Questions for March 29, 2006
Q&A Archive

1
I have a question regarding the next wave of fans choice votes - it appears that the top 25 list from Toy Fare magazine lists some figures that have been rumored for release already, and in some cases all but guaranteed. My dilemma is whether to vote for a character that I want above all, such as Hermi Odle, even though he is rumored for release; or simply vote for my next choice, such as Yarna D'al Gargan? -darth_sidious

The best course of action is to always vote for the figure you want the most, and just let the chips fall where they may. Even if said figure doesn't win, there's a good chance Hasbro will take notice and include it in their future plans. Over the course of the last few Fan Choice polls, we've seen a number of runner-ups make the line; I think it's fair to say the top performers in this poll will probably do just as well. In the end, win or lose, you never want to be a position of having to say to yourself, "I knew I should have voted for my first choice."


2
Howdy Mark, I have a few questions I hope you can help with. First off, I started collecting the Titanium Series late and never even knew about the gold Toy Fair exclusive. Can you tell me if it will be available at other conventions, say, Wizard World or Gen Con? My other question is, I bought a beautiful vintage 12" Leia still in an unopened box. It still has the original, slightly yellowing tape on both ends. The box itself has 2 small creases one near the top and another near the bottom where the flap extends out from the main box. It is a jewel of an addition to my collection, mainly because I just love it. Anyway, her nose has a little dot on the end of it from where it has been touching the clear plastic for nearly 30 years. Will that come off, and if I opened the box to attempt it will it be worth less. I guess the big question is, is it more valuable unopened with a dot on her nose or opened without the dot? -Tom (KFalcon) Topeka, KS

According to Hasbro, the gold Vader's TIE is one of their convention exclusives this year. As far as I know it will be available at Comic Con, but I'm not sure if Hasbro plans to hit any of the other shows. If they don't go to Wizard World or Gen Con, we might see the leftovers at StarWarsShop.com, but there's no guarantee of that.

As for your 12" Leia issue, it will ultimately depend on the buyer, but more often than not "factory sealed" will be more important than a slight imperfection. Without seeing the smudge first hand it's hard for me to say whether it would come off or not. I would guess after this long it probably won't just wipe off, and I'd hate to see you crack it open and have that be the case. If I were you I'd sit tight and enjoy the piece for what it is. If and when it comes time to sell, you'll still have all your options open to you instead of locking yourself into a course of action now.


3
I'd like to go old school for a bit. Recently I have seen many auctions listing no COO on the figure suggesting a special variation. Does no COO stamp constitute a prototype or especially rare (and pricey) figure? Reading through your photo archives of vintage figures you often mention minor vs. major variations. What constitutes a major variation as opposed to minor? Finally were directions from the vintage line updated with each movie? i.e. Millennium Falcon directions labeled for SE, ESB, & ROTJ? Thanks-Tim

Being somewhat of a novice when it comes to the finer details of the vintage line, I passed this one along to our resident vintage experts, Dave and Shane:

COO stands for 'country of origin.' It's the date stamp on the back of the figures legs.

No, COO does not indicate a prototype or especially rare figure. It indicates there is no COO on the figure. ;^) This is a tricky arena to fall into, as there are a lot of angles one has to look at to fully understand the complexity of the subject.

As variation hunters start detailing the minutiae of the vintage line you're going to see more minor variations like this surface all the time. In a nutshell, there are quite a few figures that lack COO stamps, many of which were Tri-Logo releases, many that were produced in other countries around the world. Some are harder to find than others. While the lack of COO stamps is a trait of first shot prototypes, you can't let unscrupulous dealers convince you that a production figure with no COOs is a prototype. This is where knowing an items provenance and buying from well-known and highly respected prototype dealers makes all the difference in the world.

As for the difference between a major and minor variation - a major variation constitutes something like a mold, obvious paint or clothing change. ie Small and Large head Hans, a vinyl or plastic caped Jawa, brown haired Luke version yellow haired Luke. A minor variation is something like a slightly different paint job around a figure's eyes making it look a little different. Of course, what constitutes a major or minor variation is different for everyone but those are some standard guidelines.

And lastly, yes, the instructions were updated for each movie release.

