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OK, Adam, here's one I hope you can answer for me (and I hope the answer's yes): Do you know (or think) that Wizards of the Coast will start carrying Star Wars merchandise in any of their retail stores now that they own the fanclub? It would be pretty neat to be able to go to the local mall and pick up some SW Fan Club exclusives... -dave
As I understand it (and I could be wrong), Wizards of the Coast stores are owned by the Wizards of the Coast company, which is owned by Hasbro. Then again, it could be some licensing thing.
Anything's possible, but as of now we have yet to see almost any information regarding the future plans for the Fan Club. That said, many stores learned their lessons in 1999 when they carried Star Wars merchandise for Episode One. Anything is possible, but I wouldn't hold my breath on seeing exclusives at the stores.
2 How does the HARD TO FIND items in the Star Wars Line, such as the R2-D2 w/ Holo Leia, compare to the new LIMITED (10,000 - 15,000) Masters Of The Universe figures as far as the total quantity available. And is it possible for us to see the old Star Wars line replicated? If possible, would Hasbro have to create new molds or would they use the original Kenner ones? -Chuck
Barring a huge shift in production, the lowest run Star Wars figure was almost always higher than that of most other figure lines. I believe we reported that at least 50,000 cases with Holo Leia R2 were in limbo late last year, and this was after they shipped to stores for the first time, and the figure was one-per-case.
Star Wars reissues? Anything is possible, but keep in mind some things:
This concludes this rant. Next, we have...
3 One of your last answers to a question (about friends just lying about seeing something on a shelf) reminded me of a question I had. Did the Chewbacca commtech EVER see ANY kind of production as a carded figure? I remember being in a WalMart in Utah one morning back in March, hunting down the then-newly-released soft-goods wave. I had scored a soft-goods Qui-Gon, but nothing else. Then a guy next to me starts talking to me and says that he was there 2 days earlier and found them all, including the new Chewbacca. I figured he was just telling tales to make me jealous or something, because to my knowledge at the time, the Chewy fig had been postponed and was not released at that time. Since then I have acquired an actual Chewy commtech chip (the new oval version), and I thought that maybe the carded figure had been released overseas or something very briefly. Any news? -SK
The CommTech Chewbacca, on a CommTech package, did surface in a batch of packaged samples of what eventually became the first Power of the Jedi series. Absolutely no reports of this figure showing up in stores surfaced. I could be nice and say "anything's possible," but the chances of this figure having actually hit stores are about as likely as a warehouse find of original POTF coin framed sets.
4
American figures are typically a little more expensive in other countries than they are here. It's like paying for one-and-a-bit. Then again, E1 was more expensive anyway...
I'd like to either see no pack-in, personally. Just drop them altogether and insure the cost drops to $5.99 or lower a figure. A cheap stand, similar to those packaged with GI Joes, would be a nice bonus if they had to do something. I like the Force Files, but you read 'em once and put 'em away.
5 OK, since i'm too poor currently to keep up with the toys, i'm gonna ask a question about the movies. Do you know if there was a scene cut from "Empire" in which Boba Fett blows up IG-88 on Bespin? Because it happens in the book "Tales of the Bounty Hunters," and during my most recent viewing of the movie, i noticed a white IG-88 droid in the Ugnaughts' scrap pile. I didn't know if there was initially a reason for this in the movie, or if the book was just based around coincidence. Oh, and while i'm here, do you think the Simpsons is still as good as it was a couple years ago? I've seen every episode, and am a huge fan, but it seems to be really hit and miss here lately. -Scumdogg
I remember reading somewhere about a scene like this being shot, but there has been no evidence that I've found regarding its existance. Any astute fan can find potential evidence in anything for anything, but in this case I think it's just an ounce of Expanded Universe lore working its way into the Star Wars Cut Scene legends.
And Simpsons... well, it comes and goes. Last year was pretty rotten, but I like the ones I've seen this year quite a bit. To be honest, I'm amazed it's gone this long without a new Sideshow Bob episode.
