Q&A Megathon 2, Week 1
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1 Im moving. Any advice on how to pack your carded figures for a big move safley? Preferably in as few boxes as possible? -Troy
If you can't get the original shipping cases, comic book storage boxes are a great alternative. And if you can't get those, well, pretty much ANY big box will do. The key word here is "not small."
2 Can you explain the price of the 12" Dewback and Sandtrooper? Is it artificially high? I found several at two different TRU's recently and couldn't bring myself to part with the $80 for what you get. The 12" Speeder Bike and Sith Speeder sell for half as much. Furthermore, the 12" Han and Taun Taun was only $50 if I remember correctly and that was a much better piece. I don't think we've had 60% inflation in a the past few years. -Chris
As to the price... it's just $80. I think I remember reading somewhere that the cost was notably smaller than that, but I could be wrong. Yes, it's expensive, and while some love it, many feel it is not worth it. In cases like this, just wait if the price bugs you. While it does look much heftier than the Tauntaun or Speederbike, it doesn't seem like it's $30 heavier. But hey, that's why so many people wait for a sale.
3 I've wondered this for some time now, and have never come accross an answer yet. Why was the 3 1/4 inch POTF Endor Han Solo first produced with blue pants rather than brown? On the mock ups of the figure on the card backs he has brown, so someone obviously knew what colour they should be. So was it an accidental error, or was it done purposely to give more colour to the toy? And how long was it before the corrected version was released? -Shane
Well the first Han Endor figures shipped around Spring 1997, with the figure not being corrected until the end of the year.
Early on when the figure shipped, Hasbro noted the error and mentioned they were looking into fixing it, if I remember correctly. Since blue pants with yellow piping never appeared on Han in the films, it's definitely an unintentional error, and despite what many think, it was not a "let's make a new variation" type of thing.
4
Porkins was made for the fans who have been begging for the character over the past few years, and is not part of a larger sub-set of toys. No new X-Wings are planned at this time. (That anybody knows about, at least.)
As for Porkins himself... well, man, I've got a hard time believing that he'll sell well. A lot of people complained Wuher was a speciality figure... Porkins just seems doomed to sell poorly. But hey, we'll have to wait and see.
5 I finally got a POTJ figure and I noticed the Obi-Wan Jedi pictured on the back looks like the CommTech Soft Goods Obi that nobody bought. I thought Hasbro wasn't going to re-package any CommTech figures on POTJ cards. Is this supposed to be the new hooded Obi and they just screwed up the pictures or did Hasbro decide to try to give the rat-faced soft-skirt Obi another run? -Wilhelm
This was a simple goof-up-- there are still no plans to release old figures on new cards. Well, unless somebody decided to glue an old figure on a new card for kicks.
6
This figure (as most reports have stated) is going to be packed with the new Role-Playing Game from Wizards of the Coast. And yes, it is a Boushh's Bounty Chewie with a new head in case you hadn't heard.
7
Well, how much have these little photographs actually told you? If you read the countless E2 news sites, odds are they say quite a bit. But for the average fan, it's just like seeing those early pics of the Hammerheads on Tatooine for Episode One-- neat, but ultimately telling nothing.
It's nice to see something being tossed at the fans, after all, there's only so much you can show without giving away the movie.
8
In some areas, it sits for a day or two and then vanishes. In others, it sits. Since the item is brand-new, it's not really great to label it a shelf-warmer just yet. As many of you have stated, the value doesn't appear to be there, but they are selling.
9
Nope. Like Empire had less stuff than Star Wars (or so it seemed), I would guess that stores are going to be more cautious this time around. But who knows? If the stuff is cool enough odds are we could see just as much action figure product as before, but I have serious doubts that Applause, Micro toys, and the others will see product anywhere near Episode One quantities.
10
Well, I did see some sets at Kay-Bee stores, but that's been about it. They're around, just not too common at sub-$1 prices.
