If the ratings are good enough for Cartoon Network to keep paying for the show, they're good enough to keep making toys. So I think we can put that argument to bed. Cartoon Network has a little more business savvy then Hasbro I think it's safe to say. They are not in the business of losing money and if anything the TV medium has more of a zero tolerance for any decline than the toy industry. If it's a profitable venture for them, that can translate to the toys as well. You just have to make smart choices.

That said, I'm going to on record as predicting the 20 figures next year will consist of 3 obi-wans, 3 anakins, and 13 repainted clones, plus one figure that never gets made like this year. 

Hooray/Dang! 

That Spider Maul rumor was shortlived but thrilling.

If this IS the end, it might be the thing that actually gets me into customizing, big-time.

Great, it'll cost like $900...

Ok, TRU has a couple of sales, the $7 figure thing is in effect, not sure if that is brand new or what, but they also have Deluxe/Class I sets for $9.49.

Ironic timing because they just barely managed to undercut TJ Maxx on the exact same items. (Geo speeder, Yavin sled, etc)

They are at least 3-4 seasons ahead of where the show is by now, so nothing is happening to anyone anytime soon. Then again, the two are not mirror images and have diverged significantly up to now, and I expect will continue to do so. So who knows? 

Yeah, I will miss this line, I have already started moving through the 5 stages of Grieving:

1) Denial: "The line's fine...they're just taking a break for a few months...reduced articulation is just a temporary thing"

2) Anger: "Those bastards! They're doing everything thing they can to kill this sweet, innocent line of toys!I'll burn Hasbro to cinders with my telepathic fury!"

3) Bargaining: "If only I had bought that Republic Attack Shuttle at full price instead of waiting for the 75% off clearance! I could have army built those Yularens! I could have done more!"

4) Depression: "I will never love another toy line again...oh, the agony of loss. Never to see Duchess Satine represented in 3 and 3/4 inch form...I am awash in sadness."

5) Acceptance: "Hmm, that new Hobbit line doesn't look half bad."

 
 

Are they still making new figures for this line? I haven't seen anything new this year yet. It's like they just threw everything out the window for Avengers. That Puck figure was trawled out back at NYCC, how's about getting him on the pegs?


Has there been any talk floating around about them ending the line as we heard recently?

Showing all this great new stuff for the SW line is all well and good, but having it in a display case is one thing; actually, you know, sending it to stores so people can buy it is another.  The only way I'm going to be excited about them is if Hasbro says, "Yeah, we're fully aware of how badly we've ****** up this year and we're going to fix it starting now" but, you know, that'll never happen in a million years. 

You're so right. All I can think about is that shiny new Mando Transport they showed off so proudly in their display case last year. Who knew then that would turn out to be the Mother of all boondoggles?

The thing is, they've screwed up so badly to this point that I think the situation is now beyond their control to fix. For example, they have NO leverage to compell Walmart to "un-delete" that Class II SKU. That ship has sailed, and the Naboo Fighter is the toy that ends up paying the price. K-Marts are closing left and right, TRU is struggling badly and can't even seem to dump the SOTDS crud from last year. It's nice that they're getting some cool new exclusives, but the 3 stores around me have not stocked any TVC figures past Wave 1. EVER.

I just don't think, given Hasbro's track record and leading economic indicators, that the big box stores like Target and Walmart are going to get on board like they used to. The only thing I can see helping is some sort of "mass cull" by the Hasbro reps like they used to do, going store to store and pulling all that junk from the aisles, and then offering Wally and Target a sweet discount to load up up the new stuff.

Short of that, I don't see anything primed to break through the logjam.