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8-31-2007Saga Legends 2008The Top 20 list of action figures eligible for the 2008 Saga Legends line has been posted:
The first thing to note is that Hasbro disqualified Amanaman, Durge and the EU Spacetrooper as they are already slated to be repacked of updated in the near future. It appears that there could be both red and grey variants on the ARC Trooper which, evidently, scored the most votes overall. Also, black Bespin Guard! I'm definitely voting for that figure. There's really a lack of droids on the list, not a single astromech figure made the top 20 which is disappointing. Also disappointing is that eight (40%) of the top 20 are Troopers of various flavors including the Clone Trooper Pilot from the Saga line which really needs an update instead of a repack. I'm worried that the top 5 vote getters could all be Troopers. Sio Bibble made the list but I doubt he makes it through. None of the rest, except for Wulf Yalaren, are really surprises as they topped the lists from several sites that I noticed. I'm surprised that Wulf wasn't disqualified since it's still available in the briefing room set. I think I already have my 5 picked out but other than the Bespin Guard I'll wait till later to post them. The vote should start next week, probably on Friday. Check back for updates or keep your eyes on Hasbro.com. 8-30-2007Acme)
Great news from Acme last night, the next to last Clone Wars Character Key was announced an it'll be Durge! It's not supposed to be an exclusive but more details will be coming in the near future. It appears that the key will have a 1,000 piece edition size based on the photo posted. With only one left I still have my fingers crossed for a Gunship from the cartoon with shark deco! 8-29-2007Gentle GiantGG updated their web site today at about 1:00 with pre-orders for the Baltimore Comic-Con. Available are Bacara, Yoda & R2 maquette and the Han and Luke as Stormtroopers Bust-Up 2-packs. There's no link from the blog right now but head over to GentleGiantLtd.com, go to the store and then the Star Wars section to find the items you want. Master ReplicasToday is a big order day at MR, the new Boba Fett helmet is going on sale. There are two editions available, a Limited Edition and Signature Edition. The Limited Edition has an edition size of 1,500 pieces and will sell for $449. The first 500 orders will also receive a limited edition Master Print Collection print of Boba Fett from Acme Archives. The print will sport the artwork of Tom Hodges. The Signature Edition is limited to 750 pieces with a price tag of $549. These pieces will be numbered and include Jeremy Bulloch's autograph. The SE version is limited to 2 per customer, no limits are posted on the LE. These will go up for sale at 12:00PM EST for Collectors Society members while the general public will get their shot tomorrow, also at noon. If a Limited Edition Boba Fett helmet isn't your game, Master Replicas is also offering a special deal on their Kotobukiya Boba Fett ARTFX statue. If you purchase one you will receive a free Boba Fett scaled replicas blaster. This sale is only good till August 31, 2007. Some news out of the MR offices that a lot of people were not happy to hear is that the Studio Scale X-Wing Fighter has been cancelled. According to MR, there wasn't going to be enough time to get the model up to their exacting standards and rather than skimp on detail they decided to cancel the project. Unfortunately the year is quickly winding down and with it, MR's license to produce replicas of our favorite Star Wars props. HasbroIf you're after the Ultimate Galactic Hunt figures from the 30th Anniversary line then you better start hitting your stores regularly. Reports have been hitting the web for about a week now with these figures showing at both Wal-Mart and Target. JediDefender.com is also reporting that wave 3 of the Saga Legends figures has been found at retail. If you're after exclusive vehicles, the Y-Wing and 181st TIE Fighter have been found at Toys-R-Us stores. SideshowI think I forgot to post the news that Sideshow has announced a Palpatine/Sidious figure pack . I'm not sure if it's a 2-pack or if there will be a swappable head. Either way, look for this to go up for pre-order on Thursday, September 6th at 1:00PM EST. This figure pack will be part of the Lords of the Sith line. 8-23-2007StarWars.comStarWars.com sent out a survey to members last night asking for input on what people would like to see as far as content and features go. There's also a lot of demographic questions to get through as well. I haven't taken it yet but probably will at some point in the next day or so. If you are Hyperspace member look for this in your inbox. WizKidsThis October WizKids will be releasing the next wave of PocketModels called Ground Assault. The debuted the game this past weekend at Gen Con in Indianapolis. Check out the full press release from