Author Topic: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?  (Read 97147 times)

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #105 on: December 26, 2004, 12:40 AM »
It's a cool figure, but I really couldn't call it the best ever.  The eyes just look too big to me.  Compare the figure to a photo from one of the movies, and maybe you'll see what I mean.   :-\

(I might also remind everyone that the Commtech Stormtrooper was once hailed as a "perfect" likeness of the movie character.)





I agree, there is something about the eyes that seem a bit off... they seem a tad too big, but now the CT Stormtrooper's eyes seem a tad too small!

The CT Stormtrooper will always be high on my list...

 :P

Offline Jesse James

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #106 on: December 26, 2004, 04:38 AM »
I still consider the CT a great likeness...  For its time, it's wonderful, and it doesn't look out of place with the VOTC which, to me, speaks volumes for that figure's quality.

I don't really see the eye variance myself...  It's a small enough detail that it slips by.  To me all the great VOTC aren't perfect yet, but I'd still give the nod of "BFE" to the VOTC Stormtrooper at this stage.  Yet to see anything compare.

I consider things like Han's floating holster, Chewie's brighter highlights, and Boba's height as more noticeable detractors...  Then again the Stormies holster isn't anything to write home about at all, so he's got his flaws too.
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #107 on: December 26, 2004, 12:45 PM »
Yep, the CT Stormtrooper to me is still one heck of a figure.  Some of the articulation could have been better, but at the time it came out it was light years ahead of the earlier buff version, and seemed to be a bit ahead of its time.  I still love the figure and while the VOTC one is better, the CT ones still stand proud in my dioramas.  The buff ones however, had to get lost a long time ago.   ;)

 :P

Offline Jesse James

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #108 on: December 26, 2004, 10:27 PM »
CT's only MAJOR flaw was the wrists.  Give him VOTC figure's hands, and you've got a great figure in its own right.  VOTC's trouncing it though with all the other joints, the holster (It works...  sorta).  To me the only major flaws for the VOTC were the price and availability. :) 

Release these in a 4-pack and I'm in till I go broke.  :D
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Offline Rob

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #109 on: December 27, 2004, 03:00 PM »
Went and picked up those ones I stashed a few weeks ago.  There were 6 of them - at 7 Bucks each - minus the giftcard I had = 6 Stormies, 29 dollars and change.

I'm at 35 now.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #110 on: December 27, 2004, 06:50 PM »
Man, if any of you guys are finding EXTRAS on clearance, keep me in mind...  I'd buy from ya.

Damned if we're even lucky enough for these to sit at all.  I still have only spotted TWO Stormtroopers on the pegs total, and bought them.  He just never showed up here in droves.
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Offline Rob

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #111 on: December 27, 2004, 07:41 PM »
For a long time I was under the impression that nation-wide distribution was pretty much even - especially in metropolitan areas.

Then I saw the counter example to end that thinking...  My buddy has been looking for the Target Slave Leia with Plastic Cup for about 3 months now.  Everywhere we go we look for it.  All they ever have is Anakin and X-wing Luke.

Then, I go back to Clearwater - and literally go into ONE store to grab a gift for my nephew...  They've got over 30 of them.

Over 30!  Just collecting dust.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #112 on: December 27, 2004, 09:06 PM »
Yeah, distribution is wonky all over...  I see a lot of people around the sites claim that "if you go out and look, you'll find it", but the reality is that regional distribution varies greatly...

Many areas saw the EU figures in 98, for example, but Pittsburgh saw NOTHING of those figures really.  Maybe one shipment or two, and they went just as fast.  None on clearance either.  Those were some of the only figures I never saw at retail except for the Fan Club.

The Y-Wing was another fine example of regional distribution blunder.  Target's had just opened in the area, and while the West Coast was claiming they sat and even clearanced, out here they were non-existant.

Something odd too, Ach Med Beq...  Everywhere had TONS of him I have heard, to the point they still have that figure on pegs, but he really saw a normal shipment here...  Came and went, like he should've.

