Questions for January 31, 2005
Q&A Archive


1
What are Hasbro’s plans with the Unleashed line? Can we expect to see more re-releases of rare figures in the future, such as Yoda, Vader unmasked, Darth Maul, or even Padme? -Jason

The plan so far includes the Aurra Sing wave, a few Episode III pieces, and I guess a Clone Wars Asajj Ventress. Overall the line appears to be doing quite well; as long as it remains popular I don’t see an end in sight. The re-releases this year were a mixed blessing; figures like Leia and Vader sold well, but a lot of the others didn’t. I counted eight Obi-Wans warming the pegs at one of my local stores for well over three months. It was obvious it was getting to the point where they were holding up the next wave. Magically they disappeared one morning at the Bossk wave showed up soon after. Now I see nothing but pegs full of Mace and Dooku; I hope they disappear soon. Hopefully Hasbro will limit the re-releases to those figures that were had to come by originally. Putting a figure out there just to have it on the new style card is a waste of time and money if you ask me. Unmasked Vader would be worthwhile (sans eyebrows), but Maul, Jango, Padmé, and Yoda were pretty easy to find. If they want to do new figures for those characters that’s great, but don’t try to re-sell me yesterday’s peg warmers.


2
I have a simple question and while I do realize you don't have a crystal ball I figure I would ask it anyway: With the Sandcrawler, Imperial Shuttle and multiple color variations of the X-wing, Y-wing and A-wing out, is it reasonable to expect that the next OT vehicle might be the Cloud Car? Why hasn't Hasbro released this yet? In my opinion, it is one of the most classic SW designs, and with the Cloud Car Pilot released last year, it would only make sense to finally release it in 2005. Any thoughts?

I don’t think it’s anywhere near reasonable to expect the Cloud Car at this point. Last year, with the OT out on DVD for the first time, Empire fresh on everyone’s minds, Cloud Car Pilot hanging on the shelf; that would have been a good time to re-release this classic vehicle. The chances are slim to none we’ll see it this year, and next year is – well, another year removed from the DVD release. Frankly I don’t think Hasbro knows quite how to release this toy. I don’t think the confidence is there to put it in the regular line up, and if what we’ve heard all these years is the case, so far no one has been interested enough to take it on as an exclusive. I feel Hasbro would have to put some money into it to make it more appealing, and we all know that’s not the direction they’re known to take. I hate to say it, but as far as I’m concerned, barring a miracle, the Twin Pod Cloud Car is a dead issue. Hopefully, I’m wrong.


3
I have a question regarding opening figures. I open all of my figures (with one or two extremely rare exceptions) but can't seem to do it without tearing the card face. I've read in a few places about people who re-pack old figures on new cards (for either resale or return) and I'm wondering how they get the bubble off the card without tearing the image. I really like the backgrounds on the OTC wave, and I'd like to keep them for use in display, but I can't figure out how to remove the bubble and keep the image intact. Any advice or can you point me to a site that might help? -Philip in Seattle

A lot of people, including myself, cut the bubble open to take the figure out of the package. Granted, the bubble is no longer in mint condition, but the card usually is. I’ve never heard of anybody separating the bubble from the card and ending up with both in mint condition, but I know cases where fabricated bubbles have been glued over the edges of the original one. I’ve also heard of cases where collectors have cut though the card back, leaving the front looking relatively pristine. Bottom line, there’s no easy way around it, something has to suffer. The choice that has to be made is which is more valuable to you.


4
My first and foremost question is in regards to the Action Fleet line which I have religiously purchased throughout all 5 movies so far. In the lists that are leaking regarding the Episode III toys coming out, I have yet to see ANY mention of ROTS Action Fleet Vehicles. Would Hasbro do us a grave injustice in regards to making vehicles for every film except ROTS? I'm still waiting for a few unreleased vehicles as well to complete the collection like the Star Destroyer, Super Star Destroyer, Death Star, and Calimari Cruiser from Ep4-6, and Anakin's Speeder, Zam's Speeder, and the Spider Droid from AOTC.

Also, on a personal note... with the end of the Star Wars Saga as George sees it as of 2005, we have been blessed with a wide variety of collectibles for Star Wars. What if anything is on your must have list that you feel you need to have to complete your collection? A few examples I have on my short list are:

Death Star - I would like a replica version of the first Death Star. To really make me happy, it could have working lights and be perhaps magnetic, in which it could float above the base that displays it.

