Totally agree, it's asinine. "Buy this thing you don't want or we won't make the thing you do want!"

Just make the GOOD thing first, and it will sell, and then use up your crappy ideas on future releases.

And I don't need people on websites telling me what I should support or not.

Wow, I have that figure upstairs in my attic, just a random part of my collection, the only carded, modern non-TCW figure I have actually...been meaning to list that on eBay. I wonder what the chances are I have the rare version? (not likely...)

What is considered to be the critical temperature threshold? I have all my stuff in a finished attic space, and we have air vents in there but it cools poorly and on 99 degree+ day it is usually pretty warm, low 80's I would estimate. I am very concerned about this lately, not sure how to mitigate the impact though.

That sucks, Jman...sorry to hear about all that. I do a lot of eBaying and stories like that always make me shudder. There are so many dirtbags out there it seems.

Like Pete, I was fine with just getting the one US version for my packaged collection. I have no real desire to get one of these things to open, so if it never comes out again it makes no difference to me. It'd be nice for those that are waiting it out though.

I just hope one day we see more TCW Class II vehicles, like the Trandoshan skiff or Trident Squid Drill.

I believe Hasbro's last reference to the Gunship was in a Q&A where they sounded pretty optimistic about getting another one out, although at the time I think the speculation was that it would be a TCW item with Geonosian deco. No doubt they will have backed off that now, but I can see it coming in the vintage line at some point, sure.

I don't think they've ever really lost money on those things, they all seem to hold value pretty well in the secondary market too.

I received my English Language Mandalorian Assault Transport in the mail yesterday, had finally pulled the trigger a few weeks back on one online. The box is not in stellar shape but it's good enough, dammit.

A lot to pay but seeing as how this is likely the last new Class II ship in the animated line, I can stomach it.

I saw (and bought) the complete wave twice when they were ringing up at Walmart for $4 a pop, which was sweet. I saw remnants only two other times, both at Walmarts, one local and one out of town. TRU I know for a fact never got this wave here. I really doubt Target ever did either. Very sad.

eBay is my second job, and I can confirm that there is NO LEGITIMATE WAY for any seller to find out what your highest bid is before the auction ends. It is not possible.

I have had many auctions end with me winning at my exact highest bid. As Bill pointed out, this is because someone bid just below me at the last second and pushed my winning bid to its max based on the increment for that pricepoint.

I think shilling, much like scalping in the toy community, is one of those things that is grossly overhyped. It does happen, I'm sure, but there is always an inherent risk that comes with not knowing how much to bid without going OVER the highest bid. I can't speak to "hacking" and so forth but I suspect eBay, like Google, has an entire team of super-geeks paid to figure out all that stuff.