Discover Top Posts Tagged with #wheresleia

I've walked around and looked at all the Star Wars displays and you know what's missing? My mother .. why isn't Leia anywhere? She's a Disney princess and not a stitch of her anywhere.. #princessleia #wheresleia #disney #getitsorted #robbieiger #starwars #lucasfilm (at Downtown Disney District)

#starwars #disney #lucasfilm #wheresleia #getitsorted #robbieiger #princessleia

#WheresRey? The answer might surprise you...

Star Wars: The Force Awakened in full swing...you may have noticed. Merchandise for the new movie encompasses everything from CoffeeMate creamer to beer tumblers, and, of course, action figures. As more and more additions to the Hasbro line-up of Force Unleashed figures leak onto the Internet (because Hasbro is simply horrible in letting us know what's coming...or in some cases, already out), I've become more and more frustrated by what I see as two glaring omissions: General Leia Organa and the pirate, Maz Kanata. Since it's 2015/16 and I live in the age of Internet-validation, I headed over to Twitter to see if #WheresLeia had made a comeback, and if #WheresMaz had started. The answer to both my questions was "yes"...but surprisingly (to me), both those hashtags seemed to exist only as stingers to the abundance of people asking #WheresRey? "Why is that 'surprising'?" you may ask...after all, as those of you who have seen the film know, Rey is the main character; the new Luke/Anakin Skywalker analogy, who should be well represented in the movie's merchandising. It's surprising, because Rey IS well represented. While I wont argue that she couldn't (or shouldn't) be BETTER represented (more on that later), the origin of the outrage over the "lack" of Rey merchandise seems to stem from one poorly researched post on the website TheMarySue, focusing on a large-size action figure gift set, exclusive to Target stores. Just as a primer, let me rattle off the various instances where Rey is 'available' in plastic form for you to play with and/or display on your desk or shelf: 1.) Rey (Starkiller Base) - part of Hasbro's mass-market 3.75" action figure line 2.) Rey (Jakku) with BB-8 - part of Hasbro's mass-market 6" 'Black Series' action figure line 3.) Rey - a version with the shroud and goggles, packed in with the "Rey's Speeder" toy - part of Hasbro's mass-market 3.75" action figure line. 4.) Rey - Funko POP! Bobble-head 5.) Rey with speeder - part of Hasbro's Titanium line of die-cast vehicles. But wait...there's more, I'm just pausing here to point out that all of the above options were released on "Force Friday", the same day any and everything related to "The Force Awakens" hit retail stores. Additionally, you can find: 6.) Rey (Jakku) with BB-8 - elite series die-cast action figure (Disney Store exclusive) 7.) a second Funko POP! Rey figure, this version with her headwrap on. 8.) there is a 3.5" Rey PVC character in both versions of the Disney Store figurine gift sets (same figure, just in two different sets) 9.) A Rey Disney Infinity figure (part of a two-pack with Finn) 10.) Rey (Jakku) - Walmart exclusive 3.75" black series action figure (comes with swappable heads even! Both masked and unmasked!) 11.) a SECOND Elite Series 6" Disney Store exclusive (same figure, but with an added 'spoiler' accessory...it's Anakin's Lightsaber) And waiting in the wings (meaning in retail distribution centers): 12.) Rey (Resistance Outfit) - part of Hasbro's mass-market 3.75" action figure line 13.) A 12 inch "hero series" figure, that fits in with the size and scale of the aforementioned Target exclusive pack. So, essentially, if you want a plastic Rey to (dis)play (with), she is represented at every size, scale, and price-point from $6 to $30, RIGHT NOW at retail. So why can't you find her? Well let's address the "Disney rep" or whoever it is that people are quoting as saying her action figure is shipping at a ratio of 1:24 "with the male figures". That number is true, but bullshit at the same time. It applies only to the "mass market" 3.75" scale action figure line, which is broken into two assortments (or SKUs): Jungle/Desert and Snow/Space (the current Rey figure is part of the latter, the forthcoming "Resistance Outfit" figure is in the former). Each of those assortments ship in cases of 12, so if you order one of each, you're getting 24 figures. Rey represents one of those 24 figures. BUT, with the exception of Kylo Ren, all of those figures ship at one per-case. Kylo ships two per case. So while Rey is 1:24, so are Finn, Poe, Phasma, General Hux, and everyone else. In the case of the 6" scale, Rey is 1:6...for the same reason (although in this scale, everyone is 1:1...there's no double packing). The Walmart exclusive 3.75" figure ships two Reys per case, but I'm not sure what the entire breakdown is there. So why can't you find her? Honestly, in this particular instance (because I'm right there with you all with #wheresLeia, #wheresMaz, #wheresGamora, Nebula, Natasha, Hera, etc...), it's because the movie is INSANELY popular, stores dropped the ball (somewhat understandable given how burned they've been by the lackluster reception to previous Star Wars movies versus how heavily they stocked product), and we're just now coming out of the largest toy buying season of the year. Seriously, ask yourself this: am I finding Kylo Ren at retail? Am I seeing tons of Poe Damerons out there? What about Stormtroopers or Captain Phasma? If your stores are anything like mine, the answer is "no" across the board. What you are finding are characters like Ello Asty, General Hux, Constable Zuvio, and the Guavian Enforcer, which are never going to be anyone's "must buys". You may also be seeing a glut of Finns...but that isn't because Hasbro is forcing a dude down your throat at the expense of the true heroine. There's some weird racial thing going on there, which dates back to Lando figures not selling for shit either (hopefully, his next offering - in his Stormtrooper armor, will sell better). So #WheresRey? The sad answer is: in someone else's collection. Action figures might be for kids, but with Star Wars, you're competing with a large number of ravenous, legacy collectors. At the Christmas season though, the legacy collectors are competing with causal buyers and moms and grandmothers, and everyone buying toys for everyone else. Should Rey be shipping in higher quantities? Well, given that her 3.75" mass-market figure is selling on eBay for 3x the retail price and people are asking #wheresRey: probably. We saw retailers demand full case packs of Darth Maul back in 1999 when The Phantom Menace toys hit and Maul couldn't stay in stock (we then saw Maul languish on store shelves and eventually clearance out for pennies on the dollar...), but those decisions aren't made at the store level (seriously, regardless of how helpful the clerk stocking shelves at Walmart or Target seem to be, they have NO power or insight into what will or won't be on their store shelves). And given the fact that the movie is out, spoilers are now "common knowledge", and everyone knows who and what Rey is with regard to her importance to the story, the answer is "absolutely", she should be shipping in higher quantities. Her Resistance outfit figure should be shipping alongside her Starkiller Base figure (and not supplanting it). But...and if you're reading this and you're a new fan/casual buyer who just really wants a Rey figure, I apologize, because you're not going to like this answer: you're going to need to exercise patience or hunt as obsessively as the Legacy collectors do. You have to make a point to FIND a Rey figure. That's what they (and I used to be a fervent member of that 'they') do. I spent many a late night at Walmart back in the mid 2000s hunting the newest and latest Revenge of the Sith figures. Check Amazon, HasbroToyShop, or e-tailers like BigBadToyShop or Entertainment Earth. Or, again, just be patient. Christmas is over and toy shelves are filling back up. What was Rey-less today may be Rey-full tomorrow. Meanwhile, there's still no General Leia or Maz Kanata figure announced or rumored...