[firmpulse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclopswc

I don't regret paying full price for any of the Joes, it's my way of supporting the brand and hoping that when they cut jobs at Hasbro, the Joe team would be spared perhaps in small part because I voted with my money.

I agree. I love the brand and want the figure I want when they come out. I don't want to chance Clearance.

[flansered]

The thing is that they aren't going to keep hitting clearance/Ollies/Ross. Hasbro will see lost revenue and start course correcting by producing less of each figure.

[Trivial Psychic]

The thing that we need to remember as consumers is that whenever we see a swell of product from a line hitting clearance/closeout merchants such as Ross/Ollies/TJMaxx, is that we need to view that as a signal of a particular line struggling to move product. While it feels nice on the bank account at the time, by waiting for these swells to take place, we are actually doing more damage to the product line's health overall, and could be dooming it out of existence. It's amazing how quickly we forgot what happened during the swell of Marvel Universe and G.I.Joe Retaliation/50th figures that hit closeout retailers in the mid 2010s. MU would end up seeing less and less product released in the coming year (with very noticeable cuts in quality, before finally being canceled altogether) while G.I.Joe was phased out very shortly afterward and then gone from toy shelves for a very long time.

I'm not saying to drop your money without prejudice on everything put out there at full price...but don't be afraid to do so on with the things/characters you actually enjoy. It helps to keep the line fresh and allows it to push onward. While we're all guilty of playing the long game for a deal, adopting the "wait for clearance" mentality for an entire line can be really destructive in the long term scheme of things.

Wolf Spider arrived from Walmart yesterday, and honestly, while not the most exciting figure, I feel he's vanilla enough to make a pretty decent troop builder. The ballistics mask looks pretty cool when paired with the helmet, which is probably what you're gonna wanna do since the NVGs on the helmet don't quite swing down properly to fit over the eyes as well as I would like. I dumped his shotgun for something more stealthy and compact, as Wolf Spider comes off as being a more stealthy addition to the team, given his Night Force designation.

[Cyclopswc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trivial Psychic

Wolf Spider arrived from Walmart yesterday, and honestly, while not the most exciting figure, I feel he's vanilla enough to make a pretty decent troop builder. The ballistics mask looks pretty cool when paired with the helmet, which is probably what you're gonna wanna do since the NVGs on the helmet don't quite swing down properly to fit over the eyes as well as I would like. I dumped his shotgun for something more stealthy and compact, as Wolf Spider comes off as being a more stealthy addition to the team, given his Night Force designation.

Wolf Spider looks good. I'm glad they're doing brand new characters. Nice choice for a MP7, there're enough shotguns with the Joes already, Wolf Spider being a helicopter medic should have something compact, that's a good choice.

[TheBlueMarvel]

Nice posing and pics, Triv

EDIT:and cogent/sobering sentiments. We do forget how lines we loved (not even very long ago) dried up and died. Add to that the fact that the toy-world is still reeling from the absence of TRU five years on.

[Designincase]

To the whole Ross/Ollies thing. Do remember that's merch the stores like Target/Walmart(...sure)/Gamestop sold to them to make some money back.

These question is how much a loss these retailers took. Is it enough for Hasbro to believe that these retailers will buy less product for next year?

They care of ROSS sells 1000 Hasbro figs for $6. Sure it's still data but unless Target buys less, Hasbro isn't going to see this as a bad thing.

But the reality is people are buying less now post pandemic and Hasbro silly windowless box initiative didn't help. But the reality vs Hasbro's putting shareholders before their employees......who knows.



Anyway Fireteam

[Dr Kain]

If anyone wants to see me unbox my extra Hiss Tank (or tear open CC like nothing), here you go:

So I must applaud Hasbro on a job well done with this new CC figure. For a suit I am not that big on, my god he looks down right bad ass in every pose I put him in, some even better than the previous version. The pinless joints and the lighter blue definitely help. I do wish they could have made his backpack not look so goofy, but at least it's a removable item, so it matters not. I was saddened to learn I can not just take the cape/sword sheath piece off the previous version with ease though. I really wanted to see what the classic version looked like with it on. Oh well. I'm really looking forward to taking pictures later on this week of him.

[Trivial Psychic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBlueMarvel

Nice posing and pics, Triv

Thank you kind Sir!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclopswc

Wolf Spider looks good. I'm glad they're doing brand new characters. Nice choice for a MP7, there're enough shotguns with the Joes already, Wolf Spider being a helicopter medic should have something compact, that's a good choice.

Thanks! I had no idea that Wolf was a combat medic, as he totally struck me as being more Navy Seal (since he looks like he was based off of Version 3 Beachhead) than being para-rescue/Coast Guard. Despite the reuse, he's a pretty solid figure overall and I think he might be in my Top 5 classified for the year much to my surprise.

Today, Fed Ex surprised me by dropping off Shadow Tracker...who was one of my favorite figures from the POC days. The loin cloth and armor restrict his movement a bit, but he can still hold his bow in a respectable manner. I'll be probably equipping him with a sniper of some sort in the near future. The skull mask fits nicely, but the clear one falls off pretty easily. I actually prefer the unmasked face, as he's intimidating and those glowing eyes are the last thing I would want to see in the dark jungle. I'm trying to figure where to put him, I want to stick him in with Python Patrol, but he screams Dreadnok to me, so that's probably the squad he's gonna roll with going forward.





