Monthly Archives: August 2019

The regular release of the Rise of Skywalker Sith trooper has been found in the Disney Springs shopping center in Florida. Thanks to Darren V. from Facebook for the photo. It appears that it comes with two of the blasters that were in the SDCC exclusive release. I’m interested to see the card art for the Vintage Collection version. Will you be army building this trooper? Let us know in the comments!

It’s the weekend, not much to do, we have time, we can have some fun. Before the next figure leaks on ebay or Instagram we can take a look back at last week when at D23 trailers for both The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker (not technically a “trailer”, but still providing new footage) were released. How has the reaction on the internet been so far? Google Trends is a useful tool to gauge online popularity of search terms, the rationale here is that the more people search for something, the more it is talked about or the more interest in something exists, both positive and negative. So how do the Mandalorian and Rise of Skywalker compare? Click through to find out!

Coming to a galaxy near you very soon

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The Episode I Battle Droid Commander 12 Inch Figure is more than a repaint. Find out how Hasbro changed it in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

ALSO! The figure is on eBay if you want one! Special thanks to JTA reader Kesh for THAT alert!

UPDATE: I messaged the eBay seller asking about the ankles, and he said he doesn’t see any ankle articulation added “but it’s hard to tell while in the packaging.” So, it doesn’t look like that detail was updated, sadly.

The Luke Skywalker (Yavin) listing that showed up on Walmart a couple of weeks ago is now visually confirmed thanks to Instagram. And it’s clearly not a straight repack as assumed by some collectors. Check it out! Thanks to JTA reader Ruari W. for the alert! Also, it’s definitely some type of retailer exclusive as evidenced by the assortment number. As Ruari and I both noticed, it looks like Hasbro is correcting their sin of placing the subtitle to the right of the figure’s name to underneath of it like it should. I am glad we whined about that now. Let’s hope they’re consistent with this fix! Original image from Tim at Bossk’s Bounty.

The Episode I Battle Droid 12 Inch Figure has a lot going for it, but it also lacks in some ways. Find out more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, if you click & make a purchase, JTA may receive a commission.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Darth Maul (#25) and Tallie Lintra (#26). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. 

So what about that white “unicorn” in the room? If you don’t know, the Unicron HasLab project got a whopping 30+ day extension (obviously done with the hopes that the extra time will push the required target over the threshold). But how do you feel about this? I have heard opinions from ALL sides on this. Some feel it’s “cheating.” Some feel it DESTROYS the urgency and participation of future HasLab projects (people will think Hasbro will continue to extend projects if they don’t have the money then and there to back a project or within the timeframe to order.) Does it also make the Jabba’s Sail Barge HasLab campaign unfair to those that needed a little more time to raise $499.99 for it? I am sure many Star Wars collectors only needed 30 more days to save, or order, or whatever. Yes, Transformers is Hasbro’s IP. They might have leeway that we don’t understand with this project. But what are your thoughts about changing the parameters of a HasLab campaign in the middle of it? I don’t have a strong opinion either way, but I feel the potential of a dangerous precedent is being set here.

Last night saw the dedication ceremony for Galaxy’s Edge in Orlando. And today the park is officially opening to the public. So people on the east coast now have a chance to check out Galaxy’s Edge as well!
It remains to be seen if the Walt Disney World addition will attract more visitors than the counterpart in Anaheim. Also, just like in Anaheim, the Rise of the Resistance ride is not ready for prime time yet. The ride will be opened in early December, until then the only ride will be Smuggler’s Run.
You can watch the dedication from last night on the Disney Parks YouTube channel by clicking on the photo below. You also get to see one scrapped feature of Galaxy’s Egde in action: remote controlled droids. On stage you can see R2-D2, BB-8, Hondo Ohnaka, Vi Moradi (that character on the right, featured in the Black Spire novel) and the Disney Chairman of Parks, Experiences and Products, Bob Chapek.

Will you visit Galaxy’s Edge in Florida?

Click to watch the video (20 mins) – it contains a lot of promotion however

For those interested, Target.com has The Vintage Collection Imperial Combat Assault Tank on clearance for $36. 

Images of a new The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ Yoda (Force Spirit) from Return Of The Jedi has surfaced on Instagram. Check it out! Special thanks to JTA reader Bryan V. for the alert!

Are you aware of all the changes Hasbro made to the second release of the Anakin Skywalker 12 Inch Figure? The Episode I Anakin Skywalker (With Theed Hangar Droid) 12 Inch Figure set might be the best in the whole Action Collection line (for The Phantom Menace). It’s excellent! See why in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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 looks like the TSA has mistaken the Galaxy’s Edge Coke bottles for thermal detonators and now they’re banned on any flights. Esquire has the full story!

The postman had a nice gift for me today. German customs has finally released my brand new S.H.Figuarts Yoda (Revenge of the Sith) figure, and after only 5 days at the local customs office the figure is finally mine!

So how is the figure? How does it compare? Is it worth buying? Click through for a closer look at SHF Yoda!

Read this review, you will!

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Walmart polled kids this year to get an idea of what some of their favorite toys and brands are and what Wlamart should have IN STOCK for America’s Best Toy Shop. As you know, Walmart has grand plans to take over the world as the #1 toy shop. See if you can find what intellectual property and Hasbro brand DID NOT make the list. It’s no wonder so many locations have no Star Wars section left. Click the image below for the winners of the poll (a pdf document), but you can also read more HERE.

The Episode I Anakin Skywalker 12 Inch Figure turned out nicely. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Just a reminder that the latest Star Wars novel, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire, hits bookstores today. Head to your local bookstore, or pick it up on Amazon.

