Ninjas, Ninjas, Ninjas
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1 After reading some of your saracastic/caustic repsonses to questions, myself and a few others firmly believe you are the comic book store guy from "The Simpsons". How's Agnes Skinner? Still having fun with her? I need a Radioactive Man #11, can you help? -Ian
Anyway...
2 I understand that you can use permanent marker to fill in the wearing on an old toys paint job. This has helped me keep many of my toys look brand spankin' new. But is it ethical to sell a toy that has been doctored up to look like new as a mint toy? -Marf
Not in a million years.
The recent influx of some new form of collectors has made a new sliding scale of what is "mint." In 1990, when I picked up an issue of Toy Shop, MIB meant mint, complete, sealed box, and a mint box. In other words, pretty much flawless.
A few years ago, I saw auctions for some TransFormers resealed with repro stickers called "MIB." This has also happened in Star Wars, and is a big problem. It's because of this sort of thing that "professional graders" have come into being... people just can't admit to what it is they're selling.
Once you make a change to a toy beyond what it was intended to be-- ANY change-- it's no longer mint. It's either a custom, repaired, or damaged and that depends on both the buyer and the seller. If you ask me, it was broken, now it's a broken toy that's been fixed. And that ain't mint.
My advice? Point out the fixes and sell it as-is. Anything less is unethical.
3 I always like to think ahead and imagine what SW stuff will be most sought after in the future. In your opinion, if you could pick certain categories(other than action figures) that you think would be most desired 20 years from now, what would your picks be? -bobafett14
20 years ago it was 1980. Comics were still comics, trading cards were still trading cards, and action figures were still action figures. In 1990, comics and trading cards were collectibles, and action figures were on the way there. In 2000, the comic and card markets are slow and dead, respectively, and action figures are going the same way. Beanie Babies have come and pretty much gone... yet Hot Wheels continue to be a sign of everything that's wrong with how to treat collectors.
Some might say "oh, the toys from 15-20 years ago." I disagree. Starting 1990, the bulk of the toys released were also picked up by collectors, and at 1995, virtually every toy line that could have the slightest interest down the road is being hoarded in a basement somewhere.
One might say video games... but emulators and the ability to copy pretty much anything makes that one go. Some people might say a resurgance in comics or cards could happen... or toys could retain their current popularity. However, I do think a blast from the past is where we're heading.
In 2021, tulip bulbs featuring licensed characters will be released. They will be so popular that even grocery stores will accept them with currency. The rarest will be a Shirley Temple bulb with a .01 light green stem.
Also, Bots Master toys.
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While American kits died and died hard, Japan will be getting some more new stuff this year in the form of a new X-Wing, TIE, and a rumored Marmit Vader. Stay tuned for more on these.
5 Backa again, I was reading your Q & A for today and read about the Mac version of [Episode One: Insider's Guide], I never realized they released this for Mac's. Do you know if the Classic Trilogy [Behind the Magic] was ever made for Mac? I've been dying to get this! And does the Ep.1 have cut scene and all the other goodies Classic Trilogy did? -Brian
No Behind the Magic release for Mac, sadly.
As far as I can tell, no video scenes of cut goods from E1 appear on the collection.
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Well, who decides this sort of thing? The answer? You do. I do. It's up to the collector.
But, to be more precise, I'm a stubborn person, so only I do.
The most common paint errors I see are missed applications, like an unpainted red light on the first POTF2 Vader or some brown left off the vintage Rebel Commando. Why are these errors? Well, they weren't frequently made and it's something missing.
Variations are highly subjective. To some people, a .00 or .01 change isn't significant enough to merit any attention. Others see a Qui-Gon figure holding his saber in a different place as a new, significant, and notable change. (I am not one of them.)
When it comes to the .00/.01 stuff... well, sometimes it's neat, sometimes not. The .00 Vader cardback was orange, while .01 was green. Now that's kinda neat, and without a doubt, it's a running change. .02 Vader was a change in collection... some people might really care. Can't say I do.
The other kind of variation is the "intentional" one. This is kinda hard to define, but the best example I can throw out is the four different deco jobs on the first Battle Droid or the Spawn repaints. The toy company perceives this to be-- more or less-- a new product.
