can't we just be happy that this might actually be happening rather than already finding something to complain about?
Sorry, that's not how the internet works. Everyone knows that as soon as something is announced (playsets, Willrow Hood, whatever), at least 50% of the collectors will find some reason to hate it - price, exclusivity, articulation, accessories - it can be anything.
Half will say "Yay! Our hours of complaining on the internet were heard" while half will say "They cost too much" or "They are too hard to get".
Just the way it has always been... and no doubt the way it will always be.
Yeah, sorry Jeff and Chewie. Really I'd be happy if playsets get made, but it really does matter to who does them and how muych they will cost. Looking at Adam's post...
Hasbro's considering some means to bring out playsets?
Maybe creating wishlists and asking Hasbro about playsets a few times in the Q&A's wasn't such a burden on the community after all.
If this comes to fruition, and regarding through which avenue they are sold, can't we just be happy that this might actually be happening rather than already finding something to complain about?
Ordinarily I'm the cheerleader with the big smile and pom-poms, but seeing what Sideshow charges for its current environments ($80 for the Space Worm cave from ESB), and how the Retrobilia Pride Displays worked out (clearance for $60 plastic environments) I have to say that I think Hasbro is probably smart to pass the buck to another company so they don't get burned.
Given Sideshow doesn't really make its product widely available in stores and they price things for the kind of collector that a lot of us aren't-- which is to say, the kind that balk at $17 figures-- I can't say I'd be optimistic about a toy category being farmed out to the makers of some of the most authentic and expensive collectibles available today.
He's right. Sideshow does some nice work, but their limited releases of "playsets" are already priced out of the market for the average collector/kid/parent.
I honestly believe we need to see these at retail for them to succeed and for us to have any chance at getting the many different sets we'd like to see.
For the sake of it, I'll also "argue" the point of why Hasbro should not make the playsets.
It's obvious with just a little browsing on several mamjor collecting sites that people are more than displeased with Hasbro's efforts in playsets. Most feel playsets should be more detailed, movie accurate. That's something Hasbro just can't do for the price most of us want to pay for them.
No doubts SSC can do and awesome job of detail, but the cost factor most likely, given what they've already manufactired and released is going to keep this subline from being a runaway success.
So the key to this is do we want TOY playsets that cost less and would be less detailed, yet available to everyone, OR do we want highly detailed sets at high prices that will take much longer to afford and collect for the average collector, with hardly any kid/parent support in the way of dollars spent?
Personaly I'd rather them be toy sets. I can add to them as I want.
I want these to be affordable and available to anyone who wants them for a reasonable price for the average consumer, not just collector.
I'll reserve judgement fully on SSC's efforts to make playsets, until we've seen them and know their pricepoints, however, I'm not overly optimistic that they can achieve what the market as a whole desires.