This Week In Your Plastic Crack, Action Figures and Toy Collection 26 26

[Chip Cataldo]

On 6/8/2024 at 4:09 PM, whisp said:

I ant free toys!

The drinks are completely free, but I do give free comics and toys with the purchase of comics and toys. 

[Buzzetta]

Get read for the Lego sets that are coming out for this tie in.  Already leaked are Jedi Bob's Starfighter and the Dark Falcon with Darth Jar Jar... 

I might be all in on this Mirror Universe... 

 

 

 

[miraclemet]

The annual Maryland Toy Expo was yesterday.  Here were my pickups....

Cobra Stilletto. MIB with instructions and interior packaging. Still sealed on one side

 

ESB AT-AT Commander MOC. 47 back. Clear bubble, slight dent. Wave/punched card.

ESB tripod laser canon MISB

then 

 

And my favorite and cheapest buy (isnt it always the way...)

Atari mini hand held console Centipede

Edited June 9 by miraclemet

[F For Fake]

On 6/8/2024 at 11:18 AM, grendel013 said:

I'm not the biggest toy guy out there but I'm planning on visiting Toy Federation in Greer SC the first week in July. I'm super stoked to see their store. They don't have a big selection of comics (looks like about 2 dozen long boxes) but I'm hitting up that section first.I'm sure I'll report back after the trip.

I think I’m going to make the trip this summer as well!  We have a vacation in NC with my wife’s family in late July, and one day they’re going to a casino. Not really my scene, and my father in law will probably be out golfing, so I think I’m going to make the trek. Looks like it’ll be about 2 and a half hours, but that’s a lot better than the 7-9 hours it would take from home, so I’m going to go for it. Leave some good stuff for me!

[grendel013]

On 6/9/2024 at 5:56 PM, F For Fake said:

I think I’m going to make the trip this summer as well!  We have a vacation in NC with my wife’s family in late July, and one day they’re going to a casino. Not really my scene, and my father in law will probably be out golfing, so I think I’m going to make the trek. Looks like it’ll be about 2 and a half hours, but that’s a lot better than the 7-9 hours it would take from home, so I’m going to go for it. Leave some good stuff for me!

That's a perfect opportunity!

[Jesse-Lee]

My affinity for the Lewco-created Wilson Stuffs sports line is pretty well-documented at this point, borne from my nostalgia for the mini football I had as a kid that we used for countless games at recess. Well, I saw my brother this weekend, and he had a surprise for me - he found my actual, original Wilson Stuffs football that I owned back then!

It's absolutely as beat as I would expect, with pieces of the fake-leather cover missing from all the games we played with it. I thought it was long-gone - never to be seen again - but now, after years in an unsearched storage barrel, I have it back!

[Cat]

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/07/business/adults-preschoolers-toy-buying/index.html

Adults are now the biggest market for toys. Number 1 right now are Marvel Legends X-Men '97. 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 6/10/2024 at 12:20 AM, Jesse-Lee said:

My affinity for the Lewco-created Wilson Stuffs sports line is pretty well-documented at this point, borne from my nostalgia for the mini football I had as a kid that we used for countless games at recess. Well, I saw my brother this weekend, and he had a surprise for me - he found my actual, original Wilson Stuffs football that I owned back then!

It's absolutely as beat as I would expect, with pieces of the fake-leather cover missing from all the games we played with it. I thought it was long-gone - never to be seen again - but now, after years in an unsearched storage barrel, I have it back!

 My dad had me at 40, and I say that because, he too would throw these things with me and friends for the whole weekend it seems like. Now I'm 40 and he is 80 and I'm like, "Would I do the same?"  

Food for thought and amazing the whimsy and practicality that those served. More so in the past than now it would seem but idk  

Edited June 10 by ADAMANTIUM

[F For Fake]

Oddly enough, my Titan Nemesis from BBTS, and Takara Dramatic Capture Nemesis Bridge 3-pack, both arrived on the same day!

The Nemesis is a beast. Much like the Ark, I have no desire to transform it into robot mode. I just wanted this huge ship from my childhood memories. Love the color and the details, like the tiny launch ramps with the miniature Seekers and Tetrajets.

