Author Topic: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?  (Read 14713 times)

Offline Morgbug

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Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« on: July 13, 2005, 04:46 PM »
Seriously.

All the news that Hasbro is seemingly releasing for ComicCon has my head pretty much spinning:

-More cup sets with rehashed figures
-Another holo figure
-Lava figures/exclusives
-Clone pilots that were never in the movie
-Clone repaints in bad case assortments
-Box set after box set with odd inclusions (clone pilot?)
-New, largely unnecessary and mostly repaint vehicles

Really, I was looking forward to a bit of a slow down on Hasbro basic figures (regardless of what packaging) but clearly that's not to be.  Worse, they seem to have no concept whatsoever regarding what is or isn't sitting at stores.  I have no qualms about reshipping Darth Vader or any clones (aside from a pilot) but is Grievous, Tarfful, Anakin or Obi-Wan remotely hard for anyone to find???

I just don't get the logic behind these and if they were to be easy to find, packed well (in the sense of assortments) and sensible figures, then fine.  But the only redeeming aspect is about 1/3 of the figures released are new army builders.  The rest is largely undesirable crap.  The kid portion of the market has moved on to Fantastic Four, so all they're doing is pissing off collectors, what many people consider to be the real market anyway. 

I've moved from carded completeist to loose completeist to loose incomplete getting what I want.  I'm finding vastly more appeal in products from Gentle Giant, Sideshow, Master Replicas, Kubrick and others.  Don't get me wrong, I still like the 3 3/4" scale but half the fun is finding stuff myself.  I haven't bought anything for myself in better than a month, Scott finds my stuff for me.  It's easy, uneventful, cheaper and while I'm tremendously appreciative of the help, it's no fun. 

When you start adding up all those factors, I wonder why I bother.  There's clearly lots of other stuff to collect, albeit more expensive, but if we're looking at 200 figures over a two year span that would leave me with a fair bit of money to divert elsewhere or simply not even spend.  Is anyone else out there in the same boat?
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Offline Jayson

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2005, 04:51 PM »
I'm quickly appoaching the jumping off point.
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Offline dafoo

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2005, 04:51 PM »
I'd be having a hard time figuring out what to do about this, if I were still collecting.

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Offline MetalJedi

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2005, 04:55 PM »
Actually after hearing about all these "new" figures Im seriously considering it. Which is a shame. It used to be fun to go to a store at any given time of the day and find something new. But nowadays thats few a far between.

Hear in the Inland Empire part of SoCal there are more and more "collectors" everyday. All of them running and shoving to get clones and "hard to find" figures. Its ridiculous. With these new case assortments and bad ratios it'll be even harder to get them, especially with a "collector friendly" swap meet every Wed and Sat just around the corner.

With Hasbro going back in time and getting rid of certain other lines i.e. Unleashed there really insnt that much for me. So looks like I'll be saving alot of money. I guess I'll just use that to fill up holes from POTF2 and on.
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Offline Nathan

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2005, 05:17 PM »
Not really, no. One of the perks of being a loose incompletist--I've always only bought what interests me and passed on the crap. Although after catching up on the ROTS stuff it looks like I'll be able to pass on quite a bit more.
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Offline Mikey D

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2005, 05:31 PM »
Thinking about it?  Yes. 

Will I do it?  Probably not. 

I have too much time and money invested in this line to just drop it.  Most likely, I'll change my focus.  Right now, it's one of every unique regular carded figure.  But setting up my shelves the last few weeks and finding I have multiple Luke Tatooines, Han Cantinas, crappy POFT2 Stormtroopers and not having a spot for them, I think I might just get the best available.  Luckily, I haven't bought the majority of the ROTS figures yet, so I can start there. 

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Offline JesseVader08

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2005, 05:31 PM »
I've moved from carded completeist to loose completeist to loose incomplete getting what I want. I'm finding vastly more appeal in products from Gentle Giant, Sideshow, Master Replicas, Kubrick and others.

I hear you, loud and clear.

