The Action Figure and Toy Collecting and Discussion Thread!

[Disruptor]

I saw announced at San Diego Comic Con a company plans on making the never-made Kenner ALIEN action figures...apparently based on the Kenner molds and in the same style 3 3/4" with like 5 points of articulation.

[cooleddie74]

I saw blurry slide show pics of those ALIEN figures...I didn't know they'd be limited to just 5 points of articulation, though. But given the current Hasbro trend I can't say I'm surprised.

[Disruptor]

It's not Hasbro producing them, but some smaller company. Yeah, using Kenner designs, though. I guess the jumbo Star Wars figure makers are doing that, too.

I looked at the 2013 Star Wars line up and it's mosty do-overs. Where are the fun obscure aliens...some odd droids, but you have to buy 6 figures to build them.

[cooleddie74]

^
Did you hear about the upcoming line of 12" Star Wars figures?

5 points of articulation and their weapons will be molded into their hands.

I'm not joking. Hasbro's people claim they're going for the feel of the original, classic 12" figures from the late seventies. But I dunno, in this day and age people expect a lot more from 12" dolls and figures than just neck, shoulder and hip joints and a weapon or accessory they can't remove from the character's hand without breaking one or both.

On the bright side, they'll retail for only $14.99 each. Which doesn't say a lot about their quality in and of itself, but I digress.

So far only four are planned: Revenge of the Sith Anakin, an Episode II Clone Trooper, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. I guess they'll wait and see how these do before greenlighting other characters.

[OdoWanKenobi]

Toys have come a long way since the 70s, but toymakers seem determined to keep making them in a retro style because it's damn cheap to do so. Lousy sculpting, minimal articulation, poor paint, etc. Nostalgia only carries a line so far. I have no love for any of the original Star Wars figures. I want my super articulated, detailed, and accurately sculpted characters.

[cooleddie74]

I get the feeling the new 12" line might be a flop. If this were 1978 or 1979 I could see them doing gangbusters, but even little kids nowadays demand more from their dolls and action figures.

I mean...weapons molded to the hands? What kind of potent herb were these suits toking when they said yes to that? Even the original 12" figures from the late '70s had removable weapons and accessories!

[Shazam!]

LOL The Bespin Leia headsculpt is an absolute joke.

[cooleddie74]

It's a Hilary Swank action figure.

[cooleddie74]

Here are the packages for the Vintage Collection's "realistic style" Clone Wars figures: Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. These follow the realistic Clone Wars Anakin that was released a few months ago.




All in all, the Photoshopped artwork doesn't look half bad. The Obi-Wan cardfront is clearly the standout of the two. The Ahsoka artwork was, I believe, designed to bear a resemblance to voice artist and actress Ashley Eckstein, who provides the voice of Ahsoka in the CLONE WARS animated series.

[Gotham Central]

I'm curious...how many folks here actually take their figures/vehicles out of the box?

I used to do that with great joy. Now I'm super paranoid and never take anything out of the box.

[cooleddie74]

^
A rather rough estimate, mind you, but about 70-30 with me. I keep about two-thirds of everything in the box or on the blister card, the rest I open for display.

[Gotham Central]

Also does anyone know if Art Asylum is actually still producing Trek figs/ships/tech? It seems like its been ages since anything has come out. The last thing I remember was the Communicator from Trek II. It was a faithful replica but I never understood why they picked such an awful prop to replicate.

[OdoWanKenobi]

I take everything out of the box. These are miniature sculptures, not investments. In my eyes, they are meant to be taken out of the box and displayed. I love taking pictures of mine posed, as well. I've created a few mini-comics with my action figures before.

[Gotham Central]

cooleddie74 wrote:

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^
A rather rough estimate, mind you, but about 70-30 with me. I keep about two-thirds of everything in the box or on the blister card, the rest I open for display.

How do you decide what you're going to open and what stays in the box? Do you buy duplicates?

One of the things I started doing was buying open items if it was something that I knew that I wanted to display. They are cheaper and then I don't beat myself up about breaking the seals. It helps that I know if this great shop here on the Northside of Chicago that sells lots of used and vintage genre collectables for cheap. I've found all kinds of cool figs to decorate my desk at work.

[cooleddie74]

Duplicates usually determine what gets opened, yeah. Not always, mind you. Sometimes I'm able to get just one of something and if it was particularly hard to find or shipped in low numbers/quantities I leave it in the package because...well...you just don't know if you can get another one.

But the vast majority of what I've opened are duplicates and extras.