HasLab Rancor fails to fund...why this is a good thing.

[enyawd72]

Collectors sent a loud and clear message to Hasbro last night.
They aren't going to buy a ridiculously overpriced toy just because it has the name Star Wars on it.

When you consider that Hasbro released at retail a colossally sized electronic AT-AT in 2010 for a mere $100,
the $350 price tag for the Rancor becomes painfully egregious. It is after all, just a large action figure.

Even taking increased production costs into account the Rancor should have been a $200 figure at most,
and I believe they would have easily reached and even surpassed their goal at that price.

Hopefully this will be a learning experience for Hasbro. I suspect we may yet see the Rancor offered again
as an exclusive of some kind at a reduced price point.

[ODBJBG]

This turned into a clusterfork a while back, but I don't think anyone who was rooting for this to fail (and plenty were) should see this as a victory. This thing failed to meet its goal by 500, yes, a paltry 500 backers.

After all the ballyhoo, for all intents and purposes, this thing funded. I suspect Hasbro had more than 500 backers waiting in the wings to make this thing work.

Hasbro CHOSE not to go forward, they weren't forced.

They've offered extensions in the past to previous Haslabs which needed far more numbers. The fact that they killed this with just 500 backers short, IMO means Hasbro is "striking back" at collectors and basically putting the smack down on Star Wars fans. Don't expect another Star Wars Haslab anytime soon, I'd guess. And when they do another one, they're going to make fans remember how they screwed this one up.

They're going to use this as an example, to chastise the fanbase moving forward. Hasbro is going to say they gave fans everything they wanted and fans still weren't happy, so they're not going to take the risk again. And then the next time they trot out an overpriced item, they're going to say "remember the Rancor, if this doesn't hit its numbers, nothing we can do".

IMO, I agree the item was too much (but so many of these things are) but this project turned into such a mess because fans turned against it and you had two fanbases fighting over whether to help fund this thing or not. And then you had a third section of people who had been burned by previous Haslab projects that didn't quite live up to the pricetag. It just became a a twisted campaign and the poor Rancor was stuck in the middle.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I don't have any dogs in this fight, but a few YouTube personalities who try to bully people into following their steadfast beliefs, and call them names otherwise, just got emboldened by this. And that's NOT a good thing.

Yes, Hasbro screwed the pooch by offering some rather lame incentives. And the price was too high to begin with. But people activiely campaigning for this thing to fail, and mocking people who geninuinely wanted to support this? That's just a sad commentary on not only collecting but people in general these days.

Chris

[Werewolf]

But people activiely campaigning for this thing to fail, and mocking people who geninuinely wanted to support this? That's just a sad commentary on not only collecting but people in general these days.

Chris

Very well said. A lot of people wanted the Rancor and it very nearly funded. I take no pleasure from the project's failure.

[ODBJBG]

I don't have any dogs in this fight, but a few YouTube personalities who try to bully people into following their steadfast beliefs, and call them names otherwise, just got emboldened by this. And that's NOT a good thing.

Yes, Hasbro screwed the pooch by offering some rather lame incentives. And the price was too high to begin with. But people activiely campaigning for this thing to fail, and mocking people who geninuinely wanted to support this? That's just a sad commentary on not only collecting but people in general these days.

Chris

Yes, unfortunately with Star Wars but also several other properties these days, the fans now think they can sort of take ownership of the property. Fandom is a fascinating thing in that regard as fans have more influence than ever, which often makes them feel entitled and with toys, now that the barriers to entry to toy making are easier than ever, fans have tried to literally take over parts of the industry. We're seeing it with Star Wars and with GI Joe and some other smaller franchises, where the official producers are relentlessly bashed and third-party toys are promoted as being the "real" successors to the property. It's kinda wild.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yes, unfortunately with Star Wars but also several other properties these days, the fans now think they can sort of take ownership of the property. Fandom is a fascinating thing in that regard as fans have more influence than ever, which often makes them feel entitled and with toys, now that the barriers to entry to toy making are easier than ever, fans have tried to literally take over parts of the industry. We're seeing it with Star Wars and with GI Joe and some other smaller franchises, where the official producers are relentlessly bashed and third-party toys are promoted as being the "real" successors to the property. It's kinda wild.

Those folks are so vocal, it's probably the primary reason the legal teams haven't shut these mass-production operations they support down. I'm still surprised some of these folks can get away with such blatant copyright infringement.

Chris

[enyawd72]

This turned into a clusterfork a while back, but I don't think anyone who was rooting for this to fail (and plenty were) should see this as a victory. This thing failed to meet its goal by 500, yes, a paltry 500 backers.

After all the ballyhoo, for all intents and purposes, this thing funded. I suspect Hasbro had more than 500 backers waiting in the wings to make this thing work.

Hasbro CHOSE not to go forward, they weren't forced.

They've offered extensions in the past to previous Haslabs which needed far more numbers. The fact that they killed this with just 500 backers short, IMO means Hasbro is "striking back" at collectors and basically putting the smack down on Star Wars fans. Don't expect another Star Wars Haslab anytime soon, I'd guess. And when they do another one, they're going to make fans remember how they screwed this one up.