With so much doom and gloom JTA reports (well, that’s only some of the feedback we get),  I guess facts hurt feelings sometimes. However, it’s great that I can turn the tables on y’all and give you a positive store report. Because for the last four years, retail has been absolutely miserable in my area when it comes to Hasbro Star Wars. Absolutely miserable. (Crap! There I go with doom and gloom again.) OK, let’s restart this. I am happy to provide some positive truth for you so that more doom and gloom won’t shatter your world. This time it’s positive. I promise! Are you ready? Here we go!

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This last week was fantastic for toy running! I have a ton of photos to share with you. My father and I went to several collector shops in the Phoenix area over the weekend. There were tons of Star Wars toys to look at and some great deals to be had. Click here to see what I mean! 

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Let’s check out the Episode I Pit Droids 12 inch Figures. We bet you don’t know how well-articulated these are. Do you? They’re the focus of our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, if you click & make a purchase, JTA may receive a commission.

Topps has listed a Star Wars: The Mandalorian Trailer 10-card Set, as well as a poster card for both The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian. These sets expire in less than 4 days. Click here for details.

This morning the official Star Wars YouTube channel released the much talked about D23 footage for The Rise of Skywalker! Click through to watch the video, for screenshots of several highlights and a short analysis! If you want to know nothing, then please stay away from this article. Some potential spoilers and rumors will be discussed!

Spoiler territory

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You can now pick up this year’s Halloween-themed R5-B0019 Droid Factory figure at ShopDisney.com. Thanks to all those who wrote in to let us know!

The Episode I Watto 12 Inch Figure is excellent. See why in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

This is certainly not a surprise anymore. If you followed the Cookie Monster Haslab project you know it was off to a very slow start, and never picked up the pace it needed in the following days. In the end the Cookie Monster project only reached about 20% of the required backers – 624 out of 3,000.

Now what does that mean for Hasbro and Haslab? Click through for a few quick thoughts!

No Cookie This Time

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2-1B • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

Here is an interesting development. Disney and Target announce 25 Disney shops coming to Target stores in October, in addition to a new website. USA Today has the full story. Special thanks to JTA reader Ruari W. for the alert!

A user on Reddit found out an interesting detail about the newly released The Rise of Skywalker teaser poster. The shadowy image of Emperor Palpatine is not a photo of actor Ian McDiarmid in makeup! Instead the artist(s) who created the poster used a Hot Toys figure of Emperor Palpatine! Is that a first that an official Star Wars movie poster uses an action figure instead of the actual character? Are there no decent promo photos of Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker? Either way this is certainly flattering for Hot Toys. Lucasfilm must have thought that the figure looks so convincing that it can stand in for the real character. However, several people had remarked – before it was known that a figure was used – that something seems to be off about Palpatine in the poster. At least now we know why.

Click for full verson! The figure on the right is a 100% match for the looming Palpatine in the poster!

It seems we all missed a crucial detail about the leaked Galaxy of Adventures Kylo Ren figure. It does give away something we didn’t know before. Click through for more!

Update: it has been suggested that I may be seeing things. Graphic added, you decide!

Spoiler territory

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The Power Of The Jedi Han Solo (In Stormtrooper Disguise) 12 Inch Figure is rather bad. See why in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Same procedure as last year? Same procedure as every year! It seems street dates and embargos don’t mean very much when stores put product on shelves which we are not supposed to know about yet.

But TRU Canada put yet unannounced The Rise of Skywalker Galaxy of Adventures figures on shelves! And of course a Star Wars fan found them, took a picture of the figures in the box, and posted them, on Facebook of all things.

You will see Kylo Ren, Rey and the Jet Trooper, and the product packaging for the new Galaxy of Adventures line is revealed as well. The tubes are gone. And once more, these figures were found at Toys R Us Canada, in the wild, so the figures can no longer be considered top secret. Maybe they live in a different time zone up north and it’s already October 4th in Canada 😉 Thanks to JTA regular Matthew Cohen for the tip! So click through to see the three all new Galaxy of Adventures TROS figures, that you need to forget about again as soon as you see them!

Spoiler!

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We’ll have a final update on this once the campaign ends, but unless an eleventh-hour miracle takes place, and I believe in miracles, you sexy thing, the Cookie Monster HasLab project is a bust. Now, forgetting about your opinions on whether this HasLab idea was a good one or not, how are there not 3000 eager Sesame Street collectors out there to meet the rather modest target of 3000 units? In a related matter, Unicron is not faring too well either. But until the campaigns end it’s too soon to judge their fates. It’s important to note that I haven’t seen too much promotion for either current HasLab projects either. There were daily fan site posts encouraging readers to get Jabba’s Sail Barge over the threshold. If both projects end up failing, it should speak volumes to Hasbro about who their HasLab market is, and what they should focus on for future HasLab projects. (They’ll probably disregard this too.) Based on the performance of the three licensees represented in their first three projects, it appears that Star Wars is the only license that has an engaged and eager fan base that votes with its wallet as evidenced by the success of Jabba’s Sail Barge. If there were more numbers on the Unicron, I might include Transformers, but there isn’t enough interest to make me see this differently.

Imperial Commander • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

Check out the latest teaser poster from The Rise Of Skywalker, just revealed at D23…

The Star Wars timeline saw a few cosmetic changes yesterday at D23. The three eras, that we, the fans, usually refer to as PT, OT and ST, have been given new names. Star Wars now has three “ages”, there is the Age of Republic, the Age of Rebellion and the Age of Resistance. You can also check out the potato cam quality photo of the presentation slide below, which indicates where each show and movie is on the timeline . The timeline also tells us that the new Kenobi show is set at the same time as the Solo movie, which could mean, in theory, that some characters from that movie might make a guest appearance. Perhaps Crimson Sun had business on Tatooine with the Hutts.
So, will you adopt the new names for the three major Star Wars eras? Or will it still be PT, OT and ST to you? It’s certainly shorter and less confusing than AoR, since all eras are now “AoR”. Also, it’s not entirely clear in what age The Mandalorian is set, this particular time period doesn’t seem to have a name yet, since the Age of Rebellion seems to end two years before the Mandalorian is set, or three years after Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars Timeline – click for larger version

The first Star Wars Roll Out story came to a conclusion with the 3rd episode that was released yesterday, amidst all the exciting D23 news.
After the third Roll Out episode we can observe that each episode seems to be doing worse than the one before. There are fewer comments as well for each episode. So who knows how much of a future this web series has. It’s cute, it’s fun, it has its charm, but it doesn’t seem to excite all that many people, in fact a good percentage of the comments wonders why no new Galaxy of Adventures episodes are released instead. Anyway, in the 3rd episode BB-8 and friends defeat the big bad spider creature. You can watch the conclusion of BB-8’s jungle adventure by clicking on the screenshot below!

