Monthly Archives: December 2021

The Vintage Collection The Mythrol is not everyone’s cup of tea, but still a good release for the line. But why did Hasbro release this character before so many others? (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

The Book of Boba Fett is here, and several talented artists released some beautiful poster art leading up to the release. Check out the posters below by Andrew Swainson, Dorothea Taylor, and Ashraf Hassan Omar, respectively. 

The Vintage Collection Kuiil is another out-of-the-park hit! It’s also our 4300th RDR! (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

Let’s continue our look at Hot Toys Sixth Scale Visual Guides with the addition of the Remnant Stormtrooper (TMS011). Click below for full Visual Guide access!

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Holy cow! it’s another hit! Check out The Vintage Collection Bo-Katan Kryze figure. She’s a beauty! (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 12!

We have just one word for The Vintage Collection Lobot: WOW. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

After getting teased almost a year ago in the closing minutes of The Mandalorian season 2 finale The Book of Boba Fett has finally been released! So there’s lots to talk about. Click here or on the banner below to read my spoiler review of the first episode “Stranger in a Strange Land”!

Spoiler: Boba survives the Sarlacc!

Today’s Visual Guide update features the Princess Leia & Wicket (MMS551) sixth scale set from Hot Toys. Click below to check out all of the details in our Visual Guide.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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

Sideshow unveiled their latest Mythos Statue: Darth Vader. Get the full preview page after the jump!

We have just one word for The Vintage Collection Bib Fortuna: WOW. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

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

If you are wanting to get a better look at the newly revealed The Mandalorian Droid Factory set, samples are now showing up on eBay. Here’s a current active auction, with several others already closed. 

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 Nix Jerd (#267) and R5-D4 (#268). 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.

The Book of Boba Fett will be released in three days from now, with the first episode becoming available on December 29th. The various (teaser) trailers only show us scenes from the first few minutes of the first episode. In true Lucasfilm fashion everything about the show is top secret. A recent Hollywood Reporter article highlights this fact once more. Ming-Na Wen, who portrays Fennec Shand, didn’t even know what Disney hired her for when she was offered the role. At first she naturally assumed she would be filming season 3 of The Mandalorian, it was only when she arrived on set that she found out that she’s actually filming a brand new show.

Since we (officially) know so little about the series I thought it would be fun to speculate. What will happen in The Book of Boba Fett? What will it be about? Who will make an appearance in the series? What is the likelihood of a Rancor scene in The Book of Boba Fett that Hasbro never knew about and thus giving their failed HasLab the worst timing possible? Click through to merrily speculate away and to post your predictions. And beware, there may be spoilers! So spoiler-phobes should stay away!

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A Merry Christmas To All! It’s time to celebrate a Christmas Visual Guide update with the latest Droid Factory Holiday Edition droid: R5-D33R. Click below for our full Visual Guide, and access our full review by clicking here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

An image from an unknown source is surfing around the internet this morning. It’s the next Disney Droid Factory four-pack based on characters from The Mandalorian. If this is your image, please let us know so we can attribute credit!

The countdown continues… four more days. Enjoy the latest teaser: Arrival.

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We hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas! There’s room for everyone on the Nice List!

Merry Christmas! Let’s look at R5-D33R, Disney’s Droid Factory release for this year! (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

We are just 5 days away from the premiere of The Book of Boba Fett. Click through to check out the latest teaser trailer: Throne. 

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Shop Disney released a “greatest hits” package of their past Holiday astromech droids in their R2-H15/R2-H16/R3-H17/R4-H18 four-pack. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

And it’s a wrap! It took us all year, but we got through Hasbro’s The Vintage Collection The Ninety Six action figures and provided our assessment on where we are for each one. Many of you have asked if we’d do a wrap-up. Well, we think it’s best if you provide your input in this article. Give your impressions on where we are with this line, and see how far we have yet to go before completion. We have a dedicated place on our website for The Ninety Six. Click HERE and you’ll find all 96 action figures. And if you hover over them, a GREEN border means we have an acceptable figure already in The Vintage Collection, and if you hover and the border turns RED, it means Hasbro has work to do! As Hasbro releases action figures, we will update this page. Thank you for your participation in this column. It’s been a blast!

