addition to the other pirate sets in the series and is also part of the Knights, Adventure Heroes and Vikings series. The treasure chest is a pretty popular item with Chap mei and we will most likely see it in future toy lines to come.



The white black striped crocodile referred to as Zebra Crocky first came with Fritz the Cyclops in the single pack. It is unclear if this Zebra Crocky is a pet or wild species that is added security for the Devils Trap. The crocodile that came in the figure pack certainly was a pet for Fritz due to the rope attached around the body made to look like a leash. The crocodile is a small solid figure with no movable features. It is more in scale to actual crocodiles in the wild and is the most detailed crocodile Chap Mei has created. The mouth is opened just enough to fit a small fish or human arm or legs. It is the smallest none articulate crocodile Chap Mei has made. It is also the most recent that first appeared in this line of toys. A different version was later made for the Wild Park line that resembles a more distinct crocodile painted in dark and light greens. One of the more "fantasy" based figures in the line the Zebra Crocky is based on an albino crocodile with zebra stripes. Although most albino animals especially crocodiles are picked off at an early age who is to say that a species of crocodilians adapted white and black stripes as a form of camouflage on white sandy beaches. With no other predators around on these remote islands these particular crocodilians could thrive as the top apex predator on land. Selective breeding may also be a factor as humans have throughout the centuries have bred different types of breeds of dogs, cats and livestock. Zebra Crocky may be the first in selective breeding in the exotic pet trade.

[dinoviper]

One of my favorite Chap Mei lines are the Pirates. I was never really a big fan of Pirates, until Pirates of the Caribbean came out in theaters followed by the assortment of Chap Mei figures following the first two movies. Of course the Chap Mei line of pirates is a bit more fantastic then the POTC movies. Even more fantastic is the Pirates II series. The second run of pirates featured mostly a cursed looking lot of corpses that appear to have been out at sea a too long. Besides that there was a cast iron metal shark and a pirate ship that looked like something out of Scooby Doo. However the one and only new figure that appears to belong with the first run of pirates is Kid Croc and his over sized pet Crocobite.

Kid Croc was a scurvy soul wearing mostly croc skins and a tank top. Both his head, arms and waist moved and his legs were a solid piece of plastic. He wore a scaly black tank top with a skull and crossbones on the chest. Teal pants, black shoes and a purple belt that can be removed from his waist. As always the figure is very well detailed from his bulging biceps to the crinkles in his pants leg. The colors seem to match him with his weapon and crocodile.

Kid Croc's weapons and accessories include a saw fish bladed club that looks very familiar if one remembers several of Davey Jone's crewmen from POTC-Dead Mans Chest. His other accessories include a crocodile hand glove and a crocodile mask. Kid Croc is one of the select few who wear animal skins as a personal uniform. Max Warthog from Dino Valley is one the other is a guy from Ice Quest who dresses as a Polar Bear.

Crocobite is a repaint of the Wild Quest Crocodile. Both are a little bigger then the medium sized animal sets but smaller then the giant animal playsets. Next to the iguana the crocodile set was one of the first Chap Mei animals packs I got and still have. Crocobite is no different. It can rotate all four legs and the button on the left side makes the jaws open and close. One thing I have failed to mention about Chap Mei's dinosaurs and animals is the mouth action. Most big toy companies have there animals mouth closed and when activated open. What Chap Mei has done is make the animal with the mouth open and when pressed closes the mouth. What a concept! One other thing about crocobite is the harness, which I think will come off, but I have never tried it. The harness will fit most Chap Mei figures and even regular GI Joe's as well as the 25th Anniversary figures. The harness is crafted to look like Cthulhu. I assume there must be some HP Lovecraft fans at the R&D office over a Chap Mei.

The paint apps are rather simple dark Earth tones on the back and white on the underside. The tongue is painted a fuchsia color. Their must have been some problems getting the paint on the teeth because their are some specks of white on the jaw. The harness is painted a dark bronze color and looks great on Crocobite.

Both figure and crocodile are very awesome and make a dangerous team against any foe. For a while I used the Wild Quest version of crocobite as a default crocodile for Croc Master from GI Joe. When I first saw pics of crocobite on the boards I could not wait to get him. Not only was Kid Croc an awesome croc wearing pirate, but Crocobite could be used to transport Croc Master through the swamps of Cobra Island.
I still see these sets at Big Lots so you can still pick them up I you hurry.

