A basic, standard, no-big-deal stand ala GI Joe would be my top choice, just because it's useful.

Floppy discs... nah. It's the new millennium, floppys are old technology... if Hasbro could offer a "secret weblink" with figures allowing kids to download special items from a URL inside a toy package, I think that'd be pretty neat. I'm also quite interested in seeing how those CD ROM figures turn out... the pics at Yak's show that they have some form of game on them in addition to Force File stuff. It's an idea with potential, but again, CD ROMs are pretty early '90s in terms of "wow" factor. I've seen 'em, they're everywhere, and the thrill is gone.

CommTech chips would've been very cool had they not totally sucked.

Trading cards would be great. Something like the Japanese TransFormers tech spec cards or the Skybox cards packed with Playmates Star Trek figures starting with Year 2 could be really neat. But I don't think kids would care one way or another about those, trading cards are pretty dead.

The ultimate would have been Pit Droids or Battle Droids as pack-in bonuses. It's obvious the fans want Pit Droids based on the inquiries we get about them, and I've never even seen them. So those would definitely help with interest and add quite a bit of value to each figure purchase, and even at $6.99, I'd buy more figures, probably. Had I money.

6
Do you like the current trend of resculpt? This new POTJ R2-D2 got me to thinking. In the old days they released the same figure on different cards. Wouldn't it be best if Hasbro just made the ultimate of each character (example: removable helmet/soft goods Darth Vader w/ interigation droid) and sell him periodically on different cards, than to just keep shelling out resculpts. I think resculpts are what has really slowed the demand for figures down. Anyway what are your thoughts?
  -Jason

Well, the old days had a very different kind of sales model at work. Figures were supposed to be sold for about two years if not more before being slowly phased out of production, or in the cases of lines like some of Hasbro's brands, totally overhauled.

Today, that timeframe is more like six months. They want a "new" figure out there every six months. Which might not be so bad if people could actually buy the figures-- no Darth Vader figure has been especially easy to find since... well, the first one, and even he wasn't that big a pegwarmer. The Flashback version was around, but never in giant numbers that made fans sick. So it would seem that resculpts aren't hurting business... local stores are getting tons of POTJ Collection One, and everybody except for Obi-Wan and the as-of-yet-unavailable Qui-Gon sell out pretty quickly. Even Maul. Which makes no sense at this point.

New packaging would probably do the trick better than a new figure. People still want Removable Helmet Vaders, people still want CommTech Stormtroopers, and people still want Holo Leia R2-D2. I don't think a single fan would whine about their figures becoming "less collectible" if Hasbro were to ship more on new cards (or at all), and it'd probably be cheaper than developing new figures. (Probably, feh. Definitely.) But when it comes to fans like me, well, I won't buy an old figure on a new card "just because." But I will buy a Vader who has a head that comes off and Luke's face is underneath.

I prefer new characters to resculpts when given the opportunity to pick, in most cases. I really want to see Amanaman, can't wait to get the Duro next year, and would probably crap my pants with joy if I would even SEE the new blue Senate Guard figure. (Well, maybe not that, but you get the point.) But if it boiled down to a hypothetical new sculpt of X-Wing Luke over Porkins or an all-new (hypothetical and good) Jedi Luke over a yet-again hypothetical Depa Bilaba. Sure, I want new characters and the entire Jedi Council... but they aren't always especially exciting.

So, with all that crap considered, Hasbro's current business model seems to work for them, if not for us. I'd much rather see a Jedi Luke with interchangable hands, a cloth cloak, a saber with a removable blade, etc. etc. etc. over the one new one every so long without any really cool new feature being added.

7
I was curious....Earlier you mentioned something about the Imperial Dignitary from the original Star Wars line. Your thought, I believe, was that Hasbro would probably not make this figure for the current line because it is a lesser character and kids probably wouldn't like it...so it would not sell. I feel that they SHOULD make a resculpt of this character and put the other dignitaries out as well....you know...to give him some company. The reason I bring this up.....case in point Mas Amedda. The first thing I thought of after taking him out of the package was that he resembled the dignitary, was a lesser character, had about as much screen time, and about the same amount of "play-value."....What are your thoughts?
  -April

Mas Amedda is a unique looking alien with a lot of paint ops and tons of detail. Boring or not, it looks cool and I know as a wee lad I got lots of cool alien figures. (Nien Nunb, Admiral Ackbar, alla those guys had me pretty stoked bck in the day.) Mas seems to be selling pretty well, too. Lots of fans who I heard say they wouldn't buy POTJ figures are buying this one, so I'd go out on a limb and say that aliens are a good sell. (I'm assuming I'm not alone saying that, with few exceptions, I will always buy an obscure alien over an obscure human.)

The Imperial Dignitary I believe would not sell. In stores. As a fan club exclusive or some other more limited, collector-centric environment this figure would probably do OK.

Considering there is no Emperor selling now (outside of clearance) and none planned for as long as I know about, dignitaries would be a pretty unfriendly sell. As far as "what can I do with THAT?" goes, I can think of more interesting things I'd have done with an alien toy as a kid than I could for the dignitary. (Actually, the original dignitary was one of the last figures I bought for my original collection of figures.) You say he resembles the dignitary. Considering the dignitaries lacked horns, blue skin, and were old men (which are considered a poor choice for figures by most toy companies) with stupid hats, well, eh. Of course, if Mas could sit down, there's more he could do, but I guess he's spent too much time in the music biz.

Why everyone argues with me like I have something to do with what Hasbro's gonna make is beyond me. (And why people tend to miss the "I'd like to see every character done in the POTF2/POTJ/E1 line eventually" point continues to elude me.)

8
My question is, is POTJ only showing up at Wal-Mart and Meijer's, or do the Targets, TRUs, and KBs in some US regions carry the stuff?

I'm curious about your viewpoint on Rowerr VS BoShek. I agree with you that BoShek is not the most exciting character, particularly in looks, but compared to some others who had even less screen time, he did have an actual impact in the Trilogy. After all, he is the one who directed Obi-Wan to Chewie during the Cantina scene, leading to Han, the Death Star, etc. You simply can't have a complete Cantina diorama without him. But amazingly, in a recent Q&A you wrote regarding Roworr, "Me, I can't wait. Finally, a new Wookiee character figure. If this don't flesh out the dioramas, nothing will." Were you being facetious, or are you really excited? After all, he is a completely made up character and has a body stolen from an existing figure (making him a pathetic rehash in my opinion, although I'll put him in the background of one of my dioramas). How can you justify a desire for a toy company fraud (he's not even from a novel) over a real trilogy figure?
  -John

On the first one, POTJ will be sold everywhere that wants it. I have seen it personally in K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target, Toys "R" Us, and that's about it. Mostly Obi-Wans, but still, it's there.

