DIAMOND SELECT TOYS 2008 NYC Toy Fair Report

Many of you may be familiar with Diamond Comic distributors.  They are a supplier/distributor for many Star Wars licensed toys & collectibles, and serve your local mom & pop comic/collectible shops.  But Diamond also has a division called Diamond Select Toys.  They've produced a good number of licensed products over the past few years including Star Trek, Mini-mates, DC comics and others.  And now they are a Star Wars collectible licensee.

Unfortunately Diamond was not permitting the press to photograph their offerings.  Much of the samples that were on display are awaiting Lucas Licensing approval.  Expect to see some official imagery next month.

ULTIMATE 1/4 SCALE
The flagship of Diamond's launch into the Star Wars universe is undoubtedly their Ultimate 1/4 Scale line of figures.  These figures stand approximately 18" tall and are highly articulated.  The body used for each figure seems to be standardized, with somewhere between 15 and 20 points of articulation.  The bodies also feature sound chips in the mid-section.

The character selection so far is somewhat limited.  On display were versions of Darth Maul with a lightsaber & Sith probe droid, Obi-Wan Kenobi (ANH) with a lightsaber & training remote and Han Solo in Hoth gear (brown coat) with sensor pack.  Each figure featured softgoods that seemed well tailored.  And the head sculpts on each figure looked sharp.  The showroom also had a window box package mockup that featured Luke Skywalker, although no Luke figure was on display.

Now shall we talk price?  Other companies have been offering characters this size for a premium price in statue form.  The Diamond Ultimate 1/4 scale is set to retail for $75 each.  This price point could very well open up the market.

There's also word from Diamond that there will be chase pieces in this line.  This line of figures is set to ship in cases of 6 pieces.  4 of those pieces will be the original issue, and 2 will be the chase version.  And expect true chases, and not a different accessory.  For instance, the Obi-Wan Kenobi main issue might be an Alec Guiness likeness, but the chase might be a Ewan McGregor Obi-Wan.  But also expect that retailers may mark up the chase pieces.

Diamond Select expects to ship at least two of the Ultimate 1/4 Scale figures by the end of 2008.  They should be shipping between July and September of this year.

1:1 SCALE FIGURES
Diamond Select is also venturing into the world of 1:1 scale figures.  Initial indications show that they may offer a fully articulated Yoda, complete with softgoods clothing.  And the price point?  How does under $200 grab you?

ROTOCAST FIGURES
Also expect to see some 1/3 scale rotocast figures.  These will most likely be troopers of some sort.  They should stand about 2 feet tall each.  Expect a price point of $40 each.

BANKS
Collectible banks are also on the way from DST.  They're set to be offered in a number of formats.  1:1 scale helmets are one form.  Another will be vinyl figures that also serve as banks.  There will also be vehicle banks.