1. it's past mid-October and the only Star Wars Micro Machines I've seen in these parts are the blind bags. Granted, we seem to have acquired Series 2 before anyone else, but that just reinforces my fear that my backwater nation isn't slated to receive the multi-packs. In line with this concern, my first question is:
1. What determines the availability of product sub-lines to different nations? Does Hasbro decide, or is it attributable to the distributor?

Second, I contacted our local distributor, Playkit Philippines, directly after the midnight launch on Force Friday revealed the complete absence of non-blind bagged Micro Machine product. They have responded to my email (requesting info on possibility of multipacks) precisely once (with a list of stores carrying the blind bags), after I called to follow up my having sent it. Consequentially:
2. Do I bother with continuing to write them? Or will I be better served by contacting Hasbro directly? If the latter - how exactly do I do this? My surface-level search has not turned up a viable email address.
--Allen

Writing toy companies - or indeed any company - is usually a worthwhile endeavor. They might listen, they might not - it depends on who is reading the message that day. Getting letters requesting product is probably not a bad move, but it's also to remember what you're entitled to when you don't live in what is the target country for a product - unfortunately, nothing. I am a big fan of Playmobil (a German line) and also Zoids and Transformers (both are from Japan). Playmobil comes out in Germany first - and the US gets many, but not all, of the toys roughly a year after that. Transformers are strangely split. Some come in Japan and not here, while others come out here but not Japan, and now we're seeing tail-enders and Platinum box sets pop up overseas and not in the US or Japan. Personally, I see this line as being great but clearly it (and heaven help me for saying this) needs some more bean counters. It doesn't make sense to have so much product development not be exploited globally. And don't get me started on Zoids.

It's up to the distributor (as applicable) or the manufacturer what goes where. Sometimes there are other circumstances, licensing restrictions or local toy safety laws, that could cause problems as well. It's hard to say since I don't work with or follow the markets outside the US very closely other than "do they have something I want and can't get." (Sorry.) It happens in other lines too - Transformers in Europe is something of a mess, with waves skipped regularly. Combiner Wars delivered on waves 1 and 3, but oddly not 2. Why? That's the toy business for you. They all don't quite get that collectors don't really like "collect some of them" over "collect them all."

The good news is that if there are more fans like you, there's a chance they're writing too - and if you aren't, you should. Nobody knows you're dissatisfied unless you say something, so it's good you wrote once or twice. I went bonkers over the MicroMachines in the 1990s and have darned near everything pre-prequels (except the Snowtrooper walnut-sized head playset, dammit) so I feel you - this is a great line, and not finding it is annoying.

In your shoes, I wouldn't write the distributor again - writing Hasbro Customer Services via their web site might be good to highlight the problem, and continue to keep an eye out in case someone grey-market imports them over there. It might get you nothing - but if they see there are interested fans they aren't reaching, that might not hurt.

Of course, this doesn't help you get the toys you want now. All you can do is really start making trading buddies or buying what you can via eBay, Amazon, or your preferred decentralized online marketplace. Sure, it stinks - but I've had to suck it up and do it to get my Transformers Adventure Override and Roadblock, and I'm still waiting for a decent deal on Runabout. It is not ideal, but at least it isn't 1995 when you were out of luck and out of options if a toy didn't come out in your market. (Unless you pal Joey just happened to live in Hong Kong and happened to know you were looking for Hudson, Vasquez, and O'Malley, at any rate.) Also you might luck out if the line tanks - which it might still. Clearance prices may await you later, just start keeping a list of what you're missing and keep an eye out for these items in case there's a deal.

Since we're on the topic of MicroMachines, does anyone out there have a spare Kmart A-Wing? I can't find the bugger here yet.

 

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2. I was noticing that the new lightsaber included with the latest repack of Ezra doesn't have that flare around the base of the blade that's seemed to be standard on all of the new lightsaber accessories since - what, 2002? It looks like the lightsabers in the new Ashoka/Vader 2-pack are missing the flares too. This seems like kind of an odd change to make in figure design after all these years. Any ideas why it's happening? And any idea as to whether or not it's going to become more standard?
--Dave

As far as I know, Hasbro has not yet addressed this particular issue. Ahsoka, Darth Vader, and Ezra all have the 1990s-style lightsabers, minus the flare - and it's just Rebels figures so far. The Fifth Brother Inquisitor action figure revealed in San Diego this year also has this style of lightsaber.

