JoeCanuck

Dial-Tone, SAW Viper, wave has begun to show up for Pre-order on a consistent basis on Amazon.  Haven't seen the three new Retro Cardback figures on Amazon yet.

From what I have read and heard Hasbro under Chris Cocks is moving away from manufacturing, which is why they are licensing out a lot of their properties.  Apparently they want to be more of a license holder and let other companies handle the production (and the inherent costs with that). 

Don't know if that is true, or not, but it would make sense with how things have gone in the past year with all the new licensing agreements that were announced.   I imagine their big, in house, brands will be the last to go fully licensed if that is what they are doing.

Overall with Classified I am not too worried about preordering because so much of it ends up available everywhere, and even on sale.  Yes there are exclusives, but general retail product is still pretty easy to find.   Guess we'll see how this year shapes up.

I have been hearing rumblings through the grape vine that Hasbro isn't in a good place financially.  They have changed they way suppliers can place orders, basically cash up front of pre-orders.  I have heard from two reliable sources that if you are placing pre-orders on any upcoming waves go with a place like amazon, that doesn't ask for cash up front as the waves might not be fulfilled.

This totally sucks, but based on the recent public news from Hasbro about financial losses, mixed earning reports, and layoffs it isn't really shocking to hear.
Also why are they licensing all of their product to other companies?  Short term gain and quick revenue?

Managed to snag the Transformers x GI Joe Triple T Kup with Sgt. Slaughter and Leatherneck from TRU.

Got a $100 gift card for TRU and had the "$30 off $100 or more purchase" coupon.  So $140 ($139.99) - $30 - $100 and no tax means I was only out of pocket for $9.99.

Love the Triple T/Kup design.   Man this line is doing great things with bringing TFs and Joe together.   I really love that they are basically using the ARAH designs and scale for the vehicles, and then working backwards from that to make the robot mode.

Also more O-ring figures!!!!

Wish Sarge came with more accessories, but both he and Leatherneck look great and go well with the previous releases.

Man Super7 finally killed it with a wave.   

While wave 1 was cool, especially the Twins in suits, the rest of the wave was kind of "expected" choices that really weren't anything too new.   Just mostly characters we already have in different looks we never had as figures.

This time around we get 2 of the same (Serpentor and Duke), but then they throw in 2 never before made figures, and both of them are large O-ring figures!!!

I also like the look of Serpentor.  I think he is different enough to warrant a purchase.   However Ramar and the Fatal Fluffy are instant buys when I can find them.   I love how both of them turned out.  The looks are spot on and they will go great with my other O-ring figs even though most of them are not really Sunbow looks but rather toy looks.   

Great work this time Super7.  Also it looks like they are the regular O-ring price and not inflated due to their size.

Fatal fluffy & Ramar

https://toynewsi.com/345-56253

Super7 Serpentor

https://x.com/TheFullForce/status/1876804935976636691

Agreed on Road-Pig!!  I am in Halton Hills and the last two walmart visits had the 60th Anniversary Sniper and ParaTrooper both swapped for other crap figures.    The person at the return counter must be blind, or does give a crap (I assume the later).  Best part was the box of the Sniper was beat up and damaged, but was still full price!

So I haven't seen any figure swapping at Toysrus recently, probably because they changed their return policy on action figures.  Sadly Walmart is no the home of this scum.   Power Ranger figures and discount Marvel Legends are what are being stuffed into Classified window boxes.

Where abouts are you located?

I'm in Ottawa and I haven't seen figure swapping in a while.   Of course it doesn't help that there isn't much to see on shelves to begin with.   TRU is the only place with more than one or two figures on the pegs.  Walmart is hit or miss.  Some local ones have nothing, and others have a couple here and there but nothing really desirable.   Gamestop is okay, but that is probably because they aren't quite as clueless as Walmart.

As for Classified itself, I am almost all caught up on releases (outside of a couple older ones I still haven't acquired).   Just need to pick up Alpine and then I am done until the SAW Viper wave starts showing up.   Recently got Road Pig and man-o-man is he a great figure.  I know there are complaints about his body shape and stomach tatoo, but I think they did a great job with him.   I can see him either way with, or without, the tatoo, but I think his more football lineman body type over huge bodybuilder type is a better look for him.

So I haven't seen any figure swapping at Toysrus recently, probably because they changed their return policy on action figures.  Sadly Walmart is no the home of this scum.   Power Ranger figures and discount Marvel Legends are what are being stuffed into Classified window boxes.