The Vintage Collection News Archives Revisited: Day VC02

We’re continuing to scan through our old archives so we can rediscover the mind-blowingly incredible “old” The Vintage Collection news and topics we covered back in the day. To look at the breaking news at the time through eyes that are ten years older now is something that should be a fun and entertaining travel through time, a historical point of view if you will. We feel that these old news stories are worth re-sharing. We’re calling this focus The Vintage Collection Archive Revisited. Today’s topic: Our hopes and dreams for the 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back in The Vintage Collection.

In years’ past Toy Fairs, we were able to rapid-fire questions to Hasbro about The Vintage Collection. We focused our questions on the 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back in 2010. Check out the Top 10 list below! Some of the questions are amusing by today’s standards.

Jedi Temple Archives’ Top 10 Things We Hope Hasbro Will Do To Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of The Empire Strikes Back

10. Confirm the BAT-AT (Big AT-AT). Jedi Temple Archives was the first to provide all of our cherished readers with visual near-confirmation of the large-scaled AT-AT vehicle. We want to be able to give you a ton of juicy details about it once it is [hopefully] officially confirmed at Toy Fair. And we want it to be everything we wish for and more! This is not high on our list because we are pretty positive it’s coming!

Hasbro confirmed the BAT-AT big time! And JTA provided our readers with a side-by-side comparison of the massive new version to the paltry old version!

(Editor’s Note: Click HERE to check out the comparison.)

9. Rerelease the 2004 OTC Cloud Car Pilot in the Saga Legends line (or whatever the new “greatest hits” line will be) to coincide with the release of the all-new Cloud Car. (Yes!!!) One better would be to give us an all-new sculpt in the new basic figure line. But we will take a repaint of the current tool because it is an already amazing figure!

The good news is that we are getting an all-new (Twin Pod) Cloud Car Pilot in The Vintage Collection. We are taken aback by how different the new one looks from the OTC version. But it is still cool to get an all-new sculpt of this character! Oh, and that Cloud Car, Hasbro showed that beauty off as well!

8. Confirm that the distribution woes have been ironed out. Allow time for the action figure main line to bake at retail. Assure collectors that shipments of figures are done evenly and that they will salt the store shelves over time. Do your best to prevent a feast or famine situation at retail that ends up being more of a crash and burn retail horror.

Hasbro does indeed feel confident that distribution will be new and improved just like the line look. They are committed to releasing waves 6 weeks apart. Here is hoping it all pans out! A heavy fourth quarter does make us cringe; however, but we will remain positive for the time being.

7. Advise us that the rerelease any of the VOTC/VTSC figures into the new vintage basic figure line will not be happening. If reissues are part of the deal, let them be the most definitive action figure versions of the character. We don’t mind reissues, especially if they are going to see vintage packaging, but please let them be the best versions possible.

This information is still as of yet unanswered. We believe however, that because figures today supersede the articulation quality of the original vintage figures that they wouldn’t go back and release inferior figures. Do expect other figures from TLC and LC to make their way into the line though.

6. Release three (3) special vintage-styled 12″ figures just like what was done for The Original Trilogy Collection in 2004 that will include new takes on the never-released Kenner 12″ Lando Calrissian, 12″ Han Solo (Hoth Gear) and 12″ Princess Leia (Bespin Gown) figures that only made it to prototype status in the 1980 vintage line. (But of course, include the vintage packaging.) Oh, how sweet that would be, indeed!

12” figures are just not happening. They are leaving that up to Sideshow Collectibles.

5. Design vehicle inserts and product catalogs in the same style of the vintage ones. We love these little booklets (especially the ones from The Empire Strikes Back) and to get new ones faithful to the original (especially in an anniversary year) will be ultimately special!

We were not told the answer to this. Instead, we were apprised that the BAT-AT will indeed be shipped in vintage packaging as a TRU exclusive. Two other vehicles will have the privilege to ship in the same packaging as well, but this has yet to be announced.

4. Reintroduce mini-rigs or rerelease them. It’s high time these original “EU” miniature vehicles/large accessories get time in the spotlight again. For a bonus, include a figure and get them to us in the deluxe SKU. Whatever, the method, please get them to us somehow!

We will see “mini-rig” like vehicles in the deluxe line, although Hasbro’s approach will focus on The Clone Wars line for this scale. There will be exceptions, however.

3. Luke Skywalker (Hoth Outfit) needs an update badly. Please ensure he makes it into the 2010 basic figure line somewhere/somehow. We can’t think of a better time to give us the ultimate version of him than the 30th anniversary celebration of the film that showcased this outfit. (And please make him as a separate vintage figure and not part of a multipack. Release new versions of Princess Leia Organa (Hoth Gear) and Princess Leia Organa (Bespin Gown) for the basic line. (And oh how we want modern vintage versions of these babe-a-licious 1980/1981 vintage action figures.

Leia (Hoth Gear) has been confirmed and shown. It is an absolutely stunning figure. The others have yet to be announced, but since only ten figures were shown, there are many surprises yet to be announced. Stay tuned here at JTA for updates as we receive them.

2. Show us the Battle Packs set that will include the running change of the TLC Hoth Rebel Trooper and please retool this figure again to give us new versions of him. You owe us this figure, let’s see the proof in the pudding that he is definitely coming! And please release the other running changes that never came either!

Derryl DePriest confirmed that the running change 2008 TLC Hoth Rebel Trooper will indeed see release this year in an exclusive Battle Packs set. More details to follow.

1. Finish off at least Rebel Commander and Bespin Guard (white) so that all The Empire Strikes Back vintage figures can be updated. And, if you can keep the vintage line going from here on out, we would be eternally grateful. We want to see the vintage line look on shelves until the line dies. But since Star Wars is forever, this means forever, Hasbro!

There are many more figures to yet be announced. Stay tuned here at JTA for updates as we receive them. No mention of these two figures at all during Toy Fair!

Source: Jedi Temple Archives

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