I understand your frustration, but I just can't get worked up about it, sorry. Hasbro doesn't limit production on figures in the regular line at all. Why are McQuarrie figures currently so hot? Well, they're cool, that much is true. There's secondary market value (now) but that's because of the truly bizarre mentality of collectors that paying $40 for a $6 figure now makes more sense than waiting 3 months. I put that one under more money than brains, but it's only my opinion. Guys are stocking up on McQ stuff because it either has secondary selling value or is good for trade bait where you can generate multiple returns (which is the same thing, but more justifiable). Really though, how many figures hold their value down the road in the modern line? 5 of them? R2-B1, Amidala ascension gun, Sio Bibble. Maybe three?
But that's not the real point, the point is people are getting screwed by Hasbro over unique Con content. Ok, I understand. But do you honestly expect Hasbro to jump out in the weeks before the Con, which is a money generating event for everyone and say
don't worry, we'll make these figures available to everyone easily at retail? Of course they're not and they won't because it would affect their sales, it would affect attendance (walk up) at C-IV (and I'm guessing even if they wanted to say something, there's probably a legal agreement with the folks running Celebration that prevents them from saying anything that might negatively affect attendance) and it would surely kill topics like this one where people are fired up and talking about Hasbro product like crazy. People are more excited about McQuarrie concept figures than they have been about anything Star Wars Hasbro for quite some time. People that were dropping Hasbro's 3.75" line are picking these up; they're sucking people back in. They're not about to kill that for anything, even pissing people off (anyone remember how angry people were about the UGH chase figures last year? Whoo, those are commanding a premium now aren't they?).
Yeah, the figures are unique and frustrating. But think about this: You are obviously not attending C-IV, otherwise you'd not be nearly so fired up. So you're not laying out X number of dollars for the Con entrance fees. That puts you ahead of the people there. I can't begin to explain how humourous I found it at C-III to watch the people that so clearly wanted in only so they could get a Vader to sell online. They spent hours in line after paying $40 for the day (or whatever) to miss most everything else for the chance to scalp a Vader. It's ****** up, to put it mildly. So consider the fees you're NOT paying to get into the Con and realize it's not unreasonable to pay more for the figure in the first place, because some of those silly ebay sellers will have paid parking, paid admission, given up 2-8 hours of their life to "turn a profit" on ebay on an $18 figure that you're going to pay $40 for. You're still ahead of them because realistically when you add in the $40 fee, they paid nearly $60 and their time for the damn thing anyway. You and me get to stay home, click a button on ebay in about 4 minutes of auction watching time and still have the figure.
I accept your point on past Con exclusives maybe not being relevant. But neither you nor I have a hot clue on what they'll do after (whether it's a day or two years down the road) with respect to these figures. There IS another McQuarrie Luke being released but maybe not the Droids in the immediate future. But remember this: outside of some variations of figures (freeze frame Weequay) there is exactly one figure, Toy Fair Vader, that commands a substantial premium over it's retail price. Even Sacul is under $30 at times, which is what? Double it's selling price at C-II? We also have no idea what the production numbers will be. If you think 150,000 figures is rare, then I can do nothing to ease your mind. I still have a couple of C-III Vaders sitting beside me here and no, the figure is not unique, but then again neither were any of the UGH figures. But it didn't stop people from getting excited and worked up. Yeah, I know, I'm missing the point as these are entirely new figures. Me, I'm waiting for the McQuarrie battle packs that all but inevitable
But hey, I think Hasbro stinks to high heaven regardless of this latest insult to collectors psyche's. I'm just not feeding them anymore by getting fired up by it. I have friends that will try (but hopefully not so hard they don't enjoy themselves at Celebration) to help me out with this figure and I do hope I get them. But you know what? If they don't, I'm guessing I'll still have to get up in the morning and go to work the next day and the sun might even shine, even here in Canada.
I hope you find some help getting the figures at retail price (probably 3-4x the regular retail price anyway) or luck into an auction for a very reasonable BIN or get them online (I'd watch SWS.com the day after the Con, were I you
). I really do.
