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7-31-2010HasbroNot only are the Vintage Collection figures starting to hit mass retail, but the new exclusives are being found as well. Reports surfaced yesterday that Jabba the Hutt has been found at Walmart, Kul Teska has been showing at Toys-R-Us for a week or so and sightings of Jodo Kast at K-Mart are starting to pick up. For regular releases, the AT-AT has been found in a few stores, including new reports of them at K-Mart for $99.99. Celebration VSeveral artists have updated with pricing for their CV prints in the last couple of days as well as providing more information about free booth giveaways. Make sure to check out our Celebration V Art Show coverage. An updated schedule of events was also put out yesterday afternoon by Reed. The latest includes two additional simulcast theaters for George Lucas' Main Event and two Robot Chicken panels with the creators, Seth Green and Matt Senreich. 7-28-2010TargetTarget stores are starting their resets for the new Fall wave of toys and we spotted some new Star Wars toys last night, namely the new Starfighter wave. There have also been reports of Vintage Collection figures being found and at least one report of the AT-AT being spotted. If you've got some hobby cash burning a hole in your pocket, it's time to start making toy runs again. Celebration VStarWars.com posted two PDF files last night that list a bunch of exclusives for Celebration V. The first PDF contains all of the items that will be for sale in the official Celebration Store. The other file contains exclusives that will be for sale on the exhibitor floor from all of your favorite licensees, including Hasbro, Lego, Cartamundi, Comic Images, Hallmark and Gentle Giant. Along with announcements on artists prints and free swag that will be available, there seems to be something for everyone. Make sure to stop by StarWars.com and StarWarsCelebration.com for the latest information, including the event schedule which still has a lot of TBA entries for the various stages. Also, keep you eyes on your mailboxes as tickets are shipping now. We received our four day badge on Monday! Acme Archives)
AT-AT Sketchplate If you will be attending Celebration V in two weeks and want to pick up the latest offering from Acme Archives, head over to their site CharacterKey.com and put in your order for their CV exclusive AT-AT Sketchplate. Orders are available for pick-up at the show while those not attending the convention can place their orders beginning August 12th. The Sketchplate is limited to 1,000 pieces and is $35.00. Gentle GiantGentle Giant is also now offering pre-orders for their Celebration V exclusives. However, unlike previous conventions, they are not offering a pre-order for pick-up this year. Both offerings, their new 12" Boba Fett action figure and Bossk maquette, can be ordered and will ship after the convention.
Boba Fett is limited to 1,500 pieces and is $85. Bossk has an edition size of 1,000 pieces and is $90. You have to be a Premiere Guild Member and logged into your account to order. Once you log in, go to the Star Wars section of the store to place your order. Gentle Giant will have both items for sale in Orlando but placing an online order is recommended if you want to guarantee these items. 7-27-2010Five Clubs, Five Patches for C5)
Celebration 5 Patch Five of the largest Star Wars collecting clubs in the US are pleased to announce a set of five themed patches for Star Wars Celebration 5. The participating clubs are The Washington DC Area Star Wars Collecting Club (DCSWCC), The Kentucky Star Wars Collectors Club (KSWCC), The Ohio Star Wars Collectors Club (OSWCC), The Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society (PSWCS), and the Star Wars Grand Florida Alliance (SWGFA). The five triangular embroidered patches, each sponsored by one of the clubs, fit together like a puzzle to form a larger image of Boba Fett, the show's de facto mascot. Design and artwork for the patches was provided by long-time web cartoonist Bill Cable. All five patches will be available exclusively at Star Wars Celebration 5 and free to attendees, but quantities are extremely limited. Each club will be distributing their sponsored patch in a different way, which will be announced separately. DCSWCC is one of the largest and most active collecting clubs in America, with over 60 members. The club meets monthly and holds special events throughout the year such as socials, picnics, and "Roadshow" appraisal events. For more information, visit the club website at www.dcswcc.org. KSWCC is a locally based club focused on helping members become better collectors, and helping each other in achieving their personal collecting goals. In addition to three regional monthly meetings where members keep fresh with what's new and in the stores, KSWCC holds larger annual gatherings which include the annual auction fund-raiser, Fall Social, and the Regional Holiday Gift Exchanges. For more information, visit the club website at www.kswcc.com. OSWCC is a great resource where collectors all over the Buckeye State can discuss collectibles, toys, and generally anything Star Wars. Their three regions host monthly meetings, and they have a strong online forum for their 275+ members. The club attends many local toy shows and has outings to big conventions like Celebrations 2, 3, and now 5! For more information on OSWCC, visit www.oswcc.com, where you will find up-to-the-minute information on how to obtain their piece of the patch. PSWCS celebrates their 10th anniversary this year, and a highlight of the festivities is participating in their fourth Star Wars Celebration. Their 360+ members are dedicated to enhancing the collecting experience through networking, education, and social events. You can learn more about PSWCS at www.pswcs.com. The SWGFA consists of three clubs in the state of Florida: The Orlando System, The Tampa Star Wars Club, and The Treasure Coast Star Wars Club. We hold quarterly socials, local monthly meetings, and group outings. These clubs represent fans of the Saga, collectors, costumers, and above all, those who share a love for all things Star Wars. For more information on the Alliance, visit www.swgfa.com. This is the third patch that the PSWCS has been involved with. For Celebration III in 2005, PSWCS partnered with OSWCC and DCSWCC to create a 3-piece puzzle patch. In 2007, PSWCS created their own patch for Celebration IV in Los Angeles, California.
