2021 HasLab - Black Series Rancor

[Dave]

What Nick said. My brain can't wrap itself around funding this Haslab when I haven't received the last one yet.

That really doesn't bother me too much, although it is a lot a cash to spend on stuff you don't have and won't have for a long time.  I know COVID and all the manufacturing and shipping problems are tough for manufacturers/retailers to deal with, so I'm willing to be a little more patient to get the stuff I want.

If they had come out with something sweet in 3.75" - Death Star, ultimate cantina, U-Wing, etc., I don't think I would have had a problem plunking down another $350 for something to be delivered in late 2023 / early 2024.

[Nicklab]

What Nick said. My brain can't wrap itself around funding this Haslab when I haven't received the last one yet.

Well, I also take issue with that fact that Hasbro is trying to get a piece of Muftak's action with this new reveal.

But seriously?  I personally don't see Malakili, Oola or Giran as figures that would be wildly popular as mainline Black Series releases.  They seem like good candidates for pack-in figures.  I think that there are other aliens from Jabba's palace that would be more instantly recognizable and well received as mainline Black Series releases, like Tessek, Ree Yees, Saelt Marae (Yakface), Wooof, or the Max Rebo band, etc.  Malakili is a significantly deeper cut than any of those.

Hasbro released a number of new Marvel Legends figures with the Sentinel.  And they got to how many stretch goal figures with Galactus?  Was it three at least?  The Star Wars team needs to up their game.

All of this being said, I think there's going to be a surge in backers in the last week or two.  It happened with both of the Star Wars Haslab campaigns as well as the ones for Marvel Legends.

[Nicklab]

Hasbro Pulse just announced a Hasbro Star Wars Fan First Friday livestream for this coming Friday.  They're set to reveal a painted model of the Rancor as well as the two final stretch goals of the campaign.

Here are the tiers as they stand:
CAMPAIGN BACKED  AT 9,000 backers
TIER 1 - 11,000 backers - Gamorrean Guard 6" figure on POTF card
TIER 2 - 13,500 backers - Rancor pit background and Rancor victim bones / excrement
TIER 3 - number of backers TBD, stretch goal TBD
TIER 4 - number of backers TBD, stretch goal TBD

[Diddly]

Hasbro released a number of new Marvel Legends figures with the Sentinel.  And they got to how many stretch goal figures with Galactus?  Was it three at least?  The Star Wars team needs to up their game.

The only reason I can think of to not get new figures with the Rancor is that Marvel Legends "cheats" by reusing multiple sculpts/molds. So it's likely more cost effective for Hasbro to include the figures they did with the Sentinel and Galactus, since all they have to do is sculpt a new head. Whereas with Black Series, every figure has a unique sculpt, which I assume would up the asking price of the Rancor by at least $50. So I get it, but it just kind of falls in with the rest of the lack of enthusiasm we've seen lately from the Hasbro Star Wars team.

I agree with the Muftak competition issue as well. Cardboard Galaxy is a fun Instagram follow! It would be extremely petty for Hasbro/Disney to start cutting into his business.

[Dave]

Hasbro released a number of new Marvel Legends figures with the Sentinel.  And they got to how many stretch goal figures with Galactus?  Was it three at least?  The Star Wars team needs to up their game.

The only reason I can think of to not get new figures with the Rancor is that Marvel Legends "cheats" by reusing multiple sculpts/molds. So it's likely more cost effective for Hasbro to include the figures they did with the Sentinel and Galactus, since all they have to do is sculpt a new head.

This is why they should do a 3.75" U-Wing or something like that and have a new kitbashed Blue Squadron figure available with each unlock.

[Matt_Fury]

The tier 2 unlock is kind of interesting, but I do not see it moving the needle too much.  UsualMike also noted that the number of backers may have gone down due to this one.

