Author Topic: 2013 Droid Factory = Dead  (Read 30107 times)

Offline Jeff

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2013 Droid Factory = Dead
« on: December 11, 2012, 01:52 PM »
The winds of change are blowing again...   :-\

I really, really hope the decision to re-ship 2012 Waves 4, 4.1, and 5 in early 2013 doesn't mean bad things for the Legacy BAD stuff.

They can't possibly be considering FOUR lines at retail at the same time (CW, MH, TVC, BAD), can they?  Something's gotta give... 
« Last Edit: January 7, 2013, 09:40 AM by Jeff »
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Offline Greg

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2012, 01:56 PM »
Maybe Hasbro is pushing the BAD line back until Fall, or starting it in late Spring with a different wave? Now that the 3D re-releases are set for next Fall, they might have realized kicking the year off with an AOTC-heavy wave might cause the same issues we had this year with the TPM vintage wave.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2012, 02:03 PM »
Interesting thought of basically the start of the year being nothing but repacks from last year.  I'm not upset by THAT idea really.  As noted in Vinty I'm more annoyed by some of the choices.

Starting later with BAD might be ok.  Wonder what it means for shows like TF and SDCC though?
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Offline Brian

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2012, 04:47 PM »
Yeah, I'm curious what will happen with the BAD waves as well.  I was sort of thinking that the online retailers would usually have had them up for preorder any time now, and I haven't seen anything yet.  Like Jeff mentioned, I really hope they aren't planning on having yet another line out there at the same time.  It seems like there are already too many as it is.  I guess it is nice that TVC is sticking around and giving people a chance that may have missed those figures, but I think personally I'm pretty much caught up with what I want, so if BAD does get delayed, it might be a pretty significant break for people like me (which I guess is alright too).

Offline MasterFisto

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2012, 07:11 AM »
I can easily say that I would be severely disappointed if BAD gets pushed back to end of next year.  I was able to acquire most of the figures on the TVC re-release list (except for Bespin Han Solo) either through trades or by humping my retailers.  So, if there is nothing to offer in the realistic line in 2013 except for re-releases of 2012 product, then I may have absolutely nothing to collect in 2013 (because I now know not to look forward to any cool Clone Wars releases), and that will SUCK HARD!!  So, if this is indeed the way things will be going, then 2013 will be worse for me than 2012 was - and that it is hard to imagine. 

 :'(

Offline Jesse James

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2012, 03:03 PM »
Money saved though, is always good...  Right?  Lulls have always been difficult times.
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Offline Rob

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2012, 04:16 PM »
Perfect timing for me to focus on getting caught up on Lego.

Offline Nicklab

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2012, 05:21 PM »
I'm perfectly fine with the TLC2013 line being delayed.  Until Hasbro gets this inventory mess sorted out with the remaining cases of The Vintage Collection, the works are going to get gummed up.  Let them work it out and get the distribution system running correctly.  And then we can *HOPEFULLY* get back on a regular schedule where we see a new wave at retail every 4 - 6 weeks.

However, I'm disturbed to see some Star Wars collecting websites abandoning reason and throwing out alarmist nonsense like "THERE'S GOING TO BE NO NEW PRODUCT FOR 2 YEARS"!  Really?  Based on what?  If you want to call yourself an authority in the Star Wars online collecting community and you go spouting off nonsense like that, you'd better be prepared to back it up.

This bit of news from Hasbro regarding the return of TVC figures to the pegs took a lot of people by surprise, but it's far from unexpected. We knew from a number of statements from Hasbro that they had a tremendous backlog of TVC basic figure inventory. This was caused by Hasbro's massive miscalculation on the level of demand for the EPISODE I themed wave of Vintage Collection figures. And Hasbro has openly acknowledged that they over-produced the TPM wave and that had a ripple effect on subsequent waves of The Vintage Collection getting out to retail chains. This led to an overstock of later TVC basic figure waves in Hasbro's warehouses.

Hasbro also announced that they would be offering a great deal of TVC basic figure stock to closeout chains like 5 Below, TJ Maxx, Big Lots and others. But there were still at least 5 WAVES of TVC basic figures that followed the EPISODE I wave. So what to do with those? As much as I like buying TVC figures for $5 a piece at 5 Below, I can't see that chain and TJ Maxx being able to take on the tremendous backlog of stock that must have been the result of the TPM wave logjam. Hence this announcement that 2012's wave 4 & 5 will be returning to brick & mortar retail!

