JediDefender.com Forums
Collectibles => Past Hasbro 3.75" Lines => 30th Anniversary Collection => Topic started by: Morgbug on September 28, 2006, 02:11 PM
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I think there are other topics along this line, but as I poked my head into this particular topic area today, I realized I have hardly been looking at all at the Hasbro areas of the board. So I thought I'd ask if this has been the case for anyone else of late?
I still like the Hasbro figures and don't really intend to offload all of my figures as some other folks have done. But I've already started reducing my armies and don't particularly feel a need to have five death star gunners or the like. I find the new pictures of the figures with the coins interesting and some nicely done figures in that mix as well. At the same time, my completionist ways have easily dwindled as I no longer care about a repaint of a new figure very much at all and something like a Mustafar lava miner holds little interest to me.
Given most people in here are probably still pretty keen on this stuff, this might be the wrong place to ask, but I'm curious if anyone else is feeling this way at this point. I just don't really look forward to finding 60-70 figures next year, much preferring to wait on my twice per year Kubricks, seeing what Gentle Giant has for me and then a few other items.
What say you?
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I can agree with you. I haven't really been much into the 3 3/4" stuff for quite a while now. I'll pick up a figure here and there if I think it's unique but it just seems like everything is a rehash or a clone. I myself own 2 clone figures (they came in the same battle pack) and that's fine for me. I don't need and can't really afford the armies they're putting out there. And as for all the gimmicks like the Coin and the holograms, i'd rather see that money go into a unique base or more accesories. It all just seems like a waste. I will say though some of the new figures in the 30th line are nice and it's refreshing to see a different figure...
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I started a thread about this a while ago, at a time when I wasn't very into what was happeing with the figs. I understand when interest fades, but I don't feel that way right now. While all the repaints coming out this fall are a bit ho-hum, 2007 looks like it could be an excellent year. Just the idea of having 8 or so McQuarrie figures is enough to keep me giddy all year long.
Granted, I'm not into the coins, but I've given up on the hopes that Hasbro will create packi-ins that I really love. (Bases, weapons, extra hands...)
So I am very interested at the moment, but I do know how both of you feel.
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Today when I went to Target to get some stuff I thought about this. My wife had to convince me to go to the SW aisle b/c I just was not into it. I used to hit the aisle as soon as I came into store and lately it has become more of a "sure why not" thing.
I will never get rid of my stuff. I love what I have and making dioramas and displaying my armies and what not. But it is the "new" product that falls short in my eyes. And ironically as the days pass I can afford more and more stuff but I find much less interesting product arriving from big H.
Sometimes I feel like Threepio. "I'm done for" :-\
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I'm not disinterested, but I am frustrated... What is new isn't out in any quantity, there's no abundance of figures I want (Sandtroopers and Death Star Gunners at the moment, and the Endor Rebels who I've yet to see). New stuff seems in short supply...
That hurts my ENJOYMENT of things, but as far as the line goes I am even considering pre-ordering cases actually. I haven't done that in a while really. The repaints and stuff though have me very interested and the early '07 figures really impress me for the most part.
The things that kill my interest are when figures fall short of being really high quality in my opinion and it's no secret that a lot of that lies in when a figure lacks articulation at a point that it should have it irregardless of who the figure represents. Next is price... I don't mind $7 for really great figures, but for Derlin, Veers, Sora Bulq... I really start to question what I buy, and I definitely start cancelling buying "extra" of a lot of these. I lack the fodder of course then, but $7 for a figure I'm not happy with is only acceptable to get it and review it and put it in my collection.
Add then not being able to find what I actually wouldn't mind paying the rape prices for and I definitely have a lot of frustration with the line right now... I'm actually looking forward to camoflauge battledroids though, and the Clone repaints are cool... I can deal with this stuff at the end of the year, I just worry it'll be as hard to find as anything else since last year is the precedent for this situation, and finding the final figures of ROTS was a huge pain for many (myself included).
I think the more classic product for '07 we see, the more people will come around though... There's a lot of prequal stuff so far kicking it off next year and I think classic stuff may rejuvenate some interest in those fading. :)
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I'm finding myself able to curb certain parts of the collection now. For example, I just can't bring myself to buy the ROTS mid-sized ships in Saga packaging, and I haven't opened any holo figures in two years. In fact, I've tried to trade them off. The final "22" of '06 near killed it for me and I started getting rid of excess clones.
That said, if it wasn't for such a great first looking first wave for '07, who knows where I'd be?
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I've been enjoying the break. I've saved a small fortune over the last two months - and I'm going to curb my spending from here until forever on SW toys. But I'm looking forward to new figures whenever they want to put them out.
I'll just be hanging onto my $97.00 instead of buying a repainted AT AT from here on out.
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I think the problem is that most of us have been doing this collecting thing for a helluva a long time and are just burnt out a bit.
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My interest is not where it used to be. I have been picking and choosing only buying "new figures". I don't need repaints or re-releases. I skipped out on the At-At, telling myself i don't need the flip visor Biker scout. I probably won't buy the new Snowspeeder just for Zev. I am buying less and less. I know i won't get all of the collector's tins. Sideshow has gotten most of my money.
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No, I like the new coins now. The figure choices are starting to get better too. SA is a plus too from the older figures. Up until late Saga1 most of the figures were crap in articulation.
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coins sound cool to me...as long as they aren't a signal for the end as they where in the late eighties....but yes i can agree with the subject, this years collection kinda put a really big nail in starwars figure coffin. one that i didn't see coming. but after 05, i gotta say nothing will ever top that again. maybe if they just started milking the EU correctly....
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Clone Wars 3D will be happening late 07 into 08. This could be really good, and will push the line for at least two more years.
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Clone Wars 3D will be happening late 07 into 08. This could be really good, and will push the line for at least two more years.
This will help in my opinion. We need something new, or it will be 10 more years of variations on the theme of "15 new figures and 60 old ones per year"
But buying figures isn't nearly as much fun for me now as it was 8-10 years ago.
I would rather hang out on the Kubrick boards than the Hasbro boards. For one thing, the community seems tighter and less antagonistic.
I think some of the 2007 early figures look great. I'm not gone yet, but I can see the door from where I am standing-
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Sideshow has gotten most of my money.
Same here. There is alot I like about the 3/3/4 style but for my money I would rather have one ultimate version of each character than 40 Lukes that range from near misses to all out junk. I've actually started getting the ships and setting up a few basic figures in a dio centered around the ship. The ships take up so much space that it almost forces you to curb the collecting.
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I am not on the outs and losing interest. My real SW passion latley lies in customs. I still buy 90% Hasbro 3.75 items.
I am however not buying everything. The new wave's Maul Holo is a pass, the comic packs, minus Han/Chewie, are a pass. GB , H&V, some battlepacks are a pass.
I will always support the line to keep it going but I refuse to just buy anything for the sake of it. Where I lost interest is the hunt. I am 29 with a busy life, the thrill of the hunt is awesome its when you go to the store so many times and come up empty handed is where it blows harder than the finest of whores.
Even worse is when the same fat bastard in white sneakers, grizzly beard, red baseball cap, greasy glasses is in the aisle before you with all the loot. It gets old after awhile.
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I tend to vacillate between being excited about things and being completely apathetic these days. Normally my excitement for something peaks when it starts to hit and I make regular runs, but it drops to practically zero when those multiple visits to Target keep turning up nothing. The only thing that makes me worry a little bit less about the first wave of 2007 with the Marine, Airborne Trooper, etc is that it will most likely be under a new DCPI/UPC and stores will overorder, making it easier to find the Clones (I hope).
I frequently look around at the mountain of stuff behind me and think about how much time, money, and effort I've (for lack of a better word) wasted on the collection. Sure it brings me enjoyment, but I also can't help but wonder what it would be like if I'd focused on other areas instead of the action figures which would cause me much less in the way of stressful and fruitless toy runs (I really wish I'd stuck with Lego collecting instead of the 4" line).
So, um, yeah. My interest comes and goes, but it definitely isn't at the level it once was for me, at least as the 4" line is concerned.
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I just read that Jeff found three tin sets in MN. But the cost was $93 for the three of them. I think that about seals the decline of my Hasbro collecting. I am absolutely not paying $186 to get some nice tins and six figures I need to be complete. Screw it.
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If I don't start finding new stuff I'm going to.
