Monthly Archives: March 2018

Let’s wrap up our Visual Guide updates from the latest wave of Disney’s Star Wars Toybox figures. Click below to check out Darth Vader (4), and make sure to check our full review of this figure.

We have a sneak peek of The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ wave 16 in our RDRs (rough galleries and pages)! Check out these awesome, officially revealed by Hasbro figures!!

Here’s the latest update from Brian’s Toys: Happy Easter!  We’ve got a fun line-up this week with:

• New Gentle Giant Items
• Newly listed AFA Graded Carded Figures
• Star wars Ebay auctions
• Loose vintage AFA items

Click through for the full Newsletter!

The Jyn Erso Premium Format Figure is gorgeous. See why in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

JTA Facebook reader Craig G. has found the latest wave of The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ figures at his local TARGET in Atlanta GA and each rang up for $10 a piece. It might be worth your while to check your local store and see if you can find similar deals. (This is proof that case assortments and distribution is still in very bad shape.)

Here’s an update from JTA sponsor Big Boy Collectibles…

Greetings! We are now taking pre-order for the following 3 3/4 exclusives:

• Star Wars: The Last Jedi First Order Flame Trooper (Firing Pose) 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure – Exclusive
• Star Wars The Last Jedi C’ai Threnalli 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure – Exclusive
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi Finn (First Order Disguise) vs. Captain Phasma 3 3/4-Inch Figures – Exclusive

Today’s Visual Guide update continues to look at Disney’s Star Wars Toybox figures. This time, we are adding Luke Skywalker (5). Click below to check him out! You can also check him out further in our full review.

We are in ‘backed’ territory now, and moving beyond 5000! We want to see how many of our viewers backed the barge? If you backed at least 1, or have every intention of backing one before the deadline, go vote yes… otherwise, well, I guess you vote no. Click through to vote! 

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BREAKING NEWS! We did it! Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) became FULLY BACKED at 1:44 PM ET! What an incredible achievement to celebrate!

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OK, so it’s “clear” Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) is getting fully backed. So what else can we talk about now? I have an idea. Now that 5000+ of us will have a stunning new vehicle for our collection, how about getting on Hasbro’s case to reissue/redo the Sarlacc pit they made years about in 2008’s TLC Battle At The Sarlacc Pit TARGET exclusive Battle Packs release? They could NEVER do a straight repack of it (too many things have been updated since its release), but we’re going to need something to throw Jabba’s prisoners in next! So, how about it, Hasbro? Look how much this “outdated” set goes for on eBay. It’s crazy! See our Research Droids Review on it HERE.

We had planned to post this later today, but we think it’s going to be entirely backed before then! Don’t experience FOMO! #backthebarge now! Special thanks to Binary_Sun for sharing his talent with us!

Let’s finish up the Star Wars Toybox wave 2 mini marathon with Luke Skywalker! He is another fantastic release! See him in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Special thanks to JTA moderator and friend Sjefke for passing this along. I think it speaks for itself.

As our childhood continues to whiddle away, another nail in the coffin is hammered in. Toysrus.com is no longer active and the store locater site “goodbuytoysrus.com” makes it’s debut. Excuse me while I go cry in an active corner of the internet…

Folks, without sounding cocky because I am nervously walking on eggshells at the moment, I think Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) is really happening. (I AM NOT TRYING TO JINX THIS, CHRIS!) With so much resistance on Twitter, YouTube and pretty much everywhere else social media exists, people that should have championed for this vehicle’s success decided to do other things instead, almost trying to thwart this campaign. Regardless, the Sail Barge campaign has plowed through nearly all of the negativity. I never thought we’d get close to 4000 backers; now we’re beyond that significantly. I am thrilled that we’re so close to seeing this a reality. So, of course, I need to ask if you’ve backed one, please consider backing another. I want to look at that magical 5000 number, and I can’t wait until Tuesday night. I am sure all others who want this feel the same. In the meantime, feel free to talk about this whole campaign, what could be done to improve it, and how excited you are to display your Sail Barge when it *arrives* February 2019 (help us Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope).

Let’s take a look at the next wave of Disney’s Star Wars Toybox figures, starting with Boba Fett (6). Click below to have a look at the full Visual Guide for this ultra-cool, Vintage-painted deco version of Boba Fett. Make sure to also check out our full review right here.

Wow! Here’s some news! JTA reader and friend Danny R. has found the Walmart exclusive Kylo Ren figure atr his local Walmart. Took long enough, didn’t it?

Toys R Us has released documents, giving details for the purchase of the Canadian equity sale. Click through to read more about the Toys R Us Canada auction!

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Hasbro has ALSO put together a stunning video showing us how many Klaatu action figures are able to fit on this mammoth beast. Check out the video on our Facebook page!

Hasbro and Litzky PR have shared a comparison picture with us showing the size differences between the “Big” Millennium Falcon and Jabba’s Sail Barge! #backthebarge!