WizKids. SideshowI just received a pre-processing notice from Sideshow for the Dejarik Holochess expansion pack. It should be reaching the Sideshow offices in the next 15 to 20 days and we'll get billed at that point. I'm really looking forward to this piece. Gentle GiantGG finally updated their blog with official word on the Chewbacca mini bust with breathing mask. Officially titled Mynock Hunt Chewbacca, the bust is limited to 2,500 pieces and will be a Diamond Comic Distributors exclusive. If you want this bust head to your favorite comic store and ask them to order you one up from Previews. Price is $55 and it looks like we should see him some time this fall. 8-20-2007HasbroOver the weekend I found some new items at Wal-Mart including the second wave of Saga Legends figures and the newest wave of Titanium. Wave 2 of Legends looked pretty good for the most part. I passed up on the Sandtrooper from the wave because the package was open and I while it didn't look like it was missing anything, I didn't want to take a chance. That's the only figure from that wave that I'll be picking up till they change the 501st Clone from the AT-TE Driver sculpt to the ROTS-41 super articulated version. I think all of the new Titanium vehicles were on the shelf except for the AT-AP. There were at least 5 of the blue re-painted Tantive IV, and A-Wing along with three of the black Viper Mark II from Battlestar Galactica. No red Viper or B-Wing either, if that's the case assortment that was stocked. One minor gripe I have with a lot of the recent Titanium vehicles is with the stand. Or, maybe it's with the plastic insert in the bottom of the ship. Either way, something is loose and it causes the ships to tilt forward when on the stand and doesn't look as clean as a lot of the earlier vehicles did. I think Hasbro needs to look into that design. 8-16-2007Gentle GiantGG ran the raffles last night for the Commander Bly mini bust and Darth Vader Chubby. No luck on Bly. The raffles for Cody and the rest of the San Diego Comic-Con exclusives will be going off some time today so watch your inbox. SideshowJust an update on Friday's Maul pre-order. The figure will price out at $149.99 and is limited to 1,000 pieces. Again, the pre-order starts at 1:00PM EST. 8-15-2007Mattel Toy RecallI'm sure everyone has already heard about the huge toy recall by Mattel. If not, head over to Mattel's Voluntary Safety Recall Facts site for more information. Information on that site covers both the Fisher Price recall for lead paint from earlier this year as well as the recall due to the use of magnets in toys. The magnet recall covers Barbie, Batman and Polly Pocket toys while the lead paint even includes at least one of the newer Cars die-cast toys. Master ReplicasToday is pre-order day for the Signature Edition Luke Skywalker lightsaber. The price is $525 and it's limited to 500 pieces and is available exclusively from Master Replicas. I believe this will be Master Replicas last SE lightsaber according to some reports I've read around the web. The pre-sale goes up at 12:00PM EST. If the Limited Edition lightsabers are more your speed, and price, then look for the 1,500 piece edition that will be available from Mater Replicas retailers. SideshowShipping notices are going out for the Asajj Ventress figure. Mine should be here next Monday or so. I'm really looking forward to this figure. Also, this Friday is pre-order day for the Medicom Darth Maul figure that's being distributed by Sideshow. Should be up about 1:00PM EST like their normal orders. 8-13-2007Around the Toy AisleSaturday was a nice day so I took a spin around the expanded neighborhood to see what was out at the various stores. With Target and Wal-Mart both having just reset their toy aisles, I figured it was about time to start seeing some new stock on shelves and I did find some new stuff. Full Story >> Topps) Dalla Vecchia Pencil Sketch My hobby box of cards arrived on Friday night and overall I'm pretty happy with it. I pulled one complete set with only 26 duplicate cards. The breakdown of the box looked like this:
I also picked up two retail boxes at Target. They are the boxes with 8 retail packs in each one. I've had good luck with these boxes before and this time wasn't any different. The two boxes broke down like this:
The first box I opened had three packs that had 8 cards in them instead of 7. One pack had 2 Tryptich pieces in it. The second box had 7 cards in each pack as it's supposed to but I did get 8 chase cards out of it. I have a list of extra cards, cards I'm looking for and a breakdown of the Tryptich puzzle sets linked from the Display Pad at the top of this page or you can get there from here: Topps 30th Anniversary Trading Cards I'm hoping to complete the retail Animation Cell chase set and the Tryptich puzzle sets as well as a second basic set. I don't think I'll buy another box, though, unless a hobby box came along at a good price. I'd take a chance on another sketch card or an autograph card. )
