The Imperial Shipyards
Kenner / Hasbro Collecting => Modern Vintage Line => Topic started by: dax415 on May 21, 2020, 09:40:22 AM
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Hi guys for the few familiar with me, I'm pretty much a 3 3/4 inch scale enthusiast. I wasn't sure if it was ever mentioned before or discussed to any length, but why not a few pre primed figures like Mandalorians and Clone Troopers? Something I think that should be watched for is McFarlene's Warhammer 40,000 action figures. He'll be offering a pre painted Ultramarines line, plus the unpainted grey figure as well for purchase at what is believed to be a minor lower price point. He's very much in tune with his customer base and if you've paid attention to the growth of his company, seems to continually make improvements rather than regressions.
What I propose is this:
*omit figure paint and assembly
*omit fancy cardback/packaging
*direct sale
*allow for a slight decrease in price
*simultaneously run the painted versions packaged in multi packs/comic packs/ possibly individual figure pack (create fancy packaging all you like)
*ask your fan base which ones they would buy multiples of so its mutually worthwhile
***one caveat... if you guys use these ideas and start pumping out a disproportionate amount of Darth Vaders, Separatists Droids, and crap we have no interest in.... I reserve the right to personally slap each of you in the face with a weighted white glove and bid you good day. (I'm polite like that....)
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I like this idea. Let me go post this on the front pages.
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I love the idea, but I think you've answered your own question in one sentence:
[McFarlane is] very much in tune with his customer base and if you've paid attention to the growth of his company, seems to continually make improvements rather than regressions.
McFarlane and Hasbro are very different. When a company representative states that they are filling market demand amidst abysmal distribution and lack of available new product while the entire SW 3.75" collecting community is practically on its knees begging to buy more new figures, I think that tells you all you need to know. The blanks made by other companies can be great (Bossfight HACKS, JoyToy, etc), and I'm sure Hasbro's would be as well if they ever made them. I suspect they will make them... "when the sun rises in the west and sets in the east; when the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves."
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Yeah I'm well aware of their business structure.... I would simply like to get the topic rolling, especially if someone else is willing to step up.
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Yeah I'm well aware of their business structure.... I would simply like to get the topic rolling, especially if someone else is willing to step up.
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the post. Are you suggesting that Hasbro begin releasing unpainted blanks, or a third party customizer/vendor?
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Everything I suggested is more than doable and the information/logistics/framework available to them if they did their homework. They can either be the first star wars action figure line to run with the diversified product approach..... or miss out on a golden opportunity and watch as some other company uses the concept to reap its rewards.
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The big thing I took away from my last talk with the "team" was that let your purchases do the talking. Its easy to say that, but what new product have we seen to let our wallets do the talking?
I am thinking maybe we ought to think of the truly new stuff we have gotten the past few years in the line?
I know we are getting a new gonk and Wolffe. What other new figures did the vintage line actually see last year that weren't repacks?
For vehicles we got the new Hovertank, and ITT, and Skiff, but I think that new Slave I is just a repaint of the Old Amazon exclusive.
I just don't think repacks and repaints should be relevant to Hasbro's let your wallet do the talking. New products yes, but even then I would like to know how they determine what characters to make new? Wolffe I get it as this last season of TCW, but why a Gonk? Wasn't there another character that deserved this treatment before it?
I am just kinda thinking out loud this morning. This has gotten me thinking a bit.
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Gonk...... LOL I'm all for the new stuff Tamer, let's be honest here they are willing to invest in the 6" line but not the 3 3/4 inch line... period. I have a wider opinion, but I simply didn't want to go down the rabbit hole. I mean c'mon .....I'm just supposed to blind buy a 3 3/4 figure or shell out cash cause they slapped a new sticker on it? Were we all suppose to ooh and aw over 5POA? As for voting with my dollars.... that's exactly what the 3 3/4 inch fan base, including myself, have been doing ::) :-* **For what its worth, the Mandalorian offerings were pretty cool, so its not like they haven't gotten some of my monies....
