Anyone else losing interest?

[Darth Slothus]

There seems to be no appreciation that collectors are not the only market, and that the kids are keeping the line afloat as much as the collectors are (if not more).

I agree that collectors are not the only market, however, if I'm reading this correctly, you are actually insinuating kids play a larger role in keeping the line afloat? Then I feel you are mostly wrong and somewhat right about this ..depending on a POV.

I feel like the 'kids market' is larger(but maybe equal to collectors market) in/around movie years. All those years after the movies when in the mid-90's the Hasbro SW line was supported mostly by collectors IMO(which is harder to swallow considering today's improved quality). The sheer amount of store exclusives increasing in number every year coupled with the rather distinguishable presence of kids in conventions' QA sessions could also be used as a guage to support this argument for a pro-collector friendly argument. I'd say mostly..in non- movie years the SW basic line is about 60-40 or maybe even 65-35 collectors versus kids. In a movie year it gets closer to even with every year near Christmas being probably in favor of kids..or parents buying them for gifts for the market buying the product.

From a collector standpoint, of course I feel alot of the rerelease stuff is crap. Is it really crap though, since I did already buy it once and didn't feel it was crap at THAT time? When you see it over and over again it becomes crap. When I see the same figures (rereleases..Greatest hits,battles HandV ect) on the shelves and you visit the store often enough to know they're not selling,rather sitting, preventing newer stuff from landing at the store, I tend to feel their crap -and believe me kids aren't buying it either .

Where you could be correct, and-only if you look at it the following way is that if you'd realize many, MANY of us are just big kids who have to have our toys still...and, like many a kid nowadays in public schools speaks,can identify wordage of when something 'sucks' or is 'crap' too. If this were the case, though, you really had no peaceful reason to place an argument here in this thread segregating the kid from the adult collector and insulting many members here at the same time.


" I am appalled of the mud slinging and ignorance being thrown about here.  It truly makes me ashamed to be associated with other "collectors". "

Again,look at the thread title..you could call it a 'feeling' thread...there's absolutley nothing wrong with folks coming in and saying how they feel about the current figure situation.
If, you are actually appalled of words like 'crap' (I can think of far worse), than I think it demonstrates your naivety of the real world's workings. It's a forum, man, not a place where you think how the world should be.

DS

[Darth Slothus]

Sorry for the DP

My interest has waned a bit..but, I think it's part of typical cycle generated from the manufacturer. It seems that every year in the summer through fall (3 out of the last 4 years) I begin to lose interest at ?coincidentally? the same time Hasbro's annual 'refresher line' hits (greatest battles,hits, heroes and villians, hall of fame,ect). Then, miraculously, Hasbro releases pics of their new line for next year and then ?coincidentally? my interest peaks up again.

It appears Hasbro uses 'refresher lines' to peak kid/child interest(I don't know who else) by overshipping these so there are too many on the shelves to rot through the pre-holiday season so parents will buy this bantha fodder for Xmas gifts. Then, it seems post holidays, newer toys with new sculpts,coolness, are introduced(collector focused ) to peak my interest again. EX:I couldn't wait to get the new Leia Boush, Bib, or General Veers and ATAT Driver sculpts at the beginning of this year. Now it's several other figs with the 2007 line I can hardly wait for ..like Christmas after Christmas..phew.

So, I think my interest loss is an annual temporary thing whether intentionally or not created by Hasbro.

DS       

[Deanna Rash]

I only collect new sculpts of figures or they have to look really good to buy them yet again,or new in general like Rep been,naboo soldier,and such,I'm having a hard time finding the new ones.My interest has never really faltered.just discourged.Trying to find them.with gas prices and all I don't run all over creation and not find nothing.
With the new ones coming out I'm excieted on the one hand and disheartend on the other.The only one I'm looking for right now is the colored Endor trooper I've manged
to find the others,Barely.My SW collectors club is helping alot.I can't wait to get Darth Reven.I was hoping they'll do figures of that line something totally new not a rehash of the same figures all the time

[poddie]

There seems to be no appreciation that collectors are not the only market, and that the kids are keeping the line afloat as much as the collectors are (if not more).

