Short, brief and short
Questions for January 4, 2000
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Where's the latest update? (Asked several times, usually attempting [badly I might add] to colorfully explore my heritage/self/personal habits.)
-Lotsa People
Well, after several months of doing this, being loaded with other work, and discovering that 9 of 10 inquiries submitting to Q&A were just people complaining with no real question, it became impossible to find the drive and the questions to continue. I'm sorry, "I can't find a CommTech R2-D2 because Hasbro Sucks!!!" is not a question. It might sound like a question, but the English department at Rebelscum assures me that it isn't.
So please, send in *questions* to the usual address.
So thanks, and without further delay... a question! The return! And no late fees!
2 I went to Las Vegas for the holidays and headed over to FAO Schwarz in Caesar's Palace looking for the E1 R2-D2 with hologram, but was told by the employees in their Star Wars section that they were all recalled for some reason and would be reissued later in 2000. Any truth to their story? -Big Mike
I can give you dozens of stories on this figure. Hasbro says one thing, the Fan Club says something else, and toy stores all accross america have made up their own little stories. Fact is, this figure is shipping, but not in numbers great enough to choke the proberbrial horse. (Heck, I don't have one, and my plan when I first saw it was to buy a dozen and paint 'em up to look like new and different droids. Oh well.) Entertainment Earth has these for sale in cases today (one
per case, but one is usually better than zero) and the case pack-outs show that the demand for the figure was totally ignored. More will most likely continue to show up, as Action Ace just got a bunch (and they do get stuff early quite a bit), and if nothing else, I'm sure the Fan Club will have plenty to sell in the not too distant future. Otherwise... keep haunting those toy aisles, Hasbro wants your money. :)
3 Do you know what the next Queen Amidala figure will look like? I know that Hasbro has one in the same final battle outfit with a grappling hook (how boring is that?), but what comes next? -Greg
After this next Amidala re-hash is a figure called Sabe. No pics of the figure have surfaced, but current heresay and conjecture (both of which are kinds of evidence) hint toward the black feather gown, also called a Travel Gown by some. After that... who knows? A Padme/Queen/Whatever in the orange handmadien gown is rumored as well... here's hoping.
4
While a different paint job was shown on the prototype droid, I don't think any got out, as it was an early shot. The only "variation" that I know of is the one that got molded poorly, and is better called "damaged goods."
5 I'm sure you know that on the front of the "Soft Goods" wave figures packages, there are round green "Win a Party" stickers, and on the back there are those big Jedi Quest Party stickers. What are your thoughts on peeling them off or leaving them on the package? It seems that they would come off easily. Would the future value (if there is any) change by messing with them? -ajs
Easy-- Episode One figures have no future monetary value. Seriously, just enjoy 'em. At a buck or two on clearance, you can probably find some of the newest waves on clearance already (some have found 'em for $5 or less [not me though]) and buying two is the easiest route to peace of mind. After saying "forget it, I'm gonna open 'em all" that is. :)
6
As a rule of thumb, I would have to say no... these props are not meant to be on the public market, and if I saw something like that on a "real" prop, I'd write it off as a bootleg pretty quick (unless it was a prop *replica*, of course.)
7
It does. What's under it? Not surprisingly, the same thing as the Lego Ghost figure from the old Black Monarch's Ghost set as well as others... just a black head with no markings on it.
8
What value? :) Not to be too blunt, but with these guys on clearance all over the place, secondary market value is not something you really need to be concerned about right now. If you really planned on selling them in the first place, odds are you wouldn't have opened them... so I say cut those strings. Odds are most people won't even notice/care anyway down the road as long as everything is there.
9
As for my favorite, the best one is the Blast Shield Helmet... it seems to have had the best paint job, made from the best mix of plastic, and just feels like a good solid figure. The Gunner Station one is really nice too, if a little tall. After that... I'd have to say I really didn't care for the overall look of the Flashback or CommTech Lukes all that much... but I'd have to go with Flashback as far as overall playability, accessories, and paint deco goes.
10
Well, let me put it this way: I LOVE the four-inch Star Wars line. It's my favorite toy line ever. And this is the toy that started making me sick of it. It doesn't really do anything, and at $75, will most likely be an easy mark all year long unless the factory burns down. I'm waiting on this one just because I don't want to store it (and I don't have $75 to buy one right now), and most FAO Exclusives aren't that hard to get-- especially since 1998.
