Rogue One Imperial AT-ACT Set

[Jesse James]

That's the funny thing about waiting for clearance and people who consistently tell you that you shouldn't...  For me, something's only worth what I'm willing to pay, so sometimes I wait.  I waited on most of the BF vehicles and got most.  I bought an AT-TE full price as I wanted to show support for that, but on the others, they're not really my cup of tea for the full price so I got most at steep discounts.  That said, if it's something I'm in love with I'm willing to shell out big $.

It's funny how the AT-ACT has brought out the odd perceptions of collectors and value too...  They cite the price, say it's too much, etc., and for me it is too though not because I think the value isn't there.  I feel it's just not in my personal wheelhouse.  Comparatively speaking though, this week a pre-order went up for an Aliens APC for a whopping $250.  It's 1/18 scaled perfectly, it has features spot-on to the movie and the actual plans for the vehicle, just shrunk down into a "toy".  Now this is very much in my wheelhouse of something I want, but it's a whopping $250!    Now, I'm going to get two...  one full price for sure, and I'll keep an eye on the second one, but may bite before any price drops.  It's a fraction the size of the AT-ACT though, and has basically 0 electronics (some interior lighting, but nothing more than simple LED work).  But it's more a model than a toy, and man I love me some Aliens.

I look at the AT-ACT and I know people rag on it because it shoots NERF darts and stuff, but it friggin' walks...  When I was a kid I'd have given almost anything for my AT-AT to have walked, much less remotely.  I wish it was a little more controllable, but that's a whole other level of complexity adding in different servos and such.  So I get what Hasbro did here, and I kinda get the price, not to mention it's basically been pretty easy to get for much closer to $200 than $300, and is $200 REALLY bad for this?  I don't think so at all. 

To each their own though...  I say if you're not that into it, definitely gamble on the waiting game.  It's not like people don't know chance they take.

[JediJman]

Its a game of perceptions really.  It launches at $300 and nearly everyone balks at that price (myself included).  But just last week it was down to $200 at Walmart.  That's still steep for some people, but others probably saw it at $100 off and jumped on it.  Dave was able to track one down at Target, using the WM price match and Target discounts to get it all the way to $165.  I'd probably bite at that price and it certainly seems like a deal given that WM moved their price back up to $285.  In fact, I was hoping to go nab one tomorrow, but I dragged my feet too long and now the offer is gone. 

That said...if this thing launched at $165 today and we had no previous pricing background on it, I'm not sure I'd buy it for that.  With some of these big ticket items you almost expect to get a discount at some point because the average Joe isn't going to shell out $165 for them.  I'd probably be hoping to pull the trigger around $125 with a $165 launch, but that seems very unlikely with the $300 shelf price.  So while I guess I'd estimate the value for myself at somewhere between $125-$165, acceptance of that higher range is really driven by the initial MSRP. 

I don't know if that's just me or collector's math coming into play, but it's odd how your perception of value or a fair price can change based on how it's introduced. 

[Qui-Gon Jim]

It's so tricky...  I am sure that with the lackluster movement on all of last year's big ticket items (6" TIE Fighter is foremost on my mind, but the mountains of interactive Yodas everywhere are evidence too along with the entire aisle full of stuff at TRU that never seems to move) has made retailers a bit gun shy on this one.  As a bargain hunter, you have to be OK with the big one getting away sometimes.  I am waiting on this, and if it hist $50-60 I may bite.  I understand fully that it may never get there and I'm OK with that.

I have an AT-AT that I got for $25, paid $30 for the MTT.  I paid a whopping $4 for my AT-TE at Goodwill.

Of all of the BF ships, the one I'd like to have most, the Falcon, is the one I never really saw dip down, and now that they have a Nerf atrocity I wonder when we'll ever see it again.  If I had it to do again, I may have bitten at $150-200 as that now looks like a bargain.

"Value" is so subjective, so to everyone that wants one of these, I hope you can find it!

[Jayson]

Now $149.98 at some Target stores

[Rob]

A little early for clearance isn't it?

[Matt_Fury]

That's the funny thing about waiting for clearance and people who consistently tell you that you shouldn't...  For me, something's only worth what I'm willing to pay, so sometimes I wait.  I waited on most of the BF vehicles and got most.  I bought an AT-TE full price as I wanted to show support for that, but on the others, they're not really my cup of tea for the full price so I got most at steep discounts.  That said, if it's something I'm in love with I'm willing to shell out big $.

It's funny how the AT-ACT has brought out the odd perceptions of collectors and value too...  They cite the price, say it's too much, etc., and for me it is too though not because I think the value isn't there.  I feel it's just not in my personal wheelhouse.  Comparatively speaking though, this week a pre-order went up for an Aliens APC for a whopping $250.  It's 1/18 scaled perfectly, it has features spot-on to the movie and the actual plans for the vehicle, just shrunk down into a "toy".  Now this is very much in my wheelhouse of something I want, but it's a whopping $250!    Now, I'm going to get two...  one full price for sure, and I'll keep an eye on the second one, but may bite before any price drops.  It's a fraction the size of the AT-ACT though, and has basically 0 electronics (some interior lighting, but nothing more than simple LED work).  But it's more a model than a toy, and man I love me some Aliens.

I look at the AT-ACT and I know people rag on it because it shoots NERF darts and stuff, but it friggin' walks...  When I was a kid I'd have given almost anything for my AT-AT to have walked, much less remotely.  I wish it was a little more controllable, but that's a whole other level of complexity adding in different servos and such.  So I get what Hasbro did here, and I kinda get the price, not to mention it's basically been pretty easy to get for much closer to $200 than $300, and is $200 REALLY bad for this?  I don't think so at all. 

To each their own though...  I say if you're not that into it, definitely gamble on the waiting game.  It's not like people don't know chance they take.

I think I've said it before,  but it bears repeating.  I like the AT-ACT, but it's kid's toy quality at a collector's price.  If this were the size of the BMF-AT-AT or slightly smaller with better detail, I'd most likely get one.  I really want to get one for my oldest son (he loves walkers and was thrilled to see them in Rogue One), but I cannot justify buying him a $300 toy!

I like what Hasbro is trying to do here...but the way the executed this, they made it something I cannot get.

[Jesse James]

Everyone seems pretty able to nab it for $200.  And many seem to get it in the ballpark of $150-ish too, and I think that's probably where it was sort of expected to end up with all the "Hey look it's ____ off" sales and stuff...  just like the giant battlepacks of yore that used to get slashed right when they were supposed to hit the shelves at Target and things (but usually were sold out long before if they were any good).

The $300 price is definitely too much to my mind, but if I had a kid into Star Wars, the $200 price would've been enough for me to cave for that.

That said, I waited on the BFATAT and got it cheap so I wouldn't have plunked $200 down for this even, or $150 for that matter...  just not my bag.  Like I said though, that Aliens APC is $250 pre-order, and I won't be batting an eye at getting that. 

The value is there, to me, for that.  Something I've wanted for quite some time and it looks better than I'd imagined it could.

[Jedi Idej]

I got so giddy at the $150 markdowns that I was tempted to buy the Air Hogs Falcon and a 2nd AT-ACT. I pictured my sisters' kids engrossed with navigating the walker. Then out of nowhere, with Flight of the Valkryies blaring -- or maybe Flight of the Bumble-bee, depending on my mastery of flight -- the drone would crash into the AT-ACT on its suicide mission, sending both ships hurtling, and the little ones scattering. That would be one of the coolest things they'd have seen. 

Then sanity settled in. Their reaction would be priceless but that stunt would have cost me a lot of money. 

[Jeff]

I picked up an AT-ACT for $150 clearance at Target.  At that price, the walking/nerf-darting features easily make up for it being a bit smaller than the BAT-AT version.

No way I would have paid $300 for this, but at $150, it's a really fun toy.  Kids and I are having a blast walking it around and shooting the nerf darts (don't tell the other collector sites I said that though - wouldn't want it getting around that some folks actually enjoy the nerf stuff  ).

[Jesse James]

God forbid! 

[Rob]

I finally opened mine up yesterday.  Nice toy overall, I haven't put batteries into it - but it's pretty clear that all the costs went into those electronics.  When I saw the price tag, I assumed it would be big like the giant version, or at least closer to that than to the POTF II version in size.  So I was surprised at how small it is.  But it seems like a sturdy toy and I like it.

[Jayson]

[JediJman]

Wow, I cannot believe how quickly the price has crashed on this thing.  I didn't think $300 was outrageous for what you get - just above what I wanted to spend.  The $150ish price felt more reasonable, but $90?  That's starting to feel like a stock up option...assuming you can find one.

[Rob]

I still don't get it.  Why are they getting rid of them so fast?  I haven't even seen one in stores yet.  I figured it would be around for awhile at full price first.

[Jesse James]

They never made it out before Christmas to my knowledge, and it's after Christmas, and it's a large ticket Christmas item...  That's my thought on it.  I don't know if Hasbro couldn't get them to retailers in time or what?  Possibly some kind of snafu on the docks again that delayed it?  It didn't seem to make it out anywhere though, and if anything it was online first but right before the holiday.  This seems like something they'd have wanted out in November early on if they could've gotten it out.

I cannot imagine it isn't some shipping/distribution issue and the retailers don't want it lingering on shelves post-holiday...  That said, only Target seems to have them to put out on shelves even, at the moment.  Wal-Mart had them online...  maybe their allotment sold that way?  Can't recall who else, if anyone, got them online to sell?  Disney Store maybe?  Someone did.