I agree that collectors are not the only market, however, if I'm reading this correctly, you are actually insinuating kids play a larger role in keeping the line afloat? Then I feel you are mostly wrong and somewhat right about this ..depending on a POV.

I feel like the 'kids market' is larger(but maybe equal to collectors market) in/around movie years. All those years after the movies when in the mid-90's the Hasbro SW line was supported mostly by collectors IMO(which is harder to swallow considering today's improved quality). The sheer amount of store exclusives increasing in number every year coupled with the rather distinguishable presence of kids in conventions' QA sessions could also be used as a guage to support this argument for a pro-collector friendly argument. I'd say mostly..in non- movie years the SW basic line is about 60-40 or maybe even 65-35 collectors versus kids. In a movie year it gets closer to even with every year near Christmas being probably in favor of kids..or parents buying them for gifts for the market buying the product.

From a collector standpoint, of course I feel alot of the rerelease stuff is crap. Is it really crap though, since I did already buy it once and didn't feel it was crap at THAT time? When you see it over and over again it becomes crap. When I see the same figures (rereleases..Greatest hits,battles HandV ect) on the shelves and you visit the store often enough to know they're not selling,rather sitting, preventing newer stuff from landing at the store, I tend to feel their crap -and believe me kids aren't buying it either .

Where you could be correct, and-only if you look at it the following way is that if you'd realize many, MANY of us are just big kids who have to have our toys still...and, like many a kid nowadays in public schools speaks,can identify wordage of when something 'sucks' or is 'crap' too. If this were the case, though, you really had no peaceful reason to place an argument here in this thread segregating the kid from the adult collector and insulting many members here at the same time.


" I am appalled of the mud slinging and ignorance being thrown about here.  It truly makes me ashamed to be associated with other "collectors". "

Again,look at the thread title..you could call it a 'feeling' thread...there's absolutley nothing wrong with folks coming in and saying how they feel about the current figure situation.
If, you are actually appalled of words like 'crap' (I can think of far worse), than I think it demonstrates your naivety of the real world's workings. It's a forum, man, not a place where you think how the world should be.

DS

I have no idea what the actual breakdown is, but I do believe that without one or the other (collectors/kids) the line would be in trouble, or at the least nowhere near as profitable for Hasbro as it is.  I'm just saying I think people have to realize that they are marketing to two distinct groups who have differant tastes and they do the best they can.  But everything is a compromise...

[Darth Slothus]

I agree with and do realize their(manufacturer) compromises. I just feel they suck at it at times is all.

a much nicer reply Poddie

DS

[Adam_Pawlus]

2007 seems to be geared very heavily toward fans-- the "Legends" collection seems almost squarely aimed at people who complain they can't get enough Clones, the regular figures seem loaded with really awesome, requested figures (new DS Trooper, Galactic Marine, Airborne Trooper, etc.)

The only real problem of boredom seems to come up when Hasbro totally ignores a popular "subset" of the line, which they've been very good at since 2005.   For example, Cantina aliens-- fans of the Cantina have been gifted with Hem Dazon, and that's the only 100% new Cantina alien since the Myo/Gotal/Smoker wave.  And Jabba's Palace?  Man.   We haven't had a brand new alien from there since, I believe, Tanus Spijek/Elom.

I just want to see something new, and by new, I mean a figure that I can bring home and nobody will go "don't you already have this?" and I then say "yeah, but this band member has a cloth shirt thing on over it and a tin!"   

Still, McQuarrie Boba Fett... it's hard to deny that's going to be fun.   Those first two waves, plus the Delta Squad sets, plus the Death Star Briefing, plus Andy Warhol's Darth Vader in the comic packs... how can a fan not at least be a little more interested today than they were a year ago?

