1. I'm still searching for the "best" version of ANH white-robed Princess Leia. In your opinion, which one currently holds the title?
--Mrbetts

There's no perfect Leia yet, although all the elements exist so you could basically make one yourself. I personally feel that the best-looking Star Wars Princess Leia is the hood-up version originally released as a 2005 mail-in figure with the Early Bird Kit, which was also released in a (still-available online) tin in late 2006. She has very little articulation but the sculpt and deco are some of Hasbro's finer recent work. Also, you don't have to make any changes-- she looks good as-is.

If you want a super-articulated version, well, it doesn't exist. The 2004 Vintage Leia is pretty good, but she doesn't have ball-jointed elbows (or any ankles) and I understand that is a deal-breaker for some. However, the 2009 Medical Frigate Leia figure is that same body but with ball-jointed elbows and a head from The Empire Strikes Back. So if you're in to head-swapping, you can cobble together a pretty great Leia. If not, any Leia from 2004 or later is pretty great.

2. Target stores around me usually clearance their Star Wars exclusives down to 90%, while Wal-mart and Toys R Us, if I'm lucky, go down to 50%. Are there any specific reasons why there's such a variance among stores?
--Alex

From my experiences, you're probably not quite on the mark here.

I have only once seen a Target Star Wars clearance item go down past 75%, unless mismarked, and it wasn't an exclusive. Typically, Target's markdowns on toys go 30%, 50%, and at the end, 75%. There are exceptions (sometimes things start at 15%) but on the whole, that's how it works on nearly every item the store sells.

Toys "R" Us, from what I've observed and have been told, is largely based on the local store's needs but there are some national markdowns. Stores have the ability to pick what they mark down and often do from store to store-- if a store has too many Pokemon corkboards, that's what will be marked down. When it comes to failed exclusives, that seems to generally be a year or two down the road, but it's quite inconsistent and generally chain-wide. Target usually clears its stuff out within a few months-- although lately we're seeing items last much longer-- but Toys "R" Us rarely (or never) marks down anything within a year.

Each store has its own needs based on the company. Target is extremely concerned about its shelf real estate-- if something isn't making money, it's better to be rid of the item so they can put something else there instead which might make them some cash. Toys "R" Us tends to stock more items, deeper, for longer-- so they're actually interested in keeping this wide variety of products in stock for a long time, because that's their business. Target doesn't make their money on their toys, but Toys "R" Us does, and as a big specialty store they aren't as inclined to turn over their inventory as quickly-- they really don't need to.

Wal-Mart, I flat-out haven't cracked yet. I've seen different things from store to store, city to city, and so on. I've seen items go straight to clearance. I've seen items at full price seven years later. (I'm not exaggerating.) I see no reason for a lot of what they do, my guess is that they're getting some spectacular kickbacks from vendors and, quite often, someone's asleep at the wheel. It's 100% luck at Wal-Mart, you can't out-guess their clearance pricing strategies beyond "Christmas is over and maybe something will be marked down."

3. With the new Boba Fett redemption offer, how will that work? Will the sticker/coupon/stamp be enclosed in the figure's bubble, requiring us to open it? Attached to the cardback? I realize Hasbro has to thwart the losers who rip open packages in store to steal one tiny item (or take it home, replace it, and return it), but it'd be nice if we had a balance where we could visibly see if the package had been tampered with and we wouldn't have to destroy the bubble for the mail away item.
--AV

I haven't seen a specific redemption form for this one yet, so we don't know for sure. Hasbro abandoned stickers for mail-in Star Wars offers in 2007, but are currently using them for the Revenge of the Fallen Ravage mail-in. The last few Star Wars mail-in offers (Rex, Eopie, and Nahdar Vebb) all took whatever basic figure UPCs were currently active and in circulation at retail. So if you wanted to use Saga Legends, that's fine.

It's entirely possible Hasbro will go back to the "use Vintage figures for Vintage mail-in" model but based on the actual sticker-- which reads "Free Boba Fett with the purchase of any five Star Wars action figures" I have to assume that it's going to be UPCs from any currently running assortment and possibly even some of the current ones. If you still have Clone Wars and Legacy UPCs, hang on to them just in case. It also says "FREE" which is a shock to me. I mean, really? Free? Or is it "Free" with $7 shipping? I guess we'll find out later.

