Series 8

[Jayson]

I about had a heartattack before I read your post. I thought I was looking at actual BD variants. Nice job on the weathering though, it makes those 'bricks even better!

[BrentS]

Terrible news Evenflow.  I hope you're able to resolve this.  I can't begin to imagine how mad I would be if I were in your shoes.  Good luck.

Well... I now know how you feel...  BrentS and I just got finished with our first (and last) Bricks n Beverages opening party...  BrentS was the recipient of a Jar Jar and Aurra Sing.  I was the recipient of a Jar Jar and three more boxes of common figures...  ****!

Well, I was there... it was not pretty... he was swimming in 3POs, Qui-Gons, and Battle Droids hoping and hoping to get that second chase.  Talk about a real downer.  I'm having a hard time enjoying the ones I was lucky enough to even get.  Brutal.  Just plain Brutal.

We had such grand visions of the fun we were going to have with the 'bricks.  I might still get to it, but the time isn't right now for that.  Boo Medicom!

[Outkast34]

I'm sorry to hear about everyone's bad luck. Puts me getting no chases in my measly box of 12 into perspective. I'm on the list for a master case next series. I hope Medicom goes back to it's old ways.

[Scott]

Remember one of the early series which had different chases in Hong Kong vs Japan?  I find it odd that the majority of the Robby cases have had Aurra's

[I Am Sith]

I have tried to make myself feel better but i wont until i get an Aurra Kubrick. Until then i am still bitter.

You know, I think I'm going to be bitter about this for a while and I've finally figured out why.  With almost all of the other Kubrick series out there that I've started collecting (Alien, Marvel, Matrix Reloaded, etc), they list out the percentages of each figure and state what the ratio is for the rare chase(s).  In the case of Marvel Series 1, I knew going in that the Venom Punisher figure was a 1:96, so every case wouldn't have one.  With Star Wars, everything is hush hush and Medicom never comes out and says what the percentages and ratios are.  We have to rely on information we get from Master Case purchases and Japanese retailers to know how everything breaks down.  And now with Series 8, we are getting conflicting information.  Jeff got the ratios from Instictoy and yet what we've seen is different than that...

Before Evenflow, Doc and I opened our Master Cases, I was fully expecting to get at least 1 common and 1 rare chase because that's how it was reported and that's what people had experienced with past releases (with the exception of Series 1 where it was only the rare chase).  If I now know that the guarantee no longer exists, I'm going to be far less inclined to buy my figures by the case for the fear that lightning may strike again...

[Jeff]

Jeff got the ratios from Instictoy and yet what we've seen is different than that...

Technically, I got the ratios from three separate sources, all of whom said the same thing, but I get what you are saying.

Like I said earlier in the thread, the ratios that get posted really are just an approximation on rarity and not an exact science or guarantee for the SW sets.    For example, the Gamorrean Guard from Series 7.  Is he 1:12 because he's packed 1 per box?   Or is he really 3:48 because some MCs had Yakface in one of the Gam boxes?  Or is he more like 7:96 since maybe half of the Master Cases had 4 of them and half had 3 of them?

I really do think that our sample size is both small and skewed and probably not an accurate reflection of the overall total distribution of the secret figures.  I mean, if we were basing the ratios on just what we've seen...

- should JarJar be 1:48 since the majority of MCs have one?
- or should he be 2:144 (1:72) since we've seen 2 MC with and 1 MC without him?
- or should he be 8:432 (1:54) since 8 cases had him and one didn't?

You could drive yourself batty trying to figure it out since you will most likely never have enough data to know for sure... 

[Morgbug]

I think if Medicom did ever say anything, it would be similar to what McFarlane has said all along with the Sportspicks and chase figures there: there is no guarantee of any chase piece in any given case. 

I'm sticking with my personal theory that Medicom got too much negative feedback from its Japanese customers that the retailers (or certain customers) there were cherry picking pieces out of cases ruining it for everyone.  The flaw in the theory is that the chase pieces appear in the same place basically WHEN they do appear.  Don't know anything really though.

[BrentS]

I don't think I am Sith said this in his earlier post and I'm too lazy to check.  However, my Jar Jar was not in the original spot compared to where his was.  Mine was in the first BD box in the "back" of the assortment.  However, my Aurra was in the same location as many others that were seen.  His Jar Jar was in the front portion of the box.

In both our cases, Jar Jar was in the "Box #3" and Aurra was in "Box #4" for me. 

[DSJ™]

I think if Medicom did ever say anything, it would be similar to what McFarlane has said all along with the Sportspicks and chase figures there: there is no guarantee of any chase piece in any given case. 

Yeah, I would agree on the McFarlane comment. Sucks but what can you do. 

[skyward72]

So do you think the aftermaket prices for the chases will stay at the same levels or go up?

[Morgbug]

So do you think the aftermaket prices for the chases will stay at the same levels or go up?

Depends really on what happens in Japan.  If the chase figures end up "seeming" like the normal ratios, they'll end up at the normal secondary market prices.  If Japan is seeing a similar trend to what's been occurring with folks on here, I could see prices rising to a certain extent above what chases normally sell for.  Right now, fairly obviously the chase price trend is boung to be JarJar<Aurra Sing<Saesee Tinn for values.  But even as far back as series 1 with the two Fett chase we've never really known ratios real well.

I'd sure be happy if Simon popped in for a visit and shed some wisdom.

[I Am Sith]

Just so this thread doesn't turn into a total downer, I wanted to share some of the images from last night's Bricks N Beverages:

Stage is set with Sapporo and Szechuan barbeque chips:

Getting the background right:

The first box is opened!

Meesa finally out!

Brent's rare find:

Disappointment...

And disbelief...


Up until the end it was a fun night.  I think I was equally mad at not finding a rare chase as I was that Brent didn't get a chance to really celebrate his first Master Case the way he had envisioned it.

[Jeff]

I'd sure be happy if Simon popped in for a visit and shed some wisdom.

I chatted with Simon earlier today and it sounded like he didn't really buy any Master Cases this time around...  he said because of that, he was "out of the loop" on the chase stuff at the moment.   

[Outkast34]

I went to put mine up with the rest of my collection today. And the 3-PO I pulled out to put up had 2 right arms.

[Scott]

I'd sure be happy if Simon popped in for a visit and shed some wisdom.

I chatted with Simon earlier today and it sounded like he didn't really buy any Master Cases this time around...  he said because of that, he was "out of the loop" on the chase stuff at the moment.   

I talked to him last week and he said the chase stuff was going for big cash right now in Japan