Indeed it did exist even three years ago but they were not in attendance with a booth at C-III. 

Well, you must have had one too many beers or something because they were at Celebration III.

Granted, they didn't have anything for sale there, but they were there with signings and freebies (those little red wristband dealies).   

I don't see why they don't just repack the best version if they're doing this anyway. 

Hasbro has said previously that it almost always comes down to which tools are available at which factory.  If you are going to crank out a case of 12 "Saga Legends" figures, then you need to have the 12 tools for those 12 figures all at the same factory. 

Sometimes, they can move a tool from one factory to another, but sometimes there are technical reasons why they can't do that (not compatible, different factory owner, whatever) and so you get stuck with a "lesser" sculpt to make the manufacturing dollars work.

I guess now we know why the price of the figures went up in 2007... 


From Hasbro:

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) announced today that it has exercised its call option to repurchase all of the outstanding warrants for Hasbro's common stock currently held by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Lucas Licensing Ltd. (together "Lucas").

Lucas holds exercisable warrants (the "Warrants") to purchase an aggregate of 15,750,000 shares of Hasbro's common stock. The call notice to Lucas stated that Hasbro is exercising its call option to repurchase all of the Warrants for $200 million in cash. Upon closing of the call option Lucas will not hold any warrants to purchase shares of Hasbro's common stock. Hasbro anticipates closing the call option on May 24, 2007. In connection with the repurchase, Hasbro will recognize a final mark to market charge related to these warrants totaling approximately $36.5 million during the 2nd quarter of 2007.

Pursuant to the Warrant Amendment Agreement, entered into between Hasbro and Lucas in January of 2003, Hasbro was given a call option which provided that at any time through October 13, 2016, Hasbro could repurchase all of the Warrants from Lucas for a payment, in Hasbro's choice, of either (i) $200 million in cash or (ii) $220 million worth of Hasbro's common stock, such stock being valued in the manner set forth in the Warrant Amendment Agreement.

Received a super-fast payment from Lance.

Quick payment and easy transaction, my favorite kind of deal.   

These are all exclusives?

Some are, some aren't.

These are pretty general, so they are most likely not exclusives -

087-06-0036 Unleashed Dlx Lightsaber $24.99
087-06-0043 R2-D2 Laptop $19.99
087-06-0342 Star Wars Cinema Scene $19.99  (I think these are the GH Hoth/Naboo Scenes)


These are pretty specific, so knowing Target, they probably are exclusives (but that is not confirmed yet) -

087-06-0042 ARC-170 Fighter Vehicle $29.99
087-06-0064 ARC-170 Battke Fig Pack $19.99
087-06-0117 TIE Bomber $24.99
087-06-0343 AT-RT Assault Squad $29.99

Some news on the "final three seasons" of LOST. 

Very interesting... of course, it means after the end of the month, we'll have to wait until Jan-08 for new episodes.   

It is nice to know there will be an ending, one-way or the other....

I don't think I got a single figure from my list last year, so here it is again...

The Phantom Menace

1.  Ben Quadrinaros (Podracer Pilot) w/Power Droid
2.  Mawhonic (Podracer Pilot) w/toolbox & tools
3.  Ratts Tyerell (Podracer Pilot) w/PK-4 Droid
4.  Queen Amidala (Return to Naboo)
5.  Queen Amidala (PreSenate)
6.  Toonbuck Toora (Galactic Senator)
7.  Tey How (Neimoidian Controller)
8.  Super-Articulated Qui-Gon Jinn (Jedi Master) w/Saber, Hilt, Commlink, Poncho
9.  Super-Articulated Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Knight) w/Saber, Hilt, Commlink
10. Kitster & Wald 2-pack

I guess Qui-Gon is rumored, but I'm leaving him on my list because I don't want to have to dig up another TPM character...   

Sure hope BBTS comes through.

I'm still trying to figure the BBTS thing out.  I have so many questions about it...

If Japan retail was around $51 and then they have to pay to ship them to the USA from Japan, how are they making any money at $60? 

It doesn't make sense for them to sell them at basically their cost like that.  There is no way that they could have ordered them directly through Medicom any cheaper, that is something that has never happened before and it would be a huge violation of Medicom's agreement with LFL if Medicom sold to a USA merchant directly... 

I just don't get it I guess.