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We’re briskly approaching a gloomy landmark from the return of The Vintage Collection compared to its original run. The first The Vintage Collection run ran for three years? (mid-2010 to “some point in 2013”). The return of The Vintage Collection started April 2018, and “some point in 2021” would make it the three-year point again. So, I have to ask the question. (more….)
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Earlier this week Hasbro released their numbers for Q2/2021. The report is mostly the usual stuff, and as usual Hasbro doesn’t mention specifics when it comes to Star Wars. All they say is this about their Partner Brands (Hasbro lingo for their licensed toys):
Growth in the quarter led by Hasbro products for Marvel, Lucasfilm’s Star Wars, Disney Princess and Beyblade.
Combined sales for the Partner Brands in Q2/2021 was $212 million, compared to $138.3 million in Q2/2020. Which is 53% more. And to remind you: 2020 already saw 70% growth for the Star Wars brand, and sales continue to grow in 2021. So Hasbro is back on track after 2017/18/19.
And despite the general feeling by hardcore collectors that no one can ever buy anything because everything is always sold out within seconds or that there’s just dust on the shelves people out there still manage to buy Star Wars toys. Of course this also includes plush Baby Yodas and lightsabers, Hasbro doesn’t just make action figures. But given the extremely high number of exclusives for the action figure lines chances are very high that Hasbro also sells a lot more action figures again. Retailers wouldn’t ask for exclusives otherwise. So while hardcore collectors may question the direction Hasbro has been taking recently – me included – it’s evident that from a pure business point of view Hasbro is doing things right and that things look much better now again. And much of that can be attributed to The Mandalorian.
Hasbro’s PDF presentation
Earnings call transcript from The Motley Fool
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We just had our 100th TRT which had a great turnout and lots of comments. The 104th TRT is also special as it marks the 2nd anniversary of the weekly column (52 per year). Today we’ll look back on some of the top posts of the last year. Click here to check it out! Please share with us in the comments what some of your favorite collecting moments have been in the last year.
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In an interview with CNBC Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner talked about raising prices for Hasbro toys which will come into full effect in the 4th quarter of 2021. The price increase is meant to compensate, among other things, higher shipping costs (shipping rates have gone through the roof in the past year) and to make sure Hasbro maintains a 15% profit margin. While Mr Golder would not add any specifics chances are Star Wars toys will also be affected. Click through for a quote by Brian Goldner where he explains what is coming.
Brian Goldner on CNBC
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It looks like the Walmart Exclusive The Black Series Mace Windu is currently back in stock for pre-orders as of this post. Thanks to JTA reader Jon for the alert!
Update: It’s now Out of Stock again.
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The Black Series was launched in 2013 and was originally meant to be the definitive action figure version of beloved Star Wars characters. A lot has happened since then, so where is the line now, in 2021? The general feeling among many collectors is that exclusives are taking over and that repaints or kitbashes dominate the line now. But is any of that true? So I looked at the numbers to see how they really add up. Click through for an overview of the Black Series in 2021 and let’s have a discussion about whether or not Hasbro has taken a wrong turn.
Lazy repaint
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We have the card back images and VC numbers to share courtesy of our friends at StarWarsFiguren.com. Click through for more!
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Another week, another adventure of The Bad Batch. Only this time I was really disappointed. Why? Read my spoiler review for “Infested” and then let’s discuss the latest Bad Batch episode by clicking here or on the banner!
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And exclusives that steal our joy! More and more evidence accumulates that The Vintage Collection isn’t meeting demand from the collecting community. Figures recently released command upwards of $75, with most others going for $17 to $30 on average. Recently reissued from the original run are also extraordinarily demanding high prices. The Clone Trooper, in particular, is one of the more noticeable. Look at these aftermarket values on eBay! With almost NO PRODUCTS arriving at brick and mortar, you have to wonder why this line can’t catch a break. Some good things are coming in the future, but what’s the point if it frustrates everyone when they try to acquire them? What can Hasbro do to make this line more accessible? Perhaps releasing a better variety in each case assortment will help things? Who knows. But it does seem that The Vintage Collection needs a revisiting of the way Hasbro approaches the line.
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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 Commander Pyre (#223) and Padmé Amidala (#224). 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.
This week’s card 224 comes with artwork from a new artist to the set: Carlos Cabaleiro
Tags: Commander Pyre, Padmé Amidala, Star Wars Living Set (Trading Cards), Trading Cards
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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 three versions of Bespin Security Guard [A].