FIN Ummm... yeah. Send in those questions! For those who wonder about the next Q&A Mega-Thon, where there's an update every weekday, it will start as soon as enough questions roll in to justify it.
Remember back in the Spring when every SW news site was complaining about the "future of the hobby" and the number of resculpts being made? After seeing the pics in the Hasro catalog of the 3 3/4" figs to come, doesn't it seem like the future is much brighter? There are some great new figures (Jedi Council members) and some of the resculpts are great new concepts (Dagobah Vader) or needed to be done anyway (Boba Fett) and sold on cards (Biker Scout, IG-88). Even the future pegwarmers are kinda cool because they've never been done before (Porkins, K-3PO). Do you think all the whining paid off and Hasbro is listening? Or is their new guy Andy just more in tune with what the line needs to survive? -Geoff
Well, there's still no real evidence that the Power of the Jedi line is going to prosper yet. It's still "young", and the popularity of new figures can be attributed to the fact that most people have yet to see any of them. They're good figures... but there's no evidence that fans are buying them because they actually like them as of yet. (To date, I've seen very few in stores and only had the cash to buy two-- R2-D2 and the Tusken Raider. Both are great.)
The future is bright. With the addition of some unusual, highly-desirable, cool-looking characters, I'm stoked. Even the resculpts are good these days, the new Han, IG-88, and Boba Fett look great.
Of course, this means nothing. As one fan with a big microphone and some genuinely unusual tastes when it comes to toys, my stamp of approval ultimately means jack squat. The question is, will you guys be interested this time next year?
If Hasbro does what they did best earlier-- that is, release just enough product to keep us wanting more-- things'll be fine. There's plenty of classic and Episode One figures I really want to see still (none of which are Mauls, Kenobis, Qui-Gons, Anakins, or Vaders.) There's tons of Amidalas, Pod Racers, Jedi Masters, droids, ewoks, and of course Aurra Sing left to do. Heck, even some Lukes could be revised at this point to be totally awesome. But the future of the line depends squarely on you (and everybody else).
2 Where are the Mega Action Destroyer Droids? I see Maul everywhere. I hear about Obi Wan but not the droidekas. Is there something I don't know about (besides everything else I don't know that is)? -Jason
Somewhere in the Fourth Dimension. The figure just isn't out yet.
3 Do you Know if the 12" Bosk, IG-88, and 4-lom will be a 3-Pack or will they be packaged as induvidual figures and are they doomed to be an exclusive or not. -Shane
Well, since you set the same question four times from different accounts within an hour, how can I refuse?
These are all individually boxed figures. They are not an exclusive. It's just the next 12" assortment.
4
This is cheating, Chuck.
And so is this. 1. When you're told a number, it's probably bunk. US-packaged or US w/ sticker boxes were released in Asia in reasonable numbers. No plans exist to bring this item over here, despite some retaillers currently asking for it. 2. That's just how it is sometimes-- tape gets cut. It happens on all sorts of packaged goods.
5 In Star Wars A New Hope thier were two y-wing pilots that got killed Tyree and Hutch one was the y-wing comander the other had the red insignias on his helmet if you know which one was which you will know the name of the y-wing pilot that comes with the y-wing that is the Target exclusive -Stingray
When it comes to nomenclature, a figure is whatever Hasbro calls it. That's the official name. In this case, it's Y-Wing Pilot. If it was supposed to be a specific character, I'm sure more care would have gone into the sculpt and packaging to make it obvious.
(And for the oft-asked "But what about Arvel?", it's Arvel, and he's a Y-Wing Pilot. He just is, get used to it.)
6
Nope. The magazine was printed when Porkins was still pretty much planned to be a CommTech figure, according to Hasbro, no other CommTech chips were made beyond what's already out there. (Well, there were some advance samples and first shots, but those didn't work anyway.)
...and if I'm wrong, I'll let somebody competent who doesn't make fun of badly written sentences take over the column for a week. (Not saying your sentences were bad, by the way.)
7
No plans have been released on future releases in the series, so it looks like it's a safe bet that pretty much what's out will be the extent of the series.
