Tag Archives: 1:18 scale

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club: Figure Subscription Service cut off fast approaching

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The oft-delayed sign-up period for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service (or GIJCC FSS) is rapidly drawing to a close.   Midnight on September 4th is it so if you’re a hard-core G.I. Joe fan that wants these “made-to-order” figures you’ll have to act soon.   Estimates put the cheapest option for the 12 named and 1 bonus figure to be just over $350.00, putting it on par with a boxed convention set in terms of pricing.

In addition to some new images of Quarrel and TNT, the Club posted this information on their Facebook page yesterday:

Deadline for the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club FSS subs is Midnight CST on 9/4/2012! If you’re subbing, that’s the cut-off!
FIGURE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE Update!The Figure Subscription Service ends at midnight on September 4th central time. DON’T MISS OUT! Go to the club site for the official link.Please note that if you are checking your FSS order, you do this at the FSS site NOT the club store. The two systems are independent even though they are able to use your same login and passwords.

NOTE ABOUT SINGLE FIGURES: There will not be a large quantity of single figures ordered for the club store so if you are interested in most of the figures offered, we recommend that you subscribe and sell the items you are not interested in to others. This will ensure that you receive the figures that you really want.

If you log in to check your order(s) (click My Account at the bottom after you log in), and you are not seeing your invoice or emails, please drop us an email using the link at the bottom of the My Account page and we will have your file reconstructed. Your invoices are in the system but there are a few accounts that are not displaying correctly. After the subscription period ends, we will only send out emails to the FSS subscribers concerning shipping/billing updates and all of those emails will appear in your My Account.Thanks for your patience and support of this new system
To sign up for the GIJCC FSS or “Club Sub”, follow the link below:
tnt-loose1
 
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quarrel-loose-2
 
quarrel-loose-1
Here’s a look at everything from “Wave 1” of the Club’s fledgling FSS:

3DJoes.com – a whole new way to view your G.I. Joe figures…

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3DJoes.com

I first got involved in the online G.I. Joe community back in the late 1990’s and eventually became a site admin back in late 2003/2004.  Since then I’ve seen all manner of G.I. Joe sites come and go– review sites, dio-story sites, forums, fanfic, “Release the DiC Series on DVD” sites, etc.  However, I received a tweet yesterday that led me to something that took me completely by surprise.

http://www.3DJoes.com

Imagine being able to look up any G.I. Joe figure or vehicle– and then rotate that piece of plastic goodness 360 degrees to examine every detail.  That’s the concept behind 3DJoes.com.  Currently only displaying the 1982 line-up, the sight offers an unprecedented way to view your favorite Gen 1 ARAH figures in all their 3.75″ glory.  It’s such a fantastic idea it makes me wonder why no one had ever thought of it before.

Seriously– go check it out.  It’s a sight that promises to get a great deal of use from this particular admin– especially when the later 90’s era Joes are uploaded.

1982figures
vamp
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Alexx Shorts: Dollar General exclusive Snake Eyes

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Dollar General Exclusive Snake Eyes action figure

So you want some color on your Snake Eyes?  Welcome to the 90’s!

Alexx Shorts: Dollar General exclusive Duke

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Dollar General Exclusive GI Joe Duke action figure

Technically this is only Duke if you squint your eyes, so come on in and read about whoever this guy is!

Coil Con 2012: Dodger announced as second exclusive!

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G.I. Joe fans are an enterprising and industrious lot.  If there’s not a convention anywhere near them, then they’ll start they’re own.  More importantly, if they want an exclusive G.I. Joe figure for that event– they’ll make their own!   Take, for instance, the 2012 Coil Con Dodger:

 Dodger Coil Con 2012 Exclusive

“A simple and elegant reuse of existing tooling” would be my first comments on this figure.  It uses the AWESOME 30th Anniversary version of Duke for the body and the open mask head of the G.I. Joe Renegades Cobra Trooper to give it identity.  It’s an inspired parts choice that really evokes the original 1989 BF2K Dodger figure.   Coil resident designer/fabricator/”figure guy” Jay Hunger really knocked one out of the park with this one.  It really makes me wish I didn’t have a family-related conflict that weekend as I’d snatch these up like a second Renegades Storm Shadow at retail!

Coil Con will be held on September 8, 2012, at Kokomo Toys and features specials guests including:

For more information, visit http://www.coilcon.com

 

Coil Con 2012: Meet Zilant – Coil Guerilla Fighter

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You’ve got to love the ingenuity of the G.I. Joe fandom.  Not merely content to attend the annual G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention and purchase the “official” exclusives at both JoeCon and the San Diego Comic Con, this fandom started producing its own exclusive figures.  For three years now a group of die-hard Joe fans based out of Indianapolis have run their own “Coil Con“– with exhibitors, special guests, and even an exclusive figure.