7-25-2010Star Wars Collector's PanelA Star Wars Collector's Panel was held this weekend at San Diego Comic-Con. Gentle Giant, Sideshow, eFX and Kotobukiya all participated and showed off pre-production artwork and sculpts for upcoming product. Gentle Giant
eFX
Kotobukiya
We covered Sideshow's presentation on Saturday. The video that was uploaded to their website was the same one that was shown off at SDCC. One thing of interest in the Gentle Giant presentation is that they showed off sketches for alternate sculpts of Hammerhead, one of which included a drink in his hand rather than the blaster that the final bust will have. The blaster seems an odd choice for Hammerhead, and Muftak, seeing as how they're both associated with the Cantina scene rather than any battle scenes. HasbroWe've nearly sorted out the checklists with all the new information from Comic-Con and will have them up by the end of the day. Till then, a quick recap of the Hasbro info from the weekend. The Vintage Collection line for 2010 will include 37 action figures, 27 of which are brand new or feature new tooling and/or paint updates to previous sculpts. The other 10 will be greatest hits and this will be their first time on Vintage cardbacks. The Clone Wars line will include 32 figures before the end of the year. There will be one film related wave in 2011 for The Phantom Menace, after which the movie themed waves will go away and cases will contain a mix of characters from all areas of the Saga and Expanded Universe. Beginning with the Revenge of the Sith wave, the Ultimate Galactic Hunt promotion will return. This year the UGH program will feature foil logos on Vintage Collection packaging. The action figures will not be variants. The two mail-away promos for the end of the year are Rocket Firing Boba Fett and Sergeant Bric with a Galactic Battle Game mat. Both offers officially begin August 1st but packaging with the offers is available now at most Toys-R-Us stores. Hasbro's San Diego Comic-Con appearance didn't reveal any secrets, but did give us confirmation and first official looks at Jabba the Hutt, the vintage packaging for the AT-AT, Snowspeeder and TIE Fighter, and several exclusives that had only shown up on rumor or computer inventory lists. We expect to see several new exclusives (Slave I) and one or two more waves of action figures at Celebration V. 7-24-2010SideshowSideshow has posted several videos that were being shown during Comic-Con. The Star Wars video shows sketches and 3D computer models for several items in the 1:6, 1:4 Premium Format and statue lines. The 3D models are particularly interesting because, in the case of IG-88, they also show articulation. Shown or mentioned in the video are the following characters that Sideshow is planning to do in the future. 1:6 Scale
1:4 Premium Format
Maquettes - Artist interpretation of classic characters, all shown as sketches
Legendary Sale Bust - ANH Obi-Wan shown, others mentioned
HasbroFriday is typically the day Hasbro holds their Star Wars Q&A session and this year was no different. What was different, however, was the lack of new debuts during the slide presentation. With Celebration V just under three weeks away, the slideshow provided details of what was already shown in the display cases. More reveals will be offered at CV. The presentation did clear up some information about the exclusives shown off in the cases. We'll look to sort through all the new reveals this week and make the appropriate updates to the checklists this weekend.
