On Friday morning fans were in for a bit of a surprise, as the Republic Gunship jumped up and down, presumably adding non-Hasbro Pulse pre-sales to the grand total.  At press time, it's at 5,384.   It hasn't made the first goal of 8,000 yet, but it's a huge net gain over Thursday, which was just over 4,700.

There has been news.  A sticker sheet has been added to the package, adding some deco options for fleet building.  An "unboxing" video showing off the prototype in a home environment has been added.  

There are about two days and 21-ish hours to go, and it's kind of an unknown how this is going to end up.  It's trending behind other The Vintage Collection items,  slightly ahead of The Black Series Rancor, but behind the funding goal of 8,000. 

And of course, some of us are still waiting for our Cantinas to ship. (Me, I can't wait, I've been digging out all the aliens.) I'll be watching the ticker all weekend, because this is a surprising project that hasn't gone as expected.  (And because the Cantina isn't here yet.)

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: R2-B0025 (Droid Factory). We have had an orange BB-8, but this is the first R2 unit in orange - and it's a good one. Metallic orange paint over orange plastic makes panels pop, with green and black elements around a few gold bits. It's a really decent droid. Read on!

Ad: Pre-order new Star Wars The Black Series Dathomir Witch (Halloween Edition) 6-Inch Action Figure today! She's joined by other new additions.

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Imperial Royal Guard (Halloween Edition). This Target exclusive is cast entirely in glow-in-the-dark plastic, and is incredible when charged by the Sun. Light bulbs are fine, but for best results put him in the window. It's the same mold we got a few years ago, and it's pretty impressive for what it aspires to be. Read on!

It's time for the last Q&A flashback because I think we've all quite had enough!

Today: What's going on with Target's hard-to-find exclusives? Why are they labeled web-only? (From 2003!) This was posted 22 years ago today - or yesterday, depending on when you read it.

This is the final installment on the daily flashbacks. I hope you enjoyed reading these. Read on!

Ad: Get Star Wars The Black Series Stormtrooper (Holiday Edition) 6-Inch Action Figure and Star Wars The Black Series Astromech Droid (Holiday Edition) Star Wars 6 Inch Action Figure, now available at Entertainment Earth!

This one is a bit more of a nail-biter than usual. I know you know, but in case someone didn't, Hasbro's Star Wars The Vintage Collection LAAT/i Gunship is a crowdfund project that ends in about a week. The $449.99 ship currently has 4,122 units old of a floor of 8,000. Will it make it?

This week in Star Wars Q&A - Rolling your own LEGO Death Star! Depending on your plan, it's not going to save you any money. Also Other pursuits - OK that's not a very exciting topic for most people, but it's Labor Day and I assume my office-bound bored readership isn't reading today.

Read on!

It's time for another Q&A flashback for us to re-examine FOMO of old! It turns out sometimes you don't miss out.

Today: Did Dave make a mistake passing up a variation? (From 2002!) This was the first question I answered after joining Galactic Hunter - but of course, I did Q&A elsewhere for a few years before wishing on that monkey's paw that I could write about toys forever.

Read on!

It's time for another Q&A flashback for me to remind you that entropy is real!

Today: Band Hands - will rubber bands that Hasbro used in packaged figures cause problems over time? (From 2018!) It turns out they were not really designed for the long haul.

Read on!

It's time for another Q&A flashback for me to revel in the lemon juice in the wounds of old!

Today: Darth Vader Funeral Pyre - when? (From 2010!) I don't think anything got me more hate mail than this topic.

Read on!

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Cobb Vanth (The Vintage Collection) . The previous figure had armor, this one is a little cheaper and doesn't - which seems kind of silly, given it doesn't seem all that different. He has a scarf, two blasters, and really nice hair. Read on!

It seems almost unthinkable, but a second movie is entering production. According to StarWars.com, Lucasfilm Announces Casting for Star Wars: Starfighter.  Of note, "Joining the previously announced Ryan Gosling, the film stars Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams."  Wow, Amy Adams? Color me surprised.

It's time for another Q&A flashback for us to see that Hasbro can take a while but ultimately deliver the goods.

Today: Yak Face - when will Hasbro give him another new figure? (From 2007!) I know you know the answer, so sing along.

Read on!

It's time for another Q&A flashback for me to be surprised how the galaxy answered a fan's prayers!

Today: Marvel Jabba the Hutt - is that ever going to happen? (From 2013!)

Read on!