Questions for November 4, 2004
Q&A Archive

Another round of questions is in the book, with ten more slated for Monday. Thanks to all who wrote, I'm looking forward to hearing from the rest of you real soon!

On with the show:

1
Does Hasbro plan to produce corner Cantina Bar Sections? Currently we have almost 3 feet of strait Cantina Bar. How many of the Canceled Wave 2 Wal*Mart Cantina were made? If someone knows of course. Also [will] the exclusive Emperor Palpatine Executor Tran. have an OTC#? Some People at eBay have listed as #00. And last, did the OTC figures are produce in the same numbers as the Clone Wars line? I'm starting to feel the same lack of product in all toy Store. -Alexis Gonzalez (Sombras); Puerto Rico

A corner, or rounded, section of the bar has been mentioned, but so far no plans have been announced. What was said is that it's possible IF the current sets do well. Considering Cantina #1 set is stacked three high, and four deep at most of the K-Marts I've visited, and the #2 set will likely do the same, I imagine the best way to get the rounded section to fans is through the TRU multi-pack. Put the rounded section in there, a Lak Sivrak re-paint, a few new kit bashed aliens, and Dice Ibegon and you have set fans will really scramble for.

No idea how many of the Wal*Mart wave 2 sets were actually produced, but we have been told it was far less than a standard run. The Holo. Emperor figure is not numbered, there's no basis at all for numbering it #00, someone just made that up and some people just seem to be following it, go figure... Hard to say what numbers the OTC figures have been produced in, typically production numbers are reduced in a movie year, and these are re-released figures. I would imagine numbers are lower, but anticipating a higher level of consumer awareness surrounding the DVD release, I'd think production numbers would be higher than they were for an EU line like Clone Wars. Hard to say what the problem is exactly, I've seen a good amount of figures on the shelves, it could just be a distribution issue in your area.


2
I just bought the Silver 2004 Darth Vader at TRU. How many other "Silver" figures are there? And, I was surprised to see that, according to your website, there are only "several hundred" of the Invasion of Theed packaging variant. I happen to have one of those--new and mint--I bought it for only 10 bucks! Is it worth anything because of its rarity? -Steve

Not to pick knits, but there were actually three previous Silver painted figures and two Vac-Metal (Chrome) figures for a grand total of five. The vac-metal figures were; Toy Fair Darth Vader and Silver Anniversary R2-D2. The three Silver painted figures were; 2003 Con Exclusive Boba Fett, 2003 TRU Clone Trooper, and the 2004 Comic-Con Sandtrooper. From what we understand, the current Darth Vader will be the last of these figures.

Hard to say what the set is actually worth. I would search out closed or current auctions on eBay to see what like sets are going for. Something tells me it's just not a hot enough item to fetch a considerable amount of money. Then again, if you find the right buyer, I could be wrong.


3
Is there going to be an exclusive action figure for KOTOR II like the Scout Trooper for Battlefront? -Noel

As much as I'd like one, that remains to be seen. Hopefully someone at LucasArts recognizes the potential there and will start the process with Hasbro. As far as I'm concerned, it could be nothing but good for both the game and toy line. We'll have to wait and see.


4
Some of the Star Wars figures I have came with weapons that seem to be made of a softer plastic than some of the earlier releases. For me, these weapons seem to bend and warp, and never seem to want to go back to their original position. (My Amanaman staff is bent at a 45-degree angle, as is my Aurra Sing rifle.) Do you know of a way to get these weapons to go back to their original position? Has anyone else had this problem that you know of? -Jeff

Unfortunately everyone has, and continues to have this problem. While it's something that can be corrected by applying a little heat, the nature of the plastic only allows for a temporary fix. Once you put the weapon back into an un-balanced position, it will bend right back into an unintended form. Tips to getting the weapon back to its original form include warm to hot water, hair drier, or direct sunlight - again, you may fix the problem, but it's only temporary.


5
I know this is mere speculation from anyone's point, but what do you think Hasbro will do with the Star Wars line after Episode III runs its course? I mean with EP1 and EP2, we got about 2 years out of each line (1999-2000 for EP1 and 2002-2004 for EP2 Saga), so after 2006 (assuming a 2005-2006 EP3 run), what's going to happen to the line? Are we looking at 1985 all over again? -Dan

How the line goes will depend greatly on what Lucasfilm does to support it. If Lucas pulls back as he did following Return of the Jedi, the line will likely fumble along for a couple years then peter out. Hasbro has not shown a commitment to produce the types of toys that will carry the line for an extended period of time. There are only so many re-packs and re-paints collectors can take until they abandon the line, and I have to say Hasbro is dangerously close to that point now. If we see a TV series, as many have alluded to, the line should enjoy continued interest as long as the series is a success. Hasbro holds the license until something like 2018, while that's not a guarantee the line will run that long, at least it's an option. If Hasbro really wants to help the line along, they'll start making higher quality toys that collectors cannot ignore… Time will tell.