If you have done your part to #backthebarge, the staff at JTA profusely thanks you. For the first time, we sense that this small miracle is going to happen. This is our modern Sears Cantina with rare Blue Snaggletooth. I wouldn’t want to have any fear of missing out on this great item. In fact, people that never considered buying a 3.75″ action figure are backing them like crazy. We remain cautiously optimistic, but emotionally we’re also bordering on excited. Now that Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) is significantly closer to becoming a reality, we thought we’d provide something to you that many have been requesting in email correspondence to us. We did some homework and compiled a list of characters you’ll need (that have been produced by Hasbro as an action figure already) that you’ll need with your Sail Barge. Click through to see a comprehensive list of existing Hasbro 3.75″ action figures required to effectively populate Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) *when* it becomes a reality. Some of these figures cost nearly as much as the #backthebarge does! (more….)

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Hey! Did you know that the Boba Fett Toybox figure from Disney is based on the original 1979 vintage Kenner Star Wars figure? It’s beautiful! Find out more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Well, this is interesting, yet oddly expected. Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) is on eBay to help out international collectors. Check out the ad! Special thanks to JTA reader Justin V. for the alert! #backthebarge!

Good news for Star Wars fans, the New Zealand Mint are continuing their Star Wars poster collection. This first coin for 2018 features Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the first film of the prequel trilogy. Released in May 1999, sixteen years after The Return of the Jedi, the film was widely anticipated by fans and became a box office success. Click through for full details!

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The 6th and final figure from the relaunched wave 17 of The Vintage Collection features Jyn Erso (VC119). Click below to check out the full Visual Guide and to take a look at the first Rogue One Vintage-style card back. Make sure to also check out our full review. Look back at all our Visual Guide updates for wave 17 over on our Visual Guides channel.

We’re officially 80% backed! We just hit 4000 backers! #backthebarge!

Our sponsor Big Bad Toy Store sends in their latest update, featuring all of their latest pre-orders and new arrivals. Click through for the full newsletter…

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Hot Toys revealed both a regular and deluxe version sixth scale Obi-Wan Kenobi. Both are now available for pre-order. The deluxe version comes with an exclusive baby Luke Skywalker! Also of note, a sixth scale Count Dooku can be seen in one of the pictures. Hopefully, we can expect our first sixth scale Count Dooku to be announced soon! Click here for the regular edition, and click here for the deluxe edition.

JTA reader Sam T. provides today’s advertisement for #backthebarge!

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JTA reader Michael M. sends us a side by side comparison image of the Death Star Trooper to illustrate just how much better the figure looks with “photorealistic” paint operations. Check it out!

Actress Laura Dern, who portrayed Vice Admiral Holdo in The Last Jedi, gave an interview to Entertainment Weekly and dropped quite a revelation: Holdo is secretly Force sensitive. Click through for more details!

Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo and Poe Dameron

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To celebrate the official release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Blu-ray yesterday, Hasbro would love to share with you some #HasbroToyPic cover art!  They’ve teamed up with @sgtbananas to bring you three exclusive Blu-ray covers featuring Hasbro’s The Black Series 6″ figures!  You can download all three amazing recreations on StarWars.com here.

With special thanks to my friend Chris at Bantha Skull for stealing my idea, we have in return stolen his FAQ post (with permission) and created a document that you can download and share all over the web. Please keep in mind that the official FAQ can be found on the HasLab website, but there is still so much confusion surrounding Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) that we felt compelled to share this with you. Dispel the myths and show others why they need this vehicle in their collections! Please spread the word (pun intended). We are all so close to making this a reality! #backthebarge

In time for the disc release of The Last Jedi, Screen Junkies have released their honest trailer for the movie.

The trailer is really funny and pokes fun at everything and everyone, including the fans. Check it out and have a good laugh! And remember, it’s only a movie! I think the honest trailer sums up the debates surrounding the movie perfectly. But decide for yourself!

The Vintage Collection wave 17 marathon finishes with Jyn Erso. This figure is still the best of any version Hasbro produced to date. Find out why in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Be sure to check out our full The Vintage Collection archive including all 115 “first phase” figures by clicking HERE.

We all know what we saw in the movie… but what REALLY happened when Luke Skywalker offered a gift to Jabba the Hutt? We should all follow our beloved Jedi Master’s lead on this one! A big thanks to JTA reader Todd for opening our eyes to what really happened all those years ago! #backthebarge

We continue with the repacked portion of The Vintage Collection wave 17 with the First Order Stormtrooper (VC118). Click below for a look at our Visual Guide entry. Please be sure to visit our full review to see if/how much this differs from the The Black Series counterpart.

ANOVOS is proud to offer the Star Wars: The Last Jedi First Order™ Stormtrooper™ Premier Helmet Accessory. The Premier Line offering is for the insatiable costumer, who needs every detail meticulously studied and excruciatingly reproduced for the ultimate wearable costume.  Noted differences from Star Wars: The Force Awakens variant include updated helmet clips, nose, teeth detail, and left aerator.

Pre-order this at the ANOVOS web site now.

Jaina Solo (Legends) is IN STOCK at TARGET.com for only $9.99. TARGET is also running their spend $50 save $10, and spend $100, save $25 that you can combine with this deal. They also have deep discounts on the other The Black Series 6″ figures. Special thanks to JTA reader Sam for the alert!

UPDATE: Gone!

Website Vulture has a lengthy article about the behind the scenes troubles on the Solo: A Star Wars Movie set. And if true, sheds some light on the real reasons why Lord & Miller were fired from the movie by Kathleen Kennedy. Click through to learn more!

