Monthly Archives: July 2019

Reminisce with this striking foil which celebrates the second of the Star Wars prequel movies, Attack of the Clones, released in May 2002 – almost three years to the day after the first prequel. It depicts a replica of the film’s poster artwork and is made using 35g fine silver and a combination of both color and engraving to allow the silver to shine through.

Click through for complete details.

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Yoda • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

Apparently there is something like an “International Day of Friendship”, and to celebrate this joyous occasion the official Star Wars Twitter wanted to know what Star Wars friendship is the most popular one. And the results are just in:

Now I think this result is maybe not all that surprising. But a whopping 92% voted for an OT friendship? The comments on Twitter are priceless….
And while Rey, Finn, Poe and BB-8 go to the next bar to have a drink or ten to forget about the results, I wonder why they only had four friendships to choose from here… what about Luke & Han, Luke & R2, Poe & Finn, Ahsoka & Anakin, Hux & no one, and of course the best friends for life: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, what an oversight! Also: Finn in the Rey friend zone is confirmed, just like that, brutal! Reylo fans worldwide dance in the streets now. Anyway… what is your favorite Star Wars friendship? Leave your insightful and witty thoughts in the comments! And yes, don’t take any of that too seriously please 😉

We’re still trying to get through BIG VEHICLE WEEK. There have been some great interruptions like the SDCC exclusives and the new The Vintage Collection items, but it’s time to get back to it. Let’s pick up where we left off with the Imperial AT-AT Walker (Electronic) vehicle. In 1997/1998, it was one of the greatest toys ever. And it still has charm today. With two pack-in figures including an AT-AT Driver and AT-AT Commander along with fantastic light-up features and movie-accurate sound effects, it took collectors by storm. Check it out in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

We have another SDCC exclusive to add to our Visual Guides tonight. This time, let’s check out the Darth Vader (Prototype Edition) figure. If you are into variation collecting, then this figure is for you! Click below to check out our full Visual Guide. You can also check out additional details in our full review.

While not directly related to toys or the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker, there are a few Disney news I thought are worth sharing. The first piece of news is about what to expect on Disney+ later this fall, including what Star Wars content you will find, as we now have a more definitive list of what movies and shows will be available. And then Disney has smashed a record. Which one? Click through to find out more!

Artist’s impression of Bob Iger’s morning routine

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We saw the magazine scans last week, so we knew it was only a matter of time before SH Figuarts would officially announce the two new Star Wars figures of Luke and Han. You can now find official promo photos for both The Force Awakens Han Solo and The Last Jedi Luke (Crait) on the SH Figuarts homepage.
Luke Skywalker will come with two headsculpts, which look much better than the blurry magazine scans, the usual hands, lightsaber hilt, a lightsaber with blade and the two golden dice (they are tiny). Han seems to come with almost nothing, other than a few alternate hands, and a blaster, he comes with an extra holster that was molded with a blaster inside of it, so the blaster is non removable, this is the same approach SHF chose for their previous A New Hope Han Solo figure.
Both figures go on pre-order on August 1st (Thursday), local Japanese time (Japan is 13 hours ahead of EST). Check the usual Japanese etailers if you want to secure your figure. The figures are not web exclusives so could, in theory, sell out eventually. Release date is December 2019.

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Hello boyos! Another week has passed and it’s time for another Toy Run Tuesday! This time I’ve got some updates about some things I picked up a couple weeks ago, and a few other great finds! Click through to share with us your week in Star Wars!

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How many permutations exist for the San Diego Comic-Con Retro Collection Darth Vader (Prototype Edition) figure? We’re pretty sure we have figured it out. Can you prove otherwise? Find out about the background of this figure, and its math, in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Tonight’s Visual Guide Update features the amazing The Black Series SDCC 2019 Boba Fett exclusive, featuring Vintage deco. Click below to check out our full Visual Guide, and make sure to stop by and also check out our full review!

Walmart.com has TVC Boba Fett (VC09) available for $12.93. JTA reader Craig let us know that his shipped as the Boba Fett (The Empire Strikes Back) version.  It has gone in and out of stock, so if it shows up out of stock, keep checking back!

Here is another 2019 SDCC exclusive. Let’s check out the vintage Kenner inspired The Black Series [The Empire Strikes Back 40] Boba Fett 6″ figure. He’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Our latest addition to the Visual Guides features the Skiff Guards 3-Pack from The Vintage Collection. Click below to check out full guides of Vedain (Skiff Pilot), Vizam, and Brock Starsher. You can also see our full review of this set over in our review database.

The Special 3 Action Figures [Vedain (Skiff Pilot)/Vizam/Brock Starsher] multipack is a great start. And more need to enter The Vintage Collection immediately. NEW IMAGES ADDED! See what makes this three-pack so incredible in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

JTA sponsor Brian’s Toys posts their latest newsletter…

Retro Wave 1 Star Wars figures pre-orders up and ready to ship in August! You gotta add these items to your collection if you are a true Star Wars fan.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

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 Orson Krennic (#15) and Jawa (#16). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week.

I don’t think that Hasbro mentioned it at the SDCC panel. But the 3D render of Luke Skywalker (Dagobah Training) shows that Hasbro has re-engineered Black Series figures once again. Click through to find out what is new!

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LEGO kindly asked us to remove all content that was shown here. So nothing to see here anymore. And please erase the memory of any LEGO sets you may have seen before they are meant to be sold from your mind! Thank you! 🙂

UK etailer Robot Kingdom has apparently begun to ship the Amazon USA exclusive Emperor Palpatine with Throne Black Series set. JTA regular Matthew Cohen found the photos in a Facebook group and sent them to us. Thanks for that!  So click through for a few in hand photos of the all new Emperor with his throne!

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So, are you going to “eBay” the Special Action Figure Set (Luke Skywalker Jedi Destiny) set, or will you take a chance on the Hasbro Pulse flash-in-the-pan availability online? What are you going to do?

Like it or not, we’re deeming all three Luke Skywalker figures in the Special Action Figure Set (Luke Skywalker Jedi Destiny) exclusive as definitive modern updates to the classic vintage Kenner figures. We updated all three status on the vintage Kenner pages, and you can click any of the images below to be taken to that respective vintage Kenner review to see the updates. If you haven’t checked out the the full review of the Special Action Figure Set (Luke Skywalker Jedi Destiny), be sure to CLICK HERE so you don’t miss out on a must-have release from Hasbro!

