August 2014 Update - The Black Series Trio

so what can i say..?
well, this latest transaction is another dream come true for me..
i have been eyeing on the Bastila Shan figure ever since it made its The Vintage Collection debut..
but unfortunately, it was often sold as part of the set during those times, and as 'single' it was sold at a very high price..
thanks to Hasbro for releasing it again as part of the Black Series..
and also, thanks to Kramer for offering it in their store and for selling 'single' copies of it...

it was another brilliant and excellent deal with Kramer..
after they announced that they'll be selling copies of the Bastila Shan unit from the Black Series, i immediately inquired about that offer..
during that time, i was also interested in purchasing a copy of both Mara Jade and Luminara Unduli, also from the Black Series..
i asked them if they can reserve both units for me while we wait for the arrival of Bastila Shan, and they kindly did..
it took sometime before the Bastila Shan set finally arrived at their store, but it was worth waiting for...

we completed the entire transaction only through text (with some help via Facebook)..
and that's just a proof that Kramer is still very considerate and trustworthy as usual..
i think they're getting better and better with their work..
and now they even have their own website where you can preorder stuff, make reservation(s), and which accepts online payment through credit cards and more (kindly checkout the links in their Facebook page)...

and so i should say, thank you so much Kramer Toy Warden for fulfilling my Bastila Shan dream... ^_^
keep up the good work!
and i look forward to more interesting transactions with you in the future..
here's a related review about them: Kramer Toy Warden

this bunch of Black Series was delivered to me by LBC..
and i believe this is the first time that i and Kramer asked for their service..
i think a lot has changed now regarding their system..
and i believe it's all for the better..
it only took them more than 12 hours to deliver my package to me..
their website's tracking system seems to be more accurate and dependable based on my recent purchases..
and now, they are using some sort of electronic scanner device where the consignee of the package can directly input their signature...



JEDI ORDER:

Bastila Shan..
a Human female who served as a Jedi Padawan, from the planet Talravin..
she also briefly became an apprentice to the Sith Master, Darth Malak..
despite her youth, she was found to have an exceptional gift with the Force power known as battle meditation; which increased her allies' morale while demoralizing her enemies..
in addition, her allies would be granted perfect coordination and the ability to respond instantly and perfectly to the enemy's every change in formation and strategy..
so with this power she could affect the outcome of a battle by thought alone..
she wields a yellow double-bladed lightsaber...

she's my very first action figure who makes use of a double-bladed lightsaber..
and on the picture on the right, you can see her beautiful ponytail... :)

well, this version seems less-polished compared to it's debut version..
based on some review websites, this release seems to have a lighter and less-skillful paint job..
but i'm totally fine with that - as long as i can have a copy of Bastila Shan at an affordable price... ^_^

Luminara Unduli (new & better Black Series' sculpt)..
a Mirialan Jedi Master and an adviser to the Jedi High Council, from Mirial..
she is the master of Barriss Offee...

on the picture on the right, you can see that this sculpt of her is equipped with a removable headdress..
despite being a 'better sculpt', this version's boots lack in design and paint job unlike the previous version..
i still have the old sculpt of her..
but because of this new purchase, i might include that action figure of her in my For Sale list..
refer to this previous entry about her...

above is a comparative view of the new and the old version of Luminara Unduli..
and below is a comparative view of their respective boots...

above and below are comparative images of both new and old Luminara Unduli sculpt and Barriss Offee...

Mara Jade Skywalker..
a Human female..
during different times in her life, she bacame an Emperor's Hand, a smuggler, and later a Jedi Master who sat upon the Jedi High Council..
she was raised as a servant to Emperor Palpatine and became a high-level Force-using operative who carried out the Emperor's bidding; killing Rebels and corrupt Imperials alike with cold professionalism, even as a young woman..
later she served as Jedi Master to both Jaina Solo and Anakin Solo, children of Han Solo and Leia Organa...

though she's a Jedi Master, she'll probably spend most of the time with the Rebels, just like Luke Skywalker..
at first, i thought that i'd only have this unit just so i can have a partner/wife for Luke Skywalker (once i've decided on what version of him to buy)..
but after i have opened and inspected this Mara Jade figure, i'm just amazed on how good she looks..
she may look a bit of a retro, but this particular unit looks hot and will definitely make it to my Women of Star Wars list...

the above photos show the different holster options for this Mara Jade figure..
the top photo features her removable holster positioned at her right side..
while the photo below features her holster attached to the back of her belt...

