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Journal Archives from November 2008
 
MattyCollector He-Man figures, wave 1

It's hard to believe that November is over already, but facts are facts! Tomorrow, the first of December, if Mattel sticks to their already-late schedule, the first two figures from their new Masters of the Universe line should be available for order! At noon on Monday, December 1st, be sure to check out MattyCollector.com, and put in your orders for He-Man and Beast Man - just in time for Christmas!



Posted by charlie on November 30th 2008, 05:06 PM
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G.I Joe Modern Era - Mutt and Junkyard

Like the original Snake Eyes with Timber pack from wave 1 of the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line, you always feel like you get more of your money's worth when you have a whole second character packed in with your figure. In this case, we have Mutt and Junkyard, together as always!


From the 10th wave of G.I. Joe Modern Era figures, this is yet another great character, and great toy to be included in this wave. From a packaging standpoint, it is interesting to note that the P/N number has a letter rather than being strictly numeric. Also, regarding the bio, you gotta love Mutt's writeup, and how he's pretty much a non-functioning member of human society, but we all gotta play to our strengths!
Posted by charlie on November 29th 2008, 01:42 PM
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Transformers Universe - Ironhide

Hopefully everyone ate well yesterday, and has managed to shake off the wonderful, calming effects of the tryptophan in time to wrap up the week. Today we're bringing to you the next excellent figure from the Transformers Universe wave 3 of deluxes, none other than Ironhide!


Voiced by Peter Cullen originally, along with Prime himself, Ironhide was always the more swagger and gruff aspect of the Autobots, to Prime's straight up honor and might. The Ironhide bio on this figure paints him in the light that I always reserved for Kup, after seeing the amazing characterization that the original Transformers Movie gave us. In this bio they describe Ironhide as the oldest Autobot, and full of war stories that the younger Autobots can't get enough of (Good part! Tell Swoop good part!). As with all members of this Universe line, I am now dying to go check the bio on my original 1984 Ironhide, and see if in fact it has been this way for 25 years! Click the image above, as always, to see the expanded page with the bio, stats, and more!
Posted by charlie on November 28th 2008, 12:55 AM
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Happy Thanksgiving 2008

A tradition around the Preserve is our enjoyment of John Madden, and the particular insanity he has always brought to football and to Thanksgiving. Be it his 6 legged turkey, that he would parcel out to the reluctant MVPs of the holiday game, or his delighted explanation of the turducken to an appalled Pat Summerall many years ago (before that gloriously nested foodstuff became the media darling that 2008 has suddenly made it!), he never failed to amaze. We therefore offer our annual salute to Madden, both for his long running game franchise, and his love of all things fowl and tasty.


Happy Thanksgiving from the Preserve!

Posted by charlie on November 27th 2008, 01:00 AM
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Sega Master System - TransBot

Our Master System game for today is TransBot, from Sega of America in 1986. The description seems to have definitely been written by Sega of Japan, as some of the writing is a little engrished, and there is no model or product code on the box. The Sega Card games were low in number, and always a little different! Also notice the release date of 1986, at the height of the Transformers popularity, so it was a good plan to release a game with the word 'transform' in the description at least several times.


I think that this game makes for a really beautiful presentation, especially with the generic 'robot' art. A theme that I'll touch on over and over again, and why I particularly enjoy collecting the Master System library is their great art and 'quasi-futuristic' packaging. Without even getting into the game itself, my enjoyment already knows no bounds when experiencing a new title from this line. I defend my irrationality with a bibliophile example - that to someone who truly loves and appreciates books, the binding, paper quality, and type set are easily as important as the content, and are to be appreciated on their own merits!
Posted by charlie on November 26th 2008, 07:18 AM
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GI Joe Modern Era - Tiger Force Duke

A subgroup of the G.I. Joe team, the Tiger Force unit consisted of many of the big names of the line and a handful of cool vehicles with the distinctive yellow tiger strip paint jobs. We've already gotten Tiger Force Flint in this line, and now wave 10 has brought us Tiger Force Duke!


