STAR WARS Merchandise Episode - 2

[David Hingtgen]

I didn't know Deagostini was re-releasing the Falcon.  Wonder if it'll have different (read:more) paint----the original is un-weathered, and looks very bland as-is.  You usually only see pics of built-up ones that have had countless hours of additional painting/weathering done, not often do you see "out of the box" builds.   One of the big things they changed/promoted for their X-Wing, is that the X-Wing is pre-weathered.    (the X-Wing is gorgeous, asides from a fatal flaw---the wings have 2 pivots, a left and a right, at the sides of the fuselage---they do not properly "cross in the middle" and this affects their positioning/angles. 

[Chronocidal]

1 hour ago, tekering said:

Pretty much any release older than this is too poorly-proportioned or painted to bother with.

I actually wish I'd kept track of this mold after I got the original FX version.  I picked up one of that one on clearance for $25, and the while I could take or leave the gimmicks, I thought that original release was the only one with a properly shaped nose cone.

I think I actually grabbed a pair of the Red Leader models to customize, and one incomplete FX version just for the cone, but I never was able to get the Dagobah one.  Did that have the original nose as well?  I'm seeing what looks like two versions of the Dagobah variant.  There's the one with the plants (and a swamp creature, I think), and then there's one that had all of his camping supplies and R2, but no figure.

I'm still hoping to modify/upgrade one of these into a more detailed display piece, but it's going to take replacing quite a few parts, and the Bandai 1/48 kit kind of scratched my itch for a larger scale X-Wing replica.

I hadn't heard about a Deagostini X-Wing, but yeah, the wing mechanism would absolutely need a rework.  Looking up some photos of it though, I'm thinking it really isn't as nicely proportioned or shaped as the Bandai kits.

Maybe Bandai can be convinced to so a PG release in 1/24 some day...  

Edited June 25, 2019 by Chronocidal

[David Hingtgen]

The Deagostini "Build the X-Wing" is going on right now.  At least a year to go, it's still fairly early on. 

[Mog]

16 minutes ago, Chronocidal said:

I think I actually grabbed a pair of the Red Leader models to customize, and one incomplete FX version just for the cone, but I never was able to get the Dagobah one.  Did that have the original nose as well?  I'm seeing what looks like two versions of the Dagobah variant.  There's the one with the plants (and a swamp creature, I think), and then there's one that had all of his camping supplies and R2, but no figure.

I got that one shortly after they first released the Vintage collection 3.75” Pilot Luke (more info on this X-Wing version here:  http://www.rebelscum.com/sagaxwing.asp).

Wing proportions are nice, but they went overboard with the weathering on the engines.

They blackened the engines so much that it looks like someone blew out/smoked out the engines pretty horribly.

I agree with tekering:  if I had to do it all over again, I’d probably go with the Death Star Trench Run X-Wing, in terms of price, cockpit accuracy, and wing proportions.

Probably just hella hard to find it at a reasonable price now.

[Chronocidal]

Yeah, the weathering was overdone on that first one, it looks like the same pattern painted on the original FX version.  I just wish all the subsequent molds hadn't blunted the nosecone so much.  The Trench Run set seems to be going for around $300-$400 right now, which is way too rich for me.

We've seen several re-releases of certain vehicles in the past few years though, and I'm still lacking a Vader Tie, so maybe I'll cross my fingers that we get a re-release in the future.

[vlenhoff]

Wow thanks for the info, and OMG those Jabba's barge pics are awesome. 

[sh9000]

[Dobber]

I like that Palps 

Chris

[sh9000]

https://www.dorksidetoys.com/Star-Wars-Exclusive-Retro-Collection-Wave-1-set-of-p/e6255as00.htm

[David Hingtgen]

On 10/30/2018 at 8:23 PM, David Hingtgen said:

Hope they fix the engine paint before actual release---bright BLUE exhaust on the Executor? 

And so, the final retail release of the Armada Executor, seems to have doubled-down on the blue engines error.  Now, instead of "ISD light blue" they're almost a  deep royal blue.  WTF.  I mean, were they watching the VERY special edition or what?

