2024 HasLab - TVC Project, Coming Soon!

[Nicklab]

The "paywall", in this context, refers to a specific figure being exclusively available to one Haslab release.  At $400 or $500, that's a potential obstacle that might prevent people from getting a figure that they want.  I don't think it's out of line to call it that among the collecting community.

[Jeff]

Whether you call it a "dick move" or a "paywall", the exclusive pack-in figure tactic has been part of the game for a long time.

I have empathy for collectors who end up in the spot of wanting the tier/pack-in figures but not wanting the Cantina.  Trying to decide whether to invest $500 to get the figures hoping to recoup some of that cost two years later by selling the playset parts is definitely not ideal.

Lucky for me, I'm not in that spot.  I'm fortunate enough to be standing here with $596.05 in hand, ready to buy ($50 Pulse Premium renewal + $499.99 DLX version + plus taxes).  As the wise poet-philosopher Tom Petty once said, "the waiting is the hardest part".  Let's get on with it already, Hasbro!

[GrandMoffNick]

I don't actually think the Tonnikas will be a part of this. So this would then be a unnecessary discussion.

But to me it's too extreme. Of course this tactic has been used forever. But the long term collectors have clamored too long for these figs to have them a part of a $400 item.

Maybe there are other examples and because I either didn't care or bought the item, I'm being unreasonable.

Or maybe I'm over thinking what the Tonnikas mean to people.

[Dave]

I see both sides of this issue where people want the Tonnikas and they should be a semi-normal release.  It'd be great if they made them a general release, but if that were going to happen it would have happened a long time ago.  Its never going to happen.

I think this might be Hasbro's only way to "sneak" the verbotten Tonnikas in to an offering since the cantina is a customer direct HasLab "fan holy grail" item that isn't a normal commercial item. 

Sure it'll stink for figure collectors and carded collectors, but I'm like Jeff in that I'll likely back whatever they offer around the HasLab cantina and if we end up getting a truly exclusive figure (not just a deco/card variant) then I'm okay with that assuming its something controversial like the Tonnikas that we would otherwise never get.

[Rob]

Tonnika's would be a PERFECT Pulse exclusive...

They'd be available to purchase widely, but also not at any major retailers so any weird 50 year old notion that they're whores wouldn't be something Target would care about...
It would tie in with the Haslab...
They could re-use most of the sculpt so it's right in line with their efficiency goals...
They could charge a small fortune two figures and people would still gobble it up...

It's a no brainer, they just have to stop being babies about it.

[P-Siddy]

Tonnika's would be a PERFECT Pulse exclusive...

Somewhat similar to the Sabine and Chopper set that finishes off the Ghost... Not included with the Cantina, but available on Pulse for a limited time.

[Rob]

That’s exactly what I had in my head when I was writing that.  They could do two packs of unmade cantina weirdos and sell them like crazy.

[EdSolo]

If you want to believe the story of the actresses never giving their rights to Kenner/Hasbro and wanting "millions" for them, then Haslab would be the only option for Hasbro to recoup the cost for the figures.  I have always had a hard time believing the story considering the obscure background characters that have been made over the years.

[Rob]

Years ago I asked one of them about it T some convention and she said she love to have an action figure made of her.  The other one had already died I think. 

Could be fluff, but she was asked about it all the time and always said go for it.

The Star Whores thing is the only plausible explanation I’ve heard but also Hasbro wouldn’t ever talk about it, like it would have been so terrible for someone like Depriest or Evans to just say, we can’t touch that one with a ten foot pole because of some inappropriate backstory jokes from the 70’s.