2018 HasLab - TVC Jabba's Sail Barge (The Khetanna)

[Jeff]

Besides where would I put it?

I think that's probably a key factor in 'where is everyone?' Myself, I have nowhere for it.

I do agree that it's expensive and space consuming... but in my mind I'd rather have an amazing ROTJ Sail Barge than Kylo Ren's starfighter, a U-Wing, an MTT, and a pile of other odds and ends vehicles that I've amassed over the years.

Basically, I'll get rid of other things to fit this sumbitch in, and those things that I sell if I do sell can help pay for it too, because this is one of the last key, iconic pieces of the original trilogy that's never been made.

Same as Rob for me.  I will find a way to create a display for something as iconic as the Sail Barge, even if I have to sell off some other stuff to make the room.  Jabba's Sail barge is more desirable to me than a lot of the Clone Wars cartoon ships or Jedi Skittle-color starships.

[Muftak]

Adam Pawlus talks about sometimes wanting the line to take a break. I say it sometimes, and I never do, though when people ask me what I want most from these toys, that's it. I want a break. I want to go away and come back fresh and excited, or maybe just enjoy what I have. There are multiple stresses on the hobby that are producing this moment of shrinking retail, websites, interest and we're all squeezed in the middle.

Well said, and I totally get that. I "retired" from collecting 10 years ago (when I felt the same way) by writing out a master list of all the Star Wars figures I would ever want, and trying real hard to stick to it. There's maybe a dozen left to be made (or not) and I evaluate resculpts to buy when and if I see them in the store. With the sequel trilogy/spinoffs, I have been setting a cap at the "12 essential" characters from each, though I haven't really gotten off my butt to figure out who those would be for TLJ yet.

 I have been really happy with my collection as a closed-ended thing, I do not regret the Master List at all, and it has given me long breaks from "looking for stuff" over the past few years.

Still haven't decided if I want a Sail Barge for the long haul...

[Mister Skeezler]

Things got much more manageable for me when I decided to only display (and buy) SA original trilogy stuff. I still have my prequel stuff, but it's all packed away, and I've been slowly giving it to my kids to play with.

That said, the sail barge is OT, so it fits right in for me.

[Jesse James]

I was talking with a buddy of mine and while $500 isn’t cheap, I agree with him that it’s also not that expensive either.  I mean it’s expensive for a toy...  but not for a lot of other things really.  I’m kinda shocked how many are NOT backing it due to cost.  Of course everyone’s financial situation is different too.  But I mean if you’re see in this hobby to begin with I figure $500 isn’t that bad but who knows.  I just see a lot of people saying how they want it but how Hasbro is somehow just screwing them over on the price.

Now don’t get me wrong if you can’t afford it you can’t afford it but Hasbro isn’t screwing anyone here.  I mean that’s like saying the car you want is out of your budget so Audi is just a bunch of pricks.  We couldn’t afford a new Wrangler this past year but I didn’t suddenly get mad at Jeep...  we got a Renegade instead till finances clear up. 🤷‍♂️

Like Jeff said on space issues...  this is a lot cooler than the Turbo Tank, MTT, Shuttle, Jedi fighters out the yingyang...  I can make space if it’s cool enough.  I retire stuff all the time in this hobby.  Nature of the beast since I can’t add on to the house for it all.

[Darby]

Oh, yeah, I'd be clearing the decks for this one. I have been downsizing, dramatically. I just don't have the space for this. I could afford it, but it's a bad time because I'm spending that money on something else that's a higher priority. I personally don't think it's that outrageous in price, when you put it into perspective of everything else we buy. To me, it's essentially a shelf - you can go to IKEA and spend $200-300 on something very nice, or buy this and have something cooler.

We'll see. If I sell a book between now and the deadline, I'll pounce. 

[Rob]

I was talking with a buddy of mine and while $500 isn’t cheap, I agree with him that it’s also not that expensive either.  I mean it’s expensive for a toy...  but not for a lot of other things really.  I’m kinda shocked how many are NOT backing it due to cost.  Of course everyone’s financial situation is different too.  But I mean if you’re see in this hobby to begin with I figure $500 isn’t that bad but who knows.  I just see a lot of people saying how they want it but how Hasbro is somehow just screwing them over on the price.

