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

[bentbryan]

On 2/1/2023 at 12:08 PM, F For Fake said:

Hey guys, germane to our earlier convo, Hasbro Pulse has Mindbender and Serpentor back in stock, so go go go!

https://hasbropulse.com/collections/back-in-stock

UPDATE: Looks like it's just for premium members at the moment, should open up to everyone at 1pm EST if there are any left.

Ha nice I was just about to post this! I’m still waiting for my Sky Striker! It was supposed to be here yesterday but now it’s listed as pending.  

[Gonzimodo]

On 2/1/2023 at 12:08 PM, F For Fake said:

Hey guys, germane to our earlier convo, Hasbro Pulse has Mindbender and Serpentor back in stock, so go go go!

https://hasbropulse.com/collections/back-in-stock

UPDATE: Looks like it's just for premium members at the moment, should open up to everyone at 1pm EST if there are any left.

Wow!  I just ordered a Mindbender, but Serpentor is sold out again.  Thank you for the heads-up! 

Edited February 1, 2023 by Gonzimodo

[Gonzimodo]

On 2/1/2023 at 12:18 PM, bentbryan said:

Ha nice I was just about to post this! I’m still waiting for my Sky Striker! It was supposed to be here yesterday but now it’s listed as pending.  

Mine arrived yesterday, and it's really cool!  The plastic and paint on the throwback o-ring figures look a little off to me (too shiny or something), but maybe that's just because I haven't seen a factory-fresh vintage o-ring in over twenty-five years. 

Regardless, it's neat to have a carded Ace and "Mickey Mouse" Cobra Commander.

[Gonzimodo]

And after complaining about never seeing good Classified figures at retail, I saw Croc Master, Snake Eyes & Timber, and carded Gung Ho at Walmart on my lunch today.  

I guess I should stop being such a big whiner...  

[bentbryan]

On 2/1/2023 at 1:50 PM, Gonzimodo said:

And after complaining about never seeing good Classified figures at retail, I saw Croc Master, Snake Eyes & Timber, and carded Gung Ho at Walmart on my lunch today.  

I guess I should stop being such a big whiner...  

Which Gung Ho? Not the retro carded Classified figure? 

[fantastic_four]

That Serpentor vehicle looks like the coolest thing in the line since the original Classified Snake Eyes that came with the weapons rack, except much cooler than even that.  If I collected the line it would be a must-have.

[Gonzimodo]

On 2/1/2023 at 3:25 PM, bentbryan said:

Which Gung Ho? Not the retro carded Classified figure? 

Yes, the retro carded Classified one with the '83 deco.  There were three there (along with a whole peg of Lady Jaye and Baroness, of course).  I was shocked to see them in the wild.

I bought one since the one I ordered online has a damaged card.  (Yes, I can be That Guy sometimes... )

[bentbryan]

On 2/1/2023 at 3:39 PM, Gonzimodo said:

Yes, the retro carded Classified one with the '83 deco.  There were three there (along with a whole peg of Lady Jaye and Baroness, of course).  I was shocked to see them in the wild.

I bought one since the one I ordered online has a damaged card.  (Yes, I can be That Guy sometimes... )

I’ve only seen the Lady J and Baroness so far at Walmart. Back in December I did manage to find at Walmart.com the Destro (in-stock at the time) and was able to pre-order Snake Eyes. Destro arrived after a couple days but only in a plastic bag mailer and looking like this…

[fantastic_four]

It's worth noting that the GI Joe team has done a pretty good job at making desirable stuff available multiple times.  I thought the Baroness with COIL bike was really cool, so I was all over it and snagged it from a local Target by watching Popfindr inventories at local stores, waiting for them to pop up, calling Customer Service and asking them to hold one for me, and then going in to buy it.  That set was a Target exclusive, but Hasbro also later offered those for sale via the Pulse web site presumably because people had such a hard time getting it at Target.  So I'll be pretty surprised if they don't make more Serpentors with that vehicle.  The team seems really good at knowing what collectors like.

But then again they don't always do that.  For example the Snake Eyes with weapon rack set was never offered beyond the original sale.  But that's a highly peripheral item to the line; only offering a big character like Serpentor one or two times seems far more egregious.

Edited February 1, 2023 by fantastic_four

[F For Fake]

Speaking of Classified, they are KILLING it with the reveals today. I will buy the everlovin' carp out of all of this stuff.

