Yakface forum member AaylaSecurasMan was able to score some of the 2012 TVC figures already at his local Target, and has shared some loose images for everyone’s viewing pleasure. Check them out by clicking here.
On a side note, how crazy is it that these are already hitting at Target, while online stores don’t even have them listed yet?
Reports are flying about that the TPM wave of Vintage Collection figures have hit retail at Target in the US. They have been found in Utah, Arizona and California. South of the border in Mexico, the first wave of Movie Heroes sporting the new Darth Maul packaging design have hit retail as well. Seems like Christmas has come a little early for some folks.
Originally revealed at SDCC as a Target exclusive, Hasbro has confirmed through this week’s QnA session with Echo Base News that the Battlefields of Naboo Battle Pack has been cancelled for 2012. It’s possible that it may see release in the future, but for now, it can be removed from your 2012 “to-do” lists.
As Star Wars toy collectors know, right now at Target are two new items that are sure to take Gen X-ers back to their childhood–an Empire Strikes Back Tauntaun in vintage packaging, and Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder in vintage packaging recalling the packaging from the 1978 original. On this week’s Star Wars Action News podcast, Jerry takes the landspeeder up to 88 miles per hour and travels back in time to look at the actual vintage Kenner Landspeeder, and compare it with Target’s current exclusive release and all the Landspeeder releases in between!
Also at Target, in the trading card aisle, a new Star Wars item has slowly been pulling in Star Wars collectors, and metal shavings–Star Wars Power Plates, tin magnets shaped like license plates from the Star Wars universe. On this week’s Star Wars Action News podcast, Marjorie and Arnie review a few of these blind-packaged plates.
Also on this week’s podcast, Marjorie and Arnie discuss new exclusives and Revenge of the Jedi figures hitting stores, and play your voicemails to share what you’re finding. Steve, the Gingerprince, reports in from the Entertainment Media Show in the UK, and Nathan continues his look back at Hasbro’s beloved Comic 2-Packs.
With information on how to win a set of Star Wars soaps, information on the Star Wars Action News listener gift exchange, and more, it’s all on this week’s Star Wars Action News podcast!
Regular Version:
http://www.swactionnews.com/Podcasts/SWAN320.MP3
Enhanced Version
http://www.swactionnews.com/Podcasts/Enhanced/SWAN320.M4A
Upon checkout at Target today, I noticed a new mini LEGO set in the checkout aisle. It is a new 41-pc. Republic Attack Cruiser (30053) which is a different build than the previous 84-pc. BrickMaster version (20007). Best of all, it rings out an attractive $1.19 pricepoint.
Dan and Jerry are back and they kick things off with a lunch-time store run. Jerry finds and reviews the Target exclusive Tauntaun set, “The Search for Luke Skywalker.” But, the big news this week was the announcement of the 20 characters eligible to be the 2013 Fan’s Choice figure. Did your favorite figure make the list? Listen and find out. Also, Dan and Jerry offer their “certain point of view” on which ones you may want to save your vote for. All that and a run-down of the Legendary Scale Darth Maul that Sideshow put up for order this week! Listen and see what you think about Dan and Jerry’s picks!
Regular Version:
http://www.swactionnews.com/Podcasts/SWAN318.MP3
Enhanced Version
http://www.swactionnews.com/Podcasts/Enhanced/SWAN318.M4A
The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of the exclusive Luke Skywalker’s Tauntaun from Target from The Vintage Collection.
PROS: While the new Tauntaun here is of superb quality and design, the Vintage packaging is the real draw to this exclusive.
CONS: The price. The price. The price. Wow, $24.99 for a single “beast” while a battle pack with tauntaun and 2 figures retails for the same thing just inches down the shelf???? For shame Target. Although there is no corresponding “Hoth Luke” on the shelves right now, nor has there been since 2007, Hasbro has promised a new Luke for 2012.
Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this set 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 Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of the Search for Luke Skywalker exclusive box set from Target.
PROS: While the figures in this set are pretty top notch, the real star of this set is the all-new tauntaun. It’s nicely articulated and has a decent deco. The price for this set is also attractive at $24.99 considering each figure would retail for about $8 bucks each. Han gets a nice (and necessary) upgrade here with ball-jointed hips and a soft good section of his coat both of which allow him to ride the tauntaun more naturally. The Rebel Trooper is essentially a straight repack save for a new artillery remote accessory that was teased way back when the Hoth Rebel Trooper was first announced in the Legacy Collection line in 2008.
CONS: The faults with this set are mininal but warranted. First, Han is a good figure overall, but the color of the coat is too blue, even for advocates of the “blue coat” theory. Also, Han’s removable cap is such a poor design as it doesn’t fit his head properly because of interference from the separate coat collar/hood accessory.
Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this set 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.
With the new exclusives hitting the aisles at Target, one thing is for certain, Vintage packaging sells. I took it upon myself to create my own “exclusive” that could have/should have been released by Hasbro – and with no new tooling costs or over-inflated pricing.
In essence, it is the new “Search for Luke Skywalker” set but reworked to take advantage of the popular Vintage packaging design. This version switches out the new, super-articulated, Hoth Han for a more screen (and scene) accurate sculpt and it also drops the superfluous Hoth Rebel Trooper, remedying the fact that there isn’t a Hoth Luke in stores to tie into Target’s exclusive “Luke’s Tauntaun”. How’s that for poor retail planning?
By now you’ve heard or seen that both new beasts have the non-functional open belly plug, but with a little prying and some extra guts from the 2003 Toys”R”Us exclusive “Battle of Hoth” multi-pack, you can take Han’s cool new tauntaun and make it even better.
Hopefully Hasbro sees that with a little more planning and minimal development costs, it is possible to get more play value than you can swing a lightsaber at for kids and adult collectors alike.