[Jbyrdd]

A cool line of figs and playsets, i only saw some at Rite Aide Pharmacy stores and Big Lots, i wish they would carry the bigger playsets.

[Ghouldrool]

New Pirates Expeditions sets have already hit stores in the US, and a Chech Republic Web store had these sets up. Notice the small ship now has a bright green repaint of the Wild Park crocodile, and there's a newly repainted Giant Spider and red lizard in the set with the Scull Cave!

[Ghouldrool]

[Ghouldrool]

I found this new mid size Pirates Expeditions set in my home country, the Netherlands. I had heard there was a new set with a big red octopus in stores, but I certainly didn't expect Chap Mei to include a complete new sculpt for this line! Everything else has been a repaint, so far....



There was another set with the tiger shark repainted grey/green, which was pretty cool as well. Since there were plenty still I think it'll be a matter of time before I pick that up too. Also included in that set were the captain, and the raft made of barrels.



This is the back of my box, which shows lots of new product as always! No names pictured this time around.



Close ups however show that there's also a damn cool repaint of the Dire Wolf, now with funky green, almost Dino Power like highlights! I'm definitely going to want to get my hands on that wolf!



The contents of the set. The new weapons rack includes a lamp, statue, two rifles, two pistols, a shovel, a knife and a cutlass. I'm still in doubt if I should cut these weapons loose or not.



Here's the small boat, which we have seen in Pirates II for the skeleton captain Rank, and which has now been repainted in striking red with a black sail.



Fritz the Cyclops, with the new version with the purple pants on the right. There's not much difference between the two, although CM seem to save on paint apps where ever they can nowadays.



And the medium octopus! This is definitely not the Giant Octopus which we know and love (and can't find) from Pirates I and Deep Sea Adventure... it's a brand new sculpt, even labled 2010, and he's definitely very well done! I'm glad I found this set!
Since this was a mid size set, retail price was € 12,99.

[corps4life]

this is a great line! I have most of the first line, and am working on the 2nd I just wish most of the figures had better articulation. Fritz, Captain Rank and the two headed one are the only ones that have passable articulation.

[Ghouldrool]

May 5, 2011 2:34:32 GMT -5 corps4life said:

this is a great line! I have most of the first line, and am working on the 2nd I just wish most of the figures had better articulation. Fritz, Captain Rank and the two headed one are the only ones that have passable articulation.

It's sort of Chap Mei's Modus Operandi to have a certain number of figures in the line lack leg articulation. Even Legend of Knights had ORcus and the basic foot soldiers without leg articulation, and of course the greatest insult was Wild West, where they really cut a lot of corners in terms of paint apps and articulation, which was a bloody shame because the line was so well thought out otherwise.
Ah, but the horses! Wild West has some amazing horses!

[Ghouldrool]

More Toys 'R Us repaints under the True Heroes flagship, these guys are still available as a fourpack.

[Ghouldrool]

And here are some awesome pictures of the killer figure/beast sets, that are being sold in the line that's now officially being marketed as Pirates III. I must say I ADORE what they've done with the paint jobs for the dire wolf and giant spider. I love those bright colours! I must have them.



But for now, incessant staring at the pictures will have to suffice!

[jumalatar]

So.. I went to Kärkkäinen today and found this huge pirate expedition pack.
The whole set looks absolutely gorgeus!

[Leandro Flávio]

Jan 6, 2011 14:26:04 GMT -5 dinoviper said:

The Devil's Trap playset was part of the Pirate series that was released in 2006 and the second largest playset next to the Ghost pirate ship. Chap Mei has always added a touch of realism to their fantasy lines. Although most of the figures and accessories in this series are placed in the real world, a little touch of imagination always helps sell a product. What I like about the pirates series in general is it uses all original figures and accessories. Very few series in Chap Mei have products never before seen in past lines. Pirates did pave the way with there sets and figures for more recent figure lines mostly for the Sea Life and Wild Park lines.The Devil's Trap was sold at Big Lots for $19.99 during the fall of 2006. It did not last very long in the store and was quickly picked up by eager pirate fans.



