This is an interesting thing to report on, both due to the hobby relevance and my conflicted opinions.
Thanks to Dart Sweep for the picture!
If you recall from Toy Fair earlier this year, one of the promotions on the floor was a DIY Dart Zone Max Solo, with a 3 barrel shotgun blast. Dart Zone wanted to make this a real option for consumers, not just a promotional item that’s part of the marketing budget…and it’s finally a thing. Extra thanks to Dart Sweep for the extra package pictures! I’ll have to make sure to tag him an inordinate amount of times at the next Maryland war I find time to attend!
The package retails for $25 on the website, and features both the white and red shells (use your preference!), along with the triple barrel and twelve darts. The package also has a QR code link with assembly instructions, making for a complete experience.
Admittedly, hobbyists like me may not see as much value here – we have lots of Dart Zone Solo mods available, in addition to general know-how and experience. That gets compounded by the fact that Target now carries Solos for $10. For someone like me, paying extra to assemble a blaster is odd. For someone else assembling things and the blasting is an extra (like LEGO or K’NEX), though, it’s a different matter.
Thankfully, there’s at least a discount code (DZBYOSOLO) for 20% off this week. Past that, it turns into a matter of perceived value. Which is still high, given the Solo’s potential, but maybe not $25 high? I know expected production numbers, tariffs, and shipping all play their part, but that is still high, especially when you can buy an Aeon Pro X for the same price. I would hope that, in the future, there are other kinds of discounts and deals. Order barrels separately for the Target Solos? Get a free random blaster charm? Just a thought.