Like most toys: If you want it, you should buy it. At $75, I know that this is something I can live without or at the very least can wait for. If you've got the money, grab one... if not, well, I'd wait. And yes, the Starship at even $150 looks like a better toy than the Faamba at $75... but that's mostly due to the Starship being my favorite toy in the entire 4" vehicle range as far as what it can do.
1
I think you're basically outta luck on this one... anyone out there got any pointers? Other than making some new mechanism yourself or taking apart and reassembling the toy, I dunno what to tell you. Here's hoping a reader will have the ultimate solution! (No, not water.)
2 I was wondering if you know what version of the vintage carded Yak Face came with a weapon? I have a trilogo version that does not include a weapon and I have seen pictures of the POTF carded Yak Face that appear to not include a weapon as well. -Jason
In the "the vintage fans will call me a liar" department, both have weapons. The POTF Coin Carded figure had a Nikto/Barada staff, but the Trilogo ones were, well, different. I photographed a collection under the summer (and need to get the pictures) with a Yak with no weapon, and another with a Gaffi stick. So if you want to stick a loose Yak with a weapon, I think most people will say it's the Nikto staff since that's typically what is done. Well, that or no weapon at all.
3 I just saw the new potf2 12" slave leia--with real chain--up close and personal, and have one question. Why was this figure ever made? -VinnyC
Probably because a lot of people missed the exclusive one, wanted a 12" Leia, and didn't know the Fan Club had the first two-pack from FAO for $70. Or they didn't want to pay $70.
4
Also, funnier Coen brothers movie: Big Lebowski or Raising Arizonia?
Personally, I have to give the edge to Raising Arizonia.
As for a formal list, I was going to do it, as
always, in ASWN (a Star Wars Newsletter I've done since 1995, but have
recently been trying to decide if it's time to put a bullet in the old
girl), but no, no plans to do anything like that. But I will say that
for 1999, the Royal Starship was my favorite SW vehicle, the new Han was
my favorite SW figure (would've been POTF2 R2-D2 if I could find one),
and the neatest overall toy is probably the Beast Wars Dragon Megatron.
Man, that sucker is cool.
And Lebowski, definitely. (Bowling and burgers... how can you go
wrong?)
5 Is Hasbro planning any chats or Toy Fair coverage on their website this year? -Aric
Not that we've been informed of, no. After the last few being plagued with goof-ups on all ends of the chat, I doubt Hasbro's interested in doing another for a while. Especially considering that everybody who collects Star Wars now really seems to hate everything involved in the line... at least most of those who write in these days.
6
I slipped the Web Site Q&A Review Board a $20 in lieu of taking the Q&A courses.
7
Good lord, I hope not. I don't think there's a market for the repaints/remakes/etc. right now... especially at $7 a pop. I mean, who out there is genuinely excited at the prospect of not one, but two new Jar Jars this year?
8
As far as the 2000 line goes, everything
announced/known is pretty much out, except for the two Collector's
Series ships, the Technic Droideka, the Star Wars Bucket, and the
Falcon... no room for surprise playsets as far as I know. The bucket,
for those curious, is something of a mystery-- one was mentioned for
1999, but it didn't happen, and nobody has a breakdown of what's in
there. Hopes are for new figures, but I would be pretty surprised to
see any new characters included... unless we're talking head swaps.
9
i think it has to do with the appearance of the
line-- a new Vader looks fresh at retail, but-- and I think this has
been discussed here and elsewhere-- it's pretty goofy to make new
tooling for new figures when the demand for old ones (i.e., 50% of the
1998 line) remains pretty high. Hey Fan Club-- I know you read this--
people really *want* Freeze Frame 1998 figures like Removable Helmet
Vader and Death Star Troopers and C-3PO with Removable limbs and
probably would be willing to trade money for them. :)
10
Easy. Most of America is Star Wars-ed out. That's probably the root of the line's real decline.
