2023 HasLab - TVC The Ghost

[Ryan]

- Extend the backing window to 60 days.

I feel like that would have been the easy solution. (Assuming the Ghost even shows up next week at this point.) Disney has had the premiere date set for a few months now, it wouldn't have been too much of an inconvenience on Hasbro's end to extend the time frame by 15 days. Right now we are on a pace (about 375 daily backers) to unlock Kanan just before the campaign closes and finish with just over 14,000 backers. The extra 15 days and a meaningful appearance of the ship on Ahsoka could have ended up being the difference in this HasLab getting the extra 3000 backers to unlock all of the tiers.

Those 3000 backers would represent $1.5 million in revenue for Hasbro, plus we'd get the option to give them more money for the other mural cards. It seems like the extra 15 days would have been a no-brainer.

These campaigns of course don't fund following a linear trend, as Jeff pointed out earlier. So I'm still holding out a tiny bit of hope that FOMO will get the better of a few thousand people this next week, and we will get to Zeb.

[Dave]

Wouldn't it be funny (and sad) if Hasbro and Disney didn't talk, or Disney changed their mind and The Ghost isn't really going to be in Ahsoka in a meaningful way??

I know it wouldn't really matter to me and my choice of backing the project, but if they were choosing a HasLab project based on a Ahsoka and their info was wrong.

[Nicklab]

The Official Site is promoting the campaign now:

https://www.starwars.com/news/haslab-ghost-interview


As for extending the backing window?  It’s still an option.  Hasbro extended the Unicron Haslab campaign.  In light of how the series is progressing?  I think an additional week would probably yield some substantial gains in the number of backers.

[Jeff]

These campaigns of course don't fund following a linear trend, as Jeff pointed out earlier.

Here are some really nice graphs that someone recommended to me - https://geekdadlife.com/brian-brinks-haslab-charts/

If you check out those charts for Dragonfly/HISS and RazorCrest/Ghost you can see just how much funding happens in the FIRST and LAST weeks of a campaign. 

Dragonfly ($275) - last week = ~9.7k backers (39% of total)
HISS Tank ($300) - last week = ~8.1k backers (30% of total)
Razor Crest ($375) - last week = ~10.7k backers (38% of total)

The Ghost currently sits at 12103.  If we get a last week bump of 30-40%, that will bring us somewhere in the range of 15734-16944 which is really close to Zeb's limit.  I really believe Zeb is still achievable at this point.  Especially if we can get the official site and Hasbro to get a little push going (today's story on SW.com helps for sure).

And if The Ghost shows up and kicks ass in next week's episode of Ahsoka, one day before the end of the campaign right in that final few days push, that'll be a big help too.  It is interesting to note that this HasLab is 48 days (instead of the usual 45) and Hasbro chose to end it timed to next week's episode of Ahsoka.  Is that a sign that Episode 4 is the one where The Ghost makes a big splashy entrance to the series?  Wait and see, I guess.

[EdSolo]

I can't understand the "ooh look at the cool ship on the show, I want to buy one" mentality.  Really this is a ship that was featured heavily in a cartoon show.  The design of the toy is based off of the cartoon.  The figures included are based off of the cartoon.  Any appearance in Ahsoka will not have the same impact as seeing the Razor Crest every week on the Mandalorian.  I think most collectors are aware of both the ship and the Rebels cartoon.  What this really boils down to is the typical fence sitter collector deciding if they want to shell out the money.  Personally, I didn't back either the barge or the razor crest until the tiers were unlocked.  I think that is what a lot of people are waiting for.  Many collectors are completists and would not be happy with an incomplete set of figures on the special cardbacks.

While I enjoyed Rebels and am liking Ahsoka, this campaign just doesn't interest me.  Even if I had unlimited space and funds, I still don't know if I would back it.  While it is a better choice than their last few failed campaigns, it isn't hitting the collectors sweet spot.  Everyone is clamoring for a Death Star or Star Destroyer.  Even the Mos Eisley cantina is a better bet.  Imagine being able to pull off a cantina set with Tonnika sisters as flex goals?

[GrandMoffNick]

"Everyone" is not clamoring for those sets. Maybe I'm the only person who makes it not "everyone". I am not a huge playset person and not a huge fan of the modular giant ship or space station idea. I want large vehicles that wouldn't be sold at retail. The next large space eater to get cut from my collection will most likely be the playsets that are just sections of a ship, building, etc.

I think The Ghost was a very good choice. If possible I too wish they would have been able to match Haslab with the show better for maximum Ghost screen time but honestly don't know the ins and outs of how that works.

For me this could be the Ghost with no add ons and I'd be just fine with that. I'm only responding to Ed's post (and I'm not saying he's saying this) because I'm starting to read more and more " see, told you no one likes non OT stuff and here's proof with the Ghost slowing down so much".

Hasbro just stay away from role play and 6" scale stuff we already have 3.75" scale stuff of and it'll be a good choice, but no matter what they make some big group of us will and won't want to shell out the cash and space.

[Jeff]

I'm starting to read more and more " see, told you no one likes non OT stuff and here's proof with the Ghost slowing down so much".