Not knowing what was developed by who and when, all we really can do is speculate unless it showed up in a Q&A somewhere that I missed. My guess is someone just wasn't aware of the standard right now, because it does seem like an odd change given that the flares have gotten even more interesting in the movie line. My knee-jerk response would be "brian drain" - that is, people leaving the brand and certain elements of knowledge not being passed down to the new groups - but that's just a guess. We've seen similar things happen in Hasbro's other lines, such as the return of elements that age poorly - color vac-metal deco in 2014, for example.

3. I have read references from you and other sources of a new Hasbro Slave 1 that is coming soon. Do you have any details on it yet, and do you think it is most likely a repackaging of that recent small version?
--Anush

Hasbro has yet to reveal an image, but I think you're probably on the right track. As soon as I saw there was a $30 Slave I coming I ran back to the vehicles room - because yeah, that's how many vehicles there are now - and compared the size of the new First Order Snowspeeder with the smaller size Slave I. Interestingly, they're close to a perfect size match. If you haven't yet bought a First Order Snowspeeder from The Force Awakens, it's a real downer - the ship is nice, but the box is about 50% empty. Hasbro wasted a lot of resources on packaging, which of course they (and you as a consumer) pay for when they could have done up a more efficient box. It's not as visually impressive to do a smaller box, but LEGO and other companies did market research that shows kids generally react better to a box stuffed with pieces and toys than a lot of air.

I will be very surprised if Hasbro does not take the opportunity to just rerelease the old to with a pack-in figure. My first thought was "What a rotten deal!" but if you cost it out, it's not bad. $20-$25 was the going rate for a Slave I-sized vehicle given the current manufacturing economy. A Boba Fett pack-in figure is worth $6-$7. Worst case scenario, Hasbro will be able to keep making money on its tooling investment with a popular character and a popular ship at a price that, while admittedly not a bargain, is on the level of what such a thing should cost.

Moments after posting Q&A this week, I found Yakface.com posted an update that this item has already hit stores - and it is indeed a repack, from the look of things. Pre-orders for this item went up online a few weeks ago, but Hasbro neglected to share any pictures - so click that link for a first look!

 

FIN

This week, we got to see the new (and hopefully last) footage from The Force Awakens prior to its theatrical release in December. I'm no spoiler-phobe - after all, I had to grow up in a world where "I am your father" and "You maniacs! You blew it up!" were part of the cultural lexicon and if you were a kid who got to see Spaceballs before your parents let you see Alien, well, that's life. But there may be a problem - you people are too damned happy. Now, I know I'm not as old as the oldest of us but I was able to go through the same kind of promotional nightmare before. People lost their cool with The Phantom Menace trailers, and the buzz lasted up until some audio recordings of Jar Jar Binks got out shortly before the movie. Optimism is good, and hope is nice, but I'm a much bigger fan of trying to be reasonable.

I know you've been watching the trailer a dozen times, but this weekend I'd like to suggest an alternative - watch The Phantom Menace's trailer. And then watch the movie. I didn't hate the prequels as much as some, mostly because some aspects of their intent (backstory, fairy tales) had been on Lucas' lips for years. It was a new romp in the galaxy, and that's really what we needed. I'd say it didn't harm our feelings of the originals, but some people seemed to take the whole Midi-Chlorians thing a lot harder than I did.

Now on the other hand, the new movie (and the new Expanded Universe) gets to actually change your perception of the original trilogy - and that's a much bigger question mark. Your favorite characters might die. Your happily ever after is gone. The ending of Return of the Jedi with its fallen Empire and happy heroes will probably get a swift kick in the balls before the opening crawl ends, and I'm saying this as someone who expects to basically like this movie just fine. Calm down. None of us have the eyes of a child, unless we bring our own kids to the theater and try to see what they see. What you're getting is marketing for the next five movies - no doubt, like Marvel, Disney will be sure this keeps you interested for the next chapters. That safety net, the comfort, the sense of finality we've had since 1983 is now gone. Say what you will about the prequels, but they never made you wonder what would happen to Luke or Han or the droids. You knew they were fine - they won - you sat through that ordeal before. Your heroes are in peril again... and if the literary death of Chewbacca is any indication from the novels a few years ago, there could be more grief to mine from that scenario.

--Adam Pawlus

Got questions? Email me with Q&A in the subject line now! I'll answer your questions as soon as time (or facts) permit.