7-23-2010HallmarkHallmark is attending San Diego Comic-Con this year and they are showing off their new 2011 ornaments:
The Vader minifig is only being shown in photos so there's no judging scale. Celebration VWith all of the excitement surrounding San Diego Comic-Con this week, we missed the announcement of the final 10 artists for Celebration V. Included in the last announcement were:
Pricing on some prints is being announced and they're ranging from $30 to $60 for now, but there are a couple of artists that will likely be in the $100 - $150 range. We'll keep you up to date on pricing on our Celebration V Art Show page. 7-22-2010Hasbro Clone Wars Update - ExclusivesThere will be several Clone Wars exclusives coming later this year, including new DVD 2-packs, Battle Packs and a couple single figures.
Hasbro UpdateLegacy of the Dark SideSince Toy Fair there had been rumors of new 2-packs coming. Last night Hasbro previewed three exclusive 2-packs called Legacy of the Dark Side. The figures show an evolution of the characters from their origins to their final appearance in the Saga. The 2-packs include:
Battle PacksBoth Saga and Clone Wars fans have some new Battle Packs to choose from, some were debuted last night while others were shown at Toy Fair and a couple are out now. Showing in San Diego:
UnleashedNow confirmed, two exclusive Clone Wars Unleashed Battle Packs. Although this line has been cancelled as a general release item, Hasbro showed off two new exclusive 3-packs of Unleashed figures, all from the Clone Wars. The first set has a Super Battle Droid, Battle Droid and Captain Rex while the second includes Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku and a Clone Trooper. Mini MuggsMighty Muggs, another general release line cancelled by Hasbro, looks to have been replaced by Mini Muggs. These are smaller in scale than the previous line but use similar design elements. The line is listed as being exclusive and they are being shown in groups of three (3-packs?) with an MSRP of $12.99. These should be available in October.
HasbroAlong with the updates we posted last night, it looks like Hasbro will also be bringing the Mighty Muggs back, only this time in a smaller scale. They're showing what appears to be three 3-packs which will be exclusive. We'll have more details on these later, along with what appears to be some Unleashed figures as well. The good news on the Hoth Battles Assortment is twofold; the price is listed as $39.99 per set and the Defense of Hoth set includes two Hoth Rebel Soldiers, including the previously cancelled running change Hasbro had planned for the carded line. The Defense pack has the Unleashed Battle Pack turret as well as an all-new laser canon. If that's not enough, Attack on Hoth features the newly sculpted AT-ST and a new AT-ST Driver. Two heaping packs of win wrapped up in affordable packages! Hasbro initially said that they may wait for Celebration V to officially unveil Jabba but he's being shown this week in San Diego. The MSRP listed is $34.99 which, I believe, is less than originally rumored. I believe Hasbro announced this before, but if not, we now know that the Snowspeeder and small wing TIE Fighter will be the other two vehicles, besides the Toys-R-Us AT-AT, to get exclusive vintage style packaging. There's a lot of new stuff, and more to come after Hasbro's presentation, so we'll probably wait till the weekend to make any major updates to the checklists. Gentle GiantGentle Giant is showing off several new busts and statues as well as a Darth Vader bust based on Ralph McQuarrie preproduction art. No word yet if this is a new line, or what the price point will be, but it seems an odd decision after they just cancelled the 1:4 scale helmet line. This appears to be a similar size, only it's a bust so it includes both the head and part of the shoulders. More info when it's available. For mini busts, GG is showing off the following for the first time:
On the statue and maquette front we have:
All week, Gentle Giant has been posting teasers for their new 12" line of action figures. All of them are being shown at SDCC along with three new figs:
None of the caped figures have their capes, so there may still be some debate if the Jawa will come with a vinyl or cloth cape, or both. 7-21-2020HasbroEarly photos from San Diego Comic-Con show off new Hasbro items, some of which we've heard about and a couple we only had as rumors. Vintage Collection Figures
Geonosis Arena 2-packs
Hoth Battles Assortment (Exclusive, MSRP $39.99, October)
Vehicles
Clone Wars Deluxe Vehicle & Figure
PSWCSAfter yesterday's announcement of the 2010 Chewbacca medallion that the Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society will be offering at Celebration V, we thought we'd follow-up with some in-hand photos.