Click to watch the video!

We didn’t get a 3.75" version of R2-A6 until seven years after the release of 1999’s Episode I R2-A6 12 Inch Figure. See this 12" figure in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

The Disney+ panel not only released the first official public trailer for The Mandalorian, but also officially announced the long-rumored Obi-Wan Kenobi series. 

The Disney+ panel was the first to announce an all-new Star Wars series in development, one that many fans have been asking to see since the closing scenes of 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi, electrified the audience when he emerged following the announcement of his involvement in a new series taking place eight years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, where we last saw Obi-Wan delivering the infant Luke Skywalker to his Tatooine homestead.

Click through for all the details from the Disney+ panel at D23!

Click through to watch the official trailer for The Mandalorian… and discuss!

I’m Frozen In Anticipation!

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AT-AT Driver • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

In Stock as of this posting, go get the Retro Collection Darth Vader (Prototype Edition) from Target.com. Thanks to all those that wrote in to let us know!

The costume for the new Jet Trooper is on display at D23. The photo was posted on Reddit! And yes, we will get this trooper as an action figure, and also as a Lego Minifig (but please pretend you don’t know any of that, to make Disney happy on Triple Force Friday), so expect to see more of him after Triple Force Friday! How do you like the design of the new trooper? Helmet seems to be all new, armor design seems to be similar to the Sith Trooper, but the breastplate is new as well, it seems. Will you add him to your collection?

Click for full photo!

A brand new teaser poster for the upcoming Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian was revealed today on the official Star Wars site! Click on the image below to see the full poster!

So what do we see here? Is that Tatooine? Twin suns… sandcrawlers… moisture vaporators… the scenery sure looks very familiar. What can all of that mean? Will the show take us back to one of the most famous Star Wars locations? A Mandalorian trailer is also coming, we will certainly know a lot more very soon! We will keep you posted!

Click for full poster!

It’s an all-new PLAYSET in the new Droid Depot category! It feels like Disney took the medical wing of Echo Base and mixed it with the 1979 Kenner Droid Factory playset and came up with this. See how 2019’s The Droid Factory works in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Today marks the launch of New Zealand Mint’s new Star Wars Helmets Coin Collection. In a first for their officially licensed Star Wars collections, these are non-traditional, uniquely shaped coins which add an extra dimension to the design.

Click through for complete details.

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Rebel Commander • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

There was an article here originally… that discussed and showed all the upcoming LEGO Star Wars sets for Triple Force Friday. We received a friendly email from LEGO about a previous article that showed photos posted elsewhere already and they asked us to remove the content. Which we did, of course.

If you want to see the photos of the sets, both the box and loose, google for promobricks.de they have high res photos of everything on their homepage!

Also, once the genie is out of the bottle you can’t put it back, these photos are on the internet, easily found. But LEGO has to abide by Disney’s rules as well, and the embargo exists, we have to respect that.

Nothing

In yesterday’s article you learned that Galaxy’s Edge was originally meant to feature the Lucas era, but that was changed about a year into the development phase, when Bob Iger said Star Wars land needs to be about the new content. But this is not where the changes stopped. A lot of things were planned for Galaxy’s Edge that were cut as late as 2018, and once you find out what the cut content was about you have to wonder if removing the features was the right decision. So click through to learn what other features and attractions Galaxy’s Edge was supposed to have!

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New figures! New category (Droid Depot)! We have the Galaxy’s Edge exclusive Color-Changing Droids [B] to look at today and it is more boat-loads of fun. See the droids transition from one color to the next based on temperature with stepwise progression in our Photo Gallery. They’re pretty cool (and hot)! See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Leia (Hoth Outfit) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

JTA reader Michael (eBay user cbtheoffice87) is putting a large portion of his collection up for sale and has invited other JTA readers to check it out and make him some offers. He has the first wave posted now, and if you purchase anything and let him know that you came from JTA, he will take an additional 5% off your order. Happy hunting! And, good luck Michael! Everyone else, just make sure to let Michael know you were referred by JTA before the sale is final so that it can be reflected in the price. I’m sure if you have any questions you can ask him in our comments. 

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Mon Mothma (#23) and Wampa (#24). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. 

Now this is somewhat of a surprise. Former Disney Imagineer J Daniel Jenkins was interviewed for the Dreamfinders podcast and revealed that Galaxy’s Edge was originally supposed to be about the Original Trilogy, featuring one or two planets from those movies. But then all things changed when Bob Iger saw dailies for The Force Awakens and decided that the new Star Wars land must be about the new trilogy and feature the newly created Disney content. Click through for more info!