6
Unfortunately, the best way to know a repro from an original is to know your originals. The repros I've come accross have been either pretty gummy, pretty brittle, or pretty pewter. (Yes, pewter.)
I would assume there would be a slight size difference as well due to the production process, but you never know. If anyone out there has a thorough FAQ or photo reference site on this subject, please write in.
7
Sounds good to me-- assuming it turns out good. Since it's supposedly a 2002 release, well, I'm not holding my breath. As long as they do a good job on it, hey, great!
8
Actually, it's going pretty quick. The figure didn't get officially confirmed as the poll winner until last July, if I recall, and preproduction started a little before that. Last I heard it was due out in the first half of the year, but delays happen.
9
Hasbro signed on for all three prequels and all three classic movies when they paid a reported-but-unconfirmed $600 million for the rights. (Which leaves some of us wondering why the price increase if it could be spread accross a decade.)
Some Cincy folk will be moving to Rhode Island, some won't. We'll probably see some sort of maintainance of the status quo, with fewer vehicles for a while.
There's a lot of stuff that was in production for this year long before the announcements and downsizing. Actually, a sizable chunk of the 2001 line was prepared and in the pipeline last summer... so don't get too down on it yet. Besides, a new team might-- hopefully-- mean a new direction for these toys. But Rhode Island's team has been the butt of my jokes for years due to some... unusual product decisions. (And of course, I refer to every Hasbro/Kenner carry case except for the wonderful R2-D2 case for Episode One.)
10
Well, even as a computer moron, you've gotsta learn. (Ya gotsta.)
Ebay and various online collectible stores are your best bet since the Fan Club's been... ah... in flux. Basically, any time we mention an online store on our news page, visit it; check "Yahoo" or somewhere for Star Wars stores, and go to local collectible shows and stores.
FIN Ummm... hmmm... not much to report. I spent the bulk of the weekend working on 16bit.com's TransFormers PVC figures area. (Go to http://www.16bit.com for more.) Images of the figures, packaging, cases, all sorts of goodies. It's good for you. It'll take hair off your chest. More Q&A on Wednesday.
Hey Adam! If your looking for a good rant, let's hear an updated 'State of the hobby' rant! Haven't seen you do one in a while. Are you up for it????? -Raymond
Always.
[This answer is long. So if you don't care, feel free to skip it.]
My fellow toy enthusiasts... we're now at a very important time in the hobby. Star Wars is entering its sixth year on the market as an action figure line, and as such is starting to show its age. Considerable effort is being placed on updating characters with new figures, availability seems spottier and more random with every new series, and most importantly, there are most definitely signs of slowdown, especially in the area of classic themed toys.
Rumors abound for 2001. With Wizards of the Coast purchased by Hasbro, and Wizards of the Coast purchasing the Star Wars Fan Club, there is considerable speculation to be made. Many people are asking if this is Hasbro's chance to finally get that direct market which so many collectors have been wanting, and many others wonder what this will do to outstanding backorders and existing product that, for some reason, has yet to see delivery. Only one thing is certain: until the organization gets back up to par, it's going to be very, very confusing for a lot of people.
With Hasbro, Power of the Jedi seems to be continuing a steady, if unusual, course. Monday evening yielded some interesting results on a traditional toy run, most notable was a Darth Vader & Darth Maul two-pack at a Toys "R" Us at $39.99. Even more surprising was a trio $1.97 of CommTech Stormtroopers hidden among the racks of Vader, Han Solo, Luke, and Greedo. Considering that the two-pack is allegedly a brand-new item that was supposed to have stopped shipping by many sources, and that hard-to-find figures seem to exist only on the clearance racks, it's painfully obvious that some form of communication between Hasbro and fans needs to be employed. Between high ebay prices, outrageous, ridiculous rumors, and new "lists" showing up every other week, one would think this would mean fans are either growing more informed or more cynical with time, but it seems so many of us are still in the dark on a variety of things. For instance, the content of the next wave of twelve inch figures has been changed on several occasions, and in all honesty, I have absolutely no idea if it includes Oola, the Gamorrean Guard, a new Stormtrooper, another Luke, a Skiff Guard Lando, or other figures entirely.