Yeah, I saw some of those comments and don't get it at all.  Like they forgot that non-OT Razor Crest sold 28k units.  The Ghost/Rebels interacted with a TON of OT characters (Leia, Lando, Vader, C-3PO, R2-D2) and is all in on OT Rebel Alliance - heck it was in Rogue One, including the battle over Scarif, which is as close to the OT as you can get!

no matter what they make some big group of us will and won't want to shell out the cash and space.

100%.  There is no "perfect project" for them to pick.  Even stuff that "everyone is clamoring for" will have people that pass.  A lot of people want a Mos Eisley Cantina, but would everyone be willing to pay or still "want" it if it's $500?  Probably not.  Same for a Death Star - "everyone" wants one but I bet "everyone" has a different idea of what it should be, how big it should be, what it should include (DS/DSII/RO), and what they are willing to pay for that.

[Rob]

I can't imagine the detail a Cantina would have to cost more than twice what this Jabba's Palace set costs... I bet they could do something really really comprehensive for $250 to $300.

[Jeff]

I can't imagine the detail a Cantina would have to cost more than twice what this Jabba's Palace set costs...

Exactly.  One person's dream Cantina may not match what another person is wanting/thinking/imagining.

The Cantina could be something as simple as the main bar with the centerpiece/drink dispenser stuff with lots of cups and stools and such for $230 like Jabba's Throne Room.  Or, it could be something like the LEGO Mos Eisley Cantina (bar plus alcoves plus booths that folds open) but for Hasbro 3.75" figures. Give it lights and sounds so the Modal Nodes can do their thing.  Give it multiple tiers with stuff that is retail poison (Tzizvvt, Tonnikas, etc) and suddenly you're at $500. 

[Mister Skeezler]

Totally agree on the idea that the "perfect project that everyone wants" doesn't exist. I keep seeing the Cantina and Death Star thrown around, but the playsets are never as good as what fans are already making. For example, the Jabba's Palace (Bib's, Boba's, whatever) is a cool piece, but I have no intention of keeping it, other than the figure, props and throne (so if anyone wants the walls for cheap, let me know). Ditto with the Cantina. I would definitely buy it for the Tonnika Sisters if they were included, but would sell it off since I don't think I'd like it as much as the one I built. It certainly wouldn't have lights.

A Death Star playset always seemed ridiculous to me. It would always look like a big toy, and would never really capture the scale of the thing. I was born in '76, so I'm not a young fan rolling his eyes about the OT by any means.

Ed, one thing I have to ask is why you're choosing to wait until the tiers are unlocked before you back. If everyone does that, then the tiers don't get unlocked. It makes no sense and it's counterintuitive. Obviously it's your choice, but I'm just trying to follow the logic there.

[EdSolo]

On the other two vehicles, I waited because I really didn't think it was worth it to back without the extras.  The extras for the Ghost are just ok, but not must haves.  I like the Ghost fine, but I have been downsizing quite a bit and really don't have the space for another huge ship.  It took me over a year to unbox and display the barge.  It is packed again since I'm moving and I have no clue when or where I can display it again.

As for OT vs non OT, I would essentially call this and the Razor Crest OT.  I think both the Ahsoka series and the Mandalorian series feel a lot more OT then the PT or ST.  The Rebels cartoon starts five years before the OT and the other series are a few years afterwards.

My main point is that I don't think the ship showing up in Ahsoka will drive sales.  One would have to see how much cross over their is between show viewers and collectors.  I don't think a non-collector show viewer is going to buy this thing on a lark, just because it is featured on the show.

[Brian]

It is definitely at a point in fandom where there is almost nothing that would make everyone happy. We all want a Death Star, or a Cantina, or an Ewok Village…or generally just things that we had or wanted as kids. The thing is, most would not be satisfied if they basically upgraded versions of those. The fandom has gotten to a place where everything has to be hyper detailed, look just like the movie (or multiple movies), and usually super expensive. The stuff looks fantastic, and I love it don’t get me wrong, but so much of the “wonder” of these TOY lines has been lost over the years. It seems like many brands have to try to serve two different demos “a line for the kids, and one for the adults”. The times have changed I know, but I wish we could still have a one line for all approach. Still have fond memories of the POTJ days in that respect.

[Jeff]

9158 as of this morning.  Things have slowed, but still growing...

9478 after two weeks... still moving in the right direction.  806+ hours left.

10079 after three weeks.  635+ hours left.

10792 after four+ weeks.  ~396 hours left.

11392 after five weeks.  ~299.5 hours left.

12929 after six+ weeks.  ~85 hours left.

1071 to Kanan, 4071 to Zeb.

Definitely a little worrisome that we haven't see the infamous "last minute FOMO" peak really start to kick in yet... we did better from week 5 to 6 than we had been doing weekly, but I hoped this weekend would have been the start of the FOMO spike.  Not yet, I guess.

[Nicklab]

It's been a little over an hour since the last tally, and we're at 12,954.  That's +25 in 1 hour.  If we continue at that pace in the increase in backers, we should see Kanan secured tomorrow.  But are we going to hit a big enough FOMO surge by midnight Wednesday to secure Zeb?

[Matt_Fury]

It's going to be close, but I think we'll see Zeb squeak in on this.