I would still expect Hasbro to use UPCs for the Boba Fett offer as that has been their standard for Star Wars as of late. No matter what, you're going to have to damage the packaging, but nobody has been stealing UPCs off of figures for the past few offers. Heck, I've had so many extras I've given quite a few away. Hopefully Hasbro doesn't make an easily stolen redemption token like a sticker again... and I should note nobody is reporting stolen stickers in Transformers toys for their mail-in offer.

4. Here's a pair of simple questions. I want all six new figures in the last Legacy wave (the K'Kruhk wave). I am afraid as it is the last wave of a dying line that it will be produced in short supply and hard to find even at ToysRUs. (To this day, I don't have Sio Bibble in my collection...Damn him!) I don't want to buy the whole case online because I don't want the other six figures (or at least five of them, the second variation of the Bespin Security Guard is cool) and the idea of paying over $100 for six figures I want is disagreeable to me. There seems to be no good solution to this dilemma. I feel compelled to hedge my bets and preorder a case, but in doing so I bear a resentful grudge against Hasbro for mismanaging the line so that it has come to this state. First, do you think a case preorder is necessary to make sure I get this wave? Second, do you have any suggestions for me to keep calm and to keep enjoying my hobby?
--David

The best thing to do to enjoy toy collecting as a hobby is to never, ever collect any "current" figure line. It's too emotional and you're flying blind. All of the hype, inflated prices, misinformation, accidental purchasing of duplicates through multipacks, and angst over buying a figure who got upgraded later can be avoided. It just requires you to wait until later, which most toy collectors simply don't do anymore by virtue of the fact that few toy lines of any real interest seem to end. Most Star Wars figures-- if you can wait about two years-- drop in value significantly. The once-rare Sio Bibble, for example, is now down to about $10. Once you can get some distance and get a clear picture of the line, it's a lot easier to make a lot of smart decisions. In the present, we're just buying blind.

Just because it's the final series doesn't mean it will necessarily be hard to get. For all we know, because the entire run is being split between the Internet and Toys "R" Us, there might be a lot to go around here. We simply don't know. I don't necessarily believe a case pre-order is required to get the wave, but I have no idea how many units Hasbro made or how many units Toys "R" Us will be gobbling up. Sometimes exclusives are hard to get and then show up later for cheaper-- and other times, they shoot up a little bit. Just keep your eyes open, pre-order if you're worried (online stores are said to be getting the figures a month after Toys "R" Us), or just remember that very few figures are actually worth much and if you wait, you're pretty much assured to get what you want. Eventually.

5. I would really like to see someone do a new 1:1 scale Han in Carbonite. I had one of the Illusive Concept Han Solos, which was certainly well done, but now with laser scanning, they could do one that is totally screen accurate--with lights, the little monitor that Lando checks out, etc.

Also, what I'd would kill for (or at least maim for) is a Vader helmet based on the (superior, in my humble knowledgeable opinion) mask from the original, legendary "STAR WARS" (Episode IV: A New Hope, for you youngsters). For crying out loud, eFX is doing a helmet based on Ralph McQuarrie's amazing pre-production art, so a "Classic" Vader helmet must be done!
--Dave

Dave brings up a couple of really good points-- we're about due for some new props here. The last Carbonite block was sold in the 1990s. A whole generation of kids has since entered the work force and may be interested in such a replica-- where is it? Sideshow? EFX? Anyone?

Vader's helmet, specific to each movie, could be trickier. We did get a few high-dollar Revenge of the Sith versions but I don't believe anyone has pushed for the original trilogy versions lately. I'd keep an eye on Windlass Collectibles-- they're doing some wonderful high-end costumes and it's possible they will move to armored characters after they do the Jedi and such that they're currently cranking out. Be sure to write them letters-- it's possible nobody is reminding them of the money they're missing out on!

FIN

So, Wal-Mart's exclusives are showing up at Ross now. I've seen the Fall Evolutions packs and AT-ST, but here's the kicker-- no Wal-Mart sticker, nor Wal-Mart sticker residue. I'm curious if Hasbro set aside part of the run for another client or what happened here. I'm a little surprised to be seeing so much exclusive product showing up at closeout now, which is probably not the greatest sign for us as a group as weird collector stuff in the future goes. But hey, if you missed out on these items it may be a good time to hit up those Ross clothing stores just in case.

Got questions? I bet you do. Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

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