Author Topic: Target Giant TIE Fighter  (Read 4045 times)

Offline Dan

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Target Giant TIE Fighter
« on: September 6, 2005, 07:53 AM »
Hey there-
I didn't see this item in the topic list, so I thought I would put it out there.

I ran into these at Target last week:



I thought I could share a couple of pictures and opinions, and this seemed like the place to do it.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to get images to work :-[. So I will just offer my two cents on this exclusive ship.

First, a warning. You may be like me, and have several TIE fighters in your launch bay ready to go. If you are like me, you paid anywhere from $10.00 to $20.00 for each. The first ones did not come with pilots, later ones did (except the OTC version).
Get ready to supersize the previous prices, much as they supersized the wings. These bad boys will set you back a cool $40.00.  :o

The TIE fighter, backbone of the Imperial Navy, is a classic toy. Since its' first release in 1978, there has been room for improvement. The early versions had an electronic squealing noise, and light up "gun" in the front of the cockpit. They were also white in color, and had stickers to apply to the wing panels. Since many of us were 9-10 at the time, those stickers didn't all go on very straight.  :-[
In 1995 the TIE fighter was re-released, now with gray/blue coloring and wing panels that were a different colored, textured plastic. The electronics were gone, but the buzz of having new Star Wars toys around more than made up for it.
In 1997, Hasbro supersized the X-Wing fighter. It looked great, had electronics, and seemed like the ultimate size ship for the standard action figures. Everyone hoped a matching TIE would follow soon.

3 Prequels and 3 supersized X-Wings later, we have our Giant TIE Fighter.  ;D

It does not have electronics. It uses the same canopy and wing connections as the earlier versions. The new wings, are... magnificent. This is where I really wish the pictures were working. When you set it next to the POTF2, Saga, or OTC TIE fighter, you can see just how good the new one looks. The deco is the same, the only thing that has changed is the scale. It does come with a pilot, but it is the POTF2 pilot without knee joints. Why they reached that far back in the mold toy box is surprising to me. But it does sit in the ship just fine, and that is priority number one.

$40.00 for an exclusive ship, particularly one of this size, probably isn't that far fetched. But when you consider that the only new part is the wing panel, they have some serious profit margin on this toy. The addition (or re-addition) of some type of electronic play value would have made it much easier to understand the price point. It looks great, but looks are all you get here.

My main complaint isn't about the product itself. It is the missed opportunity to offer a cool mail-in or on-line offer to just get the wings out to fans and collectors.

We have just witnessed a generation growing up with Star Wars, much like some of us did in the 70's. We had cool mail-in offer after mail-in offer. Figures, accesory packs, you name it, we could get it with enough proof of purchases.
The group of kids that make up the prequel generation got zilch. There was a mail in Mace Windu prior to The Phantom Menace, and virtually nothing since. Burger King had coupons in their first weeks toys for Galactic Heroes with proof of purchases. It was nearly an invisible campaign, and I wonder how many kids even knew about it.

I think the TIE wings, and maybe future items like it, could make good candidates for these types of offers. The figures currently being marketed as exclusives (Wedge, clone troopers and astromech droids, re-deco clones) could have been done as mail-ins.
Maybe Hasbro has tired of the collectors getting the bulk of the items with such offers. I know I still have 5,000 + jedi points that will continue to sit in baggies until the end of their toy license. But my kids loved the mail in cookie jars from keebler this year, and even the poster from Cheese-Its. Hasbro is missing a chance to give kids some of that "mailbox magic" with their toy line, and that is disappointing to me.

That's my rant-

But I still ended up getting two Giant TIES, so I could make my trench scene with Darth and those big X-wings.
« Last Edit: September 6, 2005, 08:22 AM by Bob Dylan SW fan »

Offline Ryan

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Re: Target Giant TIE Fighter
« Reply #1 on: September 6, 2005, 06:40 PM »
You need to host pictures online somewhere like http://www.imageshack.us . You can't just link it to the destination on your PC. ;)

Good review BTW.
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Offline Darth Slothus

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Re: Target Giant TIE Fighter
« Reply #2 on: September 7, 2005, 02:15 AM »
Not me. Hated the review- felt it was 'flat'. After reading I get 80 %(multiplepoints/paragraphs) about history of the tie toy ect, how Hasbro SHOULD have done/made/sold things,criticizing Hasbro, and the price justification or not.
Unfortunately, only 20% goes into an actual reveiw of the ship and pack-in fig..