Galaxy’s Edge Artwork

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Website WDNT, which reports on all things Disney theme parks in the US, revealed pricing for a stay at the upcoming Star Wars hotel in Florida. According to the article a stay at the Star Wars hotel is meant to resemble an immersive trip on a space ship, so think of the Star Wars hotel less as a hotel and more like a cruise ship, complete with a view into space from your own cabin and high-end dining in the evening. For this all windows will be virtual reality displays. A unique bus shuttle that completey shields you from the real world, and which is meant to resemble a space capsule / shuttle, will transfer guests from the “hotel” to  Galaxy’s Edge, the bus, too, will not have windows, but displays, similar to the Hogwarts Express at Universal, so you can completely immerse yourself in Star Wars and pretend you are no longer on Earth.
However, since this experience is not a hotel like any other, you have to book at least for 3 days / 2 nights. Single nights will not be available. But this all inclusive trip (you don’t need to pay extra for dining and beverages) doesn’t come cheap. According to WDNT’s sources price for one person starts at $3,300 for the 3 day / 2 night trip. If you max out cabin capacity with 5 passengers it makes the stay more affordable, price per person comes down to $1,440 then. So if you plan on traveling to a galaxy far, far away, it’s best to ask some friends as well to come along. A more expensive first class cabin will also be available, but pricing for it is unknown. Head over to WDNT to read more about the hotel and to check out a lot more concept art and photos. This experience will certainly be very unique. However, you have to be patient, it may still take several months or even a few years until the hotel is finished. It’s still under construction.

Each cabin will have its own view into space

I know at best this will be an unscientific and anecdotal gathering of information, but I would like to see what collectors’ tastes are when it comes to how they collect Star Wars figures, focusing on one area of collecting. In the comments, please let us know what you obtain from the Star Wars Hasbro brand. (Don’t be ashamed of anything you buy! Please list it. Be a proud collector, no matter what it is! We’ll deal with any hecklers.) Then next to each type of figure or product focus, please put if you are an opener, both an opener and a loose collector, or strictly a loose collector as well as your area of focus. (more….)

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New figures! New category (Droid Depot)! We have the Galaxy’s Edge exclusive Color-Changing Droids [A] to look at today and it is boat-loads of fun. See the droids transition from one color to the next based on temperature with stepwise progression in our Photo Gallery. They’re pretty cool (and hot)! See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) loose is available on eBay if you’re interested! These always go fast!!

Hasbro has announced today that, beginning in 2020, it plans to start phasing out plastic from new product packaging, including plastic elements like polybags, elastic bands, shrink wrap, window sheets, and blister packs. The company’s ambition is to eliminate virtually all plastic in packaging for new products by the end of 2022. There is not ONE mention of the Star Wars line in the article. Perhaps they know this would never be an option for the collectors of this line. See the full story at Business Wire.

Welcome back to Tuesday everyone. At least it’s not Monday! Just a minor update from me this week. How about you? Did you work on any new dioramas or custom figures? Get anything in the mail? Load up on $2.50 Snokes and Jyn’s from Walmart? Let us know how your week in Star Wars went in the comments!

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A “Hasbro Star Wars Vin Huckleberry Hoodboat” has appeared in various Swiss online shops! The price ranges from 102.70 -119 Swiss Franks. So it could be a $80-$100 vehicle in the US. We know that “Huckleberry” is the code name for the Mandalorian show. The vehicle has been rumored for a while now, but the fact the TVC vehicle can now be found in several European online shops is certainly another good sign. It is unknown what vehicle exactly Hasbro will release, but the Razor Crest would be a logical choice here. Expect it to see the light of day in early 2020.

If you want to check out the German language shops, here are the links:
Spielgut Shop
Das Spiel
Alles Kaufen

Thanks to TC Wood for the links and alert!

Prototype of the Razor Crest made for the Mandalorian show – not a toy

If you missed out on the TVC Han Solo (Stormtrooper) figure at Target, Amazon currently has him listed for $12.99. Thanks to all those that wrote in to let us know!

The Episode I Fan Club exclusive Chancellor Palpatine & Coruscant Guard 12 Inch Figure two-pack set is very nice. See these two figures in their glory in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Pre-Order Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order before 11/15/2019 at GameStop.com to receive a $15 Fandango Movie and bonus digital content such as an Orange Lightsaber blade color and more.

Site ComicBookMovie.com has revealed the covers to all 10 of the new Blu-ray Star Wars films which are arriving in September. I don’t know how they got approved. They seem amateur. What do you think? Thanks to Cyberye for the alert!

With Cookie Monster nearing the finish line, only a little more than 6 days are left, it’s time to take yet another look at this year’s two Haslab projects! So click through for a quick look at what’s going on and a few thoughts that go beyond current Haslab projects!

Imaginary Hasbro Haslab Manager Deborah D. earlier today

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You can now pick up the teaser poster for The Rise of Skywalker on Disney Movie Rewards. They finally dropped the point price compared to previous posters. This one will only cost you 750 points. If you need points you can always pick some up on eBay, which will put the poster at about $10-$12. 

The Episode I Jar Jar Binks 12 Inch Figure is not bad. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

OK, perhaps “Hasta la vista!” is a BIT of an exaggeration, but what’s going on at retail when it comes to The Vintage Collection? TARGET has nothing beyond wave 1. And every Walmart near me has flat out removed it from the microscopic Star Wars section it maintains, which currently just has cheap roleplay lightsabers and Solo-era TBS6 figures.  Clearly, The Black Series 6″ is faring no better. Yes, we’re gearing up for Triple Force Friday, so we’re likely in a transitional stage, but how can collectors vote with their wallets if there is nothing out there to purchase and support? Goodness, gracious me.

In Pennsylvania, there are over 14K children in the Foster Care System. 4K-5K of those 14K are in my immediate area of Philadelphia. Through no fault of their own, these innocent victims get bounced around from house to house, and most have literally NOTHING in the form of earthly possessions. (more….)

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A lot of fantastic figures are in stock! Get figures like Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) loose if you’re interested! These go fast!!

We had the chance to check out Galaxy’s Edge for ourselves last week. Click through for our non-biased review and experience of the new Star Wars land. If you’ve been, we’d love to hear your experience too in the comments! All-and-all, it was a fun experience and I’m looking forward to going again in the future. 