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Do you want to see what you’ll be missing if you don’t #backthebarge? JTA reader Cloned has put together a magnificent collaged image showing all the appropriate action figures situated in different areas of Jabba’s Sail Barge. Don’t you want to do this too? The only way you can is if you #backthebarge! Go! Go go! Make it work! Do you want to catch up on securing the figures needed to populate your Jabba’s Sail Barge? Then catch up on eBay HERE!

The Last Jedi was is released on Blu-Ray and DVD today. The movie comes with several bonus features. Click here for more details on the disc release, including a look at some concept art for the Battle of Crait.

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I can’t look! We’re in danger of crashing our hopes and dreams! From the day Hasbro announced the exclusive Yak Face figure premium add-on for Jabba’s Sail Barge, nearly 1000 more of you had backed it. While I feel the vehicle itself is worthy of the $500, I also hope Hasbro does whatever they can in this FINAL WEEK to make the rest of you back it too. JTA and others have provided some excellent (and cheap) ideas, Hasbro. Also, Hasbro, feel free to remove the 5000 minimum reserve. We will all look the other way. 🙂 

The Vintage Collection wave 17 marathon continues! It’s time for the First Order Stormtrooper. We have waited a LONG five and a half years for this! Check this figure out in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Be sure to check out our full The Vintage Collection archive including all 115 “first phase” figures by clicking HERE.

The Star Wars Toybox Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker are IN STOCK at Shop Disney! Special thanks to friend Josh M. for the alert!

Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) has just hit 75% backing. Can we get the last 25% in one week?

Next up for our Visual Guide additions to our The Vintage Collection guide is Kylo Ren (VC117). Click below to have a look at the full Visual Guide page, and click here to check out our full review.

Here is another important reminder announcement for Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna). Once again, special thanks to JTA reader Binary_Sun for the brilliant artwork.

I was just about to write an article about Dark Side Toys and the chance to once again pre-order the Khetanna on their website… when both payment options for the barge sold out in record time. Dark Side Toys had a contingent of 30 barges they would or could sell. Once these 30 barges were pre-ordered Dark Side Toys would no longer accept new pre-orders.
DST opened pre-orders for the Khetanna at 9 p.m. GMT, it is now 9:25 p.m. GMT as I write this. The 30 available barges were sold in just 20 minutes.
So, Europeans now only have MyUS as one of their options or they just wait for Hasbro to come forward with a plan! Fellow North Americans can’t expect much more help from Europe, I’m afraid.UPDATE: you may try your luck and go to Dark Side Toys and spam refresh in your browser, because as it seems some duplicate orders will get canceled, as well as pre-orders paid via PayPal, credit card and debit card is the only accepted payment method and it’s only one barge each!

Although still too expensive for terrible people like CJ, Entertainment Earth has their beautiful Astromech Droid six-pack for a mere $25.99. Thanks to friend Nick. B. for the alert! Besides, you’ll need Jabba’s Astromech Droid for Jabba’s Sail Barge!

Luke’s appearance on Crait is one of the touching moments of The Last Jedi. Luke gets a chance to say farewell to Leia. And then walks out to confront the First Order and Kylo Ren. But isn’t there something missing? Yes, there is. Click here to find out what is missing!

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The Vintage Collection wave 17 marathon continues! Next up we take a look at Kylo Ren. Check him out in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Be sure to check out our full The Vintage Collection archive including all 115 “first phase” figures by clicking HERE.

New Zealand Mint have recently announced that their partnership with Disney has extended to a Premium Silver Foil collection for the incredible Star Wars movie posters. Made from 35g fine silver, rolled out to 175 x 262mm, this first release is for the original Star Wars movie from 1977, the one that started it all! Click through for full details!

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It’s time to start looking at the repacks from the The Vintage Collection wave 17. First up is Rey (Jakku) (VC116). Click below for our full Visual Guide, and make sure to also have a look at our full review.

Because there is a “cereal” theme today. Special thanks to JTA reader Binary_Sun for the great artwork! #backthebarge

Mr. Evans, good morning, we hope you enjoy your Froot Loops breakfast today. As you indulge, please click through for an urgent request.

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The Vintage Collection wave 17 marathon continues! It’s time for Rey (Jakku) who officially reopens the line after a LONG five and a half years. Check her out in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Be sure to check out our full The Vintage Collection archive including all 115 “first phase” figures by clicking HERE.

JTA sponsor Big Boy Collectibles wanted us to let you know that the The Black Series Solo movie figures are up for pre-order, with figures due to ship on April 13th. They are also taking pre-orders for Captain Rex & Darth Revan. Full details on their pre-order page!

Next up for The Vintage Collection wave 17 is Supreme Leader Snoke (VC121). Click below to check out our complete Visual Guide, and get the rest of the details on this figure in our full review!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi comes to Blu-ray this Tuesday (March 27th). We have an early look at this release in our full review, with a look at the full contents and what you can expect from the standard Blu-ray release. Click here for our full review.

Hasbro, we are MORE THAN THRILLED that The Vintage Collection is back, but may we offer some constructive criticism for the packaging? (more….)

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Here is today’s advertisement for #backthebarge! Graphic courtesy of JTA reader Binary_Sun.

The Vintage Collection wave 17 marathon continues! Now let us check out Supreme Leader Snoke (VC121). Although initially intended for the Walmart exclusive line, Hasbro pushed him out for The Vintage Collection’s return. He is the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Be sure to check out our full The Vintage Collection archive including all 115 “first phase” figures by clicking HERE.

