Q&A For August 30, 2004

1. What's up with VOTC wave 3 is it delayed, if so why?
--BarbThomas1

Right now, nobody knows because distribution for the entire VOTC line has been weird. Packaged samples of the ROTJ figures are just starting to show up from Asia, which probably means September or October for these guys-- in other words, what we were expecting. As a lot of stores haven't received the second batch of ESB figures (or for that matter, the first, or Luke) this could be a very odd release schedule for these guys. Be patient, blah blah blah.

2. hi, while reviewing your awesome pics of the OTC collection i noticed that some figs have been repainted (quite nicely) while others seem to have had paint removed. for example: Bespin Luke(with removable hand) has no bruises/blood on his face and little to no weathering on his clothing paint job. why did they choose to "up" some figs and "down" others? also i was wondering if we are going to see a repackaged Zuckuss ever or was there one and i missed it? i never got to get one at a reasonable price. thanks for the help.
--Joseph

Hasbro wanted to update some figures, and the story I was given was to just do something to freshen them up a little. Repainting a figure is a relatively cheap way to reuse a mold and give fans something new or at least a new option, which is why Hasbro is such a fan of the repaint as a concept. Regarding your "down" comment, as far as I can tell, the only figure that really lost anything was Bespin Luke due to his weather vane accessory being dropped. I'd argue that the fact the figure is now cleaner is a significant and positive change because Luke wasn't bleeding and sweaty for the entire duel on Bespin, so now you can have a clean figure for your displays.

As far as Zuckuss goes, remember one thing: Hasbro knows how much we love bounty hunters. They absolutely love to revise them or repackage them, and since POTF2 Zuckuss is a very nice figure, there really isn't a lot to do to upgrade him. So while a repackaged figure could be possible, well, who knows if they'll ever get to it given the trajectory of the line right now. The chances of you seeing a repackaged Zuckuss outside of a Toys "R" Us exclusive four-pack before the end of 2005 are pretty low, so you should probably follow the advice I give most people asking for repackaged figures and check eBay. Looking around there, a carded Zuckuss goes for about $10 plus shipping. In 1998, the figure sold for $5.99 at Toys "R" Us and I believe $7.99 was the MSRP, which stores like Kay-Bee charged. (The price was higher that year due to cost increases, which is why then-Kenner added the Freeze Frame.) So if you want one, well, they're cheap-- no reason to wait for a reissue when almost all the POTF2 items from 1995-2000 sell for less than the original price with a few exceptions like this one.

3. With the release of the upcoming Droids and Ewok cartoons on DVD. Wouldn't this be as good time as any to revist that vintage line?
--Sam

Not really. There's a common misconception in our fandom that all things vintage are good, and while I think Ewoks and Droids will always hold a special place in our hearts, toys for them will probably never be seen again. It would be nice to see some new versions of the main characters like R2-D2 and C-3PO with new molds, though-- I just don't see it happening given that direct-to-video releases that are edited together in such a way where many fans are throwing up their arms in frustration are rarely known for being great platforms for toy sales.

4. I have a few duplicate items in my 3 3/4" figure collection that I am looking to trade for other items I'd rather have. I am running out of space and I can't afford to keep things in the package that I don't really want, but I've noticed that prices for these items on eBay are not worth me going through the work to list them. How might I go about finding other collectors interested in trading?
--Ryan

Well, don't discount giving them to the less fortunate-- if the items aren't going for a lot, to some, an action figure in the Toys for Tots bin could be the way to go.

Trading may not be the way to go either because odds are there won't be much you'd want to take in trade for items you can barely get rid of-- but hey, who am I to judge? There are numerous mailing lists as well as a trading forum on our very own boards which you could try seeing what people are looking for, and give that a whirl.

5. Do you know what other 12" figures are going to be released in 2004, besides Chewie? What are your thoughts and speculations on the possibility of a 12" scale Jabba? Do you have any hints or knowledge of what 12" goodness we'll receive in 2005?
--George

Right now there are no known plans for any additional 12" in 2004 and looking at the fact of how poorly the VOTC 12" figures are selling in my neck of the woods, Hasbro might end up revisiting their plans for 2005. While it's long been rumored that Hasbro does have a design ready to go for a 12" Jabba should they decide to release it, keep in mind we also know they were doing a 12" Max Rebo band and that never surfaced, sadly. (I was really excited about that one.)