Out Today! Topps fans can now pick up the latest Star Wars Stellar Signatures Collection.

With only 100 collectible cases available, each card within the collection will be numbered to 40 or less.

Starting today, cases can be found at your local card shop, and each new collectible case of this limited set features 36 on-card autographs, 3 dual autographs, 1 quad autograph, 1 over-sized sketch card, and a complete reproduction set featuring the most sought-after talent from across the Star Wars saga on premium 48-pt. slabbed cards.

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The new Princess Leia Organa (Yavin 4) is a gorgeous figure in terrible packaging. Learn more. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

The Book of Boba Fett Payoff poster is now available at Disney Movie Insiders. This Poster is double-sided and standard 27″ W x 40″ H sizing. Thanks to JTA reader Eric for the alert!

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

The latest The Vintage Collection and The Black Series pre-orders are live. Click below for pre-order pages:

• The Vintage Collection ARC Trooper (Star Wars: Battlefront II) – BBTS Exclusive
• The Vintage Collection ARC Trooper (Umbra Operative) – Entertainment Earth Exclusive
• The Vintage Collection ARC Trooper (Lambent Seeker) – (Entertainment Earth •  Pulse • GameStop)
• The Black Series ARC Trooper (Umbra Operative) – GameStop Exclusive

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

Pre-orders are now open for the newly announced The Book of Boba Fett Fennec Shand (TMS068) Sixth Scale figure. Click here for the pre-order page!

Hot Toys has revealed their first official sixth scale figure from The Book of Boba Fett: Fennec Shand (TMS068). Click through for the full gallery and details!

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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 Yak Face.

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The Photo Real updates to the Rogue One characters are impressive. The Chirrut Îmwe 6-inch figure is a testament to why this was necessary as well. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

Here’s our last The Vintage Collection Visual Guide update before the holiday! Click below to check out the complete Visual Guide for the Tantive IV Corridor Playset. Make sure to also check out our full review with additional diorama gallery photos. We will be back after the holidays to wrap up our run of The Vintage Collection updates, and then we will be moving on to a huge run of The Black Series updates. Stay tuned!

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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 Imperial Dignitary.

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Wow! I am a big fan of clones and video game characters, so these are going to be impossible for me to pass up! No word on the exclusivity of these figures, but if previous experience tell us anything, the TVC figures will be Fan Channel, and the TBS Umbra Operative will be only at Gamestop.

Look for these to go up for pre-order tomorrow at 1 PM Eastern!

• The Vintage Collection ARC Trooper (Star Wars: Battlefront II) – BBTS Exclusive
• The Vintage Collection ARC Trooper (Lambent Seeker) – Fan Channel Exclusive
• The Vintage Collection ARC Trooper (Umbra Operative) – Entertainment Earth Exclusive
• The Black Series ARC Trooper (Umbra Operative) – GameStop Exclusive

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Howdy folks! Thanks for coming back to another Toy Run Tuesday. These last couple weeks have been really good for toy hunting since so much Christmas stock has shown up. I got a few new toys and completed a couple new customs. Check it out!

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Most of us needed a hole in our head before another Jyn Erso 6-inch figure, but this one is the one you should purchase for your collection. It’s the best we’ll ever get of this character from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

We are continuing with The Vintage Collection Visual Guide updates tonight with update #25! Click below to check out our full Visual Guide for Antoc Merrick’s X-Wing Fighter. You can also visit our review database to check out a full review of this set. Missed any of our updates? Click here to check out all 25 updates.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Since the 6 inch scale Black Series was introduced in 2013 the line has changed a lot. The figures have improved in many ways and the releases have become much more numerous. In this article I want to focus on how many regular releases, exclusive releases, rereleases, repaints and kitbashes there have been each year. And while the numbers may not surprise any collector they are still quite eye-opening. This will be a lengthy examination and discussion of the line. So click through for the Black Series overview!

Black Series figures from 2014, 2017 and 2021

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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 A-Wing Pilot.