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I think the deciding to drop completist habits makes the collecting much more fun. I used to collect every 3 3/4 figure out there. But when multipacks started coming out with one new figure, I stopped. The truth is, I don't miss what I don't have. And, in a way, if SW every stops, I'll have some holes in my collection to fill in over the years.
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All I want are mass-produced little plastic figures of characters from a series of movies I enjoy. I don't care for mini-holo gimmicks, clam-shelled collectibles, tin-encased repacks, or over-priced exclusives that are intended to make the retailer happy rather than as a way to deliver otherwise hard-to-market toys to the consumer.
Losing interest? Damn straight.
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I started collecting these as a way for my two kids to enjoy them when they are old enough. However, in the last year I've questioned whether or not they will even know/recognize Polis Massan, Gragra, or the Mustafar Lava Miner when they start to watch the movies/play with these figures. So I think that my days of getting every carded figure are definitely over. Same thing with the vehicles. I think that the Falcon, X-Wing, Anakin/Obi-Wan starfighters are on screen enough to justify buying them. But when Hasbro is on the fifth re-paint of the ROTS starfigters and fourth re-paint of the AOTC/CW starfighters, I can't keep plunking down $20-$30 for these.
I think that I'm at the point now where I can stick to Battle Packs and get the figures that they would recognize and not break the bank ($20 for a BP vs. $7+ for each individual figure). But I do know that I'll have to pick up a few of the carded figures here and there. Same with vehicles. I missed the POTF AT-AT, so I can 'justify' getting the latest release. However, if they release another one in a year or so, I won't bother.
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i actually think 2007 has BOOSTED my interest...that said, anything looks great next to the final 22 :P ...galactic marine, airborne, and mcquarrie in one wave, however, is a real blessing, and if the big H keeps gracing us with these super new army-builders all of 2007, its gonna be a pretty d*mn good year for collecting...and even opening ::)
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iits gonna be a pretty d*mn good year for collecting
You know you're allowed to curse here...
Damn damn damnity damn damn damn. Fartknocker. ****.
As for the topic, I wouldn't say that I'm losing interest, but will definitly buy less figures, because of the almost $8 pricetag.
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You know you're allowed to curse here...
Damn damn damnity damn damn damn. Fartknocker. ****.
Only if you're actually using it to say something productive.
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I am absolutely not paying $186 to get some nice tins
More like $210 (don't forget the Cantina WM tin)!
Holy ****!
;)
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Ayup, but I stopped caring about the math when I stopped caring about the tins. I filled out my Cantina band a while ago from Ebay, so no point in wasting more money. Still, the tins look cool and maybe if they cost half as much, I'd be interested.
I dunno, I'm just more of less resolved to buying stuff I see and no longer panicking about getting everything and anything Hasbro throws out there. Some of the newer stuff is great, I just opened up the bulk of the Tatooine/Endor waves and the new stuff is pretty sweet, so I still like the stuff. Just not sure I need every gummi-bear version of every figure they put out.
And could someone ask Hasbro if they're aware of the animosity they're creating with the rehash waves? I mean really, I get it from a financial standpoint with respect to the low cost of putting out old product in new packaging. But isn't this stuff just jamming up the pegs everywhere? Yeah, a few things that are army builders move really well, but what possessed them to re-release pregnant Padme? There's still six from ROTS on the pegs at Walmart and they don't bring in much stock anyway because of it. Ya gotta know the next case they put out will have the repackaged Padme in to make seven figures sitting there for all eternity.
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Just adding more bang to your cause - $210 sounds more impactful than $186! ;)
The problem with the rehash waves is timing (and logic).
Last year, Hasbro had great success with the ROTS figures because A.) there was a movie to support them and B.) the price was right.
What in holy hell possessed them to re-release so many ROTS figures in a non-movie year? Most of us already have them, and if we don't, why would we pay $6.99 (or $7.65) for them considering the same darn figures were $4.99 just over a year ago?!
Like you said, the army builders make sense, but the rest of them are just ludicrous.
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iits gonna be a pretty d*mn good year for collecting
You know you're allowed to curse here...
Damn damn damnity damn damn damn. ******. ****.
Oh...you can tell im very new here...so that being said...DAMN???!!! Why didn't I know that before?!!! :D
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You know you're allowed to curse here...
Damn damn damnity damn damn damn. Fartknocker. ****.
Only if you're actually using it to say something productive.
I was just pointing out to him that it's okay to swear on JD. One of the many things that makes this site great.
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I just read that Jeff found three tin sets in MN. But the cost was $93 for the three of them. I think that about seals the decline of my Hasbro collecting. I am absolutely not paying $186 to get some nice tins and six figures I need to be complete. Screw it.
Ya, these tins are a thorn in my side as well. I've been punk-slapped enough for posting my desire for playsets and figure environments in other boards, but these things are at a diorama type price point, take up as much space, and do absolutely nothing for me. Every excuse they make for not supporting figure environments (cost, shelf space, new tooling, lack of interest) they break for crap like this. Where has there been any interest expressed in overpriced tins with multiple repacks for ridiculous prices? Or the 50 or so transformer packs sitting on the top shelf at every target I go to?
Some of the early figures for next year look very good, but I'll be surprised if Hasbro gets more than a couple hundred dollars out of me next year. That is a very steep decline-
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My interest level has picked up a hair this month - not a ton, but a little bit.... between finding a Sandtrooper at retail, picking up some of the Naboo figures, and the Carnor Jax / Kir Kanos thing arriving yesterday.
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Minor interest right now. I don't go on the hunt at night since I am working on my masters and have classes at night, and then spend my free time with my family (might hunt and take the time for the 1st wave in Dec./Jan.) since the clones will fly out real quick. I'll get part of the 1st couple of waves and that is all. Hasbro will only get $100 to $150 out of me next year.
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Between the battle packs and the rehashes, my interest dwindles more each passing day.
Crap.
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Between the battle packs and the rehashes, my interest dwindles more each passing day.
Crap.
Your not kidding. I actually took the time out to see if there was anything worth it at Walmart. Rehashed Battlepacks and "Greatest" Battles.
And now seeing the rehashed lameness that's coming up my interest is dwindling fast. It'll probably peak back up when the first couple of waves of next years line but right now not even the clones are keeping my interest. :-\
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My interest has been gone for months now and by the looks of things, I got out at the right time. Thanks to too many ****** rehashes, crappy figures (I'm looking at you Naboo Soldier) and more and more absurd decisions being made by Hasbro (dirty Stormtroopers? What the ****?), the fun wasn't there anymore.
I'm still going to pick up any astro droids that come out as I'm a fan of the little guys and any future VOTC, but other than those my 3-¾" Hasbro days are over. I'd rather give my hard earned money to Sideshow, Medicom, Acme, etc.
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I'm actually considering selling off my carded collection. After being a carded collector for 10 years, I never thought this day would come.
I've loved collecting these figures for so long, but Hasbro broke me with their overkill. I'll grab the occasional figure if I like it, not because I feel I have to.
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Crap.
It's because the attitude at Hasbro is crap.
It's because the product (what? approaching 80%?) that is being put out is crap.
Crap.
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All one has to do is look at the last two waves for this year - every single figure is a rehash. And by rehash, I don't mean kit-bash - I mean ****** new paint.
(http://images.entertainmentearth.com//AUTOIMAGES/HS85770Jlg.jpg)
(http://images.entertainmentearth.com//AUTOIMAGES/HS85770Hlg.jpg)
And who could forget these gems? Thank god they're ****, because you'll never find these WM exclusives....
(http://www.galactichunter.com/gallery/albums/cc06-hasbro/Day%202/cc06-hasbroday2__068.jpg)
I actually miss the POTF2 days when everything on the pegs was new and somewhat fun to look for. Now it's a chore and you actually regret finding new figures because that means you have to buy them.
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I actually miss the POTF2 days when everything on the pegs was new and somewhat fun to look for. Now it's a chore and you actually regret finding new figures because that means you have to buy them.
Exactly! This hobby is supposed to be fun, not a chore. From now on I buy what I'm actually excited about, not dreading. It just doesn't make sense otherwise. And I am excited about a lot of other items.
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I don't know if I'm necessarily losing interest, because I still really like a lot of the new stuff - but its getting to the point of getting a bit overwhelming. There's just so much stuff, even just in the basic line - not to mention any "other" lines, and of course the repacks and other questionable decisions don't help things any either.