2005 is a big question mark for anyone not in Hasbro, because if I knew anything, I'd have to keep it quiet or someone would probably kill me. I do recall Hasbro saying they were going to give it a slightly bigger push next year, which after this year is not exactly difficult.

6. Here's a weird one for you. My wife and I will be living in Italy next spring when Episode III is released. Since she won't let me postpone the trip for a movie, I'm going to need to see it over there. Since I'm not fluent in Italian I'm wondering if you know whether Lucasfilm intends to use subtitles on foreign releases of the film or will they dub it over with italian actors? Do you know what did they do for the first two movies?
--Ryan

I remember hearing a lot of anecdotes about the first two films but I also remember hearing that Lucasfilm is pushing hard for a nearly simultaneous worldwide release. Now, I don't know who will and who won't be included outside of Japan, which will be something like July. It's a safe bet England will get it around the same time as the USA-- how about a trip there?

Some films are localized with subtitles, some are dubbed, and I've even heard of a few nations getting it both ways. As of now, though, I don't know the plans Lucasfilm has for Italy-- but I do remember they made a big announcement for the first two prequels in terms of release dates and all that stuff, so sit tight, and insert a whip-crack sound here.

7. With all the figure re-releasing going on right now, how probable do you think it is for Hasbro to re-release any of the old Wal Mart exclusive Max Rebo band members? They were all great figures (except Joh Yowza) and all sold well for the most part. It seems to me Hasbro could get away with releasing all of them on individual cards. Just give Joh and Sy some accessories! Also, are there any plans to re release Rappertunie? He's the only Jabba's Palace figure i havent seen in stores.
--lowtek

Here in Phoenix, there's been no shortage of Rappertunie at Wal-Marts, so I advise you snag a phone book, make a map of them, and start driving. That or eBay. He's out there, and if the rest of the USA is anything like Phoenix, the chances of Hasbro reissuing it are slim to nil. I wouldn't be surprised to see him or any of the other members in a multipack, do you really want to buy a multipack?

One thing I have to ask is why everybody really wants accessories for Joh Yowza and Sy Snootles. While it's true Kenner did once plan to give them accessories and an enterprising store did make their own to go with the figures, these never appeared on screen. Giving Joh Yowza a guitar is just as goofy as the stupid giant guns that came with figures during the first two years of POTF2-- ditto with a microphone for Sy Snootles. These figures didn't hold anything on screen, and most people never even noticed the floating microphone for Sy Snootles and just want one that looks like the vintage one. I'm at a loss here, I think these three sets were A-OK as it is.

If you personally need these figures, I know Entertainment Earth has had Max Rebo two-packs for quite some time, and none of those three two-packs go much above $15 on eBay-- and that's what they cost in 1998.

8. Do you know if the transition figures that are part of the original trilogy (i.e. Cantina Wave) will be numbered with an OTC number as such, or will they sport the newly styled cardboard insert as the Sly Moore figure, etc.? Despite all of the sources stating that OTC will end with #38, it just seems bizarre that Hasbro claims "MORE TO COME" in the OTC booklets. What is your take on this?
--Paul

As we have not seen finished packaged figures past the initial 37 (the Imperial Trooper has yet to be seen carded anywhere), we cannot comment on the numbering at this time. Hasbro has said that the OTC ends at 38 figures but you can't deny that the packaging looks exactly like the OTC does. Of course, the whole numbering system is rendered slightly moot when you realize these are their 2005 figures, and will most likely be numbered in a way that includes the new year.

As far as "more to come" goes, that doesn't just mean figures and it probably doesn't mean just OTC. And I don't seem to have a booklet that shows all 38 figures-- so yes, it's true, there are more to come. Plus exclusives, too, so it's true-- from a certain point of view.

9. Seeing that the Unleashed figures really are the ultimate in affordable Star Wars collectibles I think it's necessary to have ALL main characters no matter how unpopular they might be.

As hated as he is he is still a central element of the Star Wars universe now and I would like to see a Jar Jar Unleashed figure made one day mainly so that I could have a complete collection of characters. Truth be told, as a character he has enough energy to potentially be a really incredible Unleashed figure.

I'm confident that they'll eventually get around to making all of the other characters... Jar Jar is the only one I am concerned about, personally.

