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9-28-2009Target - UpdatedUpdated the list below. Stopped in the local Target tonight and found that they are also offering four different pairs of socks and at least one pack of glow in the dark stickers. Target stores are again offering several Star Wars items in the $1 section at the front of their stores. The items we spotted over the weekend include:
There may be other items we didn't spot or the selection may vary by store. Next time you're in Target, stop by the front section on your way to the toy aisle. HalloweenWhile there are several different Halloween costumes out on store shelves now, there haven't been a lot of Star Wars items spotted for the trick or treat holiday this year. A couple of stores have a Vader helmet candy pail and reports are in that a Clone Wars themed treat bag was spotted at Walmart. Nothing on the candy front this year but keep a lookout, there may be something hiding that we here at the Holocron haven't been able to find yet. Toys-R-UsToys-R-Us stores have had an exclusive Clone Wars action figure for about a month now but this week they're offering him for free with a $30 purchase. The exclusive Commander Ponds figure is priced at $9.99 and has been for sale since late August. The current sale runs until this Saturday, October 3rd. TRU is also offering sale prices on Galactic Heroes (2 for $8.99), Deluxe Figure and Vehicles ($12.99) and the Star Wars Electronic Blaster ($19.99). The exclusive Republic Gunship, the "Crumb Bomber," is also for sale now from ToysRUs.com for $69.99. The price is a steep increase from previous offerings. We'll be adding one later this year but will probably wait until they hit retail shelves. 9-25-2009Sideshow & Museum ReplicasIt's been nearly two years since Museum Replicas and one of their divisions, Windlass Studios, announced that they had obtained a license from Lucasfilm to produce costume replicas from the Star Wars films. While they have shown off costumes at the last two San Diego Comic-Cons, they have yet to release any product. That's about to change. Sideshow is now offering for pre-order three different Jedi cloaks. The cloaks represent those worn by Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi, and Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Each is based on the actual costume worn in the films. All three require a $40 deposit and are scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2010. The prices range from $175, to $250 to $300 for Luke, Anakin and Obi-Wan respectively. 9-24-2009SideshowSideshow posted a new "Ask Sideshow" feature last night and there were a couple Star Wars questions covered, including one with some news on a future Boba Fett. Q: I have a question/request regarding
the “in development” Boba Fett figure: Will it be the Empire
Strikes Back version (green gauntlets, blue back on helmet,
green jetpack), or the Return of The Jedi version (red
gauntlets, green back on helmet, blue jetpack) as in your PF
figure? If you’re still debating the issue, the ESB version has
been done in 1/6 before by Marmit, Hasbro and Medicom, whereas
the ROTJ version would be new. With regards to accuracy, would
Sideshow be willing to show pre-production photos to the
community in order to ensure 100% accuracy? I ask because the
helmet on the PF statue is the wrong shape, and it would be a
shame if the same error was perpetuated into the 1/6 scale
figure. Oh, and another question: Is there a 1/6 Scout Trooper
in development?
A: Our development team is working on both Empire and ROTJ versions of Boba Fett, although it’s too early to say which version will be released, or which will be released first. While we may share images of the development, there are many factors that dictate details of the product, especially issues like helmet shape, which are not always easily communicated. Sometimes small adjustments must be made for production purposes (the way the injection tools work), and sometimes the licensor has a strong opinion about which reference we should match to. Of course, we will always read feedback, and our goal is to provide the most accurate and quality Fett that we can. We’re not currently in development on a 1:6 Scout Trooper, but he is VERY near the top of our list of candidates. Q: Do you guys have any plans for a 1:6th scale Star Wars: Force Unleashed line? A: We are incorporating “Force Unleashed” characters into our current 1:6 scale Star Wars line, but we don’t have plans to do a full line of characters from the FU. At this time, we’re most interested in the trooper variations from the game. Q: Can we expect to see a 12-inch figure of Anakin Skywalker
from Attack of the Clones in the near future? He is very
anticipated among the fans! A: Padawan Anakin is on our list of candidates for the 12″ line, but is somewhat further down the list. Despite the many appearances of Luke, Obi, and Ani, our goal is to try to offer many different types of characters, and spread the main characters over the years. 9-17-2009HasbroSeveral new Battle Pack names hit EntertainmentEarth.com the other day but now we have photos and figure listings. The BPs look to be re-packed figures, it remains to be seen if any paint applications are updated. There are two Saga packs and two Clone Wars packs. Battle Packs
Figure & Vehicle PacksEE also posted up a listing for four new Clone Wars figure and vehicle packs. One we already knew about, Obi-Wan with the Freeco speeder, but I believe the others are new.
