Ishi Tib
New Recruit
<CENTER>THE SCORE:
AN ENCOUNTER WITH A WAL-MART ANGEL</CENTER>
It was bound to happen and so it did. Reading all the reports coming in and around the net about people finding the new figures throughout our nation, mainly at different Walmart stores, I gave myself the mission of going after these finds and see if I could score them too. I didn't just, indeed, find the figures but I also found three new variations (not errors) dealing with specifically collection 1. Here is the story:
I visited last night one of those Wal marts, practically in the middle of nowhere where about 95% of the employees come from very remote places here on earth, and sometimes from outer space
I knew if there was a place where the words APRIL 23 stamped on the cases would be of a foreign origin to those trying to read them, this store was the place.
With my heart pumping faster than a locomotive, I entered the store and passed the registers. My steps became faster and faster as I was getting closer and closer to the toy section. My hands started to sweat and the adrenaline rushing through my veins must had had my blood pressure going over 300. I entered the action figure isle and my steps became lighter, oh no!... I was actually running! Then I stood still for a few seconds as the empty peg wall stared and laughed at me to no end. I had failed, my positive thoughts had betrayed me! I started to walk away, dragging my feet across the floor, my head was down, my whole self was. That's when it happened it; she must had been an angel about 60 years old, wearing a blue uniform. The angel approached me and asked if I needed help,
"Do you have any of the blue Star Wars cards?" I asked. She looked at me with a smile on her face and said:
"You know those cards aren't to be put out until the 23"
" I know but I'm leaving the country tomorrow; I'm going to Europe and a friend of mine asked for them"
"well," she replied " I think I have a box with some of them I can offer you but don't let anyone know I gave them to you"
My heart started to pump again at incredible speeds ...even faster than before.
"Ma'am" I said "I'll never tell so help me God"
The Wal Mart angel went away and within a few seconds she revealed to me again, this time holding in her hands her heavenly cargo.
"YEAH, HELL YEAH!" I said to my self as I started to grab every single figure in the case. I noticed r2-d2 and three more figures were short packed and since I collect two of each figure I asked my angel if she had anymore. She walked away and came back this time with a sealed case which she opened and handed over to me. I was then able to complete two sets of 8 figures each. I thanked my heavenly vision and I went to pay. But another surprise was about to take place...
As I handed over the first card to the cashier, a sign showed up on her screen: "SALE NOT ALLOWED" ... the figures weren't in the system yet! and the cashier wasn't going to let me buy them. I grabbed the figures and went back to find my angel. There she was helping a customer. Her vision gave me hope and so I told her what was going on.
"No problem" she said "you'll be able to purchase them"
She walked back with me to the front of the store, she told the lady at the register that "someone had put these figures out before their release time" and that therefore I was entitle to them.
"They are $5.88 each" she said "just ring them up at that price"
And so I did. I SCORED!
I rushed to my car put the figures in it, went back inside the store and I bought my angel the biggest chocolate box they had. She said it wasn't necessary but I insisted. And with a hand shake and a good bye she promised to save two of each new figure for me in the future.
<CENTER>THE VARIATIONS</CENTER>
Here is what I found out once I took a close look at the cards
R2-D2: The rounded peg at the top of his shoulder can be found being just plain silver with no design as well as with a detail in it, more or less as all the rest of the r2 units, painted blue and silver. Both of the ones I got were plain silver with no detail. I did get to see others, over 4 of them, and they all had detailed pegs. This makes me believe the plain silver one was produced in lower scale were produced in lower scale.
Anakin Outland Peasant Disguise: This one comes with an open hand which leans more towards being closed and with a wide open hand as well. Very much as it was a few years back with the Han Solo Hoth figure. Take a look at the comparison picture below. Since the figure is supposed to hold his gun and an open hand will not allow it, I believe the open hand version is actually an error which might get corrected if it hasn't already.
Kit Fisto: Well, his variation is very noticeable. The pictures don't really honor this much but once you have both figures in your hands you can clearly see their contrasting head color difference. One has a very deep green tone to it, while the other has more of a brown-green color. Looking at the card's picture it is easy to tell the character's color applies to this second version but not at all to the deep green color one. Fist with the deep green head sculpt will probably turn out to be the hardest of the two versions to find
C-3PO: As we the Kit Fisto figure, the paint detail on C-3PO is very noticeable and it definitely stands out. One version has the golden droid with only very little paint on his face plate, giving the piece a skeletal look; the other version presents a high amount of golden spots around the eyes, mouth, chin and cheeks. The practically unpainted face plate version is the incorrect version and as with Fisto it should become hard to find. See the pictures below
SUPER BATTLE DROID: nothing with the figure I could detect to be erroneously done. It is the back of the card in fact what presents an interesting characteristic, having a huge sticker placed over the center of the card covering at least 1/3 of it. The reason for this is discover once the sticker is peeled off. underneath it and printed on the card is a picture of the SBD mistakenly showing his legs coming apart. Such feature is not present on this figure. The sticker placed over it shows the figure with just its arms and torso coming apart, which are the correct features.
INSERT/BACKDROP: Not a single one of these figures came packed with a backdrop/insert
THE CASE: I'm certain many of us have just walked by them without paying any attention. The reason being the new cases are not just plain brown with black letters as they used to be. When I saw the new case today this is what I noticed:
A) Wider than previous Star Wars cases. almost twice as wide
B) A pink stripe wraps around all center sides of the box
C) big black letters within the pink stripe read: "toys"
D) Stamped on the side of the box, and this is an interesting thing, reads April 23 while others read: April 24...A box variation, I suppose.
Well, this is it for now folks. Check out the pictures and post your comments.
Until next time...
