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Overview

Once Christmas is over, figures have all been unwrapped, possibly opened, and certainly been enjoyed, everyone looks to the New Year. What will it hold? Wealth? Health? Happiness? A plentiful supply of new figures?

Well January has been a Month I’m sure no one would have predicted. We’ve had highs, we’ve had lows and the whole future of collecting is shrouded in mystery.

In our first Monthly report we look back over what’s happened. Next Month’s report will be slightly different again, but this should give you an idea of what we’re now offering. It’s a replacement for the Fanzine, I just don’t have the time for that, but you still get a front cover (I love making them!)

Vespiform

The first big news of the year was the Vespiform wave. Re-releasing already released figures with an exclusive build-a-figure was certainly a controversial choice and much anger was sparked – especially when people realised how good the Vespiform actually was!

We’re still working on how people can get around buying the figures on Doctor Who Figures Online, but whatever happens this wave has certainly been the one to receive most anger since the tweaked wave this time last year.

123B – Gelth

Following the Vespiform wave, by only a few days, was the long-awaited 123B wave – also packaged with a build-a-figure, this time being the Gas Gelth. The fact that a number of figures were exactly the same was a bit of a shame, but figures like Jabe, the old and ancient Doctors, and others were welcome additions to the range.

Argos

And less than a few days after seeing the figures the new Argos catalogue came out, with all the new Doctor Who items for sale! People flooded to buy the Vespiform wave, the 123B wave as well as the previously announced Cyberwave, new role play items and the wonderful Time Squad figures.

Stocks sold out fast, and have yet to be replenished, but once again Argos made good sales because of getting in first.

Forbidden Planet Doctors

And then, right at the end of the Month, came what was probably the most exciting news so far. The Forbidden Planet/SDCC exclusives, the 1st Doctor with a classic Dalek, 2nd Doctor with a Cyberman, all of them in black and white and, most unexpected of all, the 6th Doctor in his ‘Real Time’ outfit! Full comments can be found in our news blog, but these certainly suggest a change towards more collectors based figures for the future.

The future…

Of course the whole idea of the future of the figures has been thrown up and down recently too. Shortly after announcing that they are renewing the licence, news comes through that Character Options will have no new Who figures at the big annual Toy Fair. Whether we’ve already seen all that is to come for 2009 I don’t know for sure. I predict we’ll see the Classic Wave 2 released in the Summer time and possibly one or two other specials, but for 2009 I’m very surprised they’ve released so many already and not tried to hold them back a bit.

The site

Of course one thing that will stay through the ups and downs is our site here, and especially with our brand new redesign! Of course this is really February news, but I had been designing it all the way through January. More on how it has been received next Month.

Conclusion of the Month

So it’s actually be one of the most wild Months we’ve had in a long time, but somehow I just don’t feel it’s going to last like this all year… I hope not, I certainly won’t be able to afford keeping up like this!