Unleashed figures

[Nicklab]

Holy Crap, I had no idea these things were going for so much on the aftermarket!!!

Vader Unmasked - $187.50

Holy ****!   

UNLEASHED DARTH VADER UNMASKED

Glad I got that when it was current.  Sheesh!  Thanks Jimmy_! 

[DSJ™]

I thought $224. for Vader was high.

    Unleashed Unmasked Vader   

     DARTH VADER UNMASKED       

         Darth Vader Unleashed (unmasked)         

[Nicklab]

I thought $224. for Vader was high.

    Unleashed Unmasked Vader   

     DARTH VADER UNMASKED       

         Darth Vader Unleashed (unmasked)         

Looks like Toyfare was way off base with their Unleashed price guide in this month's issue.

[ruiner]

I'll be laughing my ass off if and when the Big H re-releases that one!

[Morgbug]

I'll be laughing my ass off if and when the Big H re-releases that one!

That's pretty much my exact feeling as well.  Honestly, I just can't see Hasbro getting a huge kick out of the secondary market, it does nothing for them.  Oh sure, it's raising the profile for a while, but mostly it's frustrating sane buyers who are all clamoring for things that were missed. 

I think, regardless of cardback that's been released, we'll start seeing any number of these again, likely in 2006.  Boba Fett for sure - he's too much of a bread and butter character to not jump on it again.  Vader Unmasked might take a bit longer, because we're getting a new Vader in just a couple of weeks.  Yoda I doubt, simply because we have the upcoming Sidious/Yoda pairing to cover that need, except for the completeists. 

What really baffles me still is the lack of Stormtroopers?  Where'd they all go?  I'm sure they didn't expect anyone to army build with them, but the production run couldn't have been that small, could it?  Even Hasbro has to understand the an OT character as popular as a stormtrooper would outsell Count Dooku?  So why are they so hard to find?

Random speculation: Ep III Shocktrooper Unleashed.

[Nicklab]

Well, for you Unleashed freaks, FWIW, I have an extra Yoda Unleashed for trade.

As for the secondary market, Brent is right on the money.  It does nothing for Hasbro other than raise the profile.  In fact, the low availability of helmet-less Vader and the original slave Leia reminds me a lot of what McFarlane has done.  They make some things very tough to get and it generates a lot of buzz.  Some of it's negative and will drive people away, but a lot of it's positive and will draw people in because all of a sudden the line seems that much more collectible.

I'm genuinely excited to see what Unleashed figures ROTS generates.  I'm hoping for a Wookiee ripping a Clone Trooper's arms out of his sockets, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

[DoctorPadawan]

Nick, I've still been hunting high and low to see if I can locate something to trade you for that Yoda, but as yet, I haven't run across anything interesting.  If there's anything you're looking for, do let me know and I'll be on the lookout. 

I'm genuinely excited to see what Unleashed figures ROTS generates.  I'm hoping for a Wookiee ripping a Clone Trooper's arms out of his sockets, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

There is a maquette on page of 157 of the "Making of ROTS" book alongside some production art of the same situation that shows a Wookiee dismembering a Battle Droid, so maybe they will go off of that for a starting point.   

It seems to me, however, that Hasbro is starting to reach the end of original ideas with a lot of the Unleashed stuff.  To me, it's not a line that really lends itself to a lot of minor Cantina aliens or generic characters (with exceptions of course), and if the next wave that has been rumored to occur is true, it's going to be three versions of characters we already have (for the most part).  If it's a generic Wookiee, that's okay, but another Chewbacca?  And so soon after the last one?

Out of the main characters, the only ones left without an Unleashed figure are R2 and Threepio, Qui-Gon, and Lando.  There are other characters that I'd like to see in UL form (a Biker Scout or Admiral Ackbar in hoverchair would be cool), but some of them I don't know how they could do them.  For instance, I'd love all 6 bounty hunters, but how would you do a 4-LOM Unleashed?

[Nicklab]

The concept for Unleashed definitely has some room for growth.  I could see Hasbro doing some sort of an Unleashed box set along the lines of McFarlane's 2-packs.  Bring the price point of those up to say $20 - $25 and include a larger piece.  Perhaps Jabba the Hutt, Biker Scouts or something else along those lines.

I think there are still a number of possibilities for main characters in the line.  I think you just need to be a little open to different ideas.