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We had such a phenomenal response with our first article that featured ideas for the Troop Builder sets that we decided to do a second one, with more ideas and suggestions from you! As you know, Hasbro opened the floodgates of what the new 4-pack Trooper Builder multipacks can offer. The possibilities are endless. The line is admittedly off to a great start with Stormtroopers, Rebel Fleet Troopers, and now Shoretroopers, but there are MANY other Trooper Builder sets they need to get out to the market. We’d thought we’d offer up our suggestions. But, please, once again, offer up your suggestions and feedback in the comments too! Click through for more from Part II. If you missed “Part I,” click HERE to check it out.

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We have another Special Action Figure Set addition to the Visual Guides today. This time we are adding the 2020 San Diego Comic Con exclusive The Vintage Collection 501st Legion ARC Troopers. Click below to visit the complete Visual Guide, and if you want to check out a complete review of this set click here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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 Vober Dand (#265) and Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod (#266). 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.

Another The Book of Boba Fett teaser dropped today. Click through to check out Authority. 

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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 (General Pilot).

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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.

Entertainment Earth has several The Vintage Collection restocks in, including Remnant Stormtrooper (VC165), Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper) (VC169), and The Mandalorian (VC166). You can also get free shipping with in-stock orders over $25. 

Today’s Visual Guide update features the 2019 San Diego Comic Con exclusive The Vintage Collection Luke Skywalker Jedi Destiny Set. Click below for a complete look at the Visual Guide for this set, and catch up on the review right here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Hasbro has opened the possible floodgates of what they could bring forth in the new 4-pack Trooper Builder multipacks. The line is admittedly off to a great start with Stormtroopers, Rebel Fleet Troopers, and now Shoretroopers, but there are MANY other Trooper Builder sets they need to get out to the market. Also, they need to find a way to not limit these to two units per customer. That limitation defeats the whole point of a Trooper Builder concept. We thought we’d offer up our suggestions. Click through for more.

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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 Warok.

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We have another Walmart exclusive carbonized figure for today’s Visual Guide update. Click below to check out the TVC Incinerator Trooper (Carbonized) Visual Guide. You can also check out a full review of this figure in our review database.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

You can now pre-order the TVC Shoretrooper Troop Builder set on Hasbro Pulse. Still no active link for ShopDisney (They typically post their pages at random times after the pre-order time). We will update this post with the ShopDisney link once it goes live. ShopDisney also usually ships much sooner than Hasbro Pulse does.

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 EV-9D9.

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Hasbro Pulse announced on their Social Media outlets the Shoretrooper Troop Builder set, including two super-articulated officers we’ve yet to receive until now, from The Vintage Collection. You can check out the full reveal right here. This goes up for pre-order today at 4 PM Eastern on Hasbro Pulse and ShopDisney. 

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 Anakin Skywalker.

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Up next for our run of The Vintage Collection Visual Guides is the Walmart exclusive The Armorer (Carbonized). Click below to check out this addition to the Visual Guides. We have also reviewed this figure right here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Hasbro made collectors wait a half decade before releasing Bodhi Rook into The Black Series 6-inch line. But the figure looks excellent. (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

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 (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit).

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Instagram user @toyhideout has dropped images of the next wave of The Black Series Holiday Edition figures:

• Mandalorian Warrior (Holiday Edition)
• Protocol Droid (Holiday Edition)
• Scout Trooper (Holiday Edition)
• Wookiee (Holiday Edition)
• First Order Stormtrooper (Holiday Edition)

Hop on over to @toyhideout for the full post, and let us know in the comments what you think. Still no word or official release information on these, or where they might be exclusive to (likely the same as last year).

 
images courtesy of @toyhideout

The Vintage Collection’s wave 31 is a wrap in our Visual Guides! Our final update from that wave is Teebo (VC207). Click below to check out our full Visual Guide. And, don’t forget to stop by and also check out our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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

You can now pre-order yesterday’s TVC and TBS reveals at various outlets. Click below for links to each product.

• The Vintage Collection Boba Fett (Tatooine) (Entertainment Earth • Amazon)
• The Vintage Collection Fennec Shand (Entertainment Earth • Amazon)
• The Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Premium Helmet (Entertainment Earth)

(Click images below for direct links to Entertainment Earth pages)

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, Target.com has the exclusive Droids See-Threepio available. 