6
Any idea if Hasbro will ever produce any of the following - 12" Princess Leia in Bespin dress outfit? 12" Queen Amadila in EP1 Celebration dress (currently only on FAO china doll)? Any Rebel figure in 12" (notice that majority of non main character 12" figures are 'bad ' guys)?

Hasbro has had a hard time fielding a 12" line; whether it be a lack of retailer interest or a lack of interesting product, there's a breakdown that has really hurt the line. As much as I'd like to say Hasbro would likely produce these figures some day, it's looking more and more like the 12" line will come to an end following Episode III. By Hasbro's own admission, the line does better in a movie year and not so well in an off year. I think we'll see product for Revenge of the Sith, but after that Hasbro might as well trade that portion of their license off to Sideshow and let them take over from there. I still believe there is a small market of fans that like these figures/dolls and if done right they are truly more collectible than the basic figure line. Odd as it is, I just don't think Hasbro knows how to run this line to it's full potential.


7
I have collected all of the new OTC vehicles (Vader TIE, X wing, Y wing, TIE fighter, Falcon, Slave I) and was wondering if there are any plans to release any other OT vehicles such as AT-ST, B wing, etc? Was there any reason that the Episode II AT-TE was never made into a non Action Fleet toy? Any plans for this to be an Episode III toy? Will the Republic gunship be an Episode III toy? Any word if the Clone Wars Anakin Jedi starfighter will also be an (repackaged) Episode III toy? -Nick

With the OTC line drawing to close and the Revenge of the Sith line right around the corner, it doesn't look like there are any plans to release more OTC vehicles. I'm sure after the ROTS line Hasbro will look at re-releasing some of those vehicles, but it's far to early to say for sure which ones or what the package style will be. No specific reason was ever given, but Hasbro has commented extensively on the difficulty of producing large vehicles in today's market. While I'm sure the Star Wars team would have liked to have made that toy, it probably just didn't fit the budget. With Episode III there's always a chance Hasbro could revisit the AT-TE, but we haven't heard anything regarding it yet - keep your fingers crossed! Considering Anakin's Starfighter is blown up by Asajj at the end of the Clone Wars mini-series, I seriously doubt we'll see it as part of the Episode III line. From what I understand Anakin will have a hot new Starfighter for this movie, look for more details soon.


8
This question is in regards to my favorite character, Zuckuss. We've gotten a few IG-88's, 2 or 3 Bossks, 2 Dengars, and a bazillion Boba Fetts, but where's my new Zuckuss? I've seen him on a few rumor lists, but the best we've gotten is a Galactic Heroes version (which is still cool, but still).
Is there a new Zuckuss coming down the pipes? -Zach

The Zuckuss popping up on various rumor lists could very easily have been the Galactic Heroes figure, there's no indication Hasbro will revisit or repackage this figure anytime soon. As it is, the previous POTF2 Zuckuss figure leaves little to improve upon. I suppose Hasbro could add a little articulation and close up the seam running down the sides of his cloak, but otherwise it's a good figure.


9
I found an OTC 12" Boba Fett with a bright blue suit. It is the first I have seen. Is this a variation or an error? Is it more valuable or just as valuable as the more common one? -J-man

Officially this goes down as a variation. Hasbro has said they always intended to offer both versions, one from Empire and one from Jedi, though from what I've seen so far none of the armor has reflected this difference. It does look like the blue version is harder to find, and as such it's running a bit more on eBay. Recently closed auctions put the value anywhere from $40 to $50, where the gray version is fetching $20 - $30.

10
I've noticed on the VOTC packaging that some of the figures have the "safety requirements" disclaimer under the Kenner logo, and some do not. And some figures like Luke, Leia and Ben were produced with packaging in both types. Are these more rare and is there a reason they didn't keep more to the original style packaging and put the disclaimer on all of them? -Todd

It looks like this was a simple oversight, and Hasbro made the correction in mid production. I would assume the versions without the disclaimer are more rare, though it's probably too early to really know for sure. With availability high, it's possible both versions could still be found at retail. Once the line sells through, and variation hunters start to track down alternate versions, we'll have a better idea of rarity and secondary value.


Until next time...


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