Tag Archives: Collector’s Club

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 Exclusives: What’s Still Available?

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I feel like this has to come with a disclaimer– I am not actually attending G.I. Joe Convention 2014 this year.  However, thanks to some folks who are, I’ve had some pretty regular updates as to the status of many of the exclusives.  So, here’s the rundown on the pieces that are offered for this year.

2014 G.I. Joe Convention

Zombie Initiative Set – Limited Run: AVAILABLE

Usually by this point at the convention, the 1:18 set is completely sold out.  However, possibly due to late registration or other factors, the Zombie Initiative 15 piece is still available for attendees who haven’t previously registered.

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 Steel Brigade Pilot & VTOL

Steel Brigade Pilot and VTOL – Limited Run of 800: SOLD OUT

This one caught a lot of folks by surprise with its hybrid design of both the 25th Sky Hawk and the later Pursuit of Cobra Ghost Hawk.  Plus, as I was told by one particular Steel Brigade fan, “the camouflage on the pilot is AWESOME.”

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 Cobra Septic Tank II

Cobra Septic Tank HISS – Limited Run of 800: AVAILABLE

This is an interesting spin on the original Septic Tank HISS based on the DTC HISS frame. No pilot is included but it’s still there for a few more hours today at least.

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 Rescue Ops ClutchG.I. Joe Convention 2014 Rescue Ops Ice Storm

G.I. Joe Rescue Ops 2- Pack featuring Clutch and Ice Storm – Limited Run of 700: SOLD OUT

Clutch seems to be inspired by the much-desired concept case version from a few years ago while Ice Storm was an obscure Rise of Cobra vehicle pilot.  Together- they fight zombies!  Clutch seems to be the big draw of this particular set which will most likely sell out before the weekend is over.

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 Steel Brigade Zombie 3-pack

Steel Brigade Zombie 3- Pack – Limited Run of 1,000: SOLD OUT

This is one that I can guarantee will sell out this weekend.  Sure, it’s mostly just the Pursuit of Cobra Steel Brigade figure with Zombie Viper arms and a new head, but it’s a troop-builder pack and the only one that is available.  Plus, given the prices that these are going for on Ebay, attendees looking to make a quick buck will be snatching the remaining ones quickly.

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 Night Force Crazy Legs Paratrooper

Night Force Paratrooper Crazy Legs – Limited Run of 1,000: SOLD OUT

That’s right kids– this year’s parachute figure is actually part of LAST year’s set!  Due to logistics at the event in Indy, the paratrooper was changed to a Kre-O figure in 2013 but it would seem that the Club had already produced these guys.  Rather than offering them up to 2013 attendees to complete their sets, Crazy Legs was put on hold and used this year.  Apparently these sold out before all of the Golden Ticket holders could get through the line and, given the going rate on Ebay for them now, it would seem that the bulk of these figures were intended for re-sale.  Good luck getting one– they’re currently trending over $100.00 each.

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 Carded Joe Colton

Carded Joseph Colton Action Figure – Limited Run of 1,000? : AVAILABLE

I have to admit that I have a LOT of fan boy love for this particular figure.  Based on his classic first appearance in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic series published by Marvel Comics, this figure is essentially a Marvel Universe Professor Xavier with a 1:18 Adventure Team head and I love every bit of him!  He’s going for big prices on Ebay but hopefully he’ll still be available for folks during and even after the con!

Currently I don’t have any information regarding the status of the Kre-0 multi-pack nor the carded Cross Country figures but I’ll update as I find out more.

 

G.I. Joe Convention 2014: Night Force Crazy Legs Revealed!

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G.I. Joe Convention Night Force Crazy Legs

 

I was hoping that Crazy Legs would make an appearance at G.I. Joe Convention 2014. In fact, I was hoping he’d be announced as part of FSS 3.0 which would most certainly be a terrific reason to sign-up for another go-round of the Club’s Figure Subscription Service.  After all, last year’s Nocturnal Fire roster was nearly complete save for Lightfoot, Crazy Legs, and Sneak Peek.  (Night Force Falcon came via the FSS.)

I never imagined he’d be this year’s parachute figure.

With a limited run of 1,000 pieces and a Golden Ticket limit of 3 per person, I have the feeling that this is going to be THE hard-to-get figure from this year’s Con.  For those of you who are in attendance, be certain to snag one.  For the rest of us who can’t attend this year– good luck in tracking one down for less than the cost of a mortgage payment.