Members of the PSWCS were able to pick up their medallions at this year's Summer Social. The remainder of the 1,000 coins will be for sale at the PSWCS booth during Celebration V for $10 each. As with last year's Obi-Wan medallion, the 2010 Chewbacca medallion has a 1.75" diameter and is fully colored. The back of the medallion features the PSWCS logo and both sides have epoxy coating for durability. Each medallion is fully approved by Lucasfilm Ltd. and will come with a certificate of authenticity. This year's medallion will raise money to benefit Canine Corps. About Canine CorpsThe primary mission of Canine Corps is to provide a no-charge “home away from home”, including free veterinary care provided by the Animal Hospital of Rye, for the pet dogs of Pennsylvania (any branch, any permanent duty station, home of record: Pennsylvania) military personnel who have orders for Horn of Africa, Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. These are pets whose owners have no alternative for their dog’s foster care and safekeeping and would have to surrender to a shelter or rescue. Canine Corps was formally established on May 23rd, 2007 through incorporation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Canine Corps is a 501(c)(3) public charity registered with the IRS. 100% of donations go towards the ongoing costs of the sanctuary to support the lives and welfare of the dogs. Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting SocietyThe PSWCS was founded in 2000 as a free club for residents of Pennsylvania and the surrounding states who enjoy the Star Wars films and collecting hobby that surrounds them. This is the second medallion produced by the PSWCS. Sales of the 2009 coin, featuring Obi-Wan Kenobi, raised over $6,200 for Operation Ward 57. Sideshow Sideshow posted a sneak peak at their next Premium Format statue last night; Clone Trooper. This is an Attack of the Clones version of the basic trooper. He'll be debuted at Comic-Con this week and pre-order will go live on July 29th with the newsletter. The Art of Ralph McQuarrieRalph McQuarrie's art defined the Star Wars saga long before the firs scenes were ever shot on film. Much of his art has been reproduced in prints and books over the years, but Celebration V will see the debut of some of the earliest sketches McQuarrie ever created for George Lucas, sketches that have not been seen in decades. A recent discovery of forgotten art will be on display at Celebration V in Orlando. A 48 page guide containing the artwork will be available at the convention as will 12 Metallix prints, limited to 80 each. Also available at The Art of Ralph McQuarrie's booth will be a set of nine trading cards with photos of McQuarrie working on his art. The backs of the cards are a puzzle that, when assembled, will form an picture of Yoda. Be sure to stop by the McQuarrie booth at Celebration V. 7-20-2010LegoThe Lego press release for San Diego Comic-Con mentioned they would be debuting a new Obi-Wan Kenobi Jedi Starfighter set. It looks now that the set will be a UCS release of Obi-Wan's Delta-7 Starfighter from Attack of the Clones. The set, which is rumored to be set #10215, will be shown this week at the convention and is thought to be the final 2010 reveal.
PSWCS
CV Chewbacca Medallion We can finally announce the Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Societies Celebration V exclusive; Chewbacca Canine Corps medallion. Limited to 1,000 pieces, the medallion costs $10 and will be available from the PSWCS booth in the Fan Club area during Celebration V. The medallion is 1.75" in diameter and is fully approved by Lucasfilm. This 2010 medallion is a follow-up to the 2009 Operation Ward 57 Obi-Wan Kenobi medallion which was a complete sellout last year. All proceeds from the sale of the Chewbacca medallion will go to benefit the Canine Corps, which is an organization based in Pennsylvania for the care of pets owned by service members serving overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. SideshowToday's new offerings from Sideshow include a new 1:6 scale, Empire Strikes Back Yoda. And to step it up a notch, they also have Yoda's Hut environment!
