2020 Kenner Retro Collection - ESB

[EdSolo]

I was only able to get the Target ones because I happened to find a store that happened to have a DPCI checker and they happened to have a full case sitting in the back.  Never saw any sign of them after that.  If that was my experience at Target, you can see why I and others are concerned about finding them at Walmart.  If they do end up on EE, that would be far more convenient, though I'm starting to feel like the entirety of this hobby is moving online.  I know its more convenient for some, but my household is not one that is very receptive to constant deliveries of toys at the front door.

This is why I more or less quit when Disney bought Star Wars.  It was hard enough back then with the black series figures.  I never found the wave that had Darth Plagueis.  That is probably the last time I actively collected Hasbro.  These figures hit a sweet spot for me, so I bought the Tarkin game and the first wave from EE.  I'm still trying to track down the prototype Vader to complete the set.  I hope I can find these as well, but I'm not going to stress about it.  I'm really just down to books and comics and the Hallmark ornaments in terms of active collecting.  It is a lot less stressful not having to hunt for stuff all the time.  Now my problem is I have so much stuff and not enough space to do anything with it.  I have begun to let stuff go, which is another long and tedious process.

[GrandMoffNick]

I am so glad that the pain of acquiring things for me hasn't translated to disliking collecting. The peaks of enjoyment happen less often but I still enjoy it. I personally can't imagine quitting collecting SW over it being more difficult. I'd much rather get stuff here and there than not at all. Anyway, I don't really have a point to this post, just thought I'd share my feelings as there's been a few posts similar to Ed and Justin's as of late.

[Matt_Fury]

I was only able to get the Target ones because I happened to find a store that happened to have a DPCI checker and they happened to have a full case sitting in the back.  Never saw any sign of them after that.  If that was my experience at Target, you can see why I and others are concerned about finding them at Walmart.  If they do end up on EE, that would be far more convenient, though I'm starting to feel like the entirety of this hobby is moving online.  I know its more convenient for some, but my household is not one that is very receptive to constant deliveries of toys at the front door.

This is why I more or less quit when Disney bought Star Wars.  It was hard enough back then with the black series figures.  I never found the wave that had Darth Plagueis.  That is probably the last time I actively collected Hasbro.  These figures hit a sweet spot for me, so I bought the Tarkin game and the first wave from EE.  I'm still trying to track down the prototype Vader to complete the set.  I hope I can find these as well, but I'm not going to stress about it.  I'm really just down to books and comics and the Hallmark ornaments in terms of active collecting.  It is a lot less stressful not having to hunt for stuff all the time.  Now my problem is I have so much stuff and not enough space to do anything with it.  I have begun to let stuff go, which is another long and tedious process.

My collecting has definitely evolved over the last 42 years.  It started as my childhood toys, then went through I need two of every figure +variants phase, now it's a I'll get what I can of TVC as far as action figures are concerned but I'm really enjoying Prop Replica sabers (Dooku is pre-ordered and that Revan Saber is a must as well!).  Frankly, if I can just get a hold of a Rogue One and TROS one sheet movie posters, I'd be a happy man!

[Dave]

I am so glad that the pain of acquiring things for me hasn't translated to disliking collecting. The peaks of enjoyment happen less often but I still enjoy it. I personally can't imagine quitting collecting SW over it being more difficult. I'd much rather get stuff here and there than not at all. Anyway, I don't really have a point to this post, just thought I'd share my feelings as there's been a few posts similar to Ed and Justin's as of late.

I'm probably somewhere in between.  I'm not quitting but am annoyed at the difficulty I have in giving my money to people for Star Wars toys.  In this day and age of online shopping it shouldn't be hard to have a pre-order and stocking system that allows most on the ball collectors to get what they want.  We're the hardest of the hard core and if we're struggling to get the things we want then its way too difficult.

It does frustrate me that I want more or less one of all new 3.75" and 6" figures, and when it becomes incredibly difficult to get these from mass market retailers its frustrating.  I guess its no different than the way it was 20 years ago when you had to go to TRU everyday to get their 12" exclusive Star Wars figures, struck out, and then had to resort to scalpers on eBay.  We're now in a different internet world where these things don't even show up at store based retail but we expect to have a few weeks to be able to click a button to pre-order and have it delivered.

Ultimately it probably means I need to get back to buying scalped items from eBay to keep my collection "complete".

[StBrianOfMinneapolis]

And I'll be happy I have a set in 2 1/2 months. The word "hopefully" scares me personally.

Are these a May the Fourth release? I'm happy to help score some locally. It's a low priority for me and I'll only get these if I'm in a store and they are in front of me.