-Shane


4
Do you have any information on why the ball was dropped with Foul Moudama? I was lucky enough to find one today, but I was disappointed when I opened him. He can't hold a lightsaber and they didn't even include one of those dental rubber bands to keep his weapon in place as they do with every other figure I've bought this year. There's also a spot for a lightsaber to attach to his tunic, but there's no peg on the lightsaber and its blade isn't removable. The boots were also a nice touch, but they make the base that comes with him useless. Don't get me wrong, I love this figure, but it seems like so much thought went into parts of it and other parts were ignored, which seems silly considering it's a retool that cost them very little to add to. That made me question whether something happened in production that made them cut back on costs even further with this wave even though seven of the nine figures were retools or re-releases.

I was also wondering why Hasbro chose the Episode I Ki-Adi to make a Hologram out of. There have been two (three counting the Council Scene retool) better sculpted figures since then and I thought I had seen the promotional materials use the RotS mold. -Scott

It's a shame to see this sort of thing on a figure so many were so excited about, but I guess Hasbro just couldn't bring themselves to going the extra mile for an Expanded Universe character. In the end I suppose it came down to having to make too many changes in order to get the job done right, so it was just easier to cut as many corners as they could. The figure looks great in the package, but anyone opening it up, and dare I say playing with it, is in for a good share of disappointment. The lightsaber issue is probably the most disappointing thing about the figure. Would it have really taken that much to collapse the hand a bit more, or sculpt a new saber with a beefier hilt? In the past I've used an extra Luke Jedi saber from the Rancor set with some of my figures (the ones with larger hands) and that's worked out quite well. Considering the belt notch, why not include a saber with a peg and removable blade and put a small hole in the palm of the figure's hand…? As for the boots, the figure stands pretty well in its own, a hole in the rubber boot would be nice, but it's not all that necessary. Clearly these are things Hasbro could have easily addressed had they put a little thought into it, but I guess they didn't feel it was important enough to spend the time on.

The Ki-Adi Mundi Episode I version offered the most straight forward cost effective sculpt for the hologram figure. Without any added articulation or soft goods to contend with, it was the easiest figure to run in clear blue plastic. Considering the nature of the hologram figures, it really is the best-looking choice as well. Clear figures with added articulation tend to show too much of the mechanics, and this can take away from the desired effect. Sure, it's not the most posable figure in the line, but it looks good enough for what it is.


5
I was wondering about the Expanded Universe Dark Trooper. In the height of his popularity in the Star Wars Battlefront II game, will we ever see him done again or re-released? I would love to see those old 'Expanded' figures thrown into two sets like what Toys 'R' Us does. Example (Pit of Carkoon) do you think that we could ever see theses released like this? I'm one of the idiots who saw them in a big bundle selling for 1.98 (at Toys 'R' Us back in December 1998) and passed them all up! Is there any help out there for a Dark Trooper fan? I would recommend Battlefront II to anyone with Xbox live! -Bigdaddydallas (gamer tag)

While I haven't heard of any plans to re-release the Dark Trooper, nor rumors to that effect, anything is possible. I know a lot of collectors would like another crack at this figure, Hasbro could certainly do pretty much anything they'd like with it, but there hasn't been so much as a whisper that it's up for consideration. For my money I'd like to see it added to the basic line, maybe with a little more articulation and improved deco and accessories, but that's probably a little too unrealistic. I guess an EU Battle Pack of sorts would be the best way to put this figure and other from that line back into circulation, hopefully someone at Hasbro would agree.


6
Have you heard anything about a 3¾" [scale] AT-AT for this year? I read reports of an Endor theme one at years end/beginning but nothing else.

I probably haven't heard much more than you have; one is slated to be a Target exclusive later this year, and it is expected to feature an 'Endor' deco (probably just a little green and brown paint on the foot pads…). I'm sure we'll have more news on this as it surfaces, but for now that's pretty much it in a nutshell.


7
I recently bought a Limited Edition Vintage Finish Boba Fett Titanium figure. Any word on how hard to find these figures are and if they are worth anything?

It's impossible to say what the exact production number is on these, but they appear to be shipping at a ratio of 1:3. As far as I know there are two cases the figures are currently shipping in; case one features two each of the painted versions, case two features one each of the painted, and one each of the vintage finish versions. Assuming equal numbers of cases ship, no other cases ship, and the next wave features all new figures, the vintage finish figure should make up 25% of the overall run.