I have A LOT to say about the Special Action Figure Set (Luke Skywalker Jedi Destiny Set). A LOT. This is a gift from Hasbro. You’re only shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t get it. Also, an updated gallery forthcoming. Learn why there is no other option than to get one in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

It’s quite astounding how much joy toys from the Original Trilogy bring longtime collectors. I have two-thirds of the figures from the Special 3 Action Figures set already, but what a joy it was to see them in The Vintage Collection packaging. You don’t get the same response from other Star Wars toys across the saga. Anyway, Vedain (Skiff Pilot) utilizes two other The Vintage Collection figures with new parts, and Hasbro was VERY CLEVER how they did it. I almost didn’t notice the reused parts at first. And the two repacks have been repainted. This set also gives us numbers VC152, VC153 and VC154 in the collection’s sequencing. Another incredible hit, I can’t wait for more packs like this in the future. This is another gem in The Vintage Collection. Check out the gallery early RIGHT NOW!

This is an impressive SDCC exclusive. Colorful, realistically styled and mimicking every square millimeter of the original vintage Kenner Boba Fett, the SDCC exclusive Boba Fett figure from The Black Series [The Empire Strikes Back 40] line starts off the celebration of everyone’s favorite film and its four-decade birthday. The review is coming soon, but you can check out the full Photo Gallery here.

This picture has been making rounds around social media, so we thought we would have a little fun with it. So, Caption this photo! What do you win? I’d like to say you win whatever’s on the bottom of that pile, but in reality, we will probably add our favorite caption to the image below. 

Clean up on aisle 5

Now this is not related to toys or entertainment in any way, but I think the following story is really inspiring and thus I decided to share it here: researchers at the University of Utah have developed a prosthetic arm that is not only controlled by your brain (using electrical signals from muscles), but which also allows users to feel the things they touch, which enables them to manipulate things in a way few other prosthetics can, because they lack tactile feedback. And the name the researchers gave the arm? The “LUKE arm”, in honor of Luke Skywalker’s hand prosthetic from Empire Strikes Back. Here you can read a story about an amputee who got a LUKE arm prosthetic and what an enormous positive impact it had on him, especially because the prosthetic lets you feel what you touch. And if you want to know more about the arm, go to the site of the manufacturer. There’s also a short video on YouTube which shows off the arms capabilities. Isn’t it great when sometimes life imitates art and things we once deemed science fiction are now a reality? At least when it’s something as positive as a new prosthetic that makes life so much better and easier for amputees.

The LUKE arm in its full arm configuration

Gamestop is offering online only a Vintage Star Wars Home Arcade Console standing five feet tall. The console includes 3 games (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) and is completely decorated with vintage artwork. It’s an interesting offering but would make a cool addition to a collection room. Thanks to JTA reader John for letting us know about this! Click here for the product page.

The Star Wars Home Arcade Game features the artwork from the original arcade machine on the cabinet and the included riser. The just over 5′ tall machine (slightly below 4′ without the riser) comes with a light-up marquee, full-color 17″ display and dual speakers. These features, combined with the real-feel flight yoke and control buttons allow for endless hours of gaming! The Star Wars Home Arcade Game is easy to assemble and comes with a clear deck protector. The Star Wars Home Arcade Game features the original arcade versions of the classic games based on Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi!

Run, don’t walk to today’s review on the Tatooine Skiff. If you don’t have a half a dozen of these on pre-order, then you shouldn’t be a Star Wars collector. It has wholly EXCEEDED our expectations and should be an immediate addition to your collection. It’s worth every penny the MSRP commands. See and read more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Oh, my lord. You’re going to be ANGRY that Hasbro made the Special Action Figure Set (Luke Skywalker Jedi Destiny) three-pack an exclusive that will be, well, let’s say, nearly impossible to track down outside of the aftermarket. I don’t know how else to say it other than this is the most brilliant set of figures Hasbro has ever produced for collectors. It’s egregious that they’re all relegated to an exclusive three-pack and NOT on individual TVC card backs. (Hopefully, they’re all forthcoming separately in The Vintage Collection because it’s ungodly to keep them in this exclusive set and never see re-release as basic figures.)  They should have initially released as basic figures in new case assortments. Start praying to your Maker now that these become more readily available singly. Some figures have some”photorealistic” deco issues (especially noticeable in the eyes), but I believe this will vary case by case.

All three Luke Skywalker figures have the most exceptional head sculpts I have ever seen on action figures for these characters. They cannot be bettered. Also, the technique utilized to recreate hair is quite astounding. The realism is uncanny. Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise) uses most of the recently released Han Solo (Stormtrooper) (VC143) figure but now comes with a new head sculpt and belt which features a nonremovable commlink and grappling hook. The detail is beautiful. Luke Skywalker (X-wing Pilot) is the only all-new figure in the set, but it’s a phenomenal creation. His head sculpt is also remarkable. His helmet fits well, and ti’s nice to see ball-jointed wrists. But my most favorite figure is Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight). Piggybacking on the TVC Luke Skywalker (Lightsaber Construction) (VC87) figure from 2012, Hasbro tweaked the outfit with some revised wrinkles, draping, and textures and gave the figure a stunning portrait (with corrected hair part finally) and an all-new and appropriately sewn and styled cloak. Just look at the thing. It’s overwhelming how beautiful it is.

The review is coming soon, but a rough gallery is ready for you to peruse. This is one of the most significant additions, if not the 2nd or 3rd best additions, to The Vintage Collection. And collectors will be angry if Hasbro doesn’t make all three figures more readily available in the VERY near future. Check out the gallery HERE!

Good gracious, Ignatius! Hasbro has just released another Bo Derek: The Vintage Collection’s Tatooine Skiff. It’s mind-numbing how beautifully perfect it is. Longer, more comprehensive, and roomier than the 1985 design, the 2019 model of the Tatooine Skiff still brings forth the nostalgia of the classic Kenner vehicle but has elevated it into 2019 with an unprecedented level of screen-accuracy and authenticity. We have an initial gallery completed but will be adding more images to the gallery in the next couple of days. And the review is tomorrow! But you can check all the good stuff out now! YOU MUST get this. If this vehicle doesn’t convert 6″ collectors to the 3.75″ scale, nothing will.

SH Figuarts like to tease fans, or so you might think when you recall all the yet unmade prototypes they have shown at various Japanese toy fairs and events over the years. Some figures eventually see the light of day years after their first appearance as a prototype. ANH Han Solo had been spotted as a prototype long before the figure eventually got made. But then there are things that were seen ages ago which have yet to see an announcement. So click through for some of the yet unannounced SH Figuarts Star Wars figures and pick your most favorite ones!