Click the image for the expanded bio and more pics. It is interesting to compare the File Cards in this line between similar figures. In particular, the File Card for wave 4 Duke starts off the same for about 1/2 of the text. You will notice, though that they did a more careful job of editing this time around, and they expanded on some of his accomplishments. Then there is the mention of Tiger Force at the end of the card, so as to tie it to this version of the character. It's just interesting to see that as they are caring more about the line, greater care is going into the details.



Posted by charlie on November 25th 2008, 07:47 AM
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Sega Master System - Joe Montana Football

Breaking new ground today, we're finally going to start posting, in painstaking and loving detail, the individual games in the Preserve's domestic release Sega Master System library. We've been featuring import titles, mainly because that was the stack we photographed first, but let's get things rolling today on the U.S. library with what may seem to be a 'common' title. Keep in mind, with a library on the small side of things, and this game being 18 years old, significance arises even from a sports title!


This title was released on the Master System which we see here, and also on the Genesis. Interestingly we see on the back of the package that the NFL did not sponsor or endorse the game, which you would imagine would result in a gigantic lawsuit! What apparently happened at this time was that through individual contracts with athletes, Montana in this case, game companies could make titles like this, while keeping everything else in the game generic. You get no actual NFL teams to play against, but rather knockoffs, and the only player name you will recognize is Joe himself. Be sure to check out a really interesting article about the troubled development of this game before the 1990 holiday season over at sega-16.com. So - a fascinating history, and the first title of our Master System coverage!
Posted by charlie on November 24th 2008, 08:14 AM
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Transformers Robot Heroes - Blackarachnia vs. Cheetor

We finish up the first wave of the Transformers Universe Robot Heroes line, with the Blackarachnia vs. Cheetor two pack. The packs are pretty evenly split between G1 and Beast Wars figures, and this one has two fan favorites.


Blackarachnia is always popular, being one of the very few female characters in the Transformers universe, and they did a nice rendition of her in this pack. This should be widely available in stores right now, so pick it up if you like the looks of it!

Collector Note: The 2nd wave of Robot Heroes, featuring another handful of G1 and Beast Wars figures, is hitting stores now. You will have about 10 packs to choose from, as the line is growing rapidly! The Arcee pack is a favorite, and we'll try to feature it here soon!
Posted by charlie on November 23rd 2008, 05:28 PM
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GI Joe Modern Era - Cobra Bazooka Trooper

Continuing our march through the 10th wave of figures in the new G.I. Joe line, we find ourselves investigating the Cobra Bazooka Trooper. Amusing to get this figure so closely on the heels of Bazooka from the Joe team, but I guess that helps to maintain the balance of Bazooka power!


Another great looking figure, with great looking card art as well! The mesh design on the helmet is a great detail, and the paint on the bazooka itself is wonderfully reminiscent of that scene in Sledge Hammer when he brings down the entire apartment building to get the sniper.

You also have to love the bio, which indicates that these troopers have no patience for the higher-ranking troops in the Cobra organization who have 'skills' and 'fancy equipment'. These barely-trained grunts prefer running through battle with their one specialty weapon, and taking devastating pot-shots at whatever moves!
Posted by charlie on November 22nd 2008, 10:36 AM
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Transformers Universe - Superion and Smokescreen
Transformers Revenge of the Fallen - Superion
Press Release - Our last Hasbro update for today, and in it we have official images of deluxe Smokescreen which tugs on the old heart strings in that oh so vintage way. More spectacularly, however, we also have images of the upcoming Target Exclusive Superion gestalt 5-pack! It even features the logo of the next Transformers movie slated for 2009, Revenge of the Fallen! Click through to see the goodness.  Read More
Posted by charlie on November 21st 2008, 12:33 PM
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Transformers Animated - Roadbuster Magnus and Jet twins
Transformers Animated: Ultra Magnus Roadbuster Deco
Press Release - The news barrage from Hasbro continues today, with two excellent updates from the world of the Transformers Animated line. Follow the link for images of the new Ultra Magnus 'Roadbuster' deco leader class figure, and the two-pack gestalt of Jetstorm and Jetfire. All good looking figures, and coming to you soon!  Read More
Posted by charlie on November 21st 2008, 12:23 PM
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Press Release: GI Joe Modern Era 12
G.I. Joe Modern Era - Destro 12"
Press Release - Feast your eyes on some new official images of the next figures in the G.I. Joe Modern Era 12" line. We have shots of Destro, Short-Fuze and Shockblast from wave 4, so click the link to see the latest!  Read More
Posted by charlie on November 21st 2008, 11:59 AM
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Transformers Universe - Prowl

At the risk of being repetitive, and focusing on the Transformers Universe line too much this week, I do have to follow-up yesterday's post with another fantastic figure from this collection, that of Prowl!


