Merry Christmas from Relics of the Force!

It's Christmas Eve here in New Zealand - so Merry Christmas everyone! Here's hoping you all have a happy and safe holiday season filled with Star Wars goodies.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who's taken the time to visit and comment on this blog during 2017. Your support and kind words mean the world to me. May the Force be with you!

'Tis the Season for Star Wars!

There's no better way to celebrate the holiday season than by injecting a little Star Wars goodness into your celebrations. Since 1996, Hallmark has been helping us do this with a range of incredibly well-made and well-detailed Christmas "Keepsake" ornaments - many of which also feature sound effects and dialogue from the movies. We add a few more to our tree each year, and it's now looking ready for even the grandest Life Day celebration!

If you've got some festive Star Wars pictures you'd like to show off, be sure to share them with us via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com.

May the 4th Be With You!

The fourth of May has come around again, and you know what that means: It's Star Wars day! May the 4th be with you! I'll be kicking back with some blue milk, watching the films, and maybe adding a few new choice items to my collection.

Have you got any special plans for Star Wars Day? If you do, be sure to share them with us via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com.

Maryland Toy Store Tour - September 2017

After a few months on holiday in my homeland of New Zealand, I've returned to Maryland, USA. One of my first priorities after getting back was to scope out the range and distribution of The Last Jedi products stateside. First up on my toy store tour was Target, and I was shocked at how picked-over everything was.

Earlier last week, I checked my local Farmers store in New Zealand and there was still a plentiful supply of the entire range of 3 3/4" figures - even Old Man Luke. Here, however, there was only Rose, Finn and Hux. No Luke's, Kylos, Poes, Chewies, 3POs, Stormtroopers, Paiges, or Reys (either in single-carded or two-pack form). One thing that was in stock - and which had been completely absent from New Zealand stores - were porgs. So, so many porgs...

Next up on my tour was Toys'R'Us. Things were a little better there. While the more highly desirable figures (like Luke, Chewie, and the Stormtrooper) were still absent, there was a healthy supply of most other characters from the wave.

Finally, I paid a visit to Walmart. Their stock selection fell somewhere between Target and Toys'R'Us, with the same favourite characters still failing to make an appearance. There was also a complete lack of new additions to their exclusive Black Series 3 3/4" line (the pegs still being full of two-year-old Finns and Hans).

The really concerning thing is that every store I visited had an absolute glut of Forces of Destiny dolls - which doesn't bode well for Hasbro continuing the line. It's a shame, because they look absolutely fantastic; both as a straight-out-of-the-pack toy, and as a base for more detailed customisation (which my fiancée soon plans to do with the Leia and Wicket pair).

All said and done, it's clear that Force Friday II arrived with much greater fanfare in the US than in New Zealand. Every store I visited had at least one dedicated display, along with some great standees and promotional material. How're things looking in your area? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

Star Wars Rogue One Hasbro Product Packaging Unveiled

Earlier this month, StarWars.com gave us our first look at the packaging for the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story product line. Like earlier ranges, the packaging focuses on a single iconic character - in this case, the mysterious new black-armoured trooper seen in the recently released teaser trailer.

This design is another entry in Hasbro's long line of distinctive Star Wars product lines. It's great to see some old-school vehicles like the AT-AT featuring so prominently, and I particularly love the stark monochromatic colour scheme. Now we just have to wait until 30th September 2016 to see what goodies will be wrapped in this packaging!

What are your thoughts on the new Rogue One packaging design? Be sure to share them with us via Twitter or Facebook, or by emailing relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

A Recap of Everything Star Wars at NYCC 2015

This past weekend marked the return of New York Comic-Con for another year. Unfortunately, Star Wars revelations were thin on the ground. Unlike SDCC back in July, there was no The Force Awakens panel, nor any updates on either Rogue One or the other upcoming Star Wars anthology films. Perhaps the most exciting piece of Star Wars news to come out of NYCC was this brand new trailer for season 2 of Star Wars Rebels.

Elsewhere in canon news, Del Rey confirmed two sequels to Chuck Wendig's Star Wars: Aftermath, entitled Aftermath: Life Debt and Aftermath: Empire's End. Claudia Gray will also be releasing a novel set six years before The Force Awakens called New Republic: Bloodlines, and Marvel will be adding to their growing Star Wars library with Obi-Wan and Anakin - a 5-issue mini-series set between Episodes II and III.

Of course, one of the most exciting parts of these conventions is seeing all of the exciting new merchandise that will soon be available for purchase. While eFX, Kotobukiya, and Sideshow Collectibles had plenty to offer premium collectors, the Hasbro panel was a little more disappointing. The big focus was on the Black Series 6" line - including our first official looks at Ello Asty, the First Order Snowtrooper, the First Order TIE Fighter Pilot, General Hux, Han Solo, and the Resistance Trooper. Hasbro also gave a sneak peak of their upcoming Darth Revan and Sabine Wren "fans' choice" figures.

Sadly, there were no new reveals of 3 3/4" figures from either the 5POA or SA Black Series lines. In fact, other than the Black Series Titanium helmets and a few new additions to the 12" and Galactic Heroes lines, Hasbro didn't have much at all to show. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. We've recently seen that the "mystery-box" marketing of The Force Awakens has limited Hasbro to only releasing products from the first third of the film. Given the wide variety of items we've already seen, it makes sense that Hasbro won't have too much more up their sleeve until - perhaps - the next trailer is released.

What were your highlights of this year's NYCC? Be sure to email them to me at relicsoftheforce@gmail.com or send a tweet to @Archon_Revuge!

