(NEW YORK, NY, February 13, 2004) America's top producer of boys' toys, Hasbro Inc., is an all-time staple at the American International Toy Fair held every February in New York City. Coming off of a surprisingly successful year in 2003, Hasbro has focused its resources and honed its most successful core brands to tackle this truly tight and competitive market for 2004. Despite shipping strikes, an increasingly weak economy, record high petroleum prices, and overblown health scares, Hasbro has managed to become a leaner and meaner force in the toy industry.

"Our 2004 product line once again leverages our unmatched brand portfolio, which gives us the flexibility to continually create new and exciting product across a variety of existing and new brands," said Al Verrecchia, Hasbro's President and C.E.O.

Hasbro's action figures, the crown jewel of the Star Wars license, will be taking a place of honor among Hasbro's other popular lines, as the number one boys' toys manufacturer unveils the Star Wars Original Trilogy Collection. The Star Wars Original Trilogy Collection is every collector's dream, with its focus solely dedicated to the original trilogy of Star Wars films, A New Hope; The Empire Strikes Back; and Return of the Jedi, featuring retro-Star Wars black and silver packaging reminiscent of the vintage Kenner line.

Hasbro isn't the only game in town for collectors, though, and we'll be thoroughly documenting offerings from the brickworks at LEGO, to the bustling bust business at Gentle Giant Studios, to the delicately detailed die cast at Code 3 Collectibles, and the professional propsmiths at Master Replicas. We'll also be on the prowl for all sorts of other toy lines as we make the rounds.

Galactic readers won't want to miss a bit of the action, so check in with us all weekend long. Galactic staffers will be on the ground and pounding the pavement starting Saturday morning. Look for frequent updates from our News Hunters at home base and daily wrap-ups from our mercenaries in the
field. Galactic Hunter coverage will be packed in hour-by-hour over the next few days, as we stage an all-out assault on Toy Fair 2004.

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