Author Topic: The Future of Star Wars Collecting  (Read 61069 times)

Offline P-Siddy

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #135 on: August 21, 2006, 06:42 PM »
.... and I could sure use a bunker playset for my Endor scene.

Actually, I would think Big H could do this and at a relatively low cost for them...

All they need is the front, a couple moveable blast doors, opening fuse box... and the back could be open to reveal the shield generator work stations where the Rebels could interact with the Imperials and you can have one poor Imperial officer say, "You Rebel scum." before knocking him into the chasm with a bag of grenades!

I could see it, don't know if Hasbro would.

Offline Stim

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #136 on: August 21, 2006, 11:31 PM »
Yeah, I sorta wish Hasbro would end it already.  I'm buying less and less, and there are a couple characters I'd still like to see made, but I'm over the hunting and searching and...caring...all that much.  I pretty much order everything online these days, and just buy the 1-2 new figures/wave.  Gentle Giant has been getting most of my money, and probably will continue to.

Offline Paul

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #137 on: August 22, 2006, 05:55 PM »
I'm not ready for Hasbro to give it up yet.  There are some things I want them to get right before they stop the line. 

It will stop eventually and it will feel like 1985 all over again (or for the first time for some of you).

I get tired of the hunt every now and then too, but that is when I order a case online, get stuck with some prequel figure that got snuck in the wave revision and then realize how good the hunt was.

When they have made the "Ultimate" version of a few characters..they've got till 2018 to do that, but who knows, it could be next year...

Offline Simdog

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #138 on: August 26, 2006, 08:16 PM »
THere are a few more figures that i would like to see too but i am tired of suffering through countless repacks that i don't buy, countless repaints that I pick and choose from and numerous kitbashes. We spend tons of money on Hasbro's stuff but they cut back and spend a lot less to bring us half the new sculpts that they once produced.

I would like for the line to wind down. All I look forward too now are the new sculpts and thats it. A new repaint or kitbash just doesn't do it for me. Hasbro is going to continue to pound collectors with repaints and repacks until the line goes dead. They're milking us now off of the popularity of ROTS. The TV shows won't do as well and repacking the movies every year will get old too. I just don't think they'll make it to 2018.

If this rumoured "ultimate DVD set" comes out in 07, what do the movie lovers/collectors have to look forward too? Don't say the TV show.

So far all the EU figures are repaints. Not a single new sculpt excepts for those FC winners. Thats nowhere near what EU collectors were hoping for.

Cartoon figures were great! Oops! They're will be no more.

The vintage line is awesome too but they're primarily focusing on the core characters and iconic characters, all of which have been done very well recently. That means completist will have to buy them again. Carbonite Han, Leia Bouush.

It looks like the only newly sculpted vehicles you'll be getting will be from your beloved EU TV show.

Even if Hasbro breaks us off with a new sculpts, the ones we hope for the most are background characters, droids and aliens that don't always sell well.

That pretty much leaves you all to hundreds of different funny colored clones, most of which weren't in the movies.

I have one wish for Hasbro, give us one "good" year as a going away present and end the line!

Offline Dan

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #139 on: September 19, 2006, 07:39 AM »
If the level of activity (and animosity) on forum boards is any indication, the future of star wars collecting (at least Hasbro) is looking a little dimmer than it was at the beginning of the year.

The Saga collection has provided a ton of product, but the number of repacks was sure to be a turn off to some new collectors. I'm not sure that riding the success of ROTS should have meant repackaging ROTS. Kids and collectors who got into the line in 2005 didn't get much in 2006. There were some great new sculpts, and some characters we really wanted, but you had to hope to find one lost between the repaints and new pegwarmers hovering around retail. And if you were a completist at the beginning of 2006, you had to have a deep wallet and high tolerance for repack-pain to stick with it through to this point.

With wave after wave of clones, and almost nothing for them to do, the lack of new ships and playsets has become more glaring. Hasbro doesn't want to make them, and nobody else has a license.

The clone wars cartoons are a great part of the prequel saga (IMO), and I loved the artistic look of the figures. As noted above, they are not in the plans.

So for me, the best years of Hasbro have passed.

