Editor’s Note:  This figure was not reviewed at the time of its release

This Salacious Crumb (VC66) figure is one of two Vintage Collection figures that are part of the numbered sequence, but were never sold in stores.  It was a SDCC exclusive as part of an expensive fourteen figure set.  12 of those figures were later released at traditional retail.  Mel Brooks said it best:

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles

He was clearly talking about the two mini-figures included in the SDCC ‘11 Death Star set that are part of the numbered sequence of the Vintage Collection.  You either suffer the outrageous fortune of having a gap in your numbered carded collection, or you take up arms and spend a fortune to acquire this VC66 Salacious Crumb figure.  That is the question.  Of course, mere money isn’t the only issue.  I’ve included an Ebay link with this review, but it’s largely pointless.  There hasn’t been a sample available on Ebay in months at the time of this “review”.

I put review in quotes because there is no point in reviewing the figure.  It’s essentially an accessory.  This Salacious Crumb was first released in The 30th Anniversary Collection with the googly-eyed C-3PO, the re-released (and slightly repainted) in the SOTDS Jabba’s Throne set.  The loose one pictured above is from the TLC Threepio figure.  We’re not crazy.  We’re not going to open one of the rarest carded Star Wars figures ever (discounting vintage variations and foreign rarities).  No.  The purpose of the review is to discuss the merits of including a figure in the mainline’s numbering sequence via a difficult to acquire convention exclusive. 

I love it.  Companies who produce collectibles should press on the collecting nerve of their fans without pushing it too far.  An example of “too far” would be Playmates’ 1701 series in the Star Trek line.  In that case, Playmates drastically undeserved the demand.  That’s mean, man.  We don’t know the production levels of SDCC exclusives (or any Hasbro product for that matter), but we can guess it’s somewhere between 5,000 and 7,500 pieces.  Truth be told, I doubt at the time there were that many maniacs intent on having a complete numbered Vintage Collection carded collection. The mania for this figure arrived after the fact when collectors were driven mad by the thing they couldn’t have.  Hasbro pressed on the collecting nerve, and it worked.

Another neat aspect about this figure is that it allows collectors to own a distinguishing piece.  Owning pieces that not everyone owns is part of the fun of collecting.  Do you think people pay insane prices for real Glasslite Vlix figures because it’s a great figure?  If you do own this figure, get it graded.  There are no Star Cases for the mini-cards.  A collection is only as good as its curation.  Grading is the best way to protect these cards.  You may have noticed that the above figure is graded.  It’s AFA90 (C90 B90 F90).  It’s vary niiice.

If you don’t own it, don’t worry about it.  It’s a gimmick.  But if it really bothers you about not having a completed numbered series, you’ll need to hound Ebay.  As mentioned above, there are none available at the time of this review, and there haven’t been any offerings in a while.  Based on the trends, expect to pay upwards of $500 for high-grade graded samples and half that for ungraded. 

UPDATE:  Those estimates are likely too low.  In May of 2018, and ungraded sample sold for $400. 

For what it’s worth, Hasbro doesn’t seem to agree with my stance that pressing on the collecting nerve is a good thing.  There was a bit of a hue and cry from the fanbase about Salacious Crumb and the Mouse Droid being numbered.  The following year’s SDCC exclusive Carbon Freeze Chamber included an exclusive Vintage Collection Jar Jar Binks in Carbonite figure, and it was not part of the numbered sequence. 

Leave it alone as a special collector’s item.  Do not ever revisit in the main line.