Hot Toys Star Wars Stormtrooper

[The Jerker]

BBTS has 16 of the two pack left in stock and the price just went up $40.

Edit: 16 that aren't in "sub-standard" condition, I should specify.

I've politely asked them about this practice. Curious to see if I hear anything.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Pretty sure they have a FAQ on the site that explains their package grading well enough.

 

[karamazov80]

Have they ever raised their prices above retail like this before?

All the time. After Michael Jackson's death, they had several of the Hot Toys figures in stock, and jacked up the price to around $500 I believe when demand went up so suddenly.

 

[The Jerker]

I'm more interested in why the need to mark merchandise that other vendors are sold out of. Yeah, it's obvious why but kind of a shady practice. Just leave it at msrp until it sells out. I also told them that I'm a loyal customer regardless so they're probably be like F-it, what's he crying for.

 

[karamazov80]

They're a business out to make a profit. They charge what people will pay, as businesses should. All their new Masterpiece Transformers are listed at probably 30% more than you can get them from Japan directly, so they're making major profits on them, but for the convenience, or due to a lack of knowledge, people buy those from them (I did in the past before I learned better). I was more annoyed when they do stuff like clearing out brick and mortar exclusives from their region, then mark them up substantially, justifying it as providing a "service" for international customers. Because that's just being disingenuous, and taking opportunities away from others who had a chance to buy. With the Stormies, everyone had ample chance to buy. So no one has much room to complain when they mark up prices this late in the game IMO.

 

[psoul95]

Yeah. I think it's crap. I've been saving up for this 2-pack and was finally going to get it this week. Now this. I'm not sure I even want it anymore.

 

[Wor-Gar]

BBTS has done this many, many times in the past. It is fairly common. Not sure where it's written that they can't raise the price. Buyers don't like it, sure, but it's not "not fair".

You guys shouldn't have waited. Look at it this way, buy it now before it goes down to 8 pieces left and BBTS raises the price to $479.

 

[Invictus Sol]

Yeah, or sells out completely. After market on these is going to be a b****.

 

[Mike86]

I probably should have gotten a two pack earlier. I guess I really didn't expect these to sell out so fast and thought they'd have multiple runs. As is I just have one single regular Trooper and the Shadow Trooper plus the Spacetrooper on order. Hopefully the Luke and Han in Trooper disguise figures will be able to swap out the head sculpts so I can use them as additional Troopers. Not sure I want to pay the marked up price for the two pack.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I'm going to have three troopers -- all different -- so I decided against the two-pack long ago. I 'want' it... but I think I'll be happier with three distinctively different troopers on the shelf (Storm, Sand and Space). Eventually will add HT Snowtrooper, HT Snowtrooper Commander, HT AT-AT Driver, HT TIE Pilot and HT Scout Trooper.

That said, nothing quite looks like a squad of clean uniformed white stormtroopers.

 

[Mike86]

I thought two normal Troopers would be nice to have displayed at Vader's sides. I guess the Spacetrooper can stand in if nothing else since it isn't that different aside from the backpack. I could use the Shadow too I suppose even though that Trooper isn't actually in the film. The problem with Troopers is I'd love to have multiples but with how much 1/6th stuff costs it's not really sensible to buy a bunch of them if you're trying to collect other figures too.

 

[TaliBane]

Some ***** on Facebook (right?) tried to argue UP and DOWN with me that these were copies of the Hot Toys trooper because it comes with 5 hands. Even though all the armor parts and shoes look like casts of the Sideshow troopers. I mean, put them side by side on the screen and there's no mistaking them, from the wide chest armor to the pointy crotch, the shins are completely different and of course the tell-tale shoes - HT's are short with an excessively thick sole.

This release is also a good shovel to use when hitting the face of people who defend re-casts of artist's work, claiming it's OK because the artists don't have permission for the likeness. Their argument falls down when they continue to support counterfeit and re-cast licensed products such as this. Their come-back is usually something like "who cares? This is a great deal, a Stormtrooper for $100, half the price of Hot Toys" or of course "Sideshow isn't selling theirs anymore." FFS.

Not sure if someone already corrected but those Force Toys recasts do come with HT hands. They aren't the SSC stormie hands.

 

[jkno]

Well technically these current figures have the grey and black "teeth" on their helmets which designates them as those from the original (1977) Star Wars only. So they could make "Bespin" and "Endor" ST variants which looked slightly different (from ANH and each other.)

It's a bit more than that to the 3 Stormtrooper versions. Differences from ANH to ESB to ROTJ go from armors to helmets to E-11 blasters.

 

[TaliBane]

It's a bit more than that to the 3 Stormtrooper versions. Differences from ANH to ESB to ROTJ go from armors to helmets to E-11 blasters.

The ROTJ bucket and armor are just plain ugly.

 

[momaw]

Got my extra single in the mail todat. Never noticed before that nowhere on the box does it reference ANH.

 

[jkno]

The ROTJ bucket and armor are just plain ugly.

The beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are people who like it, despite others saying it is ugly. Personally I see it as different. Besides that we can see tons of ROTJ armors on many Hasbro, Attakus, Kotobukiya, Gentle Giant etc. figures and statues. The same with the ROTJ E-11 blasters (Attakus, Koto, Gentle Giant)

 

[TonTon]

Got my extra single in the mail todat. Never noticed before that nowhere on the box does it reference ANH.

I think it's on the shipper box, though I can't speak for the single as I only got the set. Edit: Never mind, just searched eBay and saw that it's on the shipper for the single too. (Episode IV A New Hope)

 

[Khev]

Well I just bit the bullet on the two-pack. Was gonna wait until after Han, Chewie, and Ben, etc., had been paid for but I didn't want to risk having to pay $500+ for these guys and I can't have a 1/6 SW collection without classic Stormtroopers for crying out loud. #firstworldproblem

 

[Bgnyc007]

Well I just bit the bullet on the two-pack. Was gonna wait until after Han, Chewie, and Ben, etc., had been paid for but I didn't want to risk having to pay $500+ for these guys and I can't have a 1/6 SW collection without classic Stormtroopers for crying out loud. #firstworldproblem

Still not too bad on the price considering BBTS doesn't charge tax and you can get super saver shipping for like $6.

 

[spindrift]

Just bought the two pack from BBTS- it's going to skyrocket soon as supply dries up. HT most likely won't reissue the same set in the future- probably just a single stormtrooper. SW is red hot and will be for years..so gotta get these while you can.
Does it sound like I'm trying to convince myself on this purchase??