We have a special update to provide to our readers tonight. The Vintage Collection Archive Edition book has begun shipping, and backers of the book are already raving about its beauty, depth, and quality. We received a sample to show you some of the amazing content inside of it, but we also can reveal some details we held close to the vest until now. A more in-depth review is coming, but please enjoy this preliminary post in the meantime. If you haven’t ordered this fantastic work of art, be sure to order your copy HERE. This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone who collects the premium Hasbro The Vintage Collection line.

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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 (In Carbonite Chamber).

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Tonight we are swinging back over to The Vintage Collection wave 31 for our Visual Guide update. Click below to check out IG-11 (VC206). Make sure to also head over and check out our full review of this figure.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

We get our first look at the TVC card back for The Book of Boba Fett figures, and also another boxed deluxe figure. Today’s reveals added a deluxe Boba Fett (Tatooine) and a carded Fennec Shand. These will be up for pre-order tomorrow at 1 PM Eastern.

If you missed out on buying the Target exclusive Droids See-Threepio online, start checking your local targets. JTA reader Jeff reports that he found these at his local Auburn, AL Target. Let us know in the comments if you find these in your area.

Just as the headline suggests, it’s Toy Run Tuesday once again! My stores have been hit heavy with Christmastime toy shipments of every brand and every line. I’ve found a lot of Hasbro product, but haven’t really bought much of it. Have you found any purchase worthy toys at the store these last few weeks?

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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 Imperial Gunner.

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Walmart.com has the Retro Collection Cara Dune in stock for $9.99 right now. Thanks to JTA reader Craig for the tip!

Update: Sold out!

Let’s take a short break from our The Vintage Collection wave 31 updates to bring you the Droids See-Threepio (C-3PO) Visual Guide. Click below for the full guide page! You can also check out our full review right here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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 Momaw Nadon (#263) and Zett Jukassa (#264). 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.

The next teaser has been released for The Book of Boba Fett. Click through to check out Ready. 

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The Target exclusive Droids See-Threepio (C-3PO) figure is beautiful. And it’s a long-awaited addition to “The Vintage Collection,” although, there is no evidence that this figure is actually part of The Vintage Collection (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

For our next The Vintage Collection Visual Guide update we get an all-new Lando Calrissian (VC205). Click below to check out the full Visual Guide page. Make sure to also check out our full review of this figure over in our review database.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Target’s Droids exclusive See-Threepio (C-3PO) is shipping (and arriving) for those that managed to get a pre-order in. Mine arrived with minimal damage, even though they still managed to cram them into an undersized box. Let us know how yours arrived in the comments! Still no updates on exactly when the others will begin to ship.

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 Barada.

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Another wave of The Vintage Collection, another round of Visual Guides! Next up is The Emperor (VC200) from wave 31. Click below for our full Visual Guide. Make sure to also check out our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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 Amanaman.

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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 Romba.

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Our final The Vintage Collection wave 30 Visual Guide update features the Offworld Jawa (Arvala7) (VC203). Click below to check out our full Visual Guide, and click here to read our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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 right now, The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis) is back in stock. Thanks to JTA reader Steve for the alert!

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

Walmart.com currently has the Retro Collection Yoda available for $9.99 for those interested. Thanks to JTA reader Craig for the alert!

Update: Sold out

Click through to check out the cinematic trailer for the latest Star Wars game in development: Star Wars Eclipse. Star Wars Eclipse is the newest adventure in the High Republic era, now early in development by Quantic Dream. More details at www.StarWarsEclipse.com.

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I’ve seen several reports across social media of The Vintage Collection wave 32 showing up at Targets on the west coast. Jeremy posted his find from a Target in Bryant, AR over in the TVC Facebook group. Let us know in the comments if you are finding these, and where. Thanks for sharing, Jeremy!

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 Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) with pop-up Lightsaber.