It has nothing to do with quantity as much as it does the fans. There are thousands of vintage variations, maybe a few dozen are actually cared about. Even on POTF2, there are changes *to the actual toy* that nobody cares about. It's just the weird way of the hobby... there's no easy answer. If it isn't obvious, anyway. Few people would argue that short sabers are a change from long sabers, but the REALLY short sabers seem like just an error to many of us.
(If you missed the .00/.01 lecture, it's in last week's Q&A.)
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A reasonable $24.99 and shipping. (Not bad considering Wuher was like what-- $12 & shipping?)
And while I've seen the new Insider all over the place, I still have yet to receive my subscription copy.
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Man. When the line hits 300, I guess we can't expect people to know everything that came out anymore...
In 1997, the Rebel Fleet Trooper was released. It was an ugly, tall, bulky figure that had fans talking "resculpt" almost immediately. Hasbro has "Blockade Runner" on some upcoming lists, but that's the name of the ship, not the figure. (It's not like there's a U.S.S. Red Shirt.) Odds are they will be making a fine addition to the POTJ line later this year.
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Rub it with some sort of foodstuff. No way he'll want to keep it carded after that. Get a bowl of Rice Check, pour some milk, let it sit, then rub it on the package. Nasty stuff.
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If you ask me, neither.
In Episode One, there is another of Maul's species on the Jedi Council. (Eeth Koth, I think, without checking my references. Yeah yeah, I know, "What? You still don't have all the E1 aliens memorized?" Heck, still don't own the flick either...) This character is a brownish color, and since it's frequently mentioned that Maul is tatooed, I would say that his actual skin is whatever color that his native race may be.
Of course, if you go by the comics, he's tatooed all over. How very hip of him. He's a hit on the club circuit.
FIN Ummm... more later. Could be tomorrow. And it might even be informative!
Anybody recommend a window covering to block UV's? I want to display my vintage stuff in my main floor office/play room, but it gets quite a bit of sun (which I like), but I know that my stuff looks as good as it does, because were kept in their boxes in the garage for 15 years. I'd like to keep it un-yellowed. -Dave
A good ol' fashioned window shade should do the trick. I've got a dresser in front of the window of my main toy room, which tends to block most of the external light.
2 I was at a flea market last sunday and found a lady selling original figures. After finding one I wanted I bought it from her. Anyway it was a chewbacca with a brown body and green limbs. Is this a common error or a true oddity? Please help! -Kay
What you have here is damaged goods. When some Chewbaccas are exposed to the elements (or age, depending on who you ask) the limbs can turn green. Some price guides list it as a variation, but if it's a true variation, I've got some lemon yellow Stormtroopers to sell you, cheap.
3 This is not a question, but some info on my experience. There was a question about ethics in retouching SW figs with marker. Well, I used to do this to some of my vintage figures, namely the black parts. I used a regular magic marker and touched up all the dings. It looked good until it started bleeding into non-black areas of my other figures (hands, face etc.) Needless to say, it wasn't worth it. -Duane
Interesting (and annoying) finding! Hopefully it didn't do too much damage.
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I don't hate the character, but he is-- well, was-- the column's whipping boy because at one point a lot of people seemed to email all at once to ask for this figure. I make no apologies for saying it's a boring, dull character. And a human. Human toys suck. That's why I always liked Star Wars: a few good humans and tons of robots and aliens. Anyhoo...
Before I continue, for the uninitiated, BoShek is a guy in a grey suit in the Cantina that can be seen talking to Obi-Wan and Chewie. He's been called a "spacer", but all he is, is a balding guy in a lame space suit with mutton chops. A lethal combination, and of course, so much more interesting than Trevagg the Gotal. (If you're a moron.)
The figure is not confirmed. I called Hasbro and I said "Hey, Habsro Brand Manager Paul." And he said "Who are you?" And I said "Nevermind. What's this BoShek stuff?" And he said "We can't comment on that at this time." (You know what it means.)
So I take this to mean it's time to find a new whipping boy. Ben Quadrinaros just kinda sucks... he isn't boring, so he's no good. Plus he's supposedly gonna happen. So that's out. The Jedi Council is all pretty cool... so no go there. Most of the other Cantina characters are good, and I can't think of someone I don't like in Jabba's Palace. Madine's been done... and Fixer's too obscure. But you know who's a great target for mean-spirited jokes with no real reason? (Besides Canada?)
BoSh- oh, fudge. Well, I've got nothing.