Your Guide to Star Wars at NYCC 2015

This week sees the return of New York Comic Con for another year. As always, there'll be a strong Star Wars presence at the event - including a few panels that promise to be very exciting for fans and collectors like. Below, you'll find a list of everything Star Wars at NYCC. All event descriptions are taken from the official NYCC webpage, and times and dates have been converted to New Zealand local time.

Hasbro Star Wars [Friday, October 9, 4.15am – 5.15am]: Join members of the Hasbro team as they discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line that hit shelves on Force Friday! Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro’s latest action figure offerings with a look at new product coming later this year.

Star Wars Rebels Season 2 Panel [Friday, October 9, 6.30am – 7.30am]: With new episodes of the exciting second season of Star Wars Rebels debuting on Disney XD this fall, Fans will get an exclusive sneak peek of what's to come in a Panel featuring Special Guests and a discussion of the new storylines and characters being introduced throughout the new season.

Star Wars Rebels Season 2 Sneak Preview [Friday, October 9, 10.30am – 11.45am]: Fans are invited to a sneak preview screening of two new episodes from the highly-anticipated second season of Star Wars Rebels which will feature the series debut of Captain Rex, Captain Gregor and Commander Wolffe – three clones from the previous Star Wars animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. They join another fan favorite from The Clone Wars – Ahsoka Tano – who made her Star Wars Rebels debut in the final episode of Season 1. Fans of both series won't want to miss this incredible preview of what's to come in the all-new episodes from the second season of Star Wars Rebels!

Star Wars: A Galaxy of Fandom [Saturday, October 10, 4.00am – 5.00am]: The new era of Star Wars is here! Join Special Guests from the worlds of games, books, comics and entertainment as they share memories of seeing Star Wars for the first time; discuss how the sprawling space epic shaped their lives; and more. Geek out over your favorite parts of that galaxy far, far away with Superfans from Wookieepedia and get hyped for The Force Awakens and other exciting new chapters in the Star Wars saga!

Star Wars Collectibles Update with Lucasfilm's Anita Castellar [Saturday, October 10, 6.30am – 7.30am]: Join a surprise panelist as we make an exciting announcement for the future of Star Wars collectibles. Moderating will be Anita Castellar, a self-professed Star Wars Fangirl who manages licensing for hardlines categories at Lucasfilm, such as toys, collectibles, consumer electronics, automotive and more.

Disney-Lucasfilm Publishing Presents: Star Wars: Journey to The Force Awakens [Sunday, October 11, 5.15am – 6.15am]: While Star Wars Fans eagerly await the new movie The Force Awakens, there's a new crop of titles coming out from Disney-Lucasfilm Press this fall that will take readers on a Journey to The Force Awakens–with intriguing narratives and variant perspectives of events happening in a galaxy far, far away. Now NYCC Attendees can hear from a select group of Authors penning these titles and learn what's new and to-come in the Star Wars universe.

Lucasfilm Presents: Star Wars: A Galactic Reader's Theatre [Monday, October 12, 5.00am – 6.00am]: Join a select group of Author talent as they give NYCC Attendees a special Reader's Theatre of stories from a galaxy far, far away. Nothing too dark, daring or dangerous is off-limits and NYCC Attendees will be thrilled to experience these narratives in an all-new theatrical way.

Houston Toy Store Tour - September 2015

Last week, a piece of school assessment had me heading over to Houston, Texas for a few days. It was a great chance to check out some stores, and see what kind of stock was (still) available over there. There was one unavoidable conclusion I came to during my travels: we got damn lucky here in New Zealand. While we may have missed a couple of lines entirely (most notably, Micro Machines), it seems that the ratio of supply to demand was much better met here. I visited about half-a-dozen Hasbro retailers, and the story was the same at every one: no Rens, no Phasmas, no Rey's speeders, no 2-packs, and no TFA 6" Black Series figures of any kind. I spotted one Armour-Up Luke at a Target store - but other than that, the line was completely absent. Even the Titanium Series and Micro Machines lines were severely decimated, with most remaining vehicles only being those from the OT.

First up on my shopping tour was the Houston Galleria Disney Store. I have to admit that, out of all of the retailers I visited, this was definitely my favourite.

Disney just know how to do atmosphere. While I was in the store, "Across the Stars" was blasting from the stereo, and the Force Awakens trailers were running on a loop. It was also great to see a line of collectibles that is - for now - unavailable on New Zealand shores. The die-cast vehicles and figures are gorgeous, and if I wasn't already heavily committed to several other lines, I'd be all over these.

  

Next up was Toys 'R' Us, who had really gone all-out with a number of cardboard decorations throughout the store (not to mention a very cool clock counting down to the release of The Force Awakens). Toys 'R' Us turned out to be the most well-stocked of all of the retailers I visited - they at least had some 3 3/4" TFA figures on offer. It was here that I also came across the new 48" Jakks Pacific First Order Stormtrooper and Darth Vader. I knew these were going to be big, but dang, they are massive in person!

Finally, I checked out Target - a store which had clearly borne the full brunt of the Star Wars frenzy. Stock levels were at their lowest here, but the store was decorated with some great promotional material (including a full-size BB-8 that I would have loved to add to my collection).

Honourable mention also goes to Kroger Supermarket. While they didn't have any Hasbro products in stock, they were displaying some very cool party items - including giant inflatable Chewbaccas, R2-D2s, and Stormtroopers!

Despite the limited stock at a number of these stores, I still managed to pick up a few choice items (including all but one of the Micro Machines sets on my Force Friday wishlist). Stay tuned for updates on these items over the coming days!