JTA sponsor EmpireToyShop just listed their Star Wars $50 Mystery Box! Random Chaser figures include a Hot Toys Hoth Leia, and the new 6″ Dewback set! Click HERE for more!

Attention all Europeans: British etailer Dark Side Toys has announced on their Facebook page that they will reopen pre-orders for the Khetanna next week for the final time! Please check Dark Side Toys’ website or Facebook page regularly so you don’t miss your opportunity to get the barge.

We will also post something as soon as pre-orders actually open again. This may be the best chance for Europeans to get the barge at a fair price. Also, your effort will make sure the barge will be a success. Every single backer counts.

io9 has shared an intriguing excerpt from the upcoming Thrawn sequel novel. Click through to find out more.

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Can everyone who ordered Jabba’s Sail Barge already please order ONE MORE? If you do, we will meet this minimum requirement, get our Sail Barges and get our exclusive Yak Face figures. If you don’t, we’ll never have this opportunity again. NEVER. Also, if you’re in the USA or Canada and this does meet the 5000 minimum threshold, and you didn’t order it before the deadline on April 3rd, you will NEVER have another opportunity to purchase one again. EVER. Let’s do this! #backthebarge (We are 31.7% short as of this post!)

It’s time (finally) for the return of The Vintage Collection! And, this wave picks up right where it left off in 2012. First up for our Visual Guides is the Rebel Soldier (Hoth) (VC120) on a beautiful The Empire Strikes Back card back. Click below to have a look at this figure, and make sure to check out our full review for additional gallery images, review write-up, and more!

It looks like Steve Evans worked in another Easter egg in The Black Series 6″ line. This time it affects 4-LOM. Instagram user kylocollector has posted proof that 4-LOM’s eyes light up (with glow in the dark technology, not batteries obviously)! How cool is this? Special thanks to JTA reader cybereye for the alert!

Check out the new Mandalorian Jetpack Kit from ANOVOS. These are now available for pre-order. ANOVOS is proud to offer the Star Wars Mandalorian™ Jetpack Kit. The kit offers the choice to build the Boba Fett™ version, the Jango Fett™ version, or your own custom Mandalorian creation! 

In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker is reunited with his sister, Princess Leia Organa, for a deeply touching scene that was one of the emotional highlights of the action-packed sci-fi epic. As it turns out, the scene was nearly as emotional for stars Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, who shared the screen for the first time as their characters since Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in 1983.

Jedi Temple Archives wasn’t the only site given the exclusive invite to Hasbro’s Google Hangout yesterday. We were joined by other colleagues in our community too. Click through to see who did (and didn’t) participate. You can also click each link and be taken to their own Q&A posts. While many questions were repetitious to our own group’s, there are still new details in most of them that may be of interest to you.

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We are so incredibly thrilled that The Vintage Collection is back! And we hope you hear it in our voice! Let’s kick off with the Rebel Soldier (Hoth) (VC120). We couldn’t think of a better figure than to kick off TVC’s reboot with than this figure. He is the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Be sure to check out our full The Vintage Collection archive including all 115 “first phase” figures by clicking HERE.

Look at all thos wonderful toys (on eBay). Special thanks to JTA reader Ginji A. for the alert.

The Vintage Collection is BACK baby, and we have a sneak peek of wave 17 for you. That’s right. We said wave 17. Hasbro left this poor collection in the dust with wave 16 in September 2012. After five and a half brutally grueling and long years, collectors can once again have something to call their own. Review pages and some images are rough, but check out Rebel Soldier (Hoth), Supreme Leader Snoke, Rey (Jakku), Kylo Ren and the First Order Stormtrooper. Jyn Erso is coming soon.

Yikes. Our stomachs sank a like a brick after learning and seeing this news. Could Bubblegate be making a return along with The Vintage Collection? We have obtained an exclusive image of the TVC First Order Stormtrooper that has CLEAR EVIDENCE of the bubble separating from the card. There is even tape keeping the bubble onto the card in case the bubble frees itself completely. Hasbro, please deal with this issue as soon as possible! Hopefully, they’re already aware and have already taken measures to resolve future production.

JTA would like to welcome new sponsor Big Boy Collectibles to our Sponsor family. Click through to read a little history on their store, and make sure to stop by and check out the wide variety of collectibles they have to offer.

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We have one more Revenge of the Sith Collectible Cup and Figure to take a look at before we take a short break and post some new stuff. Click below for our Visual Guide of the Yoda set. We also reviewed this figure earlier today. Check that out right here.

A captain always goes down with his ship. You can read the full story here.

Jedi Temple Archives was invited to an exclusive Google Hangout session with Hasbro earlier today. We partnered with Star Wars Action News and our pals at Bantha Skull to ask a series of burning questions we had about the first HasLab campaign. The Hasbro Team talked about the recently revealed painted Jabba’s Sail Barge prototype and exclusive Yak Face figure. Then we were offered the opportunity to ask the Hasbro Team our questions, one at a time, by each fan site represented until the Q&A time expired. Finally, Hasbro gave us an intimate look at the painted Jabba’s Sail Barge with close-ups and verbally described its many unique features. We’d like to thank Hasbro for taking time out of their day to do this Google Hangout session with us, and we appreciate Litzky PR for coordinating it. They also have provided NEW and EXCLUSIVE images of some of the finer details of this beautiful vessel. Click through for more!