5 Are Hasbro trying to fool us again ?. With the Aurra Sing figure it was announced "POD FIGURE". On some upcoming figure lists they had Imperial Officer (Loyal Servant & Rebel Trooper (Tantive IV). This sounds like Imperial Dignatory and a new Rebel Fleet Trooper, what do you think? -Brian
The "Blockade Runner" is short for a Blockade Runner Trooper. And yes, I confirmed this with the Big H.
The Imperial Officer is... drumroll please... a generic Imperial Officer. A brand spankerin' new guy in a dark, one-color suit. Also confirmed with our friends at Hasbro. No secrets here.
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I can say that a little birdie told me it's gonna be a while longer until it should go up. It might appear earlier... but basically, if you're holding your breath, stop. The Fan Club is still in a big stage of transition and well, I'm blaming this on the fact I still don't have the new Insider yet, even though my subscription says I should have it.
(Heck, have many subscribers gotten it yet? I think I heard one person that did...)
Uhhh... yeah. Prepare to do some waitin'.
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That said, I'd never asked a question. Since I have some time on my hands
(well, a damn lot since I am unemployed) I sat down and thought one up. Two
actually. Well, three.
1) Maul and Eeth Koth are same species (and Duros is a Neimodian?!). Eeth
Koth looks like he has permanent head horns, and yet Maul's are visibly
'attached' (in fact, I think he used the same resinous putty that enabled my
halloween costume last year). In countless promo shots - in the movie
itself - they made no attempt to hide the fakeness of his horns and I think
I read somewhere (Cinefantastique?) that Lucas wanted it that way. So is he
horned or not?
2) (here's the hard one) How do they paint these figures? What has happened
in even the last five years technologically speaking to make the paint jobs
look so good? Why doesn't Hasbro put a feature about this on their web page?
3) Kaiyodo Trigun vs McFarlane Trigun? And will McFarlane ever make Nicholas
D Wolfwood?
Glad you've stuck with us since that rough starting-out period in '86. (There were a lot of rants on the possibility there may not be a Back to the Future II or any new Devo albums then.)
On the first... I've heard that as well. Eeth & Maul are supposedly the same species, and well, not sure about the horns. One reader volunteered info that Maul was supposed to look very artificial, like you said you heard. Duro and Nemoidians are also supposedly the same species now. Odd. And kinda stupid. Why make a new name?
Hmmm... I'm fairly sure it's a machine. Hasbro's web page... uh... well, yeah. They've got no in-house staff to do it (although I can think of at least ONE PERSON who would be THRILLED to help out... cough...). There was a feature at the Plano show last year that Hasbro had a bunch of pictures of how a figure is made, and there might have been something there... but eh, don't remember and don't want to check.
Kaiyodo's Vash the Stampede got the articulation, McFarlane's got the sculpt and paint. And I doubt McF will do Wolfwood anytime soon, since McAnime II has no mention of any new Trigun figures. (More Akira & Tenchi, some Ghost in the Shell... no Trigun. Where's my Nadesico and Irresponsible Captain Tylor???)
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Sort of. A gunner was included with the Lego snowspeeder and another with the Action Fleet snowspeeder. A micro figure was made in the old Kenner Micro Collection as well... but Hasbro/Kenner has never made a regular 4" action figure of the character.
...and with that, we have our new lame character for the column. Dak, it's you. Although you've had more dialogue that BoShek, you still don't look very different than Biggs, Wedge, and other figures I have and well, you weren't given any personality. So Dak, enjoy your new spotlight.
Oh-- and Dak sucks.
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"Fair market value" is exactly what it goes for on eBay.
As far as "property" and all that goes... I say there's a sliding scale. Hasbro doesn't want these for the archives all the time, but they want 'em destroyed. Because of that, I personally don't think it's a bad thing that some get out to the collector market. Authenticity is hard to determine since if they are really Hasbro's, they are technically stolen property. It is possible an employee was given one to take home, or an extra was made and leaked, but well, it's a grey area. If you trust the seller, well, good. Go for it. It's easy to fake some of these, so be careful.
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Yakface's Realm was taking a poll on this just the other... well, it was recently. There are no official plans to do it, and the original book that Sansweet and co. translated was originally Japanese, so one would assume if Japan did a new one, we'd get it.