[Morgbug]

I'd love all 6 bounty hunters, but how would you do a 4-LOM Unleashed?

Well I think if you can pull off IG-88 you can pretty much do anything.  Bossk is not situational to any movie, as are most of the Unleashed for that matter, so simply taking 4-LOM and putting him (?) into a dynamic pose would be sufficient.  To be honest I'd be really surprised to not see them do all six of the bounty hunters in Unleashed form.  They'd very nearly be guaranteed good sellers.  I wouldn't be overly surprised to see them pull a McFarlane and make a multi-pack with slight changes to previously released figures (some slight paint deco ought to be really irritating).  Three packs would be ideal - Boba/IG/Bossk in a big, old window box should be a lot of fun.  

edit: LOL, Nick and I are sharing a brain today.  Too much time on spawn.com.

[DoctorPadawan]

I think there are still a number of possibilities for main characters in the line.  I think you just need to be a little open to different ideas.

Oh yeah, I realize that, but I meant the "main characters" thing more along the lines of "These have no representation at all in the UL line" as opposed to "Nothing else can be done with the main characters we already have."  There are plenty of things I would like if they did with the main characters, like a Bespin Luke, or a Leia Boussh; my point there was that, with unique characters who haven't had an UL figure, those were the only ones I could think of.

That being said, I wouldn't mind an Alec Guinness Obi-Wan in the least. 

Well I think if you can pull off IG-88 you can pretty much do anything.

This is true.  Before I saw the piece, I had wondered how they would be able to pull it off, considering it just stood there in the film (and was more or less a puppet), but they did it and did it very well. 

As for the larger pieces/box set ideas, I'd be all for that.  I don't collect the statues or anything, but the Biker Scout on Speeder Bike that was shown at C3 looked amazing in the photos, and a version that wouldn't leave me eating Ramen for the next two years would be a nice alternative. 

[Nicklab]

I'd love all 6 bounty hunters, but how would you do a 4-LOM Unleashed?

edit: LOL, Nick and I are sharing a brain today.  Too much time on spawn.com.

Hope it's not your brain we're sharing, what with all the brain cells you've been killing!    Oh, if we only had Molson Bradour in the US.

[JesseVader08]

Instead of the box sets, I'd prefer them to do what they did with the ROTS Unleashed Obi-Wan & Anakin.  They can either display well on their own, or put together for a great action display.  That way people can still be selective as to what they buy if they're only interested in one of the two, or grab both.  I'd say it would mean better sales for Hasbro.

[Morgbug]

Instead of the box sets, I'd prefer them to do what they did with the ROTS Unleashed Obi-Wan & Anakin.  They can either display well on their own, or put together for a great action display.  That way people can still be selective as to what they buy if they're only interested in one of the two, or grab both.  I'd say it would mean better sales for Hasbro.

You don't collect SportsPicks, do you?   The point of multipacks as I suggested is to subtley, but sufficiently, tweak a previously released figure.  This results in no increased cost to Hasbro as a mold is already made.  They substitute in a different weapon or slightly alter the paint scheme.  Maybe change the head sculpt a little.  People already own the single figure, but to be complete or get the variation they need to buy the boxed set. 

Result: minimal cost for Hasbro, collectors/completeists go nuts. 

Evidence: Vader - ESB Bespin Gantry (makes sense) versus RH Vader - removable helmet makes no sense, pose makes no sense but only changed base and altered the head portion of the figure.  Minimal cost, maximum return. 

Need more proof: multipacks of clones.

 

[DoctorPadawan]

Just thought I'd let everyone know that (and this may just be my order) Amazon/TRU.com has pushed back the release/ship dates for the Vader/Sidious/Yoda/Ventress wave to late June.  I got an email from them this morning asking for authorization to delay the shipment, and for some reason they are all going to be shipping one at a time.  I got in on the free shipping deal though, so at least I'm not being charged more for that.

Have carded photographs surfaced yet of this wave?

[Brian]

I received that same e-mail this morning, noting the delay in shipping until mid to late June the way it sounded.  I also ordered mine at the time of free shipping, so I will probably just keep them on preorder for now and see what happens.  I kind of expected them to be delayed somewhat, and I'm waiting to see if they will do the same thing with the Evolution sets I have on preorder there, with an "expected" ship date of June 1.  We'll see about that .