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Collectibles => Past Hasbro 3.75" Lines => The Black Series 3.75" => Topic started by: Darby on November 19, 2013, 02:20 PM

Title: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Darby on November 19, 2013, 02:20 PM
Interesting (and funny) article over at io9:

http://io9.com/the-16-most-useless-star-wars-figures-in-the-galaxy-1467580491

Be curious to see what we all consider the most 'useless.'
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: GrandMoffNick on November 19, 2013, 02:43 PM
I thought that was a "useless" list. Didn't agree much.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Greg on November 19, 2013, 03:33 PM
I thought that was a "useless" list. Didn't agree much.

The list really stated the obvious but the author's attitude really killed what could have been an amusing article... the guy seems to have some serious disdain for Star Wars fans. Perhaps he never got that Imperial dignitary as a kid, and it caused him to hate Star Wars ever since.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Scockery on November 19, 2013, 06:18 PM
Bricken used to run Topless Robot, and the site improved since he left.

I'm tired of these "negative attention" lists that anyone can write (and does), almost always based on petty crap and lacking any humour  ( the author probably thought he was hilarious). Invoking "kids" is also a good way for me to dismiss anything anyone says about anything, especially when we are talking about toys with a large collector following.

Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Pete_Fett on November 19, 2013, 06:20 PM
I would like to see him write an article about the 16 characters that would make USEFUL Star Wars action figures that have never been made as action figures before.

I think he would be extremely hard-pressed to find any.

His facts are also off. For example, Hasbro created the Jocasta Nu figure with the intent that it would be this past summer's convention exclusive (SDCC & CE2) and Hasbro Toy Shop (or whatever branch of Hasbro runs the Hasbro "store" at these events) actually PASSED on the item. Hasbro passed on it's own product. Not that I'm a huge fan of Brian's Toys, but they were the ones who stepped in and committed to purchase the required Minimum-Order-Quantity of getting this already developed item produced.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Jesse James on November 19, 2013, 08:29 PM
He's written other, "Star Wars Collectors Are Dipshits" posts for that site...  Why?  Who knows.  Is he possibly the one man a Star Wars fan beat up?  Did a Star Wars collector bang his girlfriend?  Who knows.  He just has this apparent disdain for adults who buy Star Wars toys... 

Scott, did you personally piss him off?  Your Willrow "R"ood took a bashing for certain...

As did both Beru figures, etc.

Of course, this is from someone who doesn't appreciate A) The obscure breadth of the line, II) The detail and quality of the figures (even Original Beru was pretty detailed for her time), and 3) being a Star Wars collector in general.

Basically, why complain about toys that are, clearly and undeniably, made for the adult collectors?  Useless?  I guess if you don't collect them...  what "use" is there to them regardless?  They're simply things to bring amusement, to someone, at some point. 

Not exactly Pulitzer material spun there, but whatever tickles your pickle, I suppose.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Muftak on November 20, 2013, 12:18 AM
Hmph. Except for that last Star Tours guy all his picks were unique sculpts. Those are always worthy in my mind.

My list of the 16 most useless figures would all be clone trooper repaints. Oh, and Pax Bonkik. He ruined Star Wars collecting for me. It hasn't been the same thing since they made him.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Jesse James on November 20, 2013, 12:27 AM
I think the most useful figures are the ones that piss him off for reasons even he can't put into words (at least not properly, anyway).
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Ben on November 20, 2013, 02:03 AM
I only own 14 of the 16 on this list, which is good, since I wouldn't want people to think I was nuts or something.

But anyway, not sure I get the inclusion of R5-D4, Dexter Jettster, Gragra,and Wioslea. Most of the fun derived from collecting these things is getting the droids and weird alien dudes.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Nicklab on November 20, 2013, 05:04 PM
As a rule, I tend to find almost ANY list post on a website (that isn't say a wishlist poll) to be an absolutely useless exercise, and totally designed to drive web traffic.  I can't say that this iO9 looks any different.

Move along, move along.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Darby on November 20, 2013, 11:18 PM
Io9 itself is actually a really good site. The article was a little whatever but I thought it might prompt some discussion on what we thought were useless figures. Suppose it depends on your perspective. R5 definitely isn't useless. He's the quintessential I want that other droid gateway figure!
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Jayson on November 20, 2013, 11:42 PM
I think he picked the wrong R5. The Rocket firing one is far more useless than the TVC version.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Jesse James on November 20, 2013, 11:51 PM
Not to him.  To him, the rocket's for kids, and kids are everything in making a figure worthy from what I read.  :-\
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Jayson on November 21, 2013, 12:50 AM
Not to him.  To him, the rocket's for kids, and kids are everything in making a figure worthy from what I read.  :-\

Then every female salt shaker figure should have been on there.  (I'm looking at you Lucas kids)
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Jesse James on November 21, 2013, 01:23 AM
Oh man, I'd almost agree, those were useless.

Half mine don't stand anymore.

Actually, I'd say damn near all my senator-esque dudes with fused legs, don't stand.  Like the Mon Cal Senator, or the Passel Argente and his repaint guys.  George Lucas' Blue Man Group figure too...  Their legs are a solid piece, and I've found the ankles lean under the weight of the figures.

I think the two daughters stand ok though maybe...  I think they had a little more stability to them for some reason.

But yeah, some of those Senator figures are really pure shite in design unfortunately.  I kind of dig having things that boring and dull in the line at all, and it's almost its own sub-line of "people who do nothing but go 'rabble rabble' in the background", but yeah, many of them don't want to stand at all any longer.  THAT is useless for sure.

Lot of Padme's like that too...  Wedding dress, that Kobuki one with her arms out at her side...  Lots of crap in the Padme world that doesn't stand and (for me anyway) I'd be just as happy if they didn't waste the tooling and paint aps on them.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Scott on November 21, 2013, 06:20 AM
Willrow Rood is the most worthless figure ever
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Scockery on November 21, 2013, 01:40 PM
In my opinion, the first useless SW figure was Spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Because it wasn't poseable at all. And you had to buy potato chips to send off for it.

Yet...it had its defenders. The old "he doesn't do anything in the films but stand there" crowd. I guess they forgot the scene where he sits down....yes, a ghost sits down.

I never got the Jedi Spirits cinema scene because of that.

It's subjective. There's deluxe figures that useless outside of their intention, like the ones with magnets on their feet. Or those ROTS "driver" figures that were permenently seated.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Jeff on November 22, 2013, 11:07 AM
Useless is in the eye of the beholder for sure. 

To me, the countless ROTS Anakin resculpts are pretty useless at this point...  and I'll be perfectly happy if we never get another new TPM 'lil Annie too.
Title: Re: 16 Most Useless SW Figures
Post by: Jesse James on November 22, 2013, 02:43 PM
I was thinkin' about lil Annie the other night and how a super duper one might be ok...  then it irked me thinking that it'd cost $10.

If it came with EVERYTHING, and I mean every accessory that douche could possibly have from 3PO eye and pod parts to 2 helmets and a dirty-face alternate headsculpt, I think I'd buy it.

If it's just a more articulated version of the Pod figure in Legends last year?  F that.