![Bespin Security Guard [A]](/news/images2021a/TVC_TheNinetySix_BespinSecurityGuardAESB.jpg "Bespin Security Guard [A]")
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As part of their 2021 Summer Social, The Georgia Alliance of Star Wars Collectors (GASWC) has a very special item this year to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta thanks to our special guests from Kenner and Hasbro!
Hasbro 2005 re-release Early Bird Certificate package signed by :
- Jim Swearingen (Kenner conceptual design)
- Craig Stokely (Kenner licensing & marketing)
- Tim Effler (Kenner design)
- Douglas Miller (Kenner design)
- Kim Simmons (photography)
- Tom Clark (Kenner marketing)
- Derryl DePriest (Hasbro President of Global Brand Mgmt)
Click through for complete details on how to enter
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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 Lando Calrissian.
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This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.
The Target exclusive Carbonized figures went up for pre-order this morning. Click below if you still need to pre-order these!
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There’s been quite a bit of squawking about placing Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars figures on classic Kenner-inspired packaging. Our friends at Blue Milk put together a concept that borrows elements from Kenner’s classic Droids and Ewoks lines. Ultimately, it appears to make more sense for an animated series to get packaging that mimics past animated toy lines. What do you think? Would the packaging represented below gone over better for those who criticized the standard The Vintage Collection packaging?
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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 Han Solo (Hoth Outfit).
Tags: 3.75" Super-Articulated, Battle Of Hoth, Echo Base, Han Solo, Han Solo (Hoth Battle Gear), Han Solo (Hoth Outfit), Rebel Alliance, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, The Empire Strikes Back, The Vintage Collection, The Vintage Conversation, Vintage The Saga Collection
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This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.
As of this post many of these figures are BACK IN STOCK!! Click below for the product pages!
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The Vintage Collection |
The Black Series |
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Since collectors seem to like carbonized figures Hasbro is making more of them. The official Star Wars site revealed earlier today that the Black Series will get three new carbonized figures from The Mandalorian. Available in spring 2022 will be Paz Vizla (formerly known as Heavy Mandalorian), a Shoretrooper and a Scout Trooper! All three figures will be TARGET exclusives. Happy hunting next year!
Will you add the carbonized Mandalorian figures to your collection or will you skip them?
Head to the official Star Wars site for the reveal!
More carbonized figures for the Black Series! Source: starwars.com
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This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.
We have direct links to all 9 Genndy Tartakovsky Star Wars action figures! Click below for the product pages!
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The Vintage Collection |
The Black Series |
Tags: Pre-Orders, The Black Series [Phase IV], The Vintage Collection, Walmart Collector Con
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I get that the recently revealed Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars action figures for The Vintage Collection are getting a mixed reception from collectors. Still, for me, this is some of the most exciting news in recent memory as a Star Wars collector, and that’s with me accepting they’re imperfect. (more….)
Tags: 3.75" Super-Articulated, Clone Wars, Genndy Tartakovsky, Hasbro, Kenner, The Vintage Collection, Walmart Exclusive
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This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.
Keep your eyes peeled to this page today. On their Collector Con portal, Walmart has noted that the Star Wars exclusives will go on sale at 10 AM Eastern. Whether they will open for pre-orders exactly at 10 or not remains to be seen, but you can check back here at JTA at 10 AM SHARP for direct links to all 9 exclusives.
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JTA sponsor Brian’s Toys is having a 15% off sitewide sale. Use code FORCE15 to take advantage.
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We’ve gone through a baker’s dozen of new The Vintage Collection RDRs since the end of May, many of which hadn’t hit the USA at the time of publishing. If you missed any, click any image below to check out the latest reviews!
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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 Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues).
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This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.
Tomorrow, Walmart will kick off their Collector Con Event with pre-orders galore, including Star Wars exclusives from the Tartakovsky Clone Wars Micro Series. You can look for 6 The Vintage Collection figures (Aayla Secura, Luminara Unduli, ARC Trooper, ARC Trooper Captain, Barriss Offee, and Battle Droid) and 3 The Black Series figures (Mace Windu, ARC Trooper Captain, and General Grievous). These are already leaking out around Social Media. Thanks to those that both emailed us and tagged us on Instagram for the alert! It should be total chaos during the pre-order period for these!
We will post links to the pre-orders as soon as we get them!
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![Luke Skywalker (Endor [Endor Capture/Jedi Knight Outfit]) - TVC - Basic (VC23)](/galleries/2019/Review_LukeSkywalkerEndorVC23TVC/thumbnails/Review_LukeSkywalkerEndorVC23TVC049.jpg "Luke Skywalker (Endor [Endor Capture/Jedi Knight Outfit]) - TVC - Basic (VC23)")
Toy Reviews
