Happy Birthday!

This is probably my favorite "sub-line" as well, and it seems like they should have plenty of material to work with to keep it going for awhile (I hope so, anyways).  I really like everyone's ideas here too.  I've been sticking to just the OT ones, since those are my favorite movies/characters (and because of space), but I will admit...like Brent mentioned....some of the prequel ones that have been done are really amazing.  I get tempted from time to time to pick up those as well.  Anyways, here are some I'd like to see:

*Bespin Han Solo - was my favorite "look" of his growing up, and the next Han I'd like to see done.  Hoth, Endor, or Stormtrooper are all great ideas too.
*Bespin Luke Skywalker - The next Luke I'd like to see, personally.
*Lando Calrissian - Bespin is good, but Skiff Guard might look pretty cool in this line.
*Princess Leia Organa - A New Hope version would be good.
*Scout Trooper - Just a great design, maybe they could somehow fit a speeder bike (or portion of it) into the display/package.
*Snowtrooper - More Imperial Troops
*The Droids - I'd like to see 3PO and R2 make it into the line somehow, not quite sure how to "unleash" them though.  The Jawa/R2 idea is a good one though.
*The Bounty Hunters - I'd like to see the rest (Zuckuss, 4-LOM, and Dengar), and we'll probably see them eventually.
*Royal Guard - Just a great design, and they could probably make it pretty spiffy.
*Obi-Wan Kenobi - Old Ben, ANH style.  Not a "must have" right now, but a main OT character I'd like to see down the line.  The AOTC version that is out now has been very tempting to me, looks like a pretty cool one.
*Larger-sized Unleashed - I really like the idea of a Wampa Unleashed, which would be quite cool....Jabba is another good idea.  Maybe as an exclusive it could work somehow.

There are other cool ideas for this line, and it (hopefully) has the material/potential to continue for quite some time.  I'd like to see all the primary "outfits" of the main characters touched on throughout the line, but they don't all have to be at once.  Hoth Luke and Han, Endor Han, Luke, and Leia, etc. could all fit in at some point.  I don't collect the prequel ones (yet), but I wouldn't mind seeing some more Jedi if they do go that route.  Plo Koon and Kit Fisto would be cool looking I think.

With the DVD release less than 2 weeks away now, I was wondering where you guys are planning on picking it up.  Although there are more changes to the already "Special" editions, I am still pretty psyched to have my favorite movies of all time on DVD.  When the DVDs were first announced, I preordered them on Amazon for around $41ish, with free shipping.  At that time, I lived in a small town, and would have to drive quite a ways to pick them up.  I figured Amazon was the way to go.  Since then, we have moved to a city, where I could easily run to Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, etc. to pick it up if I wanted to.  I still have it on order through Amazon, but have considered cancelling it and just driving down that day.  I've never seen a Wal-Mart or Target "run out" of a DVD on release date, whether it is the prequel movies, Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, or anything else that is quite popular...so I suppose supply shouldn't be a problem.  Anyways, have any of you ordered/preordered this set online, or are you just going to a store that day?  Just curious.

I have been back and forth since we first heard of the release of the VOTC, about preordering case(s) or not.  I never have before, and we can't really take that big of a hit at once (for the cost of a case), so I've held off.  Sounds like it has really been screwy, and it seems like many people are finding these at retail long before cases ship anyways.  I don't know if I've read of anyone's posts about receiving their case for any particular e-tailer...single figures, yes...but not cases.  Like Scott mentioned, retail must be getting first crack at these...which is just fine, as long as everyone can find them .

Just saw a little blurb about this this morning:



You can read more about the system, as well as collections that will be available to both X-Box and PS2 the way it sounds....clicky

Made a somewhat decent toy run this weekend (2 Targets, 2 Wal-Marts, TRU, KB), but didn't find anything new.  However, every store (except KB, which has nothing but old Saga figures) has several of the VOTC Hans.  Maybe its just because he's my favorite character (and figure), but I find it kind of sad that he is the obvious pegwarmer of the series.  It is a tremendous figure, and likeness, and probably the best Han we've ever seen....but at the stores I was at, he was the majority of the figures they had.  For example:

Toys R Us: Saga basic figures, no basic OTC figures, 5 VOTC figures - All Hans
Wal-Mart (1): No basic OTC figures, 2 Saga figures (Hoth Han), 10-15 VOTC figures - 3-4 Leias, probably 6 or so each of Obi-Wan and Han
Wal-Mart (2): No basic OTC figures (sold out), a TON of VOTC figures - a few Leias, probably 10 or more each of Luke, Han, and Obi-Wan
Target (1): 1 Basic OTC figure (Spirit Obi), 10 or so VOTC figures - 4 Obi-Wan, 6 Han
Target (2): Probably a case or so of OTC figures (Dagobah Luke, Boba Fett, Stormtrooper, Greedo, and Spirit Obi if I remember right), 5 or so VOTC figures - all Han

Anyways, just a sampling, but although I was happy to get it right away, I probably could have held off on picking up 2 VOTC Han Solos.  I could easily find them around town now, and there is probably a chance they'll go on clearance.  Its too bad really, for a great figure.  Then again, getting them at clearance prices would be nice, even though I already have two.  Its not just Han that is hanging around, I could have bought 5 or more of each of the ANH figures this weekend...but Han is just the worst offender.  I don't know that we will see this with the other waves (no signs of them around here).  I think the ANH wave might be the most "boring" to casual buyers and/or kids.

Although I most definitely haven't had quite the negative experiences of many of you here, here's my latest experience with StarWarsShop.com.  In July, I placed an order for a Star Wars t-shirt (vintage styled), which was listed as "in stock" on their site.  After a couple of weeks had gone by without any e-mails or shipping notices, I e-mailed them to check on the status of my order.  Also, during this time, the shirt disappeared from their site.  I got a reply saying that it was backordered and would ship the first week or so of August.  Ok, sounds good.  It gets to be September, and still hadn't heard anything, and I see the shirt pop up again on their site as "in stock", only to disappear again after a few days.  Still no shipping notice, so I figure I'd write them again just to see that since it was "in stock" if it would be shipping soon.  A day later I get an e-mail saying it had shipped out that day, and I did receive the item on Friday (shipped quickly).  Now, today Fedex drops off another shirt (the same one), basically one shipping day later with the holiday.  I've now ordered from SWShop twice (also ordered the Indy Kermit way back when), and both times now this has happened.  I've got sent two, when I only ordered one.  I sent the last Indy Kermit back, and now I guess I'll have to make a trip to go send this back as well.  Definitely something not working quite right with their site, ordering system, etc.  Anyways, nothing as bad as many of you, but they just don't seem to have things quite right there.