Two points on that... one, I think that a lot of the people who are freaking out about the $500 price tag on this just have sticker shock.  $500 is a lot, but at $13 and tax it's only about 35 SA figures.  Considering the size and scale and detail on this thing, that doesn't seem excessive at all.


Two, that price includes shipping, surely it's going to cost Hasbro $50 or more per to ship.

[Brian]

Things got much more manageable for me when I decided to only display (and buy) SA original trilogy stuff. I still have my prequel stuff, but it's all packed away, and I've been slowly giving it to my kids to play with.

That said, the sail barge is OT, so it fits right in for me.

This is similar to what I've been doing as well. I do still have some prequel (and sequel/spinoff) figures displayed, but the ships have been packed away and I think some will be getting sold off. I just sold off some big lots of PT figures lately as well, but have kept the main/supporting characters and a handful of troopers. It has been a long time coming, but just the concept of possibly having this barge has kind of forced the thinning the herd concept. I just don't have room for all this stuff, with no end in sight, so it is time to decide what's most important collecting-wise.

I honestly think that this barge is worth the $500 price tag, but there is a bit of sticker shock just at once. I resolved to try and only spend on new stuff what I make off of sales from old stuff. If I can get to a point where I have a cushion for anything else I want for the rest of the year (above the barge), then I'm in as well. Going through things makes you realize how weak many of the vehicles have been the past few years. If we keep seeing more OT goodness like this, it is very exciting.

[Jesse James]

Yeah I guess maybe I rationalize my toys differently.  I don’t have a lot but I didn’t **** my pants and throw a tantrum over he price either.  I’ve looked around at some comments elsewhere though and there are clearly either people whose wives aren’t letting them buy it and they’re taking that out on Hasbro, or they are in a financial place where this isn’t a good idea and they’re again taking this out on Hasbro.

There are many people simply saying “wow that’s cool but too rich for my blood” and I respect that.  But I see a lot of people saying Hasbro just “is in it for the money” (no ****? ), and are screwing collectors, and this should be done without funding through Haslab...  these are the problem people in this hobby to me.  The constan complainers about quality but the same ones who bitch about the price of better toys.  No winning there for Hasbro.

[Brian]

Yeah I don't think the price is out of line, really what did we expect after the $300 AT-ACT, etc.? I kind of wonder if it gives any idea at all of what the actual "collector base" is these days. We are clearly more divided than we have ever been, but in some ways it seems like the landscape is changing. I really don't know how many "new" collectors they are gaining with kiddos and the new movies. I know my daughter and her friends (boys and girls), have really enjoyed all the new movies, but seem to care less about the toys outside of LEGOs (well, my daughter does, probably because of me, but spends more time with LEGO.)

I sometimes feel like our group here is becoming more of the "old guard", still caring primarily about the OT, where there are also segments of fans who grew up with the PT or maybe Clone Wars was their first experience, or even Rebels. Now we have the Disney generation as well. It is all great, just more segmented than it has ever been.

[Rob]

Half way point today.

[Darth_Anton]

I've been noticing random surges in orders. I check in a few times a day, sometimes it'll tick up 3 or 4, yesterday I noticed a surge of about 40 or more over the course of a few hours. I am worried, though. Seems like we'll be lucky to get to 4K. Hope I'm wrong.

[Qui-Gon Jim]

Perhaps the surge is due to a push of advertising on social media?  I’ve seen a lot on this the past few days.

[Pete_Fett]

I've been noticing random surges in orders. I check in a few times a day, sometimes it'll tick up 3 or 4, yesterday I noticed a surge of about 40 or more over the course of a few hours. I am worried, though. Seems like we'll be lucky to get to 4K. Hope I'm wrong.

You're not wrong. At the current pace, we won't even make 4000 by the 3rd of April.

The number of backers per day has been steadily on a decline. Two weeks ago a sustained run-rate of 80 backers per day was needed to meeting the goal. Now the number is approaching 106 backers a day needed. The reality is between 50 and 60 backers per day. The numbers just aren't there.

It's a shame, it really is.

[Matt_Fury]

I expect to see a surge in the last week or so.

[Muftak]

Heck, I'll show you one now...