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Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Squid Head.
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Let me preface the following discussion by saying that I have nothing against the concept of deluxe figures. If a figure receives many more paint apps and/or accessories, if a figure requires extensive new tooling and many parts (maybe because of size) then a “deluxe” label is deserved. All these things cost money and when production costs are increased because of all the extra effort put into a figure then it’s only ok to ask for more money. However, I argue that Hasbro does nothing of the sort with their Black Series deluxe figures. Let us take a close look at the newly revealed Cobb Vanth figure to see why I think Hasbro’s version of “deluxe” is a scam and rips off collectors by asking for extra money without putting the extra effort in it. Click through for more!
Hasbro’s idea of a deluxe figure
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The latest Gaming Greats The Black Series 6-inch figure is Zaalbar. Do you want this character in your collection? (more….)
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It should be common knowledge by now that Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker in the upcoming Kenobi series. However, this is not where things will end. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Hayden Christensen will also appear as Anakin Skywalker in the Ahsoka series, which is set 5 years after the events of Return of the Jedi. So of course Anakin has been dead for five years. But since death is not even an inconvenience in the Star Wars galaxy chances are Anakin will appear as a Force ghost. Or maybe we will be see Ahsoka clone wars flashbacks and/or visions. Details are not known at this point. The sequels had a disturbing lack of Anakin Skywalker Force ghost scenes, even more puzzling when you consider the fact Kylo Ren was Darth Vader’s biggest fanboy and also his grandson. One of the many oversights of the sequels. But it seems Lucasfilm is willing to rectify that mistake by offering Hayden Christensen various roles in their Disney+ series. Will you be happy to see much more of Hayden as Anakin (or Darth Vader) in the next few years? And who knows, maybe Lucasfilm is gearing up for a proper Darth Vader series that focuses more on the man behind the mask. Hayden is still quite young, only 40 (he was really young in Attack of the Clones), so he’s about the right age to play a late Empire era Vader or post ROTJ Force ghost, he could probably also still play his younger clone wars self with some make-up wizardry. Would you be up for that?
When death is barely an inconvenience
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Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Weequay.
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This is not supposed be a rant where someone yells at clouds, but I have been wondering more and more lately if the toy collecting hobby has completely gone off the rails. These days people buy toys that cost $350, $400 or even much more, $500 and even $900. And they do it quite happily so. Why should a toy ever be $350 or even more? Why do companies even still pretend these things are toys, when they are in fact just memberberries for adults and no one else? Will the HasLab Rancor come in a box that says “Ages 4+”? Why do people part with so much money voluntarily and quite merrily even and never bother to ask if that is what toy collecting should really be? Click through to continue the discussion!
The new Hasbro CEO?
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The pre-order for the Target exclusive The Black Series The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis) is now live. Thanks to JTA Reader Matt for the alert!
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Pre-orders from today’s livestream are listed below. We will continue to add links as we find them.
Pulse Con 2021 Exclusives (Hasbro Pulse)
- Emperor’s Throne Room (The Vintage Collection)
- Trapper Wolf (The Black Series)
- Cantina Showdown (The Black Series)
Update: The Pulse Con exclusives have moved to pre-order status, and the Cantina Showdown pre-orders are now sold out
The Vintage Collection Specialty Wave (re-releases, now with separate SKU’s) (Summer 2022)
- Anakin Skywalker (VC80) (Entertainment Earth • Amazon • Pulse)
- Mace Windu (VC35) (Entertainment Earth • Amazon • Pulse)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (VC31) (Entertainment Earth • Amazon • Pulse)
- Ahsoka Tano (VC102) (Entertainment Earth • Amazon • Pulse)
The Vintage Collection Playsets
- Nevarro Cantina (Entertainment Earth • Amazon • Pulse)
The Vintage Collection Troop Builder Packs (Spring 2022)
- Rebel Fleet Troopers (includes Captain Antilles) (Pulse • ShopDisney)
The Black Series
- Cobb Vanth (Deluxe) (Entertainment Earth • Amazon • Pulse)
- The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis) (Target Exclusive)
- Princess Leia’s Force FX Elite Lightsaber (Entertainment Earth)
Tags: Hasbro Pulse Con, Pre-Orders, The Black Series [Phase IV], The Vintage Collection
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Hasbro just officially announced the brand new Black Series Rancor HasLab! We knew about this for months ever since Patrick’s slip of the tongue, but now we have all the details!
Price: $350
Size: 44.45 cm / 17.5 in tall, 30.48 cm / 12 in wide, much more with arms outstretched
Technical details: 45 points of articulation (including fingers) and 900 paint apps
Minimum number of backers is 9,000 by December 6th, more tiers will be made available at 11,000 and 13,500 with tiers 3 and 4 not having any goal lines yet. No stretch goals for any of the tiers have been revealed yet. As of now the Rancor comes without any extra figures, but that will certainly change once the tiers have been unlocked!
You can (if you happen to live in the US, Canada or UK, that is) back your Rancor now! Head over to the HasLab site to order Jabba’s favorite pet!
Hasbro will also partner with retailers in certain select markets to make the Rancor available in other parts of the world. No specifics were given, my guess is that several European core markets may get access to the Rancor.
Will you back the Rancor or ignore the latest Star Wars HasLab?
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Hasbro revealed several new things for the Black Series in their Star Wars Pulse Con panel. Mandalorian fans have more figures to look forward to and Original Trilogy fans get a few more figures in the pipeline.
Mandalorian figures:
- Mandalorian Maldo Kreist build-up pack with Grogu and Ice Spider
- Migs Mayfeld Trooper Disguise
- Boba Fett Nomad Outfit
- Cobb Vanth Deluxe
There will also be three all new exclusive Galaxy Edge sets!
