Apparently, Disney has deemed that September 4th is when a great many licensees of its Star Wars brand will be able to reveal their merchandising plans to the public at-large. In the meantime, we’ve learned a couple of interesting tidbits that should get the party started a wee bit early. First off, our distributor has confirmed that the large majority of the legacy-based DeAgostini Star Wars vehicles and ships come with their coveted magazine, which offers loads of information and full color illustrations concerning each replica portrayed.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mattel has posted pix of three of their upcoming 1:18 scale ships that have appeared prominently in previous Star Wars films. Heavy in the hand, and bearing all of the detail you’ve come to expect from this long time toy maker, these limited edition replicas will certainly help to get the ball rolling ahead of the debut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is scheduled to hit theatres on December 18th. May the force be with them.

Sometimes I get a chuckle when I read the packaging for some of the diecast products we sell. A couple of years ago, Unimax released a 1:32 scale 88mm Flak Gun”z”, an obvious typo that detracted markedly from the finished goods appearance since it was located front and center on the package. More recently, Air Force 1 put out a 1:72 USNC F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, forgetting to strike the “C” from the abbreviation when it was employed on a similar USMC F-35B product. Likewise they’ve used the same packaging for multiple P-61s and Ospreys, creating havoc for the average retailer when they check their inventory or pick an item for packing.

Now I don’t know about the average collector, but these types of obvious misspellings and oversights should have been caught early on, long before the packaging was sent to the manufacturer for replication. I ought to know, Early on in my career, I was so tired that I approved an ad for a local newspaper that said “Her”-Man figures instead of He-Man figures. Boy, did I ever hear it from my boss the next day.

Anyway, I fully understand there can be some localization issues, translating English to Chinese and back again, but c’mon guys. with so much effort going into the production of an item, niggling points like these can leave a sour taste in the mouths of some collectors, causing them to shy away from an item or manufacturer when they needn’t worry. Manufacturers, please take the time to review your packaging from top to bottom, thereby ensuring that your product meets or exceeds the expectations of your collecting audience. You’d be surprised by the reception your products will receive, and the likelihood someone will continue to purchase your products when every dollar, Euro, Yen, Yuan, Ruble, Peso, etc. counts.