Check out the latest newsletter from our sponsor Brian’s Toys…

We are going all-in!!!!  Check out all of our fresh vintage inventory that we either have on auction or was listed for sale.  Also, Gentle Giant/Sideshow items just arrived that would be perfect to display.

He’s large and in charge and one of Hasbro’s best 12 Inch Figures. See why you might want this Boss Nass figure in your collection. There’s more to see in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

In light of recent articles, not just on JTA, but also on sites such as Bloomberg, I would like to talk about one more time about Star Wars and kids. According to Bloomberg Star Wars has problems reaching kids. I believe everyone agrees that Star Wars, like any other franchise, needs young fans, not just adults. Lucasfilm has tried various things in recent times to reach kids. Hasbro too, tried several things to get kids to buy or want the toys. Forces of Destiny failed. Resistance has disappointing ratings and will end with season 2, the toyline was cancelled already. And most famously Force Link figures, which were always meant to be played with by kids, were discontinued in favor of an all new 5 inch super articulated Galaxy of Adventures toyline. It remains to be seen if this new line will meet more success. So maybe it’s time to look at how the source material has been doing on YouTube. Is Galaxy of Adventures a success? How does it compare to Forces of Destiny? And how is the latest web series, Star Wars Roll Out doing? Click through for a look at Lucasfilm’s kid oriented entertainment.

Everyone’s most favorite Star Wars photo ever

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Hasbro came a long way with the late-2003 Star Wars “Saga” [Phase III] Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) 12 Inch Figure. It has a lot going for it, but it’s still not perfect. See and learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Sideshow Collectibles has the pre-order pages up for the upcoming sixth scale Princess Leia (Endor) and Wicket figures. They can be ordered separately or as a set. Click below for links to each pre-order page. 

And the adventure continues… if last week’s first episode seemed to end very abruptly, this week’s episode shows us why. Apparently Roll Out will spread a single story across several episodes. So BB-8’s jungle adventure continues. He meets a shapeshifting critter which scares him and while on the run he gets attacked by a giant spider that wants to eat him. All the while the droid friends from last week are on their way to rescue BB-8. This episode also ends on a cliffhanger, so more is yet to come most certainly.

The first episode has 16,742 clicks after one week. The new episode is at 2,520. I wonder what Lucasfilm’s expectations for this web series are.

Watch the video by clicking on the screenshot below!

Giant Spiders!

The Hollywood Reporter has an article about the new deal between Netflix and the former Game of Thrones showrunners Benioff & Weiss. According to Hollywood Reporter sources Netflix is not worried about Benioff & Weiss’ Star Wars schedule. The Hollywood Reporter goes on and says that according to their sources, all that Benioff & Weiss will do for Star Wars is to write a treatment and to write the script for at least one movie. They were originally supposed to write all three scripts for the new trilogy, so according to whatever sources Hollywood Reporter has, something seems to have changed here.
How involved will Benioff & Weiss be with Star Wars? Will Lucasfilm once more have different teams write the scripts for the follow-up trilogy? In other news it seems Rian Johnson still thinks he will work on Star Wars after Knives Out, so maybe Lucasfim will have Johnson write and direct whatever movie comes after the 2022 release of the Benioff & Weiss’ penned movie? Perhaps D23 will tell us more.
Anyway, it is very likely that Benioff & Weiss will not be involved with Star Wars for the next decade or so, the final movie of the new trilofy would likely be released in 2026. Netflix would certainly not pay them $250 million if they had other time consuming obligations that keep them from developing shows for the streaming service. And Netflix wouldn’t state they aren’t worried about their Star Wars schedule, if Benioff & Weiss would be deeply involved with Star Wars beyond 2022.

Read the Hollywood Reporter article here.

DB Weiss & David Benioff

Hot Toys continues to release original trilogy Star Wars characters. The company now revealed an all new Endor Leia and Wicket figure. While Leia is the standard Hot Toys figure, Wicket will have actual fur. You can get both of them together in a deluxe set, which will come with two exclusive imperial helmets as accessories (so Wicket can play the helmet-xylophone). But you can also get each figure separately. Check out more photos on the official Hot Toys website!

Have a break, have a kit kat.

And the leaks continue… a Spanish etailer may have leaked the Triple Force Friday case assortment for the Vintage Collection. We cannot verfiy if the list is correct, however, the list lines up with known info. So click through for the TVC Triple Force Friday figures! Thanks to JTA regular Rivesjunctionite for the alert and link!

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What happened to 2003’s Star Wars “Saga” [Phase II] Han Solo 12 Inch Figure? It’s a mess. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

The Black Series Sith Trooper & Boba Fett and the Vintage Collection Jedi Destiny set are listed on Hasbro Pulse! Click here to go directly to the listing!

Since we all love rumors so much, here’s a report from website Cinelinx, which got the same info from two independent sources: apparently Ewan McGregor has signed a contract for an Obi-Wan series on Disney+. And yes, this is yet unverified, but this particular rumor, that Disney will produce an Obi-Wan series, has been circulating for a long time now, apparently production was set up already a while ago. This new story is widely reported by various news outlets tonight, but Cinelinx is the original source here, everyone else just quotes them.
If there will be an Obi-Wan series then we may expect Disney to announce something at D23. It is absolutely certain that there will be more live action Star Wars shows on Disney+, Obi-Wan would be a logical choice, since fans have been wanting to see Ewan McGregor to return as the Jedi master for a long time now. We’ll keep you posted! And with the Mandalorian and Cassian Andor it would be a good choice to have a show which features at least one Force user and lightsabers. Would you be looking forward to an Obi-Wan Series? And if you haven’t made up your mind yet about Disney Plus, would an announcement make you subscribe to the new streaming service?

I love toy photography. I follow about 20 pages on Instagram who regularly post new photos of toys from Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Hot Wheels, and more. I’m not sure as though I have seen a photo mirror a movie scene so accurately as this amazing work of art done by James R. Special thanks to him for letting me share his photo from Facebook. Another thanks to Steve Evans for signing off on such a beautiful design. Have you done any photography with your new skiffs? Show it off in the comments!