*There are secrets in this image – Find out what they are!

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MGA Entertainment CEO Isaac Larian is still serious about his efforts to buy up to 400 Toys R Us stores in the USA and to keep the name alive. He and several other unnamed investors have already pledged $200 million. But they need much more money to actually have a chance. Larian needs to raise another $800 million. How to do that? Click through to learn more!

Isaac Larian CEO of MGA Entertainment

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Toys R Us liquidation sales were scheduled to begin on Thursday. But JTA reader Josh sent us this photo of his TRU:

Click through to find out what’s going on!

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British etailer Dark Side Toys has suspended further sales of the Khetanna for now.  Click through to read their statement!

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Let’s look at the Yoda Collectible Figure And Cup set. It is the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

It’s more important than ever, folks! Back the Yak! If you do, you get a FREE Jabba’s Sail Barge with it. Special thanks to JTA reader Binary_Sun for today’s advertisement! #backthebarge #backtheyak

JTA sponsor Big Bad Toy Store sends in their latest newsletter, with details on all of their newest pre-orders and arrivals. Get all the details after the jump!

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HASBRO! Do you see what including an exclusive figure has done for the #backthebarge campaign? We are even aware of collectors that have come out their slumber hiatus SOLELY FOR THE YAK FACE figure (card back exclusive) and have plopped down $500 to back this project (FOR THE YAK FACE FIGURE!). As a result of your intelligent action, we’ve had close to 200 more backers since the announcement this morning, and we blew right into the 3000+ area now. Collectors want to feel like they’re getting something exclusive here. We’d like to suggest keeping that momentum going.

You have produced some FANTASTIC figures throughout the years that aren’t in need of an update (there will be differing opinions here for sure). However, below are eight examples/ideas of other figures you can also include with Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna). Again, make the 1985 The Power Of The Force card backs exclusives for HasLab, and if needed, release the original vintage Kenner card back for the general marketplace items. Click through for more!

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Tonight’s Visual Guide update features Han Solo, continuing our look at the Revenge of the Sith Collectible Cup and Figures. Click below for a look at the full Visual Guide page, and click here to have a look at today’s review.

It has been a fun four years, but it is time for the final Rebels Review. Thank you to all of the readers who have supported the Rebels Reviews series over the years. Now, lets talk about the end of Star Wars Rebels! Click the banner below to read JTA’s final Rebels Review!

Hasbro and Litzky PR have passed along official PRESS images of today’s painted Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) reveal and EXCLUSIVE Yak Face figure. See the full gallery on our Facebook page.

The most popular figure from wave 17 of The Vintage Collection that keeps selling out is back in stock on eBay! Grab him if you want him early! Special thanks to JTA reader Jeff M. for the alert!

Hasbro is evidently proud of their painted sample. They just posted a time-lapse video on Twitter showing how it got its beautiful deco. Check it out!

Well, Hasbro has made this deal sweeter than bringing back The Vintage Collection. Folks on the fence: THIS should be your only reason to #backthebarge now. This exclusive POTF 85 version of Yak Face will only be available with the HasLab campaign. The standard release is coming on a Return Of The Jedi card back. This should be reason enough to support this item. This figure alone will go for $500 and more on the aftermarket. 5000 units (or so) of this exclusively packaged figure is a significant win for all collectors. (Our friends at Bantha Skull made this exact suggestion. I am glad to see it come to fruition.)

Holy! EW.com gets the exclusive story! They provide images of a painted prototype of the Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna). They ALSO reveal that a carded The Power Of The Force version of Yak Face will be included (if the campaign is a SUCCESS)! Check it all out here! #backthebarge

It’s the most released version of Han Solo of all time. And here it is AGAIN! Check out the Han Solo Collectible Figure And Cup set. It is the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

USA today posted a new article outlining the liquidation plan for the closing specialty toy store. 

Bloomberg reports that according to insiders Amazon is looking into acquiring some of the Toys R Us stores in the USA.
Before you get your hopes up: Amazon has no interest in keeping the Toys R Us brand name, nor will Amazon most likely sell toys at these locations, but will rather use it as a showroom for its own products and maybe as a staging ground for food deliveries.

Read the full report at Bloomberg.

We have another Revenge of the Sith Collectible Cup and Figures set as tonight’s Visual Guide Update. Click below to check out the Clone Trooper. You can also revisit this review right here.

Time travel in Star Wars? Click the banner below to read JTA’s review of the groundbreaking Star Wars Rebels episode, “A World Between Worlds.”

The 2018 phase of The Vintage Collection is already on eBay with characters already selling out briskly. The Hoth Rebel Trooper is the first to go it seems. If you’re interested, you know where to go. If you read some of the ads carefully you’ll see that promo code discounts apply. Cases are shipping as early as a few days!

Author and collector Paul Berry wanted us to help spread the word on his new Star Wars collectible resource: Star Wars Memorabilia: An Unofficial Guide to Star Wars Collectables, which is now available. He also sent along a few excerpts from his book. Get all the details after the jump!

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We want to wish our terrific friends at Bantha Skull a Happy 10-Year Anniversary! We’re honored to count you as friends!

