Since part of my family's Star Wars collection is a small tree with all of the Hallmark Ornaments, these Hasbro SW X-Mas sets make for a nice display addition around the base of the tree.

I loved the C-3P0/R2-D2, Yoda and Jawa Sets. This one I'm a bit puzzled by since I thought for sure we'd either get that Ewok one this year since it could really be a modified Teebo figure with a base and bag full of presents.

I don't know if Vader ever was on a Lucasfilm company x-mas card. Remember, one of the key parts to the sets so far is that you get a replica of the x-mas card too.

I wonder if instead of doing a card from the past, this will actually be the one and only time that the Hasbro x-mas exclusive and the Lucasfilm x-mas card are in synch. Since this was the year of ROTS and the year of Vader, perhaps GL commissioned the Vader card for x-mas 2005 and as an added bonus Hasbro is getting the design early enough to make an action figure based on it and in effect, since we get the Lucasfilm card w/the toy, it's like GL is sending out the card to all of the fans as well.

Just a thought (and a dream from the land of "perfect", I know).

Ok - so this morning I decided to check out Adam's Q&A for the first time in about six weeks and this was in his closing remarks.

Hasbro, if you're reading, I hope you're considering (or reconsidering) R5-D4 for 2006 or 2007. I have never seen this kind of flood of email demanding a figure see production from the original trilogy short of maybe Tarkin, Wedge, and Slave Leia back in 1996. The fans want R5-D4, they want him as a new figure (or the R4-G9 body with a new lampshade dome), and after you do that, they also wanted me to let you know they would be very happy if you would repaint it in the various very striking color schemes used throughout the Saga. (Maybe one every several assortments. Astro repaints are cheap and fans love them.)

Ok - so here's the part that cracks me up, it's this line:

Astro repaints are cheap and fans love them.

I guess they're only cheap for Hasbro to make and EE to buy, not for the fans who have to buy them at EE's outrageous prices!

really? there's alot right now since it came with the new repaints of the clones. u should find them easily. the one i havent seen for a while is the #1 Obi Wan. kinda surprise since this dude was everywhere in the beginning. 

There's no need - the new Pilot Obi-Wan is a FAR superior Obi-Wan and is the ONLY Obi-Wan they should be shipping from here on out.

It would be stupid to not use that figure in all future case assortments. The sculpt of the face, the articulation, the fact that he comes with the lit/unlit lightsaber (and the unlit lightsaber can be put on his belt) - he's as good, if not better than those Jedi Masters from Collection 2 with all of the articulation.

I have the Green Clone Commander for trade.

I'm looking for Red Shocktroopers and Black Clone Pilots.

I'd prefer to trade one-for-one.

PM me if you are interested.

Thanks.

Without getting into mudslinging, I'm just going to report the facts:
1.  He works for Entertainment Earth

I have read Adam's Q&A for years. I always enjoy reading it for his info and his humor. When I found out that he was working for EE, I no longer look forward to reading it. Why? 'Cause now you have to wonder, is he hyping certain things in the line or certain exclusives (like this droid trainwreck) out of a love of SW figures or now because he works for EE? It would be like a movie critic making his own movie (yeah right) and then writing a review of his own movie.

2.  He had a hand in the creation/development of these figures

Again, if he was an evangelist of the collecting community and had gotten Hasbro to make this set independent of a specific on-line shop, then I would be giving him HUGE props for doing so. As it stands, really all he did was suggest to Aaron and/or Jason Labowitz that they should do something like this, Aaron and/or Jason probably asked him to pick the droids and then EE went to Hasbro building on the relationship EE and Hasbro have had over the past many years. Adam saying he had a major role in this is like a NJ house-frau who gets designers and contractors to completely renovate her home with her husband paying the bill and then brags to her friends that "she rennovated the house" - in reality all he did was pick out paint schemes.