As opposed to yesterday's nod to the fans in the delivery of an obscure and never-produced character, Prowl is straight outta 1984 G1 wave 1. Given the celebration of the 25th anniversary, and the focus of the Universe line on the classics, that is as it should be! Having found reincarnations in many shapes and sizes over the years, it is delightful to see Prowl returned to an approximation of his former glory, in that first US release. Click the image above for his bio and to see his very beefy tech-specs. I'll have to check my G1 box to see if they have always been that high! Some things it takes 25 years to notice.
Posted by charlie on November 21st 2008, 07:41 AM
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Transformers Universe - Acid Storm

One of the members of the obscure 'Rainmaker' team, under the leadership of Megatron on Cybertron, this is a character that appeared waay back in the G1 Transformers cartoon but did not get a toy until this very year! Featured in wave 2 of the Transformers Universe line, paired only with Galvatron for company, comes Acid Storm - click the image for his detailed page!


This is a repaint of Transformers Classics Skywarp as well as a few others, but rarely will people complain about repainted seekers. Much to the contrary, I hear much more static any time Hasbro releases only an incomplete set of the core three (Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker, of course) within any particular series of figures. Well, now we're getting secondary, some might even say tertiary seekers, but that's just fine with me (and, I suspect everyone else)!
Posted by charlie on November 20th 2008, 01:57 AM
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Transformers Animated - Optimus Prime

While the Transformers Universe line has really been dominating the aisles and the coverage lately, both here at the Preserve and in the world at large, the Transformers Animated line continues to marshal on, even between seasons of the new and popular cartoon. We have a number of these figures in the collection here, and are catching up with some updates today, bringing you none other than Optimus Prime himself!


It is great that young kids get to learn all about the Transformers world from the ground up. That kids know who Optimus Prime is, and that he is a good and noble force for right in the universe, definitely improves my day.

The bio on this Prime, which certainly reflects the plot of the show, is interesting because he actually washed out of the "Autobot Academy" and "lost track of his ambitions" before finding his true calling of protecting Earth and the AllSpark. Seems that this figure speaks more to those of us who are 30-something rather than their target kid audience, at least in this respect, so I'm glad they have a few little hooks for the older fans as well. I guess it's also to show kids that you don't have to be perfect to be a good person, which is of course a fine lesson. This figure is from waaay back in June 2008, though you can still find him on shelves periodically. After the holidays I suspect they'll have moved on so if you want this great new version of Prime, be sure to pick him up during your holiday shopping.

Collector Notes: Targets around the country seem to be putting out a fantastic Transformers endcap this week, featuring the Anniversary Prime set along with a ton of great Target Exclusives. Be sure to check it out, as rumor has it that the minicon packs (Aerial Rivals, Special Team Leaders) exist in pretty limited supply. Also, the G.I. Joe Ultimate Battle Pack was gracing another endcap, sharing space with the Big Millennium Falcon - how awesome to see those two ambitious sets together!
Posted by charlie on November 19th 2008, 01:49 AM
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Hasbro Q&A questions

The questions for the next round of G.I. Joe Q&A are on their way to Hasbro, and in a few short days we will have the answers we so desperately yearn to know! Hopefully we'll get some solid info on large-scale vehicles or playsets that we can expect in 2009, and maybe a tidbit about Roddy Piper - we can always hope!