As far as BoShek goes, he's dull. Boring. Not-at-all interesting. If you wanna talk about complete Cantina dioramas, I can go on all day. I made the same argument about Wuher when we were told he flat-out wasn't gonna happen anytime soon. But at the same time, he's dull. And even as an exclusive I have a hard time believing he'd sell unless someone started an "Adam is full of it/We Want BoShek!" club starts somewhere and people bought it just because he sucked.

As far as the new Wookiee scout goes, I'm genuinely interested. I wrote before that I always thought it'd be neat to see some "off-camera" figures like a new Wookiee or two or some more female Rebels or something. And here's one of 'em. I'd rather have a new body for the figure, but still... it's a new Wookiee. And I can make all sorts of great jokes about him being some genetic amalgamation between Scooby Doo and Shaggy. It's a neat, weird figure that just should not have been made. I'd say the same thing about BoShek if he was released out of the blue. (If it didn't become a running gag in the column over the past year.) Actually, if they still made cinema scenes and threw in BoShek, that'd be pretty cool, and probably the only way he'd move. (Plus I'd want the Tonnika Twins or the Gotal or maybe even a Myo before a regular human with mutton chops that I, he who has no talent, could customize in my sleep. And so could you.)

What's the neatest thing about Roworr? He's the first Prequel Expanded Universe figure. He may be a slightly (as the kids say) ghetto figure, but still, it's neat. And they've never made a figure from the RPG before, so it's kinda neat for all sorts of reasons. Granted, I'm a weird SW fan who wants that really weird item, and I actually liked the idea of Expanded Universe from the get-go (and wanted that Luke figure since I first read Dark Empire I #1 in 1991.) So your mileage may vary and stuff.

9
Do you know what is the typical lead time to retool a production line at Galoob/Hasbro for their Action Fleet products?
  -Ed

The time from an item's conceptualization to production can go anywhere from two years to as little as six months. Traditionally, it seems to be roughly 18 months, with a give/take sorta thing going on. The Duro, for example, was designed around June or July and will be out next Fall (or so I've been lead to believe.) So that's a year and a bit right there. The line itself can be mapped out two years in advance if not more, but as some product lists regarding the 12" line have proven, things can change pretty quick.

Another example: work on Episode II toys should be starting shortly if it hasn't already. That means the toys coming out in May 2001 would be worked on now-ish, roughly 18 months prior to their appearance on store shelves. But you might say "Adam." "Adam," you'd say, "some of those Episode One figures were in warehouses in November of '99." Indeed they were. There's your year right there. So maybe it's a year and a bit, but the typical answer I'm given is about a year and a half.

... but as far as Action Fleet goes, pay close attention to toy news pages in the next few months. Odds are if anything'll happen with Hasbro San Francisco, the former Galoob, it'd have to be determined pretty soon for it to happen for Episode II. (We might not hear about it, but they're gonna hafta make up their minds.)

10
While reading Wizard magazine, I came across an article concerning a comic book grading company called CGC (Comic Grading Corporation). The article goes on to mention that out of 9000+ comics that it has received, only 7 have received a perfect grade of 10.

Even comics fresh of the press can't guarantee a perfect mint grade of 10. Comics that do get a perfect grade increase in price dramatically. For example, a mint comic of Spawn #1 is valued at about $14. A copy of the same comic graded a perfect 10 by CGC is worth $450.

Would you be in favor of a similar grading system for unopened SW figures? Would it drive some collectors crazy knowing that the figure they thought was "mint" really isn't? What's your opinion on this?
  -ChuckMc

My take? My take is a collector knows what he wants, and a sheet of paper will not make a collectible item worth double (or in the case of your example, 32 times) its value. If a certificate from some goob who sits and looks at imperfections on collectibles for a living has the ability to tell you how great a comic is, well, something is afoul in the state of my hobby.

Spawn #1 for $450? The most easily-available-in-mint-condition comic for $450? I'll be frank, I know little about comics as a collectible outside what I read (yes, read.) I don't buy or read Spawn, nor do I know many die-hard comic fans anymore, but while I have no doubt that a C-10+++ figure goes for double or triple book on occasion, I don't think "certification" will make a big difference in toy collecting.

Am I in favor of something which would take my little hobby-- a hobby where I used to be able to get any figure I wanted on any package I wanted for less than $60 (except for POTF Yak who was once $120)-- and make stuff sell for an even MORE obscene mark-up? No. Collecting is vastly impersonal as it is right now, and very few collectors seem to have a good eye for what it is they REALLY want. "I HAVE to get this/ I NEED that/ it HAS to be *MINT*!" All of that stuff. It's creepy. I'm for anything that would allow fans to buy whatever it is they want at a fair price, whatever that price is and whatever that item is. If the fanbase at large wants BoShek or Porkins, great. I'll buy one or two, too. If toy collectors decided they couldn't figure out how nice their toys were and needed help, and it was a majority, I'd support that too. Grudgingly.

But after writing all of this, a particularly obvious problem with a grading system came to mind. What if I got an item graded and photocopied the grade sheet? Or placed the original grade sheet with another comic or figure? I'd rather just deal with photos, detailled descriptions, and hands-on experience with the toys I buy, myself. But that's me, and I'm weird like that. (Of course, I come from a day where "Mint on Card" didn't mean "not sealed" 5 times out of 10.)

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

Last week, I was asked "if the last figure were to happen, yadda yadda, who would you pick?" I change my answer to BoShek. He'd be a good last figure. When some figure lines die, people ask "why now? There's so many characters left to do!" Much like GI Joe's Star Brigade line in its entirety (especially Manimals), BoShek would remove all doubt as to its cancellation.

That's it for today. More on Tuesday, send in questions, I'll post answers. Possibly correct answers.

