Author Topic: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?  (Read 235869 times)

Offline Diddly

  • Jedi Master
  • *
  • Posts: 6358
  • SECede
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #510 on: February 6, 2017, 09:36 AM »
I'm thinking the opposite. Are the toys cheap? Yes, but so are the prices, and I'm thinking $30 for a giant tank with a few army figures is going to be a better buy for parents than a $50 Star Wars vehicle or a non-existent $7 figure line
http://diddlyscoop.blogspot.com
Twitter: @travis_banks

Offline Diddly

  • Jedi Master
  • *
  • Posts: 6358
  • SECede
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #511 on: February 24, 2017, 03:54 PM »
Interesting tidbit from this article about JC Penney's closing stores:

Quote
Penney is adding toys, beauty products, appliances and home goods as it tries to appeal to a customer base made up of 70% women and 70% homeowners

I'm wondering if the toy portion means they'll be getting small stocks of Star Wars stuff ala Kohls.
http://diddlyscoop.blogspot.com
Twitter: @travis_banks

Offline Scockery

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 2826
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #512 on: February 24, 2017, 03:56 PM »
What I took from that is that JC Penny's is a good place to pick-up women.

Offline Darby

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 4236
  • I'm not with that guy
    • View Profile
    • darbyharn.com
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #513 on: February 24, 2017, 04:08 PM »
Penny's was the place for toys back in the day. I remember the WALL of SW stuff around the time of Empire. Penny's was the first place I remember seeing the Dinobots. Picked up the DROIDS and EWOKS figs there on blowout for like 90 cents.

Offline Phrubruh

  • Jedi General
  • *
  • Posts: 7847
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #514 on: February 26, 2017, 12:31 PM »
Sears was like that. That is where I picked up my Bespin playset hundreds of years ago.
This message brought to you by Wookiee Cookiees - "MMM... Chewie!"
Visit The Endor Express - The Ultimate Guide to Disney's Star Tours

Offline Scockery

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 2826
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #515 on: February 26, 2017, 12:44 PM »
When stores had toys, and they had stock. Not one-case of 12 figure on the pegs stock, BUT STOCK. We old timers can only wax romantic about it now. It'll never be like that again.

Offline Darth_Anton

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 10672
  • Whatever
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #516 on: February 26, 2017, 01:36 PM »
I keep pondering the future myself. Although I'm enjoying the Rouge One product, I feel like the 5POA line is a step backwards and my enthusiasm has waned. I didn't even open most of TFA product. 3.75 in SA articulation is where my heart is and will always be. I'll snatch up everything in that line for also long as Hasbro makes it.

6 inch? I regret ever having started. It's nice, but it just doesn't fit into my collecting universe and in a lot of ways, I feel like we're starting collecting all over, especially with the vintage packaging coming out. I'd much rather have all that in 3.75 inch form.
Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel - The Imperial Communique -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEfCtMv1lWhxSH-B1Scr4g
"Snark is the idiot's version of wit."

Offline Qui-Gon Jim

  • Jedi Padawan
  • *
  • Posts: 811
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #517 on: February 27, 2017, 01:48 PM »
When stores had toys, and they had stock. Not one-case of 12 figure on the pegs stock, BUT STOCK. We old timers can only wax romantic about it now. It'll never be like that again.
Ah the days of a WALL of G.I. Joe figures...

Offline Pete_Fett

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3737
  • Jedi Killer
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #518 on: February 27, 2017, 07:15 PM »
6 inch? I regret ever having started. It's nice, but it just doesn't fit into my collecting universe and in a lot of ways, I feel like we're starting collecting all over, especially with the vintage packaging coming out. I'd much rather have all that in 3.75 inch form.

I agree 100%. I decided for some reason to collect the 6" TFA figures. I don't know why, I just did. Thankfully, I was able to limit myself there - I didn't grab any RO 6" figures and I will not be getting any 6" figures from The Last Jedi.

I'm getting into a phase where I'd much rather have Lego anyway, so less $$$ spent on Hasbro means more $$$ to spend on Lego.
Peter

Letting my collecting OCD get the better of me on a DAILY basis... and loving EVERY minute of it!

Offline Rob

  • Staff Member
  • Jedi Elder
  • *
  • Posts: 25252
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #519 on: February 28, 2017, 10:30 AM »

6 inch? I regret ever having started. It's nice, but it just doesn't fit into my collecting universe and in a lot of ways, I feel like we're starting collecting all over, especially with the vintage packaging coming out. I'd much rather have all that in 3.75 inch form.

The old proverb says 'no matter how far you have traveled down the wrong road, turn back.'

I started with the 6" stuff too, OT only.  Then about 35 figures in I decided I was out.  I found a buyer on Rebelscum that gave me about $20 each for them and I cashed out.  No regrets. 

All they are is bigger versions of something I've already got a massive collection of... I just couldn't see the point anymore.  It's not like I have tons of space.