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Website AllEars.net has uploaded the welcome message Disney sends out to people who booked a stay at the Galactic Starcruiser on Twitter. The video is two minutes long and features a female employee of the fictional cruise line telling customers what to expect onboard the space ship. Click here or on the screenshot below to watch the video on Twitter! Then click through for a short discussion!

Click to watch the 2-minute video on Twitter

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Ahsoka Tano (Mandalore) (VC202) is our next The Vintage Collection Visual Guide update, a nice pairing with Darth Maul (Mandalore) (VC201) from the same wave. Click below to check out the full Visual Guide. You can also read our full review for this figure right here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Instagram user cl0ne_w4rs has posted in-hand pictures of both the new The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis) set and the Amazon exclusive Bad Batch Elite Squad Trooper, and they both share the same VC number (VC211). 

Photo credit: Instagram user cl0ne_w4rs

The Acolyte is one of the many Disney+ Star Wars series announced a while back. Back then it was labeled as a “female-centric” Star Wars series set in the final days of the High Republic era. Pre-preduction for the series is ongoing and now Variety reports that the lead actress for the series by showrunner Leslye Headland has been found. The yet unnamed “Acolyte” will be played by Amandla Stenberg, 23. Stenberg, who according to Variety identifies as non-binary, has some tv and movie experience. Her genre experience to date is a role in Sleepy Hollow and in The Hunger Games when she was still a teenager, other than that Stenberg starred in several tv shows and a handful of movies. She played alongside co-stars such as Anthony Mackie, Gwendoline Christie and Christopher Ecclestone.
Tentative release date for The Acolyte is 2023. Are you interested in this High Republic series about what could be a Sith apprentice?

Cast as the titular “Acolyte”: Amandla Stenberg

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

Walmart has finally opened pre-orders for the most refreshed page in Walmart history. Click here to pre-order The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis!

Update: Looks like it is now ‘officially’ out of stock. It was available for just under an hour.

Here are all the exclusives in case you need to bundle some extras for free shipping:

• Imperial Stormtrooper (Nevarro Cantina)
• Incinerator Trooper & Grogu
• Ahsoka Tano & Grogu
• The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis)

Our TVC wave 30 Visual Guide updates continue with Darth Maul (Mandalore) (VC201). Click below to have a look at the full Visual Guide page. We also have a full review of this figure in our review database.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

The latest The Book of Boba Fett trailer has dropped. The Return features some new footage and runs for about 60 seconds. Click through to watch the trailer and discuss! And if you’ve wondered what happened to his jumpsuit he was wearing when he entered the Sarlacc and why he’s switched to a new one….

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All pre-orders are officially live now for all four sets! Click below for each pre-order page!

UPDATE! Well, it’s finally available! Thanks everyone for the entertaining wait!

• Imperial Stormtrooper (Nevarro Cantina)
• Incinerator Trooper & Grogu
• Ahsoka Tano & Grogu
• The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis)

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

The “Deluxe” Boba Fett (Throne Room) figure is now available to pre-order at various outlets. Click below for links!

(Note: A new Boba Fett Edition Monopoly Game is also available. Pre-order here at Entertainment Earth)

• Entertainment Earth
• Amazon.com
• Gamestop

(The image below will take you to the Entertainment Earth pre-order page)

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

Amazon.com has several “Limited Time Deals” right now, including The Vintage Collection’s IG-11 (VC206) for $9.49, and The Black Series’ Credit Collection The Mandalorian (wave 2) ($20.99) and Imperial Death Trooper ($19.99). Thanks to JTA reader Mike for the tip!

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

UPDATE: As of right now, pre-orders are currently available for the 3 deluxe sets!

UPDATE 2: Page is now live for the Maldo Kreis set, but not yet available to order

Pre-orders are set to go live at 1 PM Eastern for all four The Mandalorian Walmart exclusive The Vintage Collection sets. Click below for links to the product pages. While they are set to go live at 1 PM, they sometimes go up early… and sometimes it takes a while to go live (pages are placeholders and will go live when the product is added)! 

• Imperial Stormtrooper (Nevarro Cantina)
• Incinerator Trooper & Grogu
• Ahsoka Tano & Grogu
• The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis)

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 (In Battle Poncho).