Thankfully, we're getting at least one giant information push some time in the next month. Of course, I'm speaking of the annual Toy Fair in New York, where toy vendors and manufacturers the world over meet to hawk their wares to retaillers and chains nationwide. It's widely assumed that this year, like last, we'll see a good chunk of the remainder of 2001 releases in prototype form. While this is a boon to the information junkie, a sad reminder accompanies this news: next year is Episode Two. Which, if history repeats itself, means an official information black-out of all news on the new film's product which usually leads to less information on product for the current films. Hopefully Toy Fair will give us enough product (or information) to fawn over until next Spring.
As far as Episode Two goes, at least one reader claims to have been told by Hasbro that Episode Two will be receiving its own assortments, with Power of the Jedi or a revised version of the line continuing alongside the new film's merchandise. While this is interesting to note, the one thing people really want to know is the Episode Two preview figure. For the Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett was a sneak peek, followed by a "secret Star Wars figure" which, according to most outlets, was Bossk. Before Return of the Jedi, fans were treated to two of the best looking aliens from early Jedi assortments: Nien Nunb and Admiral Ackbar. And for Episode One, a STAP with Battle Droid was released to stores, in quantity, alongside a mail-in offer for a Mace Windu action figure. An Action Fleet package was offered as well, and with the current outlook, I think we'll be seeing a severe lack of products from what was once Galoob from now on. No plans on who will be an Episode Two preview figure have surfaced, nor has an official commitment from the big H on if there will even be such an offer. But again, Toy Fair is just weeks away.
In 2000, the big issue on everybody's mind was availability. From TC-14 and R2-B1 to the final Episode One wave with Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, and the Destroyer Droid, most fans had extreme difficulty finding figures, and some of the most asked questions that never make it into this column were inquiries as to if those figures were actually released. Depending on where you lived, roughly 17 figures from the final CommTech waves were very difficult if not impossible to find. And for some reason, some of them continue to show up on clearance. It's hard to beleive that R2-D2 with Holographic Leia first came to the Star Wars Fan Club in Fall of 1999, and even harder to believe what this figure went for prior to his appearance in the $1.97 bins at Toys "R" Us. For the most part, it seems Hasbro has managed to-- very slowly-- correct this in Power of the Jedi. Toy runs in Phoenix and Tucson yielded many Collection 1 and 2 finds, with the only figures not showing up regularly being in the newly released Plo Koon and Biker Scout waves. Considering that both of these are the newest Collection 2 and Collection 1 assortments, respectively, and that even harder to find figures from earlier waves like Porkins and Dagobah Vader are now collecting dust, I'd say that's a great sign for fans wanting these figures. Unfortunately, in the quantities some of these figures are collecting dust, that's a bad sign for the hobby itself. Endless pegs of the supposedly highly requested Porkins figure and the fantastic Dagobah Darth Vader leave some fans wondering not only if the honeymoon is over, but if the separation is on the way. All in all, Hasbro's managed to work out its distribution woes (or rather, our woes), but this leaves Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and many other stores with pegs of unsold figures, while other chains have bare pegs. So it's difficult to say how, if at all, availability in 2001 will be affected by these trends.
As to what the future holds, who's to say? I've been getting random and anonymous emails about Target getting classic exclusive vehicles, up to three, throughout the year. One of these has never been made for Star Wars Action Figures, ever. And the other two are both great choices, should there be any truth in them. While this does leave Episode One's vehicle selection down in the gutter, I think it's safe to say that the majority of Episode One fans are more interested in getting action figures than vehicles right now, and I would agree. I'm astounded, pleased, and just thrilled that we're getting Plo Koon, Aurra Sing, and Queen Amidala in her red gown at some point in the next few months. I'm astounded that we not only saw the release of a deluxe, high-quality Boba Fett figure, but that this could very well be the first in a series of truly "deluxe" figure releases with Bacta Tank Luke and Leia with the Sail Barge Cannon being possibilities for future releases in an all-new assortment. If anywhere would be a good bet to release Amanaman again (as he won the poll today), that could be it.
