Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest 2021

[Dave]

Hasbro is advertising their "Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest" on April 9th.  This includes a bunch of their brands including Star Wars.

It sounds like there will be some "revealed" products and pre-orders for members.  It's really unclear if any of the revealed products are exclusives - they use the term "exclusive activations", but then mention "product reveals" separately.

Anybody have any speculation on what will be revealed and if there will be any exclusives, or just pre-orders for broadly commercial items?  I'm sure Jayson knows if he's out there lurking...

[Jeff]

It sounds like there will be some "revealed" products and pre-orders for members.  It's really unclear if any of the revealed products are exclusives - they use the term "exclusive activations", but then mention "product reveals" separately.

Anybody have any speculation on what will be revealed and if there will be any exclusives, or just pre-orders for broadly commercial items?

It sounds like this event is taking the place of the Fan/Collector Media Toy Fair event, so I would expect a combo of some store exclusives and some regular commercial items being revealed for Star Wars.  Jayson has dug up a ****-ton of code names for potential exclusives lately so I'm guessing we see some of those revealed here (which Jayson will probably have all figured out by the time we get to Appril 9th ).


Some other stuff from Hasbro PR Materials:

Products revealed during Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest will be available for pre-order on HasbroPulse.com. Hasbro Pulse Premium Members will have exclusive access to select pre-orders beginning at the end of each panel's session, until 5PM ET. Pre-orders for all fans will start at 5PM/ET on 4/9/2021 on HasbroPulse.com & at select retailers.

But then there is this note on the Fan Fest Website:

Hasbro Pulse Premium Members will have early access to select pre-orders when they are announced during the brand panels, up until 5PM ET.* Limited quantities, while supplies last. Limit of 2 per customer.
*Hasbro Star Wars items excluded from early access

So, Pulse Premium will come in handy for early pre-orders for everything BUT Star Wars.   



While I'm here, here are some other relevant blurbs from the official Press Release:

PAWTUCKET, RI – March 15, 2021 – Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) has officially announced the launch of a brand-new collector-focused event, Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest. The virtual event, occurring April 9 at 11 a.m. EST, will be hosted by SYFY Wire on-air correspondent, writer, and producer, Jackie Jennings, and available to watch exclusively on the Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest page. The event will bring never-before-seen content and product reveals directly to Hasbro’s passionate community of collectors in lieu of the company’s annual Entertainment Brand Preview Event held during New York Toy Fair each year. Fans can look forward to engaging panels and activations from Hasbro brands, including G.I. Joe, Power Rangers, and Transformers as well as premier partner brands Marvel, Star Wars™ and Fortnite.

STAR WARS
Join members of the Hasbro Marketing & Design teams as they discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line, including the Black Series and The Vintage Collection. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro’s latest action figure and premium roleplay offerings from across the Skywalker saga and beyond. Word on the Holonet is there may also be a few surprises.

There is also a "Pulse Premium Members" event on the day before (4/8) according to the Fan Fest page.

[Dave]

What have been some of the recent Toy Fair exclusives?  Have we had any for Star Wars, or have they all be SDCC?

[Jeff]

What have been some of the recent Toy Fair exclusives?

There are not usually "Toy Fair Exclusives" (at least not ones that are for sale to the general public).

Any exclusive announced at this event would just be normal Store Exclusives.  Like last year at Toy Fair collector event, Hasbro revealed the Walmart exclusive Retro ESB figures at the Toy Fair event which went up for pre-order after the media event.

[Matt_Fury]

There were a couple of Toy Fair exclusives, I'm looking at my Toy Fair 25th Anniversary Darth Vader right now.  Didn't they also do an Anakin/Vader set for ROTS?

With the whole 50th Anniversary of Lucasfilm, I wonder if there might be something.

[Jeff]

There were a couple of Toy Fair exclusives, I'm looking at my Toy Fair 25th Anniversary Darth Vader right now.  Didn't they also do an Anakin/Vader set for ROTS?

Yes, 2002 Toy Fair Vader and the 2005 ROTS Anakin/Vader were Toy Fair Exclusives.  The 2002 Vader made it out to fans via the fan club, but that was only after the HUGE collector outcry. It was not originally intended for sale.  I don't think the 2005 ROTS Anakin/Vader set ever made it to the general public, but I could be misremembering that.

[Matt_Fury]

I believe three of them did...I missed out.

[Nicklab]

There were a couple of Toy Fair exclusives, I'm looking at my Toy Fair 25th Anniversary Darth Vader right now.  Didn't they also do an Anakin/Vader set for ROTS?

Yes, 2002 Toy Fair Vader and the 2005 ROTS Anakin/Vader were Toy Fair Exclusives.  The 2002 Vader made it out to fans via the fan club, but that was only after the HUGE collector outcry. It was not originally intended for sale.  I don't think the 2005 ROTS Anakin/Vader set ever made it to the general public, but I could be misremembering that.

The ROTS Anakin/Vader never got released outside of being given to Toy Fair attendees.  It's one of the prized items in my own collection.  And I remember when I got it that someone at Hasbro took a picture of me being so surprised to get something like that.  It was a really cool perk for covering the event, but there was so much to report on since that was the final PT movie year that you wind up being overwhelmed by the work of it all.

Pieces like that are cool.  But then there's the potential for some ill will from people who want EVERYTHING for their collections but don't have access to an event like that.  The Toy Fair Vader was a prime example of that, especially after one collecting site owner sold his on eBay and got excoriated for how much money he got for a freebie.  Like Jeff said, Star Wars Shop stepped in and eventually that particular Vader was re-offered from that outlet, but it led to a lot of negativity given the unique nature of that figure.  The ROTS Anakin/Vader set was more about the packaging presentation.  The figures in it weren't unique to Toy Fair since they were offered in mainline basic figure packaging.  But situations like this continue to lead to some crazy demand,  like that special Black Series set with Chewbacca.

[Matt_Fury]

I don't know if you guys remember Darth Bane from the old BHC days...but he lived in Canada and it was cheaper for him to have the TF Vaders he ordered sent to me in Alaska, and then for me to mail them to him, than to get them from the FC directly!

Fun times back them being able to help other collectors like that!

[Matt_Fury]

Anyone receive the email with the link for the event today?

[Rob]

I signed up, but did not get a link.

[Matt_Fury]

I just checked with Hasbro Pulse.  They are going to send the e-mail out shortly before the event to those who have registered.

[JediJman]

Curious to see what they do with this.  I gambled and let my membership expire.

[Matt_Fury]

I'm in the room now and it's starting in a few minutes.  I'll add updates as they come in.

[Matt_Fury]

We're five minutes in and I'm already bored.....they're starting with Power Rangers.