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Entertainment Weekly posted an ad article about Disney’s upcoming Star Wars Hotel on their website yesterday and for the first time you get to see the captain of the Galactic Starcruiser! Meet Captain Keevan, the one who will command the imaginary space ship in the Star Wars galaxy and keep you safe from the First Order! Click through for more.

Captain Keevan. She has a hat. Source: Entertainment Weekly

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It’s time to move on to our next wave of The Vintage Collection Visual Guide updates. Check out ARC Trooper Echo (VC176), our first update from wave 30. Click below for the full Visual Guide. Click here for the full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Hasbro’s G.I. Joe team and fans have reason to celebrate. The Skystriker Haslab is fully funded! With more than 8 hours to go the Skystriker will certainly unlock one or even more tiers. Maybe Hasbro’s Star Wars team can visit their colleagues in the G.I. Joe offices and get a primer on how to engage fans. The G.I. Joe team had a livestream on Instagram today, they also post regular updates, whereas the Star Wars team kept radio silence yesterday, leaving former Star Wars team member Steve Evans to post something on his Instagram. Anyway, this means two out of three HasLabs are a success, only Star Wars failed. But now is the time for G.I. Joe collectors to pop the champagne!

UPDATE: Tier 2 was unlocked, final backer count is 16,803. The Skystriker added almost 9,000 backers on the final day and more than doubled its numbers. Backers will now get the jet with a total of seven 3.75 in figures.

Success!

Now this is very unexpected. Target in the US just revealed two brand new SH Figuarts Star Wars action figures based on Star Wars Visions. The twins Am and Karre! This is potentially big news because Bandai only has a license for Japan, this is the first time an SHF Star Wars action figure is officially (not as an import) distributed in the US! Maybe Hasbro’s license does not cover anime figures?
You can preorder Am and Karre at Target! Price per figure is $84.99. No word yet when Japanese etailers may offer them of it they will also be sold officially in Europe now! It’s certainly very welcome that SH Figuarts offers Visions merchandise! There is so much more they could do! What other Visions figures would you love to see?

Karre and Am

An official statement by Hasbro about the failed Rancor HasLab was posted on the Hasbro Pulse Instagram page. Click through to read the statement in full!

Hasbro’s statement is somewhat less emotional

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The previously announced The Vintage Collection Walmart exclusive The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis) is officially scheduled to go up for pre-order tomorrow (December 8) at 1 PM Eastern. Click here for the pre-0rder page (it will go live once it is officially listed). 

This week we also get another new Deluxe figure added to The Black Series line: Boba Fett (Throne Room). Look for this to go up for pre-order tomorrow (December 8) at 1 PM Eastern.

UPDATE: high resolution photo of the figure in the box added!

And here is a high resolution photo of the figure in a box:

Click for full resolution

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

This week’s edition of Bring Home The Bounty is full of new reveals. First up are three deluxe Walmart exclusive The Vintage Collection sets:

• Imperial Stormtrooper (Nevarro Cantina)
• Incinerator Trooper & Grogu
• Ahsoka Tano & Grogu

These are scheduled to go up for pre-order tomorrow (December 8) at 1 PM Eastern on Walmart.com.

Now that was one hell of a night. We had lots of fun here on JTA in the comments section and watched with awe as the Rancor backer count on HasLab literally exploded in the last few hours. For the longest time it seemed as if the final number would be something like 7,800, far short of the funding goal, but when midnight came it was 8,534!

But then the most mysterious thing happened… once the deadline ended the backer number collapsed. Literally. It went from 8,534 to a little more than 7,500 and then just barely over 7,000 and as of now, 17 minutes after the deadline it’s not even 5,000 backers anymore. One reason could be that HasLab is cancelling orders now, since the funding goal was not met before the deadline ended. Whatever the reason for this gigantic collapse is after the deadline ended one thing is clear, the Rancor won’t reach the required 9,000 backers anymore!

