Loyal Subjects Transformers Action Vinyls (Wave 3): Swoop

Earlier on the blog I mentioned purchased two sealed blind packaged Action Vinyls from the 3rd wave from a local discount store. The first box I open had Rumble hiding inside and the second box had a Dinobot, particularly Swoop!

When I first looked at the box and saw the characters included in this wave, I knew I wanted Swoop as both the character and the original G1 toy were childhood favorites of mine. Little did I know I was about to get my wish when I took the two boxes to the checkout counter.

Being a blind packaged collectible the box they come in looks the same regardless of what character is found inside. For the 3rd wave the Constructicon Scrapper was featured on the front. The back gives you clues as to who the chase characters could be, while the sides of the box show the 10 main characters. The other Dinobot in this wave is Sludge.

Swoop was and still is my favorite of all the Dinobots, so pulling him out of the package was pretty sweet. Like with Rumble, he came disassembled with his wings, beak and sword being in a small sealed bag separate from the main figure. Each wing simply pegged into the back of the figure, while the small beak pegged into a small hole in the chest. The sword can be wielded in either hand, but it's a tight fit and not the easiest to get into his hand (or out of his hand for that matter).

Again the sculpting of the head is great. Swoop retains his classic "horn" look on his head, part of his dino mode, along with his visor in place of eyes. This is a direct carry over from the original G1 toy design as his animation model gave him eyes. Sculpted on the underside of his wings are his missile launchers. The added partial dino beak on the chest really help complete the look of the figure. Even if I wasn't so partial to this character, this is easily one of the best Action Vinyl Transformers figures I've seen.

Loyal Subjects Transformers Action Vinyls (Wave 3): Rumble

During the height of blind packaged collectible popularity, a small company called Loyal Subjects  acquired the licenses for several popular 80's brands. One of these was of course Transformers. When these were initially launched I grabbed one out of curiosity and I just wasn't that pleased. I watched from a distance and saw that their build, style and quality seemed to improve. First with the GI Joe brand, then others. When I was ready to give them another chance, I couldn't find them at local retail anywhere! 

Fast forward to a few months ago where I found a few boxes from the 3rd wave at a Five Below discount store. I believe they were priced at $4 each. Unfortunately several of the boxes had been opened and the foil bag inside punctured to reveal the toy inside...or the boxes were outright empty. I found 2 boxes that were still firmly intact so I grabbed those.

 

Wave 3 features 10 more Generation 1 Transformers: Bonecrusher, Rumble, Trailbreaker, Scrapper, Swoop, Blitzing, Laserbeak, Longhaul, Wheeljack and Sludge. Chase figures (Sunstreaker, Hound & Frenzy) once again are randomly inserted at various odds.

One of the two boxes that I purchased that day ultimately yielded Rumble...yes, Rumble, not Frenzy. I'm not here to get into the long time "RIBFIR" debate, so why don't we look at the toy?

If you aren't familiar with these Action Vinyls, they are small, deformed versions of the popular characters. They have limited movement...at least the Transformers do. He came packaged with his arms and guns sealed in separate bags inside the larger foil bag. He assembled very easily with the pile drivers pegging into the holes on this side and the guns pegging into his bag.

The sculpting on the head is fantastic, from the shape of the "helmet" to the facial expression. The paint apps are spot on and applied with care. There is no mistaking who this is supposed to be...again, I'm not going down that alley!

These are small, fun and inexpensive little collectibles. If I had a work desk I'd say they would make as a good "desk bot". I've worked the few of these I have into my collection by placing them on shelves throughout my office/hobby room and they blend in perfectly.

GI Joe Loyal Subjects Wave 2: Roadblock

It's been awhile since I've looked at anything GI Joe related on this blog, so let's take of that shall we? While out doing a little Christmas shopping or my nieces and nephews at Toys R Us, I came across a fresh, undisturbed box of Loyal Subject's wave 2 Joes. I'm familiar w/ the company, but not these actual figures. I had a few of LS Transformer figures, but ultimately decided to let them go as they just didn't do anything for me. However these GI Joe versions, especially wave 2 caught my eye. How could I pass up the chance to see what these were like first hand?

They come blind packaged in nice little retro style boxes. The front features Snake-Eyes in all his comic art glory. The chocking hazard warning is a sticker...I'm guessing it was an after thought?

The sides and back of the box show off the entire wave of characters, along with the general odds of which one you'll get. Of course the more desired Cobra figures are the ones that are hardest to get, that being the Baroness, Crimson Guard and Cobra Trooper.

I love the inclusion of the old school Flag Points on the back, but what really intrigues me is the line "Collect GI Joe vehicles and playsets, sold separately". Is there more than meets the eye here? Is Loyal Subjects teasing us with more possible offerings, or is that just for looks?

The figures are packaged in a sealed foil bag along with a little file card. I like this because I see a lot of blind packaged toys these days opened on retail shelves. At least if some jerk opens the box to peek inside they'll still have to get into the foil bag to see which character is inside.

The included file card is sized to that of a traditional trading card. Being a card collector I love this. The back side of the card has the same image of Snake-Eyes from the box. I don't have any file cards of Roadblock so I don't know how closely the info matches any prior versions, but Loyal Subjects nailed the look of the classic cards.

Unlike many collectible vinyl figures on the market today, these are Action Vinyls, meaning they have articulation. The head appears to be a on ball joint and that allows the head to freely move around as well as up and down. He has articulation at his shoulders, wrists, hips and thighs. He appears to have what feels like a classic o-ring in his waist area, but I'm not sure if that is 100% the case.

Some people may be put off by the large head of the character, but I like it personally. Gives the toy a unique look and feel. The paint apps (at least on mine) look great and aren't messy at all. The plastic quality feels solid.

Just like the classic A Real American Hero toy, Roadblock comes packaged with his classic weapons an accessories. You get a helmet, backpack and his machine gun with removable tripod.

Overall these are great little figures. Toys R Us retails them for $12.99, which isn't too bad. I would imagine if other mass retailers carried these they may be in the $9.99 to $10.99 range. Either way, I'm glad I was able to check one of these out and will keep my eyes open for more in the future.