8
The just-under-20 or so figures for Ewoks and Droids were produced alongside POTF1, or so says Kenner lore. Variations were not included in the total.
(For the viewers at home, the final package of the POTF1 line had 92 figures on the back. In addition to these, there were 3 "Max Rebo Band" members, Yak Face, 2 other versions of R2-D2, 1 other C-3PO... well, that brings the total to 99 right there if they count the band. Sears Snag most likely wasn't included in the list, even though most collectors consider it a figure unique from the regular red Snaggletooth due to the many differences between the two.)
9
Plans for Classic accessory kits were announced via Hasbro sales sheets but apparently scrapped due to the low performance of the first wave of E1 sets. Too bad, really, as accessory kits would make an AWESOME mail-in offer. (Hint, Hasbro, hint.)
As far as Ewoks, no plans have been thrown my way (as I probably said about five minutes ago [i.e., Monday, I just answered this] in this very column.) If we could get three more, I'd want a Wokling (any wokling), Paploo, and Chief Chirpa. Beyond that, anything is good, I'm not picky. The more we get of the furry little buggers, the better.
10
Believe it or not, I've got something to say that may very well surprise you.
What I think here does not matter.
And what any other site has to say also doesn't matter. Because it's your toy. Each collector has his own set of interests, sensabilities, and desired collectibles, even though it seems like there's a group mentality to this hobby, allow me to assure you it is wrong. It's your stuff, your money, and most importantly, your life that these items take over.
If you are interested in preserving an old toy with all original parts, then don't change a thing.
If you are interested in repairing an old toy, or making a nice shelf piece, than fix it.
Some collectors adore fixed-up toys with repro stickers. Then again, some collectors think that a cardback included with a loose figure boosts its value to just below MOMC prices, and some toy lines are collected by people that have to distinguish between "mint on card" and "mint on card, unopened."
It's a hobby. As such, the decision that makes you happiest is the best one. (Unless it's writing back "You idiot, thanks for nothing.") The toy's gonna be just as happy either way.
I don't mean this answer as some snide shot at the question. Far from it. It's just that, well, so many people in this hobby seem to conform to (or expect others to conform to their) sense of everything about the hobby. The best solution is always the one that makes you happy, as long as it isn't at the expense of somebody else or their property. Unless they broke/stole your toy, than it's all good.
FIN Man Or Astro-Man, The Spoozys, and the Mooney Suzuki play Phoenix on Friday. Three great bands, folks. Don't miss Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard's amazing tesla coil!
I recently ran across a vintage Luke Skywalker Jedi that had a snap on his cloak instead of it being sewn. I imagine that someone may have put the snap on there because it might have come apart, but it looked pretty well done. Do you know if this figure was ever produced with a snap? If so is it more or less rare? -Chuck
I got a "snap" version in a collection a coupla years back, and it was the first time I've actually noticed it. But from careful research (i.e., three well-placed anecdotes) I have found out that it is a legit variation and is not as common as the non-snap version. Each has its own pros and cons, so when picking one for your displays, well, best to get both and see what works.
2 On one of the many sites out there, I read that the Legacy assortment of 12" bounty hunters included Boba Fett as well as the other three. Have you heard anything to confirm or deny this? How many figs fit in a 12" case? (I think it's 6 but am not certain.) Have you seen a case breakdown on this assortment? I sure hope Dengar and Zuckuss follow soon! -Michael
Boba Fett is not scheduled to be released in the 12" size by Hasbro in the USA anytime soon.
As far as the case, I can't remember if the ratio was officially 2 of each or if it was just planned on being 2 of each. Can't wait for the IG-88, myself.