[Jesse James]

Poddie, it's cool man and I'm with you on a lot of the matter too, don't get me wrong...  Like Adam said above me here it's tough for me personally NOT to be excited for next year compared to this past year...  I agree iwth that, but of course there are people who really don't look at Concept stuff and go ga-ga either and I think there are a lot of those folks...

For me, if I can BS it into a cantina diorama I'm happy...  I mean I have Snap Kit PRedators in my Cantina having a beer so I'm happy with the Concept Fett and love it.  I like Revan for what he is and my disappointment in that figure is that he hasn't got compatriots from the game to make a "set".

I'm with you though on a lot of your viewpoints, I just try to be sympathetic to the plights of others too and not look negatively upon how they feel...  Not everyone is going to offer a small novel of constructive criticism and those people I rarely respond to, except to ask them to elaborate.     I think this thread started out fairly well though and has a lot more than people just saying they hate this or that... 

It's hard for me not to bitch a little about some of the points too, such as the tin sets.  $30-ish (I can't find them much cheaper at least) for some figures I already had, only a couple I desperately want, some that are just new enough to piss me off, and tins that I really do think would display nice...  I dunno.  That just annoys me.

But yeah, I mean looking ahead to 2007 I'm incredibly excited for some of that stuff, if not most of it.  At least the first 2 waves of basics look sharp...  and that Rebel Guard is the best Rebel Army Builder ever...  Sad and great at the same time.

[Morgbug]

Still, McQuarrie Boba Fett... it's hard to deny that's going to be fun.   

Who wouldn't want a figure with a "bun in the oven", so to speak.

I still think there's a pile of crap out there and I'm not going to alter my opinion on that.  When Hasbro makes a conscious decision to put a substandard figure into a box set (commtech stormtrooper versus a newer mold) then I'm not about to heap praise on them. 

When they re-release a substandard figure on a new cardback (commtech Han anyone?) they are only marginally targeting the kids.  My take is that kids are keen on seeing PT stuff more so than OT stuff.  Granted it's a wise marketing decision to keep a Vader, Luke, Han and Chewie on the pegs at all times, but there's no need to put out a figure for the 9th time.  We have better, different sculpts available and all they are doing is cheaping out.  Yes, I understand the economics of the situation, but I think most feel that the initial costs are the sculpting and creation of the mold.  Once that exists, it's all gravy for that particular sculpt down the line, so why keep putting out a lower quality version?

Releasing $30 tin sets ($40 in Canada) that have at best three kit bashes and one new figure isn't gouging both collectors and kids alike?  I dunno, to me it seems like an effective strategy to prepare people for even higher prices for single figures down the road.  I've seen parents buying kids the tins and they don't really balk at the prices but then they don't have 500 plus figures at home either, so it's not an impact.  And it's not just Hasbro that's done this.  It's irritating when any line releases a figure only in a box set.  Toy Biz is the master of this (or was.

Most of what I say around here is mildly tinged with sarcasm anyway, so don't take it too seriously.  But you can rest assured that I've no great need to blow sunshine up Hasbro's butt either.  When it's good, I'll say so.  When it's not, that's fair game too.  And I'll have fun doing both where I can.  I think that McQuarrie Fett is pretty neat, at least once you close up the toaster oven on his tummy.  I'm sorry, but that begs to be mocked.  And don't worry, I buy what I want and leave behind what I don't.  All my figures (well, not TF Vader) are loose and if there is something carded, it's a duplicate so I could personally care less about rehashes except for the fact that they routinely end up clogging the pegs preventing the arrival of newer releases and oft times resulting in entire waves being missed.  (see DS' arguments regarding H&V, GB)

As for the kid/collector split, if you dig up the panel session from C3 with Hasbro, they readily admit that in a movie year, kids are the  larger portion of the market but non-movie years collectors are the stronger market.  I don't see any movies on the horizon but then I'm seldom accused of being an optimist (happy idiot in my terms).  You are correct though, we need both. 

