I keep saying it, but it my mind this is an inventive idea on their part to give collectors something they’ve been asking for for decades and I think we should be far more complimentary (as most of us seem to be) and far far less whiny (as a few of us seem to be) about it. But you certainly can’t please everyone.
It's absolutely a creative way of conducting outreach to hardcore fans. I appreciate Hasbro trying to find a way to make this possible. I think it was a labor of love for people like Steve Evans who seems genuinely enthusiastic, and it also looks like it might be a grand finale for someone like Mark Boudreaux who has been designing the vehicles since the very beginning.
The goal of the campaign gives Hasbro a benchmark that serves them in a number of ways. First, to see what the market will bear in terms of price. It also gives them a clearer picture of how many adult collectors in the U.S. can really take the plunge on a project like this. And if they don't meet the goal number? The potential lack of fan interest gives Hasbro an out without taking a huge risk.
The continued point of concern for me and a lot of people seems to be the price. Because the escalation in pricing for very large vehicles seems like it's gotten to a breaking point. There seemed to be a standard for a long time as you can see here:
1999 - EPISODE I - Naboo Royal Starship - $99.99
1999 - EPISODE I - Fambaa & Gungan Warrior - $75.00
2002 - SAGA - Imperial Shuttle - $99.99
2004 - OTC - Millennium Falcon - $49.99
2006 - THE SAGA COLLECTION - Imperial Shuttle - $59.99
2008 - CLONE WARS - AT-TE - $99.99
2008 - LEGACY COLLECTION - Millennium Falcon - $159.99
2009 - CLONE WARS - Clone Turbo Tank - $99.99
2010 - CLONE WARS SOTDS - AT-AT - $99.99
2011 - CLONE WARS - Republic Attack Shuttle - $79.99
2012 - VINTAGE COLLECTION - Millennium Falcon - $249.99
2012 - DISCOVER THE FORCE - MTT - $129.99
2012 - VINTAGE COLLECTION - AT-AT - $149.99
2013 - VINTAGE COLLECTION - Republic Gunship - $119.99
2015 - THE FORCE AWAKENS - Millennium Falcon - $149.99
2015 - BLACK SERIES - First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter - $179.99
2016 - ROGUE ONE - AT-ACT - $299.99
The trend in terms of pricing just doesn't seem to be with us. Especially from 2012 on. And 2012 is coincidentally the year that Disney purchased the franchise. It does make you wonder.