CIII Vader was $12 plus $3 for the Star Case.

I'm confident that Hasbro will take it one wave at a time - if a wave fails to be profitable, they'll probably do one more.  If it happens twice, they'll look into repacks of Stormtroopers or Snowtroopers or repacking existing SA molds into Vintage Cards (if applicable) and if none of that works, they'll stop making them.

I'm buying until then.

Half a million and he's not even charging for delivery confirmation.

That makes me a tad nervous about paying this much.

Just to clarify - re-releases on VOTC cards should only be of the existing VOTC sculpt.  IE the Vader we have, but on a SW card.  Not Bespin Duel Vader or some other Vader slapped onto a Vintage Style card.

It could be as simple as applying the price increase for the whole line to the part most likely to be able to absorb an increase in price and still sell.

If the repainted Jedi Starfighters jumped to $25.00 and the Battle Packs hopped up to $25.00, the probably wouldn't sell.  Basic figures continue to do well at $7.00.

I'm just playing Devil's advocate, but I do think it's reasonable to assert that production expenses have gone no where but up over the last 5 or 6 years.

THIS is why I want to see an end to the "vintage" line. It's a nice novelty, but it's starting to stretch thin in terms of selection - I question putting Bossk and IG-88 (though it's an awesome figure) in this year's lineup - as well as putting the additional dents in our wallet when they have an increased field of competition from within their own brand and elsewhere. They know we'll buy this crap (and I'm every bit as guilty as everyone else for that) so they see no need to put the efforts elsewhere, i.e. SA or near-SA figures in the "basic" line, but it's damn annoying.

If there's one thing in Hasbro's line-up that isn't crap, it's the vintage style figures.  They're the highest quality sculpts (threepio notwithstanding) in awesome collectible packaging.  And like you pointed out, you're as guilty for buying it as anyone.  As always, no one's forcing anyone to buy anything - if you don't like it, don't buy it.  If enough people feel the same way, it will stop being profitable and they'll stop being made.  In the mean time I agree with you that I want to see an end to the vintage line - right at about 95 figures or so.   

I'm highly disappointed by RS's results so far.  Most people only want selected figures made.  And many people want to see prequel figures on vintage style cards.

I remain fully in the remake-the-entire-vintage-run-only camp.