Yoda is available in a regular release for $69.99 or an exclusive, which includes his snake, for $74.99. Yoda's Hut, which includes a huge amount of accessories, is $274.99. No edition sized announced yet, but both versions of Yoda, and his hut, are scheduled for a first quarter 2011 release. 7-19-2010Celebration VTen more Celebration V artists were confirmed this morning in a post on StarWars.com. Included are Malcolm Tween, Spencer Brinkerhoff III, Matt Busch and Clark Mitchell. This brings the current total to 34 so there should be one if not two more announcements. The Jedi Path)
The Jedi Path StarWars.com debuted a new book, due in September, called "The Jedi Way." This book is an "ancient training manual crafted by early Jedi Masters." The book, from becker&mayer!, features a unique case which sports sound effects and contains Jedi souvenirs including a Padawan braid, Jedi Credit and Jedi Starfighter patch among other things. Star Wars artists including Chris Trevas, Tommy Lee Edwards, and Derek Thompson illustrate the book by author Daniel Wallace. "The Jedi Path" is scheduled for a September release and lists on Amazon.com for $99.99, but is on sale for pre-order now for $62.99. SideshowWe've just posted a complete overhaul of our 1:6 scale Sideshow checklist and finally (!!) launched our 1:4 scale Premium Format checklist. Both lists should be complete with the most recent pre-orders. Both lists include which film or property the character is from, their original release date, edition sizes, pricing and what exclusive item was included, if any. We're in the process of finalizing updates for the busts, diorama and miscellaneous lists now. Once those are posted, we'll update here. After finishing with Sideshow, we'll be tackling Gentle Giant next, starting with the mini busts and then working through the other scales and lines. 7-17-2010Celebration VCelebration is getting closer every day, just 25 days away now. We've launched our Celebration V convention coverage and plan on having daily updates as well as live coverage from the convention in August. If you are not already following us on Twitter (ImpHolocron), now is the time to add us as this is where we'll have live updates and photos throughout the convention weekend. Our Celebration V page has some of the events listed that we plan to cover, but we will have that and more. And don't forget to stop by next week as we'll have remote coverage of San Diego Comic-Con where there's sure to be some pre-Celebration announcements and product reveals! MedicomToday, Sideshow and other on-line retailers are offering pre-orders on two new Medicom products; Real Action Heroes versions of Boba and Jango Fett. Boba Fett is sporting his Return of the Jedi colors and is slated for a fourth quarter 2010 release. The price is $149.99 from Sideshow, but you may be able to save a few dollars by trying Big Bad Toy Store or select other retailers. Jango Fett is close in design to his first RAH release, but this time he has a different jet pack. Jango is also $149.99 from Sideshow and scheduled for later this year. 7-16-2010Hasbro Q&A UpdateMore sites have posted their Q&A answers with Hasbro and there are a couple new pieces of info. It may have been confirmed previously, but if not, Mousedroid has word from Hasbro that Nom Anor will be carded in the Vintage Collection in late 2011. According to their response to Raving Toy Maniac, Hasbro plans one Ewok release this year and will try to have at least one per year moving forwards. An Ewok multi-pack that Hasbro had in the works is currently on hold while Hasbro looks for a retailer to pick it up. Hasbro Q&AHasbro released their Q&A answers last night and this will be it until September as we have San Diego Comic-Con next week and Celebration V just three weeks after that. Bantha Skull asked about the rumors of, and computer listings for, DVD and figure packs as well as the possibility of visiting vintage Star Wars media for new character (e.g. Droids and Ewoks cartons). According to Hasbro, the DVD sets will contain episodes of the current Clone Wars television show. There are no plans to extend these sets to vintage properties. Jedi Temple Archives asked for a photo of the upcoming Jabba, but was turned down. Per Hasbro, Jabba will be debuted at either San Diego Comic-Con or Celebration V. They also shot down rumors that a Lava Flea beast was in the works. In Hasbro's own words, "the rumors are bad on that one. It will never happen." Lichtgeschwindigkeit.de asked for information about possible Force Unleashed II action figures. Hasbro responded that Spring 2011 will see another round of exclusive multi-packs based on the first game, while TFU II figures would first appear in 2012. Bad news if you missed out on some of the late waves of Clone Wars action figures. Rebel Scum asked if rare figures such as Aayla Secura and Thi-Sen would be coming back in the Clone Wars line after the transition to the new packaging. Neither are slated for a new release at this time. Entertainment EarthEE, as you may know, scored the exclusive release of the final four comic 2-packs that had initially been cancelled by Hasbro. Yesterday they finally unveiled the final set; Montross and Jaster Mereel.