Face it, Creature Cantina sucks.  Oops, I'm supposed to be bashing Hasbro here.  Well, they suck too.

[Darby]

I think Hasbro has too many bases to cover to satisfy everybody.  Everyone has their thing, and that's great, and something somewhere suffers, whether it's Padme, or Jabba's Palace, or what have you.  I am very excited about next year.  The basic line seems to be correcting a lot of bad trends this year (reduced articulation) and the Legends line is just a gift in terms of some of its offerings.  I can see where a lot of it bores the hell out of us - some of those figures have been done to death - but we're not the only mouth Hasbro needs to feed.  And we're getting clones and droids and who knows what else - the line is only mapped out through August - it will go on much longer.

[P-Siddy]

I would have said yes to this about the middle of this year, but after seeing next years stuff, that's exciting.

[Darth_Anton]

Drama aside...

I can see when anyone begins to loose interest. There's a lot of factors that help to contribute and each is a justified excuse. That said, when the final 22 of 06 was announced, I was really on the edge, a lot of product that wasn't too exciting. However, 07 is bringing me back, so far (with only two waves announced,) next years offerings look really sharp IMO and I can't wait to get ahold of them.

[P-Siddy]

Drama aside...

I can see when anyone begins to loose interest. There's a lot of factors that help to contribute and each is a justified excuse. That said, when the final 22 of 06 was announced, I was really on the edge, a lot of product that wasn't too exciting. However, 07 is bringing me back, so far (with only two waves announced,) next years offerings look really sharp IMO and I can't wait to get ahold of them.

Exactly... when the Final 22 was announced. I was rather unmoved by it... same with Naboo. Some new figures there, but nothing that got me excited.

[Matt R.]

Next Year is putting me back in too. I was beginning to stop, but next year look fantastic. and with Legends coming, It going to be fun.  its just like EP1 years ago, after that line was POTJ alot of collectors was losing interest in SW, and SAGA collection drove collectors back. that is probably hasbro battle plan. Have a great year, then the next year have a lousy year, then a great year again.

[Adam_Pawlus]

<snip>
All my figures (well, not TF Vader) are loose and if there is something carded, it's a duplicate so I could personally care less about rehashes except for the fact that they routinely end up clogging the pegs preventing the arrival of newer releases and oft times resulting in entire waves being missed.  (see DS' arguments regarding H&V, GB)

Just to nitpick, it's usually collectors who scoop stuff up-- it's there, you just miss it.  A Wal-Mart near me got five or six cases of Wave 8 on Wednesday, and there wasn't a trace of them as of about two hours ago.   Obviously, YMMV, all stores are different, and Kmart usually sucks... but this is frequently the case.  They make tens if not hundreds of thousands of these things, they're ending up somewhere.

If an item gets repacked and it continues to sell well, well, I can't blame Hasbro for wanting to sell the same Han in a dozen different boxes.   The lifespan of an action figure at retail has really shrank in recent years, back when I was a kid it wasn't unusual for a toy to be on the market for two years.  Now it's like, what, three months?  So yeah, I'm sick of seeing the same Han Solo time and again, but if it helps Hasbro's bottom line and it sells well, I'm not going to lose any sleep over that stuff.   When the line gets bad enough, I'll step back-- like the Transformers Movie stuff from next year, just not likin' it.  (But McQuarrie figures and ANH human troopers?  Yes please. )

I like the stuff.   Not everything, of course, but I prefer not to dwell on motorcycles and the SW Transformers when there's other stuff that's worth wasting time/money on.

[Mikey D]

It's not that Brent's missing them because he walked into a store five minutes late, they never show up due the peg clogging figures already there.  Walmart doesn't give a **** about wave this or wave that, they just order SW figures.  If the pegs are empty, they order more.  If they're filled with crap, they don't.