If you missed the Monday submission deadline to get your questions turned in for that fantastic Joe product line, fret not! You still have a few days left to ask questions of the Transformers team, another Preserve favorite, in the very last Q&A of 2008! Submit your questions now, and we will send our short list to Hasbro on or before December 1st. Hopefully they have a few Christmas surprises in store for all us collectors!
Posted by charlie on November 18th 2008, 07:51 PM
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New Cobra 5-Pack
Cobra 5-Pack
Press Release - Hasbro shows us another upcoming 5-Pack, this time of the Cobra forces! Click the link to see larger pics of the art and figures that we'll see in this G.I. Joe Modern Era set!  Read More
Posted by charlie on November 18th 2008, 03:51 PM
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Transformers Universe - Target Exclusive Comic 2-Packs

Hot on the trail of the latest and greatest, The Uncle met with fantastic success this weekend on the hunt! The Target on his run had just put up an overflowing endcap, prominently featuring the new Target exclusive Comic 2-pack Transformers Universe sets! Each pack gets you a pair of classic characters which are excellent repaints from recent lines, as well as a comic! The packaging is really sharp, and carries forward the Universe theme well. While seeming a little pricey at $30, it actually works out since you get a Voyager and Deluxe figure which hits that $30 mark from standard pricing, plus a comic! Click either image below to be instantly whisked away to the page for that set!

Autobot Ambush:

Standoff Beneath the Streets:

Posted by charlie on November 17th 2008, 07:13 AM
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Transformers Robot Heroes - Sunstreaker vs. Galvatron

We continue catching up on the new Robot Heroes line this week, and today want to point your attention to the great Sunstreaker vs. Galvatron pack, which is from the first wave of Robot Heroes to be released as part of the Transformers Universe line.


Both of these figures have very strong sculpts, I believe, and as always the character art is fantastic. The colors are bright and solid - they really just leap right off the package and into the shopping cart!
Posted by charlie on November 16th 2008, 12:03 PM
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G.I. Joe Target Exclusive - Ultimate Battle Pack

Newly released in the G.I. Joe Modern Era line is another Target Exclusive, but this one is really above and beyond the call of duty. I like to think that while The Uncle and I were at Toy Fair, getting our excellent coverage, that the Target reps were in secret and excited talks with the Hasbro crew, agreeing on this very item! I'm talking, of course, about the Ultimate Battle Pack, and it is indeed well named. Friend of the Preserve Rudger was able to sweet talk the local Target out of one of these sets, and was goodly enough to pass along photos! Click the image below to see the UPB page, along with the rest of his shots.


Collector Info: This set is slated to be released on Black Friday - man that sucks. Fortunately there is no street-date stamp on the box, so if you go to your local Target with the DPCI number firmly in hand, odds are good that you can get someone to find one in the back just for you! There have certainly been reports of managers that will restrict the sale, but if at first you don't succeed, try try again on the next shift! For the hunt, the DPCI = 087-06-2067. We were able to procure one for the Preserve yesterday on the sound advice of Rudger, and additional pictures will be coming soon. Get out there and good luck!
Posted by charlie on November 15th 2008, 09:59 AM
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G.I. Joe 5-Pack
G.I. Joe 5-Pack
Press Release - Fresh from Hasbro are two images of the upcoming 5-Pack in the ongoing G.I. Joe Modern Era series. The 25th Anniversary kicked off in 2007 with those great 5-pack figure sets, and due to their runaway popularity the current line was born. This set gets back to first principles a bit, so check it out!  Read More
Posted by charlie on November 14th 2008, 09:46 AM
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Transformers Universe Robot Heroes - Rattrap vs. Megatron

It seems these days that Hasbro is vying to make their Transformers Robot Heroes line as prolific as the Galactic Heroes Star Wars series. Well, probably it will never be quite as absurdly high in number as that line, but we're getting there! This is another area where we've been a little slow on coverage, which is heartbreaking given how much The Uncle and I enjoy this format of figure. With that in mind, then, let's take a look at a 2-pack from the first wave of the Robot Heroes line to fall under the Universe header. Here is Rattrap vs. Megatron!


The Megatron figure is very dynamic and poses very well, harkening back to our first look at him from Toy Fair 2008. Yeeeess!

We'll be cross-listing these figures under both our Transformers Universe section and the ongoing Robot Heroes area, since it's fun to see them all together. Coming soon - the fantastic Arcee figure!
Posted by charlie on November 14th 2008, 01:00 AM
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Wounded Ronin reviews Soldier of Fortune: Payback




After a long absence, Wounded Ronin returns with a review of the third entry in the Soldier of Fortune series, titled "Payback". Things do not go well with this game, so click the image to read all the juicy details!
Posted by charlie on November 13th 2008, 07:10 AM
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Transformers Universe - Silverstreak

To say that the Transformers Universe line is getting ahead of the Preserve's updates is putting it very mildly. We are definitely not even within sight of the current releases in terms of coverage, but let's make up for at least a small part of our indiscretions in this regard by focusing on the new deluxe edition of Silverstreak!