What they are worth at this point is pretty much what they're going for at retail. While the first few cases of these flew off the shelves, the 'new-ness' appears to have worn off rather quickly. These days I'm seeing a good number of both vintage finish and regular Titanium figures just sitting around, with very little turnover. It's early to say these aren't really catching on, but it's starting to look like that could turn out to be the case. If these fail to make an impression on consumers, vintage finish or not, the line probably won't hold much value at all.


8
I've seen a lot of interest in the Naboo Royal cruiser from Episode III, but what about the awesome huge Naboo ship from the opening scene of Episode II? For me, this is one of the most overlooked ships. Is there any chance Hasbro might make it in any of their lines? (The larger the better) I'd also love to see the Emperor's Shuttle from Episode III. -Greg

I dare say the largest we'll ever see any of these ships made will be in the Titanium Ultra or other 'Action Fleet' style lines. Each of these vehicles is far too big for the 3¾" scale, and the next step down (as far as Hasbro is concerned) is the six-inch line. I suppose Code 3 or Master Replicas could step in with larger versions, but there's been no indication they're even considering these models. To date, of the three, only the Emperor's Shuttle has been turned into a toy. Last year's Target exclusive Micro Vehicles line featured one in the Tantive IV transforming set. It was rather simple, no moving parts, but it was offered. At this point I'd say our best chance to see either of these made would be in the 3" Titanium Series, but still no indication they're coming up anytime soon. Keep your fingers crossed!


9
I'm sure you are sick of hearing about this particular item, but I had a question about the Jedi Force Boga and Obi-Wan set. Judging by the way all the Jedi Force figures have been on clearance at nearly every retailer I have been to lately, I had assumed that the line was dead and the Boga set was never going to see the light of day. The other day though, on a whim, I decided to do an eBay search for the toy and lo and behold, I found multiple auctions for the Boga set, all from the UK. My question is, given this new hope, do you think this Boga set will ever see the light of day here in the States? If not do you know of any UK retailers that might sell the item?

At this point, with all the Playskool Jedi Force toys cleared out of the store sets, and nothing new shown at Toy Fair, it's safe to assume the line is officially dead. I have asked and gotten no indication the Boga with Obi-Wan will ship to retail anywhere in the U.S. For now the only place to find this toy is on eBay, where there appears to be plenty of them. Not only the Boga, but in the last couple days the re-deco Luke Pilot (yellow) with Speeder Bike has shown up as well. To be honest I haven't hit up any of the UK retail sites yet, but at the prices these are going for on eBay, there's really no need to.

10
You stated in Question Mark #205 that putting figured in regular Ziplock bags could damage/discolor them rather quickly. Does this have to be under certain conditions only? My entire OT collection is in bags (all the Luke's in one, all the Han's in another, etc...) and then the bags are in a box under my bed. I have not noticed any damage or discoloration to them. Will this damage only occur if they are in the bags out in the light? -Mark

As plastic deteriorates it puts off gases. In an air tight container (like a Ziplock bag) the concentration of gases can speed up the deterioration of the plastic. In fact, the deterioration of the relatively thin (unstable) baggies themselves can contribute to the problem as well. Even in a cool, dry environment, figures sealed in an airtight bag will deteriorate faster than if they were left out of such bags. Every situation is going to be different, but in all cases you're better off not placing your action figures in airtight bags. Sturdier (more stable) plastic shells, or acrylic coffins are a much better storage option, but even these should be watched carefully and changed once every couple years or so.

We all have figures in our collections that have a slimy, shinny, or mottled look to them. This deterioration is a direct cause of the chemicals within the plastic they are made of and in the end inevitable. There are other elements like mold that attack from the outside, most commonly attributed to the transfer of oils in our fingers by touch. Given time and given human contact these are all things that will effect plastic toys and detract from their appearance. The best environment to slow this process down is a cool, dry, and dust free environment; something that is at times difficult if not impossible to provide. While Ziplock bags may seem like a viable option, they can hasten the decay we are trying to prevent and should be avoided whenever possible.

That being said, if you have your collection in baggies, and there doesn't appear to be any damage, don't panic. Keep an eye on things, understand what 'could' happen, and do what works best for you. As I said, the deterioration is inevitable; it will affect different figures differently, but with proper care you can at least take steps to slow the process down.


Until next time...


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