SH Figuarts Queen Amidala Prototype

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It’s hard to believe how awesome 1998’s The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] Luke Skywalker’s Red Five X-wing Fighter Electronic Power F/X vehicle is and how well it holds up over 20 years later! It was the first modern “larger scale” X-wing Fighter, and it came with a dozen movie lines and sound effects in addition to beautiful light-up features. It also has some imperfections, but will you care? Relive this beauty all over again in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

OK, let’s play a game. This is fantasy, not a subliminal message of what’s coming. Many collectors were ecstatic over the possibility of a 6″ scaled Rancor when they saw it in Hasbro’s diorama during SDCC? People disagree with me, but I could have sworn the Rancor featured was a styrofoam maquette. Others claim it was an articulated “prototype.” I still think it was made out of styrofoam. Anyway, let’s say that Hasbro felt they wanted to make a 6″ Rancor, but they also felt it wouldn’t make sense as a general or exclusive retail released item. Let’s pretend that Hasbro decided to offer it through HasLab. To be fair, let’s use the same target of 8K backers (since Jabba’s Sail Barge reached that amount). What would you be willing to pay to back this thing via HasLab? Something tells me if it was HasLab item, it would be hundreds of dollars, not less. Regardless, if you’re a 6″ collector, what would deem the most to back this item via HasLab?

Bespin Security Guard • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

Hasbro confirmed that Darth Revan WILL NOT be part of the 2019 The Vintage Collection lineup. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on behind the scenes. While purely conjecture, it’s nearly guaranteed that they’re developing an all-new figure of this character from the ground up (and hopefully utilizing the digital files of the 6″ figure). A year ago, we wrote a controversial article which we both got praised for and criticized for, but I am glad I wrote it. (The angry people were those who missed out on the 2007 figure and were desperate to add it into their collections.) I know we must be getting something worthy of release in The Vintage Collection. I also know Hasbro read the article and noted the over 300 comments and 15K reads it received. So, you’re welcome? We weren’t the only ones to complain, but we started it. Sometimes “whining” pays off. It brought back The Vintage Collection, and now it’s holding Hasbro to a higher standard for a collectors’ line.

Let the past die. Kill it if you have to (but only this old figure, Hasbro).

Even though the two current Haslab projects are not about Star Wars, I thought you might still be interested in learning how the two projects are doing. SDCC is now behind us, and with that a lot of talk about upcoming toys, shows and movies. So how do the Cookie Monster and Unicron projects fare after SDCC? Well, I venture a guess and say that the Cookie Monster project might actually fail. Right now he has 317 backers out of 3,000 required after two weeks – or about 10% of the number required. Unicron has 1,845 backers after a bit more than a week or so, almost 25%. If Unicron sees a similar boost in the last few days as the Sail Barge then Transformers fans have reason to celebrate. But it might be a close call here. So far the Unicron project is behaving similar to the Khetanna from last year. But the Unicron is even more expensive. Also, Transformers fans have other manufacturers (from Japan) as well that produce very expensive collector oriented items, an Optimus Prime for almost $500 will be released in August, let’s see how deep the pockets of Transformers fans are! I will keep you posted about the projects!

He needs love

The Toys R Us exclusive The Saga Collection Republic Gunship, based on Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars micro-series, is the greatest vehicle Hasbro has ever released. And you can see it in its glory interacting with the figures from The Hunt For Grievous Battle Packs set. It’s our favorite by far. Is it yours? See it all in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Our friends at StarWarsFiguren have also posted an interview with Hasbro at SDCC. Check it out!

This week, Limited Run Games will be releasing 3 more titles for their Retro series. Make sure to set your clocks as Star Wars™: The Empire Strikes Back for the NES and Game Boy will be available on Friday, July 26th at 10 am and 6 pm EDT on limitedrungames.com. They will also be releasing  Shadows of the Empire on N64. Click through for more details, including details on the Collector’s Edition sets…

   
The standard editions will be priced at 39.99.

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There’s a new post SDCC panel Star Wars interview up on YouTube, and in the video Hasbro designer Sam Smith (with Sarah Carroll) talks in detail what Hasbro’s goals and thoughts are behind the all new 5 inch Galaxy of Adventures line of figures. Hasbro also, in a roundabout way, admits that TVC is for adults and not for kids. Click through for all the relevant quotes!

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It looks like the first season of Star Wars: Resistance is set to hit DVD (and likely Blu-ray) on August 20th. Head on over to StarWars.com for full details, bonus features break-down, and more. 

Hurry! Super7’s SDCC exclusives are available! Special thanks to JTA reader Glenn W. and Russ for the alerts!

The next book in the Thrawn series hits stores today! Check out your local brick-and-mortar to pick up a copy, or stop by Amazon and order one!

Lando Calrissian • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

Yes, I’m beating a dead horse again. Deal with it. And we’re probably TOO MANY years deep into Hasbro’s current approaches where the current direction is impossible to change back, but I still think it’s worth mentioning. (more…)

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Welcome back, toy runners! It’s our fourth week and I’ve got some really good finds I wanted to share with you. SDCC was rather a bust for new reveals, but did you get any of the exclusives? I didn’t get any of the current ones, but I did find an older SDCC exclusive this week. Post some pictures of your recent finds in the comments here!

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Miss out on The Retro Collection Wave 1? PRE-ORDER NOW at Entertainment Earth!

Entertainment Earth now has the TVC Han Solo (Stormtrooper) Available for pre-order! Click here to order!

Early this morning Hasbro released their financial report for the 2nd Quarter 2019. Click through for the numbers!

Update: comments from the Hasbro earnings call added to the article, Star Wars is discussed by Brian Goldner and team (while it wasn’t mentioned at all in the presentation).

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Due to a power outage, we have to push out our BIG VEHICLE WEEK one day. The run will continue tomorrow.

Let’s check out the Imperial Officer 12 Inch Figure from the Star Wars “Saga” [Phase I] line. It’s pretty cool. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Wo! Kids Warehouse also have inexplicably cheap The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ figures too, many listed more than $50% off! Too may available on discount to list!

Wow, with special thanks to JTA reader Kevin H. for the tip, you can score the TVC Rey (Island Journey) (the exclusive that never was) figure for only $4.99 at Kids Warehouse! (We’ll ALWAYS find out what bargain outlet they get sent to, Hasbro!) There is no limit on quantities. This thing must have bombed big time.

eBay seller tunghori has just listed Vedain! He looks pretty awesome!

Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

They’re still available! tunghori has the SDCC exclusive TVC Luke Skywalker figures in stock! No sign of Luke Jedi, unfortunately.

The Fwoosh has just posted an article that is quite an exciting development of sorts. The author of the article noticed that there are MANY various head sculpts/portraits “hidden” throughout the rocks of the SDCC display. Are these future TBS6 figures? Is it a way of paying homage across the Star Wars saga? Is it nothing at all like the Heart song? You decide and let us know what you think in the comments!! Special thanks to Michael H. for alerting us to this news.

