I don't know if you're interested in going the online route, but HTS routinely has those sets in stock there - if you don't mind paying the shipping.  I've gotten both the Mos Eisley and Vader's TIE sets there, and haven't seen either of them locally.  Actually, I haven't seen any of the new sets at retail, and I don't think our Targets or WMs have any at all right now (or for awhile).  TRU here routinely has the X-Wing and Jabba repackaged sets.

I wouldn't be totally sure your areas have even gotten the Dewback wave yet (well, maybe like two cases at Target).  I miss out on items, too, but I refuse to believe those sets would have come and gone in my own area without me seeing Arena scenes left behind.  Those things are both a prequel item and, well, incredibly lame.  I've known when I've missed Vader's Ties because I've seen JSFs here and there - and it's a way better offering. 

I'm not sure I've heard anybody east of California mention a find at Wal-mart.  Target and TRU sightings, sure, but a ton of Wal-marts don't seem to have carried anything except the Jabba/Biggs wave (i.e. don't seem to have ordered anything since 7/26).   

Personally, for a good while now, I've mostly just been wanting a couple of cute little Vulture Droidfighters for my boys to chase after with their N-1s (and now JSF).  A Droid Trifighter couldn't hurt either, though it's probably even less exciting.  I realize these aren't passenger vehicles, and that's usually most of a vehicle's charm; but for that reason they could be super small and still get the job done.

Meanwhile, did we just miss our best chance for a Malakili?  I realize we shouldn't be expecting Galactic Heroes to blanket the Vintage assortment (especially as 3.75 still hasn't done it)... but, man, it's getting there nicely anyway!  Even if a newly tooled figure would have stretched cost in the Rancor box, it might have been nice in a 2-pack released around the same time. 

Wow, I suppose a new clone-armor Obi-Wan shouldn't exactly be thrilling, but the fact that he won't have a cape between his legs to keep him from riding a speeder bike is GREAT news!!

I just noticed that Obi Wan's Jedi Starfighter, as well as Darth Vader's TIE are up on ebay (in Hong Kong) right now.  It has packaged pictures of each, which I wasn't sure we had seen before.

Nice find!  Hey, I think I'm seeing some kind of bomb packaged with the Jedi Starfighter.  I recall hearing that the tie has either sounds or blast-off wings (iirc, it's one or the other, not both), but I don't remember anything about Obi-Wan's fighter dropping a bomb.  That's pretty cool!


ETA - Hmmm, I'm a dummy, the box has said "Drop bomb from fighter!"  as far back as Toy Fair.  Also, on re-examination, I'm pretty sure that bomb will be deployed by turning or pressing the dedicated  R4 head.  If that's the main reason the ship doesn't have an open astromech slot for use with the 2-leg mold, I guess I'm less enthused.   Oh well, that's like a 99 instead of a 100.

Also, not that I really understand their factory process, but I guess it could have been an early design decision because they knew the 2-leg mold wouldn't be available - like if re-tooling for the BAR2-D2 or pumping out the X-Wing scene would have it tied up somehow. 

Random question:   What do you guys do with the "soft goods" capes on your Darth Vaders?  For no good reason, all 37 (or whatever it is) of ours still have that stitch that keeps the capes folded over on themselves.  I think they look cool enough both ways (I like the way the still-stitched ones can appear to "blow" out behind him), but every now and then I think about the weird decision these present.  Most pictures I see are also still stitched, but my instincts suggest you're probably "supposed" to snip them open at some point. 

Its amazing how quickly these seem to sell out though, particularly the Target sets.  They are gone literally in a couple of days here. 

One day after the reset, and all I found at our Target #2 was a lonely Mustafar.  I'm under the vague impression that Targets always stock their exclusives at least once... but if it weren't for that, I'd be pretty suspicious that Target #1 isn't going to stock these things at all.  Pretty annoying that I have to jump through hoops for the privelege of paying $20 for 2 new GH figures. 

Hasbro gave a Q&A response to one of the other sites about the Cinema Scenes this week.  It was mumbo jumbo, but they suggested they have been doing enough to the other (non-new) figures to, they feel, keep the full sets interesting to collectors.  I maintain there's no way they believe that.  They are deliberately presenting collectors with a stupid choice, and that's that. 

1.  I'm sure doing it that way meets several business aims (some good some bad)
2.  I think Hasbro AND collectors have benefitted in the past when they've opened up about tough marketing decisions
3.  I wish they would be open about this.  I wish it because I believe they are truly handling this wrong (and I think I can say that from a relatively non-naive place).  I think open communication MIGHT present better solutions for 2009/2010 before it's too late.  But whatever.

Also, once again, I am fully convinced the new figures in these sets are getting noticably worse paint applications.  I have no good theory why this is, and I'm actually not even all that put out about it...  but after several releases lately, I'm pretty sure I'm right.

3. The Galactic Heroes shown at Toy Fair looked awesome. A dewback, a rancor, new vehicles - everything fans of the line have been asking for and more! However, you're not expecting us to believe 2008 is going to come and go without a GH version of Ahsoka (or any of the other characters from the new Clone Wars cartoon), are you? It may be a long shot, but is there any chance of an Asajj Ventress GH figure?

**Well now, we were hoping to leave some info for Comic Con but ya beat us to it. We can indeed confirm that at least one of these female lightsaber wielders will be out for Galactic Heroes. Exact timing is still TBD, but look for them on shelf by mid-Nov.

Thanks for asking my question, [um, Jeff?  Jesse?  Ryan? ]!  That's awesome news.  Next Christmas is shaping up to be a crazy time for Galactic Heroes releases. 

Kid talk:
My boys love these almost as much as I do.  The importance of them standing so easily on those enormous feet can't be overstated.  My youngest's new play pattern with them lately is bizarre:  Instead of being a god-like observer/orchestrater, he's been putting himself in the action.  He still barely talks, but he'll have himself get blasted by a battle droid and then collapse in a heap on the ground.  Very cute and a tad disturbing.  Never once has it occurred to me (or my oldest) to play like that with figures.

I'm a tool, too, so I'll be buying everything except the totally repacked Falcon (thank the Maker for that, at least).  

The Nexu scene is going to be the most annoying for me, edging out Mustafar.  It kills me that they didn't see fit to squeeze a simple yellow AOTC Clone Commander repaint in there (or even a repack of the plain white one that never sees re-release, let alone repack).

Does anybody see a real difference between the AT-RT Wookie and Tarful?  I'll be stunned if we're totally free to ignore that 2-pack, but that's what it looks like to me.

Design-wise, I'm a little disappointed that they couldn't fit a 2-leg astromech into the Jedi starfighter... but I'm thrilled that regular Vaders and even the Tie Pilot (with his ridiculously designed Tayshaun Prince wingspan) look to somehow fit in that Tie Fighter.  Kudos.