Want a Republic Gunship next week? You have options.
Some fans have asked the question "How would you feel if the new HasLab Republic Gunship didn't fund?" It would be incredibly unfortunate. The ornate model is loaded with detail, stands, ammo, figures, and the fanciest paint in the mass-produced moderately-priced vehicle business. It would be bad... but there are ways to fill that gap in your collection.
The good news for those who are OK accepting older toys is that Hasbro has been busy. Nobody can take away the massive legacy of toys that Hasbro already manufactured. Literal millions of action figures, vehicles, and playsets are out there - many in the original packaging - and you can buy them any time you like.
From 2002 to 2013, Hasbro produced seven action figure-sized Republic Gunships. The Vintage Collection one is very expensive above $700, and the Crumb Bomber just seems to be plain rare. The rest are now all fairly inexpensive given their size, age, and how many fans probably skipped them. And if you back the Gunship and just want one right now, you have some options on eBay.
2002 Saga Attack of the Clones Republic Gunship - buy-it-now on eBay for a sealed box is $245. This is pretty much the same as the TVC 2013 release, except for the figures (which can be had separately with slight changes) or the Gun Pods (ditto.)
2003 Clone Wars Command Gunship - sealed box buy it now is $300-$350, plus or minus shipping. Interestingly this was the cheapest of the Gunships, selling for a shockingly cheap for the time $29.99 when it was brand new. The deco was not based on any particular on-screen appearance.
2005 Revenge of the Sith Republic Gunship - many are up buy-it-now for $250. I am pretty sure this wasn't based on any particular on-screen appearance.
2006 The Saga Collection Gunship - current listings are mostly over $450, but sold listings are under $350. It seems unlikely this particular version will make a return appearance, so it might even be worth picking up now. It was a Toys R Us exclusive, and I remember running around trying to find this one. It was superb.
2008 The Legacy Collection Republic Gunship last sold for $320. This "Lucky Lekku" model was exclusive to Walmart and featured unique nose art. As with all of the ships, open box models are a lot cheaper on the secondary market.
2009 The Legacy Collection Republic Gunship (Crumb Bomber) is in short supply. I don't see any boxed ones for sale, and "sold" listings are $300 or more for unboxed samples. No boxed samples of this Toys R Us exclusive seem to be for sale at this time at any price. This release was notable not only for its distinctive nose art, but retooled side doors. The cargo doors now fully enclose the vehicle, and the doors behind the cockpit fold down. Additional firepower was added to the cannons with more fold-out firing rocket launchers. If you only bought two Gunships, odds are this would be one of the two you'd want to get.
2013 Toys R Us The Vintage Collection Republic Gunship - This one is expensive. At an SRP of $119.99, it was the most expensive version before the HasLab, no doubt resulting in many fans skipping it. Heck, I almost skipped it as it was one of the most expensive vehicles ever made and nearly $80 over the price of the original mold. "Sold" listings are above $700. This one is very similar to the 2002 Republic Gunship, and features added stickers, 3 pack-in figures (which are repaints of other releases), and two Gun Pods. Other than the stickers, the 2002 model is probably a perfectly viable substitute for most fans displaying the open toy, with the packaging itself being a huge draw.
Did you know... Hasbro made some of the most obscure movie-specific Jedi from the Battle of Geonosis during The Clone Wars era of the Star Wars action figure line? It's true! There are several figures you probably forgot you had, or don't realize that you missed. And lucky you, I reviewed many of them back when people were busy pretending to not like Star Wars anymore.
Not all of these Geonosis-themed figures were actually on-screen, but their packaging backgrounds say otherwise. If you're wondering "Which characters has Hasbro never made to go with those Republic Gunships?" these aren't them.
Hasbro hasn't made new versions of many of these figures in over ten years. Many are increasingly expensive, but given the level of obscurity in The Vintage Collection I would not bank on most of them to be remade. (Obviously, some shown below are in the current HasLab and very much are up for/due for a new release.)
Somehow this got missed on the front page, but Clone Trooper (Phase I, The Black Series 6-Inch) is a figure! You can buy it! It's a lot like the Phase II mold used for Ahsoka's squad and the Kamino troopers, but with a different helmet and articulation similar to 3 3/4-inch figures. It's good - do you need to rebuild your armies now? Read on!