July 2014 Update - Naboo's Starfighter

about a week ago i had this very tempting offer from a local ebay seller whom i've had a few transactions with just by the end of 2013 and early this 2014..
he offered me the latest model of the Naboo Starfighter which used to be in my WishList, and so i immediately grabbed the opportunity to get a copy of it, upon verifying the authenticity of the unit...

the week that passed wasn't a great week..
a strong typhoon hit our area, there was blackout all over the northern part of the country, and the delivery of my item got delayed..
lucky for me, the courier still successfully delivered my package the day after that great typhoon..
so it's not a bad week after all...

my latest purchase is a vehicle..
so basically (again), it made my Estimated Rate increase..
but it's okay with me, because it was still a great deal..
actually, there are some items out there that can help me lessen my Estimated Rate value, but it's kinda hard to insert them in my 'to buy list' especially when my top-priority targets are coming in the scene...



REBEL VEHICLES:

Naboo Royal N-1 Starfighter..
sometimes known simply as the Naboo Starfighter..
a starfighter used by the government of Naboo for defense, patrol, and escort duties..
the Royal N-1 Starfighter featured the best elements of Naboo design, being aesthetically sound and adhering to Naboo's love for curves and aerodynamic shapes...

for the very first time, i featured a unit which is not fully-assembled..
i did not attach the tail portion of this starfighter because i'm afraid that i may have problems with its interlocking parts..
i have experienced that problem with my AT-AP unit, and i had to use force to separate the cannon on top from the main body, and it resulted to some minor damage on the interlocking parts..
for now, i still don't have a decent room for all my collection, so i need to put them back in their packaging after inspecting and taking photos of them..
and so, i need to be very careful and make sure that each unit (especially vehicles) can still be disassembled after...

on the upper right portion of the image above, shows how tall a pilot figure is compared to the starfighter...

here's a photo revealing the concealed proton torpedo launchers on the side engines...

the latest model of the Naboo Starfighter features a working compartment for the astromech droid..
the photo above shows a full-body R2-D2 unit placed inside the starfighter's back portion..

the upper image shows that a Vintage Collection Naboo Pilot can fit inside the starfighter's cockpit..
and the image below it shows that a Padme Amidala (disguised as a Naboo Security Pilot) can also fit inside..
i've also tried putting in an old version of Ric Olie, but it would require forceful methods to do so..
TIP: don't use the sliding canopy to put a pilot inside the starfighter, i suggest you open the upper part of the main body (the one which reveals the engine inside) and start from there...

here's a comparative top view of a Naboo Starfighter and a V-Wing Starfighter..
here you can see how long the Naboo Starfighter is (which is about 22 inches or 55 cm long), compared to a V-Wing Starfighter (which is about 14 inches or 35 cm long)...
and so this makes my new Naboo Starfighter the longest vehicle in my collection right now...




NON-MATCH FURNITURE:
and here's a short update for my non-match furniture..

glass chamber..
i'm not sure what this item used to be (it looks like a soap container to me)..
but, i'm planning to use it like some sort of transparent chamber for holding mid-sized bodies or entities...

Non-Match Furniture - Recyclables

here's a bunch of recyclables which i think i can use for my Star Wars Diorama Project:

microscope slides for glass stairs..
i plan to make it look like a floating stair...

test or sample containers for glass tanks..
i might be able to use them inside my cloning facility in Kamino...

marbles..
probably for porch ornaments or lighting equipment...

vials for glass tanks or chemical containers...

razor blade covers for lighting equipment...

sharpener glass covers for small table and cover...

small table with cover...

cotton buds clear plastic container...

Pringles container lid...

breath freshener container for vending machine...

beauty cream containers for garden or corridor ornaments...

beads for jewels or valuable stones..
available in orange, yellow, green, and white...

Non-Match Furniture - The Clock Tower

here's another update for my non-match furniture..
this isn't the latest though, for this piece has been with me for quite some time now...

wall clock frame & glass..
so we had this broken wall clock from my biological brother's house..
i tried to fix it, but it seemed hopeless..
and after removing the frame and the glass from the main body, i thought that i might be able to use those parts for some sort of clock tower in my Star Wars diorama..
so for now, i'll be keeping it until i have the time and resources to build my clock tower...

Non-Match Furniture - Clear Plastic Glass Display Stand

and here's a little update with my non-match accessories..

clear plastic glass display stand..
it looks like glass, but i believe it's just made of plastic material...

it's not an actual component or accessory included in any Star Wars package..
so i decided to just include it under my non-match furniture..
i got this as a bonus item after buying my very first Clone Trooper 212th Battalion..
and i'm happy with it... ^_^

February 2014 Update - The Rebels Finally Got a Starfighter

i got these new items last February 26, 2014..
i have mentioned on one of my previous posts that i'll try to lessen the rate of my expenses per action figure, after it has continuously  increased due to recent purchases..
but unfortunately, i found this drool worthy item on the local ebay, and so i was forced to commit to buy it immediately..
well, it did increase my estimated rate just because one of the items which i bought is a vehicle, but i think it was a good decision coz i think they're cheap considering their size and condition... ^_^



UTAPAU:
these are units that i'll assign to the planet, Utapau...

