I was going to have a picture to accompany this entry, but my camera didn't want to cooperate so we'll have to use our mind's eye.

I thought this was going to be a banner year for Hasbro toys, which I like very much and have for a good portion of my life.  Star Wars celebrates it's 30th anniversary, G.I.Joe (the Real American Hero line, not those stupid dolls) celebrates it's 25th anniversary, and Transformers has a massive push with the accompanying movie released at the beginning of July.

Let's talk about Star Wars' 30th, shall we?  I don't know what happened, but the figure line has fallen very flat to me.  There's poor sculpting on such mainstays as Luke Skywalker, the excessive amount of pegwarming figures like Obi-Wan, Mace, and (my favorite character) R2-D2, and the downright abismal distribution and case pack ratios.  Case in point, the McQuarrie concept figures.  I've yet to see a single one at retail of the three released thus far; Stormtrooper, Boba Fett, and Chewbacca.  They're the only figures I want and I simply cannot find them at retail.  Now, I have the Stormtrooper, but that's only because I plunked down retail x3 at the Emerald City Comic-Con earlier in the year.  There was a Boba Fett there too, but I figured I was bound to see it later.  I was wrong.

There is a bright side.  A friend of mine on the Rebelscum boards was able to trade me the McQuarrie Luke and R2/3PO figures made available at Celebration IV earlier this year.  So, I have four of the six released so far.  Not bad, you might say.  But, shouldn't it be harder to get the exclusive figures than the regular released figures?  Typically it is.

So, where am I going with all this?  Well it's made me really think about this hobby (again).  Where's the fun in a hobby if all it gives you is disappointment and frustration?  I suppose I could always collect something else, provided I have to collect anything in life, but I enjoy Star Wars and I shouldn't feel like I'm being forced out because Hasbro and their distributors can't get good product out in decent quantities.  I wonder if anyone else feels this way.