The Action Figure and Toy Collecting and Discussion Thread!

[Shazam!]

A quick click around and I've found one for a fiver.

[cooleddie74]

OdoWanKenobi wrote:

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Most of the figures from that period either had lousy action features, or were statues. Most of them have had better versions made since, at least.

The AOTC Jar Jar Binks from 2002 is probably one of the worst offenders from that period. He had three points of articulation if I recall correctly...five at the most, and that's if he even had elbow joints. He would be the last movie-style Jar Jar action figure until this year, and as big a stinker and pegwarmer as the 2002 figure turned out to be it's no wonder Hasbro was gun shy for ten whole years about making another Jar Jar from the live-action films. He was just a big statue or salt shaker that just sort of stood there...and he came with this bizarre WTF? Gungan staff or weapon or thingamajig that wasn't even in Episode II to begin with. Stores were full of those things for ages.

[C.E. Evans]

cooleddie74 wrote:

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The AOTC Jar Jar Binks from 2002 is probably one of the worst offenders from that period. He had three points of articulation if I recall correctly...five at the most, and that's if he even had elbow joints...

I think that was the period in which they were catering more towards collectors and were designing figures to be little more than figurines. They were great if you didn't take them out of the packaging or mess around with them too much if you did.

[cooleddie74]

Ironically, tonight at midnight marks 10 years to the moment that the Episode II/Saga toy line made its public debut during "Midnight Madness 2002." Stores across America officially began selling the merchandise for the second prequel at 12 A.M. on April 23, 2002. I know...I showed up later that morning for my obligatory haul at several stores. I spent quite the pretty penny that day, let me tell you.

It's really fascinating to see how far the tooling and sculpting of figures has come since April of 2002. In some respects the new stuff(especially in the Vintage Collection) is light years ahead of the best that Hasbro had to offer a decade ago. Since then the company has broken the Super Articulation Barrier with figures featuring 13 or more points of articulation and breakthroughs such as ball-jointed heads, hips and wrists.

[C.E. Evans]

There were times when it felt like a case of double dipping. They would release an initial figure with limited articulation and then a bit later re-release the exact same figure with improved articulation. I never fell for that, but I do have quite a few early Clone Wars (animated) figures that were re-released later in a "revisioned" wave with better articulation.

[cooleddie74]

Waves 2 and 3 of the 2012 Clone Wars figures have sadly taken a step backwards in the articulation department. The Republic Commando Boss figure that is just starting to trickle into stores as we speak has no wrist, knee or ankle joints whatsoever and a few of the others in these two waves share similar regressions in articulation. Some collectors are already starting to call the brand new Clone Wars figures statuettes because of the limited poses you can get out of them. The new CW Obi-Wan has a stunning head that matches the TV animation flawlessly, but his body is a mixed bag at best. Hasbro's really cutting corners right now with anything that isn't the Vintage Collection and a lot of people are seriously miffed about paying ten dollars for a 2012 figure with the poseability and range of something that came out a decade ago or earlier. I don't know if you still collect Clone Wars, but these are the new figures in Waves 2 and 3:

Obi-Wan Kenobi (new version)
Ahsoka (Scuba Gear)
Captain Rex (new version)
Republic Commando Boss
Clone Commander Wolffe
Super Battle Droid (Training Droid; simple repaint)
Aayla Secura (new version)

[C.E. Evans]

Yeah, I stopped collecting Clone Wars figures about three years ago. Sad to hear their sliding back towards figures with limited articulation again. They may do "revisioned" versions later to get people to double dip perhaps.

Been collecting Star Wars figures ever since they originally came out (I still have the very first Artoo-Detoo and Imperial Stormtrooper figures, although they aren't in mint condition). These days, however, I tend to stick only with Expanded Universe stuff--I manage to snag all the figures made from the Star Wars: Legacy comic.

[cooleddie74]

Keep your eyes peeled for Darth Malgus and Nom Anor, then...provided you're lucky enough to even find them. At one per case they'll probably wind up on eBay for fifty to eighty dollars apiece. In fact, some of both have already been seen for prices approaching that.

[KirkPicard]

My favorite of the Trek action figures, the TOS crew in the monster maroons!

[C.E. Evans]

cooleddie74 wrote:

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Keep your eyes peeled for Darth Malgus and Nom Anor, then...provided you're lucky enough to even find them. At one per case they'll probably wind up on eBay for fifty to eighty dollars apiece. In fact, some of both have already been seen for prices approaching that.

Shoot...not even going to try for those, short-packed liked that.

I think I'm in the twilight of my Star Wars figure getting days. Used to get two figures a month when I was a kid, but I believe I only bought four in the past year...

[cooleddie74]

Some more scattered reports are trickling into the collector sites about Wave 4(Dr. Evazan, Nom Anor) showing up here and there while Wave 3(Malgus) goes almost completely unfound. The cart's definitely coming before the horse in the past year with quite a few Vintage waves and a few of them didn't hit in quantity until months after their official release...and at discount chains like TJMaxx and Ross, no less. The STAR WARS collector market is a mess right now but I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. Between my buddy at the local toy shop and some good timing at stores I should be able to get at least one of every figure I want even if it takes a while. These days it's all come down to patience more than anything else. The days of finding pretty much what you want, when you want it and in plentiful quantities are more or less over.

[OdoWanKenobi]

Time for a little more showing off. Here's the rest of my DCUC. This is a work in progress, since I came to this line a bit late, and am filling in the gaps as best I can:

Heroes:


Villains:

[cooleddie74]

I really dig the Harley Quinn and Joker figures, man. Those are my two favorites out of that whole bunch.

[OdoWanKenobi]

I love those, too. Though my favorite is probably the big ol' Darkseid in the back.

[cooleddie74]

Another upcoming STAR WARS Battle Pack. This one, however, is not getting any good reviews and is the subject of a shitstorm of controversy at the online collecting sites and message boards.

Mid-'90s articulation. Limited poseability. 1980-style hair coloring.
Most people right now are not a fan of this one.