[Dobber]

So it is FINALLY coming out!? 

[David Hingtgen]

It's out enough that there's unboxing vids on youtube, commenting on the engines...

Apparently 9 months wasn't enough time to change it from the sample they showed back in 2018. 

[peter]

Local toy store called Toy Traders:

 

 

[peter]

Any lightsaber guys?  I was thinking about picking up a Force FX ROTJ green saber but I'm not really happy about the fat-necked emitter.  I know someone modded his so it has a thin neck to resemble the one seen in the film, but was wondering if it was worth the effort or just pay the extra dollars from say https://saberforge.com/products/prodigal-son

[vlenhoff]

These are not the lightsabers you are looking for...

 

OMG that Hoth diorama is built with 3.75" figures and vehicles, INCREDIBLE!

They have everything i've got, 12 times over , WOW!

Edited July 29, 2019 by vlenhoff

[peter]

8 minutes ago, vlenhoff said:

These are not the lightsabers you are looking for...

 

OMG that Hoth diorama is built with 3.75" figures and vehicles, INCREDIBLE!

They have everything i've got, 12 times over , WOW!

Lol, so I'm guessing solid no on the Force FX one (BNIB one, local Craigslist for $110)....any thoughts on the one from saberforge?  

[vlenhoff]

1 hour ago, peter said:

Lol, so I'm guessing solid no on the Force FX one (BNIB one, local Craigslist for $110)....any thoughts on the one from saberforge?  

Personally, I have not researched any of the lightsabers out there, sorry.

My Star wars collection is pretty much complete. I may get a few space walls, and one single 1/6 Luke figure. I may even get some of the main characters in 3.75 with faceprinting tech, but so far i got all the 1/12 [6inch] i basically wanted. I got all the ships with all their pilots and a Legacy millennium falcon totally populated. I got very lucky with many of the ships, so i am very grateful for my collection. https://www.victorlenhoff.com/star-wars-1

 

Edited July 29, 2019 by vlenhoff

[derex3592]

1 hour ago, peter said:

Any lightsaber guys?  I was thinking about picking up a Force FX ROTJ green saber but I'm not really happy about the fat-necked emitter.  I know someone modded his so it has a thin neck to resemble the one seen in the film, but was wondering if it was worth the effort or just pay the extra dollars from say https://saberforge.com/products/prodigal-son

I had four of the Force FX sabers back in like 2005.  They were cool for what they were, the green ROTJ was my favorite but hilt was super fat and the plastic blade broke off (I wassn't even hitting anything) and the green LED strip was just hanging there like a limp ....  Anywhooo..I wouldn't recommend them. They all eventually died. Not sure about the saberforge ones. 

That is one AWESOME display of SW stuff!  I would love to see it in person! 

 

[vlenhoff]

Thank man,

8 hours ago, derex3592 said:

I had four of the Force FX sabers back in like 2005.  They were cool for what they were, the green ROTJ was my favorite but hilt was super fat and the plastic blade broke off (I wassn't even hitting anything) and the green LED strip was just hanging there like a limp ....  Anywhooo..I wouldn't recommend them. They all eventually died. Not sure about the saberforge ones. 

That is one AWESOME display of SW stuff!  I would love to see it in person! 

 

Maybe one day i will look into a lightsaber. I am sorry to hear yours died That sucks.

Thanks for the compliment. It has only taken me a lifetime to get to this point, lol. Some of the ships i weathered myself, and it is still a work-in-progress today. As of now, some of it is in boxes, and some of it is displayed. I'm planning to get a few display cases in the future, so i can properly display some of my favorite ships that rest in boxes right now. My star wars collection focuses most around the ships, and the pilots. Then the 6in black series was released, and i had to get some of those and the SH Figuarts/Mafex ones. I don't collect it all. I only collect those things that I like. 

Edited July 30, 2019 by vlenhoff

[Chronocidal]

Boy I wish we could get a proper re-tool of the old Y-Wing.  Sticks out like a sore thumb between all the better scaled/proportioned ships there.

A re-re-tool of the FX-mold X-Wing would be great too.. one without the limp/saggy wing mechanism.  