And the only people to blame for this are working at Hasbro and Lucasfilm. They miscalculated, they hoped a Haslab with nonsensical tiers consisting of repacks, cheap bones, cardboard and a Rancor centerpiece that is not remotely as impressive as the barge or the Razor Crest would make collectors pay $350 for it. But it didn’t! The only hope is that Hasbro (and their partner Lucasfilm who has total control over everything) learn from their mistakes. Maybe collectors are finally fed up with a toyline that mostly consists of repaints, repacks, kitbashes and exclusives these days. The mainline is still strong, but far too few figures are released in it, most figures these days are exclusives, repaints and repacks to the point that even the HasLab Rancor had several of them as tiers. Click through for more!

“He’s dead Jim!” (quote from Hasbro’s favorite franchise)

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We have the final Visual Guide update from The Vintage Collection Walmart exclusive 50th anniversary wave 2. Click below to check out the Tusken Raider (VC199), and be sure to also check out our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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

Entertainment Earth has added pre-orders for the latest The Black Series wave currently showing up at retail. Click below for pre-order pages. You can also order a full case of 8 right here.

• The Black Series Boba Fett (Tython) 6-Inch Action Figure
• The Black Series Fennec Shand 6-Inch Action Figure
• The Black Series Ponda Baba 6-Inch Action Figure
• The Black Series Migs Mayfeld (Morak) 6-Inch Action Figure
• The Black Series Stormtrooper (Jedha Patrol) 6-Inch Action Figure
• The Black Series Princess Leia Organa (Yavin Ceremony) 6-Inch Action Figure
• The Black Series Dr. Evazan 6-Inch Action Figure
• The Black Series Bib Fortuna 6-Inch Action Figure

Starting today, UNDONE is launching their custom Star Wars watch collection, featuring three limited edition watches: Darth Vader, The Mandalorian, and The Child. Click through for details on each watch.

Shop the UNDONE Star Wars Collection right here.

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We are entering the finishing straight for the HasLab Rancor! In roughly 24 hours the campaign will end – unless Hasbro announce an extension of the deadline today. The Rancor currently has 5,605 backers, about 62% of the required funding. At this point in time all the other successful HasLabs had already been funded and had experienced a massive boost. The Rancor has only added 120-200 backers each day ever since Malakili was added to the offering, not even 900 backers in total.
So what will it be? Yay or nay? What do you think? Place your bet and feel free to share any other musings you have in the comments! This will be the go to HasLab Rancor discussion thread for the final day of the campaign!

He needs love

Our The Vintage Collection Visual Guide updates continue with a look at Luke Skywalker (Endor). Click below for all of the details! You can also catch up on our review of this figure right here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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 posting, The Walmart Exclusive Captain Rex is CURRENTLY in stock for $29.99!  

Update: Out of stock

One could say the Star Wars ship is not exactly sailing in smooth waters at the moment. While many fans are certainly eagerly anticipating the Book of Boba Fett show by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, other things either seriously annoy fans or get ridiculed. The current Star Wars HasLab is not exactly going as planned, it may or may not limp over the finish line, maybe barely getting funded. This project seriously angered collectors and Hasbro / Lucasfilm were basically forced to make a late addition to the campaign to somehow salvage it. The Star Wars Haslab got some really negative PR. And then there’s the fact that Star Wars lost yet another director – and basically canceled yet another movie – not too long ago. But that is nothing compared to what is concurrently happening elsewhere in the Disney Star Wars galaxy. As you may remember the brand new Star Wars Hotel, the “Galactic Starcruiser” will open in March 2022. For a mere $6,000 (for a family of four) you can spend 2 nights and 2 days (only count to 2, not 1, not 3) at the hotel. Since the world we live in is what it is, it’s already booked out in advance for a few months (there are more than 20 million millionaires in the US after all, Disney’s new target demographic apparently). So what is going wrong here? Well, Disney released a “first look” video for the Star Wars Hotel on YouTube earlier this week and the reaction was less than favorable. Actually, the reaction was savage. Apart from the usual access media (think IGN & co) virtually ALL major and even minor Star Wars YouTube channels roasted Disney for the video which was the textbook definition of “cringe”. So what did Disney do as a reaction? Well, what do you think? Click through for more!