The Dramatic Bridge Capture set is really nice. I will say, if you've already got these molds, it would be easy to pass on. Even the chair is a complete reuse from the Starscream Coronation set, not a bit of difference. However, to me this is easily the best deco these molds have ever had, so I decided to pick them up. I'm sure we'll now get a SS86 Megs, and this one will be redundant, but he's nice in the meantime. Shockwave and Soundwave are perfect.

 

[fantastic_four]

On 6/5/2024 at 3:31 PM, whisp said:

Its no wonder Hasbro sales don't do well when they can't stick to canon or what customers want.  I was watching the Hasbro Pulse Live on June 4th for the news and many customers are telling them they are sick of exclusives, sick of repaints and just not having enough supply for customers aka a lot of people still want the V.A.M.P..  If they do a retro carded SS v2 that is proper colours as an exclusive in the States again I am going to be pretty pissed off and think that will be the end of me supporting Hasbro with any of their items.

I somewhat get why people complain about this--but in all of my experience with toy lines these are First-World problems in the extreme.  ALL toy lines do these things you're pointing out that are people complaining about with this line, and the Classified Series team does a better job with the line than any other line I'm aware of at the $25 price point.  So I mostly want to pull out my tiny violin with fans complaining about the same things EVERY toy line fan could complain about while Classified Series fans have it better than all of the other fans of all of the other equivalent lines.  Marvel Legends, McFarlane DC Multiverse, Star Wars Black Series, WWE, etc etc etc--they all do the exact same things, and Classified Series figures are better-engineered in many ways than all of the others, and they're doing a great job in releasing great versions of all of the most iconic Joe characters.

But to address some of your other specific concerns--could they have predicted the demand for the VAMP better?  Maybe; none of us really know.  But it's obvious people love that thing since it sold out so fast, and there is NO doubt they're going to make more.  The Classified Series team has repeatedly re-released or released similar versions of every product that has sold out fast.  I recall the Cobra Trooper Target exclusive and Baroness with the bike Target exclusives being very hard to land upon first release, but in 6 to 9 months they re-released both of them and they're pretty easy to get now.  So I have no doubt we'll see the VAMP again later this year or early next year.  That jeep was probably bought by far more than GI Joe fans since it looks to be the best military jeep ever made at that price point in the 1:12 scale, so general military fans were probably scooping it up as well.  I don't collect Joes, but I may buy one as well.  If I do buy it I'll use in Marvel Legends SHIELD displays, so I'm an example of someone who doesn't collect GI Joe who is still interested in the VAMP.  That's the same reason I bought the COBRA Trooper and Baroness--I use them as HYDRA goons in Marvel displays.  I have the Marvel Legends HYDRA figures, but the Joe figures just make for a more-varied display.

Are they changing canon looks?  Maybe.  But are fans sure they just don't know what the specific reference is for the looks they're choosing?  I hear this complaint in every toy line.  Almost always the look chosen by Hasbro or most other companies comes from actual reference art, but fans just aren't aware of that art or simply have another look they greatly prefer.  But maybe you're right and there is NO reference for the character choices they're making, but I doubt it.  All of Hasbro's teams work from reference art for their designs as far as I've seen.  But I'm not a huge fan of all of the GI Joe representations in vintage figures, comics, cartoons, and other media, so it's easily possible you or other Joe fans know for sure that specific characters have NEVER had the character design choices that the Classified Series team are making.    But I doubt it.  I rarely see fans who know every incarnation of every character, but I REGULARLY see fans and even Youtube action figure reviewers incorrectly assuming they know every iteration of every character and being wrong about that.

Edited June 10 by fantastic_four

[fantastic_four]

On 6/8/2024 at 2:49 PM, whisp said:

I wonder if Hasbro even reads this thread?  

