Hasbro Vintage Collection Jabba’s Throne Set

There had been rumors about this set for months before we got the first glimpse of it in May, so I’ve been looking forward to this one for quite a while. As I’ve said many times before, this is the first time we’re getting a complete throne with a Jabba figure since the original vintage figure in 1983. Before this set, the best we’ve gotten is the section of the throne railing with Jabba’s water pipe, which came included with the Ultra Jabba and Clone Wars Jabba figures, so many people continue to use the vintage throne even now, or even the cardboard Power of the Force diorama. Hasbro definitely went above and beyond with this set, including not only the throne (and railing/pipe) but also a variety of pillows that you can spread across the throne as you please, an “animal skin” that drapes over the side, Salacious Crumb (a repaint of the one that came with C-3PO a while back), and an Oola figure (only the second ever made).

This is a Walmart-exclusive set, and the stores are only just now starting to get them in. The “street date” for this set is August 6th, so even if stores do get them in, it’s likely that they won’t be putting them out until then or later. I got the UPC number for the set (65356950285) from some helpful people in this thread on Jedidefender.com and did some asking around. I found that one of my local stores was scheduled to get a delivery last night. I didn’t know if that would mean it would be going out on the shelves right away or if they would hold it until the street date, but I figured it was worth going in this morning to check. There was still no new Star Wars stuff on the shelves when I got there, but I asked a helpful woman nearby if she could check the UPC. She went into the back and got the two boxes that the store received. (One is for me and one is for the Japanese Jabba fan who runs Jabba the Hutt’s Palace.) I certainly hope stores will be getting more than just two of these in.

Inside the box, you have everything neatly arranged with tape and the new paper twisty ties. One plastic bag has the pillows and animal skin, while another has Salacious and Jabba’s pipe. The railing just sort of sits on top of the throne without attaching in any way. The paint job on the throne is actually a bit better in person than I had expected. I think I could probably do a better job if I repainted it, but for a production piece this is fine. The throne actually has wheels on it, allowing you to roll it back and do a dramatic reveal of the Rancor pit below. My only real quibble with the throne is that the gargoyle heads on it are considerably too small (see here). They did a good job with them otherwise, even including the hanging rings, so this is a little bit disappointing.

Jabba himself is made of two different kinds of materials. His head and arms are made of a somewhat soft rubbery plastic, similar to the kind that has been used on many other Jabbas. His bottom half is much softer and squishier, and conceals the wire that gives him the “posable tail” feature. The number of “poses” you can get with the tail is pretty limited. Frankly I would have preferred if they did away with this feature and just made the entire thing out of the same plastic used on the top, but at least the squishy lower body doesn’t really adversely affect his looks. He is similar in size to other Jabbas (see below), but is a bit shorter vertically.

From left to right: Vintage Jabba, POTF Jabba, Jabba Glob, Spitting Jabba, Ultra Jabba, Clone Wars Jabba, Vintage Collection Jabba

This is without a doubt the best action figure of Jabba ever made. People saying that they’re happy with their older versions are fooling themselves. The sculpt is excellent. The face seems a little squished somehow, and some people seem to take issue with how his top half sits on top of his torso, but these are minor quibbles. The detailing is fantastic. The arms are just about perfect, with the proper vertical stripes, his “anchor” tattoo, and only 3 fingers (only the vintage figure and this one have gotten that right). This is also the first figure to include the scar on Jabba’s tail. The paint is actually quite good for a production paint job. I would make it more orange, but I’m very impressed with the way they managed subtle transitions of color (unlike, say, the Ultra Jabba). In short, this is the Jabba to get.

Oola is also very well done. She has a fully articulated body and an outfit made of real cloth that actually looks good on her (and yes, she’s naked under there ;)). She’s a big upgrade from the previous mail-away version. Many collectors are interested in getting extras of this figure to use as generic females for custom figures.

Salacious Crumb isn’t bad, but he’s not new either. I think they probably could have made a better version of him, but I’m glad they decided to include him in the set. Here’s a shot comparing all of the Salacious Crumb figures (and the one from the recent Sideshow Diorama just for the heck of it):

While there are a few minor issues, this set definitely does not disappoint. It’s a fitting successor to the vintage set, and likely the best action figure we’ll ever get of Jabba. At $34.97, it seems like a very good deal. Get it while you can.