[derex3592]

Be great if someone...."cough" Bandai "cough" did a Star Wars vehicle line with attention to detail along the lines of the HM-R Macross stuff in about 1:72 or maybe 1:144 scale. That would be money spent for me! 

[Chronocidal]

I mean... technically they did, there's just some assembly and painting required.

I really do wish someone would make a dedicated 1/48 line of Star Wars fighter kits though.  The ships just tend to be so small compared with modern aircraft, and some like the A-Wing or Snowspeeder really need to go closer to 1/32 before you get some shelf presence.

[Dobber]

The Hotwheels Elite X-Wings (Luke’s T-65, Resistance and Poe’s T-70’s) are nearly 1/72 and surprisingly nicely done. I recommend them.

Chris

[sh9000]

That entire setup from Toy Traders is insanely awesome.

[electric indigo]

Bandai's awesome lighted Star Destroyer:

 

[derex3592]

Yup. Gotta have it. Someday..

[sh9000]

I’ll get these 2.

[Graham]

22 hours ago, sh9000 said:

I’ll get these 2.

Me too.

[anime52k8]

On 7/27/2019 at 11:29 AM, David Hingtgen said:

It's out enough that there's unboxing vids on youtube, commenting on the engines...

Apparently 9 months wasn't enough time to change it from the sample they showed back in 2018. 

I'm Sure Lucas will have the engine color issue corrected for the 4K release.

[Graham]

On 9/11/2019 at 11:26 AM, anime52k8 said:

I'm Sure Lucas will have the engine color issue corrected for the 4K release.

What's wrong with the engine colour?

[Dobber]

3 hours ago, Graham said:

What's wrong with the engine colour?

The SSD’s engines should glow Red not Blue. 

Chris

[David Hingtgen]

15 hours ago, Dobber said:

The SSD’s engines should glow Red not Blue. 

Chris

And it's not like it's some super-subtle thing you have to freeze-frame to catch, it's super-obvious if you just "watch the movie":

Painting them blue, on the biggest most expensive piece of SSD merchandise that's been released in the past couple years, means you weren't even looking at the original source material for what you were trying to copy.

But even worse, is having it pointed out like a year ago when the first hand-finished sample was unveiled, and then NOT fixing it for production.  I'm pretty sure even just emailing the factory a googled Chinese translation of "paint engines red, not blue" would have sufficed. 

 

[tekering]

On 9/11/2019 at 12:26 PM, anime52k8 said:

I'm Sure Lucas will have the engine color issue corrected for the 4K release.

You mean Kathleen Kennedy?  She's the one calling the shots now.

If Lucas were even consulted, it would only be as a courtesy.

[Chronocidal]

16 hours ago, David Hingtgen said:

And it's not like it's some super-subtle thing you have to freeze-frame to catch, it's super-obvious if you just "watch the movie":

Painting them blue, on the biggest most expensive piece of SSD merchandise that's been released in the past couple years, means you weren't even looking at the original source material for what you were trying to copy.

But even worse, is having it pointed out like a year ago when the first hand-finished sample was unveiled, and then NOT fixing it for production.  I'm pretty sure even just emailing the factory a googled Chinese translation of "paint engines red, not blue" would have sufficed. 

 

You know though.. I have to ask the dumb question.  Is it possible the studio reference model used white/blue lights, and the red was done in post production?  Doesn't excuse ignoring it after being pointed out, but could be why it was ever wrong in the first place.

Star Wars merchandise has a long history of being inaccurate to the screen because of too-faithful attention to prop details.  The old MPC/ERTL kits all had this in spades, because they were produced off of reference photos of the filming models.  While the goofy pilots and cockpits in those kits looked absolutely nothing like what you saw in the movie, they were pretty much dead-on copies of the NASCAR drivers and WWII German tank crew members used in the props.

[tekering]

17 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Star Wars merchandise has a long history of being inaccurate to the screen because of too-faithful attention to prop details.  The old MPC/ERTL kits all had this in spades, because they were produced off of reference photos of the filming models.

That was a perfectly legitimate excuse... before the advent of home video.