While I still think there will be a last minute surge that gets the Rancor backed, and possibly get all the tiers unlocked, I wonder if this slow performance will make Hasbro actually learn something and see the popularity of TVC and the 3.75" scale overall compared to TBS?

[Dave]

I know it took The Khetanna quite a while to get backed since it was the first offering by HasLab, but if I recall correctly it took barely a day for The Razor Crest to get fully backed before hitting nearly 30,000 backers and five tiers of unlocks.

Hasbro should take notes on what works and what doesn't work.

[Muftak]

I agree with the Muftak competition issue as well. Cardboard Galaxy is a fun Instagram follow! It would be extremely petty for Hasbro/Disney to start cutting into his business.

I have no worries about them trying to really do cardboard stuff--the market is too small and they usually screw it up somehow. Like, the Emperor's Throne room fold-out box they did really should have had legs on the sides...mine collapsed under its own weight after 12 hours on display. Also, see their Solo Playsets. (I saw a bunch of Kessel Mines playsets at Ollie's the other day. I might buy some more to convert into !new! Mandalorian Covert Playsets like I did last year converting it  into an Echo Base playset...)

Yesterday was a sobering day to read comments though. There are a lot of folk out there who really really hate cardboard.

They have got to do a Malkili figure as a stretch goal, it will be a poor seller at retail but would also be horribly missing from the line if the Rancor gets funded. Figure out a way to reuse the torso on an alien figure or somebody large who wears a coat or something, but get the Rancor Keeper in the Rancor box. Oola is not as big a deal, she would sell on the pegs and from the looks of the Boba Fett trailer, those parts will be reusable soon enough.

[Matt_Fury]

I wouldn't compare what you do with Cardboard Galaxy to a cardboard backdrop as a stretch goal for a Haslab project.

[Mister Skeezler]

I agree with the Muftak competition issue as well. Cardboard Galaxy is a fun Instagram follow! It would be extremely petty for Hasbro/Disney to start cutting into his business.

Yesterday was a sobering day to read comments though. There are a lot of folk out there who really really hate cardboard.

They just hate everything in general. Hasbro could have announced free blowjobs with every rancor purchase, and they'd complain about teeth. Pardon the crassness, but I'm just over the collecting community lately. Just a joyless, joyless bunch.

Your stuff is stellar!

[Rob]

Hasbro Pulse just announced a Hasbro Star Wars Fan First Friday livestream for this coming Friday.  They're set to reveal a painted model of the Rancor as well as the two final stretch goals of the campaign.

Here are the tiers as they stand:
CAMPAIGN BACKED  AT 9,000 backers
TIER 1 - 11,000 backers - Gamorrean Guard 6" figure on POTF card
TIER 2 - 13,500 backers - Rancor pit background and Rancor victim bones / excrement
TIER 3 - number of backers TBD, stretch goal TBD
TIER 4 - number of backers TBD, stretch goal TBD

Almost a month in and they're just past half way to having it even get made, forget 11,000 or 13,500.

Do you guys think there will be that kind of push at the end to the point where it starts getting into all these stretch goals?!

[Matt_Fury]

After seeing what happened with Galactus....yes.

[Rob]

I've only paid close attention to the Barge and Crest.

Huge push at the end?

[Matt_Fury]

Yes...not only to get it backed, but get all the stretch goals!

I was surprised.

[Dave]

I guess I'd be curious to know what drives an early or late backing thought process.

I backed both the barge and Razor Crest within the first day.  The unlocks were all gravy and had no bearing on my interest to back the project.

I'm most likely going not to back the Rancor, but could maybe, maybe be convinced if the right extra tiers (multiple new 6" figures) are added and within reach (I wouldn't back the project unless the tiers were close to unlocking).

Was anybody here a late backer to the previous projects?  I'd be curious what your motivation was and what drove you to finally support the projects at the end?

Do people just want to wait to charge their credit card?  Procrastinating and forced to back by the deadline?  FOMO?  Were the unlocks the thing that pushed you over the top?