While attending the ToyMan Collector Show in St. Louis yesterday, my son and I snapped quite a few pics of the various items we saw at the show. Check them out here, and if you are located in the region, keep an eye on their site as soon they will be posting their 2015 schedule.
Even as the holidays quickly approach, the deluge of collecting news and speculation is flowing as fast as ever. On this week’s show, Flyguy and I break down the latest info from Hasbro, Sideshow, Bandai, S.H.Figuarts, Hot Wheels, and more. Gentle Giant looks to be teasing some great product for 2015, what it is exactly is anyone’s guess but we are giddy in its potential. The biggest news of the week though was the (partial) character names released for The Force Awakens. What do they mean and will we have to “unlearn what we have learned” based on prior speculation and leaks? Finally, Flyguy and I run down a few reviews and new acquisitions — all this and much more on Episode 44 of The Realm Recap.
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Continue reading Episode 44: Guardians of the Galaxy Far, Far Away
Our friends at YodasNews caught this video posted over on YouTube from Gentle Giant and within the footage, there appears to be several unreleased/unannounced products. Give it a watch and look for the 6″ TBS* Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan from The Phantom Menace; Rebel Soldier, Count Dooku and Ahsoka mini busts and possibly a 6″ scale Vintage Kenner Boba Fett and much more.
*Gentle Giant partnered with Hasbro to produce the Black Series 6″ figures.
I happened to notice this variation today whilst roaming the aisles at Target. The Exclusive Hero Series Heroes and Villains 6 pack of figures now features a sticker on the front indicating the source material for the three non-Star Wars Rebels figures. Click the image above for a closer look – if you care about such triviality.
The Yakface Toyguide updates resume with the addition of the 6″ Deluxe Jabba the Hutt from The Black Series.
PROS: Hasbro surprised the collecting community when they announced that they’d be tackling “beasts” in the 6″ scale and they got things very much right with Jabba. The sculpt is the best likeness yet with exacting details in the skin – right down to the obligatory tattoo. Hasbro also added a fun bit of interactivity as you can recreate Jabba signature belly laugh by way of rotating the arms up and down to open and close the mouth. Unfortunately, you’ll have to supply the sound effects yourself.
CONS: For an original retail price of $40 (US), this seems really overpriced and overwhelmingly bland when in its retail packaging. Many collectors found themselves frustrated in that the support accessories were only available through the SDCC exclusive. Tough to argue with those sentiments.
Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.
You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.
The Hero Series X-Wing that Hasbro thought would inspire kids is now on clearance at Target, just two weeks before Christmas. If you want this item, chance are it will be able to be had for less than one Andrew Jackson bill soon.
DorksideToys has updated today with a daily deal for the Black Series 6″ Clone Trooper for only $12.99 – a perfect price for customizers and army builders.
While at Toys”R”us yesterday, I noticed that the Toys”R”us exclusive Endor Battle pack was marked down to an everyday price of $79.99. This may or may not be widespread, but if you are on the fence about this set – and especially if Toys”R”us runs any additional promotions, the price appears to be getting much better on this set.
A new Yakfinities Customizing Challenge is scheduled to kick off on January 1st, but before that can happen we need to decide on the theme. Help us decide on the next category by heading on over to the forums and casting your vote by clicking here!
Yet another cover variant has been announced for Marvel’s Star Wars #1 which will be exclusive to NY Toy Fair:
To celebrate the return of Star Wars comic books to Marvel Comics, Hasbro Toys and Diamond Comic Distributors have created a unique Star Wars #1 – Hasbro PREVIEWS Exclusive Variant, Toy Fair Edition, a special variant that will be limited to just 10,000 copies!
For the full details head to PREVIEWSworld.com