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We have the 1/48 scale Legion figures, but my biggest gripe is the static poses. For instance the stormtroopers are all in the same pose. You have to cut and reglue the joints to have more than one. You can paint them any way you want though. They're really cool, but I'm not the greatest at painting them. It would be awesome to have something like that articulated in 1/18. Honestly it's difficult enough just to get them to pay attention to 3.75 to begin with. If it were American made products I could see them wanting to cut production costs, and offer something like that, but but the production costs overseas is so low it wouldn't be worth the gamble. Only customizers would want something like that. I personally like figures with jumpsuits, because they can be made into a lot of different types of figures.
As for Hasbro. You can't let your wallet do the talking, because the availability doesn't meet demand. The tank drivers/commanders are insanely overpriced on the secondary market, as are many of the rarely released new figure from the line. Honestly, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I could swear they're trying to get 3.75 collectors to give up. That's the onlyl logical explanation for their actions. I'm doing the best I can to support the line, but they make it really difficult. The Gonk droid is just a retools of the previous Gonk, just to shut the Kenner fanatics up. From a customizing standpoint it's a waste of a "new figure" slot. I could glue a bunch of crap to a Gonk droid too. BFD.
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That was my thinking on the Gonk too. I mean, if they are going to only relase one true wave a year (if that is what it is now) then at least make sure we get new figures. Not just repackage and say its new. And then not the same old characters that have been done over and over again. Lets make it all new and then see if it sells and then, if they distribute it right, we can really see let your wallet do the talking.
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Everything you’ve suggested is easily doable, I agree, but those in charge of 3.75” SW do not seem interested in seeing the line thrive. Hasbro recently renewed the license, so another company with comparable resources capitalizing on the lack of 3.75” SW seems unlikely anytime soon. Hasbro are also not McFarlane. They do not need their 3.75” SW to thrive. They should want it to, and it certainly could, but they have many licenses and seem willing to let the production of 3.75” figures slow to a trickle while simultaneously pumping out wave after wave of 6”, the scale that is more profitable per figure. Hasbro creating blanks for a small fraction of the SW collecting demographic sounds wonderful in theory (I would love them!) but seems about as likely as them producing Jorus C’baoth. 😆
As far as Hasbro missing out, there are many small companies and folks doing their best to provide completed figures and customizing resources to enthusiasts. So far, Hasbro have been uninterested in preventing them from doing so. One was offering entire waves of carded vintage style figures at a premium; others design and print/cast heads, armor, and accessories, etc. No one else is mass producing 3.75” super articulated SW figures though, and cannot imagine doing so would be cost effective for anyone but a decently sized company with considerable resources (and an official license to create the product).
@Tamer, JDeck: Correct. We cannot buy what is not available. Hasbro have effectively hamstrung the line with poor offerings/repacks (see Wave 1 TVC 2.0 still clogging at many locations...) and distribution and are saying to us “well TVC 3.75” collectors, you want new product don’t you? If you win the race you can have it. All you have to do is run with two slashed hamstrings and we’ll be happy to reward your dedication! Oh, by the way, we provided GoA 5” a tricycle and ten second head start and TBS 6” will be competing in a Lamborghini provided by us. Good luck!” I definitely support the line when I can, sign petitions, etc, but I think ultimately we’re just in an echo chamber in these collecting communities. Hasbro are going to do what they want, whatever their number crunchers and rodent overlords ordain; whatever they perceive “the market demands.”
Edit: About the upcoming GONK release- I actually find it to be one of the least offensive TVC offerings this year although it is more like a smart repack than a new figure. The existing GONK is a decent mold, and more droids are always great. I think it makes sense in that it appeases a few factions of the collecting community. The card looks great -for me, the best of the year- so that satisfies carded collectors and “release the original 96” folks. The droid has not been offered with this paint scheme and from promo shots it looks clean enough, so that likely satisfies OT purists and many loose collectors as well. I definitely want new figures as well, but if Hasbro are going to repack definitive molds, this might be one of the times they got it right. Commander Wolffe, on the other hand? Yikes.
