ROTS popularity...  I attribute it to that anyway.  Couple that with kids being tech savvy, finding out about these items they missed prior to their "interest", and I think they're more in-demand.

My gf's kids were just looking up stuff the other day on Ebay...  I didn't even realize they knew about Ebay.  They were looking up Legos and all kinds of random things and were looking for SW stuff.  I was impressed.

That MIGHT be it Dale, however I thought there were other colors with other motif's...  Like a green Yoda one maybe.  I dunno.

Where would one buy that?     SWS.com doesn't seem to have it...

I leave you guys for a night and all hell breaks loose.  I'm the glue baby!

Anyway, I think Gatillo's post was partly mis-understanding...  Obviously this isn't anything Jared had any control over, nor is it even remotely his responsibility anyway.  The guy snuck it away right out from under everyone's nose at the show...  The Hasbro guy I feel bad for because I can tell you that I've been in a similar place to him where something I was responsible for was stolen right from under my nose in a hectic/busy climate/situation.  I sorta have sympathy on the dude.

I think Jared's beef on the "conspiracy theories" was just venting the fact that this story has been covered...  Hasbro's said "this was our only painted sample", so there's not a whole lotta reason to disbelieve that...  Whether that's good thinking on their part remains to be seen. 

Like I said, 21st Century Toys had their only 100% hand-made  prototype of the Japanese Zero on hand to display it.  Comic-Con's a big show, so showing off your stuff is important...  It's become almost bigger than Toy Fair really.  And I guarantee that Zero is a lot more complex to replace than Hasbro's figure, so I wholely believe Hasbro brought their only copy...  I'd suggest making a back-up before you head to your show next time though, since it's just a paint sample.

Jason,

Yeah, that's what I was saying, but I agree it's partly not a good idea...  And (hah, who'd have thought this would happen) to Hasbro's defense somewhat, they ARE adamantly saying they're trying to meet the HUGE outcry for Clone figures...

TE Gunners mixing into new cases (3 per case I think?), the 501st battlepack, 501st SA figure, etc., etc...  Plus the Hasbro chap made a point in Mike's interview to say "plus we're also trying to put out White Clones since people want white ones too" (or whatever he said)...

I can see it.  Like you said, it does make sense, but I agree that they're maybe over-compensating perhaps.  I dunno if new molds is the answer or not.  If production abilities are that low, maybe that's what the situation warrants.  I mean, once you get to a certain point with any item you create and put into production, if you sell enough of it you eventually weed its costs down to the minimal costs of production and the margin of profit on your product only grows to your advantage... 

I'm 100% certain the Clone figures are items like this.  The same happens for other toy lines.  For instance, 21st Century Toys produces its 1:18 airplanes based on popularity of the plane in our culture, overall size, and how much it can be repainted and put back out.  The plane has to be able to be repainted to "pay for itself" basically...  You can only sell so many of a D-Day Spitfire, but you can repaint it and sell it again as a Czech Spitfire, a lend-loan spitfire, a Battle of Britain spitfire, a Pacific Spitfire, etc., etc., etc...

Eventually, the start-up costs are widdled down to nothing, or where you wanted them anyway, and you only have small costs to manufacture the item being a factor...

Clones (and many figures in the line) work similarly.  Clones are the best example though, because you release them as white only and I bet they pay for themselves several times over...  You release repaints and you're looking at an almost pure profit item.

The question I thought had the biggest bull**** answer to it in the Q&A, and the one that irked me, was "we're afraid of solid cases of Clones".  Solid cases of figures are a gamble, but for them to not "get" that solid Clone cases would sell is just stupid... 

To Hasbro's defense on that issue, don't put out a solid case, but pack it pretty damn close...  Or how about 3 TE Gunners, 3 501st, 3 Shocktroopers, and a mix of Commanders (1 bacara, 1 green, 1 red).

It's not a solid case of any one figure, but it'd fill a void, it'd make people happy about this "Solid Clone Case" issue they're so reluctant to do, and everyone would win.

That would've made a great TRU set, actually, Dr. Padawan...  I'd have been happy to buy that, even with the Maul and Anakin.

The droids, tools, the Eopie...  That'd have made for a nice set for collectors and kids I think, for the first encounter with Maul.  It at least would've sold a little while for the people sans Eopie set and Bonus pit droids... 

My area isn't even "slow", it stopped.  It goes any slower and it'd be in reverse I think...

To KM's credit though, they actually got Evolutions, Battlepacks, and 500th Vader...  They're the only store putting out stuff though.  Everyone's reporting that the other stores around here just aren't stocking shelves.

Yeah, exclusives are not only a means of appeasing retail, they're also a means of getting the "odd" out to the public.  Some of the reasoning as to what's odd or not eludes me (I would think a Wedge figure would be as popular as Gold Leader, if not moreso, but whatever), but at least a "new" wedge comes of it.

That price stings though...  I am at a loss why Wedge isn't a figure Hasbro wants at retail though.