12 inch enthusiasts, with any luck, will see less second-class treatment of their favorite line. With some of last year's releases being hard to find, and one of them remaining unshipped to retaillers, it boggles the mind as to why the line is continuing. On the 100th 12 Inch figure, Luke Skywalker, the list on the back was reported by many to have many glaring omissions, such as including the exclusive release and wide release of one character but not another. With the basic Joe figure as low as $7.99 and improved articulation, many hope it's not out of the question to see this new armature used in new Star Wars releases, but, as always, it's not reccomended to hold your breath.
So after 2001 ends, it looks like we may be able to look back and say that this was truly a great year for fans of the 3 3/4 inch Star Wars action figures. It might not be the best ever, but with clearances, new releases, and hope for a better prequel action figure line, there's a lot to look forward to between now and the time the line becomes unprofitable.
2 Did 12" Endor Han Solo ever hit the store shelves? I have never seen one and yet you can find Slave Leia and plenty of those plastic hair Chewbaccas, but never a Han Solo. -Scott
Sure did, in the same assortments. He always seemed to be the first to go, but some Toys "R" Us stores keep getting him in on a semi-regular basis.
3 Do you think that the current "Power of the Jedi" logo design (Darth Vader head with young Obi-Wan in action) is a temporary pre-cursor to the exact same concept only instead an Episode II version of young Jedi Anakin Skywalker? To me this would make the most sense, since dropping the number of films down from 9 to 6, Lucas now says that the Saga is the story of Anakin Skywalker, so why not have the cards display both Anakin as a Jedi and Anakin as Vader? What are your thoughts? -PeterJohn0
I will be genuinely surprised if the Power of the Jedi logo and overall packaging look changes dramatically around Episode Two. I'm a little surprised they didn't just use Anakin now (shades of the teaser poster). Since Hasbro changes the value-added pack-in/gimmick/bonus every year or so, I'd be surprised to see the Force Files stick around too much longer, but I hope they last through the first few batches of Episode II for some easy (cheap) reference material.
4
I don't know of any company offering a case that will hold a complete set of vintage figures, but the closest case I know of (and plug regularly) is P&P Products. The cases hold-- I think-- 50-70 figures, depending on how big they are and how they're arranged. So two would probably do it, with plenty of room for variations and the Ewoks and Droids line.
For non-cases, there's the Ultarama, which has links all over everywhere but is not wall mountable. Still, it's quite good for more action-oriented dioramas or people that just reach in and grab figures, as opposed to the case which is more geared toward display.
5 I was wondering if the overseas pit droid two packs were ever available. The only ones I ever saw anywhere for sale were samples. Did this line get scrapped when the new CommTech chips got scrapped, or did they ever see the light of day? If they were ever released do you have any idea where I could find them? -Chris
I never had a decent shot at these, and many other collectors missed out as well when they first hit the USA-- and abruptly disappeared-- from toy importers at inflated prices.
Keep watching Rebelscum for news on if they ever show up again, and check out the various advertisers and ebay for availability. They might get them in, you just never know.
6
Special Edition. They seemed pretty adamant about the 1995 THX release being the last chance to buy that version of the films, which is unfortunate because I'd very much like to see them on the flip side of a future DVD release.
7
It's a very popular rumor, and one I hear a lot. Since no official announcements or photography have surfaced, it's hard to say... but we can always hope.
8
While the Fan Club has been slow, they've proven time and again that they will deliver. Or refund your money, which is like delivery, but not.
I'm guessing your friend hasn't been charged, and if that's the case, well, he might be best off writing a letter to the club, and then quickly start looking to obtain a Wuher elsewhere, just in case.