Star wars collecting seems to be moving in a new direction, and there the future seems bright. Gentle Giant, Sideshow, Medicom, and others are producing great products that are more clearly targeted at collectors. They seem to be willing to take bigger risks and are putting a very high level of quality into their products.

But to me, collecting star wars meant bubble gum cards and toys. As much as I like many of the new products, they will never have the same place in my heart as the toys you could play with.

But before the figure line goes away, I hope they do Padme right. Lars Homestead was close, everything else I can think of looks like a donkey with rickets.

Offline Brian

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #140 on: September 19, 2006, 09:14 AM »
That's an interesting point, I've kind of been wondering what the future of Star Wars collecting - particularly the Hasbro side of things - will be headed in the next few years.  It seems like more and more people are becoming disillusioned with the line, or maybe just had enough after 10+ years (depending when you started).  I agree, the "higher end" lines are really making some great product - and I wish I could afford a lot more of it - but Star Wars collecting has always been about the "toys" to me too.  I'd hate to see the line go away, although if it was cut back more and focused on collectors I guess that would be ok.

I wonder what would be the "perfect" line for collectors at this point?  Sure, opinions would vary a lot on that subject, but it seems like we are getting to the point where a lot of new figures (all new) they make are just gravy.  I mean, who would have thought we would have gotten figures like Bren Derlin, Rappertunie, Myo, Feltipern Trevagg, etc. in the basic figure line?  Sure, there are a lot more figures we can still see, but there actually seems to be a "light at the end of the tunnel" feeling with the basic line at this point.  I've seen more and more comments that "this is what I want, but it would just be gravy if it was made".  It seems like there is more and more people becoming interested in "high end/collector friendly" products, and although we can see them sitting at retail now - I wonder if a VOTC direction for Hasbro (eventually) might not be a bad idea.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for more $10-$13 action figures, but if the figure selection and/or sales gets to the point where the line is going to be cut back - maybe specializing the line might be an idea.  If most of what people want has been made in basic figures (after the next couple years), I think quite a few of us would buy all new, super articulated versions of our favorite characters.  And maybe the price wouldn't sting as much if they went all out (think the best of the VOTC/VTSC waves so far) with lots of accessories, nice packaging, and a limited release for the year.  If Sideshow puts out 10-12 of their 12" figures each year, maybe 20-24 basic figures would be a good number.  Anyways....off topic a little bit, but I'm curious as to the state of people's thinking about the Hasbro line and its future at this point.  It does seem as if interest is waning overall - and one would think that would only continue over the next couple years.

Offline Brian

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #141 on: February 26, 2007, 03:56 PM »
Although this might belong in the 30th AC forum, I didn't want to start a new thread.  After seeing much of what is on the way this year, or at least getting a better idea of the near future, what do you think of the future of Star Wars collecting at this point?  It seems like a fair amount of collectors (here and elsewhere) have been dropping out of the line, or scaling back considerably, which maybe marks a decrease in interest to some extent.  Also, although there are still plenty of figures to be made - and plenty that I'd like to see - it really seems like we're getting a lot this year (and last year), I'm starting to wonder how much is left to be made.  Of course, there will be the animated and live action series coming up that can support lines (as well as video games), but after this year's basic lineup and "vintage" figure lineup, many of the main characters (particularly OT characters) will have pretty good representations.

Like I said, I'm not saying there isn't anything to make - and I'm definitely not saying I want the line to end - I'm just curious what the future might hold.  If you take a look at some segments of the Star Wars line after this year, lots of stuff is getting covered pretty well.  Aside from repaints and/or resculpts, the majority of the clonetroopers (movie versions) will be covered by the end of 2007 (actually sooner).  Looking at the main characters, we have some pretty nice representations that you could do little to improve at this point:

Han Solo (VOTC ANH, VTSC Endor, VTAC Hoth) - all good, plus you might consider the Comic Pack repaint covering the Stormtrooper version, a rumored Bespin version on the way in the basic line later this year, and a recent Carbonite version in TSC.

