It's time for another Q&A flashback for me to celebrate me writing about toys for 30 years! How self-centered!

Today: Ziro the Hutt? (From 2012!)

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Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Luke Skywalker (Yavin, The Retro Collection) . This is the sixth and final figure left to look at from this year's set, and maybe this looks to be all we're getting for Retro for the year. Luke doesn't look quite like the 1978 figures out of context, but placed next to the other original action figures he seems to fit a lot better. He stands, he sits, and for some reason he feels a lot like the similarly not-quite-right Rebel Fleet Trooper.

These sets may still be in a Target near you. Weirdly, one near me just put them out for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I'd recommend the set as part of a larger collection, but I don't think anyone is buying these as one-offs. Read on!

It's time for another Q&A flashback for me to celebrate me writing about toys for 30 years! How self-centered!

Today: Saying names correctly? (From 2003!)

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It's time for another Q&A flashback for me to look back on the decades and ask big questions like "what was I thinking?"

Today: Could one big retailer kill an entire line?

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Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Imperial Officer (Generic Human Male in Gray, The Vintage Collection). You've seen this sculpt before, you'll see it again. The figure is from 2023 and with any luck you'll have a big playset in which to put him some day. I don't think he's modeled after a specific character, and if he's based on a specific real person we haven't met him yet. But it's a nice figure. Read on!

Today: Rebel, Rebel? (From 2016!) No, not the Hamburglar.

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All-new! All-different!

This week in Star Wars Q&A - Lets talk Geonosis and the Gunship! Do we know anything? Not really. Blockade Runner speculation! Ditto.

Everything this week is HasLab-related, so if you love that kind of talk? You're in luck, because now we know what a $1,000 LEGO Death Star looks like.

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It's time for another Q&A flashback for me to celebrate one of my favorite topics: my decades of blathering!

Today: Missing electronic lightsabers? (From 2005!)

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It's time for another Q&A flashback for me to celebrate me writing about toys for 30 years! How self-centered!

Today: The return of action features? (From 2007!) (Somehow, action features have not returned.)

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It's time for another Q&A flashback since I've been writing about toys online since the Clinton administration! How self-centered!

Today: A rumored set of POTF2 Jabba's Palace aliens? (From 1999!) People were hungry for Jabba the Hutt's entourage then... and little has changed.

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Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Moff Gideon (single card, Epic Hero Series). This one was released about a year ago, and was marked down about nine months ago. I haven't seen one since January or February, but it's a decent enough figure especially for the price. It's sturdy, shiny, and generally feels great. And now that The Vintage Collection one shipped, odds are our people will ignore this perfectly good footnote in toy history. Read on!

I've been writing about Star Wars toys since I started a newsletter back in August of 1995. So let's take a look at some old questions in the mailbag to see if we had any good updates!

Today: THX-1138 toys? (From 2004!)

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Want a Republic Gunship next week?  You have options.

Some fans have asked the question "How would you feel if the new HasLab Republic Gunship didn't fund?" It would be incredibly unfortunate. The ornate model is loaded with detail, stands, ammo, figures, and the fanciest paint in the mass-produced moderately-priced vehicle business. It would be bad... but there are ways to fill that gap in your collection.

The good news for those who are OK accepting older toys is that Hasbro has been busy. Nobody can take away the massive legacy of toys that Hasbro already manufactured.   Literal millions of action figures, vehicles, and playsets are out there - many in the original packaging - and you can buy them any time you like.

From 2002 to 2013, Hasbro produced seven action figure-sized Republic Gunships. The Vintage Collection one is very expensive above $700, and the Crumb Bomber just seems to be plain rare. The rest are now all fairly inexpensive given their size, age, and how many fans probably skipped them. And if you back the Gunship and just want one right now, you have some options on eBay.

2002 Saga Attack of the Clones Republic Gunship - buy-it-now on eBay for a sealed box is $245. This is pretty much the same as the TVC 2013 release, except for the figures (which can be had separately with slight changes) or the Gun Pods (ditto.)

2003 Clone Wars Command Gunship - sealed box buy it now is $300-$350, plus or minus shipping. Interestingly this was the cheapest of the Gunships, selling for a shockingly cheap for the time $29.99 when it was brand new. The deco was not based on any particular on-screen appearance.

2005 Revenge of the Sith Republic Gunship - many are up buy-it-now for $250. I am pretty sure this wasn't based on any particular on-screen appearance.

2006 The Saga Collection Gunship - current listings are mostly over $450, but sold listings are under $350. It seems unlikely this particular version will make a return appearance, so it might even be worth picking up now. It was a Toys R Us exclusive, and I remember running around trying to find this one. It was superb.

2008 The Legacy Collection Republic Gunship last sold for $320. This "Lucky Lekku" model was exclusive to Walmart and featured unique nose art. As with all of the ships, open box models are a lot cheaper on the secondary market.

2009 The Legacy Collection Republic Gunship (Crumb Bomber) is in short supply. I don't see any boxed ones for sale, and "sold" listings are $300 or more for unboxed samples.  No boxed samples of this Toys R Us exclusive seem to be for sale at this time at any price.  This release was notable not only for its distinctive nose art, but retooled side doors.  The cargo doors now fully enclose the vehicle, and the doors behind the cockpit fold down.  Additional firepower was added to the cannons with more fold-out firing rocket launchers.  If you only bought two Gunships, odds are this would be one of the two you'd want to get.

2013 Toys R Us The Vintage Collection Republic Gunship - This one is expensive. At an SRP of $119.99, it was the most expensive version before the HasLab, no doubt resulting in many fans skipping it. Heck, I almost skipped it as it was one of the most expensive vehicles ever made and nearly $80 over the price of the original mold. "Sold" listings are above $700. This one is very similar to the 2002 Republic Gunship, and features added stickers, 3 pack-in figures (which are repaints of other releases), and two Gun Pods. Other than the stickers, the 2002 model is probably a perfectly viable substitute for most fans displaying the open toy, with the packaging itself being a huge draw.

Did you know... Hasbro made some of the most obscure movie-specific Jedi from the Battle of Geonosis during The Clone Wars era of the Star Wars action figure line? It's true! There are several figures you probably forgot you had, or don't realize that you missed. And lucky you, I reviewed many of them back when people were busy pretending to not like Star Wars anymore.

Not all of these Geonosis-themed figures were actually on-screen, but their packaging backgrounds say otherwise. If you're wondering "Which characters has Hasbro never made to go with those Republic Gunships?" these aren't them.

Hasbro hasn't made new versions of many of these figures in over ten years. Many are increasingly expensive, but given the level of obscurity in The Vintage Collection I would not bank on most of them to be remade. (Obviously, some shown below are in the current HasLab and very much are up for/due for a new release.)

Nicanas Tassu	Sephjet Josall	Que-Mars Redath	Selig Kenjenn
Roan Shryne	Khaat Qiyn	Sarissa Jeng	Roth-Del Masona
Rodian Jedi	Joclad Danva	Coleman Trebor	Pablo-Jill
Tarados Gon	Agen Kolar	Saesee Tiin	Shaak Ti

It's time for another Q&A flashback because I've been writing about Star Wars toys online since August 1995!

Today: Boobs? (From 2005!)

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