Author Topic: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?  (Read 235850 times)

Offline Rob

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #465 on: August 19, 2014, 10:31 AM »
I saw the new Luke at a Target over the weekend.

It looked very out of place.

Offline P-Siddy

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #466 on: August 19, 2014, 10:32 AM »
I dropped by a nearby Target hoping to find some new 4" TBS figures since there have been 0 on the 3 pegs for months and they still haven't restocked even with the reset.  6"- yes.  Finally wave three.  There is one of the big X-Wings but the stickers on the cockpit are peeling back.  Not sure if that will sell at all.

Offline Diddly

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #467 on: August 20, 2014, 06:38 AM »
Yeah, my local Targets get a single case of 6 inch figs about once a month and sell through pretty quickly. They haven't stocked TBS 4 inch since they got one or two cases of Wave 3 maybe back in February or March. Our TRU isn't much better.

I haven't even been inside a Wal-Mart in ages. Apparently all they stock now are the kiddie accessories (masks, lightsabers, etc) for every toy line.
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #468 on: August 20, 2014, 09:43 AM »
In my area walmart doesn't stock figures at all. They have still have two lonely naboo pilots with the 3d glasses removed long ago by some kid. They also have one naboo guard. They still have padme and luke from wave 1 black series. I never seen them get any other waves ever. The rest is large figures, masks and lightsabers and angry birds. None of it sells.

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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #469 on: August 20, 2014, 07:47 PM »
The only consistently good rotation I've seen was between TRU (though they've slacked off) and K-Mart.  K-mart being the better of the two and stocking all 3 waves steadily.

Wave 4's not made an appearance here yet, at all.

Target hasn't restocked a TBS 4" figure since Wave 1 here, seriously.  Wal-Mart didn't even stock Wave 1 (none that I went to anyway, but one semi-near me did have Wave 1 and possibly 2).

Target did stock up to Wave 2 of the 6" figures, and were first to get the 6" Deluxe.  K-Mart has stocked and restocked 6" deluxe figures already though, actually.  Target has not that I can tell.

TRU I don't hit often so no clue what's doin' there at this point, and I try to avoid Wal-Mart but I'm usually there on the weekends and they've not had a new toy show since the Maul/Kenobi wave of Mission Series that I can tell.
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Offline Dave

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #470 on: September 2, 2014, 04:16 PM »
Back to the topic of price hikes, I'm seeing lots of Twitter/Facebook reports of Target stores raising prices on the 3.75" stuff...

Maybe its to account for the extra labor they have in their distribution system now that they're splitting cases between multiple stores  ::)

Offline Jeff

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #471 on: September 18, 2014, 10:33 PM »
Was discussing the explosion of large scale Star Wars figures with someone this morning.  It's kind of incredible how fast it's spreading.

Since Hasbro kicked off the 6" line last year, we've had...
- a new 6" line from Hasbro
- a few 6" MAFEX figures from Medicom (Japan)
- a few 6" SHFiguarts figures from Bandai (Japan)
- a new 12" 5POA line from Hasbro
- a new 12" announcement from Hot Toys (1:6 scale)
- a new 13"-15" line from Disney Stores
- a new 18" announcement from Hot Toys (1:4 scale)
- a new 21" line from Jakks Pacific
- a new 31" line from Jakks Pacific

And there could be more announcements out there

Now we can add...
- a few 6" Revoltech figures from Kaiyodo (Japan)
- a few 6" Play Arts Kai figures from Square Enix (Japan)

That's now FOUR Japanese companies with planned Star Wars figures in the 6"-7" size.  All of them with plans for Vader and at least three are planning on Stormtrooper too. 

I said it before, I'll say it again - it's just amazing to me how fast and wide this large scale figure wave is spreading.  And you all know the merchandising ball is just going to get bigger and bigger as it continues to roll to Episode 7.   :-X
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Offline Brian

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #472 on: September 19, 2014, 12:44 PM »
It really is crazy how things are exploding this year alone, looking at your examples Jeff.  It seemed to me there was too much stuff before, but it is really expanding since the Disney takeover as well.  I feel for those who really try to be "completists" these days, although I'm sure there are fewer of those anymore.  I know even Steve Sansweet has said as much with Episode VII on the way, that it is practically impossible to truly "collect it all" anymore.

I pretty much just focus on the Hasbro stuff anymore, with the odd other collectible here or there, but I really hope we see a simplification of the Hasbro line at least when the movies come around.  I know it is probably wishful thinking, because it is all about retail footspace these days, but I miss the days of "here are Star Wars action figures (one line), here are some beasts, and here are some vehicles".  I guess, like the vintage days, POTF2, relaunch, or even POTJ.

