By now you’ve probably heard reports of Marshalls and TJ Maxx stores marking down the MTT to ridiculously low prices – if you’ve been waiting for your local store to mark one down, better head out quick… the Marshalls in my area had four of these marked at $59.00 as recently as Monday, then last night I swung by and they only had one left, for $39.00. So don’t delay, be on your way!
Reminder: Your mileage may vary. Just because many stores have marked these down doesn’t mean your local store has yet.
Hasbro is attempting to get some feedback from their consumer base in terms of buying habits for their product lines. They are mostly looking for more insights as to where consumers are buying Hasbro products, and why they are choosing online stores vs. retail. If your email is on file at Hasbrotoyshop, chances are you are on the survey list.
So check those email boxes and share your thoughts in this study… and be aware there isn’t much chance here to share “open end” comments so if you want to explain the Star Wars hobby situation, take advantage of every open comment you see because we don’t get many chances like this to voice our concerns through “official research.”
Personal Note: I think the survey is pretty dry, personally… I work in the research industry and don’t feel this gets to the heart of the matter… but that’s probably me being an unhappy collector and showing bias against the questions that are actually asked.
Forum member Raylen continues to deliver great 3.75″ scale diorama items, offering collectors a way to fill the void that Hasbro has ignored for almost 20 years now.
If you like what you see, your orders can be placed here, and you are welcome to brag about how you have cooler dioramas than before now thanks to the various items he is offering in our forums.
While you may have a better chance at winning the lottery than finding new Hasbro figures these days, it’s refreshing to know that LEGO Star Wars products continue to arrive at retail at a good pace – and this week, the 2014 sets have started to show up at various retailers. So head on out and see what you can score!
Anyone who knows me at all in this hobby knows that I’ve been promoting for Hasbro to address what I feel is a major issue with their Phase 2 clone troopers… oversized buckets… including creating a tutorial for customizers, if they so choose to modify their figures.
After a few Q&A’s with Hasbro, with them indicating that they are unaware of aesthetic issues, our friend Paul at Jedi Temple Archives brought with him to Toy Fair a custom clone trooper I assembled, alongside one of Hasbro’s stock figures and showed Derryl DePriest the size discrepancy… and Derryl’s reaction is one that you should read… this could mean great things on the horizon if you’re unhappy with the clone helmets… so head on over to Jedi Temple Archives for the report!
Any store reports of Black Series figures past Wave 1 are far and few between, but when you can score new figures (especially on sale), it’s pretty shocking these days. With the Toys”R”us 30% off sale running this week, and some stores even receiving the latest round of figures, it may be worth your time in stopping by to see if you can walk out with a nice score.
Each year, I become more and more disappointed with Hasbro’s neglect toward playsets and dioramas – and while there’s hope on the horizon with 3rd parties getting into the mix, I recently caved in and bought some Angry Bird sets to see if the pieces could be used for anything in the 3.75″ scale.
The results may be a bit mixed, but I’m satisfied enough to keep the pieces I did purchase – for a closer look to see if this is something that may be helpful in your scene building efforts, head to the forums.
What’s this? Yet another 3rd party vendor swooping in to fill the diorama demands of Star Wars fans? The crew at Imperialshipyards has the scoop, go check it out and the kickstarter for this project is set to launch soon.
Personal Note: Why is it that Hasbro seems to think that when their brand is in decline, it’s best to focus on rehashes galore? Why do they continue to ignore all the golden opportunities that the Star Wars galaxy has to offer?
If you have a Marshalls or TJ Maxx store in your area, it may be worth your time to swing by and see if you can score any toys marked down. Many stores that have leftover 2013 stock are really slashing prices to make room for their 2014 toy sections. As always, your mileage and success may vary.
Movie prop guru and forum member Raylen is back with another new diorama item Star Wars fans have been clamoring for since the mid 1990s… cantina chairs! To find out how you can own your own set, head on over to the forums. Once you have them, all you need to do is crack out the paints and you’re set!
Personal Note: How is it that Hasbro feels it’s good business sense to ignore essential diorama items such as these (and ones that don’t require the expensive assembly process by their labor force)? If it looks cool and is reasonably priced, the market will support it. Simple as that!