Almost certainly not, but the various teams at Hasbro usually do read the most popular forum for their product brand.  The Hasbro Marvel Legends team DEFINITELY reads Fwoosh forums because that's the most popular forum for that brand and I've heard them refer to them reading that forum, and they also read the main Reddit sub for action figures as well as the Marvel Legends subreddit at times, although I'm sure they don't see every post since it's so difficult to keep up to date with subreddits since Reddit has no convenient tracking feature for new and unread posts like this forum has.

I don't know what the most popular forum is for GI Joe, but I do know Fwoosh has a pretty big one for it that I read once every year or two when they release something I want to use with Marvel Legends:

https://thefwoosh.com/community/the-unofficial-g-i-joe-toy-board/

Edited June 10 by fantastic_four

[Chip Cataldo]

On 6/10/2024 at 11:16 AM, fantastic_four said:

Almost certainly not, but the various teams at Hasbro usually do read the most popular forum for their product brand.  The Hasbro Marvel Legends team DEFINITELY reads Fwoosh forums because that's the most popular forum for that brand and I've heard them refer to them reading that forum, and they also read the main Reddit sub for action figures as well as the Marvel Legends subreddit at times, although I'm sure they don't see every post since it's so difficult to keep up to date with subreddits since Reddit has no convenient tracking feature for new and unread posts like this forum has.

I don't know what the most popular forum is for GI Joe, but I do know Fwoosh has a pretty big one for it that I read once every year or two when they release something I want to use with Marvel Legends:

https://thefwoosh.com/community/the-unofficial-g-i-joe-toy-board/

Hisstank for Joe? @Buzzetta would know.

[whisp]

On 6/10/2024 at 11:05 AM, fantastic_four said:

 

Are they changing canon looks?  Maybe.  But are fans sure they just don't know what the specific reference is for the looks they're choosing?  I hear this complaint in every toy line.  Almost always the look chosen by Hasbro or most other companies comes from actual reference art, but fans just aren't aware of that art or simply have another look they greatly prefer.  But maybe you're right and there is NO reference for the character choices they're making, but I doubt it.  All of Hasbro's teams work from reference art for their designs as far as I've seen.  But I'm not a huge fan of all of the GI Joe representations in vintage figures, comics, cartoons, and other media, so it's easily possible you or other Joe fans know for sure that specific characters have NEVER had the character design choices that the Classified Series team are making.    But I doubt it.  I rarely see fans who know every incarnation of every character, but I REGULARLY see fans and even Youtube action figure reviewers incorrectly assuming they know every iteration of every character and being wrong about that.

With the v1 classified it was missing things and had the bow that should be with this V2.  The bow with this new release coming is comical and ugly and I already know tons of Joe fans that are going to ditch that bow and put the v1 with it.  V1 should have had just a long bow and they should have added nunchucks.  While I may not know every iteration when it comes to all the art I know all the previous figures, cartoons and comics.  But you are right their might be some concept art I may have not seen  They have gone outside the box and done some cool figures such as the v28 Storm Shadow.  Within days of the leaked photos for Storm Shadow V2  there was comments before even the Hasbro pulse vid that the figure is wrong.  I have already listed many issues.

1. Compound bow is way to much.

2. Crossbow sized bolts on his backpack that seriously you measure those to the draw on that compound bow would not shoot right.

3. The skirt is part of the jacket which I think is part of what they where going for which just doesn't look right. 

4.  The head in which I pointed out should be just a bigger wider hood which has been shown on just not the original v2 figure but on other figures as well when he is wearing this type of outfit which is a baggier outfit vs his more thinner outfit.

5.  His climbing rope with the red attached to it is wrong since in actual fact its suppose to be straps that are attached to his uniform holding the rope to him so no idea why it has a red cord off it..

6.  His shin guards.  Why just add red there.  Those would have been fine with just white guards with the black/gray ties.

7.  The belt/pouches is too big.

He looks like he on Cobra with the way they did him and there should be no red!

Anyways I don't like it and I voted with my wallet by just buying 1.  If it was done properly I would have bought 2 and retired my v1 off the shelf which was my hope and plans and put this one in its place but it just doesn't meet my expectations.  Even my v1 classified SS annoys me and I would prefer the retro carded without the gauntlets but yeah of course being in Canada that would have cost me like 3x to get since all these stupid exclusives hardly get to Canada and when they do they are marked up that they are way to high in price and you better off just going for one of the premium figures such as the Super 7 SS which are available and you don't have to jump through hoops to get.

