After going to three Wal-marts and three Targets (Toys R Us isn’t open yet) this morning on a mostly successful search for Indiana Jones figures, the one figure I didn’t get was Irina Spalko, Cate Blanchet’s raven-haired Russian from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
I don’t get it. We don’t even know much about this character yet We don’t know what fate is in store for her: a face-melting, whithering away from old age, or maybe some sort of probing by aliens with crystal skulls? – how can she be so popular?
I understand that she is a female figure (which don’t sell well according to Hasbro) and she’s a villain figure (which do sell well according to Hasbro) but she’s the main nemesis in the new movie – why should she be so hard to find? If anything, they should pack MORE of her at the start of the line – then phase her out for some other baddie or another Marion.
All I know is, she’s gonna be damn hard to find. If you see a spare, grab one for me, will ya?
It may be the old GI Joe statstics at play here. When I was at Hasbro, they had a report which showed that male heroes outsold male villains by 5 to 1. and the worst selling villain outsold the best selling female hero ever made.
I think she’s just not out yet.
I was at TRU this morning at 10am. I was the first to look at the Indy stuff. I didn’t see her either.
There was 1 Indy from Kingdom. No German two packs. The male Russian commander (whom I too lazy at the moment to look up his name) was nowhere to be seen either.
So, perhaps these first cases didn’t include all the figs, and they’ll come in revision cases?
I think you’re having a hard time because the figure you’re looking for is over 20 years old!
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I found mine at TRU this afternoon. The only figures I couldn’t find were Marion and Belloq. Irina’s out there… just not at MY TRU any more.
I saw it this morning. I am not really interested in these at all. I like Indiana Jones but not the toys. Well maybe the squad ones . Will check again for you and let you know what I find.
Maybe this is a regional thing. I haven’t found ANY Marions yet but have at least 3 Irina’s at each of 2 different stores (a TRU and a Wal-Mart).
Just incredible. Wow. You really drove to SIX different stores for a piece of crap action figure? I wouldn’t mention this embarassing information to anyone. I mean, how old are you dude?
The first Target I hit in MD at 8AM had no Spalkos, Belloqs, or Dovchenkos.
Then at Lunch TRU had plenty of all 3. I have a Spalko, Dovchenko, etc. in my trunk right now.
So ALL the figures from RotLA and Crystal Skull are out, it just depends on which stores. Ditto the deluxe figs. found some at target, and the rest at TRU like the German on Motorcycle and the Indy w/ horse.
Regarding the Spalko figure, make sure you check paint on the eyes. They had 3 and 2 of them were either lazy or bug-eyed, but one was just right. I have noticed this on some of the other figs as well.
The one that was hardest for me to find was the standard carded Marion Ravenwood (as opposed to the 2-pack, which was everywhere).
If Spalko and Marion end up being rare, it will probably be due to scalper-scum who think that they will be harder to find scoop them up.
Good hunting everyone!
P.S. The Wal-Mart I hit had NOTHING – so those may be a waste of time.
Oh, and Brent: this is a collector site for collectors, not idiots who troll message boards so they can shore-up their insecurity and low self-esteem by hurling insults behind the safety of a computer monitor. If anyone needs to grow up it’s you.
Brent! What have I told you about playing on Mommy’s computer! I know you’re almost 30, but this equipment is for grown-ups. Get back down to the basement!
(I know Brent is checking back here like a fool to see if anyone responded. Hello Brent!)
Thanks to you all for cheering me up. Really, I needed the laugh.
Fewer things are more hilarious than grown men (well, mostly grown I’m assuming) driving frantically to store after store to buy a $10+ piece of plastic that OTHER men are also buying in droves. Collectability? The vast majority of this crap won’t be worth the cardboard backings they’re sealed on even 3 years from now. As a recovered collector, I’m here to tell you, there IS life beyond kung-fu grip and 25 points of articulation. You’ll see.