Action Fleet - Complete the line with ROTS Ships and the remaining Classic Ships.

I a few others in regards to figures never made and re-doing figures that have never been represented correctly so far... like C-3PO, perhaps we could take a poll and come up with a master list? -Jason

When it comes right down to it, the Action Fleet line has failed twice; I don’t imagine Hasbro is all that anxious to run it up the flag poll a third time. Sure, there’s debate amongst collectors regarding why it failed the second time, but as we see with Wal*Mart’s exclusive Titanium Series, and Target’s Micro Vehicles exclusive, nothing was learned from that experience. Still, Hasbro seems to be aware that there are many Action Fleet fans out there so who knows… Unless the Action Fleet line is masquerading under a different title, it doesn’t look like we’ll have any Revenge of the Sith toys this year. As far as the future is concerned, we’ll just have to wait and see. As a huge Action Fleet fan myself, I know I’ll never be satisfied until the line is given the honest chance it deserves.

Funny question, when I was a kid I always wanted Kenner to make a Sandtrooper, or Luke in his yellow ceremonial jacket. Eventually, we got those. After the line started up again I really wanted a Feltipern Trevagg figure, now we have that. At this point, there are so many things I’d like to see made, that I’m beginning to feel we’ll never see, that I can’t even begin to narrow it down. Still, I’d like to see a 3¾” version Sith Infiltrator, a VOTC Luke Bespin, A Luke and Leia (orginal Star Wars logo) Unleashed set, I’d like to see Klaatu resculpted, an electronic Slave 1, a super articulated Scout Trooper with an in scale, dead nuts on Speederbike on a clear stand to simulate flight, I want a line of simple playsets like the Millennium Falcon job we showed the other day with some electronic… Se what I mean. Oh yeah, a real walking 3¾” AT-TE and Spider Droid, a Master Replicas Boba Fett (ESB) rifle, more Galactic Heroes vehicles, a GGS Mara Jade Mini-Bust (right Eric ;) )…

Basically, I’d just like to see Hasbro start making cool toys that have cool features, and stop selling themselves short in order to hit a certain price point, or wasting their time re-dressing old toys. I know the guys designing the line now have a lot more they could put into it, it’s time the higher-ups loosen the purse strings and really let the line rock. If that's too much to ask, then I'd rather see Gentle Giant end up with the 3¾” line, and Sideshow with the 12" line and let the whole thing start over again.


5
Why is it that the Jedi Council Scene (as cool as it is) has more than 12 in it. Why did they have to merge both Episode 1 and 2 into the same thing? Couldn't they just have made 1 or 2 separate ones? It’s still awesome nonetheless, just curious.

Also why in the Episode 3 toy line does it mention both Luke and Han? -Capt'n RC

It probably came down to the fact that it was the most cost effective way to release the sets. Hasbro got off to a really good start with the first two sets in 2003, hoping the line would build up enough steam for a longer run. It didn’t quite work out that way, and the only way to follow up was to take it the exclusive route. Toys ‘R’ Us stepped up to the plate, but as an exclusive there was only so much that could be done with the sets. Adding preexisting figures, and cobbling together a few kit bashed Jedi was about the best they could do. Towards the end it was fairly obvious Hasbro was running out of options; the last two sets each offering a same figure only slightly repainted. Clearly I think we would’ve all liked to have seen these sets with all new figures, all new sculpts, but it doesn’t always work out that way. As for mixing Episode I and Episode II Jedi; I can’t really fault them for that, as it was we were going to have to double up on at least two sets to get the full twelve seat scene anyway.

Not sure at this point, it could either be a mistake, or as we saw with the Saga line Original Trilogy toys will be worked in here and there. Hopefully we’ll get a better idea following Toy Fair.


6
I've opened my VOTC clamshells and actually removed the figures from the package, so I have a number of mint empty shells that I wouldn't mind getting rid of on e-bay. Do you think that there is a demand for these clamshells? If so, should I sell them with the card back and bubble that came in them or by themselves? -Jeff Winn

Enough people have asked if I thought Hasbro would make the clamshells available on their own for me to believe there’s interest out there for them. Off hand I’d say you'd probably get more interest in the auctions if you include the card backs, but I really couldn’t tell you how much. If you’re set on selling these through eBay that’s fine, but if you’d consider helping out a few of the fine folks in our forum, then feel free to ask around and see what people would be looking for.