9
General Leia and Military Dress Leia are both one and the same.
10
My membership will run out in August of this year and I'm not sure if I'm going to renew if the service retains this level of crappiness. My guess is that I will still not be up-to-date on my issues by then.
So what do you think? Are we being given the runaround?
Some people like the magazine. Others don't. Considering the lack of anything neat happening in Star Wars other than new movies (which is pretty neat), if updates don't float your boat, don't renew.
That said...
Something happened somewhere. What it was, I don't know. Missing deadlines like this was something I used to only associate with Gamefan magazine, which has probably had the most turbulent history of almost any publication in recent memory. While some fans have gotten noticable agitated over the delay, in all honesty, I never noticed until people pointed out to me that I haven't seen anything new in several months. The fact that I still don't have my Bespin playset after first seeing it in 1998 is kinda weird, but delays happen. (It took what, seven years to get the Manimals out? But I digress.)
We're not being given the runaround, but it would be nice to have regular updates on what's happening. Of course, having written a column for a now defunct toy mag, I can say that the staff is not always kept abreast as to what's going on... I honestly think they're doing the right thing by giving us at least an extra issue, but it's not like this is a frequent occurance to deserve "this level of crappiness." With buyouts and all, I would have liked to see a smoother transition, but well, I want a lot of things I can't have.
You will get what you paid for, it's not like after #51 will be #54 and you'll be out two issues. And well, if you don't like the magazine... don't renew. After collecting toys (especially new ones) and playing any video game from Working Designs, I've gotten pretty used to delays (I still fume about it, but hey, don't we all) . If you're tired of the whole scene, well, now's a great time to leave with two more films on the horizon and who knows how much more comemmorative stuff on the way.
FIN Got a question for ya: if anybody out there got a 12" 100th Luke and knows anything about 12" figures... uh... how does the articulation compare to regular releases? Jedi Luke body, one of the many Joe bodies, what? (Odds are I'll never get one and I'm genuinely curious, so thanks for baring with me.) More Q&A on Friday.
I just recently picked up my second Fambaa from FAO in Vegas and was looking through the little toy magazine they throw in and it shows some Micro Machine sets I don't ever remember seeing in stores. Did any of the following ever come out:
1. Darth Maul/Theed Generator
I know some of them weren't overly common, but yeah, all of those came out... except for Tatooine Escape, since I have no idea what it was or if it was renamed with my handy reference materials. DNS Toys has (or has had) most of them in the past.
2 I know that with the buyout of the fan club and all that nonsense, there was some delay in getting out the newest issue of Insider magazine. But what I don't understand is this: why ship an issue four months late, and have it contain nothing but old (by this time) news? I would have gladly waited another month for an all-new issue, instead of getting this issue in the mail with a letter TELLING me that some of the information was old, and offering me a free issue to replace the two I never received and the one I did receive that has old news in it... why did they bother shipping this issue? This looks like an issue that was set to ship in October and was just held back until now... and is there any way you can tell us a little more about the three Target exclusives you hinted at in your last rant on the state of the toy industry? We promise not to hold you to your words... -dave
Why bother shipping the issue? Well, thing is, the issue was more or less done for a while unless I'm mistaken, and a lot of time and resources went into its production, like paying the writers, editors, graphic artists, and so forth. Slightly outdated information doesn't mean that one should scrap the magazine, if it did, newspapers would probably stop existing.
As far as the exclusives... I'm fairly sure at least one of them isn't going to be an exclusive. But the thing is, things change fast, and Toy Fair is about two weeks away, and I'd just as soon see if I'm right rather than giving more ammo to the lovely people who think it's fun to harp on my every word. (You people know who you are.)
3 Quick question for ya. Yesterday I saw the 12" Sith Lords in my local TRU. For some reason I was under the impression that there was also going to be a 4" Sith Lords set. Do you know anything about this? -Darth Zohner
One came and went last year so fast I never saw it in stores. (A reader hooked me up with one, kudos to you my good man!) Considering how few seemed to show up, I would hope this means more are in the pipeline, but ya never know with Hasbro...