Held on September 8, 2012, Coil Con features specials guests including James Kavanaugh (author- RAHC Guide), Robert Atkins (artist – G.I. Joe, Snake Eyes), Gary “Gyre-Viper” Head (archivist, podcaster – Joe SpecOps podcast), and Gary Godsoe (podcaster – What’s On Joe Mind).  However, since you can’t take any of them home with you– let’s talk about who you CAN bring back.

Meet Zilant— the Coil Guerilla Fighter!

coil con 2012 zilant

Coil Con 2012 exclusive: Zilant, Cobra Guerilla Fighter

Here’s the official description:

A legendary creature from Russian and Tatar myth, the zilant is a fearsome winged snake. Sometimes helpful, sometimes destructive, they are known for fiercely protecting their homes from incursion.

Zilant was born in a small town in the Eastern European nation of Tatahkstan where he grew up sharing his father’s passion for building and flying ultralight aircraft. After Tatahkstan chose to remain independent following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Zilant joined his nation’s fledgling armed forces, committing himself to keeping his land free from occupying forces. When Tatahkstan was later ravaged by heavy fighting between G.I. Joe and Cobra, Zilant was able to escape the carnage in one of his father’s aircraft. Driven by a desire to rid his homeland of outside oppression, he joined the COIL and used their resources to raise a homegrown force to repel both foreign armies. He combined it with his knowledge of light aircraft to become an authority in the development and use of ultralight aircraft, gliders and windsuits as a method of covertly inserting special ops troops.

Recently, there’s been a new force intent on invading his homeland, so Zilant is taking action once again. He thought that he had faced and defeated his enemies, but is this new man his ultimate enemy?

In one fell swoop we’ve got a background for both the name and the character!  Hand-crafted by customizer (and now figure designer) extraordinaire Jay Hunger, these figures are sure to appeal to Joe fans seeking to add more “flavor” to their collections.    The only place to snag this figure is at Coil Con 2012 so mark your calendars for September 8, 2012 and head to Coil Con to snag your Zilant while supplies last!

For more information, check out: http://www.coilcon.com

One fan’s thoughts on the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service

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You may or may not have read the announcement of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service going live soon.  If you haven’t, I’ll give you a minute to do so.

Okay, all better?

Good– let’s talk about this.

It’s been an interesting year for toy fans and subscriptions.  Mattel recently concluded their “subscription drive” over at MattyCollector.com for three of their product lines.  The DC Universe Classics line went through– but only barely due to the efforts of SaveDCUC.com, the Masters of the Universe Classics snaked by with a last minute surge and the Watchmen sub… well that never seemed to be in question.

With two of these lines, price was a REAL point of contention.  A 6″ Masters of the Universe Classics figure had previously sold for $20.00 and was increased to $25.00 per unit for subscribers and $28.00 for non-subscribers on day-of-sale IF any were available.  This created quite an uproar in the MoTU fandom as the had previously been plagued by poor customer service from Digital River and QC issues in the form of reversed joints, breakage, and sloppy paint apps.  However, the argument from brand manager Scott Neitlich was that these were “high quality collector figures” with unique tooling that was found nowhere else.  This was the only way to get 100% original tooled figures like the forthcoming Ram-Man etc.

So, if a 6″ figure with all NEW tooling costs $25.00 and fans clamored at the blow to their wallets, where does that place the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service?

Continue reading →

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service is “imminent”

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The ad campaign for HALO 3 began with a quote:

“There are those who said this day would never come.  What do they say now?”

Apparently the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club is saying the same thing as the following announcement regarding the long-delayed Figure Subscription Service was posted this afternoon:

A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE
G.I. JOE COLLECTORS’ CLUB. Re: FSS

The launch of the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club Figure Subscription Service is imminent; we will notify you the link when we make the service active. While we are loading the final details, here are some things to remember:

1. You must be a member of the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club to take advantage of the Figure Subscription Se

rvice.2. There is NO reason to rush the site or be in a hurry as this is a build to order system. We will build as many as you order, so we cannot run out. YOU CAN ORDER AS MANY AS YOU WANT, there is no limit.

3. What you do need to be concerned about is the closing date of the subscription service, which ENDS on September 4th at midnight.

4. You can either pay In Full or by Installment. There will be 3 installments. When you subscribe and choose pay by Installment, you will be billed for the first two months’ shipments. Then sometime during the second month, you will be billed for the 3rd and 4th months’ shipments and sometime during the 4th month you will be billed for the final 2 months’ shipments.

5. Your free surprise 13th figure will come with your final shipment during the 6th month.

6. The figures will be shipped in random order. All members receive the same figures each month. The figure pairings will not be preannounced. So if you don’t mind, when you get your shipment each month, PLEASE do not go online and tell what you received. We want each shipment to be a surprise for as many members as possible.

7. The cost is $294 if Paid In Full (plus shipping) or three Installments of $98 (plus shipping). Please note that there is a $3 online processing fee for each billing. We take Visa, Discover or MasterCard. Unfortunately we cannot accept Money Orders or Checks for this offer.