Speaking of Python Patrol...COBRA!!!!



Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

[Cyclopswc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trivial Psychic

Thanks! I had no idea that Wolf was a combat medic, as he totally struck me as being more Navy Seal (since he looks like he was based off of Version 3 Beachhead) than being para-rescue/Coast Guard. Despite the reuse, he's a pretty solid figure overall and I think he might be in my Top 5 classified for the year much to my surprise.

That's his description in the Walmart ordering page. Without official file cards on the box now, I guess that's as official as it gets. The artwork on the box depicts the same. I guess Wild Bill will have Airborne in the gunner's seat and Wolf Spider hanging off the hook after the Dragonfly gets released next year.

"Parth Varma hails from a family of doctors, but intense desire for action pushed him to train as a helicopter EMT and then as a Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician. After seeing his daring rescues G.I. Joe recruiters honed his zeal for thrills with modified SPIE and Pararescue training, crafting him into an exfiltration expert. Never missing his target, Wolf Spider drops from the heavens to evacuate fellow Joes from the most dire situations."

From Walmart's page:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/G-I-Joe-C...p-6/2078341194

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trivial Psychic

Speaking of Python Patrol...COBRA!!!!

I know they're recolored subgroup that was meant to make extra money with the old molds, but I do love my sub teams. To me they're more specialized than the regular guys, especially the Python Patrol, which is the "Special Force" within Cobra with specialized radar absorbing uniforms. Great group you have there, I have Copperhead leading my Python Patrol as well.

[Tony_Bacala]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trivial Psychic

Thank you kind Sir!



Thanks! I had no idea that Wolf was a combat medic, as he totally struck me as being more Navy Seal (since he looks like he was based off of Version 3 Beachhead) than being para-rescue/Coast Guard. Despite the reuse, he's a pretty solid figure overall and I think he might be in my Top 5 classified for the year much to my surprise.

Today, Fed Ex surprised me by dropping off Shadow Tracker...who was one of my favorite figures from the POC days. The loin cloth and armor restrict his movement a bit, but he can still hold his bow in a respectable manner. I'll be probably equipping him with a sniper of some sort in the near future. The skull mask fits nicely, but the clear one falls off pretty easily. I actually prefer the unmasked face, as he's intimidating and those glowing eyes are the last thing I would want to see in the dark jungle. I'm trying to figure where to put him, I want to stick him in with Python Patrol, but he screams Dreadnok to me, so that's probably the squad he's gonna roll with going forward.





Speaking of Python Patrol...COBRA!!!!



Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

ST looks good, mine drops today. He's also one of my modern favs, glad they did him.

I grab the Python Patrol and Tiger Force stuff, but don't display them. However, that pic is giving me second thoughts. Also, PP Firefly FTW!

[Veronica Mars]

I've Shadow Tracker with my 'Noks and other swamp type Cobras

[Harbinger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veronica Mars

I've Shadow Tracker with my 'Noks and other swamp type Cobras

Kept in cages no less.

[Cyclopswc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veronica Mars

I've Shadow Tracker with my 'Noks and other swamp type Cobras

Where are Ripper and Buzzer?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harbinger

Kept in cages no less.

Where they belong!

[flansered]

While I like the Shadow Tracker figure, but Hasbro's engineers really needs to work on their archer figures. Like give us a standard bow and one with a stretched out bowstring for firing poses, and better hands made for holding arrows. And a general working knowledge of how bows work, like how the stabilizer goes below the hand grip, so it looks weird no matter how Shadow Tracker holds it.

[Veronica Mars]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclopswc

Where are Ripper and Buzzer?

They next on the pick up list

[Cyclopswc]

$7.49, not $17.49



And craps I find:

[Harbinger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclopswc

$7.49, not $17.49



And craps I find:

I wouldnt pay 2.99 for that sports garbage.

[Cyclopswc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harbinger

I wouldnt pay 2.99 for that sports garbage.

You'd pay THAT much?!?

[Dr Kain]

They would make cool background bystanders. Hvae an entire basketball team getting shot up by Cobra.

[Harbinger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclopswc

You'd pay THAT much?!?

Haha. Maybe.

[Veronica Mars]

I lied about Buzzer and Ripper being next, Big Ben was back in stock so I snagged one

[Trivial Psychic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclopswc

And craps I find:

Seeing how poorly received the relaunch of Starting Lineup went, all the way down to the massive liquidation we saw this past holiday season...I wonder if the line is now dead in the water. Hasbro teased the SL: NFL figures last year, and since then...they haven't been mentioned or teased at all.

I bring it up simply because I could have easily imagined SL: NFL figures would have served as good templates to convert into modern day versions of Captain Gridiron (one of my fave Joes as a kid) or even William "Fridgerator" Perry figures.

[Dr Kain]

Saw the Predator dude at Walmart today. Was kind of tempted to get him, but passed.

Oh, and boiling Hawk to loosen up his waist joint ended in failure. It worked until the moment he cooled off, then it was stuck again and started to break. I guess I'm just not supposed to have a Hawk with waist rotation.

[Dr Kain]

Hiss Tanks For Nothing:












Eeny Meeny Moe!

[Cyclopswc]

Poor Cover Girl.