Sgt. Slaughter himself posted this photo today. It shows the long rumored Sgt. Slaughter and Leatherneck Triple T that is also a Transformer. We all knew it was coming. We all knew what it would look like. And, now that it's here, it's exactly what we knew it would be. Which is to say, this breaks no new ground.
If you have a 1986 Leatherneck (which is a cheap and easy to acquire figure), you don't need this one. It's nice to have access to a Slaughter baton. But, this thing will run between $80 and $100. You can easily get any version of Slaughter, complete with a vintage baton, for under this price. Triple T vehicles remain cheap and easy to find. Some discolor, especially on the engine cover. But, they're still not a difficult thing to acquire.
So, really, what purpose does this serve? It's great that Sgt. Slaughter remains involved in the brand. But, there's nothing here that really speaks to collectors. And, with the, arguably, more collectible Thunder Machine with Zartan and Zarana rotting at every online retailer, I really wonder who the audience for this product actually is. Joe fans leave these behind. Transformers fans do, too. If Hasbro got weird, these wouldn't do any worse. A green and purple Megatron that turned in the Cobra Bugg might actually sell out. This...won't.
I've never waited for clearance for any Joe o-ring product. I've regretted that decision terribly. I've found almost no value in the Pulse era releases of vintage inspired Joes. And, this product does nothing to alter that. So, I think I have my first item where I will wait for clearance. And, should this be the one item that sells out and I can't get for 1/3 the retail price, I'm OK with that. I don't need to be a completist any longer. And, I'm not convinced that these modern remakes will deteriorate at a slower rate than the already 40 year old originals.
So, I'm left with what feels like the end. Hasbro has finally released enough sub-par o-ring products that I've lost any interest in what they've done. I'm OK with simply letting them go. And, I'm one of the biggest marks for vintage style Joe figures that is still left in the community. I've never even bothered to open the Zartan/Zarana. Not even the scathing profile on the worst Joe figure ever released is enough to get me to pry open the box that's collecting dust in the bottom of a tucked away, basement closet. Even at a steep discount, this Sgt. Slaughter/Leatherneck product will face the same fate.