<CENTER>Ishi Tib</CENTER>
AN ENCOUNTER WITH A WAL-MART ANGEL</CENTER>
It was bound to happen and so it did. Reading all the reports coming in and around the net about people finding the new figures throughout our nation, mainly at different Walmart stores, I gave myself the mission of going after these finds and see if I could score them too. I didn't just, indeed, find the figures but I also found three new variations (not errors) dealing with specifically collection 1. Here is the story:
I visited last night one of those Wal marts, practically in the middle of nowhere where about 95% of the employees come from very remote places here on earth, and sometimes from outer space
I knew if there was a place where the words APRIL 23 stamped on the cases would be of a foreign origin to those trying to read them, this store was the place.With my heart pumping faster than a locomotive, I entered the store and passed the registers. My steps became faster and faster as I was getting closer and closer to the toy section. My hands started to sweat and the adrenaline rushing through my veins must had had my blood pressure going over 300. I entered the action figure isle and my steps became lighter, oh no!... I was actually running! Then I stood still for a few seconds as the empty peg wall stared and laughed at me to no end. I had failed, my positive thoughts had betrayed me! I started to walk away, dragging my feet across the floor, my head was down, my whole self was. That's when it happened it; she must had been an angel about 60 years old, wearing a blue uniform. The angel approached me and asked if I needed help,
"Do you have any of the blue Star Wars cards?" I asked. She looked at me with a smile on her face and said:
"You know those cards aren't to be put out until the 23"
" I know but I'm leaving the country tomorrow; I'm going to Europe and a friend of mine asked for them"
"well," she replied " I think I have a box with some of them I can offer you but don't let anyone know I gave them to you"
My heart started to pump again at incredible speeds ...even faster than before.
"Ma'am" I said "I'll never tell so help me God"
The Wal Mart angel went away and within a few seconds she revealed to me again, this time holding in her hands her heavenly cargo.
"YEAH, HELL YEAH!" I said to my self as I started to grab every single figure in the case. I noticed r2-d2 and three more figures were short packed and since I collect two of each figure I asked my angel if she had anymore. She walked away and came back this time with a sealed case which she opened and handed over to me. I was then able to complete two sets of 8 figures each. I thanked my heavenly vision and I went to pay. But another surprise was about to take place...
As I handed over the first card to the cashier, a sign showed up on her screen: "SALE NOT ALLOWED" ... the figures weren't in the system yet! and the cashier wasn't going to let me buy them. I grabbed the figures and went back to find my angel. There she was helping a customer. Her vision gave me hope and so I told her what was going on.
"No problem" she said "you'll be able to purchase them"
She walked back with me to the front of the store, she told the lady at the register that "someone had put these figures out before their release time" and that therefore I was entitle to them.
"They are $5.88 each" she said "just ring them up at that price"
And so I did. I SCORED!
I rushed to my car put the figures in it, went back inside the store and I bought my angel the biggest chocolate box they had. She said it wasn't necessary but I insisted. And with a hand shake and a good bye she promised to save two of each new figure for me in the future.
<CENTER>THE VARIATIONS</CENTER>
Here is what I found out once I took a close look at the cards
R2-D2: The rounded peg at the top of his shoulder can be found being just plain silver with no design as well as with a detail in it, more or less as all the rest of the r2 units, painted blue and silver. Both of the ones I got were plain silver with no detail. I did get to see others, over 4 of them, and they all had detailed pegs. This makes me believe the plain silver one was produced in lower scale were produced in lower scale.
Anakin Outland Peasant Disguise: This one comes with an open hand which leans more towards being closed and with a wide open hand as well. Very much as it was a few years back with the Han Solo Hoth figure. Take a look at the comparison picture below. Since the figure is supposed to hold his gun and an open hand will not allow it, I believe the open hand version is actually an error which might get corrected if it hasn't already.
Kit Fisto: Well, his variation is very noticeable. The pictures don't really honor this much but once you have both figures in your hands you can clearly see their contrasting head color difference. One has a very deep green tone to it, while the other has more of a brown-green color. Looking at the card's picture it is easy to tell the character's color applies to this second version but not at all to the deep green color one. Fist with the deep green head sculpt will probably turn out to be the hardest of the two versions to find
C-3PO: As we the Kit Fisto figure, the paint detail on C-3PO is very noticeable and it definitely stands out. One version has the golden droid with only very little paint on his face plate, giving the piece a skeletal look; the other version presents a high amount of golden spots around the eyes, mouth, chin and cheeks. The practically unpainted face plate version is the incorrect version and as with Fisto it should become hard to find. See the pictures below
SUPER BATTLE DROID: nothing with the figure I could detect to be erroneously done. It is the back of the card in fact what presents an interesting characteristic, having a huge sticker placed over the center of the card covering at least 1/3 of it. The reason for this is discover once the sticker is peeled off. underneath it and printed on the card is a picture of the SBD mistakenly showing his legs coming apart. Such feature is not present on this figure. The sticker placed over it shows the figure with just its arms and torso coming apart, which are the correct features.
INSERT/BACKDROP: Not a single one of these figures came packed with a backdrop/insert
THE CASE: I'm certain many of us have just walked by them without paying any attention. The reason being the new cases are not just plain brown with black letters as they used to be. When I saw the new case today this is what I noticed:
A) Wider than previous Star Wars cases. almost twice as wide
B) A pink stripe wraps around all center sides of the box
C) big black letters within the pink stripe read: "toys"
D) Stamped on the side of the box, and this is an interesting thing, reads April 23 while others read: April 24...A box variation, I suppose.
Well, this is it for now folks. Check out the pictures and post your comments.
Until next time...
<CENTER>Ishi Tib</CENTER>
