Author Topic: Best of 2013?  (Read 3686 times)

Offline Brian

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 11749
    • View Profile
Best of 2013?
« on: December 19, 2013, 09:05 PM »
I know there really hasn't been a ton to choose from this year for the Star Wars line(s), but I thought since we usually did a best of the year list it might be fun to see some people's favorites.  Really, the 3 3/4" line was pretty sparse, with most everything just now getting to stores or online.  I think more and more of us passed on parts (or all) of these waves as well, or were at least more selective.  We had the arrival of the 6" line, and some neato Vintage exclusives.  Oh, and the reintroduction of 5 POA figures into the line, so there's that.  What are some of your favorites of this year?

Black Series 3 3/4" - Padme, Luke Ceremonial, Pablo Jill, Vizam

Black Series 6" - Han Solo, Boba Fett, Sandtrooper (although all were pretty nifty)

Exclusives - Amazon Slave 1, K-Mart Vintage 2 Packs and Ewok Catapult

Overall, a very slow year for Star Wars stuff.  I know that out of the first three waves of the 3 3/4" Black Series, I've picked up 8 figures total.  I am really looking forward to the next wave up, but I'm curious to see where the line goes beyond that for 2014.  I personally really like the 6" figures so far, although they are a little bit pricey.  The vintage exclusives were some of the most exciting for me this year, I've been tempted to get a second Slave 1 for the prices they've dropped to lately on Amazon.  All in all, a slow year.  Good figures, but maybe not all that exciting overall.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2013, 09:31 PM by Brian »

Offline Dan

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3592
  • Got some
    • View Profile
Re: Best of 2013?
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2013, 10:17 PM »
BRUTAL year.

Slave 1 and droid factory set were the only things I purchased this year, and only when the price was so low on the slave 1 I had to add the droid factory figures to get free shipping.

I get to open them on Christmas, but I assume the only things I bought will also be my favorites.

Crazy bad year.

Offline Darby

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 4236
  • I'm not with that guy
    • View Profile
    • darbyharn.com
Re: Best of 2013?
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2013, 11:19 PM »
Not hard to choose:

Black series: boba fett, Han and the sandtrooper. Resistant to the new scale? These will take you off the fence. Greedo would be another one, unexpectedly.

3 3/4 inch: Vizam, hands down. Merumeru, luminara, and Pablo Jill all stand out in a small crowd.

Mission series: the Vader set is the most worthwhile with two new figures. I tend to think jango is still the best figure in this first wave though.

Saga legends: not widely available yet but the storm trooper is the best figure in this category and this year overall by far.

Exclusives: the kmart sets stand apart from a dull group this year.

Offline Greg

  • Jedi Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 1899
    • View Profile
Re: Best of 2013?
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2013, 11:22 PM »
Bleh, tough to pick stuff this year. Few items really stand out as great additions to my collection.

My top picks would have to be the following:

Ewok Catapult
Black Series 6" Sandtrooper, Fett, and Maul
Black Series 4" Wave 3 (Neyo, Vizam, and Merumeru in particular)
Droid Factory (especially at the $30 and lower price point)

The above items seemed to deliver the most bang for the buck this year, along with very few quality issues. Below are my runners-up, which were all above-average but had "issues" that held them back from being what I deemed the "best":

Endor AT-AT - great paint but the price was killer
Republic Gunship - once again a topnotch repaint, but the price was awful
Black Series 4" Mara Jade and Stormtrooper - solid figures but hair and paint issues made me sad
K-Mart Scanning Crews - good sets overall, but seemed to have more paint and plastic quality problems than normal
Fett's Slave 1 - Great repaint, but the quality-wise seems like a step-down compared to the 2010 Jango version

Overall I agree with Brian that this was a slow year. There was a decent amount of product, but the releases were mostly repetitive and/or very spaced out. I doubt we will get more items next year, but hopefully we get more "new" and less "repeats".

Offline Darth_Anton

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 10672
  • Whatever
    • View Profile
Re: Best of 2013?
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2013, 09:47 AM »
I was happy with most of the Vintage and Black Series product this year. Stand outs for me was anything Imperial, but one of my favorite figures was Vizam.
Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel - The Imperial Communique -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEfCtMv1lWhxSH-B1Scr4g
"Snark is the idiot's version of wit."