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I probably am bashing on the Gonk a bit I do agree. Its not bad, just compared to other characters that could have seen releases. Like Cloud City folks, or Echo Base personel, but at least it wasn't a different Vader or something like that.
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Tamer, we all knew you were making a light hearted jab. It's just frustration, which is warranted given the current state of things.
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No offense to JDeck and Aude, not trying to poop on either of your opinions.... but I only threw out examples/brainstorm of what could be done to support the 3 3/4 line to make it self sufficient. If they are going to repack, it could at least be figures we want. What I was trying to avoid was this thread becoming a meaningless gripe session of captain obvious comments. Some of your points (and I only emphasize some, not all) completely detract or miss the mark when it comes to what I'm saying. They aren't McFarlene (never said they were) and my idea targets a crowd of customizers, isn't it at all. If I went full fledged run down nitty gritty... I'd flat out be doing someone else's job. If Hasbro or anyone else for that matter, gets what I'm saying.... I'd be open to being hired to explain further cause I'm not ignorant on how overseas manufacturing works either. If its one point I'd definately like to make, please don't lie to us and tell us 3 3/4 isn't worthwhile or it's somehow the fan base's fault the line went stagnant.
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No offense taken- I think we all want to see 3.75” thrive. Who are unassembled, unpainted blanks intended for if not customizers?
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**One last time.....Sigh.... look man, the point was taking a multiple diversified approach within an already existing structure. So what if the specifics targets customizers? The suggestions are just some specifics/brainstorming to get creative without recreating the wheel. I'm not saying they or anyone else should take an extreme left or right approach and start cranking out one or the other. In my examples, I even specifically say so. From here on out, as my sister would say..... "I'm just gonna ignore you now." :P
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First off: I think your idea is brilliant!
The Question is: How do we get there?
Short Story: We will!
When I discovered Games Workshop back in 2006 I was amazed by all the miniatures (and the game) they had. Lord of the Rings was the only license they had back then. And I have to admit, it was the stuff that thrilled me the most. But the price tags kept me from buying them. Plus the Star Wars fever had just caught me so I had a collecting focus. I wondered: Why don't they have Star Wars figures, too?
Later I discovered that Wizards of the Coast held the license for their tabletop game: Star Wars Miniatures
What I still had to discover years later: Wizards of the Coast (including Pokémon and MAGIC trading cards) also belong(ed) to Hasbro!
Since Hasbro treat the 3.75" line like a...let's just say they neglect the line in favor of the 6 inch line. Different topic.
But I got two more theses:
1. It's all about the license. Games Workshop is struggling, that's not a secret. Other companies producing model kits like Revell and Italeri don't make the hell of a profit, either. It's a niche hobby that doesn't bring billions of Dollars like STAR WARS. That's why the license was so expensive back in the day and is probably even more expensive now since Disney bought Lucasfilm.
So: Games Workshop could a) not take the license because WotC had it back in the day or b) they were not interested or c) they coudn't afford it. I mean Star Wars was BIG back in 2005.
JDeck made a good point here: We got Star Wars LEGION today - finally! And they're as expensive as the ones from Games Workshop if not even more. That leads me to the next assumption that production is not cheap for these in (2018-)2020 and/or the license is crazy expensive, indeed!
But will we see models with 0 points-of-articulation in 1/18 scale (3.75") from any other manufacturer? I strongly doubt it because Hasbro have the license on that scale. Even though Bandai is allowed to "compete" with Hasbro through their S.H. FiguArts line in 1/12 scale. That NEVER happened before!
The only company that could make these figures you suggest is probably Hasbro at the moment.
2. But will the third largest toy company in the world (after MATTEL and LEGO) make this happen? They went back to 5 POA in their 3.75" line because Disney suggested this to them. The Hasbro brand team confirmed this when I talked to them at Comic Con Dortmund, Germany back in December 2019. Also to cut tooling-costs and to keep the MRSP down while other factors - such as minimum wages (fortunatly) -rose in China at the same time.
