darkSpyro

It doesn't seem to me that anyone here really considers E3 2011 Trigger Happy to be a variant figure.

I don't see him as part of the big collectors collections, and he's left off the list when variants are discussed.

So what's the deal? Is he a valid collectable variant, or not? Who has him? Who wants him? Who doesn't care? What's he worth to you?

Absolutely he is. People like to say they're not worth getting, but if these things are anything like G.I. Joe and Star Wars figures in 20 years, you can bet the value of E3 2011 figures will exceed anything else on the market. I would buy any I saw, but they are seriously hard to come by.

Spyro and Gill Grunt were also available from E3 of that year. Is it a collector's item, it sure is! Is it a variant? ...well, the packaging is special sure, but from what little we've seen of them, it doesn't look like the figures themselves were any different, so if they were removed from their package, there may literally be no way of telling them apart from standard starter set figures as opposed to say, Target exclusive Whirlwind, Walmart exclusive Drill Sergeant and 3DS Ignitor in which you can discern a distinct difference in their paint schemes and in Ignitor's case, also the actual model itself being slightly different as well.

I have no desire to get the E3 pre-launch figures because I don't intend to keep them in packaging. Also, if I considered keeping them in package, every pre-launch figure shown appears to have escaped from their plastic holders which is sort of a bummer...it's like having a loose Flocked Stump Smash rattling around in it's plastic prison...a bummer.

If there was one variant figure I could get my hands on though, it'd probably be the one that I stare at every day, but I know I'll never truly ever have the opportunity to own:

Hey! I didn't know (or remember) that they had Spyro and Gill at E3 in 2011 too. So let's include them in my query: E3 2011 figures-Collectables? Variants? Useless? Otherwise?

I'm guessing that most of these guys escaped their packages to try the game at E3 as stated above, rendering them useless as collectables.

Just for clarity's sake, I'll elaborate on each point:

Collectibles?
Definitely. Having one in package would put it among the rarest of the rare for Skylanders.

Variants?
"Variant" would refer to the figure itself, which...to my knowledge, doesn't actually "vary" from the standard retail release, so unless it's revealed otherwise... no, not a variant.

Useless?
Personal opinion, if anyone is shelling out for this, they're likely a hardcore collector who will add it to their collection...thus, it'll serve a use, so no, not useless.

Otherwise?
I'd say, if you're not die-hard into collecting all things Skylanders, it's pretty safe to skip on these.

They would have been awesome to own, but if I am going to pay out the butt for one of these, you better believe I don't want to pay for a loose figure in package.

None of the E3 2011 Skylanders had a plastic to hold them inside, thus they would looks really odd being upside down or in a diagonal direction.

I had a chance to buy a E3 2011 Trigg and I passed it up with little hesistation.

I think it varies from person to person. They're absolutely in the same vein as any other variant given away at E3 or Toy Fair. However, they'd mainly keep that specialty if they never release singles of the 3 as well, and as a few people have pointed out, they're not really "show off worthy" because of how they're packaged.

Really, I think we don't see any because anyone that has them isn't selling them, or they've gotten them from E3 and never took any interest in the series after that. (So they're just sitting in someone's basement or something)

These would be by far the most expensive sealed skylander in any collection. I guarantee a set of all three of these would go for well over a thousand dollars on ebay. These are pretty much a must for any hardcore toy collector wanting to have a truly 100% complete collection.

Well, seeing as they have blister packaging for single pack Spyro, Gill, and Trigg (Spyro used in E3 2011 and 2012), it's a good indication that they are going to be released as singles.

Another reason why they would - or should - is because Activision stated NO Skylander is ever gonna be discontinued. With that said, seeing as Giants will be taking up shelf space, it leaves little room for the original Starter Packs. That means they have to sell Spyro, Gill, and Trigg somehow.

I bet we see them in single AND triple packs.

Yes but surely a true collector (like one who differentiates between the Target/Walmart exclusives and the "normal" ones) would also differentiate these as the packaging is unique?

Quote: chaosworrier

Yes but surely a true collector (like one who differentiates between the Target/Walmart exclusives and the "normal" ones) would also differentiate these as the packaging is unique?

Absolutely! In the past 90 days I"ve only seen one auction for the Target/Walmart exclusives and that was just for the Walmart drill sergeant which went off on April 23rd. I'm betting those would fetch a pretty penny around now as well. Any toy mass distributed in a sealed factory box has to be considered part of the collection as is with any run of collectible toy. Rarity in any collection just makes it that much more fun to hunt and find

Heh...If loose in the box is the norm for these, how can they be worth less if the figure isn't upright? They're designed that way!

They're like one of those ball and cup games, or the little puzzles with the bb's you have to try and set in holes...you gotta' shake the box until they stand up on their base in the blister.

Quote:

In the past 90 days I"ve only seen one auction for the Target/Walmart exclusives and that was just for the Walmart drill sergeant which went off on April 23rd. I'm betting those would fetch a pretty penny around now as well.

I actually purchased a Target Exclusive Whirlwind about a month ago thanks to Sykotek! They are out there, you just have to be persistent in looking...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160808...984.m1439.l2649

BTW... if anyone has info on someone selling a 2011 E3 single please PM me. I am interested.

they would be high priced collector items. only because of them being in the e3 packaging. i bet their production stamps on the bottom are different also. so if you took one out the package (instantly drops in value to normal/high retail price) you would be able to tell. if anything, people dont want to try to get them cause they are so insanely rare. i mean, how many did they even have at e3 2011. it cant be more than a dozen right? also the packaging i think was made so they floated around, or they get shook the hell up while at e3. im bettering on the made to float around.

the gold/silver/ice/glow in the dark are probably easier to find and worth more right now than an unobtainable thing. (made with unobtainium)
who, where what why, opinions something. yeah. all that.