Orlando, FL Collecting Contingent

I spent a whopping $30! Oooh, beat that!
Melanie

 

"Now this is Pod-racing!"
How cool is that? Somebody posted in my quiet room.

And the community grows; my main man, Dale, tried to reach me today with a store report. Now that's pretty cool. Thanks, you can be my wingman anytime.

And if anybody ever spots anything like a good deal on blue hippos or whatnot in the area or online, please consider posting it here. There's another TF.n link for good deals that gets a bit of traffic, but it's much nicer to get the local info. Here's that other link:
http://boards.theforce.net/Collecting/b10004/9969131/p5

-Campbell

 

Targets are having the 12 inch Leia SPeeder bikerws on sale for 12.48. Considering that they were 49.99 last week its quite a steal.

Dale

 

I never picked one up. I've got the other 2, am not terribly keen on the figure, and just don't have the room. That's a great deal, though. And thanks, Dale, for phoning me when you got the info.

Store report: FAO.com had, and quickly sold out of, the Master Replicas Vader FX lightsaber for about $35. I ordered 2- we'll see if the dying FAO really gets them to me.

Also, just went to Once Upon a Toy and had a few finds. They had the pretty hard-to-find Kamino Showdown Jango and Obi-Wan. That was the first time I'd seen them on a peg. They also had the new 12" figures- I saw the Jawas, Luke, and Garindan- not sure if there were any Biker Scouts. They also had the Han and Boba Unleashed pieces. Plenty in stock. Not a bad selection of figures either- R-3PO, Hoth Trooper, and some other little seen figs.

My favorite find, oddly, was a pin I didn't even know existed. It's the Yoda Christmas Pin (at Pin Traders). It's got Santa Yoda looking at a letter, and says, "Silent Knight, Jedi Knight." Wicked cool.

 

Im going to need to make a trip out there today.

 

Well, the lightsabers from FAO seem to have been a bust. The website is down, their customer service is gone, and the stores are closed. I'm not surprised, so I'm not that disappointed. I did however, receive my Lord of the Rings backgammon from them, which was a strange out-of-stock item I ordered a day after the FX sabers. No matter.

Collectors in Orlando, and most of the nation will have even fewer stops on their toy runs soon. 375 KB Toys are closing due to bankruptcy, including Mall at Millenia, West Oaks Mall, and Oveido Crossing. However, we may pick up a few deals on their way out- please drop a line with any good finds. -Campbell

 

Tis a sad day for collectors world wide. Well of course after the offical closing where everything is on sale day. <----(shaking head sadly)

 

The following was psted at the Hasbro site:

Beginning on April 4, 2004, if you purchase Hasbro Star Wars toys equal to a $19.99 value or above at your local Toys ?R Us or at www.toysrus.com, you will receive a free Star Wars limited-edition silver-painted clone trooper! Quantities are limited so be sure to mark this date on your calendar! While supplies last.

Cant wait to get my hands on a few of these. Its a good time to increase my toy collection as well as get a few thats right a few 3 or 4 or 5 of these troopers. I cant wait. Mark your calendars there are sure to go past.

 

oops. I meant to say sure to go fast.

 

Thanks for the information! I am actually saddened at how the toy industry is completely dead, at least ocmpared to when I was young. I honestly feel that people around my general age were the last ones to really enjoy toys of all types. Kids nowadays simply don't play with G.I. Joes, Transformers, GoBots, He-Man, and a ton of other stuff anymore. While I love my Star Wars toys, I am kind of disgusted that it is the adults buying them today.

I can still remember the joy of walking into a Kay Bee or Toys "R" Us and going through row after row of cool stuff. Video games were always nice, but they were, well, just video games. It was the action figures, the Legos, the Playmobile, and everything else that was the true fun.

Oh well. Hopefully kids will start shaping up more. I never, *ever* thought I would say this, but it is beyond true: kids grow up too quickly nowadays. It's rather disturbing.

Brandon

 

Has anyone checked out KB in the last few days? Have their prices gone down yet?

Melanie

 

They had this sweet flying Superman toy. It spins around and around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around and aroundaround and around and around and around and around and around.... you get the point... thank god for cut and paste.

 

You misspelled around there toward the end.

Had James actually gone IN KB instead of being escorted out of the closed mall moments after the Superman toy was turned off behind the big glass doors, he would be able to report to us that the prices have "hung tough" in the last week. KB seems to have forgotten they're going out of business. I was in 2 yesterday- nothing seems to have sold but I'm sure they are making at least $80 a day by lowering their Lego prices by 20%.

