Author Topic: 2007, Best Year Ever?  (Read 9100 times)

Offline Scott

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2007, Best Year Ever?
« on: September 21, 2007, 04:33 PM »
I'd like to nominate this year as the greatest year ever in SW collecting.

The basic line has been phenomenal
McQuarrie Figures are long requested and superb figures in every way
Long requested thing like: Hermi Odle, Curved Bar Pieces, Vaporator, More EU figures, Ewoks, Academy Biggs etc etc
Comic Packs

2005 was great in my eyes as well with ROTS and all of the great stuff we got that year
Whatever year the OTC was out was also a lot of fun but it didn't near have the amount of figures we are getting this year.

I just am really enjoying the quantity to quality ratio and want to actually say to Hasbro that they are doing a great job!

Offline JACKOFTRADZE

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2007, 05:05 PM »
I concur. They are doing almost too good of a job.

ICMG please.
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Offline Reid

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2007, 06:40 PM »
I agree. Great mix of all six movies and the EU.

Now if only we could get Noa from the second Ewok movie as a figure...

Offline evenflow

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2007, 06:46 PM »
Without a doubt. It really has been the best year ever and i dont think they can top it.

(Maybe giving me a Yarna figure would do it  ;) )
Quote the Raven, Nevermore.

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Offline Daigo-Bah

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2007, 07:48 PM »
Good call, I wouldn't call it my favorite year (since I don't buy EU or concept figs), but the best year for sure because so many concepts were fulfilled this year.
Greg Reeves

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Offline Darth Broem

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2007, 08:14 PM »
I definately agree. 

Offline JesseVader08

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2007, 10:31 PM »
It's definitely been fun to see many long awaited figures come to fruition, especially in such well articulated and sculpted ways (for the most part, of course; there's always something to bitch about ;)).

2005 was the year I enjoyed collecting carded figures the most because of the OTC style, but 2007 has been the year I've enjoyed collecting loose figures the most.  8)

Offline Rob

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2007, 10:35 PM »
I'd agree too.

At the end of last year I was real down on collecting with the 'final 22' and all that repacked repainted nonsense.

This year they've delivered a great mix of core characters and new characters, OT and PT, high quality sculpts, great accessories and a vintage wave to boot.

A+


Now someone make sure the guys at Hasbro see this thread.

Offline JesseVader08

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2007, 10:41 PM »
Now someone make sure the guys at Hasbro see this thread.

Good point!  We need to be very clear about this for Toy Fair, Comic Con and any other opportunities to discuss with them the successful formula this year.

Offline Darby

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2007, 01:21 AM »
In many ways it is the best year ever.  The sheer volume and selection alone of figures - hundreds of them - pretty much qualifies it right there, but the combination of McQuarrie figs, hall of famers like Hermi, Yoda/Kybuck, VTAC Snowtrooper etc. and great fan gestures like huge accessories, Fan voted figs in the legends line, all make it the best ever.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2007, 01:49 AM »
I'd agree wholeheartedly Scott...  I was trying to think of better years and came up empty.

In 2005, ROTS started strong really, and was lead in with a great preview wave as well as 2004 product leftovers that were outstanding, but 2005 sort of fizzled besides the Evolution assortment figures.  Quality took a bit of a drop around the Fall figure line-up and I was disappointed with the likes of the repaint waves, and figures like Captain Antilles that year.  Not everything was rosey by any means...  Just some odd trail off to end the year.

2006 I was personally disappointed in...  I felt a lot of figures last year lacked in terms of overall quality, usually my gripe of articulation was the focus.  Derlin, Veers, Scorch, etc., etc., etc.  2006 had some cool figures, dont' get me wrong, but there were definite lacking figures and a price-hike to boot!

2007 rolls up and holy ****...  First wave, all bsically SA figures save for the miner, and he's still a big hulking decent figure.  2007's first wave trumped most figures from 2006.  I mean, sure Momaw Nadon's a neat resculpt, but the figure was a 6-point statue basically.  Disappointing.

Anyway, 2007's had:

-Comic 2-packs for a paltry $10...  While not all figures in the series are great, or even my cup of tea (I have the Marvel figures personally), the $10 price for 2 figures and a comic is really ideal stuff.  Outstanding sets IMO.  Making 2007 greater themselves, and really satisfying a LOT of folks (myself included) who do like EU.

-Return of Evolutions...  News is all it is, but it's good news regardless.  Love it, want more of it.