Another favorite character from the past, old Silverstreak is part of the 3rd wave of deluxe figures to come out in the currently ongoing Universe line. What a wave it is too - usually they balance it out with a few Autobots and a few Decepticons, or some new characters vs. some old, but they're proving how serious they are about the upcoming anniversary by releasing Ironhide, Sideswipe and Silverstreak as the entirety of wave 3. Awesome. These figures should be on shelves now, though are still a little scarce because they are make such a nice set, so keep a lookout. Shortly we will start seeing the '25th Anniversary' tag added to the packaging in the upper right corner - this is probably one of the last Universe waves to come out without that distinction.



Posted by charlie on November 12th 2008, 07:14 AM
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Press Release - Transformers Mighty Muggs
Transformers: Soundwave Mighty Mugg
Press Release - Hasbro has sent us images of the first four entries in their brand new Transformers Mighty Muggs line! This newly invented format of figure, which conjurers up images of turn of the century urban vinyl, is finally hitting the Transformers brand. Look for Bumblebee, Optimus, Megatron and Soundwave to hit shelves first, and click the link for more images of all four of them!  Read More
Posted by charlie on November 11th 2008, 07:04 AM
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Lego Brickmaster set 20006 - Star Wars Clone Turbo Tank

The Lego group, through the auspices of the fantastic Brickmaster club which we have touted here before, was goodly enough to send us the final member exclusive set of the year just several days ago - right on time as always! The #20006 set for November/December is a Star Wars vehicle, in particular the Clone Turbo Tank. Click the image for a few more packaging shots, as well as cover images of the new Bionicle and Brickmaster magazines that were included with the set!



Posted by charlie on November 11th 2008, 01:47 AM
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Indiana Jones Adventure Heroes: Short Round vs. Temple Guard

No time for love Dr. Jones!
That may be as true today as it was in 1984 (the greatest year!) but we're betting that you'll make time to love this next addition to the Adventure Heroes line from Hasbro. Short Round vs. Temple Guard lets us remember the fantastic, dark, fiery battle in the grim catacombs filled with voodoo and child labor.


It is of particular awesomeness that the Short Round figure even comes with an Adventure Heroes style Indy voodoo doll! I think that reenacting that scene with the super cute AH figures would just be spectacular - have Shorty slamming the smiling Indy figure in the gut with a flaming torch to free him of the grip of the Black Blood of Kali! You know this must now be done, so get out there, battle the insane pre-Thanksgiving Christmas crowds, and find yourselves these figures!
Posted by charlie on November 10th 2008, 07:25 AM
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G.I.Joe and Transformeres Q&A

The Preserve is proud to announce that it is now participating in the G.I. Joe Q&A program with Hasbro, along with the newly started Transformers Q&A sessions. This means that every two months we'll be able to submit the top 5 questions for both of these fantastic lines, and get quick feedback direct from the folks at Hasbro about what we can expect from the line in the future, as well as any juicy details we might think to ask about the background workings of their group!

We're giving a little more warning this time around than for the first Preserve Transformers Hasbro Q&A session, so that everyone has time to brainstorm and send in some good questions! The G.I. Joe round, the last for 2008, must have questions submitted by November 17th, which is Monday one week from now. The Transformers Q&A is further out, with a deadline of Monday December 1st.

Start coming up some more excellent questions, and send them our way. We'll pick the best and get you the answers you want to know!
Posted by charlie on November 9th 2008, 07:06 PM
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Indiana Jones - Dr. Henry Jones Mighty Mugg

Thanks to a little site-to-store shenanigans at the local WalMart, we managed to secure a super elusive example of the Dr. Henry Jones Mighty Mugg from the dwindling Hasbro Indy series. At the time HasbroToyShop.com was out of stock on this item, and there was little reason to believe it would ever return, but fortunately for those who may still want this figure it is now available both through the big W as well as hasbro's online presence.