If you are going to Walgreenses, you might be on the lookout for this Clone Trooper (Lieutenant, The Black Series 6-Inch) which uses the sculpt from a few years ago - and not the new 2020 model. It matches the other troopers you've probably already bought. Read on!
Plain vanilla ice cream is sometimes all you need to take care of that sweet tooth. It's uncomplicated yet classically flavorful. In the case of the VC45 Phase I Clone Trooper, Hasbro makes plain white even more intriguing by drafting an all new, spectacular sculpt that's aesthetically and proportionally pleasing, proving that super articulation is not the end all, be all of vanilla ice cream or Clone Troopers.
With a sculpted-soft goods cloak combo, this Barriss is an improvement over the pre-posed figure from 2003 with more articulation and a decent facial likeness. Check out all the detailed photos in our Image Bank!
The summer kicks off with a new print ad from Hasbro featuring the bounty hunter, Zam Wessel, and the Attack of the Clones wave in their retro vintage carded glory. Enjoy!
A repaint of 2007's 30th Anniversary Collection figure but with the holes from the flame attachment filled in, the Vintage Super Battle Droid includes some Geonosian dust deco on the feet but unfortunately lacking the ankle articulation of the recent Target exclusive 2 pack version. A Hasbro "Greatest Hit" that looks great carded Vintage style, but you can do better and cheaper elsewhere if you want to open and army build.
The new Vintage Collection Senate Guard uses a few parts from 2005's version and even includes a nice nod to the Clone Wars television series in the form of the longer left shoulder armor. The helmet isn't actually removable, but there is a separate sculpted "head" underneath that actually acts as more of a frontal facade for the helmet. We do like the material used for the outer cloak, which has a nice drape when posing the figure in action type poses.
It's like Hasbro managed to shrink Samuel L. Jackson's noggin into 3.75 inch scale because the head sculpt on this figure is just amazing from every angle. A bulky soft goods cloak is a slight draw back, but we must admit it's slightly better than the Hershey's chocolate syrup shell of the Episode I figure's sculpted cloak pictured on the cardback. The figure also comes with a lightsaber and hilt that attaches to the belt and standard ball jointed arms, knees, and waist. A great figure deserving of Vintage premium status.
Take 2007's TAC Evolutions Jango Fett, retool his wrist gauntlets, swap out the JT-12 jetpack for a more colorful Z-6 pack with a removable "firing" dummy rocket, add some minor deco changes and a removable poncho, and there you have the "new" Vintage Collection Jango Fett. We're quite frankly slightly underwhelmed by Hasbro's effort, especially for a character that's worthy of a good "ultimate" upgrade. Keeping the figure carded in the awesome Kenner inspired card is probably a good option if you have the EVO version already.
If only all peasants dressed this finely. With swappable headpieces, a nicely done soft goods shawl, and detailed paint deco, the all new Padmé Amidala in Peasant Disguise makes a worthy partner to just also released Peasant Anakin. While it would be nice if someday Hasbro figured out a way to make a gowned Padmé sit, we're really not complaining. She's quite stunning.
He's vastly improved from the original "Peasant Disguise" Anakin pictured on the cardback, with nice articulation and great paint detail, particularly on the tunic. The new Vintage AOTC era Anakin Skywalker came out much better in plastic than the pre-release Hasbro product shots, and we highly recommend upgrading your 2002 clunker for the newer, sleeker 2010 model today.
Like a grape Otter Pop of perfection, the new Vintage Collection Zam Wesell impresses with a highly detailed sculpt and an evolutionary jump from the 2002 pre-posed, action featured Saga version. You've now got an almost spot on facial likeness of Leanna Walsman, removable helmet, swappable heads, and super-articulation. This one will be the definite version for awhile, folks. So make sure to pick her up!
The Nautolan Jedi Master receives the ultra Vintage Collection treatment featuring an all new sculpt, super articulation, and a removable soft goods cloak. While Kit Fisto has had quite a few iterations in the past, this version has to be considered the best yet. The paint detail is quite nice and the poseability makes most older versions obscure. He'll also fit nicely in the new Wal-Mart exclusive Starfighter.