New York City, NY
February 13, 2006
Story and Photos by Chris Spice (Darth Spice)
DAY 3: LOCK AND
LOAD If
the showroom offerings of Hasbro, Sideshow and Master Replicas
weren’t enough, my mouth could only hit the floor when I saw what
Gentle Giant has on tap for 2006. The mini-busts of Qui-Gon Jinn,
Darth Maul and General Grievous were quite a sight, but characters
like Chewbacca and Yoda were even a welcome sight. Perhaps one of
the more notable min-bust would have to be Mara Jade and the Clone
Trooper set of three that will be a sure smash hit. The Holographic
Qui-Gon is yet another must have for many Gentle Giant collectors in
2006.
I
was completely blown away by the statues as well. While a big fan of
the Dewback and Sandtrooper, Gentle Giant did not disappoint with
the Royal Guard, Obi-Wan Kenobi in Clone Armor and perhaps the new
granddaddy of the line, the Rancor with our favorite crying fat guy!
The prices on these will be similar to the prices of the other
available pieces but there may be a slight increase for the Rancor,
due to the size and weight but I’m sure it will be well worth it.
The animated line will also continue with Darth Vader, Leia with
R2-D2, Boba Fett and to appease the Expanded Universe in us all
Ithorian that will for sure be on the move. Another great piece were
the Han and Greedo bookends that are prototypes along with the Clone
Armor Obi-Wan but what I’m once again sure both will be sold out
after their release.
The
bust-ups will also be another huge success in 2006. There were
simply so many of them! The vast line was only complimented by the
amount detail that was in the tiny heads. Some that really stood out
were Episode III Palpatine, Snaggletooth and the Animated series
were also a delight, even though I don’t collect this line. I also
took the time to take some photos of the other lines from Gentle
Giant such as the Tim Burton’s corpse bride, the Simpsons, Harry
Potter, Clash of the Titans and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
sculpts that will be a great compliment to any collectors
entertainment room. Overall I was simply amazed with what Gentle
Giant is going to release in 2006. After receiving a 2006 show
exclusive Darth Vader bust-up, we made way to see what Darkhorse had
to offer in their showroom.
The
only Kotobukiya that was not currently on the marketplace was
Commander Bly, but once again I could see I’m going to be adding yet
another one of these fine pieces to my collection. Seeing the
Snowtrooper up close and personal was another highlight of the
Darkhorse room. I was also interested in some of the WETA products
such as Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia pieces that will roll out
later this year. I guess one thing you could say was this show
opened up my eye to a lot more than Star Wars, and I would be lying
if I didn’t say some of the other lines I saw were not equally
impressive. The Kotobukiya room was pretty cool for the simple fact
they had just about every single one on display, but they were
located on a very high shelf and were difficult to shoot, but you
can always refer to the guide we have here at Sandtroopers if you
are interested in previous releases.
After
our tours concluded, we made way for the Times Square Toys 'R Us to
see one of the largest stores in the world. While I had not been to
New York City for quite some time, I just couldn’t believe how busy
it is. We concluded the afternoon by having a quiet lunch at
Angelo’s Italian Restaurant that is located right next door where
they tape the Late Show with David Letterman. As I packed up my
field equipment this afternoon I could only look forward to the long
road ahead and the fact we were not part of any further history in
New York. It is truly a beautiful city, a little dirty but the
spirit of the people who live here is simply amazing. I look forward
to making this Patrol for many years to come and once again it was a
pleasure to “collect and serve” in the army of Sandtroopers.com. I
must say we all have quite a bit of enjoyment to come this year.
Star Wars isn’t going anywhere, and only the strong will survive.
United We Find.
PHOTO GALLERIES To see the different
photo galleries click on one of the links below.
If
the showroom offerings of Hasbro, Sideshow and Master Replicas
weren’t enough, my mouth could only hit the floor when I saw what
Gentle Giant has on tap for 2006. The mini-busts of Qui-Gon Jinn,
Darth Maul and General Grievous were quite a sight, but characters
like Chewbacca and Yoda were even a welcome sight. Perhaps one of
the more notable min-bust would have to be Mara Jade and the Clone
Trooper set of three that will be a sure smash hit. The Holographic
Qui-Gon is yet another must have for many Gentle Giant collectors in
2006. 
I
was completely blown away by the statues as well. While a big fan of
the Dewback and Sandtrooper, Gentle Giant did not disappoint with
the Royal Guard, Obi-Wan Kenobi in Clone Armor and perhaps the new
granddaddy of the line, the Rancor with our favorite crying fat guy!
The prices on these will be similar to the prices of the other
available pieces but there may be a slight increase for the Rancor,
due to the size and weight but I’m sure it will be well worth it.
The animated line will also continue with Darth Vader, Leia with
R2-D2, Boba Fett and to appease the Expanded Universe in us all
Ithorian that will for sure be on the move. Another great piece were
the Han and Greedo bookends that are prototypes along with the Clone
Armor Obi-Wan but what I’m once again sure both will be sold out
after their release.
The
bust-ups will also be another huge success in 2006. There were
simply so many of them! The vast line was only complimented by the
amount detail that was in the tiny heads. Some that really stood out
were Episode III Palpatine, Snaggletooth and the Animated series
were also a delight, even though I don’t collect this line. I also
took the time to take some photos of the other lines from Gentle
Giant such as the Tim Burton’s corpse bride, the Simpsons, Harry
Potter, Clash of the Titans and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
sculpts that will be a great compliment to any collectors
entertainment room. Overall I was simply amazed with what Gentle
Giant is going to release in 2006. After receiving a 2006 show
exclusive Darth Vader bust-up, we made way to see what Darkhorse had
to offer in their showroom.
The
only Kotobukiya that was not currently on the marketplace was
Commander Bly, but once again I could see I’m going to be adding yet
another one of these fine pieces to my collection. Seeing the
Snowtrooper up close and personal was another highlight of the
Darkhorse room. I was also interested in some of the WETA products
such as Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia pieces that will roll out
later this year. I guess one thing you could say was this show
opened up my eye to a lot more than Star Wars, and I would be lying
if I didn’t say some of the other lines I saw were not equally
impressive. The Kotobukiya room was pretty cool for the simple fact
they had just about every single one on display, but they were
located on a very high shelf and were difficult to shoot, but you
can always refer to the guide we have here at Sandtroopers if you
are interested in previous releases. 
After
our tours concluded, we made way for the Times Square Toys 'R Us to
see one of the largest stores in the world. While I had not been to
New York City for quite some time, I just couldn’t believe how busy
it is. We concluded the afternoon by having a quiet lunch at
Angelo’s Italian Restaurant that is located right next door where
they tape the Late Show with David Letterman. As I packed up my
field equipment this afternoon I could only look forward to the long
road ahead and the fact we were not part of any further history in
New York. It is truly a beautiful city, a little dirty but the
spirit of the people who live here is simply amazing. I look forward
to making this Patrol for many years to come and once again it was a
pleasure to “collect and serve” in the army of Sandtroopers.com. I
must say we all have quite a bit of enjoyment to come this year.
Star Wars isn’t going anywhere, and only the strong will survive.
United We Find.