If you don’t want to deal with less than one-minute availability when they go for sale on Hasbro Pulse, Robot Kingdom has most of the San Diego Comic-Con exclusives available to pre-order with a July 26th shipping date right now. Interestingly, the Retro Collection Prototype Darth Vader figure is SOLD OUT! The 6″ Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker Special Action Figure Set are still available.

Prototypes for the figures were on display several times in the past, so this shouldn’t be a complete surprise. But it’s always good when SH Figuarts decides to actually produce a prototype. The Force Awakens Han Solo and The Last Jedi Luke Skywalker (Crait) both appear in a magazine scan. If you are not new to SHF you know the routine, first there’s the magazine scan, then follows the official announcement by SHF and you can usually pre-order the figures soon after. Both figures are expected to be released in December 2019. It remains to be seen if these two figures will be the only ones SHF release for The Rise of Skywalker or if SHF is also under embargo and will show off Rise of Skywalker figures later in the fall.

SH Figuarts Han Solo and Luke Skywalker

In my opinion the sculpt for Han is perfect, this IS Harrison Ford, Luke, maybe because of the beard (beard is notoriously difficult to sculpt) looks a little bit off perhaps. But the overall shape of the face seems to be correct. Also, why does SHF give Luke this bright hair as well, similar to the Hasbro TVC version? Is it possible that both Hasbro and SH Figuarts were given out of date reference material for Luke and that his appearance (hair color) changed later? This also means SHF will beat Hasbro to the punch and release their version of Crait Luke sooner. The TBS version is expected to be released in Q1 2020 or so.

It’s BIG VEHICLE WEEK! Let’s continue with the Star Wars “Saga” [Phase I] Republic Gunship. Man, this thing is a beauty. Hopefully, you have one too. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Our friend, the beautiful Victoria from Victoria’s Cantina, who is doing a remarkable job channeling a brunette version of Daenerys Targaryen, has a great Hasbro interview from San Diego Comic-Con. Check it out!

Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

No matter your level of understanding and acceptance about what Hasbro could and couldn’t show at the SDCC presentation, there was no way anyone could argue how disappointing it is. Most of us are knee-jerk complainers, and that’s something that probably won’t change until we’re dead. JTA reader Michael H. also was angry but decided to engage a Hasbro employee about the state of collecting and why they showed so little. This is all from JTA reader Michael’s perspective. We have no way to corroborate what was said, but we think it’s a fair overview of what transpired. Click through for more.

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Entertainment Earth has the pre-orders up for both the Hyperreal Luke Skywalker and the Boba Fett Helmet. Click below to pre-order.

It’s BIG VEHICLE WEEK! Let’s start with the Rebels Hero Series X-wing Fighter. It’s NOT without merit. But it also has many problems. See more Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

With all of the new products that hit so suddenly, we got delayed with our BIG VEHICLE WEEK. But now it’s time, and the marathon begins TOMORROW!

Unlike Hasbro, Hot Toys seems to get it! They might not have been able to show anything from the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker or The Mandalorian, but they didn’t leave fans high-and-dry either! Even at their highly detailed sixth scale format, we were shown about a dozen all-new items to look forward to! Click below for the preview pages over at Hot Toys distributor Sideshow Collectibles, and make sure to RSVP to get alerts on these products. 

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

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 Jar Jar Binks (#13) and Moloch (#14). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. 

Check out the latest newsletter from Brian’s Toys…

Have a loose vintage Star Wars collection?  Well, be sure to check out the Brian’s Toys newsletter this week as you can add these beautiful AFA figures to your collection.  Also, take a look at our eBay auctions that are ending this weekend.  Rare, hard to find items ending soon – bid now!

Is The Vintage Collection Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) going through a running change, or did tunghori mix up Build A Droid parts? “Cleaner” samples of the VC149 figure have shown up on eBay. Check it out.

The cover for the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker visual dictionary has been revealed. You get a very good look at one of the Knights of Ren. Also shown on the cover is the all new TIE Dagger (named thusly because it has pointy wings), also the wings seem to have a hue of red, maybe they are piloted by Sith Troopers? Click the image below for an ultra high resolution version of the cover, make sure to expand the photo once you click on it for maximum resolution!
One question still remains: what good are vibro scythe blades in a universe with blasters and lightsabers?

Click for high resolution version!

I hope all of you have recovered from yesterday’s fabulous helmet shaped Star Wars Hasbro Panel at SDCC. That was an impressive display of nothing, as far as new action figures are concerned. So while Disney most certainly prevented Hasbro from showing anything that will be released on Triple Force Friday, my idea was that we could still talk about something else. Why not talk about what other things were revealed at SDCC by companies not beholden to Disney, companies that are actually allowed to show stuff? So what is your favorite newly revealed toy? Click through for a bit more about Hasbro and then let’s talk toys!

Artist’s rendering of Hasbro’s SDCC Star Wars panel

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Entertainment Earth has the TVC Skiff Guard 3-pack IN STOCK! Click through to secure this set! Thanks to JTA reader James for the alert!

The Star Wars [Saga – Phase I] 12-Inch Mace Windu figure has some aesthetic issues, but the costume is fantastic. Check out this Toys R Us exclusive in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Click the thumbnail below to see the official Hasbro PRESS IMAGES for today’s “reveals” at the SDCC Hasbro Presentation.

I’ll just leave this right here. It seems fitting after today’s 2019 SDCC Hasbro presentation which may go down in history as the most-disappointing ever. Special thanks to Thomas for the graphics work.

This was annouced at SDCC as well today: popular maker of Death Star like walls GTP Toys & Collectibles now has an official Star Wars license, which means the “space walls” are now an official product!

The new space walls will, as it seems, no longer be modular though, you will be able to get complete sets that recreate entire sections of the Death Star. These new Death Star walls are in 1/12 scale, so for The Black Series only [edit: while no 1/18 scale sets were shown GTP will announce 1/18 scale sets at a later time!]. The walls now also include flooring and LED lights, so it’s a huge upgrade from the previous option. But this also means you can no longer arrange the walls any way you like, it remains to be seen if you can combine several sets into a larger set.

The new license could also mean that the walls see wider distribution, especially outside the USA! It’s great that the popular space walls are now officially licensed, which means GTP can also do much more now, without infringing upon Disney’s IP even more or in fear of getting sued eventually. Thanks to JTA regular Matthew C. for the alert!

Update: it now seems that there will be 1/18 scale space walls sets after all! According to our colleagues from Bantha Skull the clip system used until recently apparently ingringes on a LEGO copyright, so all the sets are non-modular and that also means any 3.75 in sets that use these clips had to be discontinued when GTP got a proper license from Disney. But GTP will soon make an announcement about a 3.75 inch scale set! So stay tuned!