[Gonzimodo]

On 2/1/2023 at 3:48 PM, bentbryan said:

I’ve only seen the Lady J and Baroness so far at Walmart. Back in December I did manage to find at Walmart.com the Destro (in-stock at the time) and was able to pre-order Snake Eyes. Destro arrived after a couple days but only in a plastic bag mailer and looking like this…

I originally ordered Destro, Lady Jaye, and Baroness from Walmart online before LJ and Baroness started showing up everywhere.  The packaging was terrible, and my Destro was slightly damaged, but Lady Jaye and the Baroness were fine.  Go figure.  

I also preordered Snake Eyes, so I can't wait to see how mangled he is when he arrives.    I still haven't seen Zartan, Storm Shadow, or the Crimson Guard available to order anywhere yet.

[F For Fake]

I haven't picked up any of the retro carded figures yet, because I only collect these to open, and so far there aren't any characters I need. I'd buy the Destro if I found him as he's more "Classic look" than the original, and same with Lime Green Gung Ho. Snake will be an easy pass, as well as Lady Jaye and Baroness, as I already have one of those that I'm satisfied with. I'd by the Crimson Guard if I ever found them, that deco is pretty snazzy.

[Gonzimodo]

On 2/1/2023 at 4:06 PM, F For Fake said:

Speaking of Classified, they are KILLING it with the reveals today. I will buy the everlovin' carp out of all of this stuff.

I wasn't watching for the reveals today, but yes, I'll be on those like stink on a monkey!  I was originally not going to buy much Classified stuff, then I went into full completionist mode, but I haven't been preordering some of the recent stuff because it's just not in my wheelhouse.  I'm a sucker for pretty much any of the '82-'85 stuff, though!

[F For Fake]

On 2/1/2023 at 4:16 PM, Gonzimodo said:

I wasn't watching for the reveals today, but yes, I'll be on those like stink on a monkey!  I was originally not going to buy much Classified stuff, then I went into full completionist mode, but I haven't been preordering some of the recent stuff because it's just not in my wheelhouse.  I'm a sucker for pretty much any of the '82-'85 stuff, though!

I've also been back and forth with this line. When it launched, i really did NOT like the designs, so I decided to skip it. Eventually I warmed up to the series when the designs began to more closely resemble the stuff I grew up with, at which point I went whole hog, and decided to be a completist. Then, last summer, I wanted to raise some money for some vintage stuff, which is where my heart is, so I sold all of my classified at that time. Since then I have been dabbling, but am resolved to only pick up the stuff that I REALLY care about. So, pretty much only characters from my childhood, no ninjas (other than Stormshadow), and limited repaints and re-decos. I'm picking up Tiger Force and Python Patrol because I have genuine affection for those lines from my youth, but we'll see how long I stick with it. I think it's a fantastic toy line, and they're starting to really rev it up, but I just can't buy every single thing they make. Too many other demands on my collecting interests have to take priority. But it's definitely cool stuff, and I'll grab what I can.

[Gonzimodo]

On 2/1/2023 at 4:12 PM, F For Fake said:

I haven't picked up any of the retro carded figures yet, because I only collect these to open, and so far there aren't any characters I need. I'd buy the Destro if I found him as he's more "Classic look" than the original, and same with Lime Green Gung Ho. Snake will be an easy pass, as well as Lady Jaye and Baroness, as I already have one of those that I'm satisfied with. I'd by the Crimson Guard if I ever found them, that deco is pretty snazzy.

I wish I had your restraint. 

But I'm getting better.  I pretty much went completionist on Classified up until recently.  I don't care about the Tiger Force stuff (other than Outback, of course!) or the Slaughter's Marauders decos because I didn't have any of that stuff when it first came out.

But yeah, I really want one of those carded Crimson Guards... 

[Gonzimodo]

On 2/1/2023 at 4:24 PM, F For Fake said:

I've also been back and forth with this line. When it launched, i really did NOT like the designs, so I decided to skip it. Eventually I warmed up to the series when the designs began to more closely resemble the stuff I grew up with, at which point I went whole hog, and decided to be a completist. Then, last summer, I wanted to raise some money for some vintage stuff, which is where my heart is, so I sold all of my classified at that time. Since then I have been dabbling, but am resolved to only pick up the stuff that I REALLY care about. So, pretty much only characters from my childhood, no ninjas (other than Stormshadow), and limited repaints and re-decos. I'm picking up Tiger Force and Python Patrol because I have genuine affection for those lines from my youth, but we'll see how long I stick with it. I think it's a fantastic toy line, and they're starting to really rev it up, but I just can't buy every single thing they make. Too many other demands on my collecting interests have to take priority. But it's definitely cool stuff, and I'll grab what I can.