The AT-RT looks to be a new sculpt while the BARC Speeder is a re-paint. The surprise in the listing is the Desert Sport Skiff. Yes, it's that Desert Sport Skiff from the POTF2 Deluxe line way back in 1996! 9-16-2009Star Wars: In ConcertThe Star Wars: In Concert tour has added new dates and will be making its way to the eastern half of the country later this year.
To keep up to date on the concert and any additional dates that will be added in the future, check out StarWarsinConcert.com. You can also become a friend of Star Wars: In Concert on Facebook. 9-12-2009Toys-R-Us)
Clone Commander Manual Toys-R-Us has a new exclusive book available starting tomorrow, September 13th. The "Clone Commander Training Manual" was created by Penquin exclusively for Toys-R-Us. Check out the press release below. Want to know what it takes to be a Clone
Commander? Find out only at Toys"R"Us!
The Clone Commander Manual, which was created by Penguin exclusively for Toys"R"Us, contains all the training that young fans need to progress through the ranks and become a Clone Commander. There are sections on Basic Training (learn your ranks and unit markings), Tactical Training (know your enemy, weapons, and spacecraft), and Advanced Training (earn your recon badge, pilots badge, and more!), as well as badges and a Clone Commander I.D. card! The hardcover Clone Commander Manual ($14.99 value) comes "magnetically sealed" in a wrap-around diamond plate-finish cover (to protect it from battle damage!), and is available exclusively at Toys"R"Us free with any $30 purchase ($50 CDN) of Star Wars products. Available in the US: 9/13-9/19, and in Canada: 9/18-9/25 The press release and more photos can be found on StarWars.com. HasbroWhile 2010 is still a couple of months away, The Private Universe asked, and were answered, about the action figure count in the non-Clone Wars line next year. Per Hasbro, 45 basic figures. Mighty Muggs fans will be disappointed in the news Hasbro gave to Imperial Ship Yards. The exclusive wave of Muggs that was scheduled for Toys-R-Us has been cancelled. The line will be exclusive to TRU stores but the line will be made up of "excess stock." In other words, the only Muggs you'll see are ones that have already been released. And, according to the answer from Hasbro, no matter how they sell at TRU there are no plans for more Muggs in the future. 9-11-2009Hasbro - UpdateMore answers from this week's Q&A session have been posted and a couple more interesting tidbits have come out. Mousedroid asked about two vehicles making the crossover from the Titanium line to the action figure scale Starfighter line. The Xanadu Blood, Cad Bane's ship from The Clone Wars, and the Hyena Bomber. While the Xanadu Blood would be a re-paint of the Magna Guard Fighter, the Bomber would most likely be new. Hasbro confirmed that we would see one of these next year. Money is on the Xanadu Blood, but the Bomber would be a cool addition. Raving Toy Maniac had an interesting response from Hasbro about the reasoning behind the new cardback size for the 2009 line of action figures. According to Hasbro, the new, smaller size was decided on to better "conform to the standard Wal-Mart planogram peg sizes." They go on to say that they asked collectors for input on this change and the majority were fine with it or didn't care one way or the other. It's interesting to see how much one retailer's merchandising decisions can impact a large manufacturer such as Hasbro. HasbroI'm not sure what schedule Hasbro has been on for their Q&A but yesterday they posted answers to a new round of questions from the various fan websites. Read on for a few cool tidbits. BanthaSkull.com, along with at least one other site, asked if Hasbro would clarify the Imperial Scanning Tech's accessories. Per Hasbro, the Tech will come with the accessories shown at SDCC even though some of the online photos have shown him without them. Also, each Tech release, there's