star wars "saga"

[Ran]

Strange find of the weekend: The Target near my house had 5 POTJ Bespin Guards for $1.16 each. I bought 2. The cards aren't in that great of shape.

That's interesting. I'm guessing someone bought the new Bespin Guard to replace the old one, and returned those. Was the UPC still the same, or did someone fuck with it? I'd have a hard time believing those are still in the system nine years later.

They were actual Bespin Guards on POTJ cards. A couple of them were pretty dusty. Looks like they were in the back of a store room or something for a long time. All of them had minor creases in the cards, too. Each one had a small scribble on the UPCs with a sharpie.

[anarky]

I found a TPM Darth Maul and Qui-Gon at Wal-Mart in something like 2005, so it's not unheard of. Someone might've hidden them under one of their fixtures, planning to come back later, and never did.

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

when is the other bespin guard coming out?

With the EU wave, so hopefully within the next month or so.

[anarky]

I saw the ESB wave once, and only part of it. Much like the case with Ree Yees years ago, it was across the country, and no way could I fit them in my suitcase. I hope they turn up here, unlike Ree Yees.

I doubt any of you would care, but I could use two extra Concept IG-88's if anyone wants the YVH droid leg. The Concept IG-88 looks so unlike Star Wars, but so much like the aesthetic of Cobra technology from the first ten issues of the comic (when they were kinda offshoots of silly 1981 Marvel tech, rather than being based on toys). I'd love a couple to use as sentry robots (sort of very early model BATs, the opposite of how I'm using the two Wraith figures as late model BATs), but I'd like to keep a full set of SW concept figures intact.

[kidhuman]

I saw the ESB wave once, and only part of it. Much like the case with Ree Yees years ago, it was across the country, and no way could I fit them in my suitcase. I hope they turn up here, unlike Ree Yees.

I doubt any of you would care, but I could use two extra Concept IG-88's if anyone wants the YVH droid leg. The Concept IG-88 looks so unlike Star Wars, but so much like the aesthetic of Cobra technology from the first ten issues of the comic (when they were kinda offshoots of silly 1981 Marvel tech, rather than being based on toys). I'd love a couple to use as sentry robots (sort of very early model BATs, the opposite of how I'm using the two Wraith figures as late model BATs), but I'd like to keep a full set of SW concept figures intact.

I shall see what I can do, I see it occasionally. I will keep it with the rest of the stuff.

[Ran]

I've seen the ESB wave twice at one Walmart. It has been a few weeks since I saw it, but I'll try to swing by this weekend. The IG-88 looks like a bad remake of that robot from the old Lost In Space show. If I see it again, I'll pick one up. Hell, I'm working in 29 Palms next week, I could even deliver it to you.

If that Snowspeeder is coming out later this year and we just got Snowspeeder Luke, what are the chances they will release Luke's gunner?

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

I only saw Concept IG-88 once, but I too shall keep my eyes open.

Ran, I wish they were better about having pilot figures out at the same time as their ships, but that doesn't seem to be a priority (I want my droids for the animated Jedi Starfighters, goddammit). Hopefully Dack will be on the way, but I haven't heard anything. He'd probably just be a Snowspeeder Luke or one of the Evolutions snowspeeder pilots with a new head, so it shouldn't be too hard for them to do. (They need to do Wedge like this too, but as we know, they're in no hurry to make good Wedge figures.)

[kidhuman]

Really, another Snowspeeder?

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

A lot of people have been bitching that the old one was too big and have wanted another one for quite a while (it ranked #16 on the Most Wanted Vehicles Poll that the other site did a few years ago). But I suppose this goes back to the "updated-stuff-vs.-all-new-stuff" discussion we just had going.

[anarky]

No one will ever be 100% satisfied with the Snowspeeder. Why? It cannot be screen-accurate and live up to expectations. If you closely look at the design, the second gunner simply does not have room to sit there. He's got to be squatting in some godawfully uncomfortable position. This would be impossible to do with an action figure, especially with an accurate cockpit (which only opens in the same manner as the existing toy). The alternatives would be removing the second seat (totally wrong!), opening the back in some fashion to insert the gunner (not accurate!), or simply having the gunner be a non-removable head and shoulders (and remember how well that went over with the Power FX X-Wing?).

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

I replied to this elsewhere but I'll summarize for those who don't go over there: the design is indeed fudged in the film, but if you look at reference photos and consider everything, the new Hasbro snowspeeder is probably as close to the film version as you can get.

[anarky]

I only started that over there to watch people jump on me and assume I'm bitching. I don't care; I'm only pointing out that they're the ones who can never be happy since Hasbro is trying to replicate designs that don't quite work in the first place, and that's impossible.

I might get the new one, and I might not. Despite what everyone wants to interpret elsewhere, I don't hate remakes. Some are unnecessary, but the only deciding factor for me is simple economics: does the level of improvement justify the cost?

[Ran]

I replied to this elsewhere but I'll summarize for those who don't go over there: the

I appreciate that. I don't miss the never-happy unrational fanboy bitching one bit. Thank you guys for filtering it out for me. Sounds like you guys need to remind the other site that Lucas isn't an aeronautical engineer. Didn't he goof up the interior Falcon design, too? (I think it was the gunner stations). Crap, that's the next Tatooine Luke, isn't it? Falcon Gunner Luke to go with the Han and Chewbacca with the headsets.

I only started that over there to watch people jump on me and assume I'm bitching. I don't care; I'm only pointing out that they're the ones who can never be happy since Hasbro is trying to replicate designs that don't quite work in the first place, and that's impossible.

I might get the new one, and I might not. Despite what everyone wants to interpret elsewhere, I don't hate remakes. Some are unnecessary, but the only deciding factor for me is simple economics: does the level of improvement justify the cost?

[/quote]

Same here. Any word on what the Cloud Car and Snowspeeder are supposed to cost? They look like they should be in the $20-$25 range. I'll almost definately get the Cloud Car. The 2 pilots I have are waiting.

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

Actually, Ran, nobody was complaining about the new snowspeeder, at least from what I have seen. Anarky seemed to want to point out the futility of wanting an accurate snowspeeder when the ship in the film isn't technically possible (in his eyes, though I'd argue it's not as bad as he thinks). So far, the only responses (apart from mine) are basically variations on "Who's complaining?" But as you said, Ran, the designs aren't always feasible in the real world, but I think Hasbro usually does a good job of interpreting them as toys; the snowspeeder, whether it's technically possible or not, needed an update since the old one was massively out of scale, no matter what your reference point.

However, some people have already started bitching about the AT-AT despite only seeing a picture of a mock-up with no sense of scale. People worry about small details and miss out on otherwise great products because of it, and it's hurting the line (though there are of course other factors at play).

And yeah, the Cloud Car and Snowspeeder are in the starfighter vehicle line, which is apparently going up to $25 later this year (though it's already that price at various stores).

[Ran]

I'm content with the POTF2 AT-AT. Haven't seen the picture of the new one yet. I'll skip it just like I did the Big Falcon. For the most part, my wife will let me get what I want, I just feel guilty trying to justify spending a lot of money on a toy that is just going to sit in the garage. That said, I'm not so sure about getting a snowspeeder since I bought the last one that came out.

I finally saw that Falcon out of the box at that Star Wars collector shop. The exterior was fairly impressive. Didn't get to see the inside.