Well played, GIJCC.  Well played…

G.I. Joe Convention 2014: Eco-Striker and Souvenirs List

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G.I. Joe Convention 2014

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 has begun in Dallas, TX and we’ve got some early indication as to what exclusive items round out this year’s 1:18 Zombie Initiative convention set.

Last night an image of the attendee exclusive Eco-Striker was posted to the G.I. Joe Con Official Facebook page.  Molded in blue and yellow plastic, this vehicle seems to compliment the “Neon 90’s” vibe the 1:18 set has going for it this year.  The vehicle itself seems to be a reissue of the G.I. Joe Retaliation version released last year– complete with the spring-loaded missile launcher.

G.I. Joe Convention 2014 Eco-Striker

 

G.I. Joe Convention Eco-Striker bottom

Over at GeneralsJoes.com, Justin has posted the descriptions and production numbers for the remaining souvenirs as found in the convention program/comic.  It’s an interesting list that I’ve mirrored below:

  • Steel Brigade Pilot w/ VTOL (LE800)
  • Cobra Septic HISS Tank mk II (DTC HISS repaint by the looks of the comic art) (LE 800)
  • G.I. Joe Rescue Ops 2-Pack (no idea, and no clear insight based on internal comic art) (LE 700)
  • Steel Brigade Zombie 3-Pack (LE 1,000)
  • Kre-O Zombie Initiative 7 Pack (LE 600)
  • Night Force Para Trooper Crazy Legs (LE 500)

It’s the last piece on the list that is a real “kick in the o-ring” to this particular Joe fan!  The amazing 2013 Convention set “Nocturnal Fire” featured terrific updates of the Night Force roster and yet the paratrooper Crazy Legs was missing– replaced with a Kre-O figure due to the logistics of the parachute drop.  The fact that he was put off until this year means that many of last year’s attendees are going to be spending a pretty penny on trying to snag one on the secondary market just to complete their sets!

We’ll post more information as the weekend progresses!

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G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention Starts Tonight

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2014 G.I. Joe Convention Joe Colton

Tonight’s the night– the Golden Ticket pick-up for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention!  That’s the time where the fans with premium passes get early access to the 2014 Zombie Initiative and Codename: G.I. Joe convention sets!

JBL will not be onsite this year due to some “real world” issues however good friend of the site Mike Breaux of TheBreauxShow.com is attending this weekend and will be posting several updates throughout the next few days.  You can follow him directly on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/thebreauxshow.  JBL will also repost news here on the front page as it is reported.

Also, be sure to check out the coverage over at YoJoe.com and GeneralsJoes.com as Justin “General Hawk” Bell is on scene for the 50th Anniversary celebration of “America’s Movable Fighting Man”!

To all who are attending– have a great weekend!

For more information on this year’s convention, visit GIJoeCon.com!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Accepting Pre-Orders for Carded Cross Country Figures

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G.I. Joe Collector's Club Cross Country carded

 

One of the perks of attending the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club annual conventions is being able to purchase carded versions of the annual membership renewal figures.  However, the GIJCC has stepped up their game a bit this year and is currently accepting pre-orders for carded version of the 2014 membership incentive figure Cross Country for $30.00!

The pre-orders are limited to one per membership and are slated to ship in April 2014.

If you’re a carded collector, this is a great opportunity to snag this exclusive figure.  Just use the link below and get yours today.

2014 Carded Cross Country Figure

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS Grand Slam Review

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G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS Grand Slam

The final figure in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS Grand Slam is here!

Always a mystery until the very end, the FSS bonus figure this year definitely generated a great deal of discussion.  Shipping just one month after Bombardier, the original version of Grand Slam was seen by some as a great addition to their collections and by others as a “lazy repaint” of a figure subscribers had received just the month before.  For the final review of FSS 2.0, Chris Chung of JoeSightings.com and I put Grand Slam “under the lens” and ask the question: “Is he worth owning?”

Check out the review in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index!

 

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS Oktober Guard Dragonsky Review

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G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS Dragonsky

When the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club unveiled their 2012 convention set “Operation Bear Trap” many fans asked one question: “Where’s Dragonsky?”   After all, the stalwart Russian engineer and flamethrower specialist had been with the team from their second appearance in Yearbook #2 all the way to the end of the classic Marvel Run.  Aside from Daina, he was the longest running member of the team.  To complete the Oktober Guard Dragonsky was essential!