I miss the POTF2 days when things were just simpler overall. I don't miss the He-Man sculpts or anything like that, but like I've mentioned before I wouldn't mind if things were toned back and a little more limited in releases throughout the year. I mean, we are all in charge of what we buy or don't buy, but I'd rather there weren't 60-80 figures each year in the basic line - its just too hard to keep up. Plus, I'm getting to the point where I'm really running out of space, and although I don't want to pack things away I have to make some decisions what I'm going to collect. I don't want to buy things just to store away necessarily, so I need to decide what I want to have out/collect. I've never been a completist, and pretty much just buy what i want, but I can't imagine those who are completists with all of the repacks, battle packs, etc. That said, I am excited for next year (the 1st wave looks pretty spiffy to me), and I'm hoping we'll see more of that (and lots of OT product).
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The repacks make the sheer volume of stuff easier to get around, since I don't buy them, but the strange thing to me is there's actually not a lot of new stuff. There's way too much stuff, I have no space, but there's very little new or exciting. I pine for the POTF2 days a little too. All of this, with the exception of the PT, feels like somewhere we've already been. The new sculpts and articulation on the updated figs are wonderful, but I'm not excited about Veers the way I am say a Clone Wars fig because I already have one.
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I went on a Toy Run yesterday (my first since Mid-September, to show you how much my interest has dwindled) and besides a few Jerjerrods and Ewok Throne C-3POs, every single figure was a Greatest Battles figure. Not only that, but Target didn't even have any of their exclusives on the shelves, they were all in the back. I'm already cutting back, and it wouldn't suprise me if I stopped collecting by the end of 2007. The interest for me is just vanishing quickly.
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I went on a Toy Run yesterday (my first since Mid-September, to show you how much my interest has dwindled) and besides a few Jerjerrods and Ewok Throne C-3POs, every single figure was a Greatest Battles figure. Not only that, but Target didn't even have any of their exclusives on the shelves, they were all in the back.
That said, I am excited for next year (the 1st wave looks pretty spiffy to me), and I'm hoping we'll see more of that (and lots of OT product).
There's a big part of the dilemma for me as well. Up north we tend to have much poorer retail distribution. We have fewer stores that carry and sell through less product. Once Christmas rolls past, we're in a drought that may last from one to eight months. With all of the Heroes and Villains (yes, that's right, there's not been much of a release yet of GB stuff) clogging up the pegs, there will be no interest in bringing in new stock based on the justification that it no longer sells. There 23 Bib Fortunas at one of our local TRUs that refuses to mark them down and nobody went in and bought an OTC Madine to get the free Bib during that sale ::)
Crappy retailers + craptastic repackaged figures from a crap minded manufacturer = death. Or crap, if I'm sticking to my theme.
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Many good points made. The overwhelming amount of product the last couple years has caused me to resent what is being produced, more specifically stuff from the prequels. I'm just Cloned out.
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I'm not losing interest, I've just seen my spending cut way way back over last year, more on par where it was with OTC. Getting out of a carded/loose set before AOTC was a huge step and one I am so glad I made. I've been able to pick and choose repacks/repaints/resculpts none of which really bother me.
The repaints in the final 22 don't faze me, I am leaving the majority on the pegs...just getting the new clones and "new" figs (holo's and astromechs)
I can pass on crap like all of the GB stuff and still enjoy getting all new figures. I still get excited by getting new stuff, the first wave of 2007 has a new Mace, SBD and Obi as well as the Clones and Lava Miner, I can't wait to get all of those. I also can't wait to see if the 2007 list is accurate. They have really done well with the line as far as figure likeness, articulation and accessories over the last few years. Part of me hopes for an almost complete resculpt of POTF2 as they have been peppering in to the line and closing out some of my top 60. There's enough here to keep me coming back. The key element is letting go of completionism, to me at least
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I still get excited by getting new stuff, the first wave of 2007 has a new Mace, SBD and Obi
While I agree with you in regards to the first wave of next year, I thought the Obi was a rehash of the ROTS Pilot figure (sans the accessories, and of course, coin).
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I can pass on crap like all of the GB stuff and still enjoy getting all new figures. I still get excited by getting new stuff, the first wave of 2007 has a new Mace, SBD and Obi as well as the Clones and Lava Miner, I can't wait to get all of those. I also can't wait to see if the 2007 list is accurate. They have really done well with the line as far as figure likeness, articulation and accessories over the last few years. Part of me hopes for an almost complete resculpt of POTF2 as they have been peppering in to the line and closing out some of my top 60. There's enough here to keep me coming back. The key element is letting go of completionism, to me at least
This is something I'd actually like to see as well. The sculpting and overall look of the figures has come a long way since the POTF2 days, and although some of those figures are still pretty good - I think we'd be surprised how much they can be improved upon. That's a lot of the reason I hold off on picking up some of the POTF2 figures I'm missing, I'm waiting to see if there will be resculpts.
The points about there not being all that much "new" stuff is pretty accurate as well. I was just looking over my purchases for the years, and not counting any extras I picked up, I picked up 36 of the basic figures so far this year (not counting the "Final 22"). Add in the 5 VTSC figures, and that's 41 new figures I've picked up this year (plus a couple of the exclusives). I must be buying way too much "extra" stuff (plus extra figures), because that - along with the high prices of exclusive figures - has my spending for the year a lot higher than it should be. Especially seeing that I've only picked up about 40 new figures this year. Too much extra stuff I guess :). I am really looking forward to 2007 though, from the looks/rumors so far, it could be a good year.
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The retailers are backed up to the crapper with greatest battles figures. I think they produced more H&V and GB than the saga line. And at 7.00 each, it;s going to take some time, holiday sales, and grandma's with money but no idea what is cool to clear things up.
In the mean time, I just keep drifting further and further away. I'm glad I picked up Mace's sqaud, but now I don't know what else I'm looking forward to. Scratch that, I do. And it's Kubricks.
Edit: I almost forgot the tins- I think crap-in-a-can is the industry term for these.
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Edit: I almost forgot the tins- I think crap-in-a-can is the industry term for these.
I actually like my tins Dan. I'm not an opener and I think they look great in the package. As far as loosing interest in the line, well I'm not quite there but my wallet sure is. Hasbro did make me raise an eyebrow with this GB, H & V, and then the GH repack sets though. I'm not about to abandon Hasbro and get into Kubricks or anything else because that's going to lead me into higher end product - the only other SW stuff that's out there.
Though I have to say that this is the first year out of six where I've actually questioned myself as to why I'm buying something that I already have a ton of in the first place. I've always been a huge sucker for the packaging, the presentation. Even as a kid, I'd save all my shoe boxes and game console boxes of which I still have most (the consoles that is.)
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Edit: I almost forgot the tins- I think crap-in-a-can is the industry term for these.
I actually like my tins Dan. I'm not an opener and I think they look great in the package.
Sorry- I wasn't looking to offend anyone who likes the tins. Actually, knowing that you are a carded/boxed collector, I think this type of item is more focused on collectors like you. I keep a few things carded, but to an opener, they a kick in the shorts. I would like to get about 4 of the figures in the 6 tins. To get those 4 I would need to buy, you guessed it, 4 of the tins. 120.00 for 4 figures.
Maybe I'm just bitter because I'm an opener and I want playsets/figure environments. I'm sick of packaging and trinkets. But I think I can take a cue from a common theme in this thread, collect only what you want. I'm just disappointed there is so little I want on the shelves.
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Maybe I'm just bitter because I'm an opener and I want playsets/figure environments. I'm sick of packaging and trinkets. But I think I can take a cue from a common theme in this thread, collect only what you want. I'm just disappointed there is so little I want on the shelves.
Try being an OT collector last year during ROTS or between now and whenever OT stuff shows up again during next years "2nd Anniversary of Rots" Collection.
I don't ever lose interest, but I lose momentum. Now that I have Endor II figures and 2 of each tin, I am done for the year, with the exception of a few Multi-packs/exclusives.
Like a few others, collecting for me is the 3 3/4in line. It was in '78 when I got started and always will be. I've tried to get other stuff...prop blasters, Mini-busts, Bust-ups, Sideshow 12 inch, mini-unleashed etc..they just aren't the "hook" for me in the Star Wars world.
When the line ends I'll do what I did in the 80's..pick up Vintage (or in this case Modern) stuff at Garage Sales/Flea Markets.
I'll stick with the line till they kill it. I just hope they release OT figures till 2018 or at least interesting OT based EU figs.
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Edit: I almost forgot the tins- I think crap-in-a-can is the industry term for these.
