Author Topic: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?  (Read 9458 times)

Offline Jeff

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Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« on: February 1, 2013, 12:18 PM »
OK, all we know so far is that we're probably getting the Vader artwork on a boring cardback for the Black Series 3.75" figures.

What are your hopes and dreams for this line?  What is the one thing that would kill it for you?  What is the one thing that would make it the greatest line ever?


For me, jumping to a MSRP of >$10 would kill my enthusiasm.  $10 is really the ultimate cap for these and I'd be willing to give up some articulation (down to the 9-11 points range - I'm fine with no ankles and cut elbows sometimes) if it meant shaving a buck or two off the price.

Make it the Greatest line ever?  Why the debut of the Tonnika Sisters of course!  Those would be the ultimate "15th Cantina Guy".  ;)
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Offline P-Siddy

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #1 on: February 1, 2013, 01:48 PM »
Make it the Greatest line ever?  Why the debut of the Tonnika Sisters of course!  Those would be the ultimate "15th Cantina Guy".  ;)

Well, they said who wants the "15th Cantina Guy" but they said nothing about the 3 or so Cantina Gals that have yet to be made.  ;D

A higher price point would kill it for me.  I'm already just getting OT figures at higher prices if I can't find them in store and falling back on secondary stores like 5 Below (with some help from friends) to get PT ones or if I don't find it I can live without it.  I don't mind lower PoA.  Not all figures need to be super articulated anyways...maybe the main heroes and villains and troopers, secondary to background figures can be less-so.

Offline CaptainYoda

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #2 on: February 1, 2013, 01:56 PM »
I think $10 would be a top limit price wise for me as well.

I would like to keep seeing never before made figures, like the Sisters.

Offline JediJman

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #3 on: February 1, 2013, 02:20 PM »
I just hope they have solid articulation and cool figure choices.  And that there's enough distribution for people to find what they want. The inability to find what I want at retail is really the only thing that has me wanting to jump ship on collecting.  I don't mind paying for quality stuff, but I do mind having to buy two full cases over the internet just to get my four new figures.

Personally, I could kind of care less about the launch price point.  People were up in arms about $10-11 prices not so long ago, but how many BOGO and BOGO50 sales have we seen in just the last year?  They won't sell much at that price, so we'll start seeing sales and internet discounts...maybe even more TJ Maxx and 5 Below deals over the long haul.  I don't want to overpay, but even if they come out at >$10, we'll be able to find them for less than that if we're a little patient. 
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Offline McMetal

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #4 on: February 1, 2013, 02:44 PM »
I just hope they have solid articulation and cool figure choices.  And that there's enough distribution for people to find what they want. The inability to find what I want at retail is really the only thing that has me wanting to jump ship on collecting.  I don't mind paying for quality stuff, but I do mind having to buy two full cases over the internet just to get my four new figures.

Personally, I could kind of care less about the launch price point.  People were up in arms about $10-11 prices not so long ago, but how many BOGO and BOGO50 sales have we seen in just the last year?  They won't sell much at that price, so we'll start seeing sales and internet discounts...maybe even more TJ Maxx and 5 Below deals over the long haul.  I don't want to overpay, but even if they come out at >$10, we'll be able to find them for less than that if we're a little patient.

+1

First and foremost, I have to be able to find stuff in stores. It all starts there for me.

I also worry that Hasbro will be spread too thin with a new 6" line, 3&3/4 black series, Movie Heroes, and whatever the hell they decide to do with Clone Wars...
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Offline Diddly

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #5 on: February 1, 2013, 03:37 PM »
In addition to solid articulation (I want the standard to be at least what the 2006 AT-AT Driver and Death Star Gunner figures have), I hope paint apps and plastic quality don't decline. The Class I vehicles I've seen so far are AWFUL in that regard, worse quality than the Indiana Jones line had. Hopefully that changes.
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Online Muftak

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #6 on: February 1, 2013, 04:02 PM »
My greatest hope would be an all-inclusive line that very quickly covers the basic characters (Luke, Han, Anakin in iconic outfits) and brings in those last few remaining hold outs that have yet to be made. (15thCA, Cliegg Lars, etc) Something to get the toys set up to lead into the all new movie stuff.

I guess what I would like to see is a return to the OTC model, get a definitive line out there that can stand by itself as a collection of Star Wars figures with no need to borrow main hero figures from previous lines to make the collection feel complete. I don't mind having to borrow a Yarna from Legacy or Ben Quadrinaros from last year to bulk up the "one of everybody" loose collection. It would be nice and long overdue to have another line that could stand by itself, especially since this line is being put out as "for the collector."

I wouldn't balk at reissues of previous sculpts as long as they met the above criteria. I would want waves made up of twelve "new to the line" figures each. I would be happy with 4-5 waves a year, and maybe 10-20 of those figures being brand new, non-reissues.

I fear we will get the same old case ratios and the line will be difficult/impossible to collect like it has been these last five years.

Offline Scockery

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #7 on: February 1, 2013, 05:49 PM »
I'd like to see them bring back

the hologram pack-in figurines but in new hot neon colours.

Spring action accessories.

Force Files

Enviroment battle stands that sort of connect to form nothing especially useful

Collector coins that you have to buy crappy figures to get all of.