You can order the set on its own for $17.99 or, if you order by the end of the day today, get them as part of a case or a 4-pack and save $10 over normal retail. 7-15-2010LegoWe spotted a new Lego set at Target this afternoon; #8093 Plo Koon's Jedi Starfighter. This set is in the new 2010 packaging and is $24.99. Along with the new Hasbro toys at Toys-R-Us, it's looking like the long drought is nearly over for collectors. Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant officially announced Hammerhead, aka Momaw Nadon, as their next cantina alien to join the mini bust line. He's available for pre-order now, $64.99 directly from Gentle Giant, or from your favorite on-line retailer. No edition size yet but he's scheduled for a March 2011 release. Joining Gentle Giant's maquette line is Cad Bane. Bane is 9.5-inches tall and runs $95.00 from GG, probably less from other retailers. He's also scheduled for a March release and his edition size is also TBA. LegoToyFare magazine hit newsstands yesterday and we go a report that this issue included the announcement that Lego will have exclusive Cube Dudes at San Diego Comic-Con. There will be five Star Wars models:
We'll post more details, and hopefully a photo, when we have them. 7-14-2010Sideshow)
Cyborg Darth Maul Sideshow is now offering their latest Premium Format statue for pre-order; Cyborg Darth Maul. This PF statue depicts Darth Maul as he appeared in the Visionaries comic book. We'll also see this version of Darth Maul at San Diego Comic-Con in Hasbro's exclusive comic 2-pack (with Uncle Owen). The regular edition of Maul is $324.99 while the exclusive, which includes an alternate portrait, is $334.99. Neither edition size has been set and both statues are scheduled for a first quarter 2011 release. Celebration VIt's just been announced that Mark Hamill will attend Celebration V to sign autographs and appear on stage. Currently he's only scheduled to be in Orlando for Friday and Saturday but that may be extended. The price of the autograph is $125 and Official Pix is currently offering his tickets for sale in their store. ToppsTim Proctor confirmed on the forums yesterday that he'll be working on art for a set of season 2 Clone Wars cards. I don't see any other info on this set yet, whether it will be a regular set or Widevision, but we'll update when this is officially announced. Acme Archives
AT-AT Sketchplate Acme announced a Celebration V exclusive on their blog last night; AT-AT Sketchplate. No edition size or price, but if it holds with previous releases, we can probably expect 750 - 1000 pieces with a price of $35.00. Acme will offer pre-order for pickup as well as hold some back for those not attending CV. We'll have more details and pre-order information when it becomes available. In other Acme news, they will be holding their first panel at San Diego Comic-Con next week and word is that they have approval to hold a similar event at Celebration in August. 7-13-2010Celebration VYesterday, Official Pix and StarWars.com announced that Gary Kurtz, producer for both Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back, will be attending Celebration V in Orlando. Mr. Kurtz will be attending all four days and will be signing autographs for $30 each in the autograph hall. Celebration V will mark Mr. Kurtz' first convention appearance. New SpecialsBoth "Robot Chicken" and "Family Guy" will be going to the Star Wars well one more time each as they release "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III" and an untitled Return of the Jedi spoof respectively. "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III" will air on December 12, 2010 at 11:30PM. The "Family Guy" special will release to DVD just over a week later on December 21st. 7-12-2010Sideshow
Obi-Wan Kenobi Sideshow's Comic-Con event has given us a life-size bust, 12" action figure, bronze statue and now their second Legendary Scale Bust. Obi-Wan Kenobi, from his A New Hope appearance, joins Commander Cody in this relatively new line of collectibles from Sideshow. Obi-Wan is scheduled for a first quarter 2011 release and costs $249.99 with FlexPay available. The edition size is still to be determined, but pre-ordering is now available. Gentle GiantGentle Giant revealed another action figure in their new 12" line today; C-3PO. This makes the fourth figure that's been confirmed. On Twitter, GG also announced today that next Wednesday, preview night for San Diego Comic-Con, will feature the debut of their Celebration V exclusives. 7-11-2010Sideshow)
C-3PO Bust Yesterday Sideshow announced the next bust in their life-size line, C-3POO. C-3PO is made of fiberglass and polystone and has light-up eyes and a removable restraining bolt. He's slated for a fourth quarter release and costs $649.99. FlexPay is available for C-3PO and he's up for pre-order now. Toys-R-UsToys-R-Us is running another Buy One, Get One Half Off (BOGOHO) sale on Star Wars toys this week and, with them having the first stock of the new Vintage Collection, makes them a must-stop for collectors. The sale doesn't seem to apply to an entire order online at Toys-R-Us.com but you can take some advantage of the sale there as well. With Walmart and Target likely two weeks away from stocking the new Hasbro product, this is a good opportunity. 7-9-2010Celebration V
