Columbia Sports are selling (2) Challenger Insulated Rain Jackets with Star Wars Empire and Rebel logos,  red and blue light sabers on the inside and Aurebesh writing on the Jackets.   The Canadian web site is taking orders in Canadian dollars .  If you want one, it will cost you $300 cdn. including taxes and shipping .

DARK SIDE:
https://www.columbiasportswear.ca/s/Columbia_CA/en/challenger-jacket-star-wars-force-edition-1918621_DS.html?icpa=sw&icid=hero&icsa=hol19&prid=header&crid=shop_ds

LIGHT SIDE:
https://www.columbiasportswear.ca/s/Columbia_CA/en/challenger-jacket-star-wars-force-edition-1918621_LS.html?icpa=sw&icid=hero&icsa=hol19&prid=header&crid=shop_ls

Just wondering what your thoughts are on Toys'R'US Canada and whether you think they are doing a great job of connecting with their customer base and building love for their brand.  Here is what happened today at my local Toys'R'US .

Major excitement this morning at my TRU store. Got there at 9:30 am and there was a very big line up outside of it. Much Larger than TRIPLE FORCE Friday.  Of course that could only mean one thing word had gotten out that TRU was getting the Jabba The Hutt Palace and it was on yesterday's truck.   So I quickly joined the line , you could feel the excitement of the crowd.  The doors open - I quickly make my way in and tons of staff and corporate TRU executives and security guards all over.  Man they are ready for some massive fighting and jabs over Jabba Palace.   I round the corner to see the new Star Wars home - nothing they have shrunk the overall Star Wars section.  No ones is headed for the Star Wars section but me.  What in the world is going on..........................is Harry Potter on sale?  Barbie? what were all the people at the store for.............they were all lined in the middle of store.....there is a stage at the back of the store....oh my goodness they are going to have a JEDI Academy at TRU - my mind blows up at how amazing this is going to be.   I race to the line pushing several small children out of the way.   I secure my spot..........guess who is coming to my TRU in person and will be performing ............ THE WIGGLES !!!!!!!!

Have to say I am very impressed with the new vision that TRU has for themselves.  I think they are trying to make their stores a destination of fun not just a big box Toy Store.  Bravo Toys'R'US .  And I still think the Jedi Academy would be a great idea.

I am just down in Florida and went to a local Walmart which is a Superstore and they do not have a Star Wars section.  They only Star Wars Hasbro figures are in the clearance section - about 6.  I have never seen this before - no pegs for Star Wars.   Has Walmart decided to not carry them anymore?

Was the site down for everyone today ? 

Aquaman is easily the best Superhero movie of the year.   Obviously better than anything Marvel has ever produced - all combined x100.   I think the best comparative movie would be Black Panther.   Everyone in the family liked Aquaman.  Best part after of course the flute playing, was when he was a little kid and the other kids were picking on him.   Both my daughter and I thought after the princess gave her long name and then said but you can call me .....she should have said  "Ariel"  with that green outfit and really red hair.   The theatre I was in everyone clapped at the end.   And the political aspect of the movie were right on point with what the world is dealing with in term of all the garbage going into the sea.   Rottentomatoes - 65%

Bumble Bee , it is OK but at the end of the day it is just another Transformer movie.  If you like them you will like this movie.  If you are getting board of them, skip it for now but give it a try for rental, because it was written by a woman and not directed by Michael Bay so it is definitely a different movie.   Rottentomatoes - 93%

Regarding the Rottentomatoes scores I really don't put much value in them now.  I think reviewers are being paid off or the system is being manipulated by outside forces.  A couple years ago I used to put a fair amount of trust in the score.  Now I find the rating to be completely wrong.   I liked both movies I saw, but no way is Bumble Bee a 93% and no way is Aquaman a 65%.  I would probably give Bumble Bee 75-80% and Aquaman 85-90%.

I found this interesting, just got an email announcing Gentle Giant Ltd. expands into the mass toy market.
My first thought was that the genesis of this idea came out of the fact over the last year or so it appeared that Hasbro gave Gentle Giant a hard time over using the Kenner name on it's packaging.   And now what was once a defensive move by Hasbro has put Gentle Giant on the offence and could possibly do more damage to Hasbro market share than had they just let Gentle Giant use the Kenner logo on it's packaging.  But when you see the range of products the story could be that Hasbro got wind of the fact Gentle Giant was going into the mass consumer market and then decided they did not want a new competitor using their logo on a GG product.   Either way we get more junk to collect !!!

SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO SHAKE THE MASS MARKET

  Gentle Giant Ltd. Expands to Include Gentle Giant Toys

New Branding
Gentle Giant Toys

  BURBANK, CA (February 16, 2018) – Gentle Giant Ltd./3D Systems is excited to announce our new mass market collectible toy division Gentle Giant Toys.  Gentle Giant Ltd. have been known as an industry leader in the high-end collectibles market for almost 2 decades, and were pioneers in using digital scans and data to make collector consumer products.   Gentle Giant Toys is proud to announce the first six new mass-market collectible toy lines and the return of a favorite line.

Gentle Giant Toys is a new division branding itself independently from Gentle Giant Ltd with a new logo, new website and new social media handles.  “These fun new, lines deserve a fun, new logo. The new logo tells a story and is more playful and approachable,” said Daniel Pickett, Marketing Manager for Gentle Giant Toys, “The Giant represents the company’s history and expertise in the world of authentic replication. The Butterfly is the embodiment of the artistic and innovative style ingrained into its consumer products.”

“We are excited at the prospect of taking our almost two decades of experience and applying the same care, craftsmanship and attention to detail to these lower price-point collectible toy lines: same way we treat our high-end resin pieces,” said , Dev Gilmore, Director of Creative and Licensing of Gentle Giant Ltd.

 “We’ve had a lot of fun making our 1:6th scale collectibles, life-size monuments and even larger than life pieces, but the great thing about digital sculpting is that the product can be any size! So, we are taking it down a few notches to be fun, compact and awesome so you can build new collections quickly, without having to look at adding a wing onto your house for them.” Said Ashly Powell Director of Product Development.

  The first wave of new product lines include:

Bustups
Superstills
Marvel Micro Bobbles
Fleet Flyers
Enamel Pin
Mini Heroes
Tiny Tin

Bounty has Star Wars table napkins and paper towel rolls available for sale at major retailers.