1
What scale are Star Wars figures, or any 3.75 in figure, made? I was thinking of buying a 1/19th scale Humvee for Han and Chewie and wanted to make sure it was the right scale.
  -Dan

I've seen fans refer to similarly scaled G.I. Joe figures as 1/18 scale, so depending on how much leeway there is between the figures and the vehicle, a 1/19 scale Humvee just might work. I heard there was a pretty good one made for the Corps toy line (GI Joe compatible toys of a cheap nature), so if you pick the right figures, that one just might work for you.

2
Hi, I Had Heard Somewhere that there was a transforming playset of Han Solo/Millenium Falcon & Darth Vader/ Star Destroyer from Galoob do you know if these playsets where made and if so what features and figures do they contain and if you have any could you send me a picture of them.
  -Ryan

While I never followed Galoob's Buzz Board all that much (and this is what I blame my not having my much-wanted Snowtrooper mini-head), the other sources I talked to during the development of this line never mentioned those two playsets as being considered. But I never flat out asked, of course... you never know what may show up in a book in 10 years, but for now, I'd say "nope, no such thing."

3
hello i was wondering if you can tell me where to get acriylic cases for dispaly of loose star wars figs? or anything that would look cool to display starwars figs.
  -Chris

A company with family ties to yours truly exists and sells something that might be what you want. 4" Vintage, 4" POTF2/POTJ/E1, and 12" cases (boxed and unboxed figures) are available from Phoenix-based P&P Products. 4" cases include stands for figures and stuff, so this might be what you want. And it might not be. Take a look-see.

4
I've been watching eBay, and have been tracking the sales of the "Defense of Naboo" set with Qui-gon and Amidala in the battle outfit, the one that was only released in Japan or something like that. While originally these would go for almost $100, they are now popping up for about $29.

I'm wondering if these might be getting ready to show up on the KB discount shelves the way the 2000 Portrait Edition Amidala did.
  -JanetM

Looking on ebay myself, I see one that ended at $65, and a handfull of current auctions. So while the one completed auction available to be seen as of the time I looked was a few dollars below retail (and lots of unfinished auctions remain to end), I'd say you're jumping the gun on this one. It's probably just the fact that most people have it that want it.

5
Why do some fans seem to freak out when somebody disses on Bo-Shek or the Imperial Dignitary? I always hear from people that so and so was such a crucial person in the development of the story, when in reality to many of us he was just some dude standing in the cantina or back by an elevator. I know some people are just joking about it in your column, but I've seen many an adamant post on the usenet back in the days along the same lines.
  -Christopher

Because they're freaks.

People are either a) bored and seriously in love with minor characters or b) bored and interested in pushing a joke too far. I can't tell you how many "Adam, you don't have a clue" notes I've gotten about BoShek and the Dignitary. Depsite my saying "I'd buy these, but I don't much think they'll sell and I'm in no hurry for them." Many cited the Cantina stories collection-- which I read-- and say "Oh, read the story and you'll feel differently."

The whole "everybody has to have some sort of motivation and an important backstory" thing bugs me. If he looks cool, I'll take a figure. If he's a neat character, I want the figure. If he looks boring and doesn't do anything on screen, well, I don't much care. Amanaman looks cool, to me anyway. New R2 units strike me as fun, as do Jawa resculpts and random Cantina and Jabba's Palace aliens. Humans... well, if I want humans I can buy humans in many toy lines. Star Wars' uniqueness comes from its aliens and droids, so I can understand people getting behind a minor character they found particularly appealing.

Just as long as they understand that the delete key is about two inches away from my hand when they send a 5-page email telling me that I'm-- in not so few words-- a clueless moron with no taste in toys.

6
Do you know if the re-release Star Wars trilogy videos are going to be the classic edition or the special edition? Also, do you have any information on the Episode II preview on these cassettes?
  -Mark

Special Editions. It seems the whole "last chance to buy the original version" thing was for real.

The featurette sounds pretty dull, made up of all sorts of things that aren't footage from Episode II. I give this set a giant "so what?" rating... ten minutes of completed footage from the new film wouldn't sell me my fourth licensed copy of these movies. (P&S, THX Widescreen, SE Widescreen.) Now, had they been on DVD...

7
Have you ever read the Tales of the Mos Eisly Cantina book? (If not read the BoShek Chapter. After reading it I think it will change your mind on the way you view him.) If so, I think your crazy for saying he is a dull & boring. Also, What do you think of Aurra Sing? She has half the screen time of BoShek and you never really say anything about her. So what are your opinions?
  -Mike

I felt obliged to answer this. Keep in mind that sarcasm in your letters doesn't translate, so if you were kidding... sorry this is a sorta serious reply.

Short stories are nice, fun little reads with absolutely no bearing on the typical toy buyer. Some fans, like yourself, myself, and many others have read the stories and find them interesting in some manner or another. But when it comes down to what Hasbro makes, they don't matter. If they did, the huge army of X-Wing fans would've gotten a Wedge figure that was not made from other figures, except for the head. While a minor character on screen, he does quite a bit in both Death Star battles and has actual dialogue in ALL THREE films. BoShek says NOTHING AUDIBLE in his four seconds of screen time.

Aurra Sing... again, I don't much care either way for her as a character. As a toy, though, she's got a lot of potential to do well. She's a female. She's an alien. She's a bounty hunter. Those three little things turned her from "who cares?" to "I do." The mass appeal she seems to have, getting to Boba-esque awareness, is surprising to me. She seems like a fanboy favorite, and as a fanboy, I can appreciate this. She and many other characters from Episode One still interest me a great deal and while I'm sure someone would take time to admonish me for the following statement, here goes: there are many prequel and Expanded Universe figures I'd rather see before certain classic figures.

While Aurra doesn't say anything, fans-- LOTS of fans-- want one in plastic. When BoShek gets the cover of the Insider, I'll say that fans want him, too. BoShek sucks. Get used to it.

(And it's "you're crazy." I know I'm gonna get crap for taking time to correct somebody's grammar, but c'mon. With how you wrote it, I'm supposed to say "My crazy what?")

8
Please help me, I totally understand what the Blue, Yellow & Red mean on the freeze frame cards however how does it work on episode 1 regarding the Red, Orange and Yellow?
  -Leightonbigal

Yellow: Collection 1. Orange: Collection 2. Red: Collection 3. Kinda obvious.