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How do you describe a figure that has so many good points and so many bad points all at once? Well, that analysis perfectly describes Lando Calrissian (Skiff Disguise). See why this bittersweet release is a figure you’re going to hate to love. 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 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.

You can now pre-order the newly announced Mattel Barbies over at Entertainment Earth. What are you waiting for? Click here to pre-order!

The latest Gift-With-Purchase Trading Card Set is available now. Spend $79.99 on any Star Wars Authentics products and receive this exclusive 5-card set featuring characters from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Each set is sequentially numbered, limited to 50 sets total. Available while supplies last and limit one per customer.

Shop autographs, official photos, and more here: www.starwarsauthentics.com.

Mattel announces Star Wars Barbies. They remind me of Star Wars Bratz dolls. What do you think? io9 has the full story.

The Russo Brothers joke on the latest episode of the Star Wars Show that Kevin Feige  “ended up buying like half of them just so they would make it so he could have one of them himself!” This part of the conversation starts around the 8:20 mark. Check it out!

Lobot • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

JTA reader Paul B. snapped a shot of the latest Walmart planogram. Check it out. NO spots for TVC on this page at least.

A brand new trailer for the second season of Star Wars Resistance has been released today. Along with that comes the announcement that Resistance will also end after season 2. This is the official trailer description from the Star Wars YouTube channel:

The Emmy Award-nominated series Star Wars Resistance returns for its second and final season beginning Sunday, October 6 at 10:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW, with subsequent airings on Disney XD. The concluding season takes place during the events of “The Last Jedi” leading up to “The Rise of Skywalker,” as Kaz and the team continue to fight against the threat of the First Order, culminating in an epic series finale.

In light of this it’s no surprise Hasbro no longer makes toys for the show. Also, ratings were very bad. Season 2 was probably greenlit / in production, long before season 1 even aired. In light of the ratings and lack of toy support it only makes sense for Disney to focus on something new. Of course, it may also be possible that Resistance was always supposed to be just a show with two seasons, but I find that unlikely, considering the costs developing the show and how animation usually works.

Watch the trailer by clicking the image below. It looks quite epic in places, with huge space battles. Kylo Ren makes a guest appearance even (not voiced by Adam Driver, it appears). As far as story arcs go: apparently the Colossus is in search of a new planet to call home, while the First Order can still track the Colossus. Kaz and friends don’t know how they can do that, but we know the answer already. Hyperspace tracking, of course.  Let’s hope the Colossus won’t have any problem with its fuel supply as well. Leave your constructive thoughts in the comments!

Although priced with an MSRP for a The Vintage Collection figure, Walmart has listed a Retro Collection Boba Fett figure. With the runaway success of the first wave at TARGET and now Entertainment Earth, there’s no doubt the line’s continuing, but will Boba Fett be one of the figures in the next wave? Special thanks to friend Mark for the alert!

Let’s check out the Super Battle Droid 12 Inch Figure. It’s pretty cool. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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 newsletter from JTA sponsor Brian’s Toys…

A Small but MIGHTY Newsletter! Jawa, Snaggle Tooth and Leia OH MY! These auctions won’t last long so get them while they’re hot!

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Han Solo (#21) and Tasu Leech (#22). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week. 

“Hasbro has a message to the Trump administration after the decision to put off imposing tariffs: Thanks for listening.” (See the full story at MSN.com.)

Han Solo (Bespin Outfit) • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

Finally, some benefit to being a premium member (besides free shipping)! If you haven’t snagged the recent SDCC exclusive figures, and are waiting for HasbroPulse, you may have a leg up on the scalpers if you are a premium member. You can get to the announcement/product page by clicking the image below. Is this enough for you to renew your membership next year? Let us know in the comments.

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JTA reader Idealistic Crusader found the former TARGET exclusive Han Solo (Stormtrooper) figure at a local independent discount store for $4 apiece. I imagine we’ll be hearing and seeing more of these reports as time moves forward. Click through for more!

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Welcome, toy runners to another fine Toy Run Tuesday! This week you’ll find some photos from some recently completed customs I did. Please click through and share with your fellow collectors what you acquired this week. Did you get a TVC Skiff? Boba Fett repack? Build your army of 6″ figures? Let us know in the comments!

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The Walmart exclusive Luke Skywalker & Yoda 12 Inch Figure set is pretty nice, albeit far from perfection. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Dengar • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

Do you know this figure’s “secret” hidden special feature? It’s beautiful! See the Power Of The Jedi IG-88 Action Collection 12 Inch Figure. It’s helped up remarkably well even today. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Ugnaught • The Empire Strikes Back • 1981

Boy, The Vintage Collection is sure full of Luke Skywalker releases and updates. Walmart has added a product page for Luke Skywalker (Yavin Ceremony). Check it out! Special thanks to friend Mark for the alert!

For the Power Of The Jedi line, Hasbro surprised collectors with a very large 12 Inch Figure release. The Captain Tarpals & Kaadu set is stunning. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Hurry if you want Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) loose! It’s the fastest-selling figure on eBay!

tunghori has added a ton of new loose figures including the new Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), Gamorrean Guard and Vedain. Thanks to all who wrote in with the latest updates!

After the first release in 2002, Hasbro tweaked Anakin Skywalker with a new head sculpt and action feature a year later. It isn’t terrible, but could still use some work. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

The first Star Wars Roll Out episode was released on August 9th. In the pilot BB-8 goes on a jungle adventure and meets the plants and wildlife, much to his chagrin.
So what is Roll Out like? Click through for a few thoughts about the show!

Click to watch the video! You can see, among others, BB-Nunb, BB-3PO and BB-Konnix in the screenshot.

