Questions for February 2, 2007
Q&A Archive


1
Is it true there won't be any repacks in the basic figure line of the 30th Anniversary Collection? If so, does that mean better chances for a new Jango and Qui-Gon?

I think the jury is still out on this one, while there seems to be a lot of "all-new" figures in the early waves, we don't know the whole story just yet. There are a couple figures that scream repack, Zuckuss for instance; we'll probably just have to wait until after Toy Fair to know for sure. My guess is we will see a few repacks here and there (Jango and Qui-Gon most likely being repacks), but not many over all.


2
Will there ever be a Darth Vader Hologram figure?

While there are no plans that I'm aware of, I do think Hasbro will get around to a Vader hologram figure at some point. Hopefully it will include a mini-hologram accessory that I can finally put with my General Veers…


3
I just got my hands on the Elite Corps Clone Trooper figure from Saga wave 9, and I think it's a bad replication of the actual trooper that appeared during the Kashyyyk battle scene.... The helmet visor is all wrong because it's just a repainted VOTC Scout Trooper. In fact, the BARC Trooper that came with the BARC Speeder has armour details that are more accurate. Why didn't Hasbro use this mould instead since they already had it? -Leonard

Yeah, I have to agree; this was a pretty poor outing for a figure that deserved to be much more. Clearly Hasbro felt they could slap a little camo on the Vintage Style Biker Scout and appease fans that have been waiting for a Kashyyyk (BARC) Trooper since Revenge of the Sith (2005). It may have been the easiest solution, but from what I hear around town it's been a pretty big disappointment. The only thing I've heard regarding a possible solution is that it will be "some time" before Hasbro looks at this character again… Which could be a couple years; who knows.

Why they didn't use the BARC Speeder figure is clear; it was just way too static on its own. More accurate yes, but there's no way they could put it on a card as is. Hasbro really found themselves in the position of having to use the Scout Trooper or hold off; apparently they didn't even have time to resculpt the head. So it is what it is (C . R . A . P - sorry kids), and I guess it will just have to do for now.


4
Its great to see that Hermi Odle is being made, but is there a chance that other "minor" palace characters will be made into figures? They're making an Umpass-Stay, but where's Ak-Rev? Also, I recall seeing this Ralph McQuarrie painting of a gamorrean family. Is there any chance of a gamorrean mother/child figure coming out, like the sandpeople one? Also I wouldn't mind seeing Madonna in the TV series; I just think she is not the best actress.

There is one minor Palace character I heard mentioned years ago that I'm still waiting to see happen. As soon as I heard it I thought it would be a very cool addition, but since then… nothing. I have to think that Hasbro is looking at all viable Jabba's Palace characters for action figures, it will just take them time to sort out which ones are more popular, or in higher demand. If you have a favorite start chatting it up in the forums, or make a point of mentioning it to Hasbro at the next show (Celebration IV would be a great place for that…). In time they will get the picture and it will probably get made - maybe Ak-Rev will be one of them.

Even though Hasbro is putting out a few McQuarrie figures this year, I have to think the Gamorrean family set is a real long shot. We saw the Sandpeople in AOTC, not so with the Gamorreans. Almost anything is possible these days, but I don't see this one being a slam dunk.

Nothing against Madonna, I'm sure she's a wonderful person (and who doesn't mind a couple rounds of "Like A Virgin" every once in a while…). But does she really need to be involved in everything? I think not.


5
I recently found the Saesee Tiin Jedi Starfighter and Tie Fighter from the 30th Anniversary Collection at a Toys 'R' Us. I was under the impression that these vehicles were to be Target Exclusives. Any light on this mystery? Another mystery is trying to find a VHS of Revenge of the Sith. Any ideas where I can find one to complete my VHS collection?

Not sure where the confusion may have come into play, but going back to Comic Con these were always pegged for the standard vehicle line in 2007. As the assortment makes its way to retail these vehicles will be available at Target, but they will also be at Toys 'R' Us and Wal-Mart as well.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a VHS version of Revenge of the Sith was released overseas, in Australia maybe? In any event, it was not available domestically (U.S.) and a quick search of eBay shows there's nothing currently up for bidding. If it was out there, it appears to be long gone by now.