TicketsJust a reminder, Sunday night at midnight is the cutoff time for pre-ordering your Celebration V tickets if you want them shipped to you. If you order after the 11th, you will have to pick your tickets up at the convention center in August. ArtStarWars.com previewed artwork from 12 more Celebration artists last night, including the late John Alvin, Brian Rood, Tsuneo Sanda, Russell Walks and Ken Steacy. Head over to the official site to get a first look at the new art. Gentle GiantStormtrooper)
Stormtrooper Last Friday, Gentle Giant debuted their new line of 12" action figures with a photo of a Stormtrooper. This line of figures will be upsized re-creations of the vintage Kenner action figures. At the time, GG reps announced that the figures would be carded and come in a protective clamshell. Last night, GG released a mock up of the Stormtrooper card. The cards are 19" high by 14" wide and the clamshell will be re-sealable. The Stormtrooper is now available for pre-order to Premier Guild members, he's priced at $85. Gentle Giant should be announcing the second figure in this line, a Celebration V exclusive, in the near future. Cardback)
Cardback Preview Also posted last night was a photo of the cardback which previewed a Tusken Raider. Earlier today, GG updated with a second photo that included the Stormtrooper as well as Luke Skywalker. The Tusken is shown with a vinyl cape and Luke has his classic telescoping lightsaber. Gentle Giant has said that they intend to re-create the original 12 Kenner action figures, but there is also a rumor that the Celebration V exclusive could be Boba Fett. HallmarkThis weekend Hallmark will preview their new 2010 Keepsake Ornaments. Lando Calrissian will be this year's limited edition ornament so make sure to stop by your local Hallmark store and pick him up.
We showed you a sneak peek at the other ornaments back in May, and while not all of them will be available this weekend, some should be on shelves with Lando. Sideshow
Jango Fett Sideshow has been debuting new product all week and yesterday Star Wars was in the spotlight with a new bronze statue, this time of Jango Fett. Jango is limited to 25 pieces and is selling at three price points;
A deposit of $450 is required to order. As of this writing, the first five in the edition have been sold but you can still order edition numbers 6-15. 7-7-2010SideshowSideshow posted a new Q&A session yesterday and there are quite a few interesting pieces of Star Wars news to be had. Highlights include 2011 being the year of the bounty hunter, possibly kicking off with IG-88. A new 1:6 Darth Vader is planned, most likely from ROTJ, Hoth will be a focus for 2012, and we should get our first look at Commander Cody "very soon." Make sure to check out all the answers posted at Sideshow's website, and remember that their Online Comic-Con 2010 event is in full swing with daily announcements of new product, pre-orders, sales and games. Acme ArchivesIf you will be attending San Diego Comic-Con, you can now pre-order your Chewbacca Character Key and pick him up at the show. Head over to CharacterKey.com to place your order. If you will not be attending SDCC, there will be 100 keys held back and can be ordered beginning July 21st at 8:00PM EST. 7-3-2010Acme Archives)
Chewbacca Acme has been releasing Character Keys since Star Wars Celebration 3 in Indianapolis. They have released several exclusives at conventions over the years and this month's San Diego Comic-Con will be getting the newest release, Chewbacca. Acme has said this may be the last key in the current run of Saga characters but that decision has not been finalized yet. Chewbacca is limited to 750 pieces and will run $35.00. No word yet if Acme will do a pre-order but the keys are limited to 1 per person and should be at Acme's booth at Comic-Con. HasbroHasbro sent a new photo of the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive comic pack to one of the Q&A participants earlier this week but last night they put out more photos of the figures and also the packaging. The Darth Maul and Owen Lars figures are from Visionaries. The packaging looks like it may be a box with the comic pack inside.
Gentle GiantThe announcement of Gentle Giant's San Diego Comic-Con exclusives yesterday was just the first step; the second is ordering them. Both of the Star Wars items, and Lucius Malfoy bust from Harry Potter, are now up for order. Premiere Guild Members can order them and they'll be shipped after Comic-Con is over. There is no pre-order for pickup this year. Orders placed now by PGM members are guaranteed pre-orders. Head over to GentleGiantLtd.com, log in with your PGM account and place your orders today. 7-2-2010Celebration V - Collecting Panels)
CV Cereal Box It was just announced that the Collecting Panels at this year's Celebration V will feature custom cereal box giveaways during the panels. The boxes will feature custom artwork for cereal brands that will represent each of the 16 panels. According to the press release, they will be handed out randomly during each panel over the course of the weekend. The first box shown here features artwork from PSWCS President, Bill Cable. Gentle GiantGentle Giant just announced their San Diego Comic-Con exclusives and there are two Star Wars items of note. For other collectors, we'll see a Pan's Labyrinth Pale Man and Pan mini busts. Harry Potter fans can pick up a Lucius Malfoy Azkaban mini bust.
