Why Hasbro Star Wars Should Call it Quits!

[Seeker]

God end this already. So what if they reuse old stock? I'd rather see a recycled battle pack the read about another line that didn't sell and got ground up or tossed.


I remember Tomarts and Lees running a few stories about old toy lines, much sought after now, simply scrapped because sales were down at the time.




.....And yeah you can always use more Stormtroopers

[jds1911a1]

That's a fair response! I can only surmise that perhaps Hasbro still had plenty of cases of leftover stock in their own distribution centers (from various lines) which never made their way into retail inventories. "Hello Walmart, we've still got 13,000 cases of AOTC/Saga product etc...do you need anymore? "Nope we're good"!

What would you do with all the leftovers? But whether they are using unsold product or going back and making new production runs from existing molds is all pretty much irrelevant. The fact remains that in those Battle Packs, they are still reissues or repaints of figures that have already been released. So I'm not sure why we are even debating the logistics of it all.

BTW - I have gone through all of the Hasbro Q&A archives and I have yet to see the question to or answer by Hasbro stating that the figures in those Battle Packs are NOT repacks but newly produced figures from existing molds as you had indicated you had seen. Please provide the link if you have it.

I was wrong it was actually a question mark from 2005 (UGHH it took forever to find). I stand partially corrected my memory crossed the separation of the twins repacks with the battle packs
Rebelscum.com: Question Mark #196

[jwyblejr]

It's all good as long as we don't get a "Ghost of Jar Jar" like the one shown on the Robot Chicken Star Wars Special.

[grayhank]

Yeah and isn't there an all gold Vader coming out this year too. I'm holding my breath for Hasbro to make one with purple polka dots. Or one that has a removable helmet and shows his smiley face like when Luke removes his helmet and he says "you were right about me, my son" and then he croaks and goes off to Jedi oblivian and is replaced by a younger incarnation of himself which makes no sense but by the time that has happened Lucas will have remade the movie for the 100th time and you will actually see that Jar Jar Binks was actually Darth Vader and Luke's father because Padme actually jumped his bones when she pulled him aside in Episode I.

Ok maybe I carried that a little too far But then again, it's only a matter of time before that "expanded universe" story is told. Hasbro's got the license for many many years to come.

[MarkStalcup]

I think the problem isn't all the figures...everybody can use extra Stormtroopers, and wookies are good, too...it's yet another Darth Vader, and yet another Jedi fighter which doesn't even fit the figure. They have released so many Darths lately that I think if I ever do buy another battle pack with him in it, I'm customizing him into that gaudy, awful pink and light green Hello Kitty Darth that people post pics on the Internet of, and auctioning him on EBay.

[grayhank]

ROTS overstucks - As of today 2 years later nothing. but even in later summer 06 TRU's by me still had pegs of ask ask, mon mothmas and bail organas. none of those have shown as battle packs yet. The stores put em on clearencce and then they were gone a couple months later. and that was long after all the movie promo fixtures were carted away back to hasbro.

My only reasonable explanation for that is those figures came out towards the tail end of the Episode III run after the movie hype had died down considerably. Like I already said, new product won't get put out until old product is gone. When you've got an overabundance of initial waves still on the pegs, stores won't order newer case assortments. Enter the Hasbro reps to clear out and make room for the newer cases to prevent backup in their own warehouses. You've also got to remember that ROTS came out in May 2005, by Summer of 06 (over a year later) the movie hype was over.

I don't claim to know all the answers. I don't know what the actual agreement was between Hasbro and Retailers and to what percentage they would take back. I do know that Hasbro came up with the solution to try and prevent the same situation that occurred with Episode I merchandise. It was a concern by the retailers and that was how Hasbro addressed it.

[grayhank]

to your original rant then - if they were packing up movie leftovers (whether from ep 1 2 or 3) how can you possibly intimate a stormtrooper in the battle pack is reuse of returned unsold product?