The walls former known as space walls

All the excitement for the new helmets and great Star Wars dioramas may have overshadowed this piece of news. Or in this case, it’s telling what Hasbro didn’t talk about at all at the SDCC panel. 5 POA 3.75” modern style movie figures were not mentioned with one single word. Hasbro merely said that 3.75 inch figures will get made for the Retro line and TVC, they didn’t mention Force Link one single time.
And then, during the Q&A, one person asked about more toys for Star Wars: Resistance. Hasbro’s short reply? Nothing is planned at all. So what does that mean? It looks as though 5 POA 3.75 inch figures, unless they are Kenner replicas, are dead? Also, Hasbro doesn’t seem to believe at all in the Resistance cartoon. If the toys and the show were a success, Hasbro would certainly be happy to offer more. Instead they offer nothing. We know season 2 of Resistance is coming, but it was probably greenlit long before season 1 even aired (it’s how animation works). So what does it mean for the show when it has zero toys? And what does it mean for 3.75 inch collectors if the 5 POA line is cancelled in favor of stylized 5 inch Galaxy of Adventures figures? It seems 3.75 inch collectors will only have TVC now. And Retro figures. What is going on here? Or will Hasbro reveal a 5 POA 3.75 line for The Rise of Skywalker after all, but only on Triple Force Friday? There are zero rumors for any 5 POA figures though. So maybe the line is dead. Many of you asked for it. But the question is, are you happy now that 5 POA might be dead? TVC didn’t benefit at all from that, as is evident.

UPDATE: Hasbro officially confirmed in a post panel interview that the basic 5 POA 3.75 inch action figure line is no more. Only the Retro collection and TVC will have 3.75 inch figures from now on.

The end.

That was probably the most boring Hasbro panel ever. I have no words for it. Click through for the one piece of news I have.

Live from the Star Wars SDCC Panel

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The 2019 SDCC Hasbro presentation is about to begin. Use this article and thread to talk about the reveals. We’ll update all of the product reveals and notes here as well! It should be interesting!

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There were some announcements during the Star Wars Collectors panel, here companies such as Hot Toys, Kotobukiya or Diamond Select reveal their new products! Click through for a quick list of what was revealed!

Diamond Select Rey Statue

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Hurry! tunghori has the SDCC exclusive TVC Luke Skywalker figures in stock!

Entertainment Earth is Hasbro’s launch partner for SDCC 2019! Tonight at 8:30 pm EST you will be able to exclusively pre-order any newly revealed toys for Star Wars, Marvel, Transformers and Power Rangers on Entertainment Earth! Entertainment Earth will offer pre-orders in three waves. Wave 1 is later today, waves 2 and 3 are on Saturday and Sunday respectively, always beginning at the same time, 8:30 pm EST (that is 1:30 am CEST).

It is unknown if the SDCC exclusives can also be pre-ordered, so check out the Entertainment Earth website later tonight! We will also keep you up to date once we know more!

Click here to go to the pre-order page for Star Wars, Marvel, Transformers and Power Rangers!

Click to go to the EE pre-order page!

Later today there will be this year’s SDCC Hasbro panel. Before we discuss what has actually been revealed, I would like to give us all one last opportunity to talk about what we would like to see. So what are your expectations? What is it you wish will be revealed? What is it you think will actually be revealed? Do you feel any excitement at all? Maybe Hasbro will have a nice surprise for collectors, this can never be ruled out. One thing is certain though: the various “new” figures in the dioramas which made the rounds yesterday are merely custom figures, that means no Bib Fortuna or Rancor or any of the droids will be revealed, so whatever it is Hasbro will unveil, it will either confirm rumors we already know or they may actually have a few surprises in store no one knows about yet. So what else do you think Hasbro may have for us?

The Star Wars [Saga – Phase I] 12-Inch Ki-Adi-Mundi figure looks excellent. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

It’s official! Toys R Us is returning! Click through for the full story!

Nothing new was revealed at the Hasbro SDCC Star Wars breakfast event, but Hasbro did show things like the Hyperreal Vader and newly revealed Sith Trooper, they also had the SDCC exlusive “Jedi Destiny” three pack on display. Here is a high resolution photo of the three figures in the pack. Let’s hope there will be individual releases later down the road.

Click for much larger version and then enlarge the photo even more for full resolution!

The Sith Trooper action figure was revealed a while ago, now the actual costume was also displayed at SDCC, the official Star Wars site has the story. Click the photo below for a good look at the all new trooper variant created for The Rise of Skywalker! You can also see what seems to be their new standard weapon. Overall, the Sith Trooper seems to be a nice blend of various trooper elements from across the trilogies, they certainly look better than the standard white First Order Stormtroopers first introduced in The Force Awakens.
There was also a sign (which has apparently been removed) with a short description of who the Sith Troopers are with following inscription:

In its ultimate push towards galactic conquest, the First Order readies an army of elite soldiers that draw inspiration and power from a dark and ancient legacy.

So the idea that the Sith Troopers may be Palpatine’s personal army is probably debunked by this. But as usual, we know almost nothing and have to wait until the movie is released. It’s doubtful JJ Abrams or Lucasfilm will tell us a lot more about Sith Troopers before the release date.

Click for large version!

As usual there was a preview night before SDCC kicked off properly and Hasbro showed off nothing that we haven’t seen before, but it was still a chance to see the recently revealed Sith Trooper in the flesh. So click through for a few photos!

Photo: Matthew K / The Fwoosh – click for full version!

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The Star Wars [Saga – Phase I] 12-Inch Plo Koon figure goes for a pretty penny on the aftermarket. But that’s because many people didn’t know about it, not that it’s necessarily rare. It’s one of Hasbro’s best 12 Inch Figures. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

The Sideshow Collectibles booth has quite a few new Hot Toys Sixth Scale figures on display at SDCC, including Wicket, a pair of Jawas, Padmé Amidala, R4-19, Battle Droid, Kit Fisto, And a very impressive Sixth Scale Jedi Starfighter! Pictures were scattered around both Reddit and the SideshowFreaks forums. Click through for a collection of pictures from the various forums, sent in by Colin. Thanks for the alert, Colin!

Update: Hot Toys also posted a great gallery of their entire display on their Facebook page.

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All-new Vader Immortal character posters were revealed on The Star Wars Show yesterday and featured on StarWars.com. Attendees of SDCC can pick all 6 of these up this week at the Lucasfilm pavilion (booth #2913). If anyone wants to pick me up a set of these I would be forever grateful! 