KotobukiyaPictures hit the net of Series 4 of Koto's Real Mask Magnet Collection. Looks like we can expect Darth Vader with Under the Mask Anakin reveal, IG-88, Nien Nunb, Zuckuss, AT-AT Driver, Figrin D'an and Luke Skywalker in X-Wing helmet. There's also a secret mask that we don't know about yet. Thanks to Doc who sent in the photo. LegoThe new 2007 Lego sets are starting to appear at stores. I've now seen the new Jedi Starfighter with hyperdrive ring, Naboo Fighter with Vulture Droid and the MTT. I've also seen the Sith Infiltrator at, at least, Wal-Mart. 8-10-2007Gentle GiantIf you are a Premier Guild member now's your chance to enter the raffle for Commander Bly and the San Diego exclusives like Commander Cody, Luna Lovegood and the others. Head to GentleGiantLtd.com, log in and go to the blog for links. They're weeding out those that pre-ordered for pickup at the convention so I'm hoping that although there are only 200 each of Cody and Bly, the distribution won't be as bad. SideshowPre-order day is here for Bespin Luke Skywalker. Look for this to go up about 1:00PM EST today. It also appears that the Ilum Padme figure finally sold out. That took a lot longer than I thought it would but it's kind of a disappointing figure, in my opinion, so I'm sure that had something to do with it. If you missed out, get on the Wait List now and you might still have a shot at it. Second Chance offers are up for Leia Boushh and the inclusive edition of the Salacious Crumb accessory set. There are plenty of chances to spend some cash with Sideshow today if you want! KubricksA new photo of Series 8 and 9 showed up in "Openers" magazine and JediDefender.com has the rundown on all the figures. Series 8 will include the first prequel characters, all from The Phantom Menace, such as Darth Maul, Anakin, Queen Amidala, Qui-Gon and C-3PO. Series 9 has Attack of the Clones figures including Jango Fett and a Clone Trooper. There will also be a boxed set with AOTC versions of C-3PO, Jango, Clone Trooper and Padme. Two cool exclusives shown are a Shadow Guard and Bluestar. The photo includes the new C-3PO VCD figure as well as a Shadow Guard figure which appears to be based on the Emperor's Royal Guard VCD that was recently offered. 8-9-2007Gentle Giant DiscountGreat news for Gentle Giant fans who are also members of Hyperspace, the official Star Wars fan club. Members are now entitled to a 10% discount on Gentle Giant items purchased from the official store, ShopStarWars.com. The discount goes into effect as of today on in-stock items and any pre-orders posted after August 1st. Check out the official announcement on StarWars.com. HasbroThe new comic 2-packs are hitting locally and I just picked up all three new sets at Target last night. This wave includes A'Sharad Hett & Dark Woman with "The Hunt for Aurra Sing" #4 comic, Princess Leia & Darth Vader from "Infinites" #4 and Luke Skywalker & Mara Jade from "Heir to the Empire" #5. It's a nice choice of characters while Hett, Leia, Vader, Mara and Dark Woman are all pretty nice figures. The Luke is probably the worst of the lot with bad articulation and an odd choice for an outfit. A'Sharad Hett is probably my favorite out of this wave of figures with Mara Jade being a close second. I also admire Vader for the way Hasbro pulled off his battle damage. My main gripe is twofold, the paint applications on the female characters was borderline and the plastic in all six figures is very soft. Still, $10 for two figures and a comic isn't bad of a deal while two of the figures represented new characters and Mara was a long overdue upgrade. Just check over the figures and try to pick the best paint applications and I think you'll enjoy the figures. San Diego Comic-Con) R2-KT The SDCC exclusive figures that I ordered from HasbroToyShop.com came in Tuesday night and overall I'm pretty happy with them. I picked up the silver mask version of Destro from the new G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line as well as the 501st R2-KT an McQuarrie Concept Yoda w/ Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'm really happy with the McQuarrie figures as both have nice sculpts, plenty of detail and soft goods. The accessories are nice and the paint applications came out well. Obi-Wan could have done with some additional leg articulation but that's the only negative for me. The R2-KT figure, made in honor of Katie Johnson, is very well done. It uses the R4-G9 sculpt and has Katie's name and a heart on the back. The packaging is similar to last year's 501st Stormtrooper and includes a trading card. From a figure standpoint, the only thing that's wrong is the middle foot is assembled backwards. Still, great concept for great cause. 