Personally, it's a weird thing to do now or later. Do it now, and well, it's out of date tomorrow. Episode II is just around the corner, and well, that's a lot of new stuff. Wait until after E3, and then interest will probably be dead. I'd buy it. And the seven of you who stuck with this hobby will buy it. And we're it. So who knows?
Some toy mags do a mini-update with new stuff every few months, but nothing was as well done as the Sansweet book.
FIN Come back Friday for more!
What are the MAIN differences between the 2-pack split apart Maul and the POTJ version. I mean, I know there are slight sculpt changes in the skirt, legs, etc. but what else? I have the 2-pack version, would you advice I get the POTJ version or not waste my time and money? -Dan
As always, if you don't already care, save your money. If I need to convince you to buy something you perceive as maybe not being worth the money, you probably don't want it.
That said, the differences are there, but somewhat minor. The 2-pack version has the ability to tilt his head back, and is made from a different stock of plastic than the POTJ version. The POTJ version doesn't fall apart as easily through the use of a "peg" of sorts with a magnet that keeps him together just a bit more. There's some obvious sculpting changes, but the POTJ one has the nicest head sculpt and I'd wager a better paint job overall. Plus since he's marked down to $4 or less at many software stores, he might be your best bet.
2 You where correct, as usual, about how to store opened figures in a tackle box, so I am seeking your advice on how to store my other Star Wars toys. What did you find to be the best way to store your opened Ships, Beast Packs, Cinema Scenes, And Deluxe Figures etc. Do you keep the boxes and reseal? I have been doing that but I am running low on space. How do you store your larger figures, such as Spawn? -Chuck
Three words: shelving, shelving, shelving. Or boxes.
Since I never cut out the backdrops of my cinemascenes to stick in the stands, those are still with the boxes in the attic or the shed. The stands go into my Tool Box O' Fun, which houses any oversized figure, accessory, or figure-related-item that will not fit into the tackle boxes.
I don't have many McFarlane figures (a dozen or so not counting Metal Gear) and those are on shelves. The rest go in their packages so I don't lose the accessories and they won't get banged up. It's a crappy solution, but it's a solution.
Vehicles, playsets, and everything but Complete Galaxy go on cheap metal shelving units. The globes go into boxes until I get a better place to park my carcass.
(Never, ever reseal. It's bad mojo.)
3 I have to disagree with your choice of new whipping boy. I think that Dack Ralter, whose story is a tragic one repeated time and again throughout the Galactic Civil War, is a character whose importance to the Star Wars saga is surpassed perhaps only Max Rebo. Dack is one of many young, idealistic soldiers whose life was cut short on a battlefield far from his home. Dack was the child of prisoners in a Kalist VI labor colony. He hadn't known freedom his entire life, but that changed when he was 17. A downed Rebel pilot incarcerated at Kalist befriended young Dack. Together, the two made their escape from the world, though the Rebel did not survive. Once free, Dack joined the Rebel Alliance, training as a pilot and gunner. The optimistic young man said he felt he could face the Empire himself at the start of the Battle of Hoth. His confidence was not only the product of youth, but also of flying as gunner to Alliance hero Luke Skywalker. A shot square in the aft section of Luke's snowspeeder, however, ended Dack's life instantly.
Should not the life of such a noble character be immortalized in plastic, if
nothing else than as homage to the glory of the human spirit?
No, he shouldn't. He sucks.
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None yet. I know a lot of dealers who keep their opened figures in bags until they sell 'em, but that's usually temporary. I personally don't think it's great for long-term since they don't get a chance to breathe (same deal with tackle boxes, I go through those and move 'em around regularly).
One thing I can advise-- never, ever put your figures in anything with red plastic trays. I saw a collection that was stored in a garage in the ROJ carry case with the red tray/stands... and lemme tell ya, Leia and all the Imperials were just a wee bit red in the backside.
5 Will we get a figure of the "familiar face" that 3PO sees on Bespin? Without that lighter-in-color protocol droid on my shelf to insult C3PO, Godenrod will never stray from the rest of the group, get blasted by Stormtroopers, tossed around by Ugnaughts, and have his head put on backwards by Chewbacca. There is a gap in the chronology of my toys. Doesn't Hasbro understand my dilema? Don't you? -Patrick
If Hasbro continues making repaints that make sense-- I mean, why make a new mold when the old one is OK-- then yeah, we could see this one. I don't think we'll see it this year... or next year... but hey, 2003 isn't that far away.