8. If you pick a shipping service that does not include insurance or if you don’t pick the insurance, we do not have any responsibility for replacement of lost or damaged or misdirected orders.

9. If you move or need to change your credit card during the program, you can log into your account and change it there. This will change all of your future FSS billings and shipments. We will also be sending you reminders to check your address and cc before each billing/shipment goes out. We are not responsible for shipments that are lost due to incorrect shipping information on file.

10. We are waiting on the final schedule from China so we don’t know exactly when the first figures will ship. We hope it will be by Christmas. We will announce this as soon as we get the final schedule.

11. Some of the figures (single figures) MAY be available in the Club Store after the subscriber’s figures ship. These will be at a price of $32 per figure. There is no guarantee of availability of any of the figures in the club store. If you want to ensure getting these limited edition figures, you need to subscribe to the service.

So, a few points:
  • The price-per-figure appears to be $24.50 + SHIPPING!
  • Non-subscribers can order figures at the Club Store AFTER members’ figures ship at a cost of $32.00 IF any are available
  • Once started– the subscription service sign-up will be open through September 4, 2012.

I’ll post my thoughts in a subsequent post but that’s the OFFICIAL news from the Club.

In case you’ve forgotten what they look like– here are the 12 figures in the sub.   More information available at http://www.gijoeclub.com .

Dice
Desert Grunt
Nano-BAT
Quarrel
Topside
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ironclaw
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tntfweb
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01_cover_girl
02_topside
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surefirefweb
covergirl2web
bigboafweb
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nanobatartweb
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Podcast: G.I. Joe Declassified Spec Ops Episode 6 – Variations Awareness

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Some time I ago I was privileged to be asked to contribute to a G.I. Joe podcast hosted by the now-legendary Gyre-Viper.  The Joe Declassified Spec Ops Podcast features some pretty in depth discussion regarding the G.I. Joe toy line and this episode is now slouch.  Starting off with the (then) debut of the Dollar General Joes, the conversation delves into some intriguing variations from the classic ARAH (Generation 1) line.  The cast was a veritable “who’s who” of the Joe community including members of the “What’s On Joe Mind” crew, PLuv from cornerstone community JoeCustoms.com, “variation king” Patrick Stewart, Gyre-Viper, and JoeDeclassified.com admin Sam “Nomad” Damon.  It’s a solid two hour “Joe jam session” that is definitely worth a listen.

Here’s the official synopsis:

The Joe Declassified: SPEC-OPS Team is joined by some very special guests… the mighty pluv of JoeCustoms.com and the one and only Leonardo T Dragon of JoeBattlelines.com//

For this episode we take on a hefty helping of variations and errors from the revered vaults of Pat “notpicard” Stewart.  Pat takes us through his categorizing process of what falls into variant and what gets marked an error and how that all fits into his work on YoJoe.com and around the community.  We also give the yet to be released discount repaints a quick once over… sort of gathering our thoughts on what they are, what they mean, and what they might be telling us about the future of the brand.  And to top it all off… Pat speaks to the functionality of YoJoe.com’s legendary archives… its achievements, criticisms, and everything in between.

You can find the images referenced in the episode here:

http://joedeclassified.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=579

As indicated above, there’s an entire gallery of accompanying images found over at the JoeDeclassified forum!  (See– there’s homework and supplemental material with this one!  I told you it was “in depth”!)

You can listen to the entire 2 hour podcast via the embedded link below or over at the Spec Ops Podbean page!

 

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club: Store launch, take 2. Noon today.

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Okay, let’s try this again: the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club will open their online store around NOON CST today.  Really.  This time they mean it.  The email even says so.  Again.

Here’s the email from Brian Savage:

“The issue that caused the problem with Friday’s relaunch of the store software has been corrected.  We will go live at noon on Monday, August 6, CDT.
We will continue to add our older inventory into the stores each day.  We did not want the loading of older inventory to delay the stores’ reopening.

For the Transformers Club members:  There is not anything new at this time, we are just updating your store code. 

For the Joe Club members:

Once again:  note that there are LIMITS on the loose Footloose, carded Footloose and signed carded Footloose membership figures.  

You are limited to ONE of each (per membership account) until we see how the demand goes.  We can track exactly how many of each are ordered by account.  If you place more than one order, we WILL CANCEL all of your orders and charge you a 25% administration fee.  Please do not try this as we want as many members as possible to get these figures at the offering price.  Quantities are limited. 

Thanks for your support!

Brian”

NOTE: Failure to launch the store a second time does not allow members to charge the club at 25% Annoyance Fee.

In all seriousness, I do with the GIJCC well in trying to get the site back up and running after their internet security debacle earlier this year.  However, let’s hope that they’re not putting the cart before the horse with this announcement… again.   After all, if NASA can send a rover the site of an SUV to Mars and safely lower it to the ground from a jet-powered flight back via sky crane, surely the club can get their store working again, right?

Here’s the direct link to the store: https://www.toyarama.com/store/g-i-joe-club-memberships-c1.php?template_package=gijoe