3rd Party Kenner Retro-Style Toys

[Rob]

Yeah I'm reading along too, total insanity.

What kind of credit card did you order on?  I used a VISA and it's been nearly four years, I wasn't even able to initiate a chargeback because of how long ago it was.

[EdSolo]

I used a MC, but order stuff December 21 and January 22 so it hasn't been as long.  We shall see how it goes.

I never thought the vintage custom world would be so crazy.

[Muftak]

This end scenario for TFSB has been visible on the horizon for a couple years to me. It still sucks, but ever since they changed the language on their website from pre-order to crowdfunding and acted like it had been that way all along, I felt like the money was already gone. I feel horrible for everyone who lost money to this jerk.

I was much more shocked when GTP imploded and took everyone's preorder money for the Tantive IV set with them. They seemed very solid til they weren't.

[Rob]

I had emailed before backing the Bantha and got an email back from Chris saying it was going into production soon no matter what, so I backed it.  Then the sale to the other Chris happened and there was no movement and I emailed to check in to be told it wouldn’t get produced until it was funded…I wrote back to explain he’d told me the opposite and he was like, that was a different Chris.  Same email address though… 

I didn’t even know there were two Chris’s at that point I was so confused.

[Muftak]

And that anecdote goes exactly to the point that Krahn was scamming the whole time, he was never trying to be careful and thoughtful with his customers. Of course we know Chris Smith was planning the SLC Bantha before he sold the company, and of course we know Chris Krahn was going off of Smith's plans when he started taking money for the project. He could have taken responsibility and been transparent in answering your follow up question by admitting he was having difficulty with the factory or whatever was the issue. But instead he chose to use the switch of company owners to imply you contacted different people, which was most likely not the case, just better than admitting the project was already troubled and giving you reason to ask for your money back.

 It was always about keeping the money to him. When the thing wasn't happening in the first six months like he originally thought it would, he had an opportunity to call it off, give everyone their money back or some kind of credit, and be real. He chose to obfuscate and tighten his grip on the money.

In my business dealings with him, after he asked me to create a set to be sold only on TFSB, he "forgot" to cover extra costs on shipping and packaging when paying me for orders received. I called him out on it and he acted insulted that I made him give me the agreed upon amounts. It soured the relationship and I ended it as quickly as I could thereafter. He was always about more money for him.

[EdSolo]

No big surprise, but one of my two CC claims were rejected.  Not sure why they didn't reject both at the same time.  Essentially they are defaulting to paypal's policy to file a claim and saying it is past the time allowed.  I guess using your CC through paypal doesn't actually give you an extra layer of protection for something like this.  Not the best policy for long lead preorder items in general.  Oddly the first claim rejected was the wave of 13 that I was trying to get a partial refund of since I received 2 of 13.  Bantha is still under research, but I'm not expected a different outcome.

[EdSolo]

SS had some leftover droids that he put up today if anyone was lucky enough to snag any.  Seemed like just a few hours of notice.  He said he would be randomly putting up additional ones if he finds any more.  Keep your eyes peeled.  Also, in pretty huge news, he said he was going to list the Tonnika sisters for preorder.  I think I might have to jump on those instead of waiting for them to hit the US shop.  I want the Degobah Luke, Greedo, and Vader, but was going to experiment to see if I can just get them on the US shop.  Everyone who loves vintage will want the sisters.

[GrandMoffNick]

I assume these are pay on front end pre orders?

[Rob]

Yeah his are.  I usually wait until they show up at the US site to save on shipping, but I’m thinking about just preordering these two.

[EdSolo]

I preordered.  You just get banged on the shipping because any US preorders on his UK site get shipped from his US partner anyways.  I guess it is conceivable he receives everything in the UK and then bulk ships stuff to the guy in the US.  Still waiting for stock in the US shop for Luke, Vader, and Greedo, but I didn't want to miss out on these two.  I figure if items like Slave Leia, Girindan, and Oola are still available, the other three won't sell out immediately. 

[Rob]

Same, just preordered.  I don't know that he's ever had something sell out immediately, but if the Tonnika Sisters started that trend I'd hate to have missed out. 

