Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,382: Pit Droids

PIT DROIDS 2-Pack
Episode I Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84095 No. 84129
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Tool Thing, CommTech Chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Spring 2000
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Small in stature and mechanically adept, pit droids scurry to service Podracers in the height of competition. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' floor.

Commentary: After Episode I hit theaters, fans were torn. Should we like this movie? And what about all those comic relief characters? I immediately gravitated toward the delightfully goofy Pit Droids, with their saucer-shaped heads and seeming love of being sucked through giant jet engines. This little guy was one half of a 2-pack which, at the time, proved to be extremely difficult to find at retail. Back in 2000, figures with only 5 or so points of articulation weren't so unusual, particularly when they're this small. This droid has a ball-jointed head, but his arms and legs are your standard swivel joints. His sculpting shows drastic improvement over the figures of 1999, which showed Pit Droids as being posed like, well, vintage 1970s Star Wars figures. This little guy has his limbs bent like he might actually be trying to fix something, and his big black eye gives him a little bit of added personality. Given that there are several Pit Droids out there to buy today, there's no real reason you need to jump on this one. The two droids in this set were never repainted or rereleased, so unless you aren't a fan of this design, I'd suggest going ahead and getting this one if it's no trouble for you to do so.

The CommTech chip stand-- standard at the time-- isn't useful for this set given their feet don't exactly work with a peg.

Collector's Notes: Given that it has been 10 years I would assume that the window of rerelease on this figure set has closed. Loose sets sell for $4-$7, carded sets go for about $8-$12. I'd say it's worth going as high as $12 on. A pre-release photo of this set showed a slightly different accessory, which, again, would be nice to see if Hasbro ever reissued it. This may be the best Pit Droid set in terms of appearances, so it's worth tracking down.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,383: October 1, 2010