9
Is the new Colonel Calamari figure gonna be given a name when it comes out like Yakface or Pruneface was? I checked Decipher.com and I think his name is Thaneespi. They all look the same.
  -EBriand

I believe the Hasbro name is "Mon Calamari Colonel" or some variation thereof. I'm assuming he's supposed to be kinda generic, but I could be wrong. Hasbro's pretty weird about using Decipher/WEG names sometimes. (Which is why it's kinda nice that Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast are under one roof... make things easier to figger out sometimes.)

10
Do you feel that the release of the original Ep 1 figures in 1999 was done badly and if so what mistakes were made and what should be done when Ep2 is first released.
  -G7

With Episode II, Hasbro is damned if they do and damned if they don't.

There are some new characters that sound and look very cool. The new Amidala pics that surfaced recently look great, the new Bounty Hunter looks excellent, and of course there are others. Christopher Lee as a SW figure is much higher on my "cool" list than General Zod was.

If they release too few figures-- whatever that number is-- chaos will follow. Hasbro or retaillers have learned that a starved market is a thriving market, as evidenced by the quick sales of some pretty downright questionable resculpts in POTJ. The thing is, no matter what, the worst figure will sell if someone in a position of authority deems it "rare." (How else can we explain the Vader/Maul sets I had pegged for clearance but can't find to save my life?)

If it were up to me: presales. A case contains a set, presell a case. Potential problems: LFL may not allow the merchandise to be shown far enough ahead of time for some fans to want to buy a case. With E1, they were pretty nutty, not allowing any photography at Toy Fair '99 when we already had images up on the web of just about everything, packaged as well.

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

Regarding professional grading: I got three good notes on the topic, stating that the comic/card is typically sealed away with the certification so nobody can ever touch it, again. To me, that ruins the collectible. Like laminating a movie poster. I remember hearing a company attempt something like this for vintage SW, but I dunno if it took off. Like I said before, collecting isn't professional. Writing about collecting can be, as can creating something alongside it. I've got a real problem with one or two people dictating what "mint" is.

No more BoShek. Not even in jest. It's a running gag I've started getting sick of... so please, no "OK, I won't mention BoShek, tee hee" or anything like that. Thanks.

That's it for today. More tomorrow, send in questions, I'll post answers. Possibly correct answers.

Questions for October 11, 2000

1
Remember the coupon in the E1 video booklet for $3 off the Trivial Pursuit Episode I Edition (MFR 41349)? Well it expires at the end of this month! Did that game ever get released or is it still planned?
  -Sabacc

I've seen a few places offer it, but I'm hard pressed as to remembering where. If I find it again, I'll post it on the main news page.

2
I read somewhere that there was a Luke Skywalker X-Wing pilot in the making. Technically, the one that we all already have is not the true X-Wing pilot but the snow speeder pilot from ESB. The Wedge that came with the carrying case is the same way. Are we really going to see a real X-Wing pilot Luke anytime soon?
  -HOBBSMMM

Yup. Next year, actually. So far the only regular carded Luke we know of.

3
On the Target exclusive 12" Kaduu, was it originally to have had Captain Tarpals rather than Jar Jar?
  -Mike

Errr... isn't it still Tarpals? Did it change and I missed a memo or something?

4
Is there any way to outguess the market?? I mean, some things I buy show up later at twice the price and others at half the price. Is there a shure fire way to figure it out ahead of time? I know you mentioned that you thought the masters of the dark side would be a peg warmer but you haven't seen one yet.
  -Jason

Well, no. Not really. It's pretty random... lots of people got Mynock Hunts for $4.99, I've never seen one of those sets in stores since November of 1998. (Yes, I remember the month. I'm sad.)

So in a nutshell, no. Sometimes Hasbro will let us know flat out what's up, like with the Eopie (or so it seems so far.) That Dark Side set should have just sat around... and had it not been in the news, it would have. I'm sure the only attraction most people have toward it is the fact that the believe it's "rare." Even though there are items with lower production runs which nobody cares about.

So I'd say buy what you really want now, and if it shows up later, well, at least you got it. Otherwise, don't come complaining when you had a chance to pick something up.

5
What ever happened to the poor saps that sent in the money for the Han Solo Blaster from Icons??? Now that they no longer do Star Wars (or possibly anything else...) is there another company that will start doing high end props??
  -Mike

I think people are just plain ol' screwed, American style. No plans have been made public regarding another company being interested in props, and considering the lukewarm reaction to anything but figures these days, I wouldn't hold my breath.

6
I feel fairly certain that in the future Hasbro will release more 3 3/4"pod racer pilots, but many of the pods deserve to become toys as well. If they stay true to the design of the actual pods and not put in the pop out and spin features I believe that a new wave of pods could do well. My question is are more pods in the plans or am I S.O.L.?
  -Paul

As far as the rumor mill goes, there are absolutely no Pod Racers on tap for 4" figures. Heck, the Sith Infiltrator is the only rumored vehicle from the prequel.

A year ago, I'd say Action Fleet would be your best bet for a fair size, nicely detailled pod racer. Now... not.

I don't believe a line of pods priced above $20 would do well, at least not until enough people start wanting Episode One stuff again. Which might be a while.

7
Are there hard numbers to back up the statement that female figures don't sell well or is this just an industry myth? (I remember in the initial POTF2 assortment, Leia was one of the hardest figures to find.) I still don't comprehend the slim choices of Amidala given her number of gowns.
  -Keffer

Depends on the figure. McFarlane's women tend to do quite well most of the time. Actually, She-Spawn is the only one I remember selling poorly to the point of "dear God, not another one." Of course, there's the Bride of Venom figure from "Along Came A Spider" or whatever that never sold as well.

With Hasbro, lemme think. Harley Quinn sold pretty well at four per case, never did see her in a big abundance other than the day I just happened accross four of her on the pegs. Leias have traditionally done VERY well at first, petering off later on. Endor Leia sold pretty so-so in '98 and continues to do so-so on clearance today. Of course, Slave Leias sell at a decent pace, and so do most of the others. In Beast Machines, Blackarachnia seems to be the only figure selling particularly quickly. (Other than Snarl. Why, I dunno.) Actually, I'm hard pressed to think of a female figure from a recent successful Hasbro franchise that was easy to get or even a pegwarmer other than that first Padme. (Amidala vanished pretty quickly 'round these parts.) So as of today, I'd say it could be a myth.