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eBay seller tunghori has more of the Darth Vader (Prototype Edition) available. How many true variations exist? Time will tell! Click through if you want to pick up a few more variations!

Toyworld Magazine has published an interesting survey about what toy companies in the UK think about the current situation of licensed toys in the UK. Of special interest was how they view the collaboration with licensors. And while this is UK specific it’s certainly applicable to other countries as well. And there is even info about Disney hidden in the survey that should be of special interest to all of us. Also, the toy companies say how they really feel about embargos. So click through to find out how happy toy companies in the UK are about licensors!

A friendly reminder for the geographically challenged about the location of the United Kingdom. Click for larger view!

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We feel that the 2007 Vintage Coin Set was one of the finest UGH promotions of all time. But how do you feel about it? See this exclusive 7-coin set in its entirety in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Sigh. The retail apocalypse continues. Walgreens is to close another 200 stores per report at CNBC.com. Check it out. Special thanks to JTA reader and friend Martin M. for the alert!

Begun the leaks have! Over on Reddit a list of the upcoming Black Series figures for Triple Force Friday was posted. Since Disney won’t allow Hasbro to promote anything, let us try to step in and show you what’s coming for TFF. Click through for more info!

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eBay seller tunghori has more of the Darth Vader (Prototype Edition) available in his store. Click through if you want to pick up a few more variations!

A comment for one of the recent JTA articles made me think. A reader said this, and I paraphrase here: ” I am not buying a single thing on Triple Force Friday. I will find all of that merchandise at 80 to 90% off early to mid next year”.

So I wonder… what are your plans? Do you plan on buying everything at full price on October 4th and the days and weeks following that? Or will you patiently wait for the toys to get the usual huge discounts at Walmart or to eventually show up at Ross, Ollie’s and dollar stores for even less?
I think the trend of recent years, to see that again and again expensive sets are inevitably discounted to ridiculuous levels (the TVC Assault Tank for $12.99? Really? TBS Rex figure for less than $5?) may convince more fans than Hasbro would like not to buy anything on Triple Force Friday and to wait until everything is much cheaper.
So what are your plans? Buy everything on release? Or patiently wait until 2020 to find most or even all the toys for cheap? I think both Hasbro and Disney need Triple Force Friday to be a huge success. I believe this could make or break Star Wars toys or at least shape the future of the toyline. Hasbro still hasn’t announced anything concerning the license. We can only guess what keeps Disney and Hasbro from announcing the extension. So Triple Force Friday and toy sales for The Rise of Skywalker may be the deciding factor here. But if many fans decide to play the waiting game revenue may be seriously affected. So tell us your plans in the comments!

Crowds buying toys on Force Friday 2015 for The Force Awakens

Do you remember Episode I’s Battle Bags line? Let’s revisit Swamp Creatures [B] in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Bloomberg released an article earlier today that talks about a lof of the things that have been discussed in the fandom for quite a while now. One of the things the fandom has talkes about is the apparent lack of appeal of Star Wars to kids. The article cites declining toy sales and underwhelming theme park attendance as symptoms. They even call fans who are critical “dedicated fans”, this seems to be a new and different tune, especially from mainstream media outlets that usually paint fans who are critical of the sequels in a somewhat different light. Please click through for more details!

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

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An all new series of animated shorts is coming to the Star Wars Kids YouTube channel on August 9th. “Star Wars Roll Out” re-imagines Star Wars characters as BB units. Hence the name, “Roll Out”. The show is based on an original idea by Hideo Itoyanagi who created an animated retelling of The Force Awakens for Japan. His approach, however, was different: in his short each and every character was a BB unit, even the humans. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy loved the idea so much that she hired Itoyanagi and tasked him with creating the new show for the Star Wars Kids YouTube channel. Featured characters will be, according to the trailer at least, Rey, Finn, Maz Kanata, Phasma, BB-8, Chewie and the Porgs. But other characters will certainly also make an appearance. Now the question is if the Galaxy of Adventure shorts will also continue, it would be odd if no new shorts would be produced when an all new toyline will soon be launched. It seems “Star Wars Roll Out” is aimed at even younger kids, so maybe Lucasfilm wants to try out new things and will pursue various ideas and projects on the YouTube channel. The following quote elaborates on that idea.
Lucasfilm vice president franchise content and strategy, James Waugh, says this about the show: “One of the wonderful things about our Star Wars Kids channel is that we can experiment to see how far we can stretch the franchise to a new expression, while still being totally rooted, recognizable, and authentic.”
Read the full story with more background on Starwars.com, you can watch the very short trailer on Youtube! Thanks to Matt Z. for the alert!

Star Wars Roll Out

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Ezra Bridger (#19) and Admiral Piett (#20). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week.

eBay seller tunghori has more of the Darth Vader (Prototype Edition) available in his store. Click through if you want to pick up a few more variations!

Our good friends at Rebel Force Radio has posted an action skit from Galaxy’s Edge. Wo. Watch it and see what you think it’s missing. There’s no action, no relevant dialogue, no explosions, and no duels just to name a few things. They got to spice this up a bit, no? Let us know in the comments.

According to this ad, it appears that Ollie’s will have new The Black Series [Phase III] 6″ figures for a low $5.99, a remarkable 54% cheaper than The Vintage Collection figures at your local Ollie’s beginning August 8th. Let us know of your finds! Special thanks to JTA reader and friend Scott K. for the ad and news.

Do you remember Episode I’s Battle Bags line? Let’s revisit Swamp Creatures [A] in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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 released their numbers for the last quarter on August 6th. Click through for a brief summary and the one piece of news about Star Wars buried in the report.

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I’m going through the purchasing process for a new home, so I am trying to save every penny for that. Unfortunately that includes pennies spent on new action figures, so not really anything for me this week but some Star Wars sno cones! I’ll leave this TRT in your capable hands. Click here to find our comment section.