Technically they will do everything there's demand for. That means we as collectors, customizers and customers have to make a lot of noise now, if we want them to make this!
You're exactly right: It wouldn't be a problem for them! I mean they produce figurines for all their diffferent tabletop games such as MONOPOLY!
Are there other examples?
Yes! Remember the figures that were included in our cereal back in 1999? You could see an image of the character inside the figurine.
Or what about those key chains? These figures are actually in 1/24 scale like most of Hasbro's vehicles!
And I'm sure you could paint them better
(https://i.imgur.com/TKP86TR.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fLwII4P.jpg)
Do I want to support your idea as a customizer?
HELL YES!
And here's my solution: I think it's unlikely that Hasbro will make these. Even the key chains didn't sell like hot cakes.
BUT I see our solution in 3D printing. A friend of mine whi is an engineer in 3D printing already did it. He took a couple figures, scanned them in different poses and just printed them. I'll ask him for some pics!
Printers become better and better, but one still has to work by the printing lines.
In my opinion, this is part of the future for us customizers!
I'm actually taking the hard way since I don't have a 3D printer, yet. I could also ask my buddy while I'm thinking of it right now.
Anyway my plan was/is to make moulds of the TLC BAD HK-50 droid. One for the head, one for the torso and 2-3 moulds of legs and arms in different poses. That's definitely more expensive than scanning and 3D printing, but the parts will be nice and smooth - no more saning/polishing needed.
So this is the way for us I think!
Great idea, again! Thanks for starting this topic, which goes excellently with Tamer's topic about 3D printing in general:
http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10769.0
- Philipp
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Does anyone remember how many times I asked Hasbro if we would ever get an AT-TE and they kept saying no? We got one!
Now I am saying this is the exception and not the rule, but if we keep hammering at em (which I plan to do and I know other sites will as well) we can hopefully at least keep the 3.75" line going long enough for the 6" line to get saturated and then perhaps we will see a more even mix of new products in both lines. Its gonna take awhile, but we just gotta keep pushing the superaticulated 3.75" line every chance we get and by that I mean new products not just recards and rehashes. I know I plan on making at least one of my questions for each new round about the status of this line in some way. There are some bright minds here that can perhaps word a question better than me and be professional asking about the status of the line.
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Does anyone remember how many times I asked Hasbro if we would ever get an AT-TE and they kept saying no? We got one!
You're exactly right: Never say never! Stamina. In fact it was you who contributed to the persistance so that we eventually got the AT-TE!
(…) I know I plan on making at least one of my questions for each new round about the status of this line in some way. There are some bright minds here that can perhaps word a question better than me and be professional asking about the status of the line.
What do you mean by the last part of your reply? Who do you mean? I hopeHasbro will stay in touch with their fans as they have been recently. And even more imporanty: I hope they listen and actually do what fans request!
The more I think of your idea, the more I like it. Bandai already sell model kits of 1/12 scale figures. As far as I know most parts need to be painted here. I actually planned on sharing these on a different topic, but this occasion seems perfect.
These prototypes are an example of how your concept could look like before and after being painted. Heck, Hasbro could just take the cheapest PVC or whatever plastic they use in one color, make the parts, put them in a bag/box and they’re done. No tooling and you know they like the taste of cutting costs.
- Cheers!
pictures attached
Add: Got issues with my internet connection. My reply got lost in space. Need to edit the post and try to restore it. Hope I remember the text. Darn it.
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Well, I'm chime in a bit... I think a 2 prong lobbying would be the way to go. I'm gonna give you a butchered understanding/logic, so those who know better, bear with me, lol.
Hasbro ---> Distributors ----> Consumers
We shouldn't just lobby Hasbro..... we should also be lobbying the distributors..... Walmart, Target, .....ALL of them. Think about it..... they are the ones forking over the big bucks right away BEFORE we can get our mits on them. So trying to get a bit of influence on that end too could only help in my opinion. Not that any of what I'm saying is earth shattering, lol.