I agree, the total lack of Amidalas is disturbing. I would buy them because they're all different and not "Qui-Gon with arms posed like this" or "Anakin with new gizmo." I mean, c'mon, easy money people. Do you know how many Natalie Portman obsessed fanboys are out there? In the right quantities, those figures are a license to print money.

Female figures-- lately-- just aren't around. Thinking of recent toy runs, the only new ones I can think of are Electra from Krofft Super Stars, Chameleon (Baroness, yes I know) from the new GI Joe two-packs, Beast Machines Blackarachnia... uhh... hmm. Oh, the new Tiffany from the new Spawn line, Street Fighter Jr. Chun Li, Lisa Simpson... some chick from Xyber 9... probably a Power Ranger or two... and some pack-ins here and there, like in Titan AE and Marge & Magaggie from the Simpsons. So it's pretty slim pickings considering the hundreds of figures released this year. (Of course, there's like four 12" figures, but I don't collect those so eh.)

8
I think nonessential alien figures who couldn't forward a plot if their lives depended on it are _now_ the heart and soul of the Star Wars line. Mas Amedda is a case in point. I am only compulsively interested in Classic figures from the POTJ line but I got Mas Amedda anyway because his sweet blue skin beckoned to me from the plastic bubble casing... Heh heh heh. What say you?
  -David

I wish. Look at Power of the Jedi series one. There's ten figures. One is an obscure alien. One is a cool new army builder human. The remainder are revised versions of previous characters. Granted, they're nice, new, well-done (for the most part) and easy on the eyes, but... well, you see where this is going.

Looking at the POTJ cardback which shows 16 figures, only THREE are previously unreleased characters. THREE. That's it.

Assuming the lists from next year are for real, there aren't many new characters. There are some A-1 resculpts, like the Biker Scout, but only a few figures stand out on each list. The Mon Cal solider is a new character, as is K-3PO, but they look like old figures that've been professionally customized. (I'm not complaining, I think they should pick a good droid body and reuse it. When they get a good one.) Assuming the Bespin Guard on a card is for real, and sticking Squid Head in the same category, well, there aren't many new guys. Sae Sae Tinn, Plo Koon, and probably some more, but the bulk of the list is still filled with resculpts.

While the bulk of my interest in the future of this line is in minor characters, the bulk of what we're gonna get ain't like that. We are getting some very nice figures... but there aren't many aliens in the mix. There's enough to keep things interesting, but there's still a chance that fans will once again tire of the same old thing throughout 2001, unless there's some shifting of products and timing.

9
Do you think SW action figs are going the way of Decipher SW CCG? I mean, it was impossible (financially for the common man, like myself and from your column yourself as well) to obtain a complete collection of SW CCG. It seems nearly equally impossible to obtain a complete set of figures (at retail prices), even if you are on the ball and hitting the stores/sites year-round. I see parallels between the two product lines and it is a dismal thought indeed.
  -Dak

Nope, not possible. One-per-every-other-case figures just won't happen, it's not a good business model for production. Thankfully, the shortest packed figure right now is two per case, with the longest packed figures at four. (Guess which one the new Obi-Wan is.)

It is not impossible to find most new product in stores. Sure, I haven't seen the Blue Senate Guard or the Vader/Maul two-pack in stores yet (or many figures from earlier this year for that matter), but I remain hopeful on both fronts. I think Hasbro is more interested in getting figures to the people than we might believe, but it takes legwork and in many cases an obscene amount of trading. If recent exclusives have shown us anything, it's that patience is worth a lot. 12" Speederbikes went from scarce to an enormous glut of them sitting unsold at $34.90 in almost every Target Toy Aisle in my area. Even stacks of the Dewbacks have started piling up, a once very highly requested toy now lining the shelves. Of course, it sucks and it's $80, while the Speederbike is AWESOME, quite possibly the Star Wars toy of the year, and it's even been marked down from the already not bad $50 price point. (Not bad considering what it is.)

POTJ is still very young. It's selling very quickly, one day a store has pegs and pegs of Obi-Wans and Mauls, three days later: all gone. Which astounds me, as most people that write in to this column with comments swore up and down they would never buy another version of those characters. If they aren't, someone is. Maybe even kids? Heck if I know. It looks like there's still a chance for distribution to work out for POTJ assuming people don't give up on the line based on the character selection.

(For example, including multipacks and "rumor" lists [quotes designate legalese] between now and some point next year list [assuming the ones I believe are true are]: 4 Vaders, 3 Mauls, 2 Lukes, 2 Qui-Gons, 2 E1 Obi-Wans, 2 Chewbaccas, 2 Battle Droids, 1 Leia, 1 Lando, 1 Jar Jar, 1 Anakin, 1 classic Obi-Wan, a good chunk of minor characters and absolutely no Ewoks. Assuming it's all for real.)

SO: all in all, cases are packed so most are available, but you never know when you've got a hit on your hands. Removable Helmet Vader was packed at four per case for quite a while, then at two, and then... well, Collection 3 more or less vanished. Who knew every fan would want one, two, or three? While it seems to be different elsewhere, Blue Senate Guards sell very well here. Since Decipher's repeat purchases tend to come in the form of rare cards, and so far, the only rare SW figures are a result of cases not shipping and something being announced which may not have been entirely true which made something else happen, well, you see where I'm headed. There are always exceptions, but until the CommTech era, there was not a single figure I never found in stores except for the Darktrooper. So things have gotten worse, better, and seem like they're gonna stay better.

10
Hey Adam, a while back I distinctly remember seeing future EP1 figures like the Pit Droids 3-pack and Holo Nute Gunray on some sites like Teekay-421. But with the release of POTJ, I haven't seen or read any advanced announcement of figures such as these, and I'm sure there are several more. Which figures (Episode 1 that is) are still being released under POTJ, and which ones are being canned or on indefinite hold?
  -Ren3753

Funny you should ask.

As far as I can tell, those three Pit Droids were the foreign bonus Pit Droids. (If anyone has them for sale, don't hesitate to write in.) I could be wrong.

Holo Nute, along with Shmi Skywalker, were shown in Hasbro's catalogs around Toy Fair and were delayed until-- supposedly-- next year.