6
I was wondering if Lucasfilm has a position (or is even aware) that Hasbro is selling Battlestar Galactica collectibles under the Star Wars banner. Whether its official or not I always see the Titanium Galactica stuff mixed in with the Star Wars items and the packaging seems to be identical. I would think that with Lucas' noted distaste of the series (problems with Universal over American Graffiti, problems with John Dykstra, supervisor of the early Galactica effects and the death of a child by a Galactica toy that was blamed on "inferior Star Wars" toys) that he'd want to distance himself as far as possible from the series and toy line. Have things changed or is there some sort of new agreement? -Owen D.

I would not say Hasbro is selling them under the Star Wars banner, they do ship with the Star Wars Titaniums, but they are very clearly marked Battlestar Galactica. As for Lucasfilm knowing about these I'm guessing they must, and for lack of a better word are 'okay' with it. Despite whatever the history might be between these two properties, they do kinda go hand in hand and anything that helps promote the TS line has to be good for everyone concerned. No harm, no foul.


7
How much would you pay for a lot of different type of LEGO clones, around 35 of them?

Me? I might pay $15 to $20 for them, but then I'd turn around and give them to my kids… I'm not a big LEGO fan, but I'm sure there are guys out there willing to pay a whole lot more. Something like this comes down to a value decision for the individual collector/fan. Today, $10 can get you four clone troopers in one set. Do the math and you could make the case that 35 clones could/should go for $80 - $90 +/-. Sounds like a ridiculous amount of money for what they are? Maybe $35 is a better price for you; bottom line there is no real cash value on these, decide on a price you feel comfortable with and go from there. Clearly if you had to buy all the sets these various clones came with you would be paying a whole lot more, but then again you'd be getting everything else that came with them.


8
Any chance that we will see the Tanitive IV scene battle pack, the one that has
Darth Vader and Stormtroopers with Rebel troops? So far in my area, all we have are the
Battle on Ilum, and Betrayal on Felicia* Target (of which I have by the way!) Also, why is Wal-Mart offering only the two packs and bringing in one vehicle at a time? (Luckily, I was able to get a Darth Vader Sith Starfighter.) Seems that there is very slim pickings at the moment. Sorry that I'm asking a lot of questions, but I have one more, why is it I see Chinese collectors with all the clone troopers that still have not come out yet, i.e. Galactic Marine. -JJ

Give it time, the new assortments are still in transit in some areas and have not reach full distribution. I'm sure given time these will be as plentiful as all the other Battle Packs have been. Again, thing are a bit slow right now; many stores are still recovering from the holidays. Picking have been slim everywhere that I've shopped, they just need a little more time to get caught up. Once that happens, you should see more vehicles at your local store.

The reason we're seeing a lot of these over seas collectors with yet "unreleased" clones is because they're not necessarily "unreleased" in that part of the world. That, and/or a number of these collectors probably have connections or sources for 'back door' figures (stuff that comes out of the factories early, if you know what I mean…). It's been like this forever, and will likely never change. Hasbro did a fair job of keeping this stuff off eBay for the last year or so, but it's slowly starting to creep back onto the market; which is why we're seeing more and more of it in the news.


9
Like the new Saga line, is there going to be another plague of 7 bucks a pop for a figure because of the collector coin pack in for the TAC?

I have not heard of a price drop, and unless the line starts to drag at retail I'm not expecting one. Let's face it, Hasbro has to be able to make money with this line, or it will simply go away. If $7.15 (after tax) is too much to pay, then maybe this line isn't worth collecting. If that's the case for a considerable amount of people, and they all stop buying, then the line will go away. There are some that feel Hasbro is gauging fans by setting the SRP so high in comparison to other toy lines, but they are just as sensitive to the issue as fans. Prices everywhere are going up, there's a whole lot of money behind the scenes that's changing hands (shipping, manufacturing, marketing…), and everyone has to be paid their little portion of the pie. If there isn't a little something left over for the stockholders, something Hasbro can point to as profit, then the days are numbered for the Star Wars line.

10
Just a quick question; is there any reason (other than it lookin' different and funky) why Commander Gree and his Elite corps have green visors? And do the AT-RT drivers have the same funky eye-wear? -Warpig

No specific reason that I'm aware of, other than it just looked kinda cool and different - funky if you will. I guess if you got right down to it, you could probably chalk it up to some kind of special filter (heat, electronic signature, etc…) that enables the clones to spot 'droid' life forms…


Until next time...


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