What do you think the likely-hood that they will ever make a Jar Jar Unleashed figure is?
--John

The best way to answer this is to look at Jar Jar as a collectible and as a fan target of rage after The Phantom Menace. In both cases, it's really cooled off. We've seen one Jar Jar figure from Attack of the Clones that isn't even an accurate representation of him on film, and for the most part the only people I hear cracking jokes about Jar Jar anymore are non-fans or to say the very least, people that are only fans once every three years or when DVDs come out so they can complain about them. (Which isn't to say you Jar Jar haters don't exist, it's just nice to see this is no longer a focal point of rage for so many of you.)

So, Jar Jar Unleashed? It makes more sense to me than Aurra Sing, Aayla Secura, the Tusken Raider, and a lot of other characters getting this treatment, but as you said, will Hasbro do it? I'd buy one, and you could probably do some neat things with him-- not battle-oriented, but like having him try to grab a clam with his tongue or something. It could be cool, and while I would like to see it, everybody seems so gunshy to do any Jar Jar collectibles that I'd say if a customizer makes one, you should probably just get that. Of course, maybe he'll do something awesome in Revenge of the Sith and Hasbro will do one then.

You bring an interesting point, though-- it would be good to see all major characters done in Unleashed. But we still haven't seen R2-D2, C-3PO, Qui-Gon Jinn, young Anakin, a Chewbacca that doesn't suck, Lando, Jabba... I could go on. And I'd like to put another seed of thought for an Unleashed Jabba out there, as that would be cool.

10. Would it be easier if Hasbro made a 'Death Star' pack in? Something like selling a basic figure, with a section of wall or floor from the Death Star. For example, sell a SA Stormtrooper set for 20 bucks that has 4 SA Stormtroopers and several wall/floor pieces. Even a doorway. Make them stackable too! Then sell packs of just the walls and doors. WizKids does it for the Mage Knight Dungeons, and it's a hot seller. They sell a package of floor and wall pieces to make a 'dungeon'. I think this would work for Hasbro. AND it'd be cheaper for Hasbro to make. Only a couple molds instead of a lot of them. And I think a lot of Diorama builders would scarf them up like hotcakes. Heck they could then re-issue a piece like the Tie Fighter and include 4 sections of the main hanger opening! What do you think?
--The LingSter

One thing toy companies tend to ignore is the added play value from getting fans to "collect them all"-- including an extra part with numerous figures to build some bigger thing is a great way to get fans to buy the one or two toys in the collection they'd ordinarily ignore and as a reward for buying them all, they can assemble something cool.

(It has been done, as the Lingster says with Mage Knight as well as in Hasbro's own Heroes of Cybertron line and McFarlane's Metal Gear Solid 2.)

Including numerous tiny pieces so you could make a diorama piece-by-piece is a really brilliant idea and one that Hasbro could probably really profit from. I mean, think about it. Say the OTC-- all 38 figures-- included an extra piece that when fully assembled could make a Death Star corridor or trash compactor. You'd buy the repackaged figures, wouldn't you? Granted, I'd rather see it done with new figures, but it's just an idea. I've always gone on about how seeing Hasbro make small playsets that combine into a large one would be excellent, and this is a great way to do that on a smaller scale while minimizing the cost to collectors (or at least spreading it out) and to Hasbro.

Seriously though, who wouldn't collect them all when there's a new toy as the incentive for doing it? Genius, I tells you, pure genius.

FIN

Lots of good questions this week, and a surprising amount of "will they reissue this" questions, all of which we actually did not use. There's still a common misconception that anything more than a year or two old goes for a huge amount of money on eBay, and I don't know why this seems to be a point of argument for so many people. Perhaps I have some alternate Universe eBay in which prices are lower, but hey, who knows. If you're one of the many fans who missed a toy that really want to see that toy again, shop around-- they aren't all expensive and more than you think won't cost you a lot of money. There have been hundreds of toys made over the past nine years (yup, modern SW turned 9 in July/August) and not all of them can be prized collectibles given the number of collectors and the freaking huge amount of space that having them all requires. So if you want something, try and see what it will cost you to have today-- why wait? Get it now. Or wait for it to get cheaper on eBay, whatever floats your boat.

That's all for this week. So get those questions in for next week, and if you could put "Q&A" in the subject line, that would greatly help my email filters find your message. Just email me with your inquiry, and we'll see what we can do.