Thankfully, at the 2013 Joe Con in Indy, the GIJCC announced Dragonsky as part of the second Figure Subscription Service.  All who signed up for the premium batch of 12 announced figures would receive him.

Flash forward nearly a year later and Dragonsky has finally arrived as part of the final shipment in the series.  Was this Russian pyrotechnic expert worth the long wait?  Check out the opinions of two long-time Joe fans in the review!

It’s posted in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index!

Also, check back on Monday for the review of the “13th Bonus Figure” – Grand Slam!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS Big Bear Review

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G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS Big Bear

It’s a bit of a dry spell for collectors out there– with no new 1:18 product hitting until Fall at Toys R Us.  Thankfully, the final shipment of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS dropped not one but three figures into the hands of Joe fans recently.  It was a decidedly Oktober Guard heavy shipment (which is never a bad thing) that included a certain fur-capped Russian Anti-Armor Specialist.  Oh yes, comrades, I’m talking about Big Bear!

What did two Joe fans think of this bearded Sean Connery look-a-like?  Head on over to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and find out!

Plus, check back tomorrow as Dragonsky goes under the lens!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 2.0 Final Shipment & 13th Figure

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I was waiting my final FSS shipment from the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club to arrive before posting this but apparently today was not the day!  The final delivery which features Oktober Guard members Dragonsky and Big Bear has started to arrive in mailboxes across the U.S.  Given that these two figures were the last two in the 12 figure stated roster there’s no outcy over “spoiling the surprise” on these.

This shipment did contain the “13th bonus figure” which was touted as an incentive to sign up for the Figure Subscription Service last year– and that figure is Grand Slam— in his original Heavy Artillery Laser uniform.  (I’ve included a borrowed photo below.)

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS Grand Slam

 

I have to admit– I’m a bit torn over how I feel about this figure.  On one hand, I’m a HUGE fan of the original 1982 roster as that was when I first started collecting G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.  Grand Slam was the first casualty of my then-new puppy who decided to chew the living daylights out of him one evening.  As such the red pads version of the character has always been a bit of a tragic figure for me.

On the other hand, we just received Bombardier in that last shipment and he was a straight-up repaint of the original 25th Anniversary Flash.  The GIJCC version of Grand Slam marks the fourth time that this character has been released in the “modern era” of G.I. Joe and three of those times will have been as a straight repaint- right down to the head sculpt.  As incentives go, it’s pretty lackluster. Sure, it’s a great cost-saving method for the Collector’s Club but it’s not quite up to the “premium figure standards” that the FSS was touted as having.  It kind of takes the wind out of a collector’s sails to realize that two $30+ figures in one shipment are mostly straight repaints of figures from earlier waves.

Right now, the Joe fandom is in a pretty bad way.  The highly anticipated 50th Anniversary of G.I. Joe announcement at Toy Fair turned out to be the “32nd Anniversary of A Real American Hero” with a bunch of repaints and concept case figures.  The most-recent G.I. Joe design team at Hasbro has been utterly dismantled and the members dispersed to other brands.  It’s been revealed that Hasbro will NOT have an official presence at the 2014 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention.  What should have been a banner year for the brand is turning out to be anything but… and the fandom is seemingly more polarized than I’ve seen it in a while.

Still, I’m kind of happy to see Grand Slam get some attention– if only for my own nostalgia.  Do I think that this was the way to go with him?  Absolutely not– a new/different head would have gone a long way with winning over folks who don’t necessarily feel that they’re getting their money’s worth from this.  From a marketing standpoint, the final figure in a subscription should be one of the strongest.  It’s the last impression before members are asked to subscribe for the subsequent year and it should really pull out all of the stops.  Sadly, someone at the Club thought that this was the way to go and as a result poor ole James J. Barney is getting the brunt of it.

Knock on wood my shipment arrives tomorrow.  Expect reviews to follow in the next week here at JBL.  In the meantime, feel free to leave your thoughts on this below.  Was this really a worthy choice for the 13th slot?

Figure subscription service 2

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Bombardier Review

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g.i. joe collector's club bombardier preview

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 2.0 is drawing to a close.  For the second-to-last shipment the GIJCC dipped not into the traditional G.I. Joe canon but instead dove headfirst into collecting lore by producing the first ever mass-produced version of a figure whose origins were long considered a mystery.

That’s right folks, I’m talking about Bombardier – the mysterious “blonde Flash” that surfaced in the late 90’s.

Was he worthy of an inclusion in this premium-priced subscription service?  Head on over to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and check out two Joe fans’ opinions!