 

ACE Comics
There's a new comic/toy/genre shop across SOBT from the Toys R Us at Florida Mall. They had some VERY new toys in there- like the 3 new Unleashed, the new CW figs and Jabba. I think I can safely forget about standing in line at that Toys R Us any future mornings. The scalpers will be there in force. That's a very intentionally lower-cased F, to show my lack of support of people who don't collect to collect, but Scalp to make cash.

Prices were a tad high, but I'm comparing them to conventions which is not fair. They are involved in the CollectOCon of last year, plan another for September or so this year, and would eventually like to see 2 CollectOCons a year. Woohoo. They also will have a booth at MegaCon, so be sure to stop by, and tell'em Campbell sent you. They were very friendly people, and it'll most likely be a fairly regular stop on my toy runs.

I also went to John Young Wal-mart and passed on a damaged Jabba's Denizens deluxe 3-pack. Things are moving nicely in the collecting world. Wish they'd be as rosy in the fat-paycheck world. Target by Millenia had the Saga redone Boba Carkoon, Vader unmasked, and the corrected Luke Final Duel.

 

Have you seen the new Classic TRILOGY collection coming out late this year? Amazing. The packaging and sculpts on the Hasbro site are some of my most anticipated of the last few years. With a heavy dose of Empire figures, the return of the Kenner logo, and a rerelease of the classic ships, this collector has his work cut out for him. My personal favorite? The muddy Dagobah R2.

 

I did the KB run today (got off work early) and the one by Disney & the Millenium mall are still pretty high. I thought there were rumors they're going bankrupt but I guess no one told them.
I'm probably going to go to that place Campbell mentioned tomorrow so I'll share if they have anything interesting.
Melanie

 

KB toy is a subsidiary of FAO Schwartz, and since FAO is having trouble, I think both places are going to have some pretty slim pickins'...

I went to FAO at Pointe Orlando and tried to pick up some of the High End stuff but tehy said all those Items (like the full sized Darth Vader) were being auctioned on E-bay. So much for the store practically giving them away when going out of business....

 

I didn't know they were related. Hmm. Yes, I was stunned at how high the high prices got for the large Star Wars pieces at FAO. Dale and I had separate plans to acquire a bit of it, but were blown out of the water by other people's bids.

Remember when SciFi Universe (by Wet&Wild) went out of business about a year ago? They hardly lowered their prices at all, and thumbed their collective nose at us with a sign in the window that said, "Don't even ask for a lower price. We're going out of business, but the prices you see are as low as we'll sell them." And then they moved their operation to Ebay. I walked by the other day and was gratified to see that the giant StarSpeeder3000 they tried to liquidate is still sitting in the abandoned shop. After more than one failed attempt to sell it on Ebay.

Also, I went to KB in the Millenia Mall yesterday and they've marked down everything to at least 30% off. There are several things I want, but I'll risk holding out till the next drop.
-Campbell

 

Has anyone seen the second wave of the Clone Wars cartoon action figures? Or, if not, knows when they will be released? I love those figures and simply must have them.

Brandon

 

They arrived in the area about 2 weeks ago, but I've not spotted them. (Except on scalper's pegs.) I really only like the [Clonetrooper] from the 2nd wave, but I imagine my tastes might change so I'll pick them all up. I'd say if you don't find them before MegaCon, pick them up there. I think we will find them at a Target near us though. Obviously, please post if you're the one who finds them first.
-Campbell

 

"This is madness!" -3PO

I just bought my first bottle of wine ever. Actually, my first 6 bottles of wine. Bought half a case of the new Skywalker Ranch Chardonnay from Niebaum-Coppola Wineries. They can't ship it to Florida so I'm having it sent to friends in Iowa, yes Iowa, who will bring it to me in a distant future.

If you hadn't heard of the vintage, below is a short article from SciFi Wire. In doing homework about it, I've heard very mixed pre-reviews, saying it's not from an area that produces the best grapes, but I understand they only plan to sell it on years with good crops. Online chat threads suggest that Lucas has enough problems making movies, they wonder if he can mess up a wine. Special Editions of the wine can't be far behind. They'll open your bottle and infuse new flavors Lucas had intended to put in back in '02 but lacked the technology.

---

Filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas have collaborated on a new release: a $30 Chardonnay made at Coppola's winery from grapes grown at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in Northern California, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. A $40 Merlot is due out this summer.