I actually like my tins Dan. I'm not an opener and I think they look great in the package.
Sorry- I wasn't looking to offend anyone who likes the tins. Actually, knowing that you are a carded/boxed collector, I think this type of item is more focused on collectors like you.
No offense on the tins Dan ;) I just thought it was time that somebody stood up for these things.
**Obviously I don't know how to work this double quote thing.
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i actually think 2007 has BOOSTED my interest...that said, anything looks great next to the final 22 :P ...galactic marine, airborne, and mcquarrie in one wave, however, is a real blessing, and if the big H keeps gracing us with these super new army-builders all of 2007, its gonna be a pretty d*mn good year for collecting...and even opening ::)
may i change what i said about a month ago? i LIKE certain figs in the Final 22 at least half as a matter of fact. I am extremely excited for that 442nd battalion clone as i have made abundantly clear. I love the clone sargent, appo, and the vtsc biker repainted, kashyyyk trooper, and kitik is just a cool character i didnt grab both times around ( AND i have a pet mantis named Kitik- i kid you not! :) ) . basicly wut im saying is that just because its a ******* repaint, rehash, kitbash, repack doesnt mean it cant be an awesome fig. p.s. its november...where's wave 8???!!!! ???
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not trying to be mean or anything. i just find it funny how a lot of people complain about paying $7 for figures. try paying $10 normal price everywhere you go. thats a pain. although it never really makes me want to stop. some of the new figures are really cool. some are not. i sometimes wish hasbro had better ties with canada so we could get the cool stuff. (mace BP,501st BP last couple of waves coming out for the SAGA line) but then again i know either way im not going to finish the sets and i just like getting certain figures to make displays anyways. its fun its a hobby...even if it does stick its hand in your wallet .
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Wow. I have to say, I'm absolutely ashamed by the poor support of the line in this thread. Many of the posts are downright mean-spirited. I hope to God that the good folks at Hasbro don't monitor this board and read threads like this. No wonder they have such a hard time responding to collector desires sometimes, if people acted like this when asking me for something I sure wouldn't be very inspired to make them happy either.
Here are some FACTS that seem to be completely overlooked by many of the contributors to this thread:
(1) This is a TOY line. The main target for these toys is KIDS. This means that not every release is aimed at providing maximum enjoyment to collectors. This is how the line survives, by remaining popular to kids who want main characters over and over and don't mind a repaint much because they only have 5% of what has been released.
(2) Hasbro does NOT force you guys to buy EVERY figure. This is absolutely your own silly idea. Why you think Hasbro should not release product that will sell to the mass market in a new package just because you don't want to shell out for it again I will never understand. Here's what you have to do... try to follow along now... DON'T BUY IT A SECOND TIME. And don't then come in here saying "You know what? I'm not falling for this trap to get me to buy this CRAP again!!!! Hasbro SUX!!!" There is NO TRAP. They are making a product that is aimed at a different audience and that will help support the line and provide them with the funds they need to make more stuff we DO want to have. This is a win for everybody.
(3) Just because a toy has been released before does not mean that when it is released again it is suddenly CRAP. Please reference number 1. The kids out there do not own every figure that has been released... either because they couldn't find it or they couldn't afford it or they didn't know it existed. Hasbro can cheaply produce more of these figures and sell boatloads of them to kids that will truly appreciate them. WHY DOES THIS MAKE HASBRO EVIL???
(4) Has anybody in here even SEEN the 2007 line??? Hasn't it occurred to anyone that the reason the last 27 (or whatever) figures this year are repaints is because they are gearing up to give us a MASSIVE line of incredible sculpts that specifically cater to us next year???
Hasbro is not anywhere near perfect... they often make questionable decisions. And I have no problem with people voicing what those issues are. But this is not an exact science. They are trying to balance the needs of two very differant markets, and excite both of them. I don't think the line can succeed without both of those markets. They obviously are doing what they can to please as many people as possible, while still making enough money to continue making the line profitable. People need to give them some credit, and remain somewhat polite to the people who obviously enjoy these toys as much as we do, but have certain priorities that have to be met.
I am appalled of the mud slinging and ignorance being thrown about here. It truly makes me ashamed to be associated with other "collectors".
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give it to them poddie! when i go to the store and see the KIDS picking up the figures there not saying i allready have this and that. they just want more and only the ones that they remember. as many waves as hasbro makes is as many waves of kids starting to buy this plastic junk so let hasbro make kids happy and they will make you happy by making a figure that was on the film for 30 seconds.
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Appalled? Gee, that hurt.
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Poddie, I've got to step in and say that you've got to tone it down a bit with the hostility... Around these boards, everyone's opinion is welcomed and accepted... When you disagree, disagree with tact and respect please. Talking down to people in this thread isn't earning you any admiration from the staff much less the membership...
You're entitled to disagree and voice that, but don't act like you know the toy line/industry better than anyone else... And don't judge how other people collect (and how/what is important to them in collecting impacts their feelings on the line and how they'll continue to collect or cease to do so). This thread pretty much should've been a red flag to you by its title if you truly feel the way you do...
And to point a few things out...
I have to say, I'm absolutely ashamed by the poor support of the line in this thread.
Are you, seriously? I mean... I didn't sculpt or design anything at Hasbro to feel shame when people criticize the way anything came out of Pawtucket... I think this is a tad bit of an overreaction to something very petty. Hell, knowing what I do about the people at Hasbro, I can safely say they actually care to an extent, and also are able to take the criticisms and work with them (or not if they deem it so).
I hope to God that the good folks at Hasbro don't monitor this board and read threads like this.
Well, the good folks at Hasbro do monitor this board... And others. They read the praise and criticism alike... They've been quite responsive about it actually, and the negative feelings people have in the collecting community (at large) have spurred change at Hasbro over the years. Good change too...
So cracking down on opinions you feel are too harsh isn't really positive for the line or the community... Hasbro are big boys and girls, and I'm positive their hopes and dreams aren't shattered because Joe Blow thinks that the new EU figure sucks eggs, or that too many repacked figures are driving a completist from the hobby.
Personally I empathize with the completists on some level and I think I try to empathize with all the various collectors with all their various "habits" because I have my own collecting quirks that I know annoy the **** out of me when Hasbro drops the ball and I'm unhappy... It's nice to have the support, especially when you feel like you're the only one thinking that way. Sometimes Hasbro hears that gripe and changes, sometimes they don't really care because they have a plan and run with it. Sometimes they're wrong and sometimes they're right too... I think sometimes Hasbro actually DOES appreciate the input they get at the forums around the net though like ours. Actually, I'm quite certain they are happy to get the feedback.
I am appalled of the mud slinging and ignorance being thrown about here. It truly makes me ashamed to be associated with other "collectors".
Like I said... Are you really? Criticism of toys and Hasbro's business plans for the line are hardly mud slinging... Some of the gripes are clearly poorly voiced, but at the end of the day Hasbro will either take it or leave it as they feel best suits them, and they're not hurt by the feelings in this thread... so you have to ask yourself a question then; Why are you?
I'm not ashamed by anyone's opinion in this thread, and I honestly don't agree with all of it... Some points I do agree, but my attitude is pumped for new stuff, and I like the repaints we're getting... Some of the repacks are good for me too next year.
At the same time though, I can see where a guy who wants 1 of every carded figure (because that's his personal choice as to how he collects and feels a true "collection" should look) is a little sick of buying the umpteenth Cantina Han Solo, or Pilot Obi-Wan, or Slashing Attack Anakin, or whatever... I know where that guy is coming from for sure, especially when you see some of those choices selling so dismally.
BTW, about price (wholely separate point I'm making here)...
And I don't mean to sound like a jerk about this either, so don't take it that way you Canuckleheads, but for me it's the same as if I complained about what I pay for the Hot Toys Snap Kit figures I buy from Asia... Or for a more close-to-home example, a Kubrick-a-holic complaining about what he pays to get Kubricks imported to him here.
Sure I want to bitch a storm up that I pay $15 a figure for my Snap Kit figures and my buddy in Japan pays I think like $5 US per figure or something... I forget what he told me... But the fact is I'm getting something that I have to "import" and it's just where I live that impacts the cost...
Hey I'd hate the sales tax I'd have to pay in NYC or LA too... I live in Pittsburgh though and my sales tax is minimal compared to some. I bitch about $7 because in my home, $7 is high-priced... I can get military figures in the same scale for $5. I think $7 is too high for these small figures and I'm hoping for a price decrease at some point after the line's popularity starts to dwindle.