Clone Trooper 212th Battalion..
they are troopers assigned under Clone Commander Cody..
these troopers were distinguished by the orange markings on their Phase II armor..
they are particulary assigned to the planet of Utapau...

well, this one has a quite discolored helmet, that can be easily noticed if compared to the condition of its armor..
and the inside of that helmet seems to have a greenish staining substance (probably due to the paint that was used for this action figure's hair)..
but in a way, i find that defect helpful in distinguishing units of the same name and design (considering army-building)..
plus, this trooper got me a very nice clear plastic glass-like action figure stand, so it's not a bad deal after all... :)



REBEL VEHICLES:
these are vehicles that i'll assign to my Rebel Alliance...

V-Wing Starfighter..
named the Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-Wing starfighter, but often called the V-Wing Starfighter or Nimbus Fighter..
it is a short-ranged starfighter..
the V-Wing were later succeeded by the Imperial TIE Fighter and its variants, as well as the Rebel RZ-1 A-Wing Interceptor, all of which incorporated aspects of the V-Wing into their designs (i find this a helpful trivia coz i really plan on getting some TIE Fighters and an A-Wing in the future)...

the photo at the top left shows the side view of the V-Wing Starfighter with its landing gear: 1 at the front and 2 attached to the wings (they require the wings to be folded in order to perform the landing)..
at the top right shows a comparative view of the V-Wing Starfighter and a sample pilot..
at bottom left is the V-Wing Starfighter in flight mode (with the wings open), and it also shows that a pilot can actually fit inside its cockpit..
and lastly, at the bottom right is a clearer view of the pilot sitting inside the cockpit...

because this is a generic starfighter, the astromech droid that goes with it doesn't have a unique or proper name...

this was the very reason why i made this latest purchase..
i thought it was cheap (only Php 50 higher compared to my Aayla Secura Jedi Starfighter), so i bought it ASAP..
this is the red and clean version of the V-Wing Starfighter(s) that are already available in the market..
although it has the Imperial Crest on it, i've decided to just assign it to my rebel forces..
actually, i don't have much vehicles assigned to the Rebel Alliance, and the A-Wing was my 2nd choice for their spacecraft (after losing interest on the vintage X-Wing), (my 1st choice being the Naboo Starfighter)..
but after recognizing the resemblance between the V-Wing and the A-Wing, i thought that the V-Wing would be a better choice for my army...

 

the photo at the top shows a comparative view of the size of an actual astromech droid figure (R2-D2 in this example) and an astromech droid attached to an Eta-2 Actis-class Jedi Interceptor (Aayla Secura's R4-G9)..
they are almost of the same size, though the starfighter's astromech droid doesn't have a full body..
and at the bottom picture, shows a comparative view of an astromech droid figure and an Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-Wing Starfighter's astromech-droid-attachment..
this time, the V-Wing Starfighter's astromech droid's head is smaller compared to that of a full astromech droid action figure...

and here's a comparative semi-top view of an Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-Wing Starfighter and an Eta-2 Actis-class Jedi Interceptor..
the compressed form of the V-Wing Starfighter (because you can actually pull the wing portions, thus extending the wings to the sides.. i'm not sure if it's actually meant to work like that since i haven't seen or read any V-Wing visual guide that discusses that, and also, extending the wings to the sides disables the wings' spring-open feature) is narrower compared to the Jedi Interceptor, but after attaching the front portion of the V-Wing Starfighter to its main body, it becomes quite a long spacecraft (longer than the Jedi Interceptor)...

Non-Star Wars Update - November 2013 (Porsche Spyder)

this is a 1/32 scale model of a Porsche 918 Spyder..
i got this last November 17, 2013..
i asked my biological brother's family to buy one for me, and it's from a Petron gasoline station..
back then, it can be purchased for Php 240 after purchasing gasoline product(s) with a minimum worth of Php 1,000...

it's a 'pull-back and go' type of collectible toy car..
and includes other features like:
- opening doors
- LEDs for the pair of headlight and taillight
- sounds (that is synchronized with the lights)
- and, remote-controlled car features
the remote control has 3 different function buttons:
- start the engine
- activate the door lock(s)
- and, activate the car alarm
it also comes with replacement button cell type of batteries...

i decided to add it to my collection because it looks great & has a remote that makes it work like a real car...