2491
The Legacy Collection / Re: Legacy Wave 9 - A New Hope (Fall 2009)
« on: April 16, 2009, 12:08 PM »
Updated versions of Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba would definitely be welcome.
Bringing Balance to the Force
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2492
The Vintage Collection / Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« on: April 15, 2009, 04:39 PM »
Ok - this post is going to be long winded, so I apologize in advance...
I think Hasbro laying the Legacy Collection sales numbers problems at the feet of the collector segment is absolute crap. Here's why:
1) Collectors do not plan the line - as much as we'd like to think we influence the line, our voice is a very small factor in which figures are picked for which waves. Yarna should have been the "bonus" figure with a ROTJ Jabba Battlepack and a more kid-friendly Jabba denzien should have been in the wave. I can't even remember the last time I saw a Bane Malor figure on the pegs. Breha Organa should have been saved for a Comic 2-pack featuring her and Beru Lars with the Skywalker baby accessories, or perhaps even a collector exclusive, she should not have been in a B-A-D assortment.
2) Collectors do not plan case assortments - case assortments should be straight-forward as a result of the Build-a-Droid model where assortments are either 8 figures = 2 droids or 6 figures = 1 droid. For 8 figure waves there should be two different case pack-outs 2x Figs 1-4, 1x Figs 5-8; 1x Figs 1-4, 2x Figs 5-8. For 6 figure waves there should be one case pack-out: 2x of each figure.
3) Collectors don't plan on which figures come back for repeat shipping in later waves - I have started being strategic about what I buy - if I had known that the Scuba trooper or the Quad Gun Clone were shipping later, I would have held off army-building that figure so that I could get a variety of droid parts and not just end up with a slew of Green R4 domes and torsos! So now that I know the Spacetrooper is shipping in the next wave, I've held off getting more than two to open. My hope is that the part the Spacetrooper comes with in the ESB wave will not overlap the part that comes with the Hoth Rebel Trooper and the Ugnaught so that way, I'll be half-way complete with a second U-3PO thanks to the purchase of figures I already wanted to army build. So in a way this issue is related to my #2 issue - if no figures were ever re-shipping with a DIFFERENT droid part, collectors would be just buying what they wanted of each figure as they are released. If ever figure was treated like Bane Malor where if you don't get it when that wave is shipping, you will miss it - so not only is it your ONLY chance to get the figure, it's also your ONLY chance to get that droid part.
4) Collectors do not plan which build-a-droid parts end up with which figures - If for example, you have an assortment like the Wave 2 (Animated Clone Wars) one, why wouldn't you pack four of the army builders with the parts to one astromech and then package the parts for the other astromech with the remaining four figures? I know that this wave technically had five army builders, but it would have at least been nice if they had either the Quarren or the Mon Calamari warriors come with the fourth part of the Green R4 droid instead of two parts to the R7.
5) Collectors do not change the packaging every time the wind blows a different direction - ok, so this is the old-timer in me talking - pick a generic card back style, have the "Star Wars" logo on the top and ship everything in a single assortment. Get rid of the "Saga Legends" assortment entirely. If you want to have assortments for the TV show be separate, fine, but everything else should ship under a single SKU. If you want to keep putting out Darth Vader with Force Unleashed Battle Damage - that's fine, but at least the completists won't have to worry about having one in the TAC packaging, one in the TLC-Blue packaging and one in the TLC-Red packaging. So their repeated tactics of re-releasing items simply because the packaging changes has basically made the completist an endangered species. Collectors are now more picky about what they buy because there's really no reason to buy the same item twice. I know I fall prey to it, but very few people are as OCD as me when it comes to this stuff. Don't release the same figure over-and-over-and-over and then wonder why sales numbers for a particular SKU aren't as good as a line that is pretty much comprised of completely new figures (Clone Wars). Once you force a completist to make a concession it opens the door to that collector starting to pick and choose what they buy and by that point in time, it's too late to get them back into the mode of buying at least one of everything.