a running head change, will come with half of the accessories. Jedi Temple Archives asked about a single carded AT-ST Driver to go along with the new AT-ST and driver that are coming later this year. Hasbro actually confirmed that we should see one next year. In the same question, JTA asked about Ewoks Widdle and Oochee, the two that hijack an AT-ST in Return of the Jedi. While Hasbro didn't confirm these figures they did say that they would probably be part of an exclusive pack if they come out. If you are a Jabba fan then you'll be excited about the info Hasbro gave to Sir Steve's Guide. SSG asked if a new Jabba may be in the works due to the fact Hasbro has an excellent new Slave Leia on the way. Hasbro confirmed that they have been working on a new Jabba figure since they did Leia. It's not been approved yet but if it is, we may see it late in 2010. 9-8-2009Tomy)
Tomy has a new set of Star Wars gashapon collectibles in Japan and this time they're plaster-like busts. Each bust is about 2-inches (5cm) tall and according to Hobby Link Japan, are made of polystone. These are blind boxed just like many gashapon items and according to an eBay auction there should be a secret bust to go along with the five pictured. Based on Hobby Link Japan's prices, each bust sells for about $3. If you're interested in these, find a trading buddy in Japan or check the usual suspects for import sales. Thanks for the heads-up to Master_M_M on the RebelScum.com forums. Gentle Giant) Holiday Yak Face We posted on this the other day but now confirmation, and a photo, has been posted by Gentle Giant. The 2009 holiday bust for PGM members will be Yak Face decked out with a candy cane staff and antlers. This year the holiday bust is a little different because the antlers and cane are both removable and Yak will come with a more movie accurate staff that can be swapped in. Basically, you're getting two busts for the price of one; a regular Jabba's palace Yak Face and a holiday version. So, if you like your aliens hairy and sad looking, make sure to get your order in. Per Gentle Giant, the pre-order should be up some time today and, like last year, should run for a week or so before being closed down. No price yet but we'd look for this to be in the $60-$65 range. 9-4-2009Topps)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Widevision Topps has officially announced the next Star Wars trading card series based on "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." This new widevision set will have 80 base cards plus several levels of chase cards, including exclusives for hobby and retail stores. Along with the 80 card base set there are also two parallel sets, one silver foil stamped and one gold. The hobby chase cards include:
Retail chase cards include:
It appears from the listing on the Topps website that the parallel cards may be in both sets but the others are divided up. Word is that each silver foil parallel has 500 pieces while the gold parallels are 1/1, meaning there's only one set of gold foil parallels. Some of the autograph cards are reported to be from the following voice actors:
The sale date is October 30th. We'll update if additional information becomes available on the chase sets. In addition to this set, a new Galaxy V set of cards is rumored for January 2010 but no other details are out yet on that set. SideshowDiorama
Luke vs The Rancor Sideshow announced the next diorama in their Star Wars collection last night and it's "There will be no bargain" Luke vs The Rancor. Only a teaser photo for now but the pre-order will launch with next Thursday's newsletter. We'll have price and other information next week when this launches. Ask SideshowSideshow also updated with a new round of Ask Sideshow questions and answers last night, including three about future Star Wars projects. Q: Do you have plans to make more alien
figures from Star Wars? Perhaps Hammerhead, Amanaman, Ephant
Mon, Oppo Rancisis,etc?