 

As for iterations I have many to judge my opinion off of.

 

 

 

Edited June 11 by whisp

[whisp]

Btw I may be bias.  Since 1984 and getting my first Storm Shadow he has been my favourite Joe character to the point it got me into Moon Knight which some may think that is my all time fav but its not.  Next is the fact that Iron Grenadiers was the end of my as a kid going to store and buying items which was the iron Grenadiers.  So yeah I am bias when Hasbro can't even market them with the right logo.

 

Edited June 11 by whisp

[whisp]

Next is if the SS V2 was any good he would have made it onto my team roster to replace the SS V1.  This is the team so far plus I have unopened Panthro and Drizzt Do' Urden with a panther I havn't displayed yet..  So I like to mix stuff up too.  But they just didn't do it right.  Don't get me wrong there is figures in classified they did a great job on.  But they continually screw up when it comes to Storm Shadow.  Just to note as well there has been 2 exclusive Storm Shadows and 2 regular releases in which in my mind none of them have been great.  So far that 50% of this character is an exclusive.  To date of modern Storm Shadow under the $100 cdn mark goes to the Super 7 SS in my mind.  I would have loved to get my hands on the HIYA Toys exquisite SS but can't get those in Canada/States that easily (very very difficult since they won't ship here) which is a total different concept and not from canon but it was done right.  Personally I think we will have to see what we get from Super 7 if they do a SS V2 in 6" and we still have to see what is coming for the o-ring from them as well. 

Finally from everything I see, the people I talk to about classified it is not doing great.  Constant discounts on it, it showing up in dollar stores, facebook groups over ran with it with people trying to sell it and it not moving.  There is a few hits but a lot of misses.  I also noticed a lot more movement in the vintage.  Even the comics there more discussion about the vintage and has really spiked was that kickstarter for the 4 book compendium that did well which is all reprints of the 1-155 and some other books.  Just take that as an example and how that kickstarter blew up and showed what people want.  They wanted something based off the original.  When it comes to the figures, majority of the time the complaints are from the fans that buy multiples of these and then say we don't mind an updated look but don't take it to far.  There is such a thing as going overboard or just not doing it right. 

 

[OtherEric]

Arrived today.  Fell Beast FWP should arrive tomorrow.

 

[OtherEric]

The set starts with a fun mini Mount Doom scene for Frodo and Gollum to fight on:

 

[fantastic_four]

On 6/10/2024 at 11:13 PM, whisp said:

Finally from everything I see, the people I talk to about classified it is not doing great.  Constant discounts on it, it showing up in dollar stores, facebook groups over ran with it with people trying to sell it and it not moving.  There is a few hits but a lot of misses.  I also noticed a lot more movement in the vintage.

I'm surprised it has done as well as it has.  When they started the line I thought they'd get the major characters and a few vehicles out and the line would fizzle, but the quality has been so outstanding that it seems to be a viable line for at least another few years.  Military toys haven't done well since the end of the Cold War, but this line is so good that interest has been surprisingly high.  Vintage being more popular seems right given the nostalgia factor since Joe was such a huge toy line in the 1980s.  I bought Joe toys in the 1980s, and GI Joe #1 was the comic that got me into Marvel and collecting.  But I cooled on Joe as I became a late teenager.

 

[fantastic_four]

What I love most about the GI Joe Classified Series right now are the animals.  Hasbro is now making the absolute best articulated animals ever seen in twelfth scale.  I have them all--both versions of Timber, the croc, the rottweiler, and the eagle.  Here's Spirit Iron-Knife's eagle used with Cap in a Marvel display:

[fantastic_four]

I also have to wonder if Hasbro is sharing sculptors between their teams when they do animals because the new Marvel Legends Zabu smilodon is even better than the Joe critters.    The second pic show Zabu next to Hasbro's Guenhwyvar black panther from their Dungeons and Dragons line.