4
Oddly. As a chunk of storytelling, it sticks out like a sore thumb with the other three chapters, which leaves me to hope that we'll see some form of explaination to make it fit in with the next two films.
5 A while back (almost a year and one half) when I first heard of Hasbro releasing comm-tech figures that would actually have lines from the movie I was thrilled. To my surprise, for the most part, these lines were of poor quality or just plain made up. Until recently I didn't think much of it until I heard the unbelievable quality of the Simpson's line. Where did Hasbro go wrong? (Especially considering Star Wars figs were $6.99 & Simpson's only $4.99) -Physico
Well, first of all, there's the price question. I flat out do not know why Hasbro charges so much for its Star Wars figures (when compared to other Hasbro lines) unless it's to recoup licensing costs. I'm assuming Playmates got the Simpsons license cheap, because in this day and age, I don't think I can name any other $4.99 figure lines that aren't on clearance.
As far as quality, well, some of those chips were made and in the warehouse before the movie was completed. That puts a problem on accuracy right there...
6
Well... how many Wal-Marts do you visit? :)
In my areas of haunting, here's a breakdown of what I usually see.
PHOENIX:
TUCSON:
Odds are more than likely that your local store has a quick turnaround. I go on two or three toy runs a week. (I never see much to buy, but that's life.) And on these toy runs, I see a lot of stuff there once or twice, and then what seems like an obscene quantity of figures suddenly sells out. Wal-Mart is fascinating in this sense.
My advice: if you want stuff, shop more places than the one Wal-Mart.
7
Actually, I'm fairly sure he was asking about the Pit Droid sets where a bonus Pit Droid replaced the CommTech chip in later wave Episode One figures. These droid have new sculpts and paint jobs, and sadly, are not exactly available to anyone anywhere right now.
8
Either they found a way to nuke duplicate votes, or a lot of people just didn't vote. I know I didn't vote. Heck, when I first went to the new site and had to "register" to see Aurra Sing, the registration didn't work. Twice. I haven't been back to their site since then, and I'm sure a lot of fans are less than enamored with jumping through hoops to vote and see new images.
If you ask me, it's a low turnout. Based on how many hits I'm told Rebelscum gets daily, I would assume there would be more fans who would vote... but hey, who knows? It seems low, but then again, a lot of fans just don't like multiple steps when they vote.
9
Etoys had them recently, and I don't know who if anyone will be stocking them again soon. Stay tuned, and odds are ebay isn't your best option.
10
Holo Sidious was a Collection 2 figure released in late 1999 alongside the Naboo Royal Guard (the red suit with the removable helmet). Damaged Destroyer was one of three figures in the final Collection 1 wave last summer, along with Swamp Jar-Jar (a GREAT figure) and Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (soft goods).
Depending on where you live, the last batch you saw might have been different. I know the last batch I saw in stores was the final Collection 2 wave (Sio Bibble, Amidala w/ gun, Pit Droids), but the last batch to come out-- if I recall-- was the last Collection 1 wave mentioned above. Of course, I'm sure the last wave most people saw was Panaka or Adi Gallia...
FIN So... hm. I saw some packaged images of those new Spider-Man figures with a half-million points of articulation. Me want. Apparently the toys, which are clamshell packaged with a comic book (shades of Spawn series 1) are only six bucks at Wally World. Does anybody know if those Red Dwarf figures ever came out in the U.K.? Yeah. So how're ya all doing? More Q&A next week. Oh, almost forgot a follow-up to the Wuher inquiry from Reader Dan. Here's an email he got:
Dear Dan Unfortunately we will not be getting that figure in. We will be letting everyone who placed an order with us know in the next few weeks. I am sorry for the extremely long delay in letting you know.
Llywelyn
Not exactly good news.
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