Hmm. I was hoping for no shipping but kind of expecting it. Seems a little steep for a new head on an existing body which doesn't appear to be the VOTC sculpt. Figure may change, I guess, but we'll see.
$44.95 minimum for the head cheese...
You and I were on the same wavelength with this one E...
I was sitting there reading the story and just pondering the $4.95 even... I'm going to be ordering up two, but even if I got enough crap for 3 of them I'd pass on the 3rd or give the paperwork to someone else who wanted it. It's a bit dull and the sculpt is sad I think (I am assuming it doesn't change). I'll get it, but I think Hasbro could market repainted astromechs and protocol droids, and people would be happier and more enthusiastic.
A Gonk Droid with the vintage paintjob? Hell I'd try for as many as I could get actually... And that woudln't be costing Hasbro a penney over the basic manufacturing costs. The mold exists, a paintjob change costs no more than a normal paintjob... It's profit for them if they still tack the $5 shipping charge on, plus it drives sales of other crap...
Plus it wouldn't be a craptacular Lucas figure nobody REALLY was asking to get. Droids, people actually want though, and not allt he paintjobs are necessarilly good candidates for regular release into the line.