Last week, I began to feel some of my worst fears for the Black Series were coming to fruition as I see so few retailers ordering new product for the Christmas shopping season.
By contrast, there are action figure lines that are thriving; so don’t let Hasbro fool you into thinking that kids don’t like action figures anymore, or they don’t like articulation… as those of us know who check more than the Star Wars section, other toy lines like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are constantly selling out and being restocked these past several months.
What do you think? Is Hasbro going to finally right this ship in 2014? Share your thoughts in the forums!
If you have a TJ Maxx or Marshalls store in your area, it may be worth your while to swing by and see what they are stocking for the Christmas shopping season. Many stores are still receiving older Legends figures for $4.99 each(which are fantastic kid and collector friendly figures), mid size vehicles in the Clone Wars line at discount prices, and even the giant MTT for $79.99.
If you were on the fence with the MTT, I’m not sure you could ask for a better deal than what Yakface reader Daniel C. is reporting finding at his local Marc’s store. A stunning price of $39.99 each for this behemoth droid transport.
Personal Note: I love this vehicle. I realize it’s not for everyone, but I felt it was worth the full retail price and think it’s a shame to see what I consider to be Hasbro’s greatest item of 2012 be ignored by a lot of the community. Sure, it’s from the worst Star Wars movie, but it’s still a killer toy and is the only Separatist related item that stacks up size-wise against all the clone trooper related vehicles Hasbro has produced.
If you have a Toys”R”us Express store in your local mall (these open up in some areas for the holiday season), if may be worth your while to swing by and see if you can score any of last year’s harder to find vehicle assortment, which consists of the new sculpt of the Naboo Starfighter and the Kashyyyk Fighter Tank. The price is right too, as each will only set you back about twenty bucks. Good luck and happy hunting!
While most of the market appears to be passing on Hasbro’s reduced scale rehash line of Star Wars vehicles, it is worth noting that the lateast assortment is now starting to show up at retail, which includes Obi Wan Kenobi’s blue starfighter from ROTS. Head on over to the forums for more details.
Reports are sporadic at this point, but some collectors are finding the second series of Hasbro’s 6″ Black Series figures at Target stores.
Be on the lookout for these, as at the store I saw these, they were stacked behind a stack of Wave One Darth Maul and Luke figures… I almost didn’t realize they were there!
It appears that TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores are gearing up for the Christmas season, as these stores continue to receive more of Habro’s older product at discount prices. So if you have one of these stores in your area, it may be worth your while to make a quick stop and see what you can find!
Forum member darthmadonna has come across something Hasbro surely can’t be happy about – clearances already on their new 5POA Legends line! Head on over to the forums to share your thoughts on what could be an isolated incident, or very bad news for Hasbro.
Marshalls stores are now getting in the both the older Republic AV-7 Mobile Cannon and Plo Koon Jedi Starfighter, priced at $14.99 each. Head on over to the forums and let us know if you have been able to score these as well.
Personal Note: The cannon was cool; even at full price collectors and parents seemed to purchase them. The repainted Jedi Starfighter that has been rehashed over and over? We all know the answer to that and how those things kept the Mandalorian ship from hitting like it was intended. I would assume that Marshalls stores will sell the cannons fast, but the Plo Koon ship… not so much. They’ll continue to sit at this discount store just like nearly all Jedi Starfighters have for the past several years and will end up having to be clearanced.
Hasbro’s initial Class II Vehicle Assortment, after a very short-lived shelf life, started showing up at discount stores several months ago. Stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx, unable to move these items, are now clearancing them down to $7.00 each. So if you have one of these stores in your area, and want to buy smaller versions of what you already have, now’s the time to get them on the super cheap.
Personal Note: One can’t help but remember how excited the Hasbro Star Wars team was when they announced these. It seemed in their minds, the smaller/cheaper scale was the answer to their 2012 problems. The overwhelming consense at the time from collectors across forums here and other sites was that this new scale was not a good idea, and look where we are now. Rather than understand the problem Hasbro created in 2012 by pushing product everyone already had, they appear to have made their mess even deeper… at least in my eyes. I’m not much of a fan of the 5POA style either, and am hoping that Hasbro isn’t planning on this sort of strategy with the Episode VII line.