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British magazine Empire held its Empire Awards ceremony last Sunday. The winners for each category are voted by the readers of the magazine.
And even though it is believed by some that 50% of the fans hate The Last Jedi, at least the British readers of Empire Magazine thought differently and the movie won a couple of awards. Which ones? Click here to find out more!

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FINALLY! Hasbro makes it crystal clear for those unable or unwilling to understand/accept this. We had addressed this question/issue for clarity with Hasbro and were told there was nothing to share at that time. Apparently, it’s because they planned to make an official announcement. So here it is. Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) WILL NOT be made available at any retail location in USA or Canada. It will only be available through HasLab! So if you want this thing, you better back it! #backthebarge Special thanks to our friends at Bantha Skull for the alert to this development.

We’re back to looking at the last couple waves of Collectible Figure And Cup sets. Many collectors never saw these arrive at TARGET. Let’s begin with Boba Fett. He is the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Okay, Okay, not quite what you’re thinking. But for the cost of the shipping alone on this eBay auction, you could get your own four-foot Sail Barge.

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Jabba the Hutt is the eleventh coin release in the amazing Star Wars Classic Coin Collection. This gold and silver collection features many of the great characters associated with this epic saga, and we’re sure these new Jabba the Hutt coins won’t disappoint. Get the full details after the jump!

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Up next for the Revenge of the Sith Collectible Cup and Figures sets is General Grievous. Click below to check out our latest Visual Guide update. You can also check this set out in our full review right here.

The awesome Vintage Collection is just around the corner, and with it comes the prospect of new figures, the re-release of some we haven’t seen in quite some time, and a few we’ve seen pretty recently… To go along with Paul’s article, I wanted to offer up some additional thoughts. There is one thing in particular that will be essential in making sure we get through one wave to the next: case assortments.

What makes a good wave? Click through for some examples and be sure to leave your comments.

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History should NOT repeat itself as often as it does in the Hasbro line. As the concern for proper case assortments continues to grow, we have provided evidence of what brought the first run of The Vintage Collection to a screeching halt. Within the collecting community, it was hailed the TPM 3D Debacle of 2012; you know a significant period in history like the War of 1812. (Who knew 200 years later collectors would be fighting for the salvaging of The Vintage Collection?) This article is two-fold. Firstly, we want to show what horrid case assortments will do to a thriving line. And secondly, we want to show what figures make great carry-forward options and which ones do not. (more….)

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One of the neatest-looking characters from the Solo: A Star Wars Story trailer was Enfys Nest. With cool figures like the Range Trooper and that filthy Stormtrooper, we would LOVE to see this character get produced in super-articulated glory too. It seems possible now that The Vintage Collection is back, doesn’t it?

Hasbro, this is a public service announcement from JTA. We want to ensure the health and longevity of the return of The Vintage Collection. As such, we’d like to emphasize how important it is that figures like Rey, First Order Stormtrooper, Kylo Ren and perhaps even Snoke, should probably not be carried forward into any other subsequent waves. Sorry for our premature panic, but we don’t want to write The Vintage Collection’s eulogy a second time as early as this Christmas. As a reminder, if you absolutely MUST repack figures, we have a huge list of generation 1 TVC figures in addition to figures from The Black Series [Phase I and Phase II], The Legacy Collection and Legacy Collection that would love to join the lineup and will be much more successful for the line’s longevity. Please let us know if we and other fan sites can help. Remember, by and large, the people buying The Vintage Collection line are Original Trilogy enthusiasts looking to complete the “Collect All 92!” figures as well as other OT-inspired characters that never received the chance to be placed in glory on Kenner-inspired card backs. Also, getting more of those original TVC figures out again will provide new stock for those jumping on this train for the first time. Thank you!

Is this real? LinkedIn has posted an article claiming that Kay Bee Toys is making a return, which is quite a coincidence after Toys R Us’ downfall. Could this be the new home for Hasbro exclusives? Is this just a dream? Check out the article and then come back here to discuss it!

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One of the best lines Hasbro ever produced was the Star Wars [Saga – Phase III] Ultra line, which replaced the Deluxe figures. One of the best releases in that line is the Ewok With Attack Glider (Assault On Endor) set. See why this set literally “rocks” in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Disney has released some info on the upcoming Forces Of Destiny YouTube Episodes. The new season with 8 episodes will begin March 19th. Click here to find out what characters will make an appearence in the show!

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We are going to continue updating Collectible Cup and Figures sets in our Visual Guide updates, this time taking a look at the Revenge of the Sith line. Check out Obi-Wan Kenobi by clicking below. We also have a full review of this set right here.

We’ve opened up our guide listing for the recent Topps A New Hope Black & White series, including a gallery of our box break. I wasn’t too excited about a set of black & white cards, but I was pleasantly surprised at how nice these came out. Unfortunately, it takes several boxes to put a complete set together. It would have been nice, at the bare minimum, to get a base set (or close to it) out of a box. Click through for a complete listing and our box break gallery. 

There are more store reports coming in of new Solo: A Star Wars Story related product coming in (we’ll only be showing Hasbro confirmed and officially announced products) despite a clearly marked street date on the boxes. Special thanks to JTA reader PJ for this report! Also, it looks like Wookiee Weekend is coming April 13th.