[GrandMoffNick]

And I'll be happy I have a set in 2 1/2 months. The word "hopefully" scares me personally.

Are these a May the Fourth release? I'm happy to help score some locally. It's a low priority for me and I'll only get these if I'm in a store and they are in front of me.

That is the expected delivery day.

[EdSolo]

I am so glad that the pain of acquiring things for me hasn't translated to disliking collecting. The peaks of enjoyment happen less often but I still enjoy it. I personally can't imagine quitting collecting SW over it being more difficult. I'd much rather get stuff here and there than not at all. Anyway, I don't really have a point to this post, just thought I'd share my feelings as there's been a few posts similar to Ed and Justin's as of late.

It isn't that I dislike collecting, I just knew once Disney took over, there was no way I could keep up anymore.  At the time, I was trying to divide things up by movie, so I would need need seven sets of shelves for Hasbro figures, one for each movie plus a seventh for EU stuff.  Same thing with lego.  Once Disney made the purchase, my mind kind of exploded that day.  I was just sitting there reading the news on Facebook and I knew I couldn't hope to keep up.  Hasbro was the first casualty.  Then sideshow (however I did preorder the Baby Yoda and did order the remaining BH figures to complete the set).  I got divorced back in July, so I had to move all my stuff so everything is in boxes and totes filling up my basement with no real room to display anything.  I'm going through the slow and painful process of selling off Hasbro stuff in the hopes of eventually make some space in order to display things like my vintage stuff and loose Hasbro stuff.  I never even got around to unboxing stuff like the Big MF from so many years ago.  It sits in a box somewhere. 

I have kept up with Hallmark since I put the new ones on the tree every year.  The novels and comics have always been a big part of what I enjoy so I keep up with those as well.  I could really use a library or study type room so I could have them all on shelves instead of in boxes.  I really dig the John Tyler Christopher action figure covers so I think I have them all except for the B&W version of Star Wars #1 with Luke.  I buy the blurays in regular edition as my one to watch as well as the Best Buy steelbook to keep sealed and the UK 3D steel book since I still have a 3D TV.  At this point, I'm just focusing on downsizing with the hope of finally displaying what I enjoy.  Really not sure what to do with all the lego sets at this point, there are just too many of them.

[Rob]

I managed to order a Lando from Walmart’s website just now... but I really don’t have access to their stores, especially these days.  I’d any of you guys happen to see extras and wouldn’t mind sending them my way...

[Ben]

Just bought Yoda on eBay so now watch the floodgates open on these. 

[Rob]

Just bought Yoda on eBay so now watch the floodgates open on these. 

Much appreciated, it's usually me who buys an expensive one so everyone else can get them at regular price.

So far, refreshing all day, I've managed to get a Pre-order in for Lando @ about $18 shipped.  That's it.  It's absurd.

[Ben]

Just bought Yoda on eBay so now watch the floodgates open on these. 

Much appreciated, it's usually me who buys an expensive one so everyone else can get them at regular price.

So far, refreshing all day, I've managed to get a Pre-order in for Lando @ about $18 shipped.  That's it.  It's absurd.

No problem. I too got tired of checking the website or Brickseek so I just bought the one I had to have. If I knew these were getting an online release in the Fall I’d have waited. 

[Muftak]

I was getting antsy on these, and I know I'm not going to be out shopping at WalMart any time soon, so I paid the scalper price for the wave on eBay just to be done with it. I've never had good luck with WalMart's website (when I do manage to get preorders they gt cancelled anyway) and this summer is not looking good for hunting.

[Pete_Fett]

Was finally able to cobble together a set of these, first by placing an order for some from the app a week ago, they said they had plenty in stock, so I ordered 6, they cut my order down to 4 and I lucked out and the order included Boba Fett, Yoda, Hoth Han & Bespin Luke. Then this morning, I hit that same WalMart that the app indicated had stock and I found Leia and Lando (along with another Bespin Luke, Hoth Han, another Hoth Leia and two more Landos) scattered around the toy section.

I've had to use books to attempt to flatten the curvature of all of the cardbacks on these - apparently the endcap display shipper is to be blamed for the curvature of the carbacks, but I don't buy it as this store had no sign of the actual endcap shipper - just the items, so unless they purposely ditched the endcap display, they came out of the shipping boxes with slightly curled/curved cardbacks.

[JediJman]

Anyone have a Brickseek SKU or UPC to check for these?  Getting antsy about them after missing the preorder and not seeing any local SW shippers.

[Rob]

I read a post that they were going to show up at online retailers in the fall.  Not sure if that’s accurate, but I think like last time, they’ll be available eventually.  Hasbro (and Walmart) sure is making this a pain in the ass though.