Author Topic: Figure Releases per Year  (Read 6354 times)

Offline Rob

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Re: Figure Releases per Year
« Reply #15 on: December 29, 2008, 07:39 PM »
Yeah, the $8 thing sucked, but it seems like it's only an issue at TRU now.  It was right around the start of $8 figures that I decided I was done buying two of everything. 

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Figure Releases per Year
« Reply #16 on: December 29, 2008, 09:35 PM »
It's an absurd price for what you get, honestly...  SW saw a spike that I only saw in other Hasbro toys really...  I'm not sure why but it's certainly frustrating from a consumer's POV.  Barbies didn't spike in price.  The military line I collect saw a $.20 "jump" in price at Target (who love to spike where they can it seems).  Yet IJ, Star Wars, JOe...  Weird that all that stuff went up high percentages.

It certainly has cut into how I collect too.  I used to buy lots of army builders, now I've cut the numbers down.  If it weren't for price matching those $4.99 sales KM had, I wouldn't have a lot of the '08 stuff I have now.  I know I was dreading the Leg wave 2 figures thinking how they were chock full of army builders, but that sale with KM helped me out a lot.

Anyway, I'm just glad Target's being competitive right now...  That at least leaves shopping options open.
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: Figure Releases per Year
« Reply #17 on: December 30, 2008, 12:37 AM »
Meh, $8 ain't so bad once you've seen POTJ hit $14.  That was scary.  And the POTJ stuff was what brought me back in.

But I canned the carded thing back some time around then or after Ep I when it got silly.  Then I canned vehicles around ROTS and not too long after that I canned the completeist in me.  Honestly I can't even tell you what I do and don't own at this point.  The comments regarding so many Vaders, Lukes, etc. is bang on.  So I'm at the point where I look at what is being released and decide if I want it or not and lately it's been a lot of not. 

I will hand it to Hasbro though, the BAD stuff has made me buy a number of figures I really don't give a crap about.  Though of late I've not opened much so I've been able to hold out and watch some re-releases of figures that I wanted, but didn't need the duplicate BAD part, so back to the store they go.  I fully expect Hasbro to bone us down the road and release all the BADs in box sets so they can continue to spite me. 

I'll but new OT characters and better versions of previously released OT figures, selling the old stuff for fodder.
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Offline Brian

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Re: Figure Releases per Year
« Reply #18 on: December 30, 2008, 09:10 AM »
Jesse makes a good point about the Animated Clone Wars line.  I've been in on that line, buying one of each character, since the beginning.  I had hoped to continue that, but going into '09 I don't know if that will be possible.  I should probably just pass on it altogether, but I get so into the series it makes the figures more tempting.  I need to have a better attitude of just liking the show but not "needing the stuff" because of it.  Going forward, I might just pick and choose from that line, getting figures like Fisto (and probably the other Jedi), main characters, and astromechs.

Like it was mentioned, it wouldn't be nearly as bad keeping up if there was just the one line - and avoiding the "other" stuff.  I've already started to cut back on comic packs as well.  I'm selling off some of the EU stuff I don't really need, and from now on, I'll likely just pick up packs that are "OT EU" or otherwise Original Trilogy related.  A lot of the figures are nice, but I don't need them and I'd rather put that collecting money towards the basic figure line or something.  Although I don't mind the animated style figures (obviously, since I buy them), I would have been ok with everything being in realistic style.  Have one line, 45-50 figures a year, and be done with it.  It would be a lot easier to keep up with and keep track of, although I can see why they have a seperate branding for the kiddos/parents/etc.

Offline Keonobi

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Re: Figure Releases per Year
« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2008, 09:48 AM »
In line with the discussions about nearly $8 figures, as well as the huge volume of new releases that Hasbro is doing, I read in IIRC the last issue of SW Insider that Star Wars was the number one product line for all toys (boys, girls or preschool) this year.  So not only is Hasbro releasing a lot, and charging a lot for each unit (I know, the store gets a cut, as do the distributors, etc.), but they also have enormous demand for this product line.  I think the huge popularity of SW is what is driving the huge number of new releases.  But I'm no where near a completist, so I see that as a positive.  More time and energy on Hasbro's part to produce products I might want to buy.  Sure that means more things I can pass on, but also more things I might want.
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Offline Captain Piet

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Re: Figure Releases per Year
« Reply #20 on: December 30, 2008, 11:58 AM »
They gotta slow down, especially now with the economy going to way it is. I can't see them offering anyway where near the number of figures over the last two years next year.
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Offline Brian

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Re: Figure Releases per Year
« Reply #21 on: December 30, 2008, 12:00 PM »
I'd like to see a slowdown as well, but judging from sales around here (particularly around the holidays), I don't know if it will happen.  Things at many stores have sold out (Target in particular, at least here).  Still, I'd like to see the return to a more manageable number - which we really haven't seen since before the ROTS line.