Author Topic: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?  (Read 235874 times)

Offline Muftak

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #555 on: January 7, 2019, 01:58 PM »
Eh, its a disconnect for me. The whole point of "Star Wars Mini Action Figures" for the last 40 years was a scale that interacted with vehicles and playsets. We lost that at 6" and the toy line won't have it at 5" either.

I look at it this way: Hasbro couldn't even come close to getting a nice scale on the $100 Kessel Run Millenium Falcon, and that was meant to be compatible with 3 3/4" figures...imagine that thing interacting with 5POA 5" figures. So vehicles would be "out" as well, leaving just the figures to sell to the kids. (Granted, it seems the vehicle sales have slipped even more than the figure sales since 2015, but the thought of the line without them seems incomplete.)

I don't see the Vintage Collection lasting very long if sold in the toy aisle alongside two competing scales. I can see it becoming a direct market niche item, but then it will almost certainly have to increase in price. At that point, how do they justify two scales aimed at collectors at nearly the same price?

Offline Rob

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #556 on: January 7, 2019, 03:21 PM »
Also for the record, if they wrap this line up without a new Sim Aloo, I'm burning the whole collection in one giant bonfire.

Offline Muftak

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #557 on: January 7, 2019, 03:23 PM »
Also for the record, if they wrap this line up without a new Sim Aloo, I'm burning the whole collection in one giant bonfire.

At this point, they have to save him for the final Vintage Collection wave, because it rhymes.

Offline Brian

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #558 on: January 7, 2019, 08:43 PM »
I could see there being some truth to this as well. I do think, and think it was mentioned at Yakface or in the comments there, that it might be closer to 6" scale. That's hiw the Marvel line(s) are anyway. They might be slightly smaller, but I don't think they are quite down to 5" scale because every once in awhile they throw in a character that hasn't been made in Legends yet (like movie Shocker from Spider-Man: Homecoming), that collectors pick up. I think that line does fairly well too, although I don't watch too closely. Marvel in general may be a better seller than Star Wars at this point.

Not sure how I feel about it overall. I've been getting less and less interested in the 5 POA stuff lately, but am saddened by the fact that maybe kids don't care about Star Wars much anymore. Star Wars is kind of a different beast too where vehicles, beasts, and - in the past - playsets, are a bigger part of the line/universe than other properties. It would be strange picturing the line without them, or at least very, very few.

If it meant that the Vintage Collection got more attention, that would be great though. If it were the only line at that scale, they would definitely have to pick up the pace so there would be more stuff out for movie launch. Maybe still restrained, but at least a dozen new figures from Episode 9 would be nice. Honestly though, if this news is true - and the state of things with Star Wars collecting in general - the writing might be on the wall for TVC, at least as a retail item. I could see the DTC route too, but then we may be looking at $20-25 per figure.

Offline McMetal

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #559 on: January 7, 2019, 10:02 PM »

Stop it...my penis can only get so erect! [/Krieger]

Ha! I love that line... :D

Didn't they already try this with those Dollar Store/Walgreens figures? Those were 5 POA and slightly smaller than the 6" scale.

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Offline Diddly

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #560 on: January 8, 2019, 09:48 AM »
Seems like overkill to me, but I also can count on one hand the amount of figures I actually purchased at retail stores in 2018; essentially only stuff I absolutely couldn't order online. One of those lines absolutely will not be stocked on retail shelves, and based on 2018, it'll be TVC.
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Offline Jeff

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #561 on: January 8, 2019, 12:40 PM »
I could see there being some truth to this as well. I do think, and think it was mentioned at Yakface or in the comments there, that it might be closer to 6" scale. That's hiw the Marvel line(s) are anyway. They might be slightly smaller, but I don't think they are quite down to 5" scale because every once in awhile they throw in a character that hasn't been made in Legends yet (like movie Shocker from Spider-Man: Homecoming), that collectors pick up. I think that line does fairly well too, although I don't watch too closely.

Yeah, Target peg tags (and Hasbro press releases) call them 6" figures, but they are a bit smaller than the 6-inch size/scale that Marvel Legends uses. I think some folks call it a 5" line just to separate it from the 6" Legends stuff.  They are closer to 6" than 5" though.


I'm really interested to see how this all pans out. 

If budget $10 6" figures is how Hasbro approaches Episode 9, Hasbro must see something in their Marvel sales data that says a 7POA $10 6" figure line will sell better than a 5POA $8 3.75" line.  Maybe there's a cost savings there where they make a better margin on the $10 6" figure than the $8 3.75" figure?  Will 6" Black Series collectors supplement their 6" collections with some of the 6" budget figures (like Brian said the Marvel Legends buyers do)? 

What are the "3.75-inch only" collectors going to do?  Hope TVC still offers something interesting?  Will they give up?  Finally jump to 6" stuff?  Burn their whole collection in one giant bonfire (#Rob)?

