Here’s a story you won’t get on other sites.I was in the Hasbro booth last week, scoping out the 3-3/4” line for my side business of reselling figures on eBay, when one of the Hasbro line marketers came up to the display unit I was next to. He pulled out his keys, unlocked the cabinet, and proceeded to rearrange the figures according to hand-written notes he was holding. Some tall guy with a camera asked him if he had the final assortment and names for the new 12, and was told that yes, he did, and he was arranging them in accordance, and could give him the names and numbers in a moment.
As he was setting up the last figures, and camera boy was tinkering with his camera next to him, I slid in to the left of the Hasbro rep, they thought nothing of it – until the Hasbro rep turned suddenly, slightly confused, and immediately angry. Commander Bly, the figure farthest to the left and closest to the front of the display, was gone. Disappeared.
Appropriated. Freed from it’s glass prison. Right out from underneath the rep, I reached in, grabbed the figure, and took off. Camera guy noticed me approach and leave, but didn’t know who I was, or see me swipe the figure.
There was a moment of confusion, and what I’m sure for him was absolute anger, and then the realization that I was gone, and so was Bly.
Here’s where I really scored. Apparently, this Bly was the “master paint reference,” and the figure was in a state where it had been approved by LFL and was on its way to manufacturing. Geeorge Lucas may have actually held this figure! The hitch being, if the factory needs paint reference to start the run, there is no hard copy of the approved figure to instruct them on. A new one would have to be created. (My assumption here is that a newly repainted sample would need to be resubmitted to LFL before being OK’ed for manufacture). So, if there are any problems or questions overseas on specifications for the paint apps on the figure, they’re out of luck. That could cause a delay in the release of Commander Bly. This baby is GOLD!
That’s what I read at a Star Wars site. Perhaps, and I hope this is the case, that this figure earns me bank on eBay. I hope it never works out for them, because then I’ve really got a collector’s item on my hands!
So if you’re wondering where good pics of Bly are on JediDefender, it’s quite simply because “someone” at Comic Con is a fast moving entrepreneur, who may have well secured his kids college tuitions with some quick thinking. Thanks!
We’ll hope for the best price on eBay and that Hasbro can’t get this figure back into production, ever. If you want to see some pics, check out my auction
here