In case you haven't noticed, advanced announcements for ALL SW figures has been pretty poor. Of most of the upcoming figures, we've seen images for very few of the new guys. Fewer were direct from Hasbro. Information from the big H has been sparse, so the lists showing a Bespin Lando resculpt, the new X-Wing Luke, Bespin Escape Leia, and a few others are tough to confirm. (But considering how and where and when they're surfacing, well, you probably know what I mean.)

If a figure was canned, odds are that info would leak out and there'd be six petitions over it. While Lott Dodd is MIA, he isn't cancelled... not yet, anyway.

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

Reader GaryX writes...

I have more of a comment than a question, but it's got a humorous overtone. In Tuesday's Q&A, someone asks if the Mon Calamari Colonel had a name (Question #9). It reminded me of a recent email I had from Mike Quinn -- who played Nien Nunb in ROTJ and helped with Admiral Ackbar's facial movements. Here's the snippet:

"Did we talk about 'Ten Nunb'? I picked up the 3 set of the Rebel Pilots at the last Austin show. When someone presented one for me to autograph I about fell off my chair. I shot Ten Nunb (Nien Nunb with a different helmet) in an X-Wing. I think it was for cut-aways during the final space fight. I think they just wanted safety coverage for editing. I had kind of forgotten about that as it didn't make the final movie. So after 18 years seeing a figure of him surprised the hell out of me. They also did the same thing with the Akbar puppet. (They gave him) A new helmet and called him 'Ernie Akbar.' Isn't that great?"

Thus, I hereby recommend that the new Mon Cal be called "Ernie."

Ernie, he is.

That's it for today. More tomorrow, send in questions, I'll post answers. Possibly correct answers.

Questions for October 12, 2000

1
Yesterday, when you said that you remembered when the last time you saw a Mynock hunt it made me wonder...do you keep a journal of date of purchases or different finds at stores?
  -SPENCERKEYSMITH1

Nope. I'm just a dork that remembers this sort of thing.

2
This is an easy one. Have you or any of your cohorts heard whether the recently announced Lego sets will be out for Christmas? I live in Canada, and since Hasbro has deserted us, I'd like to find SOMETHING Star Wars under the tree this year.
  -Dale

One never knows. I found the Slave I in December last year (I think before X-mas), so it's possible. But with Canada, I wouldn't be hopeful.

3
While on vacation this August I spotted a 3 3/4" Vintage Lando with metal gun at an antique shop so I bought it. This is the first and only time I have seen a metal gun for the action figures. Is it rare?
  -DOUGC81600

Kenner never had metal weapons for their Star Wars figures. I know I saw some pewterish guns made by some fans at shows and elsewhere, but I have yet to see official ones. Of course, who knows what some foreign figures come with in terms of accessories?

4
Do you think there’s a chance we’ll see a new Eopie sold with somebody else at some point, so that we filthy Americans have a chance to put one in our collections? Perhaps even an Episode Two (if they even appear?) version.
  -Arthur

All signs point to "not at this time."

5
I think that the comtec stormtrooper is one of the best figures ever produced. The problem is the I was only able to pick up two of them. I want to build an army.

I don't think Hasbro really knows how many of these they could have sold with better distribution. What are the chances, with enough e-mails, that the figure could be repackaged as part of the POTJ line?
  -James

Zero. Although a new Stormtrooper wouldn't be out of the question.

I think the real questions are "Will Stormtroopers appear in the prequels?" and "When?" That'd mean sure-fire new figures.

6
I've customized around 50 figures or so (thank you TRU clearance racks), and I think it adds a lot to diaromas when your are able to make background characters (Tatooine settlers) or upgrade a figure. But one of my collector buddies is like "They look cool but you're ruining them and making them worthless." But who cares, I don't collect Star Wars stuff as an investment! What's your opinion on customizing figures? I think it shows Hasbro they should start making some new non-resculpts because we have to make our own!
  -JC

Well, POTF2 figures aren't worth anything. So I don't think you can make them worth less.

Customizing is both a nice hobby and an art form, assuming you're good at it. I'm all for it as long as you enjoy yourself and don't fish for compliments. It's one thing if you work hard and show your work online. It's another if you go around making it known that you painted a stormtrooper all dirty and you insist that "Hasbro sucks because I did a better job!" (You think I'm making this up, don't you?)

I'm a little surprised Hasbro hasn't capitalized on the "do-it-yourself" aspect of the whole customizing scene. I found a nifty GI Joe newsletter from the infancy of the 4" line that talked about painting details on accessories like backpack straps and such.

So as long as you don't completely botch it up, I say go for it. Or if you have the money with which to buy figures to botch, knock yourself out.

7
Entertainment Earth and others are now saying the 2nd wave of 12" Legacy assortment will include a new Stormtrooper and Oola rather than the Wee-quay and Gamorrean Guard. What's the status of the Gamorrean and the Wee-Quay? Might we see them in the future? Will the stormtrooper be more marmit-esque?
  -Christopher

Because Hasbro currently has no "Jen" (for the newbies, she's a real good sport from Hasbro who used to put up with all our crap), we have no new pictures for you. Andy's sorta the brand manager type guy, so he's pretty busy with doing all sorts of things, and Jen actually took time when she was at home to talk with us. I'm hoping Hasbro hires some PR person to talk with and distribute info to the web, magazines, etc. sometime soon. (Actually, I want to do that. It'd be a cool job. It's toys, it's writing. Two things I can do.)

As far as the figures, well, we don't know. See above. Hasbro shifts around tons of 12" product, you might recall such figures as Garindan, the Death Star Gunner, and Bib Fortuna being slated for the regular assortments at one time. (Shift happens. [<-- Pun. Adam thinks he's clever now.])

As to the future... we can hope. I'd buy those two. Oola... I don't care. Stormtrooper... I don't care unless it's based on Marmit's design. Lando Skiff... OK, I care. That one I want.

8
I Know direct sunlight is bad for the packaging,but what about figures and playsets?My Quik-E Mart and Schoolroom are new and now on the mantel and get hit by skylight sunshine for maybe a half hour every day.My naboo fighter too(now it's a Star Wars Question.)
  -ABarra9721

Sun is bad for you and your toys. Figures can fade, yellow, or in the case of the original Chewie from 1978, green. (You know those green limbed Chewies people think are prototypes? Sun damage.)