Wow, that sounds exactly like my journey with Classified!  We just have different focuses.  

[F For Fake]

On 2/1/2023 at 4:25 PM, Gonzimodo said:

I wish I had your restraint. 

But I'm getting better.  I pretty much went completionist on Classified up until recently.  I don't care about the Tiger Force stuff (other than Outback, of course!) or the Slaughter's Marauders decos because I didn't have any of that stuff when it first came out.

But yeah, I really want one of those carded Crimson Guards... 

Well the "restraint" may also be more along the lines of "limited budget" ha I can only afford so many of these dollbabies.

I will pick up TF, and I will pick up Python Patrol, and whenever they get to Night Force, I'll pick those up as well. But Slaughter's Marauders has always been THE UGLIEST stuff, so those will be an easy pass. Just big splotches of blue, brown and green? Puke. No thanks!

[Gonzimodo]

On 2/1/2023 at 4:28 PM, F For Fake said:

Well the "restraint" may also be more along the lines of "limited budget" ha I can only afford so many of these dollbabies.

I will pick up TF, and I will pick up Python Patrol, and whenever they get to Night Force, I'll pick those up as well. But Slaughter's Marauders has always been THE UGLIEST stuff, so those will be an easy pass. Just big splotches of blue, brown and green? Puke. No thanks!

I have bought the recent Python Patrol stuff.  That's a deco that shouldn't work, but it totally does for me for some reason.    I will probably get some Night Force stuff when it comes out, depending on the characters.  All these sub-team repaints came out way after I was done collecting Joe back in the '80s, but since I've come back into the hobby over the last few years, I've grown to appreciate a lot of them.

I totally agree on Slaughter's Marauders, though.  That stuff is just butt-ugly. 

[Buzzetta]

On 2/1/2023 at 9:27 AM, F For Fake said:

Same, mine is waiting for me at Walgreens. The irony is that I assumed I wouldn't be home (as I never am when FedEx comes around) so I had it redirected to Walgreens, and then...we had a snow day, and I was allowed to telecommute, so I ended up being home after all. oh well. I should have time to go grab it tonight.

Knowing how Fed Ex is here on Long Island they would have signed for it themselves and dumped it in the snow two blocks away at someone else's home. 

[Buzzetta]

On 2/1/2023 at 9:51 AM, fantastic_four said:

I did the same thing with both of the Haslabs I bought.  I NEVER want to leave any package worth more than a few hundred bucks completely in the hands of a delivery driver if I don't have to.

There are risks at these drop sites--for example I've heard stories of Walgreens employees assuming a large customer box is one of their store stock boxes, opening it up, shoving it in an out-of-the-way place because they don't know what to do with it, and then it doesn't get re-discovered until later.  Someone on the Fwoosh had this happen with Galactus--they went to pick it up, and Walgreens just said they didn't have it when the FedEx tracking said they should.  The person raised hell and one of the employees ended up finding the opened box in their stock room.

But ultimately I fear that scenario far less than just dropping something expensive on my porch.  Last year I absolutely did not want UPS to deliver my PS5 to my door from Walmart, but Walmart wouldn't let me redirect the shipment for pickup--and I believe Walmart blanket disables that option for ALL of their shipments, which I hate and may not use them to buy expensive stuff for shipment in the future.  UPS dropped the damn thing at my address number but on the wrong street one block over, which is the exact mistake I've seen carriers make dozens of times that I never want to duplicate for anything expensive.  

Exactly

In the scenario where the stock guy puts in the backroom thinking it is merchandise to be sold, if I do not actually sign for it and receive it, then it was never delivered.  I received a confirmation from Fed Ex in my email once i signed for it as the final recipient.  Worse case scenario I do not get the toy but I also do not lose any money. 

When Fed Ex "lost" my copy of Superman 3 from ComicLink or did the same thing with my dad's medication, the driver signed for it and left it at the wrong address.   I have no proof that I did not sign for it since the driver is never going to admit to wrongdoing in those situations and I cannot prove it.   I am on the hook. 

I really try not to use Fed Ex unless I do not have a choice.