Enough jibba jabba - you have to see this fantastic figure!


Now I definitely have a soft spot for many of the Mighty Muggs that have been released - if the right characters are chosen they really work well. I'm not so sure about the upcoming Transformers and G.I. Joe Muggs, but that's a post for another day. In particular it seemed that the Indy figures have been great, and this one is the best of them all. As always we're big fans of packaging around here, and this entire presentation is just a work of art. The colors, clean lines, and the amazing giant Connery face on the box top can't be beat. The figure itself hits all the right notes, and would do justice to any collection. Click the image above to see a few larger shots for yourself, and think about picking this up online if you like it, since you might never see it in stores!



Posted by charlie on November 8th 2008, 12:06 AM
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Indiana Jones Adventures Heroes - Indy and Willie Scott

From the small and nearly impossible to find 3rd wave of Adventure Heroes 2-packs from the canceled Hasbro Indiana Jones line, we take a look today at Indy and Willie Scott.


Sadly Willie is suffering from the old 'great hair, but the face is a mess' technique. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but something about this sculpt looks a little rushed, and given what we now understand about how things have been going internal to Hasbro related to this line, I guess that could be understandable. The hair, though, looks great, and you can click on the image above to be taken the to expanded gallery for this set, and see a closeup shot.

As usual with these 'Heroes' the unique art for each figure is really fantastic, which is why I'm making sure to take special additional pictures. I think that her figure can really stand alone on the strength of the fun and stylized art that was prepared for the packaging, and the figure can just play second fiddle in this case.


Now - don't get me wrong, I still think that from a collecting standpoint you should make sure to get this whole wave if you're into these figures at all, since they are likely to be on the scarcer side of things. I'm just taking a rare critical look at a product - I'm sure it won't happen again for a while!
Posted by charlie on November 7th 2008, 11:53 AM
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G.I. Joe - 12Inch Storm Shadow

In case anyone forgot that Hasbro is also making a 12" line of figures currently, what with all of the other products that are piling up on the shelves of your local toy dealer, today I wanted to feature Storm Shadow from the 2nd wave of such items.


I previously defended Hasbro's latest 12" scale line, saying that for the price I think you get a well articulated figure with a lot of cool accessories, and Stormy is no exception! There seems to have been a little hitch between wave 2 and 3, though I suspect they're saving up for a big push to take place between Black Friday and the brick wall finale to the holiday season. Keep a look out for the next wave which will include the Commander himself!
Posted by charlie on November 6th 2008, 04:09 PM
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KMart Transformers 12-pack

As reported several days ago, we were able to score the fantastic new mini-con 12-pack KMart exclusive from the local store which still struggles on, literally in the shadow of WalMart. It seems that these sets are being moderately difficult to find nationwide, though, and a check of their website at the time turned up a page for the product but none to be had.

Well, kmart.com now claims to have these excellent sets in stock, and I think they even have some sort of 'free shipping on everything' deal going on according to their front page. I'm sure there's a big catch, but I didn't see it yet. So, if you dig this set, and you should, this seems like the ideal time to pick it up without having to scour your local KMarts, which is really a depressing activity these days. Also it's likely that the KMart Exclusive is an endangered species - given the rough appearance of the stores and the grim financials, you should pick up these historically interesting items while you can!

It's sad, because the KMart in the Flourtown suburbs of Philly was certainly the source of a great deal of the original Preserve, and weekly voyages to that store were always a time for great speculation and excitement. The better days when GoBots were thick on the shelves next to brand new Transformers and G.I. Joe products, with new items hitting seemingly every week, the store relatively clean and well staffed, the future bright! Well, much has changed since then, though let's hope that while we may not have the toy aisles of old, that the future has just dialed up the luminosity once again.
Posted by charlie on November 5th 2008, 11:28 AM
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G.I. Joe Modern Era - Croc Master

Want an amazing figure with eye-popping card art, a giant 'accessory' and great design? Well if you're super lucky maybe you can score Croc Master from the new G.I. Joe Modern Era series at Target with their new deep discount $4.99 sale prices on Joes, but even at $8 this seems like a bargain. From the stubbornly difficult to find 10th wave, this former alligator wrestler and burglar alarm salesman is ready to unleash his hordes of ravenous crocs on would-be trespassers to Cobra Island! Click the images for the full bio and larger high color photos!