Keep your toys out of direct sunlight if you can. 'tis bad. Like red meat, milk, and college.

9
Why were ( and still are ) there so many waves of POTF2 figures with Slave Leia, Bespin Luke, Grand Moff Tarkin. Stores such as Toys R Us and KB all had the same assortment of figures. Why were there such abudance of these waves and not others?

What is the situation of POTJ Qui-Gon Jinn? I have all the current figures fresh out of unopened collection 1 and 2 cases and no Qui-Gon's were packed

have you ever raided a Toys R Us storeroom for figures?
  -John

On the first one: those were the assortments that would have shipped to stores in early 1998. For some reason, they didn't, and now here they are.

New Quiggy has yet to show up. He should show up with the next wave of figures in the not-too-distant future.

Yes. And other stores. (And no, I have no ethical problems with this.)

10
Just saw the carded Boss Nass Sacred Gungan Place over at thejawa.com. I did not see the "peace globe" on the card. Has that been axed for cost reasons? And if so, exactly how much does a piece of plastic the size of a marble cost?
  -Jeremy

While a peace ball would have cost only pennies, it was never slated to come with this figure. Much like the oft-ballyhooed non-existant Training Remote thought to come with the new Obi-Wan figure, well, it never was pictured or mentioned outside of fans' imaginations. Sorry!

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

I'm thinking about buying a golf club from a thrift store with which to threaten young whippersnappers. They're always out of drivers and putters, though. Any reccomendations?

More tomorrow.

Questions for October 13, 2000

1
I wrote to you earlier this year about the Freeze Frame slides. You gave me some pretty good resources for lists and pics yet I keep finding figures that don't appear on any lists like the 1995 Han Solo. What's the story with these? Is there a complete list out there? Does Hasbro have anything that would help?
  -Scott

Actually Scott, we have a complete list of Freeze Frames available in our Checklists area. Definitely give it a look.

2
Yo Adam, my question is in regards to The Return of the Jedi. Mon Mothma says that many Bothans (not sure on the spelling) died to provide the information on the design of the second Death-Star. Who are these aliens? Do we see any in the Cantina scene or Jabba's Palace? Or even in Episode 1? I remember reading one of the novels describing them as being gray and furry. But can't seem to find them in the movies. Just need a good visual on these critters. Thanks.
  -Big Jedi Carlos

These aliens have yet to appear on screen in a Star Wars film, although their appearances in the Zahn novels have lead to their being illustrated in the Heir to the Empire comics and whatnot. That's about all you've got for now, unless Decipher pulled something I forgot, in which case you'll probably see a correction on Monday.

3
Hello again from sunny Miami/Homestead Fl. I have written to you before concerning the "classic" ONLY star wars figures. After looking at the post today at your web site I have seen 2 figures im not sure about.

1) RD-D2 - painted black
2) Chewbacca w/ chip

I assume the chewie is a "classic" figure, but what about this black R2? Is it considerd a classic figure or a fig from the new film?
  -Ruxpen

The R2 unit is an Imperial R2 unit, and Chewbacca should be a mechanic. This is assuming no changes have been made since I saw the other list.

4
Do you know ANY way I can get the MM bounty hunters character pack? I REALLY want it !
  -WM

Ebay, Kay-Bee, or Toys "R" Us are your best bets. I've seen a few here and there.

5
you want a new 12" Lando and I think a new one is long overdue, but is demand really there? judging by how that traitorous gambler just sits and stagnates on the shelf whenever a new one's released, do you think a 12" Skiff disguise Lando will really sell very well? and when are we gonna get a better 12" Fett. the talking KB one sucks.
  -Josh

The new Lando is Skiff Guard Lando. Yes, I really do want to see that figure made if it's well done. Will it sell? Who knows? It's an awesome outfit, though.

Fett? Buy the Marmit one if the Kay-Bee one is that lousy to you. It ain't out yet, and it ain't gonna be cheap, but still...

6
It appears that a large majority of recent (i.e., the time of Episode I) classic figures come from A New Hope (Motti, Leia, Stormtrooper, Vader Interr., Wuher, Beru, Chewy Champ., Cantina Han & Greedo, Jawa w/Droid, Porkins--you get the idea). There are, of course, exceptions. Now, as Hasbro gears up for Episode II it appears that they may be moving toward Empire figs, with Bespin versions, IG-88, Vader with Luke's face, etc. My question: is this just a coincidence or is Hasbro trying to tie the classic figure releases in with the corresponding prequel trilogy film slot? If they are, things could bode well for possible Ewoks in 2 to 3 years. What do you think, or better yet know, regarding Hasbro's release plans.
  -Dave

Originally, we were under the impression that we'd get mostly ANH stuff through the E1-E2 period, ESB stuff after E2, and ROJ around E3. How much of this came from Hasbro and how much was speculation I don't recall.

Now, well, it seems they know what THIS fan wants-- Bespin stuff and lots of it. My guess is that Hasbro has gotten the big hint: no more ANH versions of core characters. I don't even think I can come up with a decent one to make other than an Obi-Wan with a new Alec Guiness head, soft goods something or other, or a complete and total revision. (Now if they wanted to do Tatooine Luke with a removable saber blade, an attatchment for the hilt on his belt, soft goods, and a new head, I'm all ears.)

I think that it's a safe bet we're going to see more stuff from the under-exploited regions of Star Wars, namely most of ESB, Endor, maybe even the Rebel Briefing. I wouldn't discount the E2/ESB tie-ins, but honestly, how much more mileage is there to get out of Tatooine Luke and the Leia in the white gown?

7
I read Hasbro's press release and I didn't know if I had to cry or laugh. On one part, I was sad for the 550 workers that will loose their jobs. I was also sad cause it could be the first step towards a dramatic reduction of Hasbro products.

On the other hand, it makes me laugh when I see a compnay that has the most ineffective distribution sysytem tell us interest in the Star Wars product is not there. It is true that reactions to EP1 were not as joyfull as expected. BUT, to keep interest, you got to feed the market. It's useles too feed stores with wave after wave of JarJar figures. Once people have the figure, move on. And by people, I mean KIDS too. The press release also stated that interest in Star Wars was down "worldwide". How would they know ? They haven't shipped anything outside the US for over 6 months ! Ok, they send 3-4 single items, but certainly not enough to know if interest is there. So I can't really help to chuckle at Hasbro's "misery" by saying: TOLD YA SO ! I asked this before and I'll ask it again: If those molds are so expensive, isn't the only way to justify their cost to mold as many figures as possible ?