They're going to use this as an example, to chastise the fanbase moving forward. Hasbro is going to say they gave fans everything they wanted and fans still weren't happy, so they're not going to take the risk again. And then the next time they trot out an overpriced item, they're going to say "remember the Rancor, if this doesn't hit its numbers, nothing we can do".

IMO, I agree the item was too much (but so many of these things are) but this project turned into such a mess because fans turned against it and you had two fanbases fighting over whether to help fund this thing or not. And then you had a third section of people who had been burned by previous Haslab projects that didn't quite live up to the pricetag. It just became a a twisted campaign and the poor Rancor was stuck in the middle.

If, and I emphasize IF Hasbro did indeed act as you say, "striking back" at collectors, and putting the "smack down" on them, then they are being petty and ignorant. THEY are to blame. PERIOD. They didn't give fans everything they wanted. They ridiculously overcharged for what they DID offer, and somehow the FANS are to blame?! The fans didn't screw up anything. Hasbro did by trying to charge $350 for a $150 toy.

I never rooted for it to fail...I simply knew it was going to from the beginning. It was NEVER going to reach its goal, because anyone could look at it and tell it wasn't worth even half what they were charging.
The day it was announced, before any of the stretch goals were revealed I looked at it and the price and said to myself, "Yeah...good luck with that Hasbro."

And I was 100% correct. Mattel gets it.

[palitoy]

Modern toy collecting is joyless and nobody looks good here.

[ODBJBG]

If, and I emphasize IF Hasbro did indeed act as you say, "striking back" at collectors, and putting the "smack down" on them, then they are being petty and ignorant. THEY are to blame. PERIOD. They didn't give fans everything they wanted. They ridiculously overcharged for what they DID offer, and somehow the FANS are to blame?! The fans didn't screw up anything. Hasbro did by trying to charge $350 for a $150 toy.

Honestly I think had they thrown in the Rancor Keeper instead of the bones, this would have funded easily. That was when the worm turned. Fans were expecting them to do something, they didn't, outrage ensued and Hasbro was never able to get people fully back on board as a campaign against this really took off.

Hasbro put out a statement that basically confirmed what I said. They obviously weren't as blunt, but long story short, they did all the could, fans didn't support them sorta talk.

I love what Mattel is doing with Origins, I completely agree with you there, that said it wasn't that long ago that Mattel was bilking people with even worse schemes under MattyCollector and Hasbro was giving people better values. It's just a vicious cycle, IMO.

[enyawd72]

Modern toy collecting is joyless and nobody looks good here.

Well, in the interest of preserving the peace, please delete or close the thread then.

I personally don't understand what the affront is. We constantly hear over and over again...vote with your wallet, and when people finally do just that, they are the suddenly the bad guy?

[palitoy]

Well, in the interest of preserving the peace, please delete or close the thread then.

I personally don't understand what the affront is. We constantly hear over and over again...vote with your wallet, and when people finally do just that, they are the suddenly the bad guy?

I wasn't talking to you Dwayne, just speaking in generalities. I won't speak again on the matter.

[enyawd72]

I wasn't talking to you Dwayne, just speaking in generalities. I won't speak again on the matter.

My misunderstanding...sorry.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I just hated to see this become the object of folks who really suck the joy out of the hobby by posting vitriol-fueled vidoes. They are entitled to their opinions, or course, and have the right to express them. But they go beyond that to belittling anyone who feels different, and they call them anything from sheep to expletives on a regular basis. The ugly underbelly of all of this is what bothers me, not that a billion dollar company didn't get some more money.

And I do feel sorry for folks who wanted this, but won't get it. I think a $500 Playmobil Enterpirse or $450 TMNT Party Van is ridiculous, but I don't begrudge anyone who felt that they were a good vaule for them and well worth it.

Chris

[neogelion]

If, and I emphasize IF Hasbro did indeed act as you say, "striking back" at collectors, and putting the "smack down" on them, then they are being petty and ignorant. THEY are to blame. PERIOD. They didn't give fans everything they wanted. They ridiculously overcharged for what they DID offer, and somehow the FANS are to blame?! The fans didn't screw up anything. Hasbro did by trying to charge $350 for a $150 toy.

I never rooted for it to fail...I simply knew it was going to from the beginning. It was NEVER going to reach its goal, because anyone could look at it and tell it wasn't worth even half what they were charging.
The day it was announced, before any of the stretch goals were revealed I looked at it and the price and said to myself, "Yeah...good luck with that Hasbro."

And I was 100% correct. Mattel gets it.

Maybe you didn't root for it to fail but you sure seem to be gloating now.

[enyawd72]

Maybe you didn't root for it to fail but you sure seem to be gloating now.

Nope, not at all. I voted with my wallet, as I've been so often told to do.
Now those who encouraged that are upset I didn't buy something I felt was way overpriced just so they could get it too.