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Axed.
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Thoughts, shmoughts. I've gots answers.
Hasbro's official statement is that nothing is officially gone yet. Scout Troopers are not only shipping again (Armor Maul cases), but you can expect a running change at some point that will leave the figures dirtier. They sell quickly... but they're coming back.
The current pattern of POTJ cases appears to be lots and lots of new Collection 1, and eventually, old guys come back for a while. So, as always, snag 'em if you like 'em.
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Thank you, my inebriated invertebrate compadre.
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...and thank you, my Titan SW junkie associate.
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If patience is a virtue, I don't pretend to be virtuous.
ANY DVD sold as a DVD right now is a bootleg. It might be mastered from the Laserdisc, VHS, or some other source, but one thing is certain: it is not a licensed product.
Some say all bootlegs are bad. I'm not one of these people. Bootleg figures, unlicensed artwork, and otherwise third-rate toys are interesting because... well, more often than not there's something seriously wrong with them. In the case of things like films (and especially videogames) there's no room for oddity, and well, I find it hard to even want to collect them because there is no real reason to buy them. Are they better than the originals? Well, in this case, there are no originals. Chalk it up to a lack of foresight, a desire to sell more VHS, or the liklihood that something really spiffy is on the horizon, these are the only options to fans wanting DVD today.
And well, I can wait. I've seen Star Wars, Empire, and Jedi more times than I can count. (And E1 5 times in the theaters.) Considering you've probably got VHS, Lasers, or god forbid VCDs in your collection, I'd wait if I were you because you're buying an inferior product and I can say that you'll probably want the licensed, real deal when it happens. If you've got money to burn, do whatever. If you absolutely must own these on DVD today, what you do with your money is your business. But you aren't going to get anything special with an Asian bootleg. Save your money and blow it on more toys.
...But there has been yet another fantabuloso rumor/fact/whatever on the Episode One DVD. Corona Films Whatchahoosits has posted some sort of memo and whatnot here that outlines the whole shebang. Assuming, of course, this is for real, and for the sake of argument in the next few paragraphs, I will.
Take This With A Grain Of SaltThe list mentions 11 or 12 teasers. I was hoping for the two we got in the US... more is good. The list mentions exclusive info on Episode II. After seeing the stuff on the latest VHS/VCD versions of the Trilogy, I'm not hopeful. Gimme a trailer, that's all I want. Several (!) audio commentaries. Expect to hear the phrase "the power of myth" several dozen times while hearing insights upon musical numbers to be added to the next version of the film! All kidding aside, if this is for real, wow. The commentary is one of the best things that can be placed on a DVD to squeeze some extra rewatchability out of it, so anything like this is welcome. Lots of other goodies that sound like a laundry list of a fanboy's request sheet are listed on the page with the stuff. If this is for real-- if-- I'd say that the wait will be well worth it. Since this document leaked, anything less than this would probably cause a group of fans to scream boycott. Then again, giving the movie away for free with an exclusive figure would cause somebody to scream boycott, but hey, that needed to be said. If we get anything near this cool for the original three, I can wait until 2005. I'd rather not, but a half hour of deleted scenes AND a new longer cut of the film AND the original cut of the film are all things I'd want. There is only one thing I'd ask for that was not specifically named on this report, and that's isolated sound tracks for the score and another for the "castrated" cut-- before all the effects sounds and music were added. And that's being nitpicky. If I can get a DVD, someday, of Empire with the old cut, the Special Edition, a new cut, cut footage, trailers, commentaries, and anything else, I'd be thrilled to pieces. I have serious doubts we'd get the original cut, but hey, it's nice to dream. To sell me a DVD, all I ask is for a nice print with nice sound and at least one worthwhile extra. (Or if it's the right movie, well, it could have no extras.) So if this report is close to what we'd get, or better yet, actually what we'll get, I'm very happy. This definitely sounds like some real work went into it.
FIN Oh, and golly gee, I just found out my primary email address since 1995 is going bye-bye. apawlus@primenet.com is no more as of real soon. So send me email at apawlus@16bit.com or adam@rebelscum.com. Anyone want another Megathon? I'm ready to do an update every weekday for at least a month if you're willing to send your questions. Seem fair? No? Well, that's all I'm gonna offer.
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