-Vintage's Best Wave Ever?...  I'd say yes.  2007's Vintage figures are, to me, their best work ever from Hasbro.  If Luke and Leia are the "flop" of the 6 figures, and they're better than many of the previous vintage figures since the line's concept, then I think we got some great figures.  Bossk's a major upgrade, IG-88 may be the greatest figure ever, Luke finishes a main character, Endor Leia does the same, Hoth Han is destined for reworking in the line, and the Snowtrooper is in-frickin'-credible and destined to get re-released himself.  Vintage was a huge part of 2007 IMO.

-Basic figure quality is UP...  From sculpts and paint applications to articulation and accessories, Hasbro has a marked improvement overall in 2007.  You're getting large accessories with figures you have to put together, and in some cases you buy the figure to get simply the accessory (and still don't feel cheated!).  That's friggin' sweet right there.  Then you get super articulated army builders out the whazzoo, to the point it's tough to keep up with and army build them.  Removable gear and working holsters are almost a standard.  Softgoods is being used liberally and in good ways.  Sculpting is on-par with Hasbro's best work in many cases.

-Coin Pack-Ins Seem Popular...  Compared to past pack-ins, I think Hasbro has their winning deal with the coins.  People in general seem to like them loose and want a set, sometimes even if they don't open their figures normally. 

-Obscurity...  While Hasbro's giving us staples like Luke resculpts, and clone army builders, nobody can deny the coolness that is the Cantina aliens, or figures like the Jawa w/mining droid.  Or what about Hermi Odle?  Or Concept Art figures (a whole line), or video game figures, or Clone Wars extras...  Hasbro's gone out of their way to do cool figures that hardcore fans want.  I mean, Rebel Honor Guards?  **** yeah!  And he's the best rebel army builder ever made too!  Go figure!


I'm anxious for 2008...  Evolutions, more obscurity, hopefully the quality remains high (or even better?).  Very little I'd gripe about in '07...  Price I feel is high.  Compared to other lines, $7-$8 a figure in this scale is slightly unreasonable to me, especially with the rate at which Hasbro repacks (Legends, battlepacks, etc.) things to counter costs across the line overall.  Youv'e got a lot of "pure profit" type items being sold, and sold through too (line's popular it seems) at retail, so Hasbro isn't hurtin' with this line right now I'd imagine.  Besides that and some minor things here and there (availability's been frustrating with some items, and I'd be happy to see UGH done away with all together, as it just attracts the wrong element to our aisle in the stores) usually with specific aspects of a figure, I'm quite pleased. 

2007 is definitely my favorite year this far...  2008, I want a new SA Fleet Trooper, maybe other Rebel troops (brand new), and a nice ICMG.  :)
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
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Offline David

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2007, 11:00 AM »
I think price and availability are really the only problems with this year. Other than that, yes, I'd say this is the best year ever. The concept figures, the widely available SA clone rereleases in the Legends line, the comic packs, the HUGE accessories (Vaporator, Torture rack, Kybuck, etc.) have all made this year great. And with an octupparra droid and a Gree resculpt in Wave 1, and the return of Evolutions, 2008 is looking as if it'll be just as good, if not better.
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2007, 01:53 PM »
Good topic.

I'd say this year in terms of what Hasbro has done has been about dead even with 2005 for me.  But since this isn't even a movie year, this might qualify for the overall best job by Hasbro... I really say that because of a nice variety of vehicles, including some new ones as well as the Comic Packs, some decent Battle Packs, and the stellar work with the McQuarrie figues and the recent Wave 5 that has come out.

Over the past two months, finding new(ish) figures has gotten better too.  I'm not as happy with the distribution this year as I was in 2005, but overall I can't complain.

There's a few things that I think are lame like the Coins and UGH and a disappointing figure or two, but other than that, a very good year as it's been aimed at collectors.

Now if we find out that Sideshow is making some killer playsets next year or 2009, that will easily top 2007 (for me at least in collecting).

But the best thing about 2007 for me has been becoming a Dad.   :)

Offline Rob

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2007, 02:19 PM »
I really like the coins - they're a vintage throwback, and they're much cooler than holograms or stands if you ask me.  I wish they'd keep doing coins from here until the end.

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: 2007, Best Year Ever?
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2007, 02:23 PM »
I could go without coins or holo mini figures.  Instead of that, I'd rather they include an additional accessory that is useful for the figure, an alternate head (with a different facial expression), etc.