There is an eBay auction that’s about to close within 2 hours from this post. The seller has 50 TBS6 figures which have hung around the 63% of retail value for a while now. This is only a fraction of what they’d cost if you purchased them individually. While this auction can change on a dime and experience several conclusions, we’ve witnessed auction lots of TVC figures go for about 200% of the normal MSRP of those figures. There must be an imbalance of TBS6 and TVC figures on the aftermarket. Or maybe there is a difference in the interest of the lines.

The Vintage Collection Han Solo (Stormtrooper) figure is in stock at TARGET if you’re interested.

Star Wars: Resistance has been nominated for an Emmy in the “Outstanding Children’s Program” Category. Also nominated in this category are “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, Carmen Sandiego (both Netflix shows), the HBO documentary “Song of Parkland” and HBO show “When You Wish Upon A Pickle: A Sesame Street Special” (Pickle Rick anyone?).
Dave Filoni and team did win an Emmy (three, actually) for Star Wars: The Clone Wars several years ago, Rebels was nominated several times but didn’t win, so Resistance is the third Star Wars animated show to be nominated for an Emmy.
Also, Star Wars: Resistance will see a home media release on August 20th. Will you buy the DVD for your kids (or yourself)?

Sideshow Collectibles has the pre-order page up for the newly announced Darth Maul (with mechanical legs) sixth scale figure. Click here to order. 

The Star Wars [Saga – Phase I] 12-Inch Dengar figure has some good points, but many bad points too. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Hakes Auctions just set an auction house record for Star Wars toys with the sale of an AFA 85 L-Slot prototype selling for $112,926! And, this fall they will be auctioning off another Rocket-Firing Boba Fett, this time an AFA 85+ graded example of the even rarer J-Slot Rocket-Firing Boba Fett prototype. So, start saving your pennies, they offer a 3-month payment plan! This hobby is crazy sometimes! Here’s the recent auction for the L-Slot prototype…

IG-88 (Bounty Hunter) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

We’ve arrived again on another fine Tuesday. Per usual, it’s that time again to share what you added to your personal collections this week! I’ve really loved seeing your photos the last couple weeks and I have some exciting new additions to share with you all. Go ahead and click here to see what I’m talking about!

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What exactly is going on at Disneyland Anaheim and Galaxy’s Edge? We talked about an alleged lack of visitors to the theme park before, when several YouTube videos were released that showed a surprising lack of people in the park. Some commenters here on JTA pointed out how the YouTube videos were taken early in the morning, when the park is more empty than later in the day. But on Twitter several people also pointed out how empty both Galaxy’s Edge and Disneyland Anaheim seem to be this summer, and one mother of a theme park employee even posted that Disney is cutting down working hours for some employees, due to a lack of visitors.
But now AZ Central has posted a story on their website using aerial photos of company Nearmap. The photos were taken on July 4th and show Galaxy’s Edge from above, with individual people clearly visible. And the park is more or less empty. These photos were not taken early in the morning, but in the afternoon, as you can tell by the shadows. Click through for more info!

Galaxy’s Edge on July 4th – Click for larger version!

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If you ever wanted to own a version of Darth Maul with robotic legs, now is your chance. Hot Toys just announced an all new Darth Maul figure as he appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Darth Maul is an all new figure, has posable eyes, his accessories include an LED lightsaber, a lightsaber blade with motion blur effect, his seat from the movie, the usual hands and there will also be (small) hologram versions of both Darth Maul and Qi’Ra. Maul has a tentative release date of Q4 2019 / Q1 2020. He should go on pre-order very soon. If you want to know more details and see many more photos, showing off the figure in various action poses, please go to the official Hot Toys website!

Click for full photo

A big thanks to JTA moderator Jeff for alerting us to a few more deals on Amazon:

• Rogue One TIE Striker ($19.97)
• Force Link 2.0 C-3PO & R2-D2  2-pack ($12.99)
• Force Link 2.0 TIE Fighter ($23.08)

Hasbro messed up the decal sheet on the Obi-Wan’s Jedi Starfighter Toys R Us exclusive vehicle, and it’s an error that trailed all other subsequent releases of it since. Check it out in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Bossk (Bounty Hunter) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

Mark your calendars and set your watches if you dare hope to secure this year’s Hasbro SDCC exclusives. According to the Hasbro Pulse web site, September 10th (at a time TBD) is the day they go on sale to non-attendees of SDCC. Good luck. You’re gonna need it. Thanks to JTA reader Steven for the alert!

I didn’t pick up on this detail immediately. I read the news post but didn’t “absorb” it entirely which led to my double-take. Perhaps this is a “nothing burger,” but I still found it interesting. Sarah Carroll, Brand Marketing Manager of Star Wars (Hasbro) and Sam Smith, Design Manager (Hasbro) will be joined by members of Lucasfilm at the Hasbro Star Wars panel this year. It will be the first Hasbro presentation (that I can recall) that has Lucasfilm employees present. Could the format of this presentation have changed to help address the new changes in the line, or is the indeed something more here? This post is 100% speculation and nothing more. But let us know your thoughts.

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TARGET.com has listed the Darth Vader (Prototype Edition) figure. The figure goes on sale 7/21. Thanks to all who wrote in to let us know.

There is another…. HasLab campaign. We all should have known that Hasbro wouldn’t leave everyone out in the cold. They’ve JUST ANNOUNCED the War For Cybertron: Unicron figure! What’s astounding about this campaign is that it costs MORE than Jabba’s Sail Barge and requires a hefty 8000 backers. Can it be done? Time will tell! Good luck to all who want this! Hopefully, a Star Wars project is next!

The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ Obi-Wan Kenobi (Padawan) figure is the Deal of the Day today! $13.99. Special thanks to JTA reader Michael L. for the alert!

UPDATE: Lando Calrissian (Skif Guard) is also on sale.

Here is another fantastic release from The Power Of The Force “2” [Red] collection. The X-wing Fighter (Electronic) vehicle was another exciting vehicle to acquire in 1995. It looks alright by today’s standards, but it meant a lot more to collectors at the time of release. See what you’ll think about it by checking out our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Today is Amazon Prime Day, so keep an eye out for any Star Wars deals! Please feel free to let us know any that pop-up and we will add them here!

Rebel Soldier (Hoth Battle Gear) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

It’s an amazing feat of community organization! We now reached the $200K stretch goal and it is OFFICIALLY unlocked! (Will there be another stretch goal in the nick of time?) This is exciting!

Check it out! Witness what happened when something “synthetic” took on something from “nature.” Special thanks to JTA reader Ben for sending over this image from a Reddit thread. I found it particularly interesting and thought it was worth sharing.