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I love the idea! It would sell like hot cakes and possibly bring new interest back into the scale. I don’t think it would happen. It felt like hasbro was more “in tune” with the custom community back when they had a more glorious 3 3/4 inch set of lines going. Seems different now
I feel for the 3 3/4 line collectors and remember the toy isle glory of days past. I still want a six inch scale Gonk droid though.
Brilliant points all around. It occurred to me reading this that an important consideration that Hasbro could be taking in their stealthy phasing out of 3 3/4 product could be centered around the basic law of shipping. What takes more space to ship and how much is it worth. The less space the cases take, the less they should cost to ship. If a case of 3 3/4 figures is half the size of a case of six inchers, is it worth that much less revenue than the product in the 6 inch case?
With the red box Black series figures, you might have fit two and a half carded 3 3/4 figures “a guess of volume” to 1 6 inch figure. Now the 40th carded six inch figures, while taller with their card, they are thinner when stacked and would fit more to a case, I’ll bet.
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Dax- Never suggested you said Hasbro should take an extreme approach to cranking out anything. I don’t think you read my post. 🤷🏼???
Phillip- Yes, I think blanks from Hasbro would be lovely. Many of us would be delighted to buy them; they are a customizing dream product. Lately I’ve been buying more SW figures to take apart than to keep together, and I’ve heard similar sentiments from other customizers. Unfortunately, I don’t see any chance of this dream becoming a reality with the current team at Hasbro. I don’t say that as a pessimist; I’m just trying to be realistic here. Petitioning Hasbro, their wonderful retail partner Walmart, or anyone else for unassembled stormtrooper bits in a baggie seems counterproductive and at odds with the current push for more new 3.75” figures.
Yes, 3D printing appears to be the likely future of the hobby as more of us buy printers and learn how to use the software to edit and scale existing models or design our own. And although Hasbro still have the 3.75” SW license, they have no interest in preventing hobbyists from creating and selling SW character likenesses. So yes, with these new technologies people have already begun offering figures or pieces of figures to the collecting community. This is already happening and will continue while the company with the official license squanders it. I think you are absolutely correct that this is the way forward, especially with the current state of 3.75”.
Tamer- The AT-TE had been featured in two films and two cartoon series (now three?) and was released at a time when Hasbro were still pumping out new product and willing to take risks on large vehicles and obscure characters. The AT-TE had recognition from recent/current media and appealed to a fairly wide demographic. Unpainted, unassembled blanks are meant for one small slice of the collecting community. Diversifying offerings is great, but how would you advocate for 3.75” blanks from a company that seems intent on phasing that scale out of existence?
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I just remember the resounding no we got each time we asked and then Deryl's smile when we asked again and he said yes. Good stuff that. And you never know.
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@Aude ..... first off... your good to go buddy, we obviously just have a different feeling about things.
What I will say about the customizer thing is this.... it would be completely ignorant to dismiss it as a viable market. In my example, it doesn't just fill a roll for customizers.... what about the person just wanting access to a missing part? what about the possibility of it being the new "father/son" project? ...it would be cheaper than working on a old car. It's not something you would have to restrict and apply to one scale either if done right. Fact of the matter... customization of action figures has been part of the seen since its existence..... ever switch our your action figures loadout? you've done customization, ever switch the heads/helmets? you've done customization. The main reason why we have two terms for it, "kit bashing" and "customization" is to distinguish the particulars of the customization that's happening. Some people are so talented they can sculpt, paint, ...practically reforge their own figure altogether. It's been a solid thing ever since I could remember, especially with 80's GI Joe 3 3/4 action figures. All one had to was unscrew somethings and reassemble.... poof! It was incredibly easy to make a "new" GI Joe figure... want the original back? Same process. My suggestion is just a variant way of restoring/reintroducing this same concept. There's nothing magical, mysterious, foreign, or out of the realm of practicality. I remember a brief time working for Gamestop when both Target and Best Buy first instituted used game(s) buy back and resale. I was a bit shocked and curious as to why management was laughing and didn't feel threatened at all by these moves. That reason was pure and simple..... "They don't have our system, tactic, knowledgebase, or experience to pull it off. Cause if they did, we'd be out of business." From that standpoint... the used game market, my managers were right, that was 7 or 8 years ago. So if something like my suggestion is going to have impact, a great gameplan and execution would be needed.