Offline P-Siddy

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #473 on: December 22, 2014, 10:52 PM »
Hasbro would be dumb not to do TFA figures, even if they are 5 PoA, with the vintage feel.  That said, I believe the first batch of these figures will be like what they did for RotS and AotC (or Saga), minimal articulation with action features and pre-posed.  I will skip these figures and wait for the SA figures when/if they get there.  If they don't do them, then I guess I'm not missing out then.

Offline Darby

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #474 on: December 23, 2014, 03:55 AM »
The Saga Legends / Mission Series segment seems to be selling pretty well so I'd be surprised if that didn't continue. I don't think Hasbro abandons the 3.75 range entirely especially at the outset of what will be the year's biggest merchandise offering.

Offline Scott

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #475 on: December 23, 2014, 08:58 AM »
At Christmas time to boot!  I would hope that they have enough wits to get product out like around Nov 1...the tricksy thing will be making things non spoilerish.  I still am not exactly sure why Hasbro held back on Count Dooku when AOTC came out, that was rather bonehead

Offline Jeff

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #476 on: December 23, 2014, 10:02 AM »
I can't imagine there being no 3.75" line for Ep7. 

No 3.75" line planned for Avengers?  So what.  Maybe they finally realize the market for 3.75" Thor, Cap, and Iron Man figures is satisfied.  You can only carry a line for so long with countless variations of main characters.  Maybe there is no "Avengers 2" specific 3.75" Line because they are just going to do one unified Marvel 3.75" line with a wave for each movie - Cap3, Thor3, Avengers 2, 3,4, Spidey, etc? 

Star Wars is a completely different animal.  All new movies, all new characters.  I believe there will be a 3.75" line.  What it looks like?  That's a different question.

I'm going to guess:
$7 - 3.75" 5POA line
$15 - 3.75" premium collector line (like VOTC was back in 2004).  Maybe clamshells, maybe on vintage-style cards, maybe even exclusive.

I think we'll get what we want... but I think we're going to pay for it as well.
« Last Edit: January 5, 2015, 11:43 AM by Jeff »
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Offline P-Siddy

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #477 on: December 23, 2014, 11:01 AM »
That pretty much sums up my feelings, Jeff... regarding Avengers and SW. 


Offline Nicklab

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #478 on: December 23, 2014, 02:41 PM »
No 3.75" line planned for Avengers?  So what.  Maybe they finally realize the market for 3.75" Thor, Cap, and Iron Man figures is satisfied.  You can only carry a line for so long with countless variations of main characters.  Maybe there is no "Avengers 2" specific 3.75" Line because they are just going to do one unified Marvel 3.75" line with a wave for each movie - Cap3, Thor3, Avengers 2, 3,4, Spidey, etc? 


I thought it was cause for concern because of the broader climate in the AF business and Hasbro.  We knew when the TBS 6" figure line was introduced that Hasbro was trying to appeal to this collector market that seems much more enamored of 6" figures.  That's where the bulk of collector interest in action figure lines happens to lie these days.

Avengers/Marvel is really one of Hasbro's big licenses.  The first Avengers movie was one of the top grossing movies of all time, so that license has the potential for some crazy value.  It also falls under the Disney umbrella, which as we all know is the new home of Star Wars, too.  And in some of the other Marvel licenses we've seen this shift towards 6" figures, too.  With Guardians of the Galaxy there was no 3.75" figure line, but there was a 6" figure line and a mini figure line that would integrate with their vehicle offerings.

Is Star Wars different?  Yes.  It's got status as a "Legacy" brand that bucks trends.  But it's not completely bullet proof.  Nothing is.  We've kind of rolled along despite the fact that Hasbro has downsized the collector focused 3.75" figure line and shifted to a more broadly focused 3.75" figure system that is simpler and cheaper to manufacture.  Plus, the fact that the first leak of TFA figures happened to be from the 6" figure line and not the 3.75" figure system?  That could just be a coincidence.  I'm not completely pessimistic about the future of the 3.75" figure line.  But do I know that I'm going to be watching these developments closely as Toy Fair approaches.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #479 on: December 23, 2014, 04:38 PM »
I think a 2.5" line could happen and 4" figures could be canned...  It could be a way for Hasbro to reintroduce higher quality all around the line (vehicles, figures, etc.) while getting costs down so prices are at levels where they'll actually sell well.  I can see it going the other way too and being a 6" line for collectors and 4" line of 5POA stuff for kids and no 4" collector line at all.  I could see it being exactly what it is now too though as well.

I can't say I'll care tremendously, either way.  I'll be a little bummed at no 4" collector figures for the new films and what ultimately never was for the existing films and EU...  I'd also be glad to save the $ and move onto something else I find interesting.
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