According to Hasbro, the prices would go up anyway, the gimmicks/trinkets are to soften the increase. Plastic, licensing costs, etc., all cost money and do increase in price. Granted, I agree with anybody who says $7+ for a 4" figure is insane... I just got some Yellow Submarine guys last week, these things are eight bucks, twice as tall, and have a second toy as an accessory. Granted, the licensing isn't as high... but I think it'd be nice if Hasbro had nicer pack-ins for the price. More accessories, the Pit Droids like in Europe/overseas for 2000... that'd be spiffy.

6
We keep hearing that the ships in the POTF2 line are so expensive to make. Why couldn't they be an Internet exclusive, or offered through the fan club? If not, is there a bootleg shuttle or sandcrawler out there?
  -Rob

Bootleg? Well, there's something called *vintage*... these toys are most likely what POTF2 releases would be based on, are available now, and are legitimately collectible toys. An internet exclusive or a low run toy could be very, very expensive... I mean, look at stuff like FAO's exclusives. Plus the toy could really suck... I've heard some really nasty things about that new Skiff from people who have had a chance to look at it up close. I'm reserving judgement for early next year, personally.

7
Do you think Hasbro will make Indiana Jones figures, especially if Indy 4 finally rolls around? I would purchase more of these than I would Star Wars!
  -Greg

Since nobody has publically announced their ownership of the Indy master toy license, it's hard to say. I would assume it'd be Hasbro, but since LJN did the last figures in the US that I recall... well, dunno. Maybe Hasbro's waiting for something else. I know that right now, I'd be a heck of a lot more interested in Indy than I would be in a lot of the newer Star Wars releases (cough New Obi-Wan hack)... which might be exactly why we aren't going to see them anytime soon as far as I know.

8
Did you notice that Mary Kay Bergman was involved in the game Phantom Menace and not the movie?
  -About 70 people

Well, I did now. Smeg-up, my bad.

9
I was thinking of making a diorama of Gungan city in an old fishtank I have with all the sea-creatures, opee, and of course (when he arrives) SWIMMING JAR JAR BINKS! LONG LIVE JAR JAR (just kidding).

Anyway, I was wondering if submerging my plastic friends in water for an extended period of time will do any long term damage to the plastic?
  -Adam

Okay, a bunch of people wrote in... and everybody had something different to say. It seems from the bulk of people that wrote in that the paint may flake off if not protected/coated/sealed in some manner, and that you probably should leave any live fish out of that fish tank. Plus it might get messy, and regular cleaning (of course) will be necessary.

10
I haven't heard much about when many of the new figures will be coming. Hasbro used to keep fairly ahead of the game, where we knew what the next couple of waves of figures were going to be and when to expect them. With Ep1 it doesn't seem like Hasbro has said much other than the list of figures to expect over the next six months or so. Have you heard anything or know why Hasbro has been so tight-lipped? Any idea what to expect next?
  -Christopher

The Previews page here is chock full of stuff... Mas Ameda, a blue Senate guard, a new Chewie... like 20 or more figures. This is really about typical, last year we just got really lucky with leaks left and right due to the advance production of Episode One.

FIN
He shriveled up and died

from a broken heart

reincarnated as a work of art

he's got a brand new start

hey

now he's a happy guy

  
  Adam Pawlus

1
Are Star Wars stories published by Dark Horse comics a real part of the Star Wars Saga?
  -Rafael

When it comes to the Expanded Universe, I always say everything fits into the continuity unless it doesn't. So if something is negated by film (or in my situation, if I just don't like it) then I don't consider it part of the ongoing story. But then again, the only story that Lucas has a hand in is technically the only "Star Wars Story", so well, take it as you will. I say enjoy the fringe stuff until it looks bad.

2
I see the "Dagobah Darth Vader" in the action figure preview and I'm rackin my brain to try to remember when I ever saw Vader on Dagobah. Can you help? And any idea on what he might look like?
  -The Freshly Weezed One

In ESB, Luke battles a Vader apparition with Luke's face... odds are it would be tied to this in some way. Maybe a firing head or something cool like that... nah.

3
Just wondering. What are you doing for the millennium?
  -Boutny Fett

If you mean December 31, 1999, probably crashing a party. If you mean December 31, 2000, well, I dunno yet. Hopefully Disneyland, or maybe Trenton, NJ.

4
I was wondering if the Battle Droid with the Stap (preview) is painted differently than the ep1 version.
  -Brian

Yup. I think the damage is darker... I might be mistaken, I didn't pick up one of the new ones.

5
Lego's making an MTT, but not a regular ol' know-em-and-love-em TIE Fighter? Am I missing something?
  -Brian

Nope. With a good long time to spread the Star Wars license, LEGO needs to keep some signature ships for the next year's product line. There aren't many major ships left to do from the classic line... the TIEs, Cloud Car, Sail Barge, maybe some form of Star Destroyer or Death Star, Shuttle, AT-AT, AT-ST... and maybe a decade to sell new product... so while it most certainly stinks that we get a Flash Speeder prior to a Cloud Car or Kaadu before Tauntauns, well, at least the line has little chance of becoming stale too soon.

6
Why is the Tatooine Showdown cinema scene packaged 1 for every 10?
  -AyotteER

Well, it's not. I think it's half Showdowns and half Encounters in the first case, and while I'm not sure, I think it's the same deal with the Watto's Box assortment. They are showing up in stores, I've been lucky enough to see dozens over the past few weeks. Plus, the internet has dozens of people selling these things for about retail prices... the alleged shortpack, thankfully, isn't real.

7
I can't find the new Skiff vehicle. I've looked everywhere. Can you help me on this?
  -CHEabs

I believe the toy is slated for release around January, but for all I know it could show up early. It's not out now, though, except for a few advance samples floating around eBay and elsewhere.

8
My question is with all of the foreign product of star wars out there as a collector and because of limited funds is it really worth buying them.
  -CBDAWG26

Only if you like them. If you're sick of seeing these guys, well, no reason to pick 'em up. Personally, I'd pick one guy and get him on every possible nations packaging, mainly for space purposes and the fact that the packaging is pretty standard stuff.

9
Sorry to ask an un-Star Wars related question, but you are such a great resource, I could not resist. Can you tell me where to find information or photos of the Matrix action figures? I'm not even sure what company is producing them. The few I saw months ago were impressive. Most impressive.
  -darthmollie

I think it's WB Toys, but I'm not positive. Another Universe is preordering them... and most of what I've heard about the toys has been, unfortunately, negative. I finally saw the flick a few weeks ago and I thought it deserved something more than what it got in terms of toys... some 9" figures with cloth outfits would be incredible.

10
With the extreme popularity of the new stormtrooper, what do you think are the odds of seeing a new sandtrooper, snowtrooper, etc. Or do you see the rumored stormtrooper accessory pack as coming with sandtrooper back packs and pauldrons?
  -EVILCHUK

Since Hasbro is making classic-theme accessories in 2000, I wouldn't count it out... unfortunately, I can't find anything to confirm it either.

FIN
Happy Thanksgiving to alla you American types out there, and to everybody else, have an otherwise nondescript November 25.