McQuarrie Darth Vader BustStar Wars fans already knew we could expect a McQuarrie Concept Darth Vader, and now we have photos of him! He comes with 3 interchangeable heads, is limited to 2,500 pieces and runs $75. StormtrooperAnd now for the new item; a 12" re-creation of a vintage Kenner Stormtrooper action figure. The Stormtrooper has an edition of 1,500 pieces and runs $85. The 12" figure is plastic and was created using scans of a vintage 3.75" Stormtrooper action figure. He's articulated and comes with a blaster. Not only that, the figure will come on a blister card with a protective clamshell. Sideshow)
Hammerhead As part of their month-long Comic-Con event, Sideshow has debuted their newest cantina alien, Momaw Nadon, aka Hammerhead. The regular edition is $119.99 while the exclusive, which comes with a staff, is $124.99. Both are scheduled for a first quarter 2011 release. Nadon's NookAs an add-on to Momaw Nadon, Sideshow is offering the Mos Eisley Cantina - Nadon's Nook environment. This figure environment features two chairs and a table with an LED light in it. There is also a frosty beverage for your thirsty patrons. Nadon's Nook is $89.99 and is also scheduled for a first quarter 2011 release.
SideshowSideshow kicked off their online Comic-Con 2010 event yesterday with pre-orders for a new Hulk statue and Thor life-size bust along with some distributed products. They're showing a teaser photo for a new Star Wars item that will be shown today. That photo looks suspiciously like a Hammerhead figure. Head over to the Sideshow Website for all the previews, pre-sales, games and giveaways as Sideshow celebrates 2010 Comic-Con. Entertainment EarthIt looks like the pricing I posted yesterday for the set of four exclusive comic packs has changed. When EE first tweeted the link for the set it was $59.99. Later on I received an email that the set was $10 more, $69.99. The pre-order I placed still lists as $59.99 so we'll see how it goes. I should also point out that my price per item was based on that original $59.99 price and that EE is selling the single sets for $17.99, the same price as the Dllr Nep & Plourr Ilo set. Cases of eight sets, two of each, are now listing for $129.99 but just like the set of four, was $10 cheaper when they first went up. 7-1-2010Clone WarsYak Face posted a scan of a new Hasbro catalog which has a listing of all 38 upcoming Clone Wars action figures.
Entertainment EarthHasbro let us know in the Q&A session this week that four previously cancelled comic 2-packs would be coming as exclusives to Entertainment Earth. )
Today, EE announced the four packs and put them up for pre-order;
The Legacy and KOTOR sets were pretty much a given since both sets of figures were shown off at San Diego Comic-Con 2009. The hint in a second Q&A answer pointed to the Fel and Isard set as I believe Isard is the female Imperial Officer Hasbro mentioned. The final set is disappointing, to me at least, since the Noghri and Wookiee set that was previously rumored would have been more interesting than more Mandalorians. The price from EE is only $59.99 for the set of four which isn't bad. It works out to $14.99 per set, or about the same as recent retail pricing. It's also a better price than the Dllr Nep & Plourr Ilo set which was $17.99. HasbroIf you haven't already seen reports, the Vintage Collection, Saga Legends and Clone Wars figures have been hitting Toys-R-Us stores over the past two days. Reports are not just on the coasts either, the toys have been found pretty much everywhere. Although we don't recall seeing any reports of the AT-AT on shelves, the Cloud Car, Snowspeeder and new deco Republic Fighter Tank have all been found. If you really were after an AT-AT, some online sites, such as Razor's Edge, have shipped their early pre-orders. It appears that the target date of August 6th, as seen on stickers applied to action figure cases, is not going to hold up. No reports as of this writing of seeing new figures at Walmart or Target stores have surfaced. Toys-R-Us is running a Buy 1 Get One 1/2 price on Star Wars figures this week which is also a benefit because, while the Clone Wars and Saga Legends figures are ringing up around the $7.00 mark, the Vintage Collection figures have a shelf price of $9.99. With the BOGO sale the price on the VC collection works out to what should eventually be regular retail of the figures, or about $7.50 per figure. | |||||||||
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