|
Post by Rogue on Jan 31, 2005 13:10:26 GMT -5
I was at a toy show called FX this past Saturday (see my signature), and there were a few dealers there trying to sell the Preview figures for about $12 to $15 each. At one booth, one guy next to me commented, "what's the point, they'll be everywhere next week!" I seem to remember this happening back in 2002 when the Episode 2 figures were coming out. I can never understand the mindset of people who are willing to pay such ludicrous prices for toys that will see mass release in a few months' time. I don't feel bad one bit, either... Have you guys seen the pics at theforce.net (actually another site) of the upcoming store displays? I'll let you know when I see stuff coming in for that in my store. I imagine it'll be soon since that's supposed to be set up in April.
|
|
|
Post by Jack Panix on Feb 1, 2005 14:06:52 GMT -5
I went back to find them, and they've moved them. So I'll have to look harder to find them. I doubt they all sold, but it's possible. Thanks for looking. I may have to buy one on eBay. Hate to do it though. Well, today's the day. All four Revenge of the Sith Sneak Preview figures were "officially" released today. I hit three Wal-Marts in two states and didn't find a damn thing. I don't know what the problem is. I did see quite a few LOTR figures though. One Wal-Mart had an entire end cap of trilogy figures (Gondor Boromir, Coronation Gimli, Lurtz, etc). Another Wal-Mart had the B-day Bilbo, Gil-Galad, Coronation Arwen, Shelob, Moria Orc Archer, etc.
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Feb 2, 2005 10:37:36 GMT -5
We got four PDQs (trays) on the evening of the 31st, each filled with 20 figures. The R4 was the shortpacked one, the bald guy second-shortest, but plenty of the Wookiee and Grievous guy. Our pets were only occupied with one figure so we managed to get three of the cases out. Keep an eye out for an endcap or one of the four-ways, they might have stuck the PDQs there instead of stocking the figures on the pegs. R4 is really cool, I love Hasbro for finally lining up the trapezoid panels on the dome properly. Though the gimmick for lowering that third leg sucks... spin the head around and around. At least it doesn't click anymore Also, if you open these figures up for display, check through all the R4s, make sure the legs aren't all bent up. I found only a few acceptable ones from the nine that went out. Speaking of the PDQ... are those kinds of things "worth" anything? Do collectors like to have them to store their figures in, or for a unique piece in their collection? I saved one of these Preview figures PDQs from the jaws of the cardboard bailer, even the shipping case it was inside of. I also cut the lava background off another PDQ, to use as a background for my (temporarily non-existant) figure display. I also have a GI Joe Spytroops CD-ROM figure display, with the stand it was supposed to sit inside of. (We hang them as sidekicks on the ends of aisles.) I also saved this from the evils of recycling a year or so ago No sign of the Slave-I at the local Target. This particular store tends to suck majorly in toy selection, I don't know why I bother anymore. Damn Target and their exclusives... I'll have to check the next closest one, half an hour away.
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Feb 3, 2005 1:45:20 GMT -5
Yeah, those trays are worth a lot to some folks. Myself, I'd pay $20 for one, so if you have an extra one for sale, please LMK. I like the stuff that collectors aren't supposed to have.
|
|
|
Post by x-esque on Feb 8, 2005 8:43:45 GMT -5
Neat article on Hasbro's Star Wars efforts: Star Wars III A Gamble for Hasbro. An overall decline in their "boys division" "hurt toys' profitability because that is a high margin business for us," CEO Alfred Verrecchia said." So all expectations are on Star Wars to turn this division around. Is this possible? I dunno, but whatever happens, you know Star Wars is gonna get the blame.
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Feb 8, 2005 13:41:03 GMT -5
Maybe if they didn't sink so much money into pointless technologies like VideoNow that division wouldn't be so screwed.
Hasbro controls Star Wars, GI Joe, and Transformers. Why they're in dire straits like that is their own fault.
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Feb 12, 2005 2:54:03 GMT -5
Just picked up the OTC Sandcrawler.
It should have been a $40 vehicle at most, but that goddamn Previews exclusive sticker on it must have pushed the price to $60.
It's still better than paying through the nose for a vintage one. This is one of the few vehicles that wasn't available when I was younger because they stopped making them around 1979. ( I was born in 1981.)
So now I just need the Imperial Shuttle and the POTJ AT-ST and Snowspeeder and I'll have every vehicle Hasbro has made for the modern line, minus repaints. Yay!
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Feb 16, 2005 1:08:05 GMT -5
Found that wacky Sneak Preview Starfighter today at Target. I would have bought it, but Angel Season 5 came out today and I didn't buy that either. So I'm pretty bored right now.
|
|
|
Post by Jack Panix on Mar 6, 2005 17:02:09 GMT -5
Although the new figures and vehicles are being found before the April 2 street date, I still haven't seen anything new since the Sneak Preview stuff.
I'd like to get a close look at the "Darth Tater" Mr. Potato-Head too.
Just a heads up - FOX is going to air an "exclusive" Episode III theatrical trailer during "The OC" this Thursday. Check local listings for more details.
