Q&A For December 5, 2005

1. I assume that the red clone commander from the ROTS line is Commander Deviss - as he is pictured in the Star Wars Insider. Unfortunately, the Insider did not provide a picture for all of the commanders they mentioned. Is there anyone (or place) you can recommend that might tell me who the green clone commander is (if anyone at all)?
--Darth Parker

As of yet, I have not seen a single name tied into the green Clone Commander. And for the time being, Deviss seems fine for the red until, well, someone somewhere contradicts it. Always in motion, the nomenclature of new clones is.

2. Does Hasbro take back figures from stores that don't sell well? If yes, do they re-use these figures in battlepacks or other multi-figure configurations?
--Damian

While Hasbro and Kenner have taken back dud toys in the past, it's my understanding that they never, ever get repackaged-- they get dumped elsewhere. For example, I've personally seen Beast Wars cases marked for Transmetals Scavenger to be sent back to Hasbro, and I've heard Hasbro (then Kenner) talk about pulling Dagobah Luke and Hoth Han from the pegs during POTF2. The figures in the various multi-packs are new product.

This isn't to say it doesn't happen or will never happen, but most of what Hasbro tells me-- and I assume they don't make crap up to make me go away, but odds are if the situation were reversed, I'd do it-- indicates that the cost of reclaiming a figure, having someone open it, and then carefully package it again is just too high to ever make sense for them to do.

For the record, Dagobah Luke and Hoth Han in POTF2-- the 1996 figures-- were epic poor sellers. Not as bad as some that would follow, like Ric Olie, but a lot of stores just plain didn't order for quite a while because these figures sat around. Also, in some markets, Beast wars Scavenger was quite the shelf blight too-- and, if you ask me, rightly so.

3. Do you think we might see some smaller playsets (e.g. Endor Bunker type) from the TV series, if it is a location that is seen often such as a star destroyer bridge or control room of some type? It seems to me that a series would give that type of playset the support it would need at retail.
--Damian (again)

Based on the nature of the toy industry in 2005, no. 2007 or 2008 could be different, but you can count the number of action figure-based playsets on your fingers these days. (Well, ones worth mentioning at least.) I wouldn't hold your breath unless a location is a central part of the series-- and even then, who knows?

It has to make sense. For example, there's the Batcave. Batman always has a Batcave, so as a playset this is a sensible item to release and more or less a sure thing. If there's a good guy HQ in the new show, I'd say count on it. Otherwise, eh, wouldn't bet money on it.

4. I have been and ever shall be a fan of collecting Star Wars action figures, but today I would like to address a related issue that hopefully I can get some support with. Next year marks the 25th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I am wondering what on earth has prevented Hasbro or anyone to produce some sort of Indiana Jones line of figures other than the cartoony Disney figures???
--Mikeywan

It's my understanding from conversations I've had with manufacturers that Lucasfilm just plain isn't letting anyone do anything with Indiana Jones yet-- Disney's relationship is somehow an exception to the rule. All other avenues for licensing have been met with heavy restrictions. So until Lucasfilm changes their mind, we can forget about it. (Of course, you never know what gets announced at Toy Fair. [Warning/guarantee: this is not a hint, I actually don't know.])

5. Commander Bly - is he essentially just the Clone Commander with yellow paint? Commander Gree - is he the #41 "super articulated" Clone painted green? Also in the Clone "Battle Pack", is the commander the same mold as Bacarra?
--Tony

Yes, yes, and yes. Although there are at least two significant variations of Bly, the first release where the yellow is more or less uniform and the second release which has a decidedly different shade in some places. You'll know it when you see it. (The Gree variation on his visor, though, is pretty slight and may require side-by-side analysis to know if you've got both.)

6. The blue tactical ops clone...ugh. What a hunk of junk. Maybe mine is defective, but in addition to fused, bent elbows, one of his leg/hip joints sticks out way further than the other one. You can actually stick his leg out at 90 degrees. I don't know how else to describe it...it just feels cheap. Thoughts?
--Col. Parker

Well, you and everyone else seem to have registered this opinion, and I tend to more or less agree. Fans are hoping Hasbro has another one in the works for 2006 or beyond, as the AT-TE Gunner mold used for this figure wasn't exactly a great one. While my sample here isn't as loose and wobbly and crazy as the AT-TE Gunner, it could be better-- so here's hoping for many more 501sts as the line continues.

7. I just got the Utapau Shadow Trooper, and it wasn't exactly what I expected. More specifically, It isn't the regular super articulated Clone Trooper mold such as the #41 clone , Commander Gree and the Covert Ops Trooper. It has a shorter neck than the regular SA mold, and a different back panel. The left hand is a little different, and the legs are a little wider apart. One last thing is the belt is oriented differently from the SA normal mold. On another note, the quality of the plastic used to make the weapons is much better, as it is harder and less likely to bend. Is it a totally new and different mold, or is it the same mold as another clone trooper that I am unaware of?
--Darth Crow

This mold is a mold from years ago, and from this year. It's a direct repaint of Target's Clone Trooper from May, which itself was based on Entertainment Earth's Clone Trooper (but with a new helmet), which was, again, originally the super-poseable Clone Wars Clone Trooper. So it does indeed fall short.

8. why doesn't the Mil. Falcon come in a Titanium Ultra (series) version and I think it is so cool to see the big die cast on this ship (rather than the droid tri-fighter in an ultra version). I've got the 2004 Hoth Luke and what missing is the Wampa which is great when they are put together for the little scene. Do you know whether this will be coming out in SAGA 2 ?
--Chris

I have seen absolutely no evidence of the Hoth Luke and Wampa being reissued in any capacity as of yet. As they're common, eBay may be a good place to go looking for those, as there's no need for Hasbro to reissue them.