6) Collectors don't choose what items you offer as high-end exclusives or the quality of those products - Case in point - the Lars Homestead and Sarlaac Pit. Those two sets would have sold MUCH BETTER if the quality of the product had been a lot higher. The use of the flimsy plastic bases really turned off a lot of collectors on these sets. If you wanted them to sell, then the product should have been of a higher quality. This is a great example of collectors "voting with their wallets" and Hasbro's reaction this is simply "playsets don't work, see we told you so" - heaven forbid they actually admit that they know they put out a shoddy product.
I think Hasbro laying the Legacy Collection sales numbers problems at the feet of the collector segment is absolute crap. Here's why:
1) Collectors do not plan the line - as much as we'd like to think we influence the line, our voice is a very small factor in which figures are picked for which waves. Yarna should have been the "bonus" figure with a ROTJ Jabba Battlepack and a more kid-friendly Jabba denzien should have been in the wave. I can't even remember the last time I saw a Bane Malor figure on the pegs. Breha Organa should have been saved for a Comic 2-pack featuring her and Beru Lars with the Skywalker baby accessories, or perhaps even a collector exclusive, she should not have been in a B-A-D assortment.
2) Collectors do not plan case assortments - case assortments should be straight-forward as a result of the Build-a-Droid model where assortments are either 8 figures = 2 droids or 6 figures = 1 droid. For 8 figure waves there should be two different case pack-outs 2x Figs 1-4, 1x Figs 5-8; 1x Figs 1-4, 2x Figs 5-8. For 6 figure waves there should be one case pack-out: 2x of each figure.
3) Collectors don't plan on which figures come back for repeat shipping in later waves - I have started being strategic about what I buy - if I had known that the Scuba trooper or the Quad Gun Clone were shipping later, I would have held off army-building that figure so that I could get a variety of droid parts and not just end up with a slew of Green R4 domes and torsos! So now that I know the Spacetrooper is shipping in the next wave, I've held off getting more than two to open. My hope is that the part the Spacetrooper comes with in the ESB wave will not overlap the part that comes with the Hoth Rebel Trooper and the Ugnaught so that way, I'll be half-way complete with a second U-3PO thanks to the purchase of figures I already wanted to army build. So in a way this issue is related to my #2 issue - if no figures were ever re-shipping with a DIFFERENT droid part, collectors would be just buying what they wanted of each figure as they are released. If ever figure was treated like Bane Malor where if you don't get it when that wave is shipping, you will miss it - so not only is it your ONLY chance to get the figure, it's also your ONLY chance to get that droid part.
4) Collectors do not plan which build-a-droid parts end up with which figures - If for example, you have an assortment like the Wave 2 (Animated Clone Wars) one, why wouldn't you pack four of the army builders with the parts to one astromech and then package the parts for the other astromech with the remaining four figures? I know that this wave technically had five army builders, but it would have at least been nice if they had either the Quarren or the Mon Calamari warriors come with the fourth part of the Green R4 droid instead of two parts to the R7.
5) Collectors do not change the packaging every time the wind blows a different direction - ok, so this is the old-timer in me talking - pick a generic card back style, have the "Star Wars" logo on the top and ship everything in a single assortment. Get rid of the "Saga Legends" assortment entirely. If you want to have assortments for the TV show be separate, fine, but everything else should ship under a single SKU. If you want to keep putting out Darth Vader with Force Unleashed Battle Damage - that's fine, but at least the completists won't have to worry about having one in the TAC packaging, one in the TLC-Blue packaging and one in the TLC-Red packaging. So their repeated tactics of re-releasing items simply because the packaging changes has basically made the completist an endangered species. Collectors are now more picky about what they buy because there's really no reason to buy the same item twice. I know I fall prey to it, but very few people are as OCD as me when it comes to this stuff. Don't release the same figure over-and-over-and-over and then wonder why sales numbers for a particular SKU aren't as good as a line that is pretty much comprised of completely new figures (Clone Wars). Once you force a completist to make a concession it opens the door to that collector starting to pick and choose what they buy and by that point in time, it's too late to get them back into the mode of buying at least one of everything.
6) Collectors don't choose what items you offer as high-end exclusives or the quality of those products - Case in point - the Lars Homestead and Sarlaac Pit. Those two sets would have sold MUCH BETTER if the quality of the product had been a lot higher. The use of the flimsy plastic bases really turned off a lot of collectors on these sets. If you wanted them to sell, then the product should have been of a higher quality. This is a great example of collectors "voting with their wallets" and Hasbro's reaction this is simply "playsets don't work, see we told you so" - heaven forbid they actually admit that they know they put out a shoddy product.
