The Future of Star Wars Collecting?

[GrandMoffNick]

Thought this article from Jayson was worth a look for everyone. It really is insane to think how much money I have waiting to leave my bank account this year already.

https://yakfaceforums.com/main/2021/12/09/outstanding-preorders-for-2021-2022/

[Dave]

Thought this article from Jayson was worth a look for everyone. It really is insane to think how much money I have waiting to leave my bank account this year already.

https://yakfaceforums.com/main/2021/12/09/outstanding-preorders-for-2021-2022/

I thought it was kind of interesting, but ultimately its irrelevant whether we buy a product instantly in the store when its on the pegs or whether we pre-order it.  These days everything has shifted radically to be pre-orders so it seems like a lot of money, but I doubt its any more than we would spend at retail in a typical year.

To me the more amazing thing is to think of all the things I bought in the store vs. pre-ordered online.  I think the only thing I got in store (or in an app or web page that wasn't a pre-order) was the Blue Leader X-wing, otherwise I think everything else I purchase (which was a lot) was pre-ordered.

[GrandMoffNick]

It's not about total money spent for me. It sticks out to me because the pre order ship dates have been so inaccurate. So it's much more difficult to budget when all of a sudden, ie this week, unexpectedly BS Bodhi, Droids 3PO, Pulse Leia, possibly TVC Lobot and Bib from GS all are coming. And possibly today's tvc Mando grogu spider thing. So good thing I didn't decide to buy anything random at Target this week.

[Muftak]

And this pre-order window thing is still so frustrating to me.  I went with buying 2x the e-web Stormtrooper set yesterday and skipped the Ahsoka set (already had her on preorder) or the Incinerator (have a couple already.) I wanted to wait and add the Mando and spiders set to get the free shipping, but I didn't want the e-web set to sell out first. So I bought 2 and called it a day.

A few hours later the full press pack of photos dropped and I realized the Ahsoka set was quite a bit of an upgrade...originally it looked like it only included one Saber based on the one photo available at order time. I attempted to switch my order to one Ahsoka and one e-web, but by then Aksoka was sold out.

So why even give us the full press photos if the product has sold out? Why entice me but have nothing left for me to buy?

 This system is broken.

[Rob]

I’m with Dave.  The prices are a bit higher but it’s not that different than it’s ever been, we just order now instead of driving around from Walmart to Walmart hoping to find stuff.  I’m old enough that I greatly prefer preordering to chasing.

That said, it works for me because I work at a computer, from home for almost two years, and I stay on top of preorder times with the help of guys like Jeff and Jayson. 

[JediJman]

I’m old enough that I greatly prefer preordering to chasing. That said, it works for me because I work at a computer, from home for almost two years, and I stay on top of preorder times with the help of guys like Jeff and Jayson.

I get the convenience, but man do I miss buying new product in stores.  That thrill of walking into the toy aisle and feeling the product in your hands before buying meant a lot to me.  I have a a harder time keeping track of everything online - what I've ordered, what's coming and when and how much it cost.  That's partly on me for not having a better tracking system, but some of these preorders are so far out that I forget what I already have coming.  Then when you do find it online you only have minutes to order before it sells out.  I'll confess to having ordered doubles of some things that I didn't realize I already ordered months prior.  I also really hate that most online stuff sells out so fast.  I'm still at work in person most days and in meetings, so don't have time to reload twitter or FB or Yakface every 15 minutes.  Yakface is actually blocked on my work PC.  Do you guys get some kind of alert email or text when something new gets posted?  I'm fortunate to have friends that will text me when new stuff comes out, but even there I'm not always able to get in fast enough for the preorder.  It should be the opposite, but collecting from the comfort of my home feels a lot more stressful than the days of driving around on store runs.

[Rob]

I used to feel that way until I moved to Chicago.  There aren’t many stores near me that carry the st us d. We have a few Targets, but the nearest Walmart is a 45 to 60 minute round trip and I barely drive living here.  I know I’m an outlier, but buying them in stores is a colossal pain in the ass and is extremely time consuming, which makes striking out even more painful. 

[JediJman]

I used to feel that way until I moved to Chicago.  There aren’t many stores near me that carry the st us d. We have a few Targets, but the nearest Walmart is a 45 to 60 minute round trip and I barely drive living here.  I know I’m an outlier, but buying them in stores is a colossal pain in the ass and is extremely time consuming, which makes striking out even more painful.

Don't hate the player, hate the game.     It's not really like retail stores are an option anyway, so you're doing it right.  I still hit stores on occasion as I'm fortunate enough to live and work near multiple Target and Walmarts, but there's never anything there.  At best I'll find something that's been out a while that I've already pre-ordered.  Or think I've pre-ordered.  Wait, did I pre-order that...

[Matt_Fury]

I like the fire and forget aspect of preordering online, but it's not all sunshine and roses.  Sometimes, you have to preorder from Walmart and there's a good chance they are going to just put your nice, case fresh action figure in a mailer envelope and then proceed to drive the truck over it.  Amazon still has the chance of doing something similar. 

I do miss seeing new product on the pegs, but being married with kids, getting up to go on a toy run just isn't practical for me anymore.

[Rob]

Don't hate the player, hate the game.     It's not really like retail stores are an option anyway, so you're doing it right.  I still hit stores on occasion as I'm fortunate enough to live and work near multiple Target and Walmarts, but there's never anything there.  At best I'll find something that's been out a while that I've already pre-ordered.  Or think I've pre-ordered.  Wait, did I pre-order that...