Offline Nicklab

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 13779
  • I saw we fight!
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #520 on: February 28, 2017, 02:32 PM »
The 6" line is it's own thing.  I got into it on the ground floor, and I think it's pretty apparent that this is the direction that Hasbro wants to take the collector focused line.  Either collectors will accept it or move on.  I also think that Hasbro saw the way the action figure segment of the business was moving towards 6" figures.  Look at so many other licenses, and the dominant scale was 6" figures.  I think bringing Star Wars to that scale drew in collectors who had more of an interest in 6" scale figures.  I think that's also what opened up retail opportunities like getting into chains like Gamestop.

I like what they've done with the figures, and I appreciate that Hasbro's approach with them was to present the best possible version of that character from a particular setting.  There's none of this gradual evolution of a character that we saw in the 3.75" figure line.  One example that really came to mind was when Hasbro rolled out the Saga line that supported the release of ATTACK OF THE CLONES.  There was this progression of Obi-Wan Kenobi figures that started out really lame.  And with every release they got a little bit better.  But they never got really good very fast.  Hasbro would get you to buy about 5 or 6 versions of Obi-Wan in AOTC before they finally got you a version that was pretty good.  But with the 6" Black Series?  There's been none of that noise.  There's ANH Han Solo, and that's it.  It may get repackaged a couple of times, but it's the same figure.

However, I think that the $20 price point has limited how wide of a net Hasbro can cast.  I don't think you're ever going to get the diversity of characters in the 6" figure line that we got from the 3.75" figure line.  If we get 6 x waves of 3 or 4 figures each?  Those action figure slots are just too limited to spend on a character like an Imperial Officer from TESB versus one from ANH versus another from ROTJ.

And on a similar front, I think that the days of offering up every obscure character from a setting like the Cantina or Jabba's Palace may be fleeting with the 3.75" figure line.  I just don't think Hasbro can pump out 60+ x 3.75" figures a year anymore, and the joke about "Cantina Alien #37" seems like it's just not in the cards anymore.  Especially with Disney pumping out a new movie every year, and the corresponding action figure line to support that theatrical release.  I think that will be directing Hasbro's focus.
"Call up a Hammerhead Corvette.  I have an idea."

Feedback

Offline CHEWIE

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 14630
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #521 on: February 28, 2017, 07:46 PM »
I'm thinking the opposite. Are the toys cheap? Yes, but so are the prices, and I'm thinking $30 for a giant tank with a few army figures is going to be a better buy for parents than a $50 Star Wars vehicle or a non-existent $7 figure line

Agreed... and at all the Walmarts around here, the Kong toys are selling like crazy, and keep getting restocked.

Offline CHEWIE

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 14630
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #522 on: February 28, 2017, 07:48 PM »
The 6" line is it's own thing.  I got into it on the ground floor, and I think it's pretty apparent that this is the direction that Hasbro wants to take the collector focused line.  Either collectors will accept it or move on.  I also think that Hasbro saw the way the action figure segment of the business was moving towards 6" figures.  Look at so many other licenses, and the dominant scale was 6" figures.  I think bringing Star Wars to that scale drew in collectors who had more of an interest in 6" scale figures.  I think that's also what opened up retail opportunities like getting into chains like Gamestop.

I like what they've done with the figures, and I appreciate that Hasbro's approach with them was to present the best possible version of that character from a particular setting.  There's none of this gradual evolution of a character that we saw in the 3.75" figure line.  One example that really came to mind was when Hasbro rolled out the Saga line that supported the release of ATTACK OF THE CLONES.  There was this progression of Obi-Wan Kenobi figures that started out really lame.  And with every release they got a little bit better.  But they never got really good very fast.  Hasbro would get you to buy about 5 or 6 versions of Obi-Wan in AOTC before they finally got you a version that was pretty good.  But with the 6" Black Series?  There's been none of that noise.  There's ANH Han Solo, and that's it.  It may get repackaged a couple of times, but it's the same figure.

However, I think that the $20 price point has limited how wide of a net Hasbro can cast.  I don't think you're ever going to get the diversity of characters in the 6" figure line that we got from the 3.75" figure line.  If we get 6 x waves of 3 or 4 figures each?  Those action figure slots are just too limited to spend on a character like an Imperial Officer from TESB versus one from ANH versus another from ROTJ.

And on a similar front, I think that the days of offering up every obscure character from a setting like the Cantina or Jabba's Palace may be fleeting with the 3.75" figure line.  I just don't think Hasbro can pump out 60+ x 3.75" figures a year anymore, and the joke about "Cantina Alien #37" seems like it's just not in the cards anymore.  Especially with Disney pumping out a new movie every year, and the corresponding action figure line to support that theatrical release.  I think that will be directing Hasbro's focus.

Nailed it.

Offline Diddly

  • Jedi Master
  • *
  • Posts: 6358
  • SECede
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #523 on: March 14, 2017, 12:54 AM »
Here's the latest article featuring Paul Harrison, where he declares his disdain for lots of things.
http://diddlyscoop.blogspot.com
Twitter: @travis_banks

Offline Nicklab

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 13779
  • I saw we fight!
    • View Profile
Re: The Future of Star Wars Collecting?
« Reply #524 on: March 14, 2017, 11:35 AM »
"Call up a Hammerhead Corvette.  I have an idea."

Feedback