Like I said though, I can still feel the pain of my Canadian friends too... But I also don't buy your toys, so since I buy my own toys I bitch about the prices I have to pay, not yours. ;)
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Jesse, I agree with most of what you say. I think the difference I see is that they are calling the line crap and judging what Hasbro does in very hostile ways without even considering why Hasbro does things that way. There seems to be no appreciation that collectors are not the only market, and that the kids are keeping the line afloat as much as the collectors are (if not more).
I have absolutely no problem with pointing out the flaws of figures or choices, I just question the language and harshness it is done with in this thread (particularly the constant use of the word crap to describe toys that are re-released, which to me does not make it a less cool toy, it just makes it something I don't need to buy). If Hasbro thinks there are still a few little Jimmie's out there who need a Cantina Han and it doesn't sit on the pegs tool long (meaning they're right), I say go for it and release him again! There are obviously some figs where Hasbro overestimates the demand (too many Vaders) and these are valid criticisms, but that still does not make the 500th Vader crap.
I do wish there was somewhere where I could post where it seems like people take into account the reasoning behind Hasbro's actions, while still pointing out where they can improve. I come to this site for your reviews which are by far the best and most accurate, and I would love to be able to use the forum, but the judgmental (which appears undeserved in most cases) attitude of what seems like 70% of the posters in here is a major deterrent.
It would be one thing if Hasbro was making decisions that are unpopular with collectors for no reason, but that is clearly not the case in most instances.
And I still can not drum up an ounce of sympathy for those who feel that Hasbro is tricking them in some way by releasing toys that are wanted by others but not them. They really should realize that it is not their obligation to buy everything... it just doesn’t make sense when Hasbro has very good (and beneficial to many) reasons for re-releasing things.
That all said, I will try to tone it down. I love this site's news/reviews, and certainly do not want to provoke the ire of its creator(s). :)
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I am more excited after seeing the Yavin Wave. I am skipping the tins and all of the Heroes and Villans or whatever those repacks lately were called. I am looking forward to a few of the Final 22 figures - not many though.
I am looking forward to getting some of the figures with those coins. I have to admit I like the idea of getting a complete set of them. Why? Nostalgia from the old POTF coins mainly. For some reason I'm excited now for the coins. I wish they would still throw in the stands but I can always get those online if I need more.
Yeah, if the Fett figure is going to be the quality we get for those McQuarrie figures then I'm quite excited for those. I still have frustrations with the repacks and suck. I am not thrilled for the Saga Legends to be honest....although I like several of the Fan's Choice ones we will be getting. So, I just take the good with the bad I suppose.
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There seems to be no appreciation that collectors are not the only market, and that the kids are keeping the line afloat as much as the collectors are (if not more).
I agree that collectors are not the only market, however, if I'm reading this correctly, you are actually insinuating kids play a larger role in keeping the line afloat? Then I feel you are mostly wrong and somewhat right about this ..depending on a POV.
I feel like the 'kids market' is larger(but maybe equal to collectors market) in/around movie years. All those years after the movies when in the mid-90's the Hasbro SW line was supported mostly by collectors IMO(which is harder to swallow considering today's improved quality). The sheer amount of store exclusives increasing in number every year coupled with the rather distinguishable presence of kids in conventions' QA sessions could also be used as a guage to support this argument for a pro-collector friendly argument. I'd say mostly..in non- movie years the SW basic line is about 60-40 or maybe even 65-35 collectors versus kids. In a movie year it gets closer to even with every year near Christmas being probably in favor of kids..or parents buying them for gifts for the market buying the product.
From a collector standpoint, of course I feel alot of the rerelease stuff is crap. Is it really crap though, since I did already buy it once and didn't feel it was crap at THAT time? When you see it over and over again it becomes crap. When I see the same figures (rereleases..Greatest hits,battles HandV ect) on the shelves and you visit the store often enough to know they're not selling,rather sitting, preventing newer stuff from landing at the store, I tend to feel their crap :P-and believe me kids aren't buying it either ::).
Where you could be correct, and-only if you look at it the following way is that if you'd realize many, MANY of us are just big kids who have to have our toys still...and, like many a kid nowadays in public schools speaks,can identify wordage of when something 'sucks' or is 'crap' too. If this were the case, though, you really had no peaceful reason to place an argument here in this thread segregating the kid from the adult collector and insulting many members here at the same time.
" I am appalled of the mud slinging and ignorance being thrown about here. It truly makes me ashamed to be associated with other "collectors". "
Again,look at the thread title..you could call it a 'feeling' thread...there's absolutley nothing wrong with folks coming in and saying how they feel about the current figure situation.
If, you are actually appalled of words like 'crap' (I can think of far worse), than I think it demonstrates your naivety of the real world's workings. It's a forum, man, not a place where you think how the world should be.
DS
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Sorry for the DP
My interest has waned a bit..but, I think it's part of typical cycle generated from the manufacturer. It seems that every year in the summer through fall (3 out of the last 4 years) I begin to lose interest at ?coincidentally? the same time Hasbro's annual 'refresher line' hits (greatest battles,hits, heroes and villians, hall of fame,ect). Then, miraculously, Hasbro releases pics of their new line for next year and then ?coincidentally? my interest peaks up again.
It appears Hasbro uses 'refresher lines' to peak kid/child interest(I don't know who else) by overshipping these so there are too many on the shelves to rot through the pre-holiday season so parents will buy this bantha fodder for Xmas gifts. Then, it seems post holidays, newer toys with new sculpts,coolness, are introduced(collector focused ;D) to peak my interest again. EX:I couldn't wait to get the new Leia Boush, Bib, or General Veers and ATAT Driver sculpts at the beginning of this year. Now it's several other figs with the 2007 line I can hardly wait for ..like Christmas after Christmas..phew.
So, I think my interest loss is an annual temporary thing whether intentionally or not created by Hasbro.
DS
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I only collect new sculpts of figures or they have to look really good to buy them yet again,or new in general like Rep been,naboo soldier,and such,I'm having a hard time finding the new ones.My interest has never really faltered.just discourged.Trying to find them.with gas prices and all I don't run all over creation and not find nothing.
With the new ones coming out I'm excieted on the one hand and disheartend on the other.The only one I'm looking for right now is the colored Endor trooper I've manged
to find the others,Barely.My SW collectors club is helping alot.I can't wait to get Darth Reven.I was hoping they'll do figures of that line something totally new not a rehash of the same figures all the time
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There seems to be no appreciation that collectors are not the only market, and that the kids are keeping the line afloat as much as the collectors are (if not more).
I agree that collectors are not the only market, however, if I'm reading this correctly, you are actually insinuating kids play a larger role in keeping the line afloat? Then I feel you are mostly wrong and somewhat right about this ..depending on a POV.
I feel like the 'kids market' is larger(but maybe equal to collectors market) in/around movie years. All those years after the movies when in the mid-90's the Hasbro SW line was supported mostly by collectors IMO(which is harder to swallow considering today's improved quality). The sheer amount of store exclusives increasing in number every year coupled with the rather distinguishable presence of kids in conventions' QA sessions could also be used as a guage to support this argument for a pro-collector friendly argument. I'd say mostly..in non- movie years the SW basic line is about 60-40 or maybe even 65-35 collectors versus kids. In a movie year it gets closer to even with every year near Christmas being probably in favor of kids..or parents buying them for gifts for the market buying the product.
From a collector standpoint, of course I feel alot of the rerelease stuff is crap. Is it really crap though, since I did already buy it once and didn't feel it was crap at THAT time? When you see it over and over again it becomes crap. When I see the same figures (rereleases..Greatest hits,battles HandV ect) on the shelves and you visit the store often enough to know they're not selling,rather sitting, preventing newer stuff from landing at the store, I tend to feel their crap :P-and believe me kids aren't buying it either ::).
Where you could be correct, and-only if you look at it the following way is that if you'd realize many, MANY of us are just big kids who have to have our toys still...and, like many a kid nowadays in public schools speaks,can identify wordage of when something 'sucks' or is 'crap' too. If this were the case, though, you really had no peaceful reason to place an argument here in this thread segregating the kid from the adult collector and insulting many members here at the same time.
" I am appalled of the mud slinging and ignorance being thrown about here. It truly makes me ashamed to be associated with other "collectors". "
Again,look at the thread title..you could call it a 'feeling' thread...there's absolutley nothing wrong with folks coming in and saying how they feel about the current figure situation.
