Questions for January 12, 2005
Q&A Archive


1
Do you know if Hasbro is going to produce more of the "Vintage" 12" figures? The archive on your site only list 4 but I thought they were making more. Also, do you know if or when the next wave or Star Tours figures (3T-RNE, G-3 5LT, MSE-1T) are going to be released? What cardbacks are they going to be on and are these going to be the last of them? -Tony K.

As it stands now, four is the magic number when it comes to the VOTC 12" - Luke, Fett, Stormtrooper, and Chewbacca. As far as we know there are no plans for more figures in this line, and Hasbro pretty much confirmed that at Comic Con. There's always the chance Hasbro will revisit this theme in 2006 or beyond, but going forward the emphasis in regards to 12" figures will be on Episode III.

Star Tours wave 4: Considering we only saw these offered once on eBay from a seller known to deal in prototypes and samples, and then nothing; my guess is this line has wrapped or at best the fourth wave is on hold. Our report dates back to July, if Hasbro and Disney had plans to release that wave, I would think they would have done so by now. I suppose any thing could happen, but it looks an awful lot like wave 4 was dropped.


2
Do you know if Hasbro has any plans for more Ewoks or sets? How about
LEGO? I am still waiting for the rest of the original 6 or 8 of them? -starwarsdude

While I wouldn't rule it out, I'd be very surprised to see any Ewok figures this year. Both Hasbro and LEGO will be focused on Revenge of the Sith, the soonest I'd think we'd see more Ewoks would be 2006.


3
My question pertains to insuring my collection. What is the best way to go about getting it appraised? Do you guys have anybody you are comfortable with? I was told maybe to call an auctioneer but that I may not get a true value. There are so many pieces in the collection it would take days to catalog everything and look up prices in Tomarts or eBay. -Christopher

Well, the do-it-yourself method would be rather time consuming, but I can't think of a service or company that specializes in this particular hobby that I could direct you to. You could start calling various insurance companies in your area and ask for advice, see if they have someone familiar with appraising this type of collection, but they will probably ask you for a detailed list of the items you'd like to insure. I would think the first thing you need to do, as accurately as possible, is catalog your collection - or at least the part you're concerned with insuring. From there either you or someone else (you'll probably have to pay them) can start researching the value from which a policy can be based on.


4
I seem to remember a large format hardcover book released by DK publishing along the lines of the Incredible Cross Sections, only instead of ships it showed locations like the Theed Hangar, but can't seem to find anything like it on eBay. Was this ever released and under what name? Also, were there any DK books showing stuff from Episode II? -c1p8

Yes, it was released under the title 'Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Episode I'; which could explain why you didn't find it on eBay. In addition to this title books for Episode II, and the Trilogy were also published; both can be found at Amazon.com as well.


5
I have a question about Gentle Giant's Bust Ups. I understand that the first wave's chase figure is Leia with her gun in a "shooting" position and the regular version has her with her gun pointing up. I managed to get my hands on the spirit of the rebellion and the glow in the dark convention exclusives both of which had Leia with her gun in the shooting position. I have found pictures on the net of both of these exclusives with Leia's gun pointing up. Are these versions commonly available or were they just some type of pre-release stock photos? Are the chase Leias of these exclusives the one's with the guns pointing up? Is there a definitive checklist for the Bust Ups line available? Any clarification you can offer would be appreciated. -Jason

A very interesting question; according to Gentle Giant the shooting pose is the only official version of both the glow-in-the-dark and spirit Leia Bust-Ups. Obviously that would make the gun raised versions recently found on eBay something else entirely. While an official explanation has not been made public, I can say that the quality of these "unofficial" versions is every bit as good as their official counterparts. If you consider yourself a fan of the Bust-Ups line, or unofficial collectibles in general, these are certainly worth looking into. For a definitive Bust-Up checklist look no further than the Gentle Giant section of our Photo Archives. Dan does a fantastic job keeping the section up to date, adding the latest information as soon as it is available.


6
Recently I've had a chance to purchase from a private party a mint Hans Solo 12 bk. I've seen it & its mint! Do fakes of this figure exist, and are there any tips on how to spot a fake? I know I could go thru AFA but I don't think the owner will let it go! -DAN CLARK

Fakes of just about anything can exist, but nine times out of ten there are clear signs to tip you off. Areas you want to look at are the seal between bubble and card (does it show any signs of being re-sealed?), the bubble (is it the correct size, shape, color), and quality of the card stock. If you're familiar with these things you should be able to spot the difference easily. If not be sure to study other images of like items in our Archives, or in some of the many recognized books on Star Wars collectibles. If you have any question at all about the piece you are looking at, feel free to send along as many detailed photos as you can take. We'd be happy to look them over and let you know if we see anything out of the ordinary.


7
Compared to the other mostly fantastic figures, what gives with the minimal articulation on C3PO? I mean this figure needs no effort to hide his joints, they're right there! Hasbro [G.I.joes] and a whole lot of no-budget toyco types have been making the equivalent for ages. For ten bucks, match Chewie please! [who's bandolier is easily removable!] I think that one is the best ever.