Still image from the Starcruiser first look video

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Up next for our The Vintage Collection Visual Guide updates is the second wave of the Walmart exclusive Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary figures. First up is the Death Star Droid. (VC197). Click below to check out the full Visual Guide. You can also read our full review on this figure right here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Many collectors wonder how exactly Hasbro and Lucasfilm work together. It should be common knowledge that Lucasfilm / Disney control every aspect of the Star Wars brand and that also applies to the toy sector of course. But how exactly is the working relationship? Eric Franer, the designer of the HasLab Rancor, was featured in a CNET article about the Rancor a short while ago (you could call it an advertorial, since it’s basically just an ad for HasLab) and while his replies to CNET’s carefully chosen questions are the usual things you always hear from Hasbro, he did hint at how Hasbro works with Lucasfilm. Click through to find out more!

“Together we can rule the toy aisle!”

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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 Major Bren Derlin (#261) and Ric Olie (#262). 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.

Scout Trooper (VC196) rounds out The Vintage Collection’s Gaming Greats line. Check out our full Visual Guide below. Be sure to also stop by and read our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

The HasLab Rancor is not the first (approximately) 6 inch scale Rancor on the market. Back in 2006 Gentle Giant released a Rancor + Malakili statue, Regal Robot made a Rancor replica as an extremely limited edition (only 83 Rancors were made) not too long ago and Sideshow Collectibles is offering their Rancor actually right now, estimated shipping date is December 2021. All of these Rancors are roughly the same size, something between 16-18 inches tall (without stand). For this article I want to compare the $350 HasLab Rancor to the $605 Sideshow Colletibles Rancor and the $2,999 Regal Robot replica of the original maquette from the movie. How does the HasLab Rancor fare? Click through for more!

Phil Tippett working on the Rancor maquette

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Pop! Collectors can now pick up an exclusive The Bad Batch Cad Bane Funko Pop! at Pop In A Box. Click here for the full press release and information on how to order.

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Columbia Launches their latest Star Wars Collection TONIGHT at 12:01 EDT, and has added a very limited signature edition to the offerings.

Star Wars fans have even more reasons to be excited this week! In addition to Columbia Sportswear’s Boba Fett – inspired collection available starting December 3, 12:01 am EDT, the brand has teamed up with Temuera Morrison, the actor who plays Boba Fett in the highly-anticipated Disney+ Series – The Book of Boba Fett – to help support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America with a limited run of signed jackets and hats.  

• 24 signed Boba Fett Interchange Jackets will sell for MSRP $1000 USD and the signed 20 signedBoba Fett Ball Cap hats will sell for MSRP $150 USD.  Columbia will donate 100% of the purchase price to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. 
• These products will be sold in select Columbia stores in the US. A full list of locations can be found at Columbia.com/starwars

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Now let’s finish out The Vintage Collection’s Gaming Greats line, starting with our Visual Guide release of the Heavy Battle Droid (VC193). Click below to check him out! You can also read our full review right here.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

Topps’ latest Stellar Signatures Collection comes out on December 15th. Click through for details on this year’s set.

With only 100 collectible cases available, each card within the collection will be numbered 40 or less.

Each new collectible case of this limited set features 36 on-card autographs, 3 dual autographs, 1 quad autograph, 1 oversized sketch card, and a complete reproduction set featuring the most sought-after talent from across the Star Wars saga on premium 48-pt. slabbed cards.

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The Vintage Collection Antoc Merrick’s X-Wing Fighter with exclusive VC204 Antoc Merrick pack-in figure is relatively gorgeous. But who wanted this thing? (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 13!

Our next Visual Guide update features another The Vintage Collection basic figure from 2020: Captain Rex (VC182). Click below to check out the full Visual Guide. You can also read all about this figure in our full review.

Want to see your action figure photography represented in this Visual Guide? Click here for details and send us your submissions!

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

Gamestop has opened up pre-orders for the most recent Gaming Greats addition: Imperial Senate Guard from The Force Unleashed. Click here for the pre-order page!

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Several figures from the TBS Rogue One wave, including the all-new Bodhi Rook, are now shipping from Gamestop. The others are still listed with a February release. Thanks to JTA reader Mike for the heads-up!