If, you are actually appalled of words like 'crap' (I can think of far worse), than I think it demonstrates your naivety of the real world's workings. It's a forum, man, not a place where you think how the world should be.
DS
I have no idea what the actual breakdown is, but I do believe that without one or the other (collectors/kids) the line would be in trouble, or at the least nowhere near as profitable for Hasbro as it is. I'm just saying I think people have to realize that they are marketing to two distinct groups who have differant tastes and they do the best they can. But everything is a compromise...
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I agree with and do realize their(manufacturer) compromises. I just feel they suck at it at times is all.
a much nicer reply Poddie :)
DS
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2007 seems to be geared very heavily toward fans-- the "Legends" collection seems almost squarely aimed at people who complain they can't get enough Clones, the regular figures seem loaded with really awesome, requested figures (new DS Trooper, Galactic Marine, Airborne Trooper, etc.)
The only real problem of boredom seems to come up when Hasbro totally ignores a popular "subset" of the line, which they've been very good at since 2005. For example, Cantina aliens-- fans of the Cantina have been gifted with Hem Dazon, and that's the only 100% new Cantina alien since the Myo/Gotal/Smoker wave. And Jabba's Palace? Man. We haven't had a brand new alien from there since, I believe, Tanus Spijek/Elom.
I just want to see something new, and by new, I mean a figure that I can bring home and nobody will go "don't you already have this?" and I then say "yeah, but this band member has a cloth shirt thing on over it and a tin!"
Still, McQuarrie Boba Fett... it's hard to deny that's going to be fun. Those first two waves, plus the Delta Squad sets, plus the Death Star Briefing, plus Andy Warhol's Darth Vader in the comic packs... how can a fan not at least be a little more interested today than they were a year ago?
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Poddie, it's cool man and I'm with you on a lot of the matter too, don't get me wrong... Like Adam said above me here it's tough for me personally NOT to be excited for next year compared to this past year... I agree iwth that, but of course there are people who really don't look at Concept stuff and go ga-ga either and I think there are a lot of those folks...
For me, if I can BS it into a cantina diorama I'm happy... I mean I have Snap Kit PRedators in my Cantina having a beer so I'm happy with the Concept Fett and love it. I like Revan for what he is and my disappointment in that figure is that he hasn't got compatriots from the game to make a "set".
I'm with you though on a lot of your viewpoints, I just try to be sympathetic to the plights of others too and not look negatively upon how they feel... Not everyone is going to offer a small novel of constructive criticism and those people I rarely respond to, except to ask them to elaborate. :-\ I think this thread started out fairly well though and has a lot more than people just saying they hate this or that...
It's hard for me not to bitch a little about some of the points too, such as the tin sets. $30-ish (I can't find them much cheaper at least) for some figures I already had, only a couple I desperately want, some that are just new enough to piss me off, and tins that I really do think would display nice... I dunno. That just annoys me.
But yeah, I mean looking ahead to 2007 I'm incredibly excited for some of that stuff, if not most of it. At least the first 2 waves of basics look sharp... and that Rebel Guard is the best Rebel Army Builder ever... Sad and great at the same time. :)
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Still, McQuarrie Boba Fett... it's hard to deny that's going to be fun.
Who wouldn't want a figure with a "bun in the oven", so to speak. :P
I still think there's a pile of crap out there and I'm not going to alter my opinion on that. When Hasbro makes a conscious decision to put a substandard figure into a box set (commtech stormtrooper versus a newer mold) then I'm not about to heap praise on them.
When they re-release a substandard figure on a new cardback (commtech Han anyone?) they are only marginally targeting the kids. My take is that kids are keen on seeing PT stuff more so than OT stuff. Granted it's a wise marketing decision to keep a Vader, Luke, Han and Chewie on the pegs at all times, but there's no need to put out a figure for the 9th time. We have better, different sculpts available and all they are doing is cheaping out. Yes, I understand the economics of the situation, but I think most feel that the initial costs are the sculpting and creation of the mold. Once that exists, it's all gravy for that particular sculpt down the line, so why keep putting out a lower quality version?
Releasing $30 tin sets ($40 in Canada) that have at best three kit bashes and one new figure isn't gouging both collectors and kids alike? I dunno, to me it seems like an effective strategy to prepare people for even higher prices for single figures down the road. I've seen parents buying kids the tins and they don't really balk at the prices but then they don't have 500 plus figures at home either, so it's not an impact. And it's not just Hasbro that's done this. It's irritating when any line releases a figure only in a box set. Toy Biz is the master of this (or was.
Most of what I say around here is mildly tinged with sarcasm anyway, so don't take it too seriously. But you can rest assured that I've no great need to blow sunshine up Hasbro's butt either. When it's good, I'll say so. When it's not, that's fair game too. And I'll have fun doing both where I can. I think that McQuarrie Fett is pretty neat, at least once you close up the toaster oven on his tummy. I'm sorry, but that begs to be mocked. And don't worry, I buy what I want and leave behind what I don't. All my figures (well, not TF Vader) are loose and if there is something carded, it's a duplicate so I could personally care less about rehashes except for the fact that they routinely end up clogging the pegs preventing the arrival of newer releases and oft times resulting in entire waves being missed. (see DS' arguments regarding H&V, GB)
As for the kid/collector split, if you dig up the panel session from C3 with Hasbro, they readily admit that in a movie year, kids are the larger portion of the market but non-movie years collectors are the stronger market. I don't see any movies on the horizon but then I'm seldom accused of being an optimist (happy idiot in my terms). You are correct though, we need both.
Face it, Creature Cantina sucks. Oops, I'm supposed to be bashing Hasbro here. Well, they suck too.
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I think Hasbro has too many bases to cover to satisfy everybody. Everyone has their thing, and that's great, and something somewhere suffers, whether it's Padme, or Jabba's Palace, or what have you. I am very excited about next year. The basic line seems to be correcting a lot of bad trends this year (reduced articulation) and the Legends line is just a gift in terms of some of its offerings. I can see where a lot of it bores the hell out of us - some of those figures have been done to death - but we're not the only mouth Hasbro needs to feed. And we're getting clones and droids and who knows what else - the line is only mapped out through August - it will go on much longer.
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I would have said yes to this about the middle of this year, but after seeing next years stuff, that's exciting.
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Drama aside...
I can see when anyone begins to loose interest. There's a lot of factors that help to contribute and each is a justified excuse. That said, when the final 22 of 06 was announced, I was really on the edge, a lot of product that wasn't too exciting. However, 07 is bringing me back, so far (with only two waves announced,) next years offerings look really sharp IMO and I can't wait to get ahold of them.
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Drama aside...
I can see when anyone begins to loose interest. There's a lot of factors that help to contribute and each is a justified excuse. That said, when the final 22 of 06 was announced, I was really on the edge, a lot of product that wasn't too exciting. However, 07 is bringing me back, so far (with only two waves announced,) next years offerings look really sharp IMO and I can't wait to get ahold of them.
Exactly... when the Final 22 was announced. I was rather unmoved by it... same with Naboo. Some new figures there, but nothing that got me excited.
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Next Year is putting me back in too. I was beginning to stop, but next year look fantastic. and with Legends coming, It going to be fun. its just like EP1 years ago, after that line was POTJ alot of collectors was losing interest in SW, and SAGA collection drove collectors back. that is probably hasbro battle plan. Have a great year, then the next year have a lousy year, then a great year again.
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<snip>
All my figures (well, not TF Vader) are loose and if there is something carded, it's a duplicate so I could personally care less about rehashes except for the fact that they routinely end up clogging the pegs preventing the arrival of newer releases and oft times resulting in entire waves being missed. (see DS' arguments regarding H&V, GB)
Just to nitpick, it's usually collectors who scoop stuff up-- it's there, you just miss it. A Wal-Mart near me got five or six cases of Wave 8 on Wednesday, and there wasn't a trace of them as of about two hours ago. Obviously, YMMV, all stores are different, and Kmart usually sucks... but this is frequently the case. They make tens if not hundreds of thousands of these things, they're ending up somewhere.
