No significant accidents for at least three days!
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1 Why are the upper nacelles on the Galoob X-wings longer than the lower ones? This is the case with the micromachine, die-cast, and action fleet X-wings. It is obviously a choice that the designers made, but I can see no reason for it. Are they that sloppy? -John
CORRECTION: Many wrote in with the answer. It turns out Galoob altered
the design for safety purposes, this way, a child could not impale him
or herself on the toy quite so easily.
2 I just saw a custom darth vader dagobah figure on ebay high bid was $432.50. is a custom figure really worth that much? -Xizor
The expression my dad used to tell me was "It's your money." (Or "You don't need that.") Is it *worth* it? Well, depends-- if you think it's $432.50 worth of cool, then yes, by all means. Would *I* pay it? Heck no. Unless it was done by a Hasbro employee as a side project or somebody from LucasFilm's modeling department, I don't think more than $100 would be what I (and by I, I mean me and not necessarily anybody else) would want to pay for it.
(Plus we're supposed to be getting a Dagobah Vader next year, and while it isn't 100% until we see a picture [and even then...], I don't see the kick out of that kind of price. Fake bidding has been common on many SW items lately...)
3 Admittedly you're area of expertise is toy releases in American, but could you shed some light onto the poor distribution of Hasbro POTF2 toys in the UK? Since the line started we have had ~25 figures, maybe 50% of the spaceships, none of the EU craft, no Millenium coin figures and only 2 cinema scenes. -Jer
Well, international distribution of all toy lines
varies from nation to nation. The companies local affiliates typically
import what they think will sell well, or what they see as being as the
next in-demand item(s). Some times they guess right... some times they
don't. (Does anybody want that Pokemon Polliwhirl 3-pack? I don't
think so. Now Bulbasaur, which I would buy, is NOT available over
here...*) I hear that the extreme shortpacks in some US toy lines end
up as pegwarmers in the UK. Because of that, lines like Star Wars
won't see 100% distribution because someone said "well, it might be too
much product, and remember how Phantasm didn't exactly fly off the
pegs?"
As far as Millennium Mint Coin figures, we're still in 'em pretty good
on our side of the pond... must've seen 20 or 30 at the Toys "R" Us I
visited in Phoenix last weekend.
*=Well, the solution: I found a cart at the mall that carries legit
import (not bootleg for a change) Pokemon toys. The Japanese packaged
toy-- with all three forms-- was eight bucks... the same as a Hasbro
released US version would cost, and this one had a small playset.
While it won't be so simple in your situation, the basic premise
remains: you've got to import some stuff in many a hobby. Heck, look
at vintage Star Wars... you ain't gettin' no Yak Face if you only buy
US-carded product.
4
Hasbro really screwed up that line... the toys cost more, aren't that much better looking, and suffer from the "let's give him a new hat" syndrome of "new products." Price point is *exactly* why these things are lousy most of the time (not all, mind you, those new Pit Droids and the Battle Droid are nice items). I would have no problem paying, say, $30 for a truly awesome figure. That first 12" Maul-- which I never saw in stores-- was a nicely articulated hunk of plastic. But
you're right... Star Wars is (or at least was earlier this summer) a huge license, and deserves better than being repaints and weak articulation.
Hasbro has heard we don't like it... that whole cost thing probably has something to do with it. Frankly, I'm not all that interested in paying $24.99 for figures like the 12" Watto, and I'll bet many of you are of the same opinion. Basically, all you can do is hope Hasbro releases a few less turkeys, reduces the price, raises the quality... or stop buying 12". Or customize, head-swapping adds up, but using the better body results in the better toy.
5 Adam, I prefer to use your checklists (I'm not a variation collector, so I don't need all that .0000, .0001 crap), but I haven't seen an update lately. Are you going to be bringing your checklists to Rebelscum? If not, when can we expect an update? -Bill
A pretty big chunk of them have been up for a week (or a few weeks). There are a few that are missing some product, or are not up yet, but most that people will be interested in are up today.
6
Rip you off for what? Those things are totally worthless. :)
(At least for the forseeable future.)