I thought about ordering the 3D prints these are going to be based on, but ultimately hand painting my own with brush strokes and imperfect paint just doesn't do it for me.  There are so many cool 3D printed sculpts you can buy, but I just never do.  If this idea works out and he can start producing some of the stuff Trash Compactor makes... I'd be all about it.

[Muftak]

I am the same way about 3D prints. Last winter Funky McClunkey offered up some Chewie's family prototypes all printed and painted and I jumped at them, but otherwise I don't want to do the paintwork. It's been 20 years since I painted a figure! Edited to add a pic:




Stan Solo updated on FB that the deal with DallasVintageToys for R4 fell through so he is just going to fund it himself. And he seems to be getting uneasy about how many preorders he currently has going...he doesn't want anyone to feel like he is getting ready to cut and run...wonder why people would be antsy about that?

 He also said Greedo will likely beat Dagobah Luke out of the factory as the next release.

[Rob]

Stan Solo updated on FB that the deal with DallasVintageToys for R4 fell through so he is just going to fund it himself. And he seems to be getting uneasy about how many preorders he currently has going...he doesn't want anyone to feel like he is getting ready to cut and run...wonder why people would be antsy about that?

 He also said Greedo will likely beat Dagobah Luke out of the factory as the next release.

First, LOL on the cut and run thing. 

Second… I’m perfectly happy to buy R4 directly from him.  I wonder if having a new astromech body is going to lead to him doing new versions of popular… long-sold-out astromechs.

Bonus… I can go unfollow Dallas Vintage Toys in IG now.

[EdSolo]

I saw a few Tonnika sister kits and I really don't have the time or the skill to assemble and paint figures myself.  The ~$40 a figure range isn't that bad for a finished figure considering the current price point of loose vintage figures and Hasbro figures are over $10 a figure.

For SS, I think he doesn't want to have too many projects going on at the same time.  He certainly doesn't want to get caught up in the SLC craziness.  I really wish I had found SS first before SLC.

Looking through SLC offerings, he essentially has only released SS product for the most part:

Bantha (no need to discuss this one)
2019 products - Han and Luke Stormtrooper, Yakface, Blue Snaggletooth, R2-D2 (pop up saber, Droids, Uzay), Stormtrooper, R2-Q5, Shadow Trooper, Yak Face
2020 products - ANH Luke Trooper, Stormtrooper (ESB, Droids, Glasslite, Uzay, POTF)
2021 products - Boba Fett and EV-9D9
2022 products - Rebel Trooper and Sandtrooper packs, Slave Leia, Thrawn, Droids and Uzay Boba Fett, Fett Throne

Planned Wave of 13 unreleased - Owen, Beru, Biggs, Wedge, R4-M9, Motti, Holo Leia, Captain Antilles, Spaceman (other four are Sandtrooper, Rebel Trooper, ST Han, and Thrawn - first two released in 4 packs only, last two made it to some customers)

Now that SS is doing the R4 figure, there isn't much that SLC has that are unique to them.  Really just Thrawn, Fett Throne (if it even shipped), and Uzay Fett.  This would lead me to believe most of SLC product was started or branched off of work by SS before he sold it to Krahn.  I would say that leads more to the theory that Krahn was just a thief the whole time.

These are the SLC products I actually received:  ST Han, Thrawn, Slave Leia, R2-Q5, Fett 3 Pack (Tri Logo, Uzay, Droids), Shadow Trooper

I would definitely say that SS's Fetts are better.  ST Han is a bit disappointing because the helmet is hard plastic and doesn't have the feel of say the vintage Boushh or Skiff Lando helmets.  Never had a vintage ST Luke, so can compare to that.  Haven't got the SS Slave Leia yet, but everything I hear is that it is the superior version.  R2 and Shadow aren't bad.  Don't have the SS R2-Q5, but I think his astros are better overall from the ones that I have.

[Rob]

I honestly can’t believe the list of actual SLC releases is that long whether he was just finishing SS work or not.  I have his Thrawn, Fleet Trooper, Leia, and ST Han.  I bought all of them on Etsy or eBay, and never preordered any after failing to have the Bantha shop.  The Thrawn is probably the best of the bunch, the Leia is the only one that’s truly awful. 

For whatever it’s worth, the vintage helmet for ST Luke is a hard helmet, not soft like Boushh or Skiff Lando.