3.  He gets paid regardless of what EE charges for them
4.  He probably gets a discount on these figures as a result
5.  He couldn't care less how much they cost as a result

Again, this is a big sticking point with me. I'm almost starting to wonder if his "swami" was one of the guys over at EE who get to see what's in the pipeline six-to-twelve months in advance. Of course he could give a rats ass about how much these cost 'cause he would be a complete RETARD not to work into his contract as a "benefit" that he gets one of each case that comes down the pike. If you look at the "About Us" page on the EE site, this is EXACTLY why Aaron and Jason founded the company, and I quote:

We admit to being selfish when we started this business. We wanted to find a simple way to buy all of the new action figures and toys at reasonable prices without wasting our time. Our solution was right in front of us, similar to the big-box warehouse store model, we decided to sell full cases of action figures. Thankfully, we were not the only collectors who felt this was a good solution.

So there you have it, obviously one or both of the brothers at the helm take the cases that come in for themselves, so again, Adam would be retarded not to ask for the same treatment.

So I'm willing to bet that he gets the stuff for free, not at a discount or at cost, but FREE. Does he still talk about what he can find in his local stores? He used to mention that kind of thing in his Q&A all the time (i.e. what he found in the local Scottsdale, AZ Target, etc...) - if he stops or rarely mentions what he's seeing in stores in his answers that means that he is definitely getting open-stock items from EE for free and the only reason he hits a brick-n-mortar store is to pick up that chain's exclusive item.

6.  If someone complains about the price, he'll make a snide remark toward them and say that people are overreacting.

He will.

You know what? What they should have done is follow-up their AOTC clone box sets with ROTS clone box sets for Utapau, Shocktrooper, 501st, Kasshyyk Green and Coruscant Gray/Blue Detailing variations. Just have all four figures be identical and all four of them based on SA Clone #41.

That is something I would pay for. I would also pay for clone commanders or concepts based on the Art of Revenge of the Sith. There's a seller on eBay who's been doing that pretty steady for the last two months and his figures NEVER sell for less than $125 - sometimes they even come close to $300. Here's an example of his work: Custom Commander Appo

If Hasbro could make a Commander Gree by just applying a new paint-op to SA Clone #41, they could do the same with Appo.

Before anyone slams me for the post, please realize that:

a) I know that it seems that I'm jealous of Adam, but I'm not, I just don't like the idea of him using GH as a forum to help him promote EE exclusives - especially overpriced ones.

b) I know that I am a completist by choice and no one forces me to buy two of every item, but at this point, with 10 years and who knows how much $$$ invested, two Astromech 5-packs aren't enough to make me stop collecting.

c) These pieces shouldn't be any more expensive than a BattlePack - $21 - $26.

It's times like this when I'm glad that I pre-order stuff from EE and then cancel it on their ass when I find it in the store first.

This set is so overpriced it's not even funny.

Adam Pawlus should be ashamed of himself for even promoting this set as something that "everyone" is going to "love"

$40 for FIVE repaints with absolutely NO accessories and NO new sculpting.

At most these sets should cost $30 if you buy ONE and then go down from there if you purchase them by the case.

Sure I'm bitching and I'll eventually put in my order, but I won't be doing for these what I did for the clones, which was buy an entire case - that's another ridiculous thing - a case of these is 5 sets of two?!?!?!!? Four sure, 'cause then I could buddy up with someone like Matt who might want two of each set, but FIVE?

I'm more inclined to just take it up the ass and get two of the two-packs for $74.99 each. At least then you get a $2.50 on each set of five.

I wish Hasbro would put an end to this ****. This is price gouging at its best and eventually it's going to drive even the most die-hard of collectors away from the line.

Compared to the way things were in 1995, there are so many OTHER collectible items competing for our Star Wars dollars, you would think Hasbro would be doing this to make sure the collectors stay, not things that make the collectors want to jump ship and move to collecting something else.

Look at it this way. If you're like me and you get two of everything, these two sets will cost $150 plus shipping. Why not take that same money and buy the first three SideShow Toys 12" figures which are supposed to be at most $50 each. Sure, I'm going to do both, 'cause I'm nuts. But if I was in a cash crunch, I'd pick the 12" figures from Sideshow Toys.

This figure blows. I wish they had just made the mods to the Bail Organa body and stuck the Antilles head on him. There was no need for a completely new (and inferior) sculpt.

Matt hooked me up with my Holo Leia opener! Thanks dude!

More to come since he's setting his sights on picking up my two sets of Star Tours Wave 4 figures!

- Peter