Why Hasbro Star Wars Should Call it Quits!

[huedell]

Some wise words said here since my last post (earlier today)---

BlackKnight wrote (among other poignant things):

If you are the "completest",.. it might be difficult to swallow.

Which makes me wonder how obsessive collectors rationalize
that its HASBRO'S fault that they have a mental disorder in the vein of "obsessive"?

Okay, okay, that's a bit harsh...but you get my point...

I can't believe I know who "ICE CREAM GUY" is---but somehow I know---altho'
I'm not sure if I've actually seen him----I know he's one of the BESPIN evacuees

Was "DARTH BANE" a character in the movies, Seeker? Don't know that guy.

Me? I'd be interested in a SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE wave with at least
LUKE, LEIA, the two YUZZEM---and the old woman (Hallah?)
They could base 'em off that graphic novel I've never seen.

I haven't bought SW figures since TPM (except for like 2 or 3) not because
I don't like them---but I'm just trying to save money---and one thing I realized after
some heavy collecting back then----there sure was going to be an easy enough way to
catch up with my SW figure collecting if I ever wanted too---especially because
card condition means nothing to me as I'm a loose collector (don't even NEED the cards
really)

[BlackKnight]

Which makes me wonder how obsessive collectors rationalize
that its HASBRO'S fault that they have a mental disorder in the vein of "obsessive"?

That seems to be where some of the blame is being driven in this thread,.. & also the Fact that some seem to not fully understand the StarWars Continuty & or universe.

Makes no difference to me,.. if they release something 1000 times,.. If I like it, I might buy a few,.. If I don't,.. well I don't buy it. Last yr they Finally made Darth Mauls Sith Infiltraitor. Man,.. was that about 8or9 yrs in the making.. very cool.

[grayhank]

Well since I opened this can of worms...

First of all, I don't believe that Hasbro markets Star Wars towards kids. Yes there are lots of kids who want Star Wars but kids are extremely fickle and Hasbro knows this. They will only want Star Wars items as long as they remain popular with their friends, something else hasn't come along and they have not yet been criticized for still playing with them. Having been a manager at KB Toys for four years I have observed the toy buying habits of children time and time and time again. As long as they are getting something they will be happy, whether it is Star Wars or not. I have said this on other forums and I will continue to argue this point into the ground.

Most parents know what their own kids like but truly do NOT know what is the "HOT" item unless the parents themselves are collectors. Having been around parents shopping with their kids during the course of an 8 hour shift, 40 hours a week you see the same scenario play out over and over:

Parent: Hurry up and pick something, we need to get going!
Kid: But I don't know what I want!
Parent: Well what about Star Wars...you like Star Wars!
Kid: Eh' yeah, but I don't really want those.
Parent: Well if you don't decide soon you're not going to get anything.
Kid: Ok, I guess I'll get a Bionicle.

It truly does NOT matter to the kid. The only time I have ever seen a kid come in looking for a Star Wars toy is when it was in fact a movie year and the toyline was truly hot at the time. And even then there aren't specific characters they are looking for, but figures they might not already have.

Hasbro is well aware of their adult collector fan base. They have panels at most toy shows and online where they take Q&As from the audience about what product is coming out. I don't see Hasbro going to schools and talking to kids about product because kids typically don't have a lot of money to spend. The adult collector on the other hand usually has the money to spend. I myself have dropped hundreds of dollars at a time just walking into my local Toys R Us. My average spending at San Diego Comic Con is between $1200-$1500 every year...mostly on Star Wars product (that's not including food, lodging, transportation etc).

I can say without a doubt that yes I am a completist. I believe since the relaunch in 1995 there are probably two pieces from the line that I don't actually own. On top of that I typically buy TWO of everything. Because yes I enjoy the toys and want to open them, but at the same time there is that ever nagging voice in the back of my mind...what if this piece becomes the "holy grail" of the line (I know that it's probably never going to happen but what if?). There are pieces that I have bought that I have been criticized by other collectors for buying only to have them turn around and say "Man, how did you get that Carded Weequay with Freeze Frame?" I dunno, I guess it was when all you guys passed on it when it came out.