8-8-2007SideshowJust a reminder that Friday is pre-order day for the new Bespin Luke Skywalker. I haven't checked he blog lately to see if the exclusive item has been announced yet but I'll probably wait till Friday to go looking. Still undecided on this one but it does look awesome. It's just a toss up if I want this version of Luke or if I'll hold out for a Tatooine version. Gentle GiantIf you are a Premier Guild member then, per the GG Blog, we should be looking for the newest raffle some time later this week. Up this time are Commander Cody, Luna Lovegood and Glorfindel mini busts and the Darth Vader Jumbo Chubby. All were 2007 Comic-Con exclusives. Also going up for raffle will be Commander Bly which was released in July at Forbidden Planet in the UK. 8-7-2007ToppsIf you collect Star Wars cards then you've probably already picked up your 30th Anniversary Topps cards which came out last week. If not, better start looking for the hobby boxes soon, they're selling fast. We should see the retail boxes released this week so check your local Target, TRU and Wal-Mart stores if you're looking for them. I just ordered up a hobby box last night and I'm hoping it'll roll in before the weekend so I can start putting together my sets. I have my fingers crossed for some good pulls on either the sketch or autograph cards. 8-4-2007Gentle Giant
More news out of GG yesterday. For Premiere Guild members there is an exclusive Blackhole Stormtrooper maquette now available for purchase! Limited to 1,000 pieces it's a repaint of the regular Stormtrooper maquette that's out. It's $80 and limited to one per PG member. Head over to the Gentle Giant web site, log into your account and head to the Blog for links to purchase. As of midnight last night it was still in stock but may not last long. HasbroAs mentioned during Comic-Con, Hasbro is doing a new poll for a final wave of Saga Legends figures in 2008. The five or six figure wave will once again be voted on by fans. This time, however, all the major web sites get a chance to have input. What you need to do is sign onto your favorite collecting site such as JediDefender.com, GalacticHunter.com, YodasNews.com or RebelScum.com and follow their instructions for posting your list of favorite figures that you would like to see repacked next year. Each site will narrow down the lists to the top five or 10 figures and send them to Hasbro. Hasbro will whittle those lists to about 20 figures and then, starting sometime around the last week of August, fans will vote on Hasbro's site to determine the final list of five or six figures. My list, in order:
It will be interesting to see how this turns out this time. With the Saga Legends line already going about 28 figures deep (not counting running deco changes), it doesn't leave a lot of good figures from the last 10 years to pick from. There are a lot of characters that need new sculpts anyway, and it would be a shame to see some of them make this list and have their shot at a re-sculpt pushed out further into the future. 8-3-2007Gentle GiantIf you're still looking to pick up the Bly and Cody busts then next Friday is what you're waiting for. That's when Gentle Giant will start their raffles for the San Diego Comic-Con exclusives, including Cody, and the Bly statue from last month's UK release. 8-2-2007Gentle GiantIf you were able to get an order in for the Mace Windu maquette from ShopStarWars.com then be looking for a shipping notice if you haven't already received it. The final maquette in the Clone Wars line, Mace has even hit some doorsteps for people in California and those that opted for quicker shipping. HyperspaceFan Club membership kits for Hyperspace members are starting to arrive in mailboxes. Mine came yesterday and has the requisite advertisements for Kotobukiya, Gentle Giant and Mello Smello. There's also a cool Bantha Tracks patch and a post card ad for the "You Can Draw Star Wars" book which has some nice art on it. They also threw in a sample pack of Top Trumps cards, member ship card and letter from George Lucas. Nothing spectacular, as usual, but with the Fan Club only being $15 a year now that it's split from the magazine, it's not a bad freebie. HasbroReports hit the various web sites that the newest wave of Comic 2-packs have hit shelves as well as the second wave of Saga Legends. The Comic packs were found at both Toys-R-Us and Target. I figured we see some new items at Target as they finish their toy section resets over the next week. This wave of 2-packs have Vader and Leia, Luke and Mara and Hett and Dark Woman. 8-1-2007San Diego ExclusivesAll of the HasbroToyShop.com and ShopStarWars.com exclusives from SDCC were put up for sale on Monday and Tuesday. Some have sold out already, such as the McQuarrie Yoda and Obi-Wan sets but keep your eyes on HTS.com. Since these will be in and out of stock till they are completely sold out, just hit the main sites if you are looking for the exclusives. I was able to put in my order with HTS.com for the Yoda/Obi-Wan set, R2-KT and the silver headed version of Destro from the 25th GI Joe line. |
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