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

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 .

Podcast: G.I. Joe Declassified Spec Ops Episode 6 – Variations Awareness

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.

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

Reminder: G.I. Joe Concept Case poll first round ends Monday at GeneralsJoes.com!

Just a quick reminder– the “Concept Case” poll over at GeneralsJoes.com ends Monday!  If you’re dying to see some of those G.I. Joe figures released, make your voice heard BEFORE Monday July 23, 2012.  To vote, just click the image link below.

On the subject of electioneering, some GUNG-HO fans of a certain Innuit mercenary have put together a short video tribute for their top candidate.   Check out their campaign efforts over at VoteKwinn2012.com and watch the video below:

 

Lastly, let’s not forget the greatest Marine in the whole of G.I. Joe history– the ragin’ Cajun: GUNG-HO!  Don’t let this be his only original Generation 3 version!  (I don’t count the too-short Walmart Resolute version.)

25th Anniversary Gung-Ho

UPDATE ME!!!!

SDCC: G.I. Joe exclusive Kim Arashikage (standard version) reviewed!

2012 SDCC Jinx

As the theme song from the dreadful series “Enterprise” starts out: “It’s been a long time…”  (Nearly four years since I’ve penned a figure review to be exact.)

This year’s San Diego Comic Con exclusive has landed– on her feet as a ninja should!  Lucky attendees of the SDCC were able to snag an updated version of Kim Arashikage (aka “Jinx” to her friends and teammates) at the HasbroToyShop.com booth.  Released in two different versions, Jinx features Generation 3 tooling and articulation– and even a movie-accurate head sculpt on her variant version.  However, she’s also proven to be a true ninja– elusive to acquire on HTS.com! 

So, is this figure worthwhile?  Check out the 2012 SDCC Kim Arashikage review and see what this Joe fan thinks!

Also– note that Jinx isn’t linked anywhere but on the main page of JBL currently.  As part of a return to the review-writing world I’ve got a few maintenance issues to take care of in terms of the site organization.  Look for a new “exclusives” index to be launched soon as well as a section dedicated to the G.I. Joe Retaliation line!

SDCC: Items up at HTS now! (Joe already out of stock.)

In what is becoming a bit of a tradition, Joe fans have been hitting HasbroToyShop.com since the SDCC ended on Sunday, eagerly hitting F5 to refresh their screens in the hope of getting a chance to snag the sought-after exclusives.

It would seem that the inventory is now showing up online– however, the Joe items are already “sold out” for now.

Here are a few direct links for those who are going to brave server crashes and other techno-gremlins:

JoeCon 2012: Images trickling in from across the web

The official registration hasn’t opened yet but last night Golden Ticket holders were able to pick up their con sets and receive the attendee bonus exclusive item– the Russian repainted Snarler cycle with side car.

A quick check of the web revealed that the crew over at HISS Tank have rushed to get some nice light-boxed in-hand images uploaded.  I’ve mirrored a few of them below but you can check out the entire gallery over at HISSTank.com.  There’s also the images from Madmac41 and Photonut from last night.

All-in-all it’s a pretty solid set!  While I’m not overly crazy about the long-coated Iron Grenadiers I’m positively giddy over the Oktober Guard figures.  (Okay, even Iron Bear who still looks like he’s 12.  What?  Comrade Doogie Hauser is now in Russian high command?!!)

It looks like Operation: Bear Trap is going to go down in the books as “one of the good ones.”

Now someone get their hands on the all-but-revealed Darklon already!!

CardedHeroes.com: Kwinn figure reviewed!

Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it– I’m jealous!  Jay over at CardedHeroes.com has had the good fortune to review one of the most-anticipated figures in recent Joe memory: the Inuit Mercenary Kwinn!

kwinnpose4

This figure has been in “development hell” for some time now.  Originally slated to come out in the 30th Anniversary line, Kwinn’s fate is that of other figures such as the infamous Data-Viper– pushed back due to the movie line.   However, with the movie now being pushed back to March, Kwinn’s fate is even more uncertain.  Hasbro has stated that this figure will come out eventually and rumors have swirled of a NYCC exclusive but nothing official has ever been announced.

Regardless– thanks to a loan from Gary of “What’s on Joe Mind“, Jay was able to get his mitts on Kwinn and produce a review that makes me wish the figure were in my grabby little hands now.

Check out Jay’s review of Kwinn over at CardedHeroes.com!

Joe Con 2012: Oktober Guard sets might see second production run?!

There are days that the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club surprises me– and today is one of those days.  It’s no secret that the 2012 Operation: Bear Trap convention sets sold out in near-record time.  Whether this was due to a smaller production run or the popularity of the Oktober Guard or both remains to be seen yet the Club sent out a surprising email over the weekend to its membership:

Hello all!

Just as a CHECK and we are NOT saying we are going to do this…..

We are curious as to how many of you did not get the Oktober Guard set and would still like to order one (boxed only)?  We don’t know if there is enough demand left to meet the MOQ (minimum order quantity) with the manufacturer.

In addition, we have NOT cleared any potential additional manufacturing quantities with Hasbro.  So that we have an idea and can better serve you with future sets, if you would be interested in a set (IF it were possible to make more and it was approved), please fill out the attached spreadsheet with ALL of the information requested by Monday, July 2nd and return it to this email’s return address (oktoberguard@gijoecon.com).  We will only analyze spreadsheets that are returned and will not count/look at information in the email as this is a huge task.

We will analyze the data and see how much demand is still pending and we will let you know soon after July second if there is enough demand to warrant a second run. There should be no variation in the two runs.

I don’t want anyone to get false hopes but we don’t know what the potential demand is unless we ask.  So, at this point assume that we will not be making any additional sets.

Thanks for helping us gauge your desires!

Brian

For years, the comment directed back at those who complained about the inaccessibility of convention sets (in terms of both price and production run) was that the sets were meant to be for those who attended the actual convention.  Now, with the release of this email the Collector’s Club seems to be indicating a real shift in their thinking– that maybe convention sets could be offered as “club sets” instead.   (Let’s face it, there is NO WAY IN HADES that these would be ready by the con which means that the number of Homefront Hero packages will increase if this goes through.)  There is no doubt in my mind that a second production run would see any sort of decreased cost– meaning that instead this will generate more revenue for the Club at a time when the economy and infrastructure needs have most likely tapped the coffers a bit.

So, is this a good idea or a bad one?

 

Joe Con 2012: Oktober Guard sets are SOLD OUT! (Non-attending)

The following email was sent out to Club Members earlier this afternoon:

Hello all!

It took just a little over 3 hours for the non-attending Oktober Guard sets to sell out!  We did not have that many to put online for those not coming to the convention. We wish there were more, but there are not.  Please do not call about these sets as there is nothing the customer representatives can do.

I have been asked how a member could not get a set.  Well the answer is that these are convention exclusives, not member exclusives.  They go first to the people attending the convention, then to non-attending fans.  It is very difficult to call the number from year to year and we try to make the best guess we can.

We sill have 12″ sets both attending and non-attending available.  There are just a few attending Oktober Guard sets left.  If you have already ordered one, you cannot order another.

Looking forward to a great convention!

See you in NOLA!

Brian

For those of you that missed out on the set– it looks Ebay is your only option now.  However, there are still a few remaining attending sets left so if you’re debating going to the Con, now is the time!