Let’s now look at Obi-Wan Kenobi (Kamino Confrontation) from the awesome Star Wars [Saga – Phase III] Ultra line. He’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

We are closing out our look at the Star Wars [Saga – Phase III] Collectible Figure and Cup sets. Click below to check out the 5th and final set, Princess Leia. Click below for our full Visual Guide. Click here for our detailed review on this set.

Wow! The Grand Moff Tarkin wave of 6″ TBS6 figures (including NEW Solo figures) has been found at retail already. JTA reader K. Andrews lucked out greaty today! Click through for his story!

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James Arnold Taylor, who voiced Obi-Wan in The Clone Wars tv show, has revealed in an interview that almost full 8 seasons for Star Wars: The Clone Wars had already been recorded before Disney canceled the show.

Do you think Disney might at one point release the recorded dialogue? Maybe as some kind of radio play with added sound effects? Animating the remaining episodes seems to be out of the question. But chances are we’ll never get to hear or see the additional material, which is regrettable.

Longtime JTA reader and 3.75″ super-articulated enthusiast Mike R. sent us some disconcerting news about his #backthebarge order. It was canceled because of a PayPal time window protocol. Could this be the reason we’re starting to see orders fall off? Click through for more.

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We’re switching gears again. Let’s now look at Jango Fett (Kamino Confrontation) from the awesome Star Wars [Saga – Phase III] Ultra line. He’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Check out the latest Brian’s Toys newsletter… It’s getting warmer every day, and we’re getting in new items every day.

• 6th scale sideshow luke skywalker preorder
• Anovos gold leader rebel pilot helmet preorder
• Licensed artwork
• Newly added loose items
• Auctions ending soon

• Save big this month between the 2nd and the 11th on select items!

Click through for the full Newsletter!

We are continuing our look at the Star Wars [Saga – Phase III] Collectible Figure and Cup sets, this time adding Obi-Wan Kenobi to our Visual Guides. Click below to check out the full guide page, and click here to check out the full review.

We all remember the great TARGET exclusive Force Link three-pack that included Emperor Palpatine, Luke Skywalker and an Emperor’s Royal Guard. (See our review of it HERE if you’re not familiar with it.) We also recall Hasbro released Emperor Palpatine as a single-carded basic figure. But many collectors wondered if the other two figures from that three-pack would also be released singly as well. It would make sense that Hasbro would have both Luke Skywalker and Emperor’s Royal Guard on their radar for releases as single basic figures too, wouldn’t it?

If you have Toys R Us gift cards, you only have 30 days left to use them. Check out the latest update from Yahoo! News. Special thanks to Martin M. for the alert!

If you could ask Hasbro anything about the Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) HasLab campaign, what would you wa nt to know? Let us know in the comments and we will do our best to get answers for you.

Disney wouldn’t allow Steven Spielberg to use any Star Wars references in his latest film, Ready Player One. io9 has the full story. I guess we’ll never see another film like E.T. where Elliot plays with Greedo and Snaggletooth anymore. 🙁

UPDATE: io9 has posted a correction on this story. The cause of confusion is that Steven Spielberg contradicted himself.

Holy moly! Is this the thing that could salvage Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna)? Online UK retailer Dark Side Toys has been working hard behind the scenes to get Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) into the UK. They will be making a “huge” announcement at 6 PM UK time. If you’re in the UK and want this item, you best pay attention to their Facebook page. In the meantime, they write “We have some exciting news about The Jabba Sail Barge for UK customers! We have been working behind the scenes very hard to bring it here come back at 6 pm to find out all the details.”

UPDATE: If you live in these countries, you’re in luck! Click “Full Story” for list of countries!

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It’s now time to check out the Obi-Wan Kenobi Collectible Figure And Cup set. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Check out the preview page for the upcoming Sideshow Collectibles Legendary Scale Boba Fett. This will launch for pre-order on Thursday, March 22, 2018 between Noon – 3PM (Pacific Time).

We have another Visual Guide update from the Star Wars [Saga – Phase III] line. Click below to check out the Collectible Figure and Cup Luke Skywalker set. We also have a full review of this set right here.

If you missed out on these figures, Amazon has them in-stock for just about retail price. Make sure to follow the links to pick up these really great figures. Be sure to check out the Research Droid Reviews as well!
Death Trooper Amazon RDR
Emperors Royal Guard Amazon RDR

ANOVOS has opened up the pre-orders for their Gold Leader Rebel Pilot Helmet, shipping summer 2018. Click here for full details and pre-order information. 

It’s now time to check out the General Grievous Collectible Figure And Cup set. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

It may be the Ides of March, but Hasbro remains happy and positive about Jabba’s Sail Barge and sends us exclusive information on the item’s shipping box. Since Jabba’s Sail Barge is now more than halfway to reaching its goal, Hasbro would love to say thank you for the amazing support behind this HasLab initiative by moving forward with the reveal of another exciting tidbit! Please see the attached exclusive image of Hasbro’s own Mark Boudreaux holding the Barge’s white box mock-up for scale. You’ve been curious to see how this will come packaged, now the official box size has been revealed.

Mark Hamill took to social media to share the evolution of the Luke Skywalker action figure over the last 40 years and gave some humorous commentary on the four Star Wars toys that he chose. Hamill is an avid user of social media and is always interacting with fans who seem to hit him up all day, every day. The 66-year old actor doesn’t seem to mind and takes the time when he can to properly interact with the millions of Star Wars fans all over the world. Movieweb.com has the full story.