2493
Other Toy Lines / Re: Star Trek
« on: April 15, 2009, 12:16 PM »
Picked up the all of the Wave 1 3.75" figures and the Enterprise ship for my wife at WalMart last night.
She liked them and was curious about what else Playmates was coming out with - I showed her Playmates' website and she asked me to go back to WM this morning and grab the 6" figures (I went pallet diving last night). Unfortunately, there was no sign of these figures in the store this morning. I found this kind of odd - at my local WM one whole side of the boys toy aisle is EMPTY so why not put them out? Is there a street date for this stuff?
Personally, I think they look really cheap and I would definitely be passing on this line, but my wife has always been the Star Trek collector and I've been primarily the Star Wars collector, so if she wants to add this stuff to her Trek collection, I'm not going to discourage her (especially since she puts up with the glut of SW toys that come into our house on a regular basis).
She liked them and was curious about what else Playmates was coming out with - I showed her Playmates' website and she asked me to go back to WM this morning and grab the 6" figures (I went pallet diving last night). Unfortunately, there was no sign of these figures in the store this morning. I found this kind of odd - at my local WM one whole side of the boys toy aisle is EMPTY so why not put them out? Is there a street date for this stuff?
Personally, I think they look really cheap and I would definitely be passing on this line, but my wife has always been the Star Trek collector and I've been primarily the Star Wars collector, so if she wants to add this stuff to her Trek collection, I'm not going to discourage her (especially since she puts up with the glut of SW toys that come into our house on a regular basis).
2494
The Legacy Collection / Re: Recent Legacy Purchases
« on: April 15, 2009, 11:54 AM »
Picked up one each of the Force Unleashed 3-packs at TRU today. I'm not quite sure why. I may change my mind and return them.
2495
The Clone Wars '08-'13 / Re: Who Is Not Buying?
« on: April 15, 2009, 11:49 AM »Personally, I'd like to see the Droid Factory concept go Clone Wars. Kids love collecting things, and I think they could really go for assembling those different astromechs or battledroids.
You know - that's a great idea - it would certainly JUSTIFY the fact that a Legacy Collection figure with a B-A-D part costs just as much as a Clone Wars Animated figure with nothing.
2496
The Clone Wars '08-'13 / Re: TRU Exclusive V-Wing and Hailfire
« on: April 15, 2009, 11:47 AM »
Has anyone been able to confirm whether or not the vehicles have been given new paint-decos?
I'll probably still grab one of each for my packaged collection, but if I can avoid buying an opener, I will.
I'll probably still grab one of each for my packaged collection, but if I can avoid buying an opener, I will.
2497
The Clone Wars '08-'13 / Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« on: April 15, 2009, 11:46 AM »
I picked up all four of the TRU Clone Wars 2-packs today. Only one of each to keep MOC.
I'll probably regret it one day, but my thinking was that those "Under the Helmet" 2-packs might get packaged just like this and if they were, one day I'd be regretting not picking these up.
I'll probably regret it one day, but my thinking was that those "Under the Helmet" 2-packs might get packaged just like this and if they were, one day I'd be regretting not picking these up.
2498
The Vintage Collection / Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« on: April 11, 2009, 08:49 PM »
One of the things that has me disappointed from this week's Q&A's is the response to the question regarding any more Clone Wars astromechs - especially droids for Obi-Wan's new Jedi Starfighter.
Their response that we could just use the realistic line's R4 with the ship totally proves to me that just don't understand why collectors were so negative about the two different styles before the lines premiered. If I want to display the new Obi-Wan starfighter with my Clone Wars figures, I want the astromech to be one of the animated style droids. I mean really, how hard could it be to pump out a couple of repaints of the Goldie figure?
Their response that we could just use the realistic line's R4 with the ship totally proves to me that just don't understand why collectors were so negative about the two different styles before the lines premiered. If I want to display the new Obi-Wan starfighter with my Clone Wars figures, I want the astromech to be one of the animated style droids. I mean really, how hard could it be to pump out a couple of repaints of the Goldie figure?