7
Episode One as a whole didn't do all that well in
terms of toys... I could spend hours writing up all the 50-90% off deals
I've found on stuff. The CommTech readers-- at least in a lot of the
stores I visit-- seem to exist in greater numbers than figures. I
mean, there were cases of these things in the back. For $20+, it is
not an attractive item. I think most parents liked the in-store one to
see who a figure was or something like that... the CommTech idea is a
MARVELOUS way to sell figures in stores. If say, you could scan a
barcode and a sound would pop up ("This is Buzz Lightyear!" or "Naga
NOONCH!"), that'd do wonders for the point-of-sale figure sales. But
most parents don't want this in their homes... heck, I've got one and
I'm not exactly thrilled with it. Only a handful of really awesome
chips out of... what, 40 or 50?
Of course, no company would probably try to do that because it's a
killer marketing idea, and anyone that sees this probably won't do it
because of the great legal invention issues. (And if someone saw this,
yes, I want a cut of it. :)
8
Some do, some don't. There's a logo on the packages of the games to inform you what works on what. For instance, every GameBoy family game will work on the GameBoy Color, but most of the newer GameBoy Color games only work on the GameBoy Color. The Super GameBoy doesn't have the capabilities the new portable holds.
As far as your question... last I heard it was GB Color only. If you
don't have one, I can say that it's a magnificent and battery-efficient
portable. (I had mine for almost 10 months of regular use before the
batteries died.) Thing is, the GameBoy Advance is in development and
that could make the GB Color that I bought on the day it came out last
year obselete very quickly. But then again, waiting sucks, so go forth
and buy ye the best portable on the market.
(Plus they're gonna reissue the first, original, NES Zelda for the GB
Color. That alone makes it worth owning one. [Heck, I have it on my
NES and I want it!])
9
Most people consider all 4" figures POTF2, but since these were made by a different team, were packaged differently, and so forth, some see them as outside figures. I blame the cloth.
10
Open it. Hasbro has so many uncorrected "errors" it's not worth collecting most of them any more. I bought and opened my one Panaka, and he's very happy to be standing on top of my scanner. He says "hello."
FIN Always pays on time always fits the bill he comes well prepared Cube top squared off eight corners 90 degree angles Flat top stares straight ahead stock parts snake eyes blockhead Never tips over stands up on his own He is a blockhead thinking man full grown he comes well prepared
1
As for why, well, Galoob never really gave me a straight answer. :) I guess that's just how they decided the toy should look. In the old days, Kenner took a sort of artistic license with adjusting the toy's colors, proportions, etc. Sometimes it made sense (i.e., AT-AT's oversized cockpit) and sometimes it didn't (i.e., the Death Star Droid ain't silver, it's black). This happens in the toy biz a lot-- I wouldn't call it sloppy, but I would definitely point it out as an oddity.
2 What ever happened to the second wave of galoob die cast ships? I believe there was supposed to be a Snowspeeder, Slave I, an A-Wing, and I think 3 others. I never saw them here (Toronto Canada) in the stores, and I really liked the first 6 (7 if you include the Death Star). Were they ever in stores in the US, and did they ever make it up here to Canada at all? I know the first 6 were real peg warmers here at a lot of stores, in fact there are still a couple sandcrawlers here and there. I would imagine that is why I never saw the second wave. Also, any idea where I might find them now? I have looked around on the net and on Ebay, and such places and have had no luck. Any help on this would be appreciated. -Tim
Wave 2 included the three you mentioned, a Super Star Destroyer, TIE Bomber, and the Landspeeder. A Death Star was said to be included in wave two, but I know I never saw one at retail. Many people found theirs on close-out sales at Kay-Bee Toy Stores along with the others.
As far as Canada goes, I know (or at least think I know) there was a box set with the Death Star and possibly a few other Wave 2s... but it might have been all wave 1s.
3 Will Hasbro be making a Destroyer Droid that fully transforms into a wheel? -Mojo
Eventually, probably. No such toy has been announced in any Hasbro scale. Now for Lego...
4
Sounds like a custom job to me.
5 Why does the R2D2 figure from the Phantom Menace have those rockets? Was there a scene cut from the movie where R2 uses them? -Mitch
A scene was shot but eventually cut where R2-D2 falls off a ledge on Coruscant and flies back up via his rockets. Since the toys are made while the movie is still in development, it was too late to change the toy. Still, it's kinda cool... at least it wasn't "does nothing action!"