If an item gets repacked and it continues to sell well, well, I can't blame Hasbro for wanting to sell the same Han in a dozen different boxes. The lifespan of an action figure at retail has really shrank in recent years, back when I was a kid it wasn't unusual for a toy to be on the market for two years. Now it's like, what, three months? So yeah, I'm sick of seeing the same Han Solo time and again, but if it helps Hasbro's bottom line and it sells well, I'm not going to lose any sleep over that stuff. When the line gets bad enough, I'll step back-- like the Transformers Movie stuff from next year, just not likin' it. (But McQuarrie figures and ANH human troopers? Yes please. )
I like the stuff. Not everything, of course, but I prefer not to dwell on motorcycles and the SW Transformers when there's other stuff that's worth wasting time/money on. :)
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It's not that Brent's missing them because he walked into a store five minutes late, they never show up due the peg clogging figures already there. Walmart doesn't give a **** about wave this or wave that, they just order SW figures. If the pegs are empty, they order more. If they're filled with crap, they don't.
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Like I said, YMMV. My Wal-Marts are absolutely stuffed with H*V figures, and yet they get new Saga cases. About half a dozen of Wave 8 was there on Wednesday and gone this morning. It's not just "five minutes" but a day or two at times, and crap or no crap, it seems all the dozen plus stores I frequent keep getting new stuff in.
Except Kmart, they suck.
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Like I said, YMMV.
And, as Brent (Morgbug) is in Canada (you know, a place where they don't actually get every wave thanks to Hasbro Canada and not just because he missed them) his milage varies quite a bit from yours in Sunny SoCal... ;)
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Like I said, YMMV.
And, as Brent (Morgbug) is in Canada (you know, a place where they don't actually get every wave thanks to Hasbro Canada and not just because he missed them) his milage varies quite a bit from yours in Sunny SoCal... ;)
Well, that's Canada, where any and all toy shipments are purely coincidental. :)
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I live in SOCAL and I totally agree with Mikey and Brent
The only store that got wave 7 (the first 22-says wave 7 on the cases) is the exact store I caught a store employee removing dozens upon dozens of rehash GB,HV ect from the shelves a week earlier to go to their whse a stold by the employee..coincidence? The other 3 WM are yet to see the new stuff and ARE stuffed by HandV, GB ect.
Did I fail to mention that all 4 stores skipped wave 6 (Endor) except the one that I just mentioned above only after they 'coincidently' removed the crap figures the week before?
If your in the LA side of the mountains Adam, I understand from many collectors in that area that not much stays on the pegs for long......it's not realistic to compare your millions of people area to other rural areas in the US or elsewhere.
TheDS
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My experiences in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ were pretty much identical. Actually, stuff was easier to get there than it was in LA, and when I lived in Phoenix, people in LA always told me stuff was harder to get here. I've also had people that live in tiny towns like Cottonwood who have had no problems finding anything reasonably expected to be found there (open stock stuff) and complained that some "rare" items (MODS 2-pack) were pegwarming.
When I go back to Phoenix, I go to about 8 Wal-Marts-- because that's what I do when I have time to kill. The stuff is usually out there if you hit enough stores regularly. If you only have 2 stores in your area, well, that's a different story, but Tucson was a smaller (but not tiny) town and I had no problem tracking down Skiffs there as well as Simpsons figures and everything else when my radius was limited to where my feet could pedal my bike.
One town's pegwarmers are another town's gold. YMMV. It's like the whole Unleashed thing-- Hasbro claims a lot of stores were choking on them. The stores I visited indicated otherwise. And as stated above, I've had many people in rural areas go on about how whatever exclusive is clogging their pegs when the rest of the country is hunting them like madmen. Still, the stuff often filters in eventually assuming you didn't miss your two- or three-day window of opportunity to snag it. (Sure it sucks, but them's the breaks. I'm not here to discuss some sort of utopian collector project.)
If you live in a town with two stores, well, yeah, it's unrealistic to expect to be able to find everything without a little extra help from outside the community. But that wasn't the argument I came to make, I just came to post and say "yes, I am enjoying the new figures." :) Except the freaking Cantina Band tin I can't find and am convinced hasn't hit LA yet as I've been hitting 1-2 of the 3 "reasonable" Wal-Marts in my area every day or two.
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If you live in a town with two stores, well, yeah, it's unrealistic to expect to be able to find everything without a little extra help from outside the community.
Which was exactly my point. I'll wager there's alot of folks like that in here too.
Actually, those cantina tins only hit one of our 4 stores here in the desert in SOCAL..they probably just haven't hit(distributed) everywhere yet.
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I am pretty sure that i mentioned earlier that my interest had diminished, but my love for the old POTF coins has made me love the new coins. The figures we have seen thus far look good, so i am being more optimistic than i was a while ago. We will see how things turn out once they are released.
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If you live in a town with two stores, well, yeah, it's unrealistic to expect to be able to find everything without a little extra help from outside the community.
Which was exactly my point. I'll wager there's alot of folks like that in here too.
Actually, those cantina tins only hit one of our 4 stores here in the desert in SOCAL..they probably just haven't hit(distributed) everywhere yet.
Well, Canada is a lot like Siberia, but to qualify:
Walmart: 6 stores in town, 3 more within 1 hour.
Zellers (like a poor man's Target or a rich man's K-mart): 6 stores
Superstore: kinda like Meijers (for the midwesterners): 6 stores
TRU: 2 stores.
So it's not that there's not much here and if it comes, I know about it and usually find it.
The original point remains though. Much of this stuff clogs the pegs (rehashes/recards) and that results in waves not making it to local retail. How do I know? snowtroopers.ca has store reports from across Canada and I can see what does and doesn't arrive elsewhere. Those thrice weekly visits tell me what's in the store and what's moving and not moving.
Anway, I have relatively little to complain about right now as the Endboo wave is clogging the pegs and there are US locales that have little or none of that wave. Once the last 22 shows up, if it even does (historically we get the shaft on the last 1-3 waves of every series of cards produced), then I'll be happy. Sort of. Ok, not really, I'll still be bitching.
As for helping Hasbro's bottom line, that's good for me too, because ultimately I still collect these things, albeit much more selectively than a lot of folks on the boards. BUT....I don't recall a figure having a two year life span (sorry, I was drinking beer and dating girls during the vintage era, I kept my geek under wraps until after I was married) during POTF2. Yeah, some were recarded from orange to green holo to maybe a couple getting freeze frames, but not too many. And that covers the time span from 1995 to 1998 anyway. I can't really think of an orange carded figure that made it beyond green holo though. So when I'm seeing a commtech (1998/99) Han coming out in 2006, I ain't buying the 3 month lifespan argument. That's 8, count 'em, 8 friggin' years. Time to retire it. 'Nuff said.
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Releasing $30 tin sets ($40 in Canada) that have at best three kit bashes and one new figure isn't gouging both collectors and kids alike? I dunno, to me it seems like an effective strategy to prepare people for even higher prices for single figures down the road. I've seen parents buying kids the tins and they don't really balk at the prices but then they don't have 500 plus figures at home either, so it's not an impact. And it's not just Hasbro that's done this. It's irritating when any line releases a figure only in a box set. Toy Biz is the master of this (or was.
On this point I agree in full... packaging one or two "new" figures along with two old ones is a lame move on their part, and it's hard not to see it as an effort to "trap" people into rebuying stuff. I certainly didn't bite on these...
As for H&V and GB clogging the pegs, this to me seems like something that should be blamed on the retailers. I think Hasbro has done their part by giving them a separate SKU... retailers need to order appropriately.
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So when I'm seeing a commtech (1998/99) Han coming out in 2006, I ain't buying the 3 month lifespan argument. That's 8, count 'em, 8 friggin' years. Time to retire it. 'Nuff said.
Whew, we better not get started on the 1977-1983 molds for vehicles that have resurfaced in 2006!
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So when I'm seeing a commtech (1998/99) Han coming out in 2006, I ain't buying the 3 month lifespan argument. That's 8, count 'em, 8 friggin' years. Time to retire it. 'Nuff said.
Whew, we better not get started on the 1977-1983 molds for vehicles that have resurfaced in 2006!
You mean the exact same molds but without even the "ahead of it's time" electronics?