What does TVC/3.75" look like in 2020?  $13 figures where 50% are new (and some of those 'new' are just new deco) and 50% are repack isn't going to make it.  Too many peg-warmers unless they really get the mixes right.  Will Hasbro have the balls to raise prices to help get more new figures into the mix?  Will the market support the price hike or will more of the market give-up, choosing $20 6" over $16 3.75"?

And there is still the looming question of the Star Wars license.  Does Hasbro still want it?  Does Disney still want Hasbro to have it? Does Disney want it for themselves?  Does Disney break it up (mini-figures at LEGO, 4" at Mattel, 6" at Hasbro, 12", etc)?   I can see Disney wanting it for themselves but at the same time I can't see them passing up the money they'd get by opening up the license to more people (the way they did with the 6" license expansion in Asia - SHFiguarts, MAFEX, etc).

Interesting times ahead...
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Offline Darby

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #562 on: January 8, 2019, 02:20 PM »
Quote
Hope TVC still offers something interesting?

This is me. Provided 5 POA does go away, which is a big if I think, I would hope TVC would expand proportionally but that is unlikely. Personally I really enjoy 5POA and outside of the trooper/Jedi/main characters don't really need SA versions of every character. I like them, but 10 POA would be ok. 12. TVC I think is in real trouble already. At least around me, 5POA sells. I know Solo didn't do well, but the figures did. If Hasbro withdrew from 3.75 or escalated prices beyond their current level, I'd be out.

Offline Rob

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #563 on: January 8, 2019, 02:45 PM »
This is me. Provided 5 POA does go away, which is a big if I think, I would hope TVC would expand proportionally but that is unlikely. Personally I really enjoy 5POA and outside of the trooper/Jedi/main characters don't really need SA versions of every character. I like them, but 10 POA would be ok. 12. TVC I think is in real trouble already. At least around me, 5POA sells. I know Solo didn't do well, but the figures did. If Hasbro withdrew from 3.75 or escalated prices beyond their current level, I'd be out.

5 POA works for me depending on the sculpt. If the sculpts are strong and the details are there, I'm not so worried about the articulation.  I'm not sure if he has more than 5 POA, but Quay Tolsite is a good example... that's a great looking figure, even if he doesn't have ball joints all over.

Offline Darby

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #564 on: January 8, 2019, 02:48 PM »
Quay might be 7 (most of the recent ones are 7 or 8). But definitely he's a great example of a figure who doesn't need much. He looks great, like Moloch or Rio. A couple extra joints on Rio would have been fine, but he's good for me.

Offline Mister Skeezler

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #565 on: January 8, 2019, 02:56 PM »
Yeah I have Admiral Raddus as a 5-POA and he's fine, but overall I just don't like the limited articulation. Admiral Raddus has that sweet jabberjaw articulation. I also have K-2SO as a stand-in, and it annoys me.
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Offline Brian

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #566 on: January 9, 2019, 07:31 PM »
I don't necessarily mind the 5 POA stuff either if the sculpting is there, which it has been lately. I do like getting more articulated versions of the main characters and troops, which TVC does a decent job of covering....eventually. And that's if you can find them. I pretty much just preorder most everything more since retail has become such a gamble. I happened to hit up WM at the times waves 2/3 were showing up there, and found what I needed that one time. Otherwise I only saw Wave 1 at all stores, all year.

I don't see them moving away from 3 3/4" stuff, at least until after Episode 9. Think of kids who came into the franchise primarily with TFA, and started their collections there and moving into Last Jedi (not to mention Rebels, Rogue One, and Solo), and have maybe built up their own little collection only to have a scale switch with the supposed capper to not only the new trilogy but the Skywalker saga? That would stink.

That is assuming kids still care about the non role play toys, which is probably a lot more hit and miss than the old days. I personally hope 3 3/4" never goes away, it is my preferred scale and I like the potential it offers for vehicles, beasts, and playsets. Plus, it is where Star Wars began. Unfortunately, it seems six inch, or larger scale at least, is where most toys have gone. I can't think of much in the aisle, aside from the recent Jurassic toy line, that is still in that size. They might have primarily been so the figures could interact with the dinos.

Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #567 on: January 12, 2019, 12:23 PM »
I'm a die hard 3.75" collector. The 6 inch scale is nicely done and interesting to dabble in but, I'll put my foot down with the 5" should it come to fruition.

Truth be told, I'll be perfectly happy with less product per year, just as long as we get some product.
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Offline JediJman

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #568 on: January 14, 2019, 12:18 PM »
I consider myself a pretty active Marvel Legends 6" Collector.  I have looked at the 5.5" less articulated stuff and while I can see some of the appeal, I would NEVER include that stuff with my 6" figs.  Wrong scale, look is very different, etc.  If they think people will mix and match, I think they're nuts.
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Offline Diddly

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #569 on: January 29, 2019, 01:02 PM »
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gamestop-says-its-no-longer-for-sale-stock-promptly-plummets-2019-01-29

Seems like Gamestop is knocking on death's door, which sucks because they've focused more on collectibles and merchandise, and actually stock new stuff. They aren't perfect, but still beats Target and Walmart
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