This is slightly old news, but just recently came to our attention. Applause, makers of the awesome Simpsons plush line, have announced new characters this summer. They are BBQ Homer, Hans Moleman, and Bumblebee Man! They are also planning new Halloween plushes and new Christmas plushes as well. Woohoo!. Thanks to members CrazyDogMan and dothebartman for the info.

The eighth piece in the ongoing Simpsons Christmas Village collection is shipping now. It is the Android's Dungeon comic shop. You can order this set online at Collectibles Today. It is believed that the Burns Mansion will be the next to ship. Thanks to gusbanks for the photo. See our forums for more info on this series.

Please head over to our Polls of Interest to Merchandisers forum to take some important new polls. The people at Bradford Exchange (the company that owns Hamilton Collectibles and Hawthorne Village) are interested in what collectors think about their products. They make items like the Christmas Village, the Halloween Village, and other diorama sets like the Springfield Citizens set. This is a great opportunity to get your voice heard. Again, you can take the polls here.

This isn't Simpsons-related, but still interesting news going around this week for toy collectors... the popular Toys 'R' Us chain may be leaving the toy business, due to slow sales and competition from stores like Walmart. Detailed information is available on several news sites, including MSN Money and Action-Figure.com. Toys R Us was the biggest supporter of the WoS line and has been a staple in the toy industry. We hope things pick up for them, so they continue to be in business.

Another week, another new Hamilton announcement. This item, while not show-accurate, is still pretty interesting (visually, at least): A die-cast pickup truck set featuring a tailgating Homer. Item info is available on the Collectibles Today website. They sell many similar trucks, but this one is Simpsonized, with Isotopes decals and Duff items. Perhaps Homer went to the game with Cletus?

SCS members who preordered the Series 16 figures online from New Force Comics have received emails stating that their order has shipped. New Force further reports on their site that "The [Town Square playset] should leave [Hong Kong] this week, and arrive in approx. 4 weeks (if we do not have another customs fiasco)". This indicates it should hit stores soon.

UPDATE: This appears to be a very localized discount.

SCS member YU Little reports that his local TRU has discounted the Be-Sharps playset to $1.90... woohoo! This will vary by location. This is in addition to other great sales on older WoS items, perfect for those looking to catch up as the end grows closer.