A: Yes, aliens are likely to play a bigger role starting late 2010, and continuing into 2011. As you may have seen in the progress shots of our Gammorean [sic] Guard, we are testing non-traditional body styles in preparation for some of these more imaginative aliens. Q: Does Sideshow have the rights in their Star Wars license agreement to create products based on Ralph McQuarrie’s or any concept artists’ designs? Specifically in 1/6th scale. A: We do believe that our 12-inch figure line could include McQuarrie style figures. Q: What are the odds we can see 12-inch Luke Skywalker from the Dark Empire series or in Jedi Masters robes as depicted in the cover of Legacy #7? How about some of the characters based on Ralph McQuarrie’s design, such as Hasbro did for their line? I know there are more (plenty of) characters we need from the movies ( I’m looking at you Jango Fett, Boba Fett, Count Dooku…etc), but one can hope for more Expanded Universe Characters in the line. A: Yes, we are considering almost all of the characters that you describe. We’re sensitive to how many versions of Luke are offered in our lines, so the Legacy Luke is likely to be a little ways off. McQuarrie’s designs are likely to appear within our lines, although we’re considering his work for all lines (not just 12-inch). Sounds like there is potential good news for fans of Ralph McQuarrie's designs. It's also interesting to hear about future aliens that may not be based on standard Buck or Pro bodies. That opens a lot of doors to flesh out collections. 9-3-2009LegoLego has three new mini promo sets coming to the UK starting this weekend. Readers of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror will be able to collect tokens which they can redeem at WH Smith and Toys-R-Us stores. The promotion runs from this Saturday, September 5th, through Sunday, September 13th. Along with six Lego sets there will also be a Collector Box, poster and stickers. Three of the sets look to be previously released, including a TIE Fighter and General Grievous and V-19 Starfighters which may be the same as released at Target in the US for Easter this year. The new sets each include a minifigure.
Head over to the Mirror's website for an advertisement of the promotion and free wallpaper downloads, comics and games. 9-2-2009TargetFor a few weeks there have been reports that Hasbro reps were pulling older, unsold Legacy Collection action figures from store shelves in order to free up new shipments. Last night at the local Target we seem to have spotted the results of Hasbro's efforts. Leading up to Monday, Target had over a dozen each of Bail and Breha Organa, a lone Coruscant Clone Trooper and two or three each of Yarna and Stass Allie representing the Legacy Collection on the pegs. The store, to date, has never received the Empire Strikes Back or Attack of the Clones waves and may have only had one lone case of A New Hope, if that. Tuesday night during our visit the TLC pegs were nearly empty. There were three Stass Allie figures, the Coruscant Clone and one Breha Organa figure, the rest were gone. I'm even assuming that the lone Breha figure was hidden behind a Clone Wars figure on the wrong peg or was otherwise out of position when the purge happened. And it had to be a purge, there is no way Target sold out of two dozen action figures that had been peg warming for 8 months. Good news, especially if the newer waves start showing up. And, it will be even better news if this store skips right to the upcoming Phantom Menace wave. The local Walmart has stocked the ANH and ESB figures a few times each and the local collector market should have had its fill by now. The AOTC wave wouldn't be terrible, but with the Owen and Beru figures taking the Bail and Breha rolls, I think it would only duplicate the problem we've had all year. Unfortunately, the TPM wave will include the Luke and Han Stormtrooper figures from the earlier ANH wave and they were less than stellar sellers at Walmart this summer. Overall it's a positive move for Hasbro and Target. HasbroOn the heels of the Sunday's post comes more Hasbro finds. This time it's the Walmart exclusive Evolutions packs and Octuptarra Droid. There are three Evo sets and, per Hasbro, these will do it for the Evolutions line for the foreseeable future. The Octuptarra Droid is about the same size as vehicles in the Starfighter line but as this is an exclusive, the reported price is $29.99. Still, for the size of it, it should be worth it. Also a reminder on this year's Droid Factory sets at Walmart. Hasbro has mentioned that this set will have a much more limited run than last year's set did and with Walmart stores downsizing their toy aisles, you may want to grab these when you see them. Even with the ridiculous $17 price tag, stores aren't getting a lot of these and in the long run it may be cheaper to buy them at retail then chase them on eBay. |
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