I have never had a problem finding any of the Target exclusives aside from dealing with employees of Target who cop an attitude towards you if you are a middle-aged male. They don't know the difference between a collector and an Ebay scalper. They tend to group all adult collectors in the same category. Target refers to shoppers in their store as "Guests" not customers. But when you are a toy buyer you are automatically labeled a "Collector". They get on their little two-way radios and call someone from the stockroom and say "there's a collector here asking about a Star Wars item". Suddenly you've been downgraded from "Guest" to "ebay scalper". I have actually had Target employees come up to me and tell me to leave when I haven't even spoken a word to them. My buddy Prime316 can vouch for this as he was with me at the time (along with most of the staff of managers/employees from my KB Store). It was sort of a training exercise to show our staff how NOT to treat customers. Let's just say that my staff was absolutely floored by the treatment I received. When we went to the Target Managers to complain, we were basically told "oh well".

Now as for the pictures that I posted. My point was why not just make the actual scene from Episode III rather than taking a bunch of figures that have been released over and over. Ok, so it's from a video game as somebody has pointed out. Yeah, I don't play video games, how would I know that? It doesn't fit into what is considered continuity. I did say that it was probably under the pretense of Expanded Universe which seems to be this year's theme for the line itself. But again, there are many characters that still have yet to be made that are in continuity. Hasbro has given us more Clone Troopers in every imaginable color and at my last count there were like 93 of them at the time. That is now well over 100 at this time. Yeah Clone Troopers are cool but ok let's see something else. I'd much rather have 100 different Ewoks than the same Clone Trooper repainted over and over.

There were many new interesting vehicles created between Episode I and III and still many that have not been updated from the vintage line. Why continue to make a Jedi Starfighter over and over which is still sitting in various forms on the shelves of most stores? It's not really selling and just preventing new product from being released and put out.

I agree the simple answer to all of this is for me (like many others) is to just stop collecting. I have drastically cut back on what I buy because frankly it is no longer interesting. I know many collectors who feel the same way. Hasbro continues to have their Q&As but unfortunately they aren't listening to what the fans are saying. It's their loss in the long run.

Sorry if this post is long but my original intent of starting this thread was to express my ever increasing frustration with the line. May the force "still" be with you!

[misterdroid]

I like the new stuff. The Force Unleashed videogame will be the first game to officially become part of the official star wars canon. That's a good thing. And while casual star wars fans may ***** about this kind of stuff, one has to realize that the Star wars universe is a sprawling, expanding, evolving creation.
Why isn't anyone complaining about the 90,000 spiderman or other marvel "expanded universe" clogging shelves. Damn, I am waiting for the Wolverine "Pakistani cricket team", spiderman "Los Angeles pool cleaner" or FF Johnny Storm "complete choad" variants any day now.
Realize that george lucas is a shrewd, shrewd man. If it's being manufactured, be damn sure his giant marketing machine is telling him it's going to be bought. The only SW figs that have been true peg-warmers in last few years have been the mass market movie figures... i.e. the stuff for everybody. Target the fanboys and you will never go hungry. If you don't like the stuff, pass on it. It's like voting.

[BlackKnight]

I think you may be right in saying that Hasbro does know about & Markets thier Star Wars line for collectors,.. However I also think they do Market it for Kids too. No toyline imo, has success without some sorta "Kid" Fan base,.. & don't last over 10 yrs in a re-launch, regaurdless of the 3 movies, past movies or the Cartoons. Granted,.. The "into" idea, might very well be .. because parents, who like the toys, & Movies buy for thier kids.. as some sorta self influence on subjects. Hell,.. I do it all the time, with my Son & Nephew for Xmas & Bday Presents, as well as other gifts. The Clone Trooper or Stormtrooper has been made so many times , so Kids & collectors alike can build thier armies,.. & obviously they sell,.. because they keep making them. & Hasbro learned along time ago,.. that DarthVader sells. That was the 1st figure my son Asked me for.

I don't think when you see a Kid with their parent in a toy store you can make the assumption that the Child doesn't care what he gets,.. as long as he gets something. Try taking an 8 yr old boy to a Toystore sometime. There is just TOO Damn "Much" there,.. the child gets over whelmed with Excitement,.. & can't decide what he wants,.. Kinda like what to open 1st on X-mas. Everyones a bit indeciesive when they are that age,.. it's hard to "just pick one".

