Normally available at theme parks - but not so much right now - the R2 Astromech (Color-Changing Droids, Droid Factory Line Look) changes from red when he's cold to white when he's warm!  Otherwise, it's basically the same as the build-a-figure R2-D2 molds you've seen over the last five years.  Read on!

Inspired by The Mandalorian, The Child (The Black Series 6-Inch) is small.  How small? So small he's the right size!  The difference in size between a 3 3/4-inch scale and a 6-inch scale character this tiny is minimal, and you can see a comparison on this review with the 2017 Porg figures.  As of now there are no known plans for a a 3 3/4-inch Baby Yoda.  Read on!

This week in Q&A - Yes we reference recent casting news for The Mandalorian but we don't consider headline news with casting to be a spoiler here. Also Carbonized figures and pre-order dates plus also Stand and not Delivered, the 6-inch action figure display story.

Be sure you send in your questions for next time. Read on!

I was pleasantly surprised by this Rey (The Vintage Collection).  She has great articulation, new accessories, an excellent llikeness, and is sadly long gone from shelves.   If you can find one, you should get one.  Read on!

We hope you didn't miss Zorii Bliss (The Vintage Collection)!  If you loved the new movie or just need background figures, this is a good one.  There's a lot of gold here, plus one of the most ornate helmets in the line.   Read on!

The sliding scale of what is on- or off-limits under the Disney regime is tough - does a character being canon matter anymore?  Lucky for us, apparently not!   GameStop's 6-inch Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Shadow Stormtrooper The Black Series Action Figure is up for pre-order now, limit 1 per customer.  At $24.99 with no in-store pick-up option, it's not cheap for one of nearly a dozen figures to use or share this tooling.

This week in Q&A - Retro stuff! Sticker is as sticker does.  Ben Solo! Do we really need more Adam Driver figures?  And Tooling Costs - while 3-D printing gets around molds, well, you may not like the results just yet.

Be sure you send in your questions for next time. Read on!

In a stream yesterday, Hasbro revealed several new items including 3 Amazon exclusives which were supposed to be up for sale yesterday.  The pre-orders didn't seem to go live - but today, all three are up for sale on Hasbro Pulse.  (I just ordered them, myself.) 

These include a 40th Anniversary carded Han Solo in Carbonite Chamber (just the block, $14.99, deco may be different than the 2013 release), a 2-pack of 4-LOM and Zuckuss (Kenner-style deco, swapped names, 40th anniversary Kenner packaging), and a Carbonized Darth Vader (ugly blue, $24.99.)

This is a big deal.  Via The Toy Book: Rubie’s Costume Co. Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Amid COVID-19 Uncertainty

Fresh from GameStop - a few months ago - is the tough-to-find Purge Stormtrooper (The Black Series 6-Inch).  It's good.  Can you find it?  Probably not, especially with stores closed - I saw one, once, in a damaged box and then bought it.   Hopefully you can find one soon too! 

Shipping in that wave of The Mandalorian figures, this Clone Trooper (The Vintage Collection) is the one you probably see left on pegs when you go out for toilet paper and ramen.   It's really close to the figure from 10 years ago, but if you open it and pop off the helmet you'll see a new face painted underneath.  It's a great troop builder, but do you need it anyway?  Read on!

Where are those plans?  Etsy!   One of the big questions we've had as toy fans is "When will 3-D printing supplant manufacturing in China?"  As of now it's still not ready for the kiddies, but someone on Etsy is charging $20 for plans for a 3D Printable Life Sized action figure inspired by vintage R2D2.  This is something Gentle Giant showed off as an official Kenner-inspired Star Wars action figure product, so it's unknown how Team Lucas and the House of Mouse will feel about $20 for plans to roll your own high-end collectible.  I doubt the final product would be as good as the licensed item right now, but these plans could prove invaluable as printing equipment gets better.

This week in Q&A - Slicensing up the license? If it's happening, it's not official yet. A full Mandalorian 3 3/4-inch line? It'd be nice, but sadly it's no longer 2008! And pegwarmers - well, look, if my answers are the most disappointing thing you read today you're having a pretty good week.

Be sure you send in your questions for next time. Read on!

It's red! And new!  You can a Sith Jet Trooper (The Black Series 6-Inch)  if you luck into one during your provision quests or online shopping.  It's pretty shiny and there's conflicting reference to the helmet grooves... so maybe it's accurate!  Read on!

He's part of a group, but so far, he's the only one in this size! The Knight of Ren (The Black Series 6-Inch) is starting to show up now, but you can also order yours online.   He has some great articulation with some excellent motion hidden in the shoulders behind a rubbery shirt, with some of the best articulation Hasbro has done with Star Wars in this scale.  He can even mimic the designs in the publicity photos.  Also, supposedly his name is "Vicrul" but that isn't on the box.   Read on!