When I read a review I want to read one like Jesse would do...THOROUGH/COMPLETE (not wasted reading on non-actual product review) For example, I could totally see Jesse talking about the wings for 80% of the article especially since it's most of the change on this product(yes, I have my own for nearly a month now)

I also feel that in comparison if I had to say something good or bad about the review it's important to give detailed criticism. If not then how else does the author know what's good/bad about the reveiw. So instead of being an ass and saying the review sucked and that's it I'll say details so authors can learn from them. This works both ways for if someone says "good reveiw"- I'd be pissed if I read that.. I'd be like yeah? what did you like about it so I know to repeat that.

I don't see you on here often for review so good try at it anyways-May I suggest reading some of Jesse's reviews..IMO he's a master reviewer 

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Target Giant TIE Fighter
« Reply #3 on: September 7, 2005, 02:46 AM »
Well everyone reviews differently too...  I know I didn't have any format for a while till I developed something that worked for me so I can see where Mr. Dylan's going with a style there.

His review's different and takes into account the "what if" which isn't always bad.  I sometimes like to touch on that too...  Because sometimes the what if shows an idea that is clearly better.  It's all in how you view the toy though of course, and what points you hit (or avoid).

I think any effort to evaluate a purchase is a good one though. ;)

But I appreciate the nice words DarthSlothus, that was way too kind but it's nice knowing you appreciate the reads.  I like speaking the international language of "nerd" with the masses.  :)  That's what the forums are all about I think and why I enjoy my time here.  I'm just amazed JD wanted me on, haha...  given my usual sunny disposition when they picked me up and all.

I like hearing you're digging the reads.  It's appreciate for sure, so thanks man!

As far as this review...  My only problem with them being a mail-in offer is that it would be aiming at some somewhat old toys.  The OTC one isn't, but the POTF2 sorta is.  That's not to say I WOULDN'T want to see this though either...  I mean, now that they've got one out in stores, I think it would be nice if they said "hey, we've got the mold, we've made back the profit on it via the Target ship, let's try for offering the wings for older cockpits from TIE's for a slight cost + shipping".  A problem there is the variations in the color though and just what that "slight cost" would be.  These aren't little items...

Then again, like the review pointed out, the electronic snack bowls were pretty big too...  I dunno.  I can see it but I can also see it being blamed on cost as to why they wouldn't.

I'd buy a set for $20 though if it made my POTF2 TIE or KB TIE "whole", ya know?

I had a bigger beef with $40 for a 50% rehashed toy, plus a TIE Pilot that was excuseless at this point.  Now, if they'd packed in say a grey color variant of the Imperial Officer then I'd be more into the final price, but not with that POTF2 sculpt pilot.  That boggles my mind.
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Offline TheBlackDog65

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Re: Target Giant TIE Fighter
« Reply #4 on: September 9, 2005, 11:58 PM »
Jesse, I really appreciated your review as your points helped me to see that my decision to pass on this vehicle was the correct one for me! I would be more then interested in a mail in campaign and would pay the $20 for the wings for other Ties. Hasbro could make a killing do that, but they won't because they are a mega corporation that likes to continue to cash flow without thinking. Inovation is gone from Hasbro, and I think we can see that in many of their products (not all, some inovation is there, not much some). 
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Target Giant TIE Fighter
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2005, 02:06 AM »
Not me...  Bob. :)

My review would be more towards the positive end, but I just am giddy tog et a scaled TIE Fighter so the price is passable to me even to buy a 2nd ship if I saw it and had the $.

Bob's the wet blanket!  (j/k Mr. Dylan!  :D  )
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Offline Tijuanajedi

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Re: Target Giant TIE Fighter
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2005, 11:21 AM »
I agree with Bob,

I have seen these and hope they had the electronics, thanks for the review and I still decide on passing.