Now if only they would release a troop-builder pack of some spare crocs so that he can have a fitting force to command. I foresee a bunch of crocless-Masters going up for sale on eBay in the coming months as the troop building set goes ape for the reptilian army!
Posted by charlie on November 4th 2008, 01:49 PM
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hts.com order, G.I. Joe Wave 10

While rumors abound that the 11th wave of G.I. Joe figures are already hitting retail (which includes the awesome Matt Trakker M.A.S.K. tribute figure) we have yet to see a single indication that wave 10 was ever in stores around these parts. It is therefore all the better that over a week ago we broke down and ordered up the wave (well, all except the Wraith sadly) from hasbrotoyshop.com, even scoring them at $6.99 a piece before the $1 online price increase! They arrived today, along with three of the excellent new Transformers Robot Heroes packs, and the 12" Dovchenko figure from the now defunct Indiana Jones line. Observe!


It was imperative to secure that Dovchenko, since while we certainly have no love for the new movie, it will rankle us to no end to have an incomplete set of what is a very finite series of figures. Sadly the "Indy in German Disguise" that we saw on display at the San Diego ComicCon seems to have been cancelled, though there are also rumors that one or two have turned up, and are fetching over $100 on eBay currently.

As was the case with wave 9 of the Joes, this wave is also fantastic, and the Para-Viper, Croc Master and Mutt & Junkyard really stand out as fantastic figures. Hopefully we can snag the Wraith in both standard and rare chase translucent blue version before all is said and done!
Posted by charlie on November 3rd 2008, 07:42 PM
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Barack Obama for President

Please vote tomorrow. I know you don't need to see political things on the Preserve. I have struggled to keep the site free of such partisan trappings, and keep the discussion on things which are fun and distracting from the rigors of the deadly serious real world. If you care about such things you are probably well versed in the arguments, talking points and seriousness of this November 4th, so I won't go into it. Let's just say it's important, and I have my own leanings that I finally figured I'd make clear today with the Preserve's endorsement of Barack Obama.

If any fans of the Preserve disagree with me, let me assure you that after the 4th I will continue to not mention politics ever, and we can get back to the business of toys, new and old!



Posted by charlie on November 3rd 2008, 12:51 PM
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Flash Force 2000 of DoctorKent

Many months ago, nay perhaps over a year, friend of the Preserve and toy expert extraordinaire DoctorKent wrote to us about Flash Force 2000, one of the forgotten series that we love around here. It turned out that the good Doctor used to operate the only site on the Internet that specialized in information about this line, but had let it lapse in the fullness of time. He was kind enough, therefore, to pass along to the Preserve his complete collection of Flash Force 2000 vehicles and playsets so that we may now feature them for the education of the world!


I find it nearly inexcusable that we have had this great set for so many moons and that it is just now seeing the digital light of day. As Cheech reminds us, "Better late than never" - look for detailed posts of this set, coming soon!
Posted by charlie on November 2nd 2008, 04:41 PM
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GI Joe DVD Battles - The M.A.S.S. Device

I hope that everyone had a festive, scary and safe Halloween - nothing says celebration around the Preserve like a viewing of Jason X...of course he still kicks butt in space! How would he do against the Leprechaun though...that's a cross-over that should certainly happen!

Onto the business at hand, which is covering the other G.I. Joe DVD Battles set from the first wave of such packs. Kicking off the line as set #1/5, it is the actual M.A.S.S. Device mini-series, a part of said Device is then in all subsequent packs (as well as this one) so that you can construct your own excellent teleportation world-domination machine (replica!).


Also keep in mind that the upcoming Wave 12 of the Modern Era figures will include all three of the rare elements needed to power the Device! All you need to do is pick up Cobra Commander, Cobra Driver and Tripwire, and you'll be ready to fire up your very own M.A.S.S. Device (replica!). Of course, you probably got Cobra Commander from wave 8 some time ago, and I don't know that there is any difference between these two figures, but will report on it as soon as we learn more.
Posted by charlie on November 1st 2008, 02:05 PM
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