The line got messed up by the change of the market from kid-based to
collector-based... and it's a safe bet kids don't see it as a real toy
since almost every parent makes comments about the kids not being able
to open the toy when they buy it, or the $7 price tage makes people
scared. I think $7 is a bit high, myself... these guys are pretty puny
when compared to Hasbro's other toys, and most other figures out there
offer more bang for the buck. Beast Wars, of course, is my favorite
example since the $5 product is frequently really, really good. Pick up a Nightglider or a Stinkbomb and tell me they aren't cool toys... you really get something neat there.
As far as the line, I'd be very happy if we got droid figures instead of
CommTech chips. But odds are lower priced figures would be best for
the line... when I hold a $7 Star Wars figure in one hand, and a $6 LEGO
set or a $8 Spawn figure in the other, the Star Wars figures don't hold
up that well. Even at $6, those SW figures were pretty small. Also
if a kid wants a Darth Vader figure, as of today, there is no Vaders
available *anywhere* in my area except for the one in the board game.
Which doesn't really count.
Of course, there's always the possibility that the line has run its
course. Most traditional movie-based lines don't do very well these
days, with few exceptions (Ol' Pointy Ears, for instance.) Star Wars
has had a very healthy run, and I know I'm not alone in saying I could
use a very thin year or even a year with no new product. Heck, a year
of reruns (repackaged older figures) would be great-- it works for
X-Men.
Lastly, ask yourself this: if you've been collecting POTF2 since
1995-1997, is there anything left to get excited about? Other than a
Boba Fett resculpt, and a personal interest in seeing more Leia figures
done, I can't say that there's much for classic, and Episode One...
well, it's neat, but it's not what I think of when I say I buy Star Wars
stuff. And I think there's at least some people that would agree with
that.
1
While we at Rebelscum do not involve ourselves in selling custom figures, it's not uncommon to see artists show (and sell) their wares on eBay.
2 I'm a big fan of the Radio Dramas that were down of the original trilogy.
Have you heard any info about an Episode I drama being put together ?
No plans have been announced... typically, it
takes a few years after the film for anything to materialize. I think
Star Wars' radio debut was 1980... heck, ROJ took a decade and a half to
materialize. I don't know if it is something that Lucas & co. want to
do, though... ROJ was the last of a series, starting a new set of 'em
could be really cool, but at the same time, I don't know if people want
to hear Nute Gunray's inquiry "And... the Jedi?" as only he can say it
more often than necessary.
3 I remember hearing about a Yoda Furby that was supposed to be released last July. I even heard of people reserving one at KB Toys stores. Yet I never heard or saw anything past that. What gives. Was it cancelled, delayed or just a story? -Artooa6
A picture of this phantom toy surfaced late last year, and it looks pretty cool. I have yet to see the image again, and no firm release date for the toy exists.
4
First, allow me to say that you suck because you have those and I don't.
And why wait for the boxes? I've just taken boxes off the pallette and opened them myself. (I'm a busy man.) If they are just waiting to be opened, why make them wait longer?
5 A few years back Hasbro spent a fortune on the SW license. A license that lasts through three new films. Later, Lucasfilm turns around and sells the license to many other companies, including a powerhouse like Lego, and lots of smaller novelty products. The result was a Star Wars isle that was filled with crud like Koosh-Balls and Electronic lollipops. There was no focus. Here's my question, do you think that Lucasfilm screwed Hasbro by selling the SW name to all over the place? -Mike
Prepare yourself for a surprise: Hasbro owns CapToys who makes the candy, Galoob who makes the micro stuff, Koosh, Tiger of Tiger Electronics fame, etc. About the only toy company they don't own for SW toys is the highly successful (and my personal non-fig fave) LEGO from Denmark. So Hasbro kinda glutted itself on this one.
6
Aw, isn't that cute... someone trying to be funny and ask a "for cryin' out loud don't ask that" question.
7
In 1995, Star Wars was on a huge popularity upswing. After new comics, novels, and so forth started surfacing, this was the next thing-- figure collectors wanted new Star Wars figures, and kids did too. And thus, the bane of our existence was born.
8
If you don't play with your toys, or are storing them, taking the batteries out would be my choice. If you still mess with 'em, leave them in for now unless you're afraid of problems. Leakage has never been an issue for me, but I might be lucky.
9
Not that Hasbro seems to say. Toy Fair in New York will show (we hope) some new stuff, so keep your eyes open for reports... it could happen, but I wouldn't bet on it.
10
The set is four figures in one big box. It's neat if you like that sort of thing.
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