I sorta think it's misleading to tell people "If you get out there and look, you'll find it!" then.  I think that, unless you live in their area, you can't really say what ranks as a shelf-warmer and what doesn't.  It's weird how things are distributed.  I know Bobafett14 travels all over creation, and he's told me how one area has FX-7's on the pegs as recently as this past Summer I think...  I mean, that's an awesome figure that flew off shelves here as quickly as the Imp Officer that he was packed in with did.  It's really strange.  And I believe that was just down over the state lines in Maryland as I recall too.
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Offline CorranHorn

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #113 on: December 28, 2004, 03:11 AM »
As Jesse mentioned, distribution is pretty messed up on a national scale, but even on a city scale it's weird. Here in Chicagoland, it's been my observation that the south side of the city and the southern suburbs will get new items approximately a month before the north side of the city and the northern burbs. I've tried to figure out a rationale for this and can't seem to figure it out. Chicago proper alone extends 31+ miles from North to South (12+ miles West to East) at it's maxii, and there doesn't seem to be a difference in the amount of collectors on either side of town. So what could it be that causes this, if I had to guess it would just be that local distribution centers are probably located in the southern part of the area where there's a lot of undeveloped land. If that's the case, then it would seem to me, your proximity to the closest distribution center for any particular store will determine how quickly your area gets items.

Of course there's really no rhyme or reason as to why some stores get more of a particular item than others, it's not as if store managers actually know what's in the cases they get from dist. centers. It's all about how much of a particular kind of item is in stock at a store that determines how much of that kind of item they get from the dist. center.
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #114 on: December 28, 2004, 10:55 AM »
Retail and their distribution sucks... I was a manager for 3+ years and it was the stupidist thing I've ever done.

I'm hoping to find some more VOTC Stormies too, but it doesn't look too promising.   :(

 :P

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #115 on: December 29, 2004, 10:28 AM »
I just ordered 5 VOTC Stormtroopers and a couple other items a www.bigbadtoystore.com.

All orders over $60.00 qualify for 15% discount if you order before noon Friday.

 :P

Offline Jesse James

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #116 on: December 31, 2004, 04:57 AM »
He shoots he scores!

Tonight I went out for New Year's Eve, and all we basically did was go out for dinner and have some beers.  We were done right away so I said, "Hey, wanna run up Route 8 to Wal-Mart" and she went right along with it...

OK, so I got 3 old Saga figures for $3 each for customizing...  Then I said, "Hey, wanna run up the Turnpike to Cranberry now?" and she said, "OK" so we were off to another stop...  Target had just closed (dammit, what store closes at 10?  Pfft), so we went to the Wal-Mart then which is 24 hours...

SCORE!  4 VOTC Stormtroopers for $7.  They had one Fett I left and some ESB figures too (Vaders, Yodas, and Landos).  Not a single other ROTJ than the 4 Stormies and Fett, which is odd, because it means someone (or multiple people) were in and got the Chewies, R2's, the other Fett's, etc...  And left 4 Stormtroopers.  Weird, but lucky for me. 

The army is at 19 for me.  Now I want at least one more for an even 20.  ;D
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Offline Rob

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #117 on: January 2, 2005, 07:57 PM »
Nice work - there was an out of the way Walmart that as of a little over a week ago had about 7 more stormtroopers collecting dust...  I think i'll go down at lunch tomorrow on the off chance that they're still there.

Offline Morgbug

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #118 on: January 3, 2005, 12:07 AM »
I bought every stormtrooper I saw.  They were here for a grand total of four days at retail and have not reappeared since.  Never mind clearance prices. :-\
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Offline jokabofe

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Re: How many VOTC Stormtroopers are in your army?
« Reply #119 on: January 3, 2005, 12:23 AM »
Yeah really, I wish I could find some more at those clearance prices. Every one that I've bought was at full price   :(