Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,110: R4-Series Astromech Droid Black with Silver

R4-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Black Dome with Red and Silver Markings looks like R4-I9
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: Fall 2015
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations. As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful. There were 25 domes in the 2012 series and 25 domes in the 2015 batch so far. While Hasbro had said they didn't design the first batch, they included Hasbro copyrights. This batch does not - markings read "© DISNEY" and "© LFL" as well as "China" on each leg. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I've had this R4-Series Astromech Droid with black dome and silver markings for so long... I forgot what wave it was from. I have a pegboard of unopened figures to review and I've been alternating between Vintage, Black Series, Disney Droid Factory, and Retro figures - and I noticed this on the back of a peg, covered in dust, hanging there for almost nine years. Hasbro has released so many action figures that I've been reviewing anywhere from 2 to 5 per week for almost 18 years, and if they stopped making new ones tomorrow I could probably fill this site for a few more years. It stands as a testament to just how much longevity this line has, but also, how overwhelming it is. It's arguably inaccessible to new fans now, with figures like the "parts bin droids" requiring you to have been at a certain place at a certain time to be aware they existed so you can reference the few online guides to parts. They don't have specific names or official configurations either. If you want this exact droid, you cobbled it together through little parts bins at a theme park. You may not be able to find it on eBay as you see it here, and you may have to buy multiple figures to put it together.

Each one was made of as many parts as you decided to cobble together - a dome, two legs, a middle foot, a body, and an optional hat. They were $12.99, which wasn't cheap by the standards of the day when you could get a Hasbro figure for about (or under) ten bucks. Today, you can't get much of anything for under $17. It's less of a collectible than it is a souvenir to delight children with a custom-made memory of their visit to a magical place... while vexing adults who want a complete set without even knowing what the complete set truly was.

This particular R4 dome looks a lot like R4-I9 [FOTD #996] from 2003, which appeared as the only genuinely new figure in a Toys R Us exclusive gift set. Disney keeps the silver trapezoid outlines on the black dome and the silver band around the base, making it look fundamentally identical - but it's not. This is a different mold, with different proportions and a hole in the top so he can wear a hat. You probably won't be able to tell that from the photos, though. The Hasbro R4-I9 had a body with silver panels. Disney did not offer that color of part in its bins - the black body there had orange panels with some silver accoutrements, so you couldn't replicate the other droid at the time. Instead, you get something new with bright silver on the outer parts of his feet and lots of colorful dots on the cord-free legs which results in a distinctive figure for which there is no backstory. You make the story here.

Back when the parts bins first came out, I had a collecting crisis when I was faced with a lack of legs - which Disney later "fixed" by having a leg serve as both right and left, dropping critical parts from them. It's efficient, but also a bit sad... and over 100 Disney droids later, I may be droided out. It could be old age - I've been writing about Star Wars toys online since 1995 - but I can't muster a lot of enthusiasm about this one now. It's a good figure. The paint is clean, the design is good, and the parts I got all go together nicely with a bonus silly top hat. If you can get this figure, it is a treat, it feels like a nice product and has aged incredibly well with no squeaky parts or other unpleasantness from the passing of time. The only thing going against it is that there are so many figures - no new fan is going to be able to collect them all, or even know what they missed as there's no complete, definitive guide to everything. With few playsets or vehicles, droids like this serve less of a function beyond "collectible." A couple of very similar builds on eBay go for about $25-$30, with others seemingly declining in price - perhaps due to the obscurity of the line and lack of names. If you missed out on bin droids, I suggest you go to eBay now and start browsing. Given inflation, being able to purchase these well-made figures for $20-$30 may be an exciting prospect for those who missed them over the past decade and change.

Collector's Notes: I got mine in 2015 and I am actually not sure how long these parts were made in the bins. I got this from my pal Shannon who was cool enough to get me a set from Disneyland.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,110: February 22, 2024