Over the years, I have heard much speculation regarding the higher number of available of test shot prototypes that flooded the market between the POTJ & SAGA era. This surge created a theory of "coffee break" prototypes, suggesting that factory employees were using existing steel molds, to reproduce test shots created after-the-fact and in the efforts to sell them on platforms like eBay, where they can turn a quick profit.
While first shots (and test shots) are legitimately produced in an unknown quantity for a number of approval processes and are sent to a number of different departments for the purpose of engineering, safety, toy development, licensor approval, etc., they were never intended to be released for the general public and were often destroyed. In earlier days, it wasn't uncommon for local Kenner/Employees to take them home. In fact many examples of POTF2 prototypes have turned up over the years as a result. I have seen dozens of the same figures for sale at some of the early conventions.
So I am wondering if anyone has any knowledge regarding roughly how many first shots (or test shots) are produced for each character in the pre-production process? I am also wondering if there is any evidence to support the "coffee break" prototype theory or if factory workers became more wise and creative on how to smuggle these from the factory, based on the visibility of value and ease of sales through platforms like eBay? What's your thoughts?
Another thing to note is that the term "coffee break" prototypes was commonly used by an eBay seller who purchased a large collection of legitimate prototype figures from a Hasbro ex-employee and now deceased "Rick Arther".
IMO, the seller made this reference to differentiate his items from the larger volume of POTF/SAGA prototype figures that were hitting eBay. While I understand the motive, there isn't really any evidence to support that this was happening. In fact, it is widely known that China employees work under a much strict environment compared to workers in the United States.
Additionally, the era of flooded prototypes (POTJ/SAGA) happened after eBay became a widely used platform. Again, IMO Chinese employees now had visibility to see the value of these items and made greater attempt to salvage them from being destroyed as they are supposed to. It has been reported by many that they were smuggling them out of the factories and even out of the dumpsters.
This is why post SAGA era, prototype figures became more difficult to find. Lucasfilm caught wind and cracked down on this activity. By 2004, it became increasingly difficult to find various figures.