Target 2023 TVC Boba Fett Repaints - Kenner, Marvel, Dark Horse

[Muftak]

Nah. You're wayyyyy off. Sim Aloo will be a surprise reveal next year. He's just a new head and a soft goods robe on any old body they want.
The last 96er figure will be Hammerhead. He's too much new tooling.

[Ryan]

Nah. You're wayyyyy off. Sim Aloo will be a surprise reveal next year. He's just a new head and a soft goods robe on any old body they want.
The last 96er figure will be Hammerhead. He's too much new tooling.

Don't forget the Kenner colors Hammerhead & Greedo repaints. Maybe a new Obi-Wan in regular colors first, and then a Kenner-colored rerelease.

[Nicklab]

I really hope that the way the community is reacting to this crap offering is a sign to Hasbro that collectors have had enough of this ****.  It's enough.  This feels like the 'Jump The Shark' moment for TVC, because so many people see this offering for exactly what it is - playing on nostalgia to make money, and little else.

[Muftak]

This feels like the 'Jump The Shark' moment for TVC, because so many people see this offering for exactly what it is - playing on nostalgia to make money, and little else.

The devil's advocate in me wants to point out...

Isn't playing on nostalgia to make money the whole reason they switched back from being "3.75" Black Series figures" to TVC part II in 2018?

And not for nothing, but the general consensus seems to be that this is a figure in a colorway that has been asked for for a long time.

The big contention is the price point...but that ship sailed with the even-more-expensive BOBF Tatooine Fett a year ago.

To quote Jesse Pinkman, "The price is the price, yo."

[Nicklab]

Agreed that nostalgia is a huge part of what drives TVC.  I just think the Kenner deco on a modern figure is overplaying that.  But then Hasbro has gone there multiple times in The Black Series, and a bizarre motivating factor among TVC collectors seems to be "The Black Series got that, why couldn't we?"  And I definitely remember people losing their minds over the convention exclusive Kenner deco 6" Boba Fett.

I feel like the Retro Collection Fett and the rocket firing mailaway were enough in the 3.75" scale.  For others, maybe not.

Hasbro tried pitching the higher price on Boba Fett with that deluxe Tatooine version.  They said that the number of paint apps on Boba Fett were far more intricate than on other figures.  Still, a lot of people got vocal about it then.  The progression through the Boba Fett figures ever since 2021 has seen prices ramping up and there has been no clear rationale for those increases or an increase in perceived value.  The price may be the price, but collectors can take a stand and tell Hasbro to piss off.  Because reissuing a 2 year old sculpt with simpler paint for 50 - 60% more than the original release seems like a complete dick move, and it's targeted on a specific character.

And Rob, I agree - the $16.99 price is not ideal.  I put that out there because if the rest of the line was moving to a $16.99 price point, then there's no reason why this figure should be priced higher.

[Muftak]

The price may be the price, but collectors can take a stand and tell Hasbro to piss off.

Well yeah, but the meth addicts could tell Heisenberg that too, but we know that's not gonna happen.

I definitely am seeing both sides of this, I am not saying you're wrong at all. Collectors want this figure, and they definitely have a fear of drawing a line about the price because they don't want to kill the line by not buying it. It's a tough spot.

I plan to get the Retro Deco TVC Fett, because I love that figure sculpt, love that colorway, and have very real nostalgia for how that first Kenner Fett got into my 5 year old hands at the time. But I am not going to preorder it next week because of the price issue, just like I didn't preorder either of the '22 Fetts. I wound up getting a Morak Fett eventually.

I will get the new version eventually, playing the long game of collecting as I have in the past with the idea that eventually this stuff loses value and the things that do increase in value are balanced out by the rest that doesn't. And if this never price-corrects and becomes unattainable, then I probably won't get one, which I have to be okay with because I am not comfortable giving the retail price a pass. (I just bought ROTS Mon Mothma last week for the same price it was 20 years ago when I skipped it, because her Andor appearances have finally made the character "worthy" enough for me to pick up.)

[Rob]

I will get the new version eventually, playing the long game of collecting as I have in the past with the idea that eventually this stuff loses value and the things that do increase in value are balanced out by the rest that doesn't.

That’s an interesting idea, and the opposite of how I’ve always approached it.  To me, it’s always been get them now or on average pay more later.  With TVC lately I think you could get away with it if you don’t wait too long.  There have definitely been lots of figures available between $7 and $10 over the last few months.  I’m assuming it’s because of the price increases and lackluster figure selection, but I have no idea.  Once they’re gone though, prices seem to jump pretty quick. 

With some lines this would backfire really hard.  I’m saying this as someone who collected Clone Wars from scratch 4 or 5 years ago.  It was really really difficult and would have been basically impossible without some very generous help from Jeff. 

[Muftak]

Well, for instance the Wooof figure I missed out on back in 2010 when figures stopped showing up at retail with that ROTJ wave. I wasn't actively collecting then, and seeing it for $30+ at shops when I wanted it had me feeling like I was just going to not have that one.

And now I will for "only" $14.99 (Thanks, Adam Pawlus and EE!) I will grab the Weequay when he pops up for the same reason.

I collect loose so picking them up is cheaper in that regard, and honestly there are only about 10-20 figures left on my want list that would bring me to plunk down any serious cash for them. One is that Dagobah Landing Luke...I know I will probably have to really invest the cash into that one someday, but now I can justify it in my head because the Weequay, Wooof, and Nikto came back cheaper.

So Boba I'll gamble on. $21 at release is just too dang much.

[Mister Skeezler]

The price sucks, full stop.

I'm not a fan of the deco either...I have no use for novelty repaints, and only collect figures that could inhabit the same scene together (which is why I never collect animated-style figures). But at least this is something that will appeal to collectors in a meaningful and nostalgic way, and not like a "Santa Boba" or a "Halloween Chewbacca." That **** makes me nauseous. So, not for me, but I guess I'm happy for whoever wants something like this.

[Muftak]

Jayson is now reporting that when the Target order page goes live today, it will do so with a $22.99 price.

So at least they seem to have been listening to concerns about the pricing. 

[Rob]

 

[Jeff]

$22.99?     Hard pass.

[Nicklab]

Jayson is now reporting that when the Target order page goes live today, it will do so with a $22.99 price.

So at least they seem to have been listening to concerns about the pricing. 

F*** that even more.  This is blatant price gouging.

[Jedi Idej]

Sonuva... It says pre-orders are sold out.  Did anyone get one? I expect more will be made available but I hate having to constantly check back.

[Nicklab]

I don’t think it’s gone up yet.  I shared the link in a FB group for some NJ collectors, but that’s the extent of my willingness to promote this poor excuse for a TVC release.