L.A. area Just Found

POC Storm Shadow is one of the nicest Joe figures they've made, but he's got this weird desert vibe going on (because of all the deserts in Japan, y'know). Next, I'd say Renegades Storm Shadow is best; he comes with interchangeable heads and sashes so you can display him as the Renegades or classic version, and is a downright awesome figure. If you want the first 25th Anniversary mold (which isn't bad at all, just eclipsed by later sculpts), I really like the black-garbed "Ninja-Ku" version, even though he's not really traditional. (Ninja-Ku was a repaint of SS for a Brazilian line, who was an African-American guy, but they just made him be Storm Shadow for the 25th line... don't ask.)

Zartan... I don't know the HOH version (I passed on all of those because they were too similar to earlier versions and cost too much, though I got one or two at Marshall's eventually). The POC version is really nice, but, uh, he's basically Raptor with Zartan's head. :D

POC Desert Storm Shadow and Desert Zartan are cool figures, but I'll never get impetus for that iteration of those figures. Renegades SS has eluded me, so, sadly, I cannot comment on him. If you run across another...

Glendale Target had Movie Heroes wave 2 minus Jar Jar. I moved them all to the top right peg, but they're $10 at that store, kinda nuts. The light-up Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are ok but not mind-blowing.

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Originally Posted by Tycho

OK. I'm behind.

Have these been found recently?

SW:

Kithaba?
Nom Anor? (I think I have a trade for this one here on SSG pending though)

CW Ahsoka in SCUBA Gear?
CW Capt Rex in Phase 2 Armor? (I found him but let a friend buy him at the time) - so how is he? Looked superior to Phase 1 figure.

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All yes, but in small numbers, they're starting to hit now.

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Mandalorian Transport VEHICLE? (showing up more often - never saw it)


TRANSFORMERS:

Human Alliance Soundwave? (at discount stores recently?)
Deluxe DOTM Soundwave? (at discount stores recently?)
Deluxe DOTM Leadfoot? (at discount stores recently?)

Anyone purchase the Leader Class (3rd Party Company) Blackout from Japan?

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Seriously, where are you getting these ideas? None of these have been seen, the Mando not since it originally shipped, those others no, and LC-sized Blackout doesn't actually exist yet.

Target Redlands had a Death Star Trooper (called something like "Imperial Navy Commander" for some reason). The back listed Darth Malgus and Clone Wars Anakin, but they were nowhere to be seen.

The TRU across the street actually had new Batman and Retaliation stuff. Problem is, they clearly were rearranging their aisles. The entire area marked "Transformers" was actually Spider-Man, with the new Batman stuff and clearance stuff beside it, and the opposite side of the aisle was all Star Wars. All GIJoes and Transformers were carelessly tossed into three carts at the end of the aisle. Because, hey, they're underperforming, so let's open the store with the entire lines gone, and damage all the collectible stuff while we're at it! :rolleyes:

The Batman stuff was half 3.75" TDKR comic packs with DCU comics. They looked like crap. The other half was some new line just called "Batman." Not sure if it's based on the upcoming show they canceled B&TB for or not. The figures have a weird aesthetic; they look like an attempt to make the early 2000s The Batman line look slightly more realistic and edgier. There were three neon Batmen and a battle-armored Two-Face. They looked more like crap.

The Retaliation stuff was limited. Some swords and masks, and the first four vehicles (HISS, Ghost Hawk, Water Moccasin repaint, and Ninja AWE Strike repaint). I was tempted, but remembered these were all first-wave vehicles. They won't be hard to find. Even if they don't wind up at Ross, Target (or maybe even TRU) will have them on sale once the street date rolls around.

I saw all of the wave 1 Joe Retaliation 3.75" figures today in the valley. PM, text or call for location. I think they were 9.99. CC, SE and Zartan all looked cool!!!

I'd look up pics or reviews of any figures first. In exchange for the increase in price, they sacrificed articulation on many figures.

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Originally Posted by El Chuxter

I'd look up pics or reviews of any figures first. In exchange for the increase in price, they sacrificed articulation on many figures.

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You know you filled your cart at TRU with the whole line of Retaliation wave 1. Don't lie!! :congratulatory:





I'll have to look em up

Nah, I live in apparently the only region of the country where they're still sticking to the street date! The vehicles I saw at TRU are all I've found.

Just FYI, I'm thinking of the figures that are out, I'm planning to get the two ninja 3-packs (even if the Roadblock in that set SUCKS, the other figures look to more than make up for it), the single-carded Red Ninja, and the Joe Trooper. I might get Zartan if he looks cool in person; he looks like he's based on the Renegades look (aside from the burn marks on his face). The vehicles will wind up at Ross; that's a no-brainer. I really wanted the Cobra Commander and Cobra Trooper until I found out about the scaled-back articulation, and will probably get them later, when they're not $10. I think that's the extent of figures with (previously) standard articulation.

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Originally Posted by El Chuxter

Nah, I live in apparently the only region of the country where they're still sticking to the street date! The vehicles I saw at TRU are all I've found.

Just FYI, I'm thinking of the figures that are out, I'm planning to get the two ninja 3-packs (even if the Roadblock in that set SUCKS, the other figures look to more than make up for it), the single-carded Red Ninja, and the Joe Trooper. I might get Zartan if he looks cool in person; he looks like he's based on the Renegades look (aside from the burn marks on his face). The vehicles will wind up at Ross; that's a no-brainer. I really wanted the Cobra Commander and Cobra Trooper until I found out about the scaled-back articulation, and will probably get them later, when they're not $10. I think that's the extent of figures with (previously) standard articulation.

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There's probably a thread for this, but I'll be lazy & ask it here: What will be the fate of the Retaliation figures since the movie has been pushed to next year? They're hitting stores now, but do you think they'll be clearanced if they don't sell or will Hasbro just up & take them out of stores temporarily? Will anything become a collector's item? (maybe too early to tell). This is what Paramount & Hasbro get for spending too much on the Battleship film.

No one knows. It doesn't look good, truth be told. :(

Hasbro sent out a press release that the stuff that's shipped would be sold, and the rest would come out next year. They made a comment that product would be available, but no idea if that's talking about the substandard, overpriced Retaliation stuff that's doomed to pegwarm and hit Ross, or they've got some stop-gap in place.

Honestly, if it was up to me, I'd toss together a generic card (to save time) and start releasing stuff at a rate to get three or four waves out. Every wave would have a recolored Cobra Trooper or Crimson Guard (or both); at least one other repaint, re-release, or easy kitbash Cobra troop builder; a re-release of a hard-to-get figure; and the rest be repaints, kitbashes, and more straight-up re-releases. If they could quickly put together two waves of repaints to go to discount stores, they could do this. And those two "dollar store" waves (using quotes because people are calling them that, but they've only been seen at Dollar General, which isn't technically a dollar store) are being universally acclaimed, despite flat paint jobs and a lack of accessories--simply because they're stuff people have begged for.

Seriously, anyone think a Crimson Guard in black, Cobra Trooper in camouflage, or Cobra Shock Trooper in desert colors wouldn't sell like hotcakes and cost them practically nothing? Combine it with solid promises for 2013 (stuff like "we're going to somehow mix awesome figures for Billy and IDW's Crystal Ball into the Retaliation line") and a focus on Joe on The Hub, and 2013 could be a lot stronger than it's looking now.

But, alas, sometimes I think brains are important at Hasbro. :(