Brent,
It sounds like you might need to realize that there are lots of different types of action figure collectors. Not all of them are the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons. True, some are scalpers and some are speculators, but others enjoy playing with them with their children and others are toy enthusiasts. For many of these people, “this” is their hobby.
A hobby like going to the gym or dabbling in the stock market or playing video games. Ironically (maybe to you), I do all three. I could go on about having a life, career, wife, children, etc. and not being someone’s stereotype of an action figure collector, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that you’re a sensible person that doesn’t normally jump to conclusions about these types of things.
You might also need to realize some of us (luckily) live with a 20 minutes drive of six stores – I feel sorry for those who drive miles only to find nothing.
P.S. – I’m sorry to hear that you’re a “recovered collector”: in my experience that term means someone who had to give up on something they loved because they couldn’t afford collecting due to some hardship – be it financial or emotional.
Of course we all knew Brent would come lurking back around to check on the responses. These types always follow the same pattern of behavior.
We feel sad for you, Brent. Not because you spent your entire day on here checking this blog, but because you are actually taking the time to criticize the other people here over something that you claim you no longer participate in or even care about. You sound lonely and seem to have a pretty joyless existence. I suggest spending less time trolling blogs to mock strangers and instead find something that will bring true happiness in your empty life.
A question: I can filter out obvious trolls like Brent in these comment sections. Do you (the readers) want that, or is the discussion that results from it worthwhile?
Just wondering.
Back to the topic, I saw all of the new figures today (but only the Jeep type vehicle)and wasn’t planning on getting any, but broke down and got Spalko, Dovchenko (the only ones of each!, Cairo Swordsman, and Indy w/horse.
Darn you, Scott Rogers and Jim Abell!!!
Otter, it looks like Brent’s Mom has everything under control. She’ll keep lil’ Brent in line methinks:)
The only figure I couldn’t find today was Spalko. Saw plenty of Marions. Out of the two Targets and one Wal-Mart, that is. Both Targets had the same three Deluxe sets(Indy/Ark, Marion/swordsman, and the German Soldiers) Wal-Mart had three completely different Deluxe sets(both Peru Temple Indys and the German with motorcycle) but none of the others. None of the three stores had all of everything. Wal-mart was at least fifty cents cheaper on the basic figs compared to Target, but since my Redcard doesn’t work at Wal-mart, I bought them at Target.
I found one Spalko at the TRU I hit just as it was opening.
The paint apps on her face were AWFUL. I left her on the shelf.
I hit a second TRU a short while later. They were behind schedule and were just opening up their boxes.
I had my choice of 3 additional Spalkos. Again, the paint was really crappy, but I picked the best of the bunch.
Still a disappointment, though, but I figured with crappy odds like that I might as well take the least offensive version rather than wait and pray for a better one to come along.
Yeah, they’re only packed one per case, so they will be hard to find.
I would imagine later in the summer, once they work out the kinks in the factory, the quality will improve.
I didn’t, however, see any Marions at all, either single-carded or deluxe and had to leave the only Sallah I found on the shelf due to the same paint quality issues.
I first found most of the figures at walmart at 3:am on 5/1: I saw maybe three Marions. No Irina. Also no Dovchenko and no Ucha Warrior. Around 10:30 am I found all three reamining figures at TRU. There were about four Irinas, so I guess she was packed one per case. There are several case mixes which is to be expected given the number of figures seemingly being released simultaneously. Hang in there. I don’t thing she’ll be too hard to find. At the beginning when it’s collectors picking them up, shell be scarce, but as mentioned above, the females just don’t sell as well to kids.
Now they better ship whole cases of Elsa from Last Crusade or there will be hell to pay!
And oh, yes, sorting through the terrible paint apps on the faces was time consuming. Luckily the figures I found later were somehwat better done, but Hasbro let the ball slip on the quality control at least at the start of the runs. That’s a real shame consider how long we’ve been waiting for high qualtiy Indy figures.
hasbrotoyshop has them right now, you can buy one for $10, if you use the promo code “Disc10″ with the gas you spend chasing her down, and the tax of about 50 cents or so, it probably comes in about even