Search Star Wars Figures and Vehicles:

It is of some interest, though probably of little significance in relation to the plot, that there are a lot of numbers floating around in the conversations that happen at the Mos Eisley Cantina and space port.

Dr Ezavan has the death sentence on 12 systems, the Millennium Falcon did the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs, the Millennium Falcon is at docking bay 94 and can make point 5 past light speed. Then we have the bartering over passage to Alderaan, for which the initial price is 10000 credits, and the counter offer is 2000 upfront and 15000 on arrival at Alderaan. Even the cargo is enumerated by Obi-Wan: 'myself, the boy, two droids'. And although we don't get a definitive amount mentioned on screen, Luke is disappointed with what he gets for his second-hand Land Speeder. There are a lot of numbers being thrown around in the conversations for such a short episode.

The deleted scene with Jabba the Hutt also turns into a negotiation over percentages. Jabba asks for 20% and then agrees to 15%. And finally, Obi-Wan even disingenuously offers the droids up for sale to the Stormtroopers who stop them. Everything is for sale in Mos Eisley and its visitors will put a number on anything so it seems.

We might even add to this Han's paying the bartenter Wuher for the mess left by Greedo's corpse on the table. Again we aren't told what the amount is but Han is certainly quick to arrive at a figure that he thinks is a fair tip to cover the removal of a dead body from the premises.

The Mos Eisley tendency towards quantification generally has to do with the ego and boasting associated with illicit achievement (e.g. I'm a bad ass because I'm wanted in so many places, or I'm a bad ass because my piloting skills make me a great smuggler), or with negotiating over profit. The more lawless and wild the place, the more that needs enumerating so it seems. The space port is a fluid, transitional place where numbers seem to need hammering down in order to make them stay still.

We don't get such a pre-occupation with numbers again until the droids start getting obsessed with statistics in ESB. Also, we don't get a negotiation over a price again until Boushh's striking a deal with Jabba in Return of the Jedi for Chewbacca's bounty.

Perhaps what is most remarkable about this is that it is usually droids who are obsessed with numbers looking at other conversations in the Original Trilogy. Ironically in the Cantina (from which droids are barred) we hear numbers being thrown around more ubiquitously than anywhere else. Perhaps people are freer with numbers in the Cantina because there are no droids around to correct them or their estimations of personal and financial worth. Perhaps that is even why droids are not allowed, so as to prevent them from placing the correct value upon anything so that the patrons can make illicit deals without being bound to market value.

This would go some way to explaining Han's annoyance with C-3PO's constantly blurting out statistics in The Empire Strikes Back. Han lives by wily art rather than quantifiable science and by defying the odds. The number crunching of the droids is an anathema to his lifestyle and world view, not to mention to the way in which he makes a living. The Mos Eisley black market depends upon mathematics being a moveable feast and not a definitive science and droids' insistence upon numerical precision would only serve to undermine this.

---

All Star Wars action figures, vehicles, collectibles and Star Wars toys shown on this website are the 3.75 inch scale and from my own private Star Wars collection unless otherwise stated. Where possible original vintage accessories have been used but in some instances I have placed Kenner Star Wars figures with either reproduction weapons and accessories or for Hasbro figures close approximations have been used. This is mostly the case for modern Star Wars lightsabers where the correct item can be very difficult to identify on some ocassions. Vintage Star Wars action figures are shown with their original weapon or accessory when I have them. When a vintage Kenner action figure is shown with an accessory which is not original I have tried to point this out where possible.

All of the Star Wars action figures shown were purchased second hand, usually incomplete, and in bulk. They have been reunited with their original weapons and accessories where we could get hold of them.

Kenner Figures | Power of the Force Figures | Episode 1 Collection Figures | Power of the Jedi Figures | Saga Series Figures | Disney Star Tours Figures | Original Trilogy Collection Figures | Revenge of the Sith Collection Figures | Saga Collection Figures | 30th Anniversary Collection Figures | Clone Wars Collection Figures | Vintage Collection Figures | Legacy Collection Figures | Saga Legends Figures | Black Series Figures