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We’re in the lull before Triple Force Friday. Not much is being released, more like nothing really. It’ll be another month or so before the SDCC exclusives will be available on Hasbro Pulse, another two months before we can buy new toys (that are not repacks) and more than four months before we all find out how the Skywalker saga ends (until it is rebooted in 10 years from now). Time, to play a game perhaps. And today’s game is quite easy. Just imagine you were in charge of Hasbro’s Star Wars team, tasked with making as much money as possible, but both Disney and Brian Goldner also tell you in no uncertain terms that catering to just adults will not cut it, you absolutely have to get kids to want Star Wars toys again as well. 2018 probably saw the lowest Star Wars toy sales in the 21st century. Your job is to make things better again. So if you had the power: what would you do? How would you fix distribution and increase sales? But remember, retailers will not buy from you what they don’t like and soliciting obscure background characters from the OT only may not really convince them to buy all that many toys from you. And consumers will happily wait for discounts, no matter how great you think the toy is. How do you change that? Get creative in the comments!
Maybe Hasbro will read the comments and hire you (ok, maybe not).

Make Hasbro smile!

They’re sold out now, but tunghori had them in stock. You may want to keep an eye on his page,

Hasbro made some fantastic 12 Inch Figures during the Power Of The Jedi era of the toy line. Death Star Droid (With Mouse Droid) is an excellent release. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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 a shame that Hasbro canceled their 12 Inch Figures line after they produced Shaak Ti. They ended the line with a bang, and this figure brought the line to a whole new level. It would have been great continuing it with this level of detail. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Hasbro made some fantastic 12 Inch Figures during the Power Of The Jedi era of the toy line. Bossk is a decent release. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Hasbro made some fantastic 12 Inch Figures during the Star Wars “Saga” era of the toy line. Zuckuss is one of the highlights, even if he isn’t perfect. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

Friday nights are usually quiet here on JTA. Maybe the right time to discuss some crazy things. By crazy I mean “fun”, not meant to be taken seriously. So please don’t be upset or think any of what I will post after the break is true, or necessarily real. But I learned about a wild The Rise of Skywalker theory tonight, that sounds so crazy… that it might be true, if JJ Abrams and Chris Terio maybe smoked one too many while writing the script 🙂 So please click through for the theory. Stay away if you don’t want to discuss potential spoilers for The Rise of Skywalker!

Even Rey didn’t see that coming

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Prepare for rising toy prices. In a statement to CNBC Hasbro said this today:

“These measures, if they go through, will substantially impact American consumers, including their ability to gift quality toys to their children during the holidays,” Hasbro told CNBC Friday. “If the proposed tariffs are put in place, Hasbro will have no choice but to pass along the increased costs to our U.S. customers by pricing our products to address the tariffs.”

Yesterday, it was announced that a new 10% tariff will be imposed on an addtional $300 billion worth of imported goods from China. September, when the new tariffs will come into effect, is a very important month for shipping toys to the US for the holiday season. It remains to be seen if the 10% tariff will already affect toys sold on Triple Force Friday or if only future waves will be affected.

Will you buy the same number of releases as before if all Star Wars toys cost 10% more? TVC could be $13.99 or even $14.99, TBS could be $21.99. We will inform you as soon as Hasbro will release more concrete info on future pricing of Star Wars toys. 67% of Hasbro’s toys are still made in China. There are ongoing efforts to shift production to countries with cheaper labor, like Vietnam or India.

CNBC has the story. It also goes into detail about what US toy companies are affected the most. Funko has already announced they will raise prices, however, by the end of the year up to 70% of their products will already be made outside China. Mattel may face serious problems, contrary to Hasbro, who don’t actually own the factories and can outsource production to any other country somewhat more easily, Mattel owns about 50% of the factories, so it’s much more costly to move production. However, most Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels toy cars are manufactured outside of China, and these are the two most important Mattel brands.

When you comment please leave out politics, or names of politicians (or nicknames of politicians), just discuss what rising prices would mean for you and your collecting habits. We will delete posts that are off topic.

Two weeks after SDCC the two current Haslab projects seem to be in the doldrums. While that is normal for most crowdfunding campaigns (anyone remember all the angst about the Barge which was absolutely unnecessary?), it seems the Transformers and Sesame Street Haslab project are facing a somewhat steeper hill than most other campaigns that succeed. Actually, most successful campaigns reach their funding goal in the first few days.
As of now, Unicron is lagging the Barge. Now, the Barge had this huge, huge boost on the finishing line that elevated the project close to 9,000 backers. So Unicron might still make it, but it seems like it will be a close call, the project is at 27%. But the Cookie Monster seems to be dead. I really doubt it’s going to make it in the remaining three weeks. The project gained 73 backers in the past 9 days, which is the last time I posted an update. He still needs another 2,607 backers, or 86.7%. There must be some overwhelming love for Cookie Monster in the final hours of the project for it to be successful, in my opinion.
Which leads to the question: what happens if both projects fail? I certainly hope both will succeed, both projects are fun, Unicron is actually impressive even. But what would it mean for future Haslab projects should both the Transformers and Muppet collecting community fail to support their Haslab project? Click through for a few thoughts!

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The Sith Trooper is very red. But will the character have an important role in The Rise Of Skywalker? See the figure in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, JTA may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase.

The next two cards from the weekly Topps Star Wars Living Set are now out. Featuring the iconic blue starfield and the impressive artwork of Kris Penix, check out Lando Calrissian (#17) and Rancor (#18). Each Tuesday, two new cards will be released and be only available for one week.

The official D23 website revealed several new events earlier today. Click through to learn what was announced!

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The Vintage Collection Boba Fett is IN STOCK at Hasbro Pulse. Thanks to all who wrote in to let us know!

Our BIG VEHICLE WEEK continues with the Revenge Of The Sith ARC-170 Fighter. It’s an elegant vehicle with average features. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or 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.