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Mar 7, 2005 13:38:08 GMT -5
Although the new figures and vehicles are being found before the April 2 street date, I still haven't seen anything new since the Sneak Preview stuff. Supposedly stores can be fined for selling stuff before the street date (toys, DVDs, not sure what else). My department manager told my co-worker and me about that. The Sneak Preview stuff was also street-dated, for February 1st. We finally got in the Anakin Jedi Starfighter, two cases of six each. We only sold two so far, though, and they've been out over a week. I was at another Walmart which had the Lego Starfighter set -- already on clearance! I think it was at $15. I'm not interested in it so I didn't bother to check, but next time I'm out I'll make sure. Also, if you didn't know/notice (knowtice ), the Sneak Preview Anakin Starfighters have a sticker with "Sneak Preview" on the box. Later on I'm sure they won't have that sticker... not sure if they'll be worth anything. Maybe in like 30 years
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Mar 8, 2005 2:51:25 GMT -5
Yeah, the regular release Anakin's Starfighter has a different sticker, one that says 'Firing Blaster Cannons!' or some equally goofy shit.
I can vouch for this because I saw it at Target when I saw Obi-Wan's Starfighter, Grevious' Wheelbike, and the Droid Tri-Fighter. I was standing there gawking at them, and I realized I'm going to be spending a shitload of money this summer.
Haven't found any leaked figures yet, but I'll gamble that once Target ends the clearance on the Sneak Preveiw figures, some Collection 1 stuff will be out in its place since the Sneak Preview wave and Collection 1 share the same DCPI at Target.
|
|
|
Post by Jack Panix on Mar 14, 2005 12:24:45 GMT -5
Spotted three cases of E3 basic figures still on the pallet at K-Mart today. The cases have the "do not display until April 2" on them but since they were already open I went through them.
The figures were all Collection 2, I think nos. 13-24. I scanned a "pregnant" Padme and it came up $6.99.
I'm seeing a lot of the food promos now... Cheez-Its, Corn Pops, Rice Krispie Treats, Skittles, and an Easter egg with stickers in it.
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Mar 14, 2005 13:54:10 GMT -5
K-Mart has put the skids on buying them early. Their registers ring up NO SALE now.
Of course, they're going to be $7.39 a piece here before tax. Oy. Some K-Marts are even as high as $8.19 a crack.
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Mar 19, 2005 18:54:56 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Jack Panix on Mar 19, 2005 23:05:28 GMT -5
Man, that's weird. I did see C-3PO at K-Mart the other day but passed since I thought $6.99 was a little steep.
I saw the Darth Vader Voice Changer in ROTS packaging at Wal-Mart Friday afternoon. It has figures 1-24 pictured on the bottom.
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Mar 20, 2005 15:15:30 GMT -5
There's more ROTS Collection 2 figures on Amazon right now. I think I'll just wait till April 2nd, so that way I don't have to pay shipping.
|
|
|
Post by Jack Panix on Mar 22, 2005 12:31:58 GMT -5
Clones Wars Volume One was released on DVD today. Wal-Mart also has two "Commemorative" DVD animated figure sets. One set has Anakin, Kenobi, and ARC. The other has Grievous, Asajj, and Durge. Season III premiered on Cartoon Network last night. It was pretty good. I also saw the Palpatine/Yoda Galactic Heroes ROTS set at Wal-Mart today as well. And once again we have an official Star Wars cereal. It's "Limited Edition" Kelloggs Star Wars Sweetened Oat Cereal with Marshmallows. The marshmallows are multi-colored lightsabers, yellow 3POs, blue-white R2s, green Yoda heads, and some purplish blob I can't recognize. They remind me of Lucky Charms. So far I've seen the cereal with two different box covers, Vader and Yoda.
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Mar 23, 2005 3:57:08 GMT -5
I bet that cereal is just as terrible as that cereal that was out for Attack of the Clones. I bought both boxes of it, and threw the cereal out since it was so terrible my dog wouldn't eat it.
|
|
|
Post by Jack Panix on Mar 23, 2005 17:08:14 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm sure you're right about the cereal. I never tried the AOTC one but I tried to choke down C-3POs back in the 80s and quickly switched back to my favs.
I stopped by TRU today on a whim and damn if they didn't have loads of new crap. I thought about going outside to check to make sure I was in the right store.
This is what I saw:
LEGO "Imperial Inspection" set and nearly all of the ROTS sets. Many of the larger sets have a 'try-me' display window with the new Jedi with light-up lightsaber mini-figs. The four-armed LEGO Grievous looks pretty cool! TRU is also running a BOGO 50% off sale this week so it was mighty tempting to get the new stuff. I may go back on Friday for them.
12" Ultimate Vader with Anakin, alternate scarred head, and Vader costume. Very appealing display box! Curving plastic front cover over the backing box. If I remember correctly, it scanned at $45.
Playskool Jedi Force Yoda with Swamp Stomper and Anakin with Rescue Glider. I understand these are for kids, but Yoda looks goofy.
ERTL/AMT Model Kits are back. On shelves were the Death Star, Millennium Falcon (both $20), X-Wing, AT-ST, and Snowspeeder (all $13).
|
|
|
Post by inadvertent imitation on Mar 24, 2005 4:02:16 GMT -5
Model kits! Yes!
Though all the ones I've ever put together either look like they were hit by anti-aircraft guns or came from a demolition derby.
|
|