As far as Titanium goes, they're just getting started-- so far, fans only know about four of the many vehicles supposedly in the works. They'd be fools not to do the Millennium Falcon in the "Action Fleet" size, so I'm sure you'll see one soon. If not next year, the year after.

9. 2002's Pilot Jango Fett was the best sculpt of the character yet(IMHO). When are we going to get a NEW sculpt of Mr. Fett that shows proper respect to his armor's brilliant design?
--Justin

Right now there are zero plans for a newly sculpted Jango known to me or my cronies. I figure one will be done in Titanium some day, but it doesn't look like it will be part of the basic line-up in 2006 since they're recarding the 2003 one. So, we get to wait some more, because Hasbro obviously hates us and wants us to die. (I mean, why else would they not release the remaining 329 figures fans want? Death, that's why.)

10. With the Hasbro announcement of 12 hologram figures randomly packed in the Saga Line, does that mean a person might (conceivably) have to buy 12 versions of say--Han Solo in Carbonite Saga 001--to get every possible version / combination of that figure MOC?

I wouldn't do that, but I know some people who would.

Will this type of issue cause consternation among the community?
--Allen

This is a good question, and my answer is snarky. And it's "Should we care?"

(Warning/guarantee: I've been collecting the modern Star Wars line since it came out in 1995 and it's going to show.)

(Warning/guarantee II updated later: While not confirmed by Hasbro proper, dealers have written in sharing that so far, heroes come with hero holos and villains come with villain holos, so far. So this could really change the math below. Thanks for writing in!)

Let's all take a big step back and look at the model of figure collecting that proceeded us-- vintage. Vintage collectors know there are thousands of card front and back combinations to collect, weapon variations and errors, and so forth. Do you need to have Yak Face on a POTF card, a Tri-Logo card with no weapon, a Tri-Logo card with Jedi Luke's gun, and a Tri-Logo card with the Nikto staff to consider your collection complete? My guess is the answer for most is "Adam, you crazy idiot, I don't have that kind of space or money."

For some of you, consider applying this school of thought to modern toys. Look at the line since 1995-- remember all the .00, .01, sticker, long tray, short tray, short saber, shorter-than-short sabers, and everything else? I don't think anyone cares unless you were in the hobby in 1995, with a few exceptions. (I know long and short sabers are significant to me as a collector-- but I am weird like that.) But stickers versus no stickers, error cards, and their ilk just kind of fell by the wayside and I don't think it's something most fans clamor over.

This brings me to today-- I don't think it should matter to most collectors. Frankly, we lucked out-- the early notes I saw (which may have been in error) seemed to hint there would be a 1:1 ratio of holo figures to regular figures, and they would be random. As it stands with the 12, we don't know how it'll all work out-- will each and every figure even be packaged with all 12 holo figures? Will they be easily faked? And really, does it even matter that you get 12 variations of every figure? (If your answer is "yes," and your intent in life isn't to build the most variation-complete and ultimately crazy collection seen by man or beast, you may have a problem. If you want to build the bestest most complete collection ever as part of your sport or hobby, though, my hat is off to you.)

This whole variant-a-palooza might cause some issues. I think when these first hit, you'll see heavy interest in people buying a dozen Barada figures to get all the variations, if you can find all 12 on the initial runs. It's also possible fans will look at it, throw their arms up in frustration after a wave, and be done with it. Just think about it-- let's say there's 56 figures for 2006. If you buy one to open and one to close, that's 112, and that's about $560-$672, before tax, shipping, etc. Now let's say you want one of each carded with the holograph variants. That's $3,360-$4,302 for the set of 672. For the archivists, I can see it. For those who want to have the most complete collection ever, sure, why not? But that's a small group with more space, time, and money than I.

I consider myself to be a fairly hardcore collector, but I just don't see buying them all as sensible for my needs as a collector. I can see buying all 12 versions of 1 figure, though. That makes sense. (I won't be doing it, though, as I see absolutely no reason to collect carded figures with tape that will age badly and go brittle, but that's another topic.) With the rumors going around of more packaging variations than just the holographic figures and everything else, I'll be downright shocked if the collector base at large decides getting all of these is an important part of their lives for any reason other than spite. Just think-- if even half the collector base bought a dozen of every single carded figure? Wow. Hasbro's going to be RICH.

When you get right down to it, this variation is only visible on the back of the cards, so unless you have some funky set-up for your carded figures with mirrors, it may be difficult to even appreciate such a set should you assemble it.

For some, putting together a set will be great fun-- I myself am considering a "catch and release" hunt just to see if I can personally see all of 'em so I can say, in Q&A 2012, "yes, back in 2006, I did indeed see Boba Fett with each and every holographic bonus figure."

FIN

The issues of "what's the right way to collect" will always come up and the correct answer is and should always be "whatever makes you happy." Me, I am not a big fan of carded figures-- with a few exceptions. (I see the 2004 OTC line as too impossibly gorgeous to NOT have a carded set of in my collection.) When I think of having more than 2 of any one figure for any reason other than troop building or a variation on the toy itself, I start to scratch my head. (Doesn't mean I won't get extras. 2002 Bespin Luke I like so much, I keep a few around as it's fun to have at the office.)

So for next time, just email me with your question and I'll put it in queue. (If you do not put "Q&A" in the subject line I cannot guarantee it will get through due to the high volume of spam these accounts get.)

Click here to read the previous installment of Galactic Hunter Q&A!