When ROTS started, I was so excited that for the first time I started buying 2 of each figure - one carded, one loose.  I liked what Hasbro was doing so much (improved sculpting and articulation) that I wanted to be able to display them in more than one way.

But we're getting into the next line, whatever the hell they're going to call it (The Saga Collection?  I sure hope not - the confusion will be endless), and all I see is repacks.  Repacks.  Repacks.  I could tolerate it with OTC because it was really the first time where there was such an overwhelming ratio of repack to new figures.

But for it to continue in the future, I just don't see me putting up with it.

Maybe if Hasbro was the only option, I'd just put up with it because I'd be happy just to have something with the Star Wars logo on it.  But the fact of the matter is Hasblow is NOT the only kid on the block.  My excitement for Kubricks is growing exponentially in addition to all of the other companies out there:  Gentle Giant, Sideshow, maybe even Master Replicas.

Will I stop collecting 3 3/4" altogether?  Unlikely, because you can't stop a habit that's been in the works for 10 years, just overnight.  But I'm starting to feel my need to be completist ending with Hasbro and I'm going to be a lot more selective - buying what I like, not what I think I "need".

Offline Nathan

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2005, 05:34 PM »
But we're getting into the next line, whatever the hell they're going to call it (The Saga Collection?  I sure hope not - the confusion will be endless)

Not to change the subject or anything, but did Hasbro ever actually use "Saga" to describe the 2002-04 line, or was that merely a fan term? Something I've been wondering....
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Offline JesseVader08

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2005, 05:37 PM »
I think it actually was a fan term.  But if Hasbro doesn't realize that's the name that every fan used to describe the blue carded figures, it really shows how out of touch they've become.   ::)

Offline Nathan

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2005, 05:40 PM »
Indeed. It wouldn't surprise me one bit though. ::)

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Offline Diddly

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2005, 05:53 PM »
Yes, I have thought about quitting, but I won't stop unless they do something completely idiotic like cancel the 3.75' line or keep sending out rehashes I don't want/already have.
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2005, 06:15 PM »
To be honest, no - will I do what I did for OTC and buy two of EVERY figure released and open up even the POTF2 repacks? Perhaps I'll stop with that and only get one of each figure that is a rehash/repack.

I am certainly disappointed that they are putting in so many repacks - especially when, in cases like Wedge, there is a BETTER version they could have rehashed instead of the one they actually are using. It's like the guy running the show has his head so far up his ass, he can't see the light of day. Not surprising considering that isn't this the same guy that ran the GI Joe line a few years ago when it saw the rebirth of the 3.75" figures? Those black carded two-packs were an endless parade of rehashes - perhaps he's applying the same logic to Star Wars.

Lastly - I really don't see a problem with the line being called "The Saga Collection" - that means it can be abbreviated to TSC or it could be denoted as Saga2 much like we have POTF2 today. Personally, "TSC" is a better choice.

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Offline Darth Broem

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2005, 06:17 PM »
I am getting close to dumping it really.  I am interested in new figures.  That means either new sculpt of characters that need it IMO like BiB Fortuna or all new figures like the Tonnika Sisters.  But if it's going to be 99% rehash, repack, or repaints then there is not much in it for myself. 

I am already looking more at GG busts and mini busts or even the Kubricks. 

Offline Chris M

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2005, 06:20 PM »
I've just about jumped off the 3 3/4 wagon.

I'm still building a clone army and just grabbing the occassional figure, but for the most part.  I'm done with these figures.  Like I said, I still grab clones and some of the more cool figures and a vehicle here and there but that's it.  My collecting for the past year or so has been focused on vintage and modern Han Solo stuff. 

Couple that with my wife and I wanting a house and there you go.
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Offline Ben

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Re: Anyone else thinking of dropping the 3 3/4" line?
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2005, 06:37 PM »
If I do continue, I'll only be buying all-new figures.  I'm getting out of that mindset that I have to have it just because it says "Star Wars" on it or it's an exclusive.
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