3rd Party Kenner Retro-Style Toys

[Phrubruh]

I know of a project over in the video games part of the internet. It is an add on device for the Atari 7800 that expands the memory and adds high score saving. It costed $150. That device had a preorder over fifteen years ago and still hasn't shipped. People never got their money back and are still waiting on it. The guy making it has been sending updates a few times a year since and rarely answers email. He is known to be pretty grouchy. People try not to bad mouth him in fear of never getting the device.  No one is getting their money back because development costs ate it a long time ago. Just beware that internet projects rarely get completed and the chances of you getting your money back is rare.

[Rob]

I'm comfortable with it, it's $200 and if this doesn't pan out and he refuses a return, the bank will take care of it.

[Rob]

I got a raise this week, and my gift to myself is the Bantha.  They claim it'll ship around the new year.  I hope it turns out as good as the sample they were showing.

A year and two weeks later, the website says this thing is 100% funded... looking forward to getting it in another year. 

https://www.thefansstrikeback.com/thebantha

[Matt_Fury]

Very cool Rob!  Patience will pay off for you!

[Rob]

Very cool Rob!  Patience will pay off for you!

At the rate this is going, Hasbro will beat them to the punch. 

[Rob]

If anyone was interested in this Bantha, the cut off for ordering one is October 31.

[McMetal]

Rob, did you ever get your Bantha??

[Rob]

I actually was wondering about this a few days ago and went back to the website only to learn that because the final samples differed from the original images, they're asking everyone to write them to verify that they still want the Bantha, and are offering store credit if you don't want it.

I'm not on facebook, so I have no idea how I was supposed to know this other than to go look and find it myself, but I emailed them and they wrote back yesterday and said that mine would be in the next batch to go out.

So no, but hopefully very soon.

https://www.thefansstrikeback.com/status

-the Bantha: The factory is producing Banthas as fast as they can, and we are still processing requests. *PLEASE NOTE*——we will process Banthas as we hear confirmation from each individual. We don’t want to send anyone anything, only to have them say they wanted the other option. For more, visit:  backthebantha.com

Personally, I prefer the original images to the final product, but don't hate it enough that I don't want it at this point.  I've been waiting 3 years to get it... I just want it done.

[Jedi Idej]

Rob, I don’t want to alarm you but you might want to check out this review from an initial release about a month ago... (there might be an ad at first.) https://youtu.be/_zGQ0s69UKc?t=571

[JediJman]

Rob, I don’t want to alarm you but you might want to check out this review from an initial release about a month ago... (there might be an ad at first.) https://youtu.be/_zGQ0s69UKc?t=571

Yikes.  That looks like something that was made by someone who almost knows how to make things. 

[Matt_Fury]

I actually was wondering about this a few days ago and went back to the website only to learn that because the final samples differed from the original images, they're asking everyone to write them to verify that they still want the Bantha, and are offering store credit if you don't want it.

I'm not on facebook, so I have no idea how I was supposed to know this other than to go look and find it myself, but I emailed them and they wrote back yesterday and said that mine would be in the next batch to go out.

So no, but hopefully very soon.

https://www.thefansstrikeback.com/status

-the Bantha: The factory is producing Banthas as fast as they can, and we are still processing requests. *PLEASE NOTE*——we will process Banthas as we hear confirmation from each individual. We don’t want to send anyone anything, only to have them say they wanted the other option. For more, visit:  backthebantha.com

Personally, I prefer the original images to the final product, but don't hate it enough that I don't want it at this point.  I've been waiting 3 years to get it... I just want it done.

The Fans Strike back are getting a lot of flack for this Bantha.  It's a resin pour and it looks terrible.  Rob, if you can get a refund, jump on it and check out Stan Solo's Bantha.  It's a much better and looks just like what Kenner would have produced!

[Rob]

Good grief. 

They’re not doing refunds, just store credit and it would take me two more years to buy something else.  I’m just going to glue the legs on and move on with life I guess.

For whatever it’s worth, TFSB is saying that that review isn’t reflective of the product… but I don’t know how that’s possible.

[Matt_Fury]

I would still get in touch with Stan Solo....Chris was offering his Bantha at a discount for people who got burned by TFSB.

[Muftak]

Good grief. 

They’re not doing refunds, just store credit and it would take me two more years to buy something else.  I’m just going to glue the legs on and move on with life I guess.

For whatever it’s worth, TFSB is saying that that review isn’t reflective of the product… but I don’t know how that’s possible.

It has been a horrible fascination of mine to see TFSB stumble so hard on their two big projects. I feel bad but can not look away, and I feel WORSE for their customers, because the company just absolutely refuses to own up to their difficulties and obscures and gaslights at every opportunity.

The only silver lining I see here is if you get the thing and you sit on it for a few years, the notoriety and mass cancellation by other burned collectors may actually make it a rare and valuable piece. (But still never worth all the money paid up front and years of drama in the making.)

As for the validity of the review...perhaps it caused them to tighten up the leg cords in future copies? But the owner of TFSB was on a call-in show with customers, arguing with a customer that the Bantha they had in their hands did not have the defects they described to him. Of the product they had. In their hands. That he could not see. It was not a good look for him.

[Rob]

Yeah, I’m going to just let it ride and see what happens.  If I can get it to stand on its own, realistically that’s all I need.  It’s not like I’m going to play with it or anything.  Also, I paid for it three years ago, so it’s not like I’m missing the money.  And like you’re saying, even if I don’t break even on it, I’m sure I could recoup SOME of the price later if I really hated it.