Target will always Make whatever re-paint version or re-boxed Exclusive. They always sell outta it,.. So why not make a Repainted Jedi Star Fighter.

.. & If you are going to Targets at 9:00 in the morning with your buddy's, on a Tuesday,.. Every week,.. or twice a week.. & the 1st thing you do is look at the Toys, with no children present, & then ask where something is,.. or a #ed Hotwheel... why wouldn't they think your a Toy Scalper ? .. I've worked in retail before,.. & my OldLady works at Target now..., & Generally, thats Who it is. It's been that way since Ebay. Most parents don't buy a toy for thier kids at that time. & Most grown men don't collect action figures. They stock the shelves,.. they know what has 1 per case,.. they know what is an Exclusive, they know what dissapears in the 1st 5 minutes when a bunch of guys run into Target when they 1st open at 9am.

Sorry for the Rant,.. Just my Take on the Subject.

[huedell]

I can say without a doubt that yes I am a completist. I believe since the relaunch in 1995 there are probably two pieces from the line that I don't actually own. On top of that I typically buy TWO of everything. Because yes I enjoy the toys and want to open them, but at the same time there is that ever nagging voice in the back of my mind...what if this piece becomes the "holy grail" of the line (I know that it's probably never going to happen but what if?). There are pieces that I have bought that I have been criticized by other collectors for buying only to have them turn around and say "Man, how did you get that Carded Weequay with Freeze Frame?" I dunno, I guess it was when all you guys passed on it when it came out.

I used to collect the line like that. It became too unweildy for my budget... and I just stopped.

I agree the simple answer to all of this is for me (like many others) is to just
stop collecting.

Okay...so we agree.

And at this point its still within your "rights" to complain about what they should or
shouldn't be doing with the line---but I, personally, wouldn't bother complaining---and
I especially wouldn't say "Oh just stop the line" when its still successful enough to stay
in the black---and there's so much more that could be done with it.

I guess its "frustration" that has led you to say something so unnecessarily
"over the top"----however, I can't relate to someone feeling forced to buy every
variant of every thing in a given line---even when they are convinced it is a "sham"
for "older collectors" type deal----so my apologies if my criticsm seems too pointed.

May the force "still" be with you!

You too----and you can BET that in spite of all the more "useless" (in your estimation)
stuff HASBRO is going to put out ----that Hasbro is ALSO going to release at least a few
more "WISH LIST" type items right up your alley by the time it closes---so enjoy those!

[grayhank]

I don't think when you see a Kid with their parent in a toy store you can make the assumption that the Child doesn't care what he gets,.. as long as he gets something. Try taking an 8 yr old boy to a Toystore sometime. There is just TOO Damn "Much" there,.. the child gets over whelmed with Excitement,.. & can't decide what he wants,.. Kinda like what to open 1st on X-mas. Everyones a bit indeciesive when they are that age,.. it's hard to "just pick one".

No I can't make the assumption, but I can make the observation. When you work in that kind of environment you see kids of all different ages come in and out and I'm just relating my personal experience within the environment itself. Do I know the child...nope. But it was part of my job to talk to the customers whether they were 5 or 50 or whatever, so I could sell them what they were looking for and that has always been my impression when it comes to the majority of children. Not saying that every child fits that mold as everybody is different but the VAST majority do.

Target will always Make whatever re-paint version or re-boxed Exclusive. They always sell outta it,.. So why not make a Repainted Jedi Star Fighter.

Target doesn't make them. Hasbro does. That mold has been used at least five times each for Anakin and Obi-wan, plus Plo Koon, Saesee Tinn, Mace Windu, Darth Vader, Kit Fisto and perhaps someone else that I'm forgetting. So, sure I guess why not make it again considering that most of those are still easily found in my neighborhood. Why make something new when you can just rehash the same thing.

If you are going to Targets at 9:00 in the morning with your buddy's, on a Tuesday,.. Every week,.. or twice a week.. & the 1st thing you do is look at the Toys, with no children present, & then ask where something is,.. or a #ed Hotwheel... why wouldn't they think your a Toy Scalper ? .. I've worked in retail before,.. & my OldLady works at Target now..., & Generally, thats Who it is. It's been that way since Ebay. Most parents don't buy a toy for thier kids at that time. & Most grown men don't collect action figures. They stock the shelves,.. they know what has 1 per case,.. they know what is an Exclusive, they know what dissapears in the 1st 5 minutes when a bunch of guys run into Target when they 1st open at 9am.