The Playset itself is made up of two pieces the skull rock and the beach with palm tree. The skull rock has been featured in several later lines including, Knights Quest for the Dark Beasts. The skull has jagged rocks that make up the lower jaw when you pull the ear ring the upper teeth move up and down. I guess when a figure enters the mouth to collect the treasure the teeth slam down and commence to "chewing" them. Their is no record if the upper teeth are suppose to be stalactites, build as a trap by the pirates or the rock is placed under some sort of curse. The skull portion is a large rather solid piece painted a metal gray with black eyes. Inside the mouth is a treasure trove of gold heaped all in a pile but cannot be removed. The skull also has two eye holes in the back that you can hang with either screws or nails. Their is also a slot on the left side which connects the skull to the beach piece.
The beach portion of Devil's Trap features a pop up dead pirate corpse. This is considered a little morbid and some what terrifying but is fun and exciting to play with. The piece is sculpted with grainy yellow sand and pieces of wood sticking out. A palm tree sits on the top left side with a sign that has a pirate symbol painted on it. A small blue snake sits coiled around the tree above the sign. The same exact snake that came with the Wizard Count Orcus. It too adds a bit of "danger" to Devil's Trap. The corpse pirate is a solid piece of soft plastic that attaches to the top half of the trap door. The pirate is in a tattered uniform with shackles around his wrists and is painted red with ash gray bones. The beach portion was also featured in the Pirates II series with Crocobite and Kid Croc. The beach portion may originally have had sound in the versions outside of the United States. A small hole under the set indicates a sound device was placed their. If anyone has any information about the sound active version, by all means let us know.





The Pirate raft is crudely constructed of barrels, rope and wooden planks. It does float rather well as I have tried in the sink at home. The raft features a working paddle and sail with mast that rotates left to right. The raft also has a rotating periscope that can also move up and down. The raft can only fit one figure but other figures can be placed on the raft. It just won't float very well with more then one person. The raft is very well detailed with fish bones and ropes all scattered on the floor and parts of the raft. I also love the shark bite taken on the side it adds a little flare to the doomed passengers. This raft appears to have been through a lot, and may in fact be the only means of reaching the Devil's Trap... A very nice addition to the playset.



Fritz the Cyclops is one of the main characters featured in the pirates line. I believe Fritz came with the same exact accessories and crocodile as his single pack did. Fritz is a large muscled pirate with a bushy beard, one eye and a peg leg. His head, arms and legs move and he is a very typical looking pirate figure. He does look more like a circus strong man with his pin striped pants and bushy beard and red due rag. Fritz has a nice belt that can be removed to customize. He is also one of the "only" pirates that can store is sword on his belt. Of course like all Chap Mei figures he is not painted on the backside. Fritz is a nice colorful addition to the Chap Mei pirates and a good "shoe in" for this playset.

As I have mentioned above, Fritz has pretty much the same accessories that came with his single pack. A pick, shovel, lantern, periscope and powder horn. All helpful tools for searching for buried treasure and fending off oceanic terrors. Fritz also has his trusty fly swatter which is simply a net attached to two poles and used to capture large beasts. I think the fly swatter first appeared in this series and was later an addition to the Dino Valley II line. A treasure chest is also included with this set, I guess it is used to haul all that loot back to the ship. Or to add it to the Devil's Trap collection. The chest can be opened and is attached by two hinges on the back side. The chest is a popular addition to the other pirate sets in the series and is also part of the Knights, Adventure Heroes and Vikings series. The treasure chest is a pretty popular item with Chap mei and we will most likely see it in future toy lines to come.



The white black striped crocodile referred to as Zebra Crocky first came with Fritz the Cyclops in the single pack. It is unclear if this Zebra Crocky is a pet or wild species that is added security for the Devils Trap. The crocodile that came in the figure pack certainly was a pet for Fritz due to the rope attached around the body made to look like a leash. The crocodile is a small solid figure with no movable features. It is more in scale to actual crocodiles in the wild and is the most detailed crocodile Chap Mei has created. The mouth is opened just enough to fit a small fish or human arm or legs. It is the smallest none articulate crocodile Chap Mei has made. It is also the most recent that first appeared in this line of toys. A different version was later made for the Wild Park line that resembles a more distinct crocodile painted in dark and light greens. One of the more "fantasy" based figures in the line the Zebra Crocky is based on an albino crocodile with zebra stripes. Although most albino animals especially crocodiles are picked off at an early age who is to say that a species of crocodilians adapted white and black stripes as a form of camouflage on white sandy beaches. With no other predators around on these remote islands these particular crocodilians could thrive as the top apex predator on land. Selective breeding may also be a factor as humans have throughout the centuries have bred different types of breeds of dogs, cats and livestock. Zebra Crocky may be the first in selective breeding in the exotic pet trade.