Totally.  I live reasonably close to two proper Targets bu that's about it.  One of them is part of our usual grocery errand routine.  So that's about the only store I hit up semi-regularly, and that's once a week.  They never have anything.

We also have these little half-sized Targets that ARE in walking distance that are more like a big Walgreens than a Target, but they have half an aisle for toys and maybe 3 times I've found stuff to buy there.  I pop over to those on lunch breaks just to get out for a walk and some fresh air.

[Jeff]

Don't hate the player, hate the game.     It's not really like retail stores are an option anyway, so you're doing it right.  I still hit stores on occasion as I'm fortunate enough to live and work near multiple Target and Walmarts, but there's never anything there.  At best I'll find something that's been out a while that I've already pre-ordered.  Or think I've pre-ordered.  Wait, did I pre-order that...

Totally.  I live reasonably close to two proper Targets bu that's about it.  One of them is part of our usual grocery errand routine.  So that's about the only store I hit up semi-regularly, and that's once a week.  They never have anything.

Like you Rob, our grocery runs are the only time I'm in Target anymore and that's only every other week (we alternate Costco/Target each week).

The pandemic really killed my in-store shopping.  Once I got out of the habit of stopping at Target every other day checking the toy aisle and into the habit of just pre-ordering everything from Amazon and supplementing with Target/Pulse/Walmart, I never went back to retail.  I think in the past year I've only bought one TVC figure at a retail Target location - everything else was on-line.

As an opener, I don't really care if I get the occasional "crushed bubble/bent card in mailer" package.  I do miss being able to pick out the best paint deco...  but honestly, my eyes have gone to **** the last two years and now I can't even look at the figures closely without my damn reading glasses on so I've gotten less picky about paint apps anyway. Getting old sucks.

[P-Siddy]

but honestly, my eyes have gone to **** the last two years and now I can't even look at the figures closely without my damn reading glasses on so I've gotten less picky about paint apps anyway. Getting old sucks.

Right there with you.  At least they don't come with the Comm Tech chips anymore.  In ten years or so, I won't be able to hear them.

[Matt_Fury]

I guess it's true Jeff...if you keep doing that, you'll go blind!   

Honestly, we should all be preordering everything and using the JD affiliate link.  Got to keep the lights on around here!   

[Nicklab]

I get the feeling that Hasbro has been probably pulling some shenanigans on collectors.  And it really goes back some time.

2015 was supposed to be this big, resurgent year for Hasbro's Star Wars offerings.  There was the first new movie in 10 years, and the first movie of the Disney era.  Loads, and loads of new product - but all 5 POA offerings.  The 3.75" Black Series was living on, but as an exclusive sub-line, with a whole bunch of reissue figures.  As things progressed the movie lines began to shrink somewhat.  I think both Hasbro and the retailers came to terms with the fact that this was no longer like the PT movie years, both between retailers and the customers.  When we got to the line for The Last Jedi I noticed significantly less product than for TFA.  And there was a gradual decrease with Solo, too.  And then there was the completely non-existent line for The Rise of Skywalker.

2018 seems to have been the big year for things to be in state of flux.  The Vintage Collection was re-launched after a 6 year hiatus.  And naturally the first wave was loaded with reissues, except for one new figure.  What was the result?  Massive pegwarming.  That hurt the ability of Hasbro to get new figures to retail.  And the loss of Toys R Us as a partner in 2018 also really hurt the ability of the Hasbro Star Wars line to get to collectors.  Once the movies ended and TRU was gone, Target and Walmart didn't seem to want to devote substantial shelf and peg space to Star Wars. 

I think what we've been seeing over the past few years is a significant shift in strategy.  I think it's due to that logjam that happened in 2018 and the aftermath of that, the changes at retail, and the changes with collectors that Hasbro had to re-assess the landscape and adjust.  And I think that included pulling back on the quantities of Vintage Collection that was being produced until they could really grasp where demand truly was.  In the back of my mind I have thought that Hasbro might have tried to artificially increase demand by creating a shortage.  Did that happen?  I don't know for certain, but it seems like it might have happened.  Online retail seems to be the way to go in order make sure you can get what you want.  As nice as it is to find something in a store, the guarantee of getting an order fulfilled with exactly what you want seems in line with what customers want.  What seems like a positive side effect is that the online sales data might be convincing brick & mortar retail to carry more of the line.  Because these new figure finds at stores have been really encouraging.  I was shocked but pleased to find the new Emperor Palpatine figure in stock at GameStop!

As for the future?  It looks reasonably promising.  But I still miss having a vehicle assortment for the 3.75" line that's available at mass retail.  That's a sore point for me.  I'm also concerned about character depth.  It looks like main and secondary characters are getting all of the attention, and the deeper cut characters that made the line rich and contributed to world-building are falling by the wayside.

[Dave]

But I still miss having a vehicle assortment for the 3.75" line that's available at mass retail.  That's a sore point for me. 

I wonder what Hasbro's perception of vehicles is these days. 

The Target Exclusive X-wing hasn't really made it to shelves as far as I can tell.  Many here have got it through pre-orders, online purchases, and getting store employees to pull it from the back, but I'm not sure any ever made it to shelves. 

Were these produced in large numbers?   Are there still a bunch coming on a ship somewhere?

Likewise the Mandalorian Troop Transport and Rogue One Imperial Combat Assault Tank seem to have sold well.  These were both solid toys.

I'm not sure what the margins are on these vs. figures, but they certainly don't seem to sit for long.

I'd love it if Hasbro could make more vehicles.  Hopefully the recent track record will encourage retailers like Target and others to continue to push for them.