Secret weapons!

I ruined my joke, I actually liked secret weapons.

Offline evenflow

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #8 on: February 1, 2013, 09:32 PM »
Collector coins that you have to buy crappy figures to get all of.


I love the original POTF coin set (one day the 63rd coin will be mine, damn last coin still eludes me), so coins would be the only thing to get my all in.
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Offline Force Guy

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #9 on: February 2, 2013, 12:36 PM »
With regards to the Black Series 3.75" line, I think that if the selection lacks any type of wow factor, and if Hasbro pumps out the same old uninspired crap (ie another Clone Trooper, another Anakin, another Obi-Wan, etc), they should just pull the plug on the entire 3.75" line.     
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Online Muftak

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #10 on: February 2, 2013, 11:04 PM »
What constitutes the "wow factor" 3000 figures into the line? What can they give us that we haven't seen before?

Offline Force Guy

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #11 on: February 3, 2013, 12:35 AM »
What constitutes the "wow factor" 3000 figures into the line? What can they give us that we haven't seen before?


How about an 8D8/EV-9D9 two pack with pull-apart tortured droid and torture mechanism? Or how about some Build-A-Droid sets of 2 or 3 with interchangable parts? Or a 3.75" scaled Krayt Dragon or Dagobah Dragon Snake?  Figures like the Tonnika Sisters, Velken Tezeri, Toryn Farr, or heck at this point, even a figure of Jamie Farr would be very much welcomed...anything but the same old regurgitated crap like another Anakin, another Clone Trooper, another Obi-Wan.  Those are the type of items that would fulfill my personal "wow factor" requirements at this point in time.         

I'd also like to see a return of "ultra" or "deluxe" figures packaged with diorama pieces.  Larger accessories such as the Tractor Beam panel thingy from ANH, or the War Room console from ROTJ before the Battle of Endor, or a Funeral Pyre for Vader.  Hasbro just needs to excercise some inspired creativity with the 3.75" line.  It might be asking for too much, but how about some frickin' playsets for the "3000 figures into the line?"   

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Offline Scockery

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #12 on: February 3, 2013, 12:12 PM »

 Figures like the Tonnika Sisters, Velken Tezeri, Toryn Farr, or heck at this point, even a figure of Jamie Farr would be very much welcomed...

They made two 3 3/4" figures of Jamie Farr in the 80's M.A.S.H. line. Why would kids want to play M.A.S.H.? I did have one, though.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #13 on: February 3, 2013, 02:25 PM »
I had MASH guys for hostages Cobra would take.   :-\
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Offline DoctorPadawan

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Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« Reply #14 on: February 3, 2013, 02:31 PM »
My hope is that with Hasbro apparently going with the "budget" approach as it relates to Movie Heroes (5 POA), they'll finally admit that the Vintage/Black Series/whatever line is a collector-focused line and offer a figure assortment that respects that fact. I'm talking super-articulation as the bare minimum with no corners being cut on deco and no sacrifice of film authenticity for stupid pack-ins and gimmicks.

We already know we aren't getting BAD pieces so I'm hoping they realize anything other than a stand (and we all have all we need of those at this point) as a pack-in is a waste. Use whatever budget for those on including lightsaber hilts that attach to belts, or for a frigging leg strap for the holster. Lack of holster aside, the Vintage RFT is a perfect example of great accessories packed in to add value, so more of that where they can do it would be great.

And if they're going for a true collector-focused line, and with the main characters being well-represented in the budget line for kids, don't sacrifice spaces in the Black Series to repack Obi-Wan and Anakin and X-Wing Luke for the millionth time. If you do a main character in the Black Series, make it a version that isn't identical, costume-wise to another figure (like 3 identical Obi-Wans in 3 different assortments). Do a ROTJ-deco Boba Fett using the Evolutions body with mods as necessary, or do a cloth-lower coat Hoth Han with the hood up.

My other main hope is that they not overdo things in terms of the number of figures released. Part of the problem these last few years is there have been too many figures split across too many "waves" and 90% of them didn't show up to retail or, if they did show up, were victims of horrible case packs and only showed up once. They could cut the line to 24 totally new figures for the entire year (4 waves of 6 figures) and release an assortment every 3 months, with the first release being a case of 12 figures (2 of each new figure) and, in the off months, release a revision case with the more popular figures as a fill-in assortment. No short packs, no chase figures (which is my biggest fear with the 6" line), and for God's sake, no Phantom Menace figures for a long time.

Like I said, each wave would have 6 brand new figures which would encompass five of the six films and, as available, realistic versions of CW characters. I won't go into personal wish lists but I think we could (mostly) all agree that realistic versions of animated Jedi who appeared in the films (Mace, Fisto, Koon) with forearm armor isn't going to be interesting. Do stuff like Bo-Katan, Pong Krell, Hondo Ohnaka, Duchess Satine, Savage Opress, or even Rex and Wolffe instead of just blowing a spot on "Saesee Tiin in Leg Armor".

My biggest hope is that, whatever they do, people are able to actually find it. If Hasbro doesn't get their **** together this fall, especially after the complete cluster**** of the last 3 years, a lot of the people who have been sitting on the fence and giving the big H another chance are going to jump ship completely.