Luke Skywalker (VOTC/30AC/etc Tatooine Luke, VTSC X-Wing Pilot, VTAC Bespin, TSC Endor, TAC Jedi) - again, many good versions.  We'll have to see with some of them, and I wouldn't mind seeing true "vintage" versions of Jedi Luke, Hoth Luke, etc., but with all the Lukes coming out this year, its getting pretty well covered as well.

Troops - (VOTC Stormtrooper, Evo Sandtrooper, SAGA TIE Pilot, VTSC Biker Scout, VTAC Snowtrooper, etc.) - although availability can sometimes be a problem, we've really been getting some nice troops these past couple years.

I could go on, but to keep it shorter those are just a few examples.  Again, always more to be made/improved upon, but it seems like the list is getting thinner for some things.  Heck, even our "Top 10" lists are having to stretch a little more all the time.  As much as I like it, I can't see there being too many more waves of the "vintage" line with them getting closer and closer to wrapping up the main characters.  With the prequels, there's always room for some more Padmes, re-done main characters (TPM/AOTC Obi, Qui-Gon, etc.), and there's quite a few POTF2 resculpts I wouldn't mind seeing either, but with all the new/different/resculpted characters coming out just this year it seems like it might be leading to a different collecting future.  Sure, there can always be remakes, but I don't know how much some of the top figures can be improved upon in just the next couple years - maybe further down the road, but not right now.  Anyways, just random thoughts, but what do you think of the future of Star Wars after seeing some of the lineups for this year, as well as a glimpse at later in the year at Toy Fair?

Offline David

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #142 on: March 3, 2007, 12:35 PM »
I think the future looks GREAT! I'm pretty encouraged for this year. I think it'll be the best ever.  ;D The only problem I have is the cost of getting all these cool figs!  :P
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Offline Angry Ewok

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #143 on: March 4, 2007, 12:41 PM »
I think the future looks GREAT!

That's what I like to hear, man.

Offline Artoo

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #144 on: March 4, 2007, 01:58 PM »
Brian, I'd like to see all SA sculpts of Endor Luke, Crabonite Han, Tatooine Luke & Tie fighter pilot.
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Offline Deanna Rash

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #145 on: March 4, 2007, 03:25 PM »
 :) I like what I'm seeing so far.I don't mind paying for nice looking figures with articulation.
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Offline Artoo

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #146 on: March 4, 2007, 03:59 PM »
I think this year is blowing wat too many main characters out of the water leaving nothing for main characters in OT, excluding a few.  :-\
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #147 on: March 5, 2007, 12:58 AM »
It's tough for me, from past experience, to say everything looks to be on the upswing in the hobby...  I love almost everything I've seen so far for 2007, there's great stuff coming for sure...  Maybe the best start to a line ever? 

Then again I felt the same way about 2005 and the ROTS line...  It kicked off great, it sort of puttered though about mid-way, and by the end people were looking for lame repaints of figures that were impossible to find...  It certainly fizzled.  Still a good year of collecting, but a lot of stuff sucked a lot more in person than it did in photography, and on a smaller note there was a gradual decline in quality...  Captain Antilles is a prime example of this...  There are others though that came out mid point like Bacara and such who were ultimately a letdown. 

Then 2006...  SOme really cool stuff, but high prices combined with articulation cutbacks (usually at the knees) for a LOT of the year...  Vintage was the best of '06 and looks like it could be again for '07...  '07 seems like a lot of great basic figures though, and while no price cuts, at least quality SO FAR appears a bump up...  Will that last though?  That's where my reservations lay.  If what we've seen so far lasts throughout this line, I think the future's as bright as it's ever been from my POV, even with some really crummy basic figure prices out there...  I just hope that's the case, but like I said, 2005 sorta had that great push for a while then a stinker got into the line here and there that really made you realize the line wasn't the end-all-be-all collection.  At least the prices were much more right in '05 though.  Much easier to handle a figure you're on the fence about when it's $2 less.
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Offline Matt

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #148 on: March 5, 2007, 01:21 AM »
Jesse, I'm sorry, but your reply contains far too many words (and far too few smileys) for this thread.  Please trim it down some (25 words or less, two syllables each, max) and remember to include at least one smiley, preferably more.

Thank you.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting
« Reply #149 on: March 5, 2007, 01:27 AM »
 :D things may be good...?  ???  :D
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