7
I just ordered the clone trooper army sets from EE, they look cool. Whenever how long ago it was, I bought the Stormtrooper sets and liked them. I have been looking over all the figures I have since 1995, and got enough Han Solos, Luke Skywalkers, R2-D2s, and Princess Leias to make armies out of each of them. I say enough is enough. I want to make an ewok army. I only have 2 different Teebos & Wickets since 1995. I do not want any more of the above 4 figures. This is just as bad as the 25+ Optimus Prime transformer figures I have since 1984. What is next? Chewbacca and Yoda armies? I think Darth Vader also was done by those cloners. Why back 25+ years ago they made all the vehicles with lights and sounds and not now? I just turned 35 years old and I think it is time I quit buying Star Wars and same my money. Signed, getting very upset

Well, as long as there’s a Star Wars line there will always be new versions of the same basic characters; that’s just the way it goes. However, there are times when Hasbro could and should take advantage of opportunities to bring us new characters. The Endor Ambush set is a perfect example. Honestly, would it have taken that much extra effort to re-work Logray and Wicket into two different ewoks? Mold them in different plastic, paint them different colors, mix up the head gear and weapons… Things like that should just be automatic, we didn’t need another Wicket, they gave us an OTC carded one anyway… A little more effort when the opportunity is there would be a good step and at least head us on our way to building those random armies, like ewoks.

The market for these toys way back when was a lot different than it is today. Kids move on and off of toys so quickly that parents tend not to spend a lot of money on them. At this point Hasbro feels more comfortable releasing a toy with a lower price point than they do one that has lights and sound. The Episode I Naboo fighter and Royal Starship were really the last ‘new’ vehicles to offer sound and lights, unless of course you count the Playskool and Galactic Heroes stuff. While I for one would like to see those features return to the line, it just doesn’t appear to be one of Hasbro's top priorities.


8
I was wondering if Hasbro is still distributing OTC Slave 1s' in stores, I have never seen it at any Targets in my area. If they are, will they come with the missile on Boba Fett's pack back this time around? I was hoping to get the scoop before making purchases on eBay for Slave 1s' which all have missing missiles on Boba Fett's backpack.

Do the VOTC Han and Chewie fit in the OTC Millennium Falcon cockpit? I was hoping to find out before buying doubles to open. -Johnny (Littleton, CO)

Not sure what it’s like in the rest of the country, but all the Slave 1’s (and there were plenty of them) disappeared from local area Target shelves soon after the holidays. While there may be some lingering, I doubt Hasbro is still shipping them. As for the missing missile correction, I looked high and low and never came across one that included the missile. Furthermore; we never received a single report that a corrected version had been found, nor did I see it reported elsewhere. It’s as if the corrected version never existed, despite the fact that Hasbro claims the error was caught early. Near as I can tell you can still get the missile from Hasbro, you just have to let them know you want it.

If your definition of "fits" includes being able to cram both figures in and being able to close the hatch; then yes, they fit. If your definition is limited to them looking natural at the controls; then no, they don’t fit. Actually Han is a good fit, and using one of the older, shorter Chewbaccas, you can make them look better, but the two VOTC figures together is pretty tight.


9
It's been months since I've heard anything about the next wave of 'Glass and figure' sets. I remember pictures of the Han Solo and Boba Fett glasses hitting the net last Spring. Have you heard anything new about them? I'm also a little disappointed that they didn't at least do one for Revenge of the Sith to complete the line so to speak. -Anthony

Three more sets were planed and saw limited production; unfortunately Target cancelled them due to sluggish sales. The three sets, Solo, Fett, and Yoda have been offered on Amazon Japan, but details are sketchy at this point. Needless to say, there’s little or no chance we’ll see them offered in the U.S. at this point so keep an eye on eBay.

A Revenge of the Sith set would have been a nice way to cap the line, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Had the line done well I’m sure we would have seen it, but now there’s really no chance unless Burger King were to include it in their food premium plans. So far there’s been no word on that…

10
Is the reason that Tion Medon & R4 are OVER-packed in the Sneak Preview wave, is that they will NOT be released into the regular E3 line? -Darth Huntarr

It certainly doesn’t look like either figure will be offered in the regular line, but the fact is they are under packed at only two each per case, Grevious and the Wookiee Warrior are packed at four each. Still, they’re not the most exciting figures in the Sneak Peek assortment, I’m sure once the newness wears off, they’ll be easy to pick up; they may even be lingering long after the regular line is released...


Until next time...


Got Questions?