From the discussions I've had with people at Hasbro, the problem essentially boils down to an issue with the vac-metal process. Somehow the two are just not very compatible, either by cost or function. Not sure what the excuse would be for a painted C-3PO, but that's more likely associated with cost than anything else. While a fully articulated C-3PO would be nice, I think if it were feasible, Hasbro would have done one by now.


8
I have a Question that is tainted with sarcasm but have to ask....... Depending on your point of view the modern line of figures started in either 1994 (Action Masters) or 1995 (orange carded 3" Figures)....... Has Hasbro thought about a 10th Anniversary Line of Action Figures???? They could call it the Modern Vintage Heritage Collection and give us all new versions of Tatooine Luke, Vader, Old Ben, and all the others. The packaging possibilities seem endless......

In all seriousness...... do you think they would do something like that post ROTS....
Maybe Christmas 05 of 1st quarter 06

Oh, wait.... 2007 is around the corner...... 10th Anniversary Shadows Of The Empire Collection (are you reading, Hasbro?) -Ryan

At one point there was talk of doing something along the lines of a progression multi-pack, sort of a then and now kinda thing. I imagine it would have gone something like packing the POTF2 muscle Luke with something like the VOTC Luke… maybe even throw in a vintage Luke for good measure. The idea was to showcase how the line had evolved over a period of time. While it's a neat idea, you have to wonder how many people would be excited about a Tatooine Luke 3-pack. Who knows, it could still be on the table but nothing official has been mentioned yet. The closest thing we've hear about are the Evolution sets that are rumored to feature character progression from film to film. Not quite the same thing, but close enough I suppose.


9
1) Due in large part to the recent release of the Topps Heritage card set, I have begun a collection of the classic Topps cards series for ANH, ESB and ROTJ. I have found a lot of what I'm looking for via eBay. However, the other day I received a set of ESB cards that seemed, I don't know, a bit off? The cards were in great condition and on the same stock that I remember and am used to. It's just that, well, the pictures are pretty fuzzy and the cards aren't all cut that well (many of them are a little off center). Is this just something I'm noticing because card photo quality and factory quality control has gotten so much better in the past few decades or is it something else? Do you know of any instances where someone bootlegged card sets? Is that possible? Likely? Everything seems in order with these cards; it just made me wonder if I should be on the look out for fakes or reproduced sets or something like that. Also, do you think that Topps will release a second set of the Heritage series? I know they are releasing a second set of the chase cards, but I would like to see a series two, with all new images from each of the six films to help build up and expand the set even more.

2) I just received my Holiday Jawas in the mail the other day. When I was putting them up with my Holiday 3PO and R2 and last year's Holiday Yoda, I began to wonder how many of these we could be in for over the course of the next few years. The official site just posted images of the cards from the past five years or so (mostly prequel/podracer images and themes). Is there a site where I could go to take a look at all of the Star Wars Holiday/Maquirre (?) cards that were created in the past? Because I can recall having seen images of the 3PO/R2 fireplace card and the Santa Yoda card and even the Jawas holiday card long before the Holiday figure sets were created and released. I'd just like to browse other past holiday cards that might be the inspiration for upcoming sets in the next few years. What about next year, for example? Was there ever a Jingle Darth card or a bunch of Wookies or Ewoks guiding Santa's sleigh? Now that would be a special Holiday figure set...

Reproduction trading cards are certainly possible, then again so are factory cards that are less than perfect. I've got several vintage cards that are off register and fuzzy, but if what you say is correct and the entire deck is like that, I'd really start to wonder. At this point though the bottom line is; are you happy with that set? If you're comfortable with the price and comfortable with the cards, then it's probably not worth worrying about. If having the genuine article is paramount, you may want to research the issue a bit more or get an experts opinion.

I'm a little embarrassed to say, but I haven't even opened my box of Heritage cards yet. Still, I think a second set is in order, if for no other reason than to include more cards/images from Revenge of the Sith. The set made sense in a year where the Trilogy DVDs were released for the first time, but really something like this should've fallen after Episode III.

Gus Lopez has put together a nice resource page for Lucasfilm Holiday Cards that dates back to 1977. While not all the cards sent out over the years would be ideal for this format, there are a few I'd certainly like to see covered; Ewok Santa, hint, hint… Will Hasbro continue this line? I would think as long as someone like a retail partner, on-line distributor, or the Fan Club were interested in offering this as an exclusive, Hasbro will continue to develop them. Fingers crossed, but I would think we'd at least see one more for 2005.

10
How many miniatures will Wizards of the Coast release each year?

I asked Wizards that at Comic Con last year, they weren't inclined to give me definite answer. At this point I think it will depend on how well the game is received and overall demand. Until they know where they stand with the gaming public and/or collectors, it would be hard for them to give specifics like that.


Until next time...


Got Questions?