6
Well, I frequently say that I expect at least more articulation or accessories when I pay seven bucks for a figure that small. The best example in terms of toy for the dollar is the McFarlane Monsters sets, where you get a playset, accessories, two four inch figures, more accessories, all amazingly detailled, for like twelve bucks at most stores. Star Wars figures are priced as such, most likely, due to the license fees. When compared with a $6 Lego Landspeeder or a $5 Beast Wars
toy, a $7 Star Wars figure doesn't shine the way a $5 one did just a few years ago. Hence why the kids don't go as nuts for them as they used to.
7
I've heard the same thing everyone else has heard Lucas say: he wants to wait until Episode 3 is done so he can release an ultimate box set of all six films. (And so a few people can make millions on the streets of Hong Kong selling bootlegs since they don't have an option to buy licensed product.)
8
I hunt for toys while the normal people dream! (Bwa ha ha ha.)
Seriously though, there is no "ultimate time" to look for toys... but you never have to fight lines at 3 AM. Except at 7-11, that place is always busy at night. Dennys, too. If you go there, get a Vanilla Coke, they're great and the refills are free. (Try to pack down at least four before you leave. Get your money's worth.)
9
Everything's possible.
10
While some of it is stolen goods, a lot of toys just show up early in Hong Kong and Singapore. And in some cases, stuff rarely shows up elsewhere... not Star Wars usually, but anyone out there that collected ALIENS knows what I'm referring to.
FIN
1
Well, it doesn't have to be your only one.. you can always buy another somewhere other than the primary market since Hasbro has no plans to make the item again, which isn't surprising because it sold rather poorly until Hasbro hinted that it wouldn't be shipping any longer.
2 What happen to that "exclusive" Cinema scene with Boss Nass, Queen Amidala, and Sabe? It was suposed to be released in Japan last month and there isn't a single picture of it. -JohnSteede
If you don't see a picture, you might not want to put too much stock in what you hear. I mean, I could say here that Amanaman is the 2000 Fan Club Exclusive, which will be shipped in December 2000 and preorders start in August. It's not true, but I could say it.
As far as exclusives go, there are no Hasbro exclusives in 1999. No new ones, anyway. So if such an item was actually in development (and for all I know, it might be) it would come out over here as well as elsewhere.
3 I'm sure you've been asked this a zillion times and have given a zillion answers....but I'm a newcomer to Rebelscum so I'll ask again. Has Hasbro ever confirmed or denied an Ephant Mon figure? -czahr
Hasbro has yet to reveal an announcement on this figure's release.
4
If you mean the new Model-Team-Esque one (since there is no other as of yet), well, it's not quite known since no pictures have surfaced to say one way or another. On the two Ultimate Collector's Series sets, the only minifig that's easily noticable is R2-D2, and for all I know he could be the only one used in the construction. Stay tuned.
5 Hey Adam. I've heard lots of rumors about upcoming 12" figures, in fact it seems that Garindan actually showed up on a release list somewhere. Any word on ole long snout? -warremr
He appeared on an early release list, but is not scheduled to be produced. Heck, it's still not known if a prototype was made.
6
Cost cutting. Galoob was so cheap... ("How cheap were they?") They were so cheap that when I got my Slave I which was missing the stand, they didn't even make extras to sell me. It kills the displayability of a few ships, and unfortunately, another stake in the heart of my interest in the product. Some of these buggers need stands, unfortunately... maybe we'll see a fan-made product that takes care of that in the future.
7
Rebelscum Sponsor Entertainment Earth has had 'em, so I'd wager yes.
8
Probably not. Not that they're talking about... I wouldn't expect any more.
9
A box? Nothing exists for any special way to hold 'em, but I'm sure the fine readers of this column have an idea. Mine are thrown in a shoebox.
10
Depends on how fast Hasbro cranks out new figures. If the classic line is any indication, it could be a very long time before Episode I figures cease production. Of course, if you're looking to cut corners in your collection, might I advise passing on the various Anakin rehashes in 2000? :)
FIN
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