What was YOUR reaction to the press release ? US see most of the stuff coming out, but I read a lot of collector anger from your side of the border. So is this the downfall of the hasbro empire ? Seems if a company can't handle one of the most sought-after license, it certainly does raise a lot of questions.
  -Dan

Well, my reaction is that this is bad all around. Belt-tightening isn't something I like to see, especially when Hasbro makes pretty much every toy line I tend to follow these days except for Simpsons and some miscelaneous stuff from McFarlane and other companies.

Odds are this'll be a boon to GI Joe and TransFormers, and Star Wars may continue on the limited variety POTJ seems to offer. Which is OK-- as long as the product is good, less is more.

Is Star Wars solely to blame? I'd say no. Hasbro's been doing lots of expanding. They bought Galoob, OddzOn, Atari, Tiger, and other important brand names. Have MicroMachines, Toobers & Zots, and Furby done much lately? Star Wars didn't do so well, and Pokemon is supposedly doing better outside the USA, but there's a lot of fat at the company. Other than Star Wars, GI Joe, I don't know if I've seen any other "Hasbro" MicroMachines. Furby's dead, Hasbro will realize this soon if they haven't already. Atari's doing OK. Frogger 2 seems to have a decent sized fanbase and people seem to enjoy their new product. Hasbro's bought so many companies that it would make sense that the possibility they could collapse under their own weight could be very real. (After all, they've almost been bought out by Mattel in tough times before.)

So in short: there is no one thing at which to point fingers. Hasbro's a large organization that produces a wide variety of items. While I saw the San Francisco department (Galoob) as something that I didn't expect to last long, I'm very surprised Cincinatti's division, which is basically Kenner, is finally going to go away. A lot of people worked there since the original toy line, thousands of years ago back in 1977. Most of the toys I had as a youngster were from Kenner, so this is really kinda... well, depressing seems a bit harsh, but it is an event I'd rather not see happen. I hope they keep the good folk on board, and I really hope that they can come up with a way to better understand our unsual market situation so the company itself won't go away anytime soon.

8
Someone recently offered me a vintage-era Star Wars bookshelf. I have not seen it, but I am told it is still unassembled in the original packaging. I looked at Toys r Gus and saw no listing for it. I was wondering if this is a decent quality piece, or a cheap cardboard piece of junk. [ You may want to leave this next part out if you don't wish to answer ] The person is asking $20 for it, and I know you don't quote collectible values, but I would like to know if I am getting a good value or not. Thanks!
  -Mike

Can't say I know what it is off the top of my head, but $20 for a bookshelf seems like a good deal. When it's an actual item that you may use, just compare it to similar items on the market today and decide if Star Wars logos and graphcs justify the extra cost. If it's a nice bookshelf, I would buy it in a heartbeat because cheap shelves are hard to find.

9
With all of this talk about the Yoda Interactive's eyes cracking and how to protect the toy, what about other parts of our collections? I received the Boba Fett Maquette for Christmas last year. It is a great looking piece to have in any collection; and I would like to keep it there for years to come. The problem is this: Boba Fett is made of latex. Latex does not last forever. I know this. A few years ago there was a touring science fiction exhibition that made a stop here in St. Louis and spent a few months on display at the St. Louis Science Center. Jabba the Hutt's eyes were on display. The card noted that the suit was operated by 5 guys and all sat inside a "latex"shell. Over the years Jabba the Hutt wasted away and all that could be saved were his eyes. How can I keep this from happening to my Boba Fett? I find it kind of cheap of whoever made this thing to create a collectible that can't be enjoyed forever. Thanks.
  -Adam

Your toys probably won't outlive you. You know Yoda? The one they bragged was made from the same material as the original puppet? Well, it was kinda well known the original puppet deteriorated over time, and I gotta say, I'm very wary over the longevity of some of these items.

How do you save such an item? Dunno. Does anybody out there know anything about latex? (Stop giggling.) Conceivably you could keep it under glass or something, but it could just be the chemical composition that doesn't lend itself to staying together for long.

10
It seems that the POTJ line is appearing in large numbers and selling well. Do you think this is because it's a "new line" or because people had a bad feeling about the Epsiode 1 line after seeing the movie? If it is because it's a "new line," how often do you think the packaging will need to change to generate new interest again?
  -Dan

New figures sell, period. But it seems to be slowing. Today, I went on a toy run. While I saw no blue Senate Guards, Qui-Gons (as of yet unavailable), or Mas Amedda, I did see everybody else at stores like Software Etc., a lone Obi-Wan at Toys "R" Us, 4 Obi-Wans at Target, pegs of all the Collection 1 at Wal-Mart, and so forth. So far, the figures tend to sell in less than a week. But I think we may be approaching a time where they'll start to hang.

While all-new packaging and assortments are a great temporary solution, it costs a lot to get a new card design made. Or so they tell me. If the figures really start to hang, and I mean REALLY big pegwarmer status, odds are the quantites would remain low or this would somehow become a collector-only line. Since it seems the two new characters of the currently available POTJ line are selling the best... well Hasbro, I hate to say "heads up", but c'mon, see where the wind is blowing. After the new Obi-Wan, Maul hangs around quite a bit 'round here. While both are longpacks, the numbers of unsold Jedi outrank the others by quite a bit.

I think the current sales spike is temporary. If there aren't new figures regularly, fans will get bored and many will just quit because they're wacky that way. (I amassed a pretty nice chunk of Beast Wars toys in '99 after I started getting sick of the element Episode One attracted to the hobby. [Not you guys, though.]) I consider myself to be a very dedicated (if cynical and somewhat level-headed) fan, and if a company can sour me on my absolute favorite thing in the whole world to go out and buy... it can happen to others. I'm pretty happy with the upcoming release list (except for the Battle Armor Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan because I don't know what those are), and assuming the big H doesn't make bad assortments, everything could be fine. But if we don't see new POTJ figures in stores before the end of November, things could get nasty again, quick.

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

I started this update around 2:30 AM. It is now 3:20 AM. I'm tired. Ignore the typos.

More Monday.