The Future of Star Wars Collecting?

[Ryan]

Steve Evans updated his website with some nifty TVC photo-checklists.  Looks like the Ghost pack-in figures will get the special HASxxx numbering, while Sabine/Chopper will get standard VC#s. 

VC332 Sabine Wren
VC333 Chopper (C1-10P)

It's dumb to be annoyed by this... but I am. Chopper & Sabine should not have been mainline numbered. They should have either matched the rest of the crew with Haslab numbering or should have been left unnumbered. It is silly to have the number inconsistent across the full Mural set.

[Nicklab]

Steve Evans updated his website with some nifty TVC photo-checklists.  Looks like the Ghost pack-in figures will get the special HASxxx numbering, while Sabine/Chopper will get standard VC#s. 

VC332 Sabine Wren
VC333 Chopper (C1-10P)

It's dumb to be annoyed by this... but I am. Chopper & Sabine should not have been mainline numbered. They should have either matched the rest of the crew with Haslab numbering or should have been left unnumbered. It is silly to have the number inconsistent across the full Mural set.

I would lean towards leaving them un-numbered if we're getting into that level of detail about this situation.  But I think it would be completely inappropriate for Sabine and Chopper to get that HASxxx numbering.  That's my opinion, for what it's worth.

I definitely appreciate the effort Steve put into putting together those sheets.  It does seem odd for this sort of thing to be offered outside of his official capacity with Hasbro.  But then that's part of the appeal of Steve being in his roles at Hasbro AND having a social media footprint - it gives him some flexibility.  And he has also been asking the community for feedback about them in an effort to make the information that much more complete.  I actually responded to his call for feedback.  He added a number of footnotes for several figures, and I asked if he might include an additional footnote for figures that have been reissued.

[Jedi Idej]

As an opener, all of the packaging goes to the recycling bin. But those carded figs sure look nice together. I wouldn't mind posters of them.

As for the future of the figures... hope the increased clearances I'm seeing is from AFTER a big increase in production runs and not from the already relatively lower quantities Hasbro has been sending to retailers the last several years.

[Nicklab]

This article from Yakface seems a little bit alarming:  EXISTING MAINLINE TVC DPCIS NOW ZEROED AT TARGET AND NO PEGS SET

The alarmists in the community seem to be concerned that Target might be dropping the Vintage Collection.  I am more of the opinion that TVC might be getting a bit of a pause at Target.  Per Hasbro, the wave with Count Dooku, the phase I Clone, Cassian Andor and Finn are supposed to be Fan Channel releases.  I haven't seen reports of this wave turning up at big box stores, but I have seen them in GameStop stores, and that is consistent with what Hasbro stated. 

It seems like Walmart is currently stocking this wave.  But I have yet to see any sign of these at Target.
1x Grand Admiral Thrawn
1x The Mandalorian (Mines)
1x Huyang
1x Mandalorian Fleet Commander
1x Axe Woves (Privateer)
1x Ahsoka Tano
2x Grogu (Season 3)

Target has also put the TVC deluxe figures on clearance.  But then the whole situation with that was beyond puzzling, with something like 4 - 6 different deluxe figures in stock at a given time, with 2 of those being exclusive.  In the past I would have thought that a retailer would stock twice as many basic figures at their lower price points as they would the deluxe figures.  But I would hardly ever see carded figures in stock at Target.

The whole situation is a head scratcher, for sure.

[Dave]

I'm hopeful that its just a "summer break" and that TVC comes back in the fall/winter when toys have a stronger presence at retail.  While I don't really ever buy at retail anymore its critical for volumes to make the line still work.  Target and Wal-Mart are about the only big footprint retailers left that sell these, and if they drop the line I'm not sure how it'll work as anything other than a fan-channel only sort of line.  I'm good with that so long as Hasbro can still make the economics work.

[Rob]

I’d be more worried if this was the first time this has happened at a major retailer, or if they were having a hard time selling anything but Lando.  Surely Star Wars was moving better than $20 Transformers ReAction figures and stuff like that.  If it’s not back in a couple months I’ll start reading into it…

[Jeff]

I saw the new Target layout at one of my local stores this weekend.  All the former TVC pegs were now filled with the Epic Hero Series stuff, basic figures and deluxe figures hanging where the TVC basic/deluxe used to be pegged. 

I can't help but wonder if Target didn't want to carry two lines at the same 3.75" scale?  One line costs 70% more than the other so they opted to keep the cheaper version (less overhead spent in inventory cost to fill the pegs).    Maybe the answer is to keep Epic Hero figures in the toy aisle and banish TVC to the "collector spot" with all the expensive Funko/Super 7 stuff?  Finally admit that TVC's main support is old guys with disposable income and not kids?

[Diddly]

I don't know how it is for everyone else, but in my area, Target and Walmart have flipped and Target is now the trashy, unkept store. Outside of TBS General Lando and TVC Bespin Lando, I haven't seen non-exclusive figures at Target in years. Not that Walmart is any better about stocking toys, but I digress. Target potentially dropping the lines really doesn't change much for me personally.

[Matt_Fury]

I remember the days when I would get up and hit the local stores looking for new toys.  I can't even remember the last time I went on a dedicated toy run.  Now, anything I want is on pre-order.  The last item I had to really hunt for was Blue Leader's X-wing with Anton Merrick figure.

Honestly not sure how I feel about that.

[Rob]

Yakface has a post up from Steve saying TVC hasn’t been canceled or paused.

[Jeff]

Yakface has a post up from Steve saying TVC hasn’t been canceled or paused.

It's nice of Steve to make that comment... but he totally dodged the question about whether Target is planning to cancel or pause their support of TVC or not.

[Rob]

That’s fair.  And I know it’s better if Target sells this stuff.  But also 95% of my TVC buying is Amazon and Pulse… so it wouldn’t be a huge loss if it didn’t affect the overall line.

[Nicklab]

It’s not an insignificant thing for a major retailer to pause a segment of the Hasbro Star Wars line.  Especially when that chain has around 2000 store locations in the U.S.   That lack of presence leads to perception issues.  And it makes TVC that much more of a niche line.  I don’t think it’s crazy to think that Hasbro should be looking to grow the line, not contract it. 

[Nicklab]

I was at a Target store yesterday, and it was the first time I've been to Target in several weeks.  That was a surprise to me, because Target used to be a weekly destination for me.  Sure enough, there was no TVC in stock in the store at all, and this is one of the locations with the Disney feature section.  I'm thinking that Target is doing a somewhat significant reset for TVC, and it's likely to return - probably in time for May the Fourth.

There also seems to be another TVC preorder or two around the corner.  It seems like an announcement might be coming today, with preorders happening tomorrow.  What it is?  I guess we have to wait and see.

[Jeff]

Crisis averted - Jayson found a new DPCI for TVC at Target.  Seems like it was just a temporary reset thing and TVC will be back at Target in some capacity eventually.