- First Order Pack with Hux, AT-AT Driver, Mouse Droid and an Imperial Astromech
- Droid Depot Pack with a KX-series droid, BB unit, Battle Droid and Babu Frik
- Creature Pack with two Kowakian Monkey Lizards, Mynok, two Porgs and Bogling
Three figures were revealed for the pipeline, so expect them much later in 2022!
- Figrin Dan
- Leia in her Ewok Village outfit
- Republic Security Droid (Mandalorian)
Check back later for updates!
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Hasbro’s Pulse Con Star Wars Panel kicked off at 1:30. Here’s a look at upcoming The Vintage Collection offerings. Click through for the detailed breakdown and discussion. Available pre-orders launch today at 5 PM Eastern (Not all will go up today).
Here’s a summary of what was announced:
The Vintage Collection Specialty Wave (re-releases, now with separate SKU’s) (Summer 2022)
- Anakin Skywalker (VC80)
- Mace Windu (VC35)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (VC31)
- Ahsoka Tano (VC102)
The Vintage Collection (Build up pack)
- The Mandalorian and Grogu (Maldo Kreis) (Pre-order date TBD) (Walmart Exclusive)
The Vintage Collection Playsets
- Nevarro Cantina
The Vintage Collection Troop Builder Packs (Spring 2022)
- Rebel Fleet Troopers (includes Captain Antilles) (Pulse & ShopDisney)
The Vintage Collection Pipeline Reveals
- ARC Trooper Jesse
- 332 Ahsoka Clone Trooper
- Mandalorian Super Commando Captain
- The Mandalorian (Trooper Disguise)
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You can now tune in to the day 1 livestream. Lo0k for the Star Wars panel at 1:30, followed by the HasLab panel at 2:30. Feel free to join in the discussion right here!
We will post all the reveals after the live stream… stay tuned! Star Wars Pre-orders from the event will go live at 5 PM Eastern.
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You know things are extremely terrible with the supply chain and the Walmart distribution center, in particular, that a retail chain gets stock that was never theirs from the start. Walmart is now receiving Target exclusives before general marketplace stock or even their OWN exclusives! They’ve gone to plaid!
Tags: Distribution, TARGET, The Black Series [Phase III], The Black Series [Phase IV], Walmart
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Hasbro Pulse Con starts tomorrow, and Entertainment Earth is offering free US shipping on all Pulse Con items going up this weekend.
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The next wave of Walmart exclusive The Mandalorian Carbonized The Vintage Collection figures go up for pre-order today on Walmart’s website. These are set to go live at 10 AM Eastern, but keep checking the links below just in case they appear early. This is a part of the Walmart Collector Con Launch.
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For those interested, you can now order the Star Wars: Visions Payoff poster. This is a full-sized 27″ W x 40″ H poster and is presented in double-sided, mirror-image format. Thanks Colin for the alert! Don’t forget, if you need points you can pick them up on eBay.
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Hasbro’s eBay store has a few good deals listed, including the TVC Carbon Freezing Chamber for $26.49. Thanks to JTA reader Archdemon for the alert!
UPDATE: Sold out! This is available again!
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Hi folks! Not a lot going on the last couple weeks by way of collecting. I’ve been swamped with homework anyway, so I haven’t had much of a chance to go looking. In my little spare time I’ve been working on a couple commissions. I finished another 1313 Boba Fett, and I’m working on an ARC trooper Fives in 6″ scale. More importantly than what I can share, I want to hear from you about your recent additions! Please click here to leave a comment.
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Bring Home The Bounty week 2 also featured some new Gentle Giant pre-orders. That Padmé likeness though…. ooof!
- Star Wars – Luke Skywalker (Concept) Jumbo Figure
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones – Padmé Amidala Premier Collection Statue
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – Yoda Legends in 3-Dimensions Bust
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Head over to check out this week’s Bring Home The Bounty products, featuring a bunch of Hasbro stuff that you can’t actually order anymore. You just can’t make this stuff up!
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JTA sponsor Brian’s Toys has some of the newest Hot Toys troopers ready to ship. Click through to see what’s available!
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It’s interesting how the “carbonized” The Vintage Collection figures are generally terrible, but the Shoretrooper (Carbonized) figure isn’t. It’s actually pretty nice! Check it out. (more….)
Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!
Tags: 3.75-inch Super-Articulated, Coastal Defender Stormtrooper, Galactic Empire, Hasbro, Kenner, Rogue One, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Scarif Stormtrooper, Shoretrooper, Shoretrooper (Carbonized), The Mandalorian, The Vintage Collection, Walmart Exclusive
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Hasbro’s 2-day event kicks off this Friday, with the Star Wars Panel starting at 1:10 Eastern, followed directly by the Haslab panel. And then at 4 PM Hasbro Pulse Premium Early Access Starts for product pre-orders… unless, of course, you are a Star Wars fan, as Star Wars items are excluded from early access. Enjoy the benefits of your premium access!
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The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Jabba the Hutt (#247) and Qui-Gon Jinn (#248). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. Click here to view the entire Star Wars Living archive, including individual print runs.
Tags: Jabba the Hutt, Qui-Gon Jinn, Star Wars Living Set (Trading Cards), Trading Cards
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JTA reader Sergio R. from Mexico sends us some quick pic images of the Hasbro Pulse exclusive The Vintage Collection Emperor’s Throne Room playset with the new Emperor Palpatine figure (new portrait). Check it out, then let us know what you think in the comments!.
Tags: Battle Of Endor, Emperor Palpatine, Emperor's Throne Room, Hasbro, Hasbro Pulse, Kenner, The Vintage Collection
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Toy Reviews