3 I have three questions for you to answer. The first is what has happened to the Hasbro internet exclusive program? The last figure they had was Muftak and Kabe. That seems like it was offered ages ago. Do they have plans to release another figure exclusively on their web site? The second question is what has happened to mail-in offers? I enjoyed sending in pops to receive a figure. Han trooper and spirit of Obi were great mail-in premiums. I realize that Star Wars is not the marketing giant that it was 3 to 4 years ago, but couldn't Hasbro do a mail-in thing? This question leads into my third. Will Hasbro be doing a sneak peek figure for Ep2? I liked the Mace Windu figure that they released. Would they do something like that again? -Tony
The Hasbro Exclusive Internet figure was marred with a few complications which I can't go in to, but the short answer is to keep watching the Insider and their website for future exclusive figures.
Mail-in offers are something Hasbro hasn't even considered recently. I brought this up not too long ago, and it seems very up-in-the-air as far as future offers go. Like you, I go gonzo over mail-in figures... any time Kenner used to offer a figure, I went out of my way to buy figures to send away for it, be it a gold Action Master C-3PO, the Ambush Predator, or a wacky new Batman. They're just cool. If it were up to me, I'd release those as-of-yet-unavailable formerly-exclusive Trophy figures, Obi-Wan and 00M-9, as some sort of UPC/cash mail-away offer.
(Hey Hasbro, in case you didn't guess, I really, REALLY want to see that Obi-Wan. 00M is OK, but that Obi-Wan is really something.)
Lastly, yes, I would assume a preview figure is not out of the question. With Empire, we were given Boba Fett. With Jedi, we got Ackbar and Nien Nunb. With E1, we got Mace, the STAP/Droid set, and the Action Fleet set. So I'd say that history is in our favor. Personally, I hope that if it isn't a mail-in offer, they just slip it into the regular assortments.
4
I think it's George. Or one of George's "peeps."
As far as the toys go, Hasbro/Kenner typically selects a color and it has to be approved by Lucasfilm Licensing if Hasbro wasn't already given a color with which to work. Ki-Adi Mundi's saber was shown purple in comics before the film which never showed an ignited saber was released.
So far, we have seen only three colors of Lightsaber on screen. Before ROJ, we've only seen two. So I would say it's still safe to bet that there's a great deal about Star Wars that we don't know yet since we've still got two movies to go.
While many would say that the toys will agree with the films, well, any ol' skoo' collector will tell you that this isn't necessarily the case. The first two 4" Luke figures to include lightsabers had yellow blades, and the first releases of Luke in his Jedi Knight outfit sported a blue blade.
Now, when it comes to the issue of "well, it never showed up in the movie, now what?" the answer is entirely up to you. Continuity can be pretty loose, and I know that there's some things I'm not especially fond of-- the decision to give pretty much every cantina alien a sob story and a new name, for instance. Now, while in theory it's typically up to the fans, truth be told it's the toys that shape most people's view of Star Wars. Despite the charcoal/very dark blue color of Han's jacket in ESB, fans will typically remember the blue of the figure, which is kinda how it looked on screen at times. And there's the whole 4-LOM/Zuckuss thing... Kenner swapped the names for the 1982 release and didn't bother to correct them during the remainder of the line's run. Ask most fans to name the grey droid bounty hunter with the bug head, and they'll probably say Zuckuss.
And for the curious, my perception of what the characters are is pretty much entirely based on the toys. If it says a name on the box, that's who it is. (Unless it's a huge, gigantic, earth-shattering screw-up, which hasn't happened.)
5 Somewhere on the net I saw a picture of an upcoming "Boomer-damaged Battle Droid". Uh, what's a boomer? I don't remember that term from Episode I, and I must have seen that movie. . . twice. -David
A Boomer is the blue thing hurled at attackers by the Gungans. (I didn't know how it was spelled until first mention of the toy, though. Friggin' Gungan accents...)
6
Have you ever seen pictures of this flight deck? It was supposed to come with
an exclusive Hoth Leia. Speaking of which, what about that cancelled Complete
Galaxy Leia?
The Hoth Rebel Flight Deck was an item meant to round out the pop-up diorama assortments, was confirmed by Hasbro, and mysteriously cancelled. No images of the diorama have surfaced yet, and the look of the figure is pretty much totally unknown.