Offline Jeff

  • Administrator
  • Jedi Elder
  • *
  • Posts: 26285
  • Leave me where I lie
    • View Profile
    • www.JediDefender.com
Re: Best of 2013?
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2013, 10:04 AM »
Best Figure:  Probably because they're still fresh, it's a tie between Merumeru and Vizam.  Home-run Jabba Palace goon and long requested wookiee.  Both excellent figures.  Also would have to give a nod to Pablo Jill since I thikn he turned out really well.

Best Vehicle:  Not really a lot to choose from here, so I'll go with ESB Slave I from Amazon.  Despite Amazon's inititial shipping issues, the ship is still a great ESB Slave I upgrade.  My runner up would probably be the little Yoda Starfighter.  That was a great set I thought.

Best Exclusive: Kmart Ewok Catapult.  Sorry Brent, but Ewok action figures are fun.  I can't believe how many of these little buggers we have now, awesome!  Runner up would be the Amazon Droid Factory, but that is mainly related to the blow-out pricing and not figure selection. ;)

Best Multipack:  Kmart Scanner Dude sets.  Two figures plus big accessory for less than $15 is a great deal in this day and age.  Runner up would be the TRU Arena Jedi sets.
Editor-in-Chief  - www.JediDefender.com
On Twitter?  Follow JediDefender -> @jedidefender

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: Best of 2013?
« Reply #6 on: December 24, 2013, 02:27 AM »
Best 3.75" Figure: I'm torn on Meru Meru or Pablo Jill...  I'd give a close 3rd to Luke Ceremony because he's OT, he's vastly different to the 2007 figure (all positive, if not subtle ways), and that's about it...  TBS is good quality, there just wasn't much of it to judge by ultimately.

Best Vehicle:  I don't have much to pick from here so I'm going with nothing...  Some of the mini-rigs are cooll, but not that exciting to me (still interesting, I liked Yoda's ride too for the concept alone).  The TIE Interceptor was the only ship I had interest in owning really but I can't say I was excited by it.  I think the Slave-I is quality people (collectors) wanted though, so I'd have to give it a nod too even though I don't actually own it, nor do I plan to own it.

Best 6" Figure: I don't own one, but my vote goes to Han...  He's so far the only figure to truly tempt me.  The Sandtrooper almost did, but not quite.  Han, I have a hard time passing every time I see him.  The idea of a whole new line of toys to collect is enough to keep me away.

Best Exclusive: K-Mart wins...  The Ewok Catapult is great, but just a slight notch below great priced generic Imperial Trooper army builder 2-packs, complete with large random background accessory.  This is the type of thing collectors once got toy erections over.  It was also one of the only difficult things to find this year not counting Wave 3 of TBS which is just limping out to retail.  Exclusives were limited to 3 retailers mostly (Target's lame one doesn't even count).  Amazon certainly made things easy but nothing was on par with K-Mart.  Toys R Us is the only one to come close with their Jedi sets, and the very fact they're PT makes them lose (And I still like PT stuff).

Best Multi-Pack: Again, K-Mart's 2-packs...  With the Ewoks slightly behind the Imperial sets. 

My worst is fairly simple...

Movie Heroes/Legends was, to me, a failure in every way but Hasbro recognizing price is an issue with this line's popularity overall at this point.  Now if they can just get somewhere between $5 and $10 in both price and quality, and I'll be impressed a bit more.

Only one thing to me was worse, and that's these shampoo bottle figures.  I get the idea they're going with there.  They're failing though despite the low price for a large figure.  The 12" world of figures really needs abandoned by mass production and left to smaller companies like Sideshow, Dragon, Hot Toys, etc.

However I think the 12" bottles will go away.  I can't say underarticulated "cheap" figures are going to do the same.  If anything, I feel that's the direction the line will go more as we go forward.  It'll only truly start to disappointment as figures of new characters from new properties will be left to this style.  Captain Rex is my first major sting from this.  There will be more though, as 2015 nears.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77