So why is it any of their business if I were in fact a toy scalper? They are a retail store whose primary function is to sell product to buyers so the company they work for can make money and turn around and pay their salary. I do not ask for their assistance as I know where the stuff is that I am looking for. When a sales associate comes up to me and asks me if they can help me find anything then why wouldn't I say...do you have this? It's the polite thing to do. You check the DPC code on their stockroom checker and it says the item is in the stockroom. Only to be told after they've radioed to the stockroom that "it's a collectible item and collectible items are only stocked overnight". Right there they are acknowledging that IT IS in fact collectible. The question then becomes "collectible to who"? How many children do you know that are buying stuff up on Ebay at over-inflated prices?

Well you're there at 8:00 am because you were told things only get stocked overnight and still there's nothing. Six other guys have been told the same thing. Do you see where this is going? You go back a couple of hours later because maybe you have forgotten something you need and see them stocking the toy aisle. Um, didn't you just tell me a few hours ago that you only stock things overnight? I'm not making this stuff up. That's why there are guys waiting around for Target to open at 8:00 am.

It is very much a form of discrimination. I could never imagine working in a grocery store and having a customer come up with a cart full of groceries and me saying to them "well that's a lot of food, you must be an eater". That's just plain rude. And yet it happens time and time again at Target where you go up to the register with a handful of figures and they say "Oh you must be a collector". I say nope...I'm a customer. It's nobody's business but you're own. There is no excuse for rudeness...to anyone... anywhere!

While working at KB, if any of the employees there ever said to a customer, sorry that's in the stockroom so I can't sell it. They would have found themselves looking for a new job at Target.

I guess its "frustration" that has led you to say something so unnecessarily "over the top"----however, I can't relate to someone feeling forced to buy every variant of every thing in a given line---even when they are convinced it is a "sham" for "older collectors" type deal----so my apologies if my criticsm seems too pointed.

Oh geez, never said I collected every VARIANT.

Not sure if what I said was over the top either. It just seems to me that there is no longer any imagination left in what they put out. You guys have to admit that those two pictures I posted are in fact very very lame.

[huedell]

I think I misused the term "variant"---I guess I meant "redux" or something to that effect.

And yeah---I thought saying that the line "should call it quits" was over-the-top
because of your reasoning why----but that's just my opinion----and I could be offbase

I certainly would never say you were "wrong" with feeling the frustration you
are feeling--or with you saying Hasbro might as well wrap it up---but, yeah, I do
think its a "more wrong than right" stance----again---only opinion

Hey, I can relate to your frustration---I've been in the same spot you are
with the same line---altho' that was back in the simpler time of 1999---

If it wasn't for me spending the bulk of my money on other things other than
HASBRO SW stuff nowadays----I'd be right there with ya feeling virtually
the same frustration----just handling it a bit differently

[jds1911a1]

Star wars. they know they get alot of sales from collectors and nostalgia buyers but they get bumps of kid sales for mass market driven by movies, tv and video games. The 2 items pictured illustrate both fronts - The jedi fighters is based on a comic book apearance - aimed at collectors, the battle back is based on the soon to be released video game which kids will play. Yes they poll the collectors for product but they also shoot down alot of collector only requests (like ice cream guy or a large playsets and vehicles) because they have learned you can't make enough profit only gearing to adult collectors. The same complaint greyhank made is one I saw here about EMCE's stuff too until the KHAN announcement.

I would say that hasbro is aiming the new Gijoe line at their collectors more than kids (except kids of nostalgia buyers maybe) because they are not very playable and they are mostly repaints of the same figs

[grayhank]

Thank you! You have reinforced my point entirely. Those larger playsets and vehicles are more expensive and are usually made as exclusives in limited numbers aimed at collectors because kids aren't likely to have $50.00 to spend. The battle pack pictured consists of five figures that have already been mass produced during a movie year, kids most likely already own all the figures in it. So what's the point in even making it? It's leftover mass produced carded figures that retailers could not sell and returned to Hasbro. Hasbro rehashes the figures into the battle pack in an attempt to still make money off of the excess product.