2499
Well of the Souls / Re: Ticket to Adventure Mail-Away Offers
« on: April 11, 2009, 08:42 PM »
On Monday, I entered a question to Hasbro Consumer Affairs through their website re: the Crystal Skeleton offer.
I sent away for a total of twelve of them and had yet to receive a postcard letting me know that I might (or might not) actually get them at some point.
Anyway, after a couple of days, I got a response from Hasbro to my question which essentially said two things:
1) they confirmed that I had 12 skeletons on order
2) that they had sent me a post card notifying me of the delay
Ok - so the first part was welcome to hear - that my 12 certificates and payments had made it to the order processing center and that 12 skeletons would eventually be coming to me.
The second part was a bit confusing, since, like I said before, I never received a post card. Turns out that they probably meant that they sent me a postcard about the delay THAT DAY, 'cause guess what arrived in the mail today (Saturday) - a postcard!
For anyone who hasn't gotten one of these yet, here's what it says:
If this is redudant and everyone already knew this I apologize. I had not see anywhere the shipping date for the "additional manufacturing order" of these, so I thought posting the card's message might be some welcome news to anyone still waiting on these.
Considering that these things go for anywhere from $10 - $20 on eBay right now, for me to have sent away for 12 only to ask for a refund now would just be foolish since so far I'm only out $72 + the costs of the money orders I used. To get 12 on eBay right now would run me anywhere from $120 - $240 BEFORE shipping. No thanks, I'll wait two more months for my Crystal Skeletons.
Thank goodness the call-to-action statement on the postcard is only to CANCEL your order and not the reverse, asking you to call to confirm you still want the figures you ordered. Hopefully there are quite a few figures coming in this batch and scoring a 13th one to complete my Akator throne room will be cheap.
I wonder if they have that "new" factory that was making the Indy figures making anything else before they shut down Indy line operations? It's wishful thinking I know, but I wonder if they're cranking out those Wave 5 RotLA figures for an upcoming exclusive offering?
I sent away for a total of twelve of them and had yet to receive a postcard letting me know that I might (or might not) actually get them at some point.
Anyway, after a couple of days, I got a response from Hasbro to my question which essentially said two things:
1) they confirmed that I had 12 skeletons on order
2) that they had sent me a post card notifying me of the delay
Ok - so the first part was welcome to hear - that my 12 certificates and payments had made it to the order processing center and that 12 skeletons would eventually be coming to me.
The second part was a bit confusing, since, like I said before, I never received a post card. Turns out that they probably meant that they sent me a postcard about the delay THAT DAY, 'cause guess what arrived in the mail today (Saturday) - a postcard!
For anyone who hasn't gotten one of these yet, here's what it says:
Quote
We have received your redemption request for the Indiana Jones Crystal Skeleton collectible figure. We received more requests for this figure than was originally forecast, so we had to place an additional manufacturing order. Due to this situation, we will be unable to ship the figure(s) to you until June 10, 2009. If you don't want to wait until then, you may cancel your order and receive a prompt refund by calling our toll-free customer service number, (800) 327-8264. Customer service hours are M-TH 8:30am-5:00pm; Fr 8:30am-12:30pm. If we do not hear from you by May 15th, 2009 we will assume that you have agreed to this shipment delay. Please DO NOT call the toll-free number unless you want to cancel your order. We thank you for your patience and apologize for the delay.
If this is redudant and everyone already knew this I apologize. I had not see anywhere the shipping date for the "additional manufacturing order" of these, so I thought posting the card's message might be some welcome news to anyone still waiting on these.
Considering that these things go for anywhere from $10 - $20 on eBay right now, for me to have sent away for 12 only to ask for a refund now would just be foolish since so far I'm only out $72 + the costs of the money orders I used. To get 12 on eBay right now would run me anywhere from $120 - $240 BEFORE shipping. No thanks, I'll wait two more months for my Crystal Skeletons.
Thank goodness the call-to-action statement on the postcard is only to CANCEL your order and not the reverse, asking you to call to confirm you still want the figures you ordered. Hopefully there are quite a few figures coming in this batch and scoring a 13th one to complete my Akator throne room will be cheap.