So where does that leave things? Very likely, we're probably going to see TVC basic figures continue to ship through the new year and Q1 of 2013. That gives Hasbro and the retailers about 4 months to try to work through this backlog of TVC stock. And Hasbro will probably transition over to THE LEGACY COLLECTION of basic figures & vehicles for Q2, which begins in April 2013. Plus, the way the toy business works, we usually see new licensed lines launch within a month or so of Toy Fair. And that takes place in mid-February.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2012, 06:35 PM by Nicklab »
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Offline Scockery

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2012, 11:01 PM »
I think the B-A-D waves were lie, only existing as mocik-ups, and Hasbro thought thought that Dec. 21 is the end of the world, but now are covering their butts as folks have noticed there's no new product to pre-order.  :P

I've missed a lot of figures I want from Vintage, so it's good to get more chances, but the bummer is that the 2 announced Legacy waves are so lackluster, that it's gonna be awhile before there's any new-new figures to look forward to.  :-\

Offline Scockery

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2012, 04:29 PM »
People are spreading chicken little stuff. There'll be no new figures until 2014. Legacy has been scrapped. Disney wanted the BAD's for their park. No packaged Legacy figures have been seen yet.

Packaged 2013 Clone Wars has been seen, though.  The vehicles already appeared overseas.

Hasbro said Vintage was one their worst selling lines ever, so anyone suggesting they are scrapping Legacy to put the planned releases on vintage cards wasn't paying attention.


Offline Jeff

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #10 on: January 3, 2013, 03:00 PM »
Ruh-oh.  Take this with a grain of salt, but Dan Curto posted some news from a Target source:

Quote
•STAR WARS DROID FACTORY FIGS
•087-06-1380 $9.99
•Discontinued

Yep, that says "Discontinued". 

We don't know that "discontinued" necessarily means the figures have been cancelled outright, it could just mean the DPCI has been discontinued since they were dropped from the Spring planograms or something.  But it sure fits with the other rumors that the Droid Factory stuff wasn't coming this spring after all... :(
« Last Edit: January 3, 2013, 04:53 PM by Jeff »
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Offline shmashwitdaclub

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #11 on: January 3, 2013, 04:53 PM »
probably just pushed back to be more in line with the movie releases.  A push back will give Hasbro time to sell the "greatest hits"  :P Vintage line figures that could never get out to retail.  "discontinued" could just be reassigning to a new dpci for whatever reason (perhaps a push back).

Either way, of course the main line isn't done.  Of course Hasbro is not going to not release the figures made for this new line - the tooling is there, Hasbro won't waste the investment on so many figures.  We will see these figures in some way, shape or form. 

Offline Jesse James

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #12 on: January 3, 2013, 06:55 PM »
I look at it like this:

-the line has a lot of life with new movies so no need to go into "sky is falling" mode.

-like above molds are tooled.  They'll happen.

-all the changes for the brand overall with new films and the shifting sands of the 3D releases, coupled with a poorly executed 2012, means changes were almost inevitable.  Just what those changes would be we're up for debate.

-$ saved...  It gives a shot at extras of some 2012 figures, or firsts for the less fortunate collectors, an at the same time saves the rest of us time and money.  I've learned breaks in the hobby are good for us and help you learn about yourself as a collector.

-there seem to be a couple things coming to tide you over, but its also a chance to explore other licensees.  Assuming this is a full year (or longer) type of situation and not just a break till say Fall/Back-to-School or whatever.
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #13 on: January 4, 2013, 02:06 AM »
I'm actually looking forward to a "break" for the better part of 2013. And I say "break" because, there's still (for me at least):

- The Yoda Packaging Class I Vehicles (four of them)
- The Yoda Packaging Class II Vehicles (three of them)
- A wave of Movie Heroes (Light-up Anakin, Light-up Sandtrooper, Exploding Battledroid, etc...)
- A wave of Clone Wars (assuming that it will come out since it's mostly repacks anyway)
- the Vintage packaged Endor AT-AT

So there's plenty of stuff coming.

If anything, I'm more concerned about the "lost" four Movie Heroes figures from the 2012 line - Tan "Exploding" Battledroid, Light-up Lightsaber Anakin Skywalker, Rocket Firing Backpack Boba Fett & Light-up Canon Sandtrooper. All on Darth Maul card-backs, all with Battle Card Game Cards. All four of them have been released in Europe on tri-lingual cards. Is that going to be the only way we can get those four figures? Or with the Vintage "greatest hits" coming out, is there a chance we might see a 4th wave of Maul-carded Movie Heroes at some point this Winter?

If there's Q&A at Toy Fair, that might make for a great question as to the fate of those four figures for the US market.
« Last Edit: January 4, 2013, 02:23 AM by Pete_Fett »
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Offline Scockery

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Re: 2013 Legacy Collection Rumors
« Reply #14 on: January 4, 2013, 08:10 AM »
The clone wars releases have had carded images shown, assumably they are ready to go.

Problem with breaks, is that after distribution of Vintage, I feel like the whole thing is a break until some minor miracle happens.