Things were pretty much "grab it when you see it", like usual. That's something I hate about Star Wars collecting sometimes.
I have to agree. As fun as it is finding something "on th pegs", I hate that aspect of the Star Wars "hunt" as well. So many times with the line, the figures in particular, you have to buy it when you see it or you'll have to go online/trade/ebay later on. I guess its just the nature of things these days with collectors, scalpers, and kiddos all gobbling up the line. It seems like, for the most part, when I was a kid you could basically find any character you wanted at retail with the vintage line - or at least some "version" of them. Good old days, and all that 
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I've been doing a lot of thinking about this. What is the real cost of a figure?
How many toy runs do you have to go on for what you want?
For example, gas is terrifically expensive at the moment. On most toy runs I come up empty. To go to 2 Targets and 2 Walmarts (sometimes a TRU and KB as well) in my area I have to drive 40 miles round trip which costs $5.50 to 6.00 and 2 hours of time.
Now, if you find 1 figure you want, that figure did indeed cost you $13.00. If you find 2, it cost you $20.00. When you find none, that haul of zero figures cost you 6 bucks.
Granted, the thrill of the hunt is worth something. But when you have a 2-3 week long dry spell and come up with nothing, you may have spent $80 and tons of time and got nothing. For that same money, you could have had a case of 12 figures shipped to your door.
For 30 AC, I'm strongly considering ordering 2 cases of every wave from Entertainment Earth and just checking the Star Wars section when I happen to be out anyway.
I submit that this would save get me every 30 AC figure I want on the year for $100s of dollars cheaper. I'd have to army build certain figures through trades or eBay, which will still be cheaper than the gas guzzling retail hunt.
Also, Dressel Rebel predicts that gas will hit $4/gallon by the end of this summer in select parts of the country at least.