That's a fair response! I can only surmise that perhaps Hasbro still had plenty of cases of leftover stock in their own distribution centers (from various lines) which never made their way into retail inventories. "Hello Walmart, we've still got 13,000 cases of AOTC/Saga product etc...do you need anymore? "Nope we're good"!

What would you do with all the leftovers? But whether they are using unsold product or going back and making new production runs from existing molds is all pretty much irrelevant. The fact remains that in those Battle Packs, they are still reissues or repaints of figures that have already been released. So I'm not sure why we are even debating the logistics of it all.

BTW - I have gone through all of the Hasbro Q&A archives and I have yet to see the question to or answer by Hasbro stating that the figures in those Battle Packs are NOT repacks but newly produced figures from existing molds as you had indicated you had seen. Please provide the link if you have it.

[huedell]

To me, altho' a bit more "pro-active", reusing molds is just as legit as repackaging
overstock.

[jds1911a1]

Yes but how much Episode III stuff are you seeing in your stores...The figures you are talking about are NOT mass produced movie tie-in figures (And before somebody reads more into that, yes I know they come from a movie, do I truly have to explain the difference?)

Anyway, could have sworn I said that "mass produced movie tie-in figures" ("movie product overload" is the term I actually used) along the lines of those released in conjunction with Episode II and III were packed up because of the vast quantities left behind from Episode I, which retailers could not dispose of and Hasbro had to come up with an arrangement for those same retailers to carry their product AGAIN (insert aforementioned article here). At least I thought that's what I said. Anyway...not sure why that is quite so hard to believe.

Either I'm lying about talking to the Hasbro Reps who I stayed and chatted with for a good 15-20 minutes while I watched them box up leftover product from E3 OR they in fact were lying to me as to why they were there packing up leftover SW figures from Episode III OR the Reps you read about doing the Q&A were lying. Find one that works for you.

I for one am getting tired of every line I say be subject to constant scrutiny and taken out of context from what was intended or actually said on my part. So maybe it's best to just let it rest and suffer silently in my own frustrations.

ROTS overstucks - As of today 2 years later nothing. but even in later summer 06 TRU's by me still had pegs of ask ask, mon mothmas and bail organas. none of those have shown as battle packs yet. The stores put em on clearencce and then they were gone a couple months later. and that was long after all the movie promo fixtures were carted away back to hasbro.

to your original rant then - if they were packing up movie leftovers (whether from ep 1 2 or 3) how can you possibly intimate a stormtrooper in the battle pack is reuse of returned unsold product? If you consider the logistics to return the figures to china, uncard them and repackage them it would reduce the profit margin of the battle pack. If they were selling generic packaging figures (like Kenner did in 85) then I would agree they could be factory overrun figures but since these packs are distinct sets produced for mass market it doesn't fit that they are returns

[grayhank]

If I were truly anal retentive I would point out that it's BARRY GIBB!!!!! (Well whaddya know...I am anal retentive.)

[misterdroid]

2) No one liked my song. Is it because "GUILTY" is a "TOP 40 relic" no one remembers
anymore...or did no one mention liking it just because it stunk?

Anal retentive star wars collectors aside, I just kind of didn't want to bring up an andy gibb/streisand duet. Its kind of creepy really.

[grayhank]

OK that's an article from 8 years ago after EP1, which may or may not reflect the environment and relationship hasbro has with its retail partners today. I can go to any target kmart or walmart in near me today and find star wars figures from the 2006 line still on the shelves which means they are at least 1 year old (Moff Jerrjod, BOSCH leia, or 3po in ewok chair for examples) does this mean the hasbro rep in my region is slacking? Or does it mean that hasbro isn't taking back old stuff? If they take back old stuff why would retailers bother to clearance items? I would suspect that they had reps supporting the end of the movie re-merchandising when they transitioned from ROTS to TSC.

Yes but how much Episode III stuff are you seeing in your stores...The figures you are talking about are NOT mass produced movie tie-in figures (And before somebody reads more into that, yes I know they come from a movie, do I truly have to explain the difference?)