I wonder if they have that "new" factory that was making the Indy figures making anything else before they shut down Indy line operations? It's wishful thinking I know, but I wonder if they're cranking out those Wave 5 RotLA figures for an upcoming exclusive offering?
2500
The Legacy Collection / Re: Legacy Collection Comic Packs
« on: April 11, 2009, 01:26 AM »
I wonder if the Luke/R2 set will be a re-pack of the Luke & R2 Droid Factory 2-pack from 2008.
It wouldn't be a bad way to get that R2 variant out again. That was one of the more popular 2-packs from the Droid Factory exclusives last year in my area.
It wouldn't be a bad way to get that R2 variant out again. That was one of the more popular 2-packs from the Droid Factory exclusives last year in my area.
2501
The Legacy Collection / Re: Target Jabba's Palace Rancor with Luke
« on: April 10, 2009, 02:02 AM »
Has anyone gotten a Rancor and opened it yet?
If so, is there supposed to be a special feature that I'm not activating or is the "Rancor Grip" just a bendy-style right hand?
Since this is an exclusive, I'm hesitant to try to joints out too roughly, but I can't get mine to even raise it's right arm! So what good is the bendy hand if I can't raise the arm? I'm a tad bit concerned that mine might be defective.
If so, is there supposed to be a special feature that I'm not activating or is the "Rancor Grip" just a bendy-style right hand?
Since this is an exclusive, I'm hesitant to try to joints out too roughly, but I can't get mine to even raise it's right arm! So what good is the bendy hand if I can't raise the arm? I'm a tad bit concerned that mine might be defective.
2502
The Legacy Collection / Re: Recent Legacy Purchases
« on: April 2, 2009, 06:06 PM »
Picked up a Saga Legends Tri-Droid - so I'll all caught up with my MOMC Saga Legends set/collection (for now)
2503
The Legacy Collection / Re: Wal-Mart Droid Factory Sets
« on: March 29, 2009, 02:11 PM »Unless he's rich. I know a rich collector who wouldn't bat an eye at dropping $650 for 10 Darktroopers.
And at this point, considering that there are fewer and fewer things that Hasbro doesn't re-release OR improve on at a later date, my statement still stands. I'm not bragging, but I could swing dropping $650 for 10 DarkTroopers my self, but in two years when the figure comes out a different way, I'd feel like a supreme IDIOT for dropping so much money on something that two or more years later would have only cost me $100 (say if the figure is released individually carded). It all comes down to what you're willing to spend and live with, I guess.
I have had a couple of instances over the past 15 years of collecting this line just like this...
I once dropped $400 for a graded set of MOMC WalMart Saga Cantina Wave 2. I have all of the EP1 foreign releases with Battledroids and Pit Droids - I even bought some so I could open up the pit droids. At the time I made both purchases, they seemed like a good idea. In hindsight, after the K-Mart Cantina 3-pack Sets AND the 2007 Saga Legends line, both of those purchases became downright silly and for me the only sollace I found in making them was that a majority of the purchases left me with hard-to-get items in my MOC/MIB collection.
Granted it was almost 10 years, but even the Darktrooper from the first EU wave in the late 90's found it's way out again - and I know a couple of guys who dropped a lot of money on eBay to army build that trooper.
So anyway, my point is that if the history of this line has taught us ANYTHING, it's that a figure that may be hard-to-get (or expensive-to-get) one year, ends up being easy to get the next (or a couple of years later).
2504
The Legacy Collection / Re: Wal-Mart Droid Factory Sets
« on: March 28, 2009, 09:27 PM »I know at least one person that is looking to build 10 of the Dark Troopers. I don't envy him one bit.
At a total cost of $650, I wouldn't envy him either. And when Hasbro DOES put the completely built Dark Trooper out as a stand-alone figure in two years, you'll pity him.
2505
The Legacy Collection / Re: Wal-Mart Droid Factory Sets
« on: March 28, 2009, 09:10 PM »
From an army-builder perspective the 2009 WalMart 2-packs aren't any better. To make matters worse, the B-A-D is an army builder itself. So figuring that the sets are going to be $12.99 this year, unless people are willing to shell out $65 for the chance to army-build the new Dark Trooper sculpt, I think that some of these are going to sit around even WORSE than last year's.