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The Rebel Snowspeeder (Electronic) vehicle was one of the most exciting vehicle releases of 1995. It still looks fantastic today, albeit out of scale. See why you might want one of these today in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

We received an update from Regal Robot for those attending SDCC next week, for those who cannot attend, and how to get their convention exclusive…

For fans who can’t make the show, we’re offering the exclusive online, but only during the days of the convention from July 17th-21st!  Folks can visit regalrobot.com for the latest info and we’ll have a post go up there as soon as they are live and available to order! People who purchase at the show get them right away and at a show special of $20 each. Online, they will be $29 plus shipping and they’ll ship about 6-8 weeks from the time of the order.

Brian’s Toys has posted their latest newsletter…

We just received in the carded vintage collection wave’s 7 & 8!  Also take a peek at our auctions these next few weeks.  We have very hard to find items we are putting up for auction!

Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

Here is the FIRST MODERN Imperial AT-ST (Scout Walker) vehicle, but the first-ever based on the Battle of Endor. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

FX-7 (Medical Droid) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live for The Lion King, director Jon Favreau revealed that he is already working on the script for Season 2 of The Mandalorian TV series. IGN has the full story.

In light of yesterday’s Cookie Monster shaped news I think it’s time we Star Wars collectors take a step back to see where Star Wars toys are in the grand scheme of things in 2019. Click through for a short article!

Om nom nom!

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It’s the ONLY Hasbro release where you can get a BLUE SNAGGLETOOTH! Once again, check out what less than $20 got you in 2004. The Mos Eisley Cantina (Scene 2) Scene Packs is another excellent release and features Zutton, the only time we ever received this character in the modern line. See why imperfection was almost perfect in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Leia Organa (Bespin Gown) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1980

Are you disappointed in the HasLab announcement? Don’t fret! Cardboard Galaxy has created something you WILL want for your Star Wars collection! Coming soon! Docking Bay 94!

You all did it! The $175K stretch goal is OFFICIALLY unlocked! We’re getting those POTF-styled coins! But will we make it to the $200K stretch goal?!

Our next The Black Series [Phase III] Visual Guide update features BT-1 (Beetee) (88). Click below for our full guide page, and also be sure to stop by and check out our full review.

Forget your Death Star Space Station Playset. Forget the 6″ X-wing fighter or the Millennium Falcon cockpit (for now). The next HasLab project is a life-size Cookie Monster. Yahoo has the full story! The campaign link is HERE.

Look what less than $20 got us in 2004. The Mos Eisley Cantina (Scene 1) Scene Packs set makes us pine for the Star Wars lines of years’ past. See why imperfection was perfect in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Doctor Aphra (87) is our next The Black Series [Phase III] Visual Guide update. Click below for our full Visual Guide page, and make sure to head on over to check out our full review as well.

Hasbro Pulse has added the online exclusive TVC Gamorrean Guard figure for $14.99. What happened to the $12.99 MSRP?

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

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 Wedge Antilles (#11) and Dengar (#12). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. 

It looks like the new Sith Trooper will be the face of The Rise Of Skywalker at SDCC as we see it revealed in multiple formats over at StarWars.com, including a pretty sweet looking Hot Toys version. Click through for all the details on the many formats you can see this new trooper in, including not only action figures, but Pop! bobble-heads, mugs, shirts, hats, backpacks, and more. 

The brand new Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker Sith Trooper was revealed just now by The Star Wars Show on YouTube! He will also come as an SDCC exclusive with exclusive packaging and weapons! But he will also come later in the basic line! Click through for a photo of the SDCC version!

Click for larger version!

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Every now and then I ask myself if collecting something, anything really, is still fun or if something has become too much work. In a perfect and ideal world a company such as Hasbro would make sure that anyone who wants to buy something gets the chance to do so – by either simply walking into a store and finding things on shelves and pegs, or by going online and buying from Amazon, Entertainment Earth, Dorkside Toys or any other etailer. But reality is different. The “exclusive” figure or set has become a staple of collecting, exclusives are no longer the exception, but have become the norm. And scarcity seems to be a concept companies like Hasbro or Funko (and not just them) seem to like a lot. Why? Click through for some thoughts about collecting!

Soon not available in stores near you

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What in the world was Hasbro thinking with the Episode I Deluxe figures? Let’s finish up Darth Maul. He’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

I only learned about this now, but on June 29th 2019 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held a special back to back screening of Rogue One and Star Wars A New Hope. What makes this so special is that Star Wars was, for the first time in decades, shown in its original, unaltered, pre special edition version. And according to someone from the audience it was an immaculate 70mm print of Star Wars. The only change to the original 1977 movie was the addition of “A New Hope” to the title crawl.
Apparently, the Academy needed a special permission from George Lucas himself to screen the original version of Star Wars. That begs the question if George Lucas still has some say over what happens with the movies he made. If the Academy needed Lucas’ permission and not just Disney’s that would imply “yes”. Does Lucas still own the prints of the unaltered movies? So even if Disney owns Star Wars, would even they need George Lucas’ permission, if Disney wanted to release the original, unaltered versions of the original trilogy movies on Blu-Ray? Or wanted to make some additional changes (updated CGI) to the special editions for a potential release in 4K? Also, if Lucas allowed the screening, could it mean he’s open to re-releasing the original versions in high definition? Read more about the screening on comicbook.com!

Check out the latest newsletter from our friends at Brian’s Toys…

12 Backs, ROTJ, POTF, ESB, Rare, Loose Vehicles, Playsets and more!  Check out all the new product we have been adding this last week. Brian’s Toys has have been getting in some good shipments from AFA that will be sure to pique your interest.

Our next The Black Series [Phase III] Visual Guide features Ezra Bridger (86). Click below to see our fully detailed Visual Guide page, and click here to check out our in-depth review.

Super 7 is releasing another excellent exclusive this year, in line with their previous Alien Hammerhead figure. This year it’s Kenner 1985 The Power Of The Force packaging with a 5POA Metropolis Maria as the featured figure. Awesome! Too bad Hasbro doesn’t do a whole line of never-produced POTF Retro Collection figures like this! Imagine a POTF Bossk, POTF IG-88, POTF Luke Bespin. It will never happen as the line continually gets squandered. Any way, check out Super 7’s Facebook page for more

After the success of last week’s TRT, I’m excited for this one! We had nearly 200 comments and photos of people’s collecting experiences from that week. I hope to see that kind of engagement going forward! I personally loved the custom work of some of our readers. For this week, I didn’t personally receive or buy very many new toys, but did have a chance to work on customs and have some other Star Wars fun. Check it out after the jump!

My grail – the Shuttle Tydirium – and Galaga. Two of the best creations ever!