Last night we received a special delivery from Litzky PR and Hasbro: the Battle On Crait multipack and a free digital download of The Last Jedi. We thank them for this package. Click the image below to see it. You can read our review of it HERE.

We have some sources who have gone into detail about the latest Toys R Us developments. It’s very possible that within 60 days Toys R Us will be nothing but a memory for us. Stay tuned for more. What a sad, sad time. We have also reached out to Hasbro for comment about the 6″ Zuckuss exclusive. As of this time, there is no information to share.

UPDATE: The Washington Post confirms the closure of all 800 stores. Click HERE to read the details.

Tonight’s Visual Guide update features the Anakin Skykwalker Collectible Figure and Cup set from Star Wars [Saga – Phase III] line. Click below to check out our guide page. Make sure to also check out our full review right here.

After a French artist had complained about plagiarism last week, Disney has now released new posters for the upcoming Han Solo movie. The posters were revealed on the Brazilian Star Wars Facebook page. Click here to see the four new character posters!

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It’s now time to check out the Clone Trooper Collectible Figure And Cup set. It’s the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Jason Fry’s “The Last Jedi” novel reveals how Rey could use the Jedi mind trick on Starkiller base and later force pull the lightsaber from the snow – without any training whatsoever. Click here to find out how she did it!

Spoiler!

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Let’s take a look at another sixth scale figure from Hot Toys. Click below to check out the Visual Guide for Luke Skywalker from The Force Awakens. Make sure to also stop by and read our full review of this figure right here.

We are doing some behind-the-scenes upgrades to our server, which is affecting some of the site structure right now. We will be working on this over the next few days. While all content should be functional, some things might just be laid out a bit funny until we complete the upgrade. So, if you see something out of whack, it’s probably because our maintenance droids are on a break! Thanks!

Update: We’ve fixed most of our layout issues. We have a few very minor functionality issues we are working on. 

Toys R Us is in the process of drafting the court motion for its liquidation plan, a source familiar with the situation told CNBC. See the full story there.

Website Filmschoolprojects has an article about the “The Last Jedi” making of documentary. In the documentary it is said that Russian Twitter bots actually started a #HuxLive campaign early on to make sure the character won’t be killed in the movie.
Director Rian Johnson is quoted as saying: “It’s amazing, there’s a coordinated effort by these Russian accounts. Hundreds of them.”

Is this the actual reason Hux survives The Last Jedi? I doubt it. Whatever, I wish those Russian Twitter bots had started a #LukeLive campaign instead.

Read the full story here.

General Hux. Happy to be alive.

If you’re interested, both DJ (Canto Bight) and Rey (Island Journey) from The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ are IN STOCK. What’s more, use promo code MAD4MARCH to get 20% off your order and FREE shipping. Special thanks to all who wrote in to let us know about this promotion!

If we ever get Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna), there will undoubtedly be people who will need skiff guards to populate it. Infamous eBay seller tunghori has some tremendous Jabba-focused aliens and other related figures in stock. Choose from the rare red bandana Kithaba, Vizam, and BAR2-D2. Special thanks to JTA reader and friend Martin M. for the alert!

It’s time to check out Hot Toys’ Luke Skywalker [TFA] one-sixth scale figure. See what we think of him in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or even comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

After some recent articles I think it is a good idea to get everyone to calm down just a little.
Most here are probably not acquainted with crowdfunding. And this is Hasbro’s first foray into crowdfunding too – and what a project it is. They ask for no more than $2,500,000. Or $500 from each backer.

As of now the Barge has 2,595 backers. Progress has stalled considerably in the past few days, despite opening up the project to Canada. Reason for panic? Is the Barge bound to fail? Let me show you a few graphics to give you hope and confidence.

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Check it out! JTA reader Matthew Z. has found the Toybox Boba Fett at his local Disney Store today! Of particular note, this line of figures is on sale for $10 each too!

We have an update for our Star Wars [Saga – Phase III] Visual Guide tonight, featuring the Collectible Figure and Cup Darth Maul set. Click below to see our full Visual Guide. You can also see what we had to say about this set in our full review.

Advertisement courtesy of Binary_Son. #backthebarge!

If you’re interested, Walmart.com has the Forces Of Destiny Kylo Ren & Rey two-pack in stock with FREE 2-Day shipping. They also have quite a few 3.5″ super-articulated action figures for $4-$5. Check it out! Thanks to all who wrote in to let us know!

GameStop is running a decent sale for 25% off select Star Wars merchandise. The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ figures are ubcluded. Special thanks to JTA reader Micke W. for writing in to let us know!

Hasbro has passed along the six pages of the HasLab Behind The Workbench booklet on Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna). This 64-page booklet will be made available if the Sail Barge meets its minimum backers. Click HERE to download your copy.

Basic math tells us that we can get to $2.5 million dollars in many ways (the magic number required to make this long-awaited vehicle a reality). So it made us wonder if collectors would be more inclined to pick up Jabba’s Sail Barge (The Khetanna) if it were half the price. That would of course mean we would need double the backers. How many of you would be more inclined to pick up this beast if it were half the price (also knowing that there would be double the units in the marketplace and double the backers needed). Or would there be 7,143 of us who would be willing to back this thing for $350? Is the $500 price point the real killer of this first HasLab offering? Or is it so much more than this?