:o
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I like bashing Hasbro's corporate slant as much as anyone, but I think the topic of this board was sound and we should try to get back to it. If you hit the first page, you can see some of the feelings that lead to a topic like this-
:( Frustration with heavy releases of recently released figures
:( Multi-packs that have 1 or 2 new items
>:( Overpriced examples of the same in shiny new boxes
:( New product lines that seem to come out of nowhere, and then sit and sit and sit
::) corporate mouths saying ships don't sell, then painting them every color of the rainbow and putting them on the shelves (which I like for the most part, except the double-speak)
>:( The same corporate mouths telling me playsets and environments won't sell, then making packages look like one because it enhances sales (snowspeeder, dagobah x wing, even the GH 10 packs)
:-\ The fact that some of us have been buying huge number of plastic toys from the same line for 10 years plus and there is bound to be some questioning of whether we should continue
:) And then there are other great lines of products out there. On some comparisons, Hasbro doesn't compete well. In some cases, it is Hasbro itself making a better alternative (titanium anyone?)
For myself, it is a combination of a number of those items. For one thing, I am not the most creative, and don't have as much freetime as I would like, so making good-looking action figure environments is not something I can do. I dabble a little, but I find myself thinking "I would rather give Hasbro some of my money for a cool display environment than "blank". I don't necessarily want playsets (a toy with some display features) I want display environments, with maybe a play feature or two built in.
I also love kubricks, but medicom is not perfect either. And I have been in to the Hasbro/Kenner modern line since the first orange back vader hit those pegs at TRU. Hasbro has covered a lot of ground since then and done a pretty great job. But one can only have so much of anything.
The fact is, any hobby loses people and gains people over time. Star wars collecting, or hasbro collecting in particular, is no different. It is a good thread for people to:
1) share if they feel the same way and
2) why or why not.
There are some figures I really look forward to next year. But it is fair to say that I have lost some of my interest/zeal, and appreciate a board where others who feel the same (or not) can say so.
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I'm not so much losing interest, as just not really caring anymore. :P I've been cutting way back on both collecting and other areas of SW geeking, both due to practical considerations and a reevaluation of my priorities.
Being laden with college reading lists sucks all the fun out of books :'( and the last thing I want to do during a break from homework is to read Expanded Universe novels. I went from buying and reading almost all the novels as they came out, as well as a decent chunk of the comics, to almost entirely abandoning the novels, and just buying the occasional comic since they're much quicker reads.
I go through one of these "I'm so through with this fandom!" phases every so often, but I really think this one signals a more fundamental shift.
Over the past half-year or so, the following things have happened:
I've switched from living at home and commuting to college, to living in the dorm at a residential college in a relatively small town. This means I went from Twin Cities suburbia, with literally dozens of SW shopping options (Targets, Wallys, TRUs, etc.) along my commute and across several suburbs within my "hunting" radius, to a town where the only place to get SW figures is Target. And the closest other options are 20+ minutes away. And I don't have a car on campus.
Not to mention, living in a dorm vs. living with parents significantly cuts down on the amount of space I can fill up with SW junk collectibles. :P
Due to the move, I had to quit my cushy part-time retail job (although I have been back there a couple times over breaks), and have been too busy/lazy to find a new one in this backward little town. Naturally this killed the steady influx of disposable income with which I funded my SW purchases and with which I bought gas so I could drive all over Christendom hunting for the things.
I also developed a social life and outside interests, both of which I mostly lacked until 2005 or so. (I'm only half kidding.)
I took up drinking and turned 21 (in that order) ;). The first one means I found something else interesting :P to spend my disposable funds on, and the second means I've passed the final milestone into "adulthood". I'm going thru the "what do I want to do when I grow up/what is my place in the world/what will I do when I graduate" phase.
And most recently, one of my closest friends got pregnant and married (in that order). That development is really throwing my **** into perspective.
So, as one might imagine, I've been trying to cut down on extraneous junk in all sectors of my life. Star Wars seems the most logical one to jettison.
Oh, make no mistake: I'm not going to stop being a fan, and I'll still collect, just on a much more selective basis than during the hedonistic days of my youth. And don't worry, I'm not leaving the forums I frequent, either--although now you know the reason I now spend more time in Watto's than any of the Collecting sections.
P.S.: Apologies for the length of the post, but I've been contemplating these matters for a while, and it felt good to get that all out of my system. :)
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I haven't lost interest at all... there's been a few times that I might get a little bored with the line, but seeing all the upcoming 2007 stuff has me licking my chops!
;)
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I would have said yes to this about the middle of this year, but after seeing next years stuff, that's exciting.
Now I can curse Hasbro for keeping me interested with new cool stuff! I'm sure this year's gonna kill me.
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I would have said yes to this about the middle of this year, but after seeing next years stuff, that's exciting.
Now I can curse Hasbro for keeping me interested with new cool stuff! I'm sure this year's gonna kill me.
same here. im gonna have to donate a kidney, a lung, and one-third of my liver. and thats just for whats been revealed so far... :o
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It's not so much of losing interest as it is impatience. The final 22 haven't surfaced in my area and I am in anticipation of anything NEW on the shelves. I get tired of finding only peg warmers or empty pegs.
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Well, I'm going to say this about the 30th I'm seeing way to many repaints for my taste. I'm going to really selective this year no more Vaders,Obi,C3PO, and the rest of the usual repacks/repaints. They have so many characters they could do, but the keep on pushing these figures on us wave after wave.
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Well, I'm going to say this about the 30th I'm seeing way to many repaints for my taste.
Wait.... What? It looks like you're saying you're seeing too many repaints in the 30th collection? Is that right? Where? They are mostly new sculpts-so where's your repaints :-\?
DS
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Yeah, that's one of the big positives I've seen so far with what we have seen from the 30AC. They seem to be keeping the straight repacks to the "Saga Legends" line, and anything that has been done before (such as the Obi-Wan in Wave 1) at least have new parts to them, or something to make them a worthy purchase. I hope that is a trend we continue to see throughout the year, because the waves we have seen so far look great.
Also, on the topic, I'm definitely not losing interest at this point. Everything for this year so far looks amazing, and my only problem is figuring out how to afford it all. I'm really looking forward to the 30AC line, and the vintage figures, and it looks like it could be a great year for collecting.
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If you live in a town with two stores, well, yeah, it's unrealistic to expect to be able to find everything without a little extra help from outside the community.
Which was exactly my point. I'll wager there's alot of folks like that in here too.
Actually, those cantina tins only hit one of our 4 stores here in the desert in SOCAL..they probably just haven't hit(distributed) everywhere yet.
Well, Canada is a lot like Siberia, but to qualify:
Walmart: 6 stores in town, 3 more within 1 hour.
Zellers (like a poor man's Target or a rich man's K-mart): 6 stores
Superstore: kinda like Meijers (for the midwesterners): 6 stores
TRU: 2 stores.
So it's not that there's not much here and if it comes, I know about it and usually find it.
The original point remains though. Much of this stuff clogs the pegs (rehashes/recards) and that results in waves not making it to local retail. How do I know? snowtroopers.ca has store reports from across Canada and I can see what does and doesn't arrive elsewhere. Those thrice weekly visits tell me what's in the store and what's moving and not moving.
Anway, I have relatively little to complain about right now as the Endboo wave is clogging the pegs and there are US locales that have little or none of that wave. Once the last 22 shows up, if it even does (historically we get the shaft on the last 1-3 waves of every series of cards produced), then I'll be happy. Sort of. Ok, not really, I'll still be bitching.
As for helping Hasbro's bottom line, that's good for me too, because ultimately I still collect these things, albeit much more selectively than a lot of folks on the boards. BUT....I don't recall a figure having a two year life span (sorry, I was drinking beer and dating girls during the vintage era, I kept my geek under wraps until after I was married) during POTF2. Yeah, some were recarded from orange to green holo to maybe a couple getting freeze frames, but not too many. And that covers the time span from 1995 to 1998 anyway. I can't really think of an orange carded figure that made it beyond green holo though. So when I'm seeing a commtech (1998/99) Han coming out in 2006, I ain't buying the 3 month lifespan argument. That's 8, count 'em, 8 friggin' years. Time to retire it. 'Nuff said.
I wish I had seen this earlier. The 8 cases Adam is talking about was more like 20. I know because I was there, so was Crunchy Nug, (maybe we left eight) and IMO, that was a total fluke (or because it was the Christmas shipment.) And the reason why they were gone in hours was two fold, because one, when I stumbled upon the booty, I called every collector friend I knew and two, because they were on clearance for $3.50. I think sighting one anomaly during the holiday season isn't a very accurate example of the norm.
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Well, Canada is a lot like Siberia...
I most see Canada sometime, Brent, since you're my northern neighbor. At least then I can see if your comparison is correct since I spent some time out in Siberia... in the winter time, too.
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I'm interested again.
Good stuff this year it looks like.