Anyway, could have sworn I said that "mass produced movie tie-in figures" ("movie product overload" is the term I actually used) along the lines of those released in conjunction with Episode II and III were packed up because of the vast quantities left behind from Episode I, which retailers could not dispose of and Hasbro had to come up with an arrangement for those same retailers to carry their product AGAIN (insert aforementioned article here). At least I thought that's what I said. Anyway...not sure why that is quite so hard to believe.

Either I'm lying about talking to the Hasbro Reps who I stayed and chatted with for a good 15-20 minutes while I watched them box up leftover product from E3 OR they in fact were lying to me as to why they were there packing up leftover SW figures from Episode III OR the Reps you read about doing the Q&A were lying. Find one that works for you.

I for one am getting tired of every line I say be subject to constant scrutiny and taken out of context from what was intended or actually said on my part. So maybe it's best to just let it rest and suffer silently in my own frustrations.

[SUP-Ronin]

I can't even comment on Starwars. I'm still in therapy after suffering thru 2 excruciating hours of Jar-Jar Binks. Absolutely the biggest movie disappointment of my life. Glad I never got that Bobafett tatoo. Excuse me while I vomit...

[jds1911a1]

Here's an article from late 1999 which mentions what I said about Hasbro having to take on the responsibility of inventory levels (in this particular case it's Walmart). This was one of the key factors for Hasbro to assign reps to go into the retail stores and pack up the leftovers. The following paragraphs are excerpts from the article but you can read it entirely at the link. Those who are familiar with my posts know that I often like to back up what I'm saying so other articles are sure to follow

Hasbro hopes to increase sales by expanding its offerings of electronic toys and CD-ROM games and its popular Pokemon line. But analysts said retail sales of Hasbro's ''Star Wars'' line were sluggish as the latest movie failed to meet the hype-induced expectations at the box office. The company, based in Pawtucket, R.I., hopes to compensate with Pokemon trading cards, one of this year's sensations.

''The force is with Pokemon, not 'Star Wars,' '' said Tony Gikas, an industry analyst at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray in Minneapolis.

Erik Gustafson, a senior portfolio manager in Chicago with Stein Roe & Farnham, which owns Hasbro shares, said yesterday's announcements were ''an admission that Hasbro has to change the way it does business in order to adjust to the changing environment for toy companies.''

He said that big customers like Wal-Mart Stores were insisting on delivery on demand for hot products, pushing the costs of maintaining inventories back on the toymakers. ''As a result, Hasbro has to cut its cost structure to absorb that inventory expense,'' he said.

Hasbro to Cut 20% of Its Jobs and Take $97 Million Charge - New York Times

OK that's an article from 8 years ago after EP1, which may or may not reflect the environment and relationship hasbro has with its retail partners today. I can go to any target kmart or walmart in near me today and find star wars figures from the 2006 line still on the shelves which means they are at least 1 year old (Moff Jerrjod, BOSCH leia, or 3po in ewok chair for examples) does this mean the hasbro rep in my region is slacking? Or does it mean that hasbro isn't taking back old stuff? If they take back old stuff why would retailers bother to clearance items? I would suspect that they had reps supporting the end of the movie re-merchandising when they transitioned from ROTS to TSC.

[huedell]

But analysts said retail sales of Hasbro's ''Star Wars'' line were sluggish as the latest movie failed to meet the hype-induced expectations at the box office.

Hmmmmm...the third biggest selling movie of its time and it didn't "meet expectations
at the box office"?

Say SOMETHING to explain poor sales....but not that

When you ramble on as much as I do you don't always know what you should
call it. The original intent of my title was meant to be sarcasm not literal.

Well, you know I kinda felt 50/50 between how I was percieving sarcasm vs. literal,
but when Brian started in about selling his collection---and someone else chimed in too---
I thought----"some of these guys might actually be SERIOUS about the pure elimination
of this line just because they couldn't keep up with it however they wanted to"

It's Barry & Barbra...of course it stunk!

Cold, my man, cold!