Hasbro profit question for you guys

[efranks]

This is actually an interesting topic to me as I've debated pricing and costs on other forums, and on other toy lines, with people before.  The numbers that JackofT put up were about what I always assumed Hasbro was looking at, if not even a little lower...meaning Hasbro's making toys for less/selling them for more profit than I thought.  And I'm happy to hear the numbers.  I want Hasbro to succeed just as much as the retailers.

I'm also in agreement with Jesse.  I don't mind repaints in the line as long as it means we'll get more new characters later on.  The only gripe I sometimes have with repaints is the choice of figure to repaint (ROTS-1 Obi and ROTS-02 Anakin should never be used again, for example), especially when they end up in battle packs, exclusive sets and that type of thing.

One of my biggest pet peeves in this hobby are the forum rats who refuse to acknowledge that it costs more than a few cents to create, manufacture and package the toys that we buy.  And then they try to ignore the licensing costs associated with SW when price comparing to GI Joe, Tranformers, Spawn or other properties that are owned by the respective companies and aren't licensed. 

   E...

[Jesse James]

My gripes with the Lars Homestead go like this though JOT...

-I dig the huvvel, it's cool, and I'd like it just as a basically big accessory.  To me that's all it is though...  Not much different than the vaporators, which were cool, but I don't know that the dome is $35 cool.  The price is pretty high on this set compared to a regular battlepack for $20. 

-I'd have liked to have seen a kitbashed Owen...  Beru I'm ok with actually.  Owen though, he's really dated...  A new head (all I'm askin' for), and a body re-used from a Jedi, would've made me warm up to the set enough to buy it, and it may have given people an Owen they felt was "good enough".  Owen's outfit isn't far off from Plo Koon's...  I'd have taken something like that kitbashed together with just a new head.

-Likewise I think a droid repaint, even if it wasn't "really there", would've helped this sets value...  A repaint of the R1 droid would've been nice as it's never been repainted and hasn't been out in a while.

Something from the figures had to be enticing to me though...  A new weapon with the Sandtrooper?  Eh, perhaps that would've improved my outlook.  Sounds small, and ultimately it is, but a new gun for one of the Sandies would've definitely piqued my curiosity just a hair more enough to maybe buy it.

As it stands now I'm really on the fence and teetering towards "no" on that particular set, but only because I've got my army of Sandtroopers overflowing right now, and I don't want Owen/Beru really, and the dome is cool but I'm not so sure it's $35 cool...  The ARC Fighter was $35 cool.  A dome...  Not so much.   

[Daigo-Bah]

Thanks again for all the answers, guys.  About the Lars set, I agree that in order to drive consumer interest in a dome, you really need a stellar figure included I think.  I'm glad there isn't, so that I feel fully justified in not wanting to buy the set, but they really should have boosted value with a better figure.  Of course, there would be a lot of outcry from figure-only completists.  The only problem I'd have with an Owen kitbash or significant improvement is that I'd feel it would reduce the chances of getting an SA carded version, or at least greatly delay it.

[Jesse James]

Honestly I could live without Owen getting resculpted if they used a good Jedi base with a new head...  The robes are so similar, and maybe Hasbro would even go with softgoods to accomodate some poseability of a Jedi body, and it maybe would've worked out for the best.

He's dull...  Very dull.  So I think I'd have been real happy to get a decent kitbash with perhaps a new headsculpt over an entirely new figure at some point.  I certainly don't expect "new" in the battlepack though.  It happens, but rarely, and usually more interesting figures make the cut.