The Complete Galaxy Hoth set, on the other hand, DID surface. Sorta. Early test shots of this toy were shown online, I even had 'em on my ol' website for a while. Sadly, my hard drive ate them. The figure was the same figure that was released on a card as a Fan Club exclusive in 1998. The playset itself was basically nothing more than rocky Hoth cavern looking things. In other words... we're better off without it.
But I do wanna see that flight deck.
7
Ladies and gents, we have our first Nun Star Wars collector.
The lever moves one of his arms. Not especially well, but it does move it. And that is the function of the lever... sadly, not too exciting, and kinda distracting for the figure, but dem's the brakes.
8
Prequel plans for the walking carpet are as of yet unknown. No information has surfaced one way or another regarding Episode Two wookiees that I've been made aware of. And Episode Three is far enough away that nobody should know at this point. As much as I like the furball, I don't think it'd be good to throw him in there as anything other than a background character. But that's me.
Chewie was killed off as the book equivalent as a writing stunt. A quote from either the author or one of the people in charge of LucasBooks went something like "We wanted to remind everyone that the Star Wars Universe was still a dangerous place." (So kill Lobot, I says.)
As far as the flashbacks go, well, funny thing about those. In some cases, there's a direct connection (Emperor Palpatine/Senator Palpatine, Darth Vader/Anakin) and in others, there's just a parallel (Luke/Anakin, Leia/Amidala). In Chewie's case, it was just a similar design that connected the two characters. If I remember correctly, the Wookiee Senator was just a modified Chewie suit-- true story.
9
Not to the extent the line from 1999 has.
Starting Line-Ups in 1995 were rotten, pure and simple. Batman villains have been traditionally kinda tough to find. But with Beast TransFormers, I've seen pretty much everybody released, ever, in stores on numerous occasions including the so-called rare ones like TransMetals II Blackarachnia. (Which is nice, looks really great.)
When it comes to a collector brand, there's always gonna be a problem. 10 years ago, most of the toys were bought exclusively by kids, and the ratios back then were slightly better. For Batman Returns, Catwoman was hard to get for a while (being released late and all), but for the most part, just about any non-female figure was a snap to find. (That first April was a nuisance to find.)
Lately, it seems Hasbro's top brands are getting better. Joes, TransFormers, Batman, and Star Wars seem to be doing OK, if their roll-outs are a wee bit slow at times. Still, I don't think there's a line where stuff goes from being $200 on eBay to $20 in stores faster than Beast Machines.
10
First, I just wanna say that I really liked Expanded Universe figures. Even the vehicles. These were pretty great toys, incorporating then-uncommon removable hands and pretty great sculpting to boot. Dark Empire Luke is one of my all-time favorite figures. The packaging was just icing on the cake. But back to the topic at hand...
That said, the Y-Wing prototype was a mock-up. These are made months before the final product and do not necessarily reflect the final toy... the picture on the back looks to be a decked-out vintage Y-Wing when I look at the cannons on the front. They made some changes to bring down the cost, and I'd wager to say that it's still a great toy for $20. (If they had the landing gear assembled properly, it'd be one of the best.) This isn't an issue of bait-and-switch, it's just something that happens due to the lead time of packaging being printed.
Me, I think a dollar is a big deal at times. While it is true mediocrity is forever, this ship is pretty darned good when you get over the fact that it's another repro instead of a new mold. If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing right. But I don't think this was done wrong. Not "awesome" like the Power FX X-Wing, but it is pretty darned great if you look at it.
FIN Regarding Wednesday's update, some asked if what I said and how it was said was meant to be apologetic for my occasional ribbing of the badly written questions that occasionally get sent to the column. (It wasn't.) Some of you had written in saying you'd like to see me do some more features here other than Q&A and checklists. Well... erm... OK, but I don't have any idea what it is you'd like to see. Lemme know! To the Astro-Show! May Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard once again bring out the amazing tesla coil!
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