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Why not get outer rim traders to do it? That's exactly what they do is make unpainted parts, mostly for 6" though. The main focus for Hasbro is to fix distribution first and foremost, then give 3.75 the same attention as 6". That would be an amazing thing. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it along with unintended consequences. Everyone wanted 5poa to go away, because they thought it would mean more SA 3.75. Look what we got. 5" super articulated cartoon figures. At least 5poa had good sculpts and accessories. Now we have peanuts.
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Tamer- I’m afraid those DePriest days are long gone. 🤔
Dax- Yes, I’ve made a figure or two lately.😉 I agree with just about everything you said. I agree that the market for these parts, although a niche market, is definitely there. That’s not the issue. Hasbro is the issue. 3.75” is on life support, and Hasbro put it there. Nothing that they’ve done suggests that this idea would be of interest to them; quite to the contrary. They want 3.75” to die. If it wasn’t a legacy line with 40+ years of history, it would already be gone. My question then is this: how do you or anyone else hope to convince them that the scale they want to kill is worth saving (in this case, with blanks & spare parts)? I wonder whether the current push for more NEW TVC will even be enough to sway them.
The size of the market for pieces/blanks is only part of the equation. Think also about all the figures Hasbro have released. How many would be available? How would they decide? Kit bashing is fun, but as you also know, not all keys peg into all sockets. What if the piece you bought didn’t fit? What if it broke during extraction/insertion? Can you imagine the headache returned blanks would cause? Would the company enjoy eating shipping costs for something so small? Hasbro would have to completely overhaul their articulation system if they were to market joints (e.g. arm pegs, knee pegs, ankle pegs) as interchangeable since currently the joint rotor & key are permanently attached to the limb. Is selling blank pieces really as simple and easy as it might seem?
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Why not get outer rim traders to do it? That's exactly what they do is make unpainted parts, mostly for 6" though. The main focus for Hasbro is to fix distribution first and foremost, then give 3.75 the same attention as 6". That would be an amazing thing. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it along with unintended consequences. Everyone wanted 5poa to go away, because they thought it would mean more SA 3.75. Look what we got. 5" super articulated cartoon figures. At least 5poa had good sculpts and accessories. Now we have peanuts.
So by this statement you mean we should accept whatever they dish out? 5poa at the same price point as SA once was is ok with you? We shouldn't hold them accountable to a decent standard?
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Why not get outer rim traders to do it? That's exactly what they do is make unpainted parts, mostly for 6" though. The main focus for Hasbro is to fix distribution first and foremost, then give 3.75 the same attention as 6". That would be an amazing thing. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it along with unintended consequences. Everyone wanted 5poa to go away, because they thought it would mean more SA 3.75. Look what we got. 5" super articulated cartoon figures. At least 5poa had good sculpts and accessories. Now we have peanuts.
So by this statement you mean we should accept whatever they dish out? 5poa at the same price point as SA once was is ok with you? We shouldn't hold them accountable to a decent standard?
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I'm saying they should focus on distribution and more new figures. 5poa was half the cost of TVC. This doesn't fit in the TVC brand, so they'll end up getting rid of TVC and replacing it with Hero Masher's. Leave well enough alone. Focus on distribution and more figures.
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This is where you and Aude completely detract and miss the point of what I'm saying. The two of you are harping on the details as if I'm offering some sort of one size fits all solution to keeping 3 3/4. I NEVER said selling blanks, repacks, and parts is going to justify their profit margin...... you are literally honing in on one tiny aspect and