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What in the world was Hasbro thinking with the Episode I Deluxe figures? Let’s continue with Obi-Wan Kenobi. He’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

JTA reader Terminal Voracity graciously sent us in some quick pics of the reissued Boba Fett (VC09) figure. Sadly, this is another figure that needs to be retired and the mold broken. It’s terrible! But it does look as if Hasbro updated it as much as they could to make it relevant today. Check out the images below.

It’s time to start working on The Black Series wave 21 for our Visual Guides. First up is Chopper (C1-10P) (84). Click below to check out our full guide for this figure, and make sure to also stop by and check out our full review.

We usually don’t cover much Lego news here, but maybe it’s of interest to some what sets Lego will release for the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker merchandise onslaught. So click through for a list of all the sets that will be released in October 2019 and then somewhat later in January 2020!

Coming January 2020

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Over the weekend, I chatted with my former best pal Chris Swanski (from BanthaSkull.com) via text. I decided I couldn’t be friends with him anymore after he wouldn’t shut up giving glorious praise for The Vintage Collection Death Star Gunner (VC147) figure. I tried to enlighten him by going through all of the talking points about what’s wrong with this figure, but he just kept texting back in all caps “I LOVE IT!” So, it’s time for us to move on now. Hey Chris, if you’re OK with the Death Star Gunner’s “snorkel-for-an-antenna” then I expect a full redaction on your opinions of the horrifying lightsaber-launching R2-D2 from 1998!

Egregiously out of scale proportions seemingly don’t faze Chris.

Wo! Check it out. Arriving just in time for Walmart’s Fall reset, the Jabba’s Palace Adventure Set and Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard) exclusives have landed in a Walmart in California. Don’t forget that more units of the playset will be available online as well! Images and report from The Star Wars The Vintage Collection Facebook Group.

YouTube Channel “Corridor Crew” has a relatively new, ongoing series called “VFX Artists React to Bad & Great CGI” in which they critique various VFX from movies and tell the audience what’s either great or bad about them. Hearing this from people who work in the field can be highly interesting. A short while ago the Corridor Crew took on the Star Wars prequels. While many here remember bad greenscreen effects or overly CGI looking scenes (even if many of those used traditional models and miniatures) the VFX artists actually have a much more positive view of the effects in the prequels, since they were in many ways groundbreaking, and they will tell you why. They also point out when something didn’t work, but for them the good seems to outweigh the bad.
But then the Corridow Crew also has a brand new series called “Stuntmen react…” and in the video that was released the other day they go through a bunch of movies and tv shows (Mission Impossible, Punisher etc) and they also take a detailed look at the Last Jedi throne room fight. The professional stunt coordinator (he was, among other things, the stunt coordinator for The Punisher show) who analyzes the scene has a few interesting things to say about that, let’s just say he was less than impressed… So click through for two videos today, one that talks about the visual effects of the prequels and another that analyzes the Last Jedi Throne Room fight.

Learn why this scene was groundbreaking

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Thanks to your support, our Kickstarter book project Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Archive Edition was fully funded on the first day! Now, as we come into the home stretch, we’re asking for your help to make one last push to your readers so we can unlock the remaining stretch goals for all book backers.

This is the last week to back The Vintage Collection Archive Edition book on Kickstarter. The campaign wraps up at 11:38 EDT on Sunday, July 14. Any last minute holdouts should act now as it’s the only way to get the Kickstarter exclusive Star Wars Vinyl Case slipcover and will be the only opportunity to get the book with all of the unlocked bonus stretch goal content. Best of all, the stretch goals are free to anyone who backs a book.

So far backers have unlocked additional book chapters including a fan-demanded chapter on unproduced items, a visual quick-reference figure guide, a three-page spread for the Millennium Falcon and Jabba’s Barge vehicles, an appendix with all figure packaging variations, a folio with chapter break prints featuring photos by some of the world’s top toy photographers, and a special throwback poster by former Kenner photographer Kim Simmons. Phew!

Oh heck no. What in the world was Hasbro thinking with the Episode I Deluxe figures? Let’s start with Qui-Gon Jinn. He’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

My sister texted me this video. I hadn’t seen it until she let me know about it. It would be egregious of me not to share it with you. If you haven’t seen this talent, you’re missing out.

Let’s add Obi-Wan’s Jedi Starfighter to the database. Hasbro released this vehicle too many times, but this was the first release. Check it out in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

In case you missed it, we finished up our reviews on The Black Series [Phase III] wave and The Vintage Collection wave 22. Click either banner below to check them out if you missed any of them!

Here is a picture perfect example of “photorealistic” technology gone awry for the 3.75″ super-articulated line. Special thanks to JTA reader Sven R. for posting this image in our RDR.

The Hasbro panel date and time for SDCC have been announced: Friday, July 19 • 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Members of the Hasbro and Lucasfilm team discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro’s latest action figure offerings. Word on the Holonet is there may also be a few surprises. That should mean stuff that isn’t on retailer product lists, so hopefully good stuff! Panelists: Sarah Carroll and Sam Smith. More information is here.

Five costumes from the upcoming movie The Rise of Skywalker are currently on display at the Essence Festival. Photos have appeared on the internet, I compiled them and made a collage of all five costumes that are shown. You can get a good look at the costumes for Lando, Finn, Poe, Jannah and Rey. Sadly, Kylo and Zorri seem to be missing. But nevertheless, this gives you a good chance to examine the costumes more closely and in more or less natural light, without added color grading.
Poe still looks like Nathan Drake, Lando can’t afford new clothes it seems, so he has to wear things from his younger days, Jannah looks interesting, even if the sandals look dubious, she should get an action figure, Finn should not get an action figure based on the costume (not another Han Soloesque costume please) and Rey seems to be wearing genuine Ugg boots? Are they still a thing? But otherwise her costume is ok, still very similar to her TFA costume, but with the added hood (you can’t see it here) the costume has some interesting things going on. This is her best look yet, in my opinion.
But what do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Click for much larger version!

While roaming the interwebs, Google picture search and subsequently finding some old articles from 2015 and 2016, I stumbled across a map for a proposed Star Wars Land theme park, made years ago, before Galaxy’s Edge was actually announced by Disney. Now, some of you may already know about all this, but maybe there are also some, like me, who see or hear about this for the very first time. So I would like to show you a fanmade map of a Star Wars Land theme park that never was. The question I have for you is: would that have been something you would have loved to go to? And do you think we might still eventually get a much larger Star Wars theme park in the future or has the time for that passed for good? Click through for the full picture and a few words about it!

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What is this mess? And did you know that this set was supposed to contain two other action figures that didn’t make it? See why the Collector Pack from the Revenge Of The Sith line is perplexing. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.