Target Exclusive Clone Trooper

[Pete_Fett]

Look - it may not happen - but from what he knows there is supposed to be a set of pegs for a Target $12.99 exclusive from 4/2 on through the end of August.

The information he has, indicated first Lava Vader, then the Clone/Stormtrooper and then a refresh Clone/Stormtrooper - now the third item could just be these exact same clones shipped again, but he told me his best guess is that it will be a differently designed clone.

It is a slap in the face - he doesn't like it any more than we do since he's a collector himself.

Hopefully it will mean just more of Commander Neyo's grunt.

[ruiner]

Although I definitely want more Clonetrooper color/squad variations, enough with the exclusives already.  This one, while overpriced, was kind of neat...but I don't want to be paying $13 every time we want a different Clone.  Plus, why limit themselves that way?  You know these would sell in bunches, even if sold everywhere instead of being limited to Target.

I may be a little too critical of those who are actually buying these things at 2.5x the fair price because I'm a customizer. I already have made several of each of 5 color/decor variants of clone troopers because I bought about 70 EIII clones thus far. I'm good enough at it now that you can just barely tell the difference between one of my paint jobs, and one of Hasbro's. The main reason I collect Star Wars if for troop building and battle dioramas. I already have Felucia grunts, Red Coruscants shock troopers, Blue 501st special ops, Neyo's grunts, and Commander Bly. So I'm not really driven to shell out $14 per figure, especially when I usually buy upwards of 50 of each army builder (gotta love the wookiee army, whew). But guys, in all seriousness, if you keep supporting this bull**** everytime Hasbro makes an "exclusive" figure at 2-3x the fair price, especially if it's an army builder, you're really helping to kill the hobby the same way Topps slaughtered baseball card collecting in 1993. This has got to stop.

Dressel - have any tips on how to customize the #6 clones?  Do you just hand paint them or do you use a mask?

[DoctorPadawan]

I'll send a shiny new nickel to someone talented in Photoshop if they can do up a cut and paste job of a Target Clone with an "Ebay Exclusive" sticker on it.   

I'll send you a shiny new quarter if you also email this to Hasbro and LFL and point out how this is what is happening with these exclusive figures. 

A dollar will go to the first person to photoshop the stereotypical comic shop guy holding said Ebay exclusive and bag of Cheetos at the same time.   

Yes, I'm being silly (I'm not joking about the nickel or the quarter or the dollar though, folks, so have at it), but Hasbro likes to live in their little ivory tower in Pawtucket (doors held together securely by those twist ties and little clear rubber bands, of course) and believe that their responsibilities for the toys end when they leave the warehouse.  I think it's about time that they have to face facts that even if they're not the ones selling them, they are the ones making them, and they should be held accountable for the scarcity of products.

[Pete_Fett]

Do I win?



It's hard to see - but I did remove "Target" from the packaging and replace it with the eBay logo.  Here is a larger version of just the figure:

[Morgbug]

Well that does it, I quit.  I'm going to collect something that's free.  Like porn.

[Nathan]

There is a report on RS that there will be a second wave of these shipped to Target - however, from talking with my friend who works for Hasbro, he thinks that the Target exclusive will be a rolling exclusive of differently painted clones. So for example, while these are the clones that are serving under Commander Neyo, we might next see the Red & Blue Shocktrooper Clones.

God damn it all. Are they trying to kill their own line?

Like everyone else, I want different colored clones. I don't even care if they're an exclusive, although full release would be preferable. Just don't make it 2 1/2 times normal price for a paint variation 'cuz I won't bite. Doing it even once is pushing it, but multiple times is just rubbing salt in. If this plan comes to fruition there is almost zero chance any of these variants will ever be redone at a normal price point with normal distribution.

The overall concept is fine, but these should be $6 and be available in massive quantities since HELLO they are army builders. Clearly Hasbro will make more money selling 20 $6 figures than a handful of $13 ones.

[DoctorPadawan]

Do I win?

You win, Pete.  PM me with your mailing address and I'll get a dollar and a nickel out to you in the next day or so.  And no, I'm not kidding.  I always stand by my word.   

[Diddly]

The sad thing is that we're probably not that far from actual eBay exclusive figures.

[Ben]

Yakface has something that you can print out on label paper and attach to the Clone of your choice.

They have a few different colors too. Once I get the Photoshop part figured out, I think I'll print off a few for my Clones.

It's not painted on, but it will do for those of us who don't have any exclusive Clones.

[Jesse James]

You can print on water-transfer decals as well with the right materials.  Water-transfers, for the uninitiated, are the dealies that came with model kits that you cut out, would soak in water, they'd transfer, and "set". 

If you go ape**** with it, you can buy solutions that actually have the stuff bond to the pourous surfaces of plastics and stuff.  (It's good to be a customizer with model building experience. )

Erik Schroeder's had a set of "shoulder" and "helmet" emblems from the classic trilogy up at his site for years, and they work great with water-transfer if you get the right paper and stuff.  Very helpful for those of us who have shakey hands (myself included).

[ruiner]

Yeah, I've got that specific clone (Yakface feature) figured out.  I'd like some tips on how to paint / decorate the other flavor of clones - IE:  Commander Cody, Special Ops (blue), etc.

Are people using masks or are they doing it freehand?

[aka DaBigKahuna]

Hope this helps.



DBK

[Pete_Fett]

Do I win?

You win, Pete.  PM me with your mailing address and I'll get a dollar and a nickel out to you in the next day or so.  And no, I'm not kidding.  I always stand by my word.   

You don't have to send me anything, it was fun just putting that together in PhotoShop.

I should have had him saying something like "Best Exclusive EVER or "I'm the COLLECTOR!" or something like that.

[Vator]

  The following is a rant:

Why is it that this exclusive was so mishandled? Honestly, it's one thing to honest to God miss an exclusive, but after you've hunted it down at various locations over several days it gets really, really annoying to see that the store is sold out.
One of the things that really bothers me are the freaking oppertunists who bought up entire cases of these things! Dirty bastardly swines! Leave some for the collectors you damned theifs! You're screwing everyone else over for a profit and on some level that's just wrong. Simply Wrong.
Die scalping bastards. Die. And death to Hasbro for not caring enough to make these available to everyone. Death to the world, I want my clones! 

Ok, now that that's out of the way...

[Dressel Rebel]

The following is a rant:

Why is it that this exclusive was so mishandled? Honestly, it's one thing to honest to God miss an exclusive, but after you've hunted it down at various locations over several days it gets really, really annoying to see that the store is sold out.
One of the things that really bothers me are the freaking oppertunists who bought up entire cases of these things! Dirty bastardly swines! Leave some for the collectors you damned theifs! You're screwing everyone else over for a profit and on some level that's just wrong. Simply Wrong.
Die scalping bastards. Die. And death to Hasbro for not caring enough to make these available to everyone. Death to the world, I want my clones! 

Ok, now that that's out of the way...

First and foremost I'm pissed about the price.  For 12.99/figure, if you ask me, before the real scalpers even got their hands on these, Target and Hasbro beat them to it.