The Chardonnay is on sale only at Niebaum-Coppola Estate Vineyards and Winery in Rutherford and at the winery's official Web site . The bottling is going fast, much of it to movie buffs, Niebaum-Coppola's Scott McLeod told the newspaper. Only 320 cases of 2002 Skywalker Ranch Viandante del Cielo Marin County Chardonnay and 350 cases of 2002 Skywalker Ranch Viandante del Cielo Marin County Merlot were made; as of Feb. 20, the Chardonnay was sold out on the Web site. Viandante del Cielo means "sky walker" in Italian, the newspaper reported.

 

Well heres my bit for today. The second wave of Clone Wars cartoon series has hit the local Target. Thats right the Super Target across from the Millina Mall has them. I got 2 Yodas, 2 Dookus, 2 Clone Troopers, and 1 Durge. Still need another one. Then I headed to the Wal-Mart at John Young and Sand Lake. They had about 5 of the Han Solo Hoth Resuce with the brown coat. After picking up one of those I headed over to Ace Comics. Bad move. There are pricy, very high pricy, needless to say I walked out of there empty handed and will probably not return. Of course they had the new Clone Wars cartoon figures, but for 15$, when i just got them for 6.99 at Target. I laughed, and then tried to buy a single comic book. Hes pulls out a pricing guide, and then tells me what it lists for and what he'll let it go for. Star Wars marvel comic #44 for 5 bucks. Dont think so, not when I just bought 1-12 in better shape then his was for 24 bucks. Someone should probably tell them that what something is listed at is not always what youll get for it. Supply and demand, and my demand for it right now isnt there. Oh well.

 

Fortune has smiled on me too. I've picked up to bad guys from the 2nd CW wave, but awaiting a clone and Yoda. Also picked up the Green A-wing at Target on 192 for $9.98 and one of those brown coat Hans.

Sorry to hear about the bad experience at Ace. I'm going to head in there for a while longer just because they have such an interest in toys. I went through all their loose figures and none of them were worth what they were asking, but it does make a nice museum of new figures. That's how I used Sci-Fi World too- their prices were atrocious and set for tourists with screaming kids that could be bought off, but at least I could handle figures I'd not found in stores yet.

MegaCon's coming next weekend, so I'm sure my budget will be beaten to a pulp already, I don't need to drop money to the scalpers right now. -Campbell

ps- I s'pose I'll wait till the convention, but I've considered getting the "live-action" Assajj Ventruss from Ace. Anybody seen that figure around lately?

 

I guess a lot of these private places don't realize that an item is worth ONLY what someone is willing to pay. I guess they think it's "Star Wars" so the price is going to be high.

I never got into collecting the toys though. My collection seems to be made of the higher priced items like the lightsaber replicas. Pewter ships, etc. For the items I collect, Ebay is a great place to go!

That place over by wet-n-wild didn't have the business to keep up the rent so they didn't renew. I used to go there a lot too. Lot's of good stuff, and I think they still have an online store. I think the name was intergalactic trading company or something like that.

 

Instead of starting a new thread, I figure I would post this here. I went to renew my subscription to the Star Wars Insider earlier this evening, and the site said I could not do so. Odd, because I got an e-mail stating that I should renew... Okay, I thought, it is just down right now.

Now, on the main site, this is posted:


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Mysterious U.S. Fan Club News
Mon, Mar 08, 04 09:41:43 PM EST

Durge first reported there is a very curious bit of news posted to the front page of the U.S. Official Star Wars Fan Club page....Dear Star Wars Fan Club Member:
There are some exciting changes in the works for the Official Star Wars Fan Club! We?re not quite ready to reveal all of the details just yet, but keep an eye on www.starwars.com in the coming weeks for the full details.

In the meantime, we've put a temporary hold on accepting new memberships or subscriptions. All renewals and new subscriptions received before March 8, 2004 will be processed as usual. Orders received by mail after March 8 will be held until the changes are announced.

Star Wars Insider will continue to be published ? we recently shipped Insider 75 (May) to the printer, and we?re hard at work on Insider 76 (June/July). Current Fan Club members will continue to receive their subscriptions. Also, we?re pleased to announce that the new 2004 membership kit will be shipped to all current members in March.

We think that you will be excited about the new direction for the Official Star Wars Fan Club. Unfortunately, we won?t be able to answer any queries about this until announcements are made on starwars.com.

Thank you for your continued support!

Lisa Stevens
President, The Official Star Wars Fan Club

U.S. Official Star Wars Fan Club
Reported by Rebelscum.com

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Damnit! I'm sure every member will get a Super Duper Uber Deluxe Infinite Honor Edition Limited Jabba Bust or something. I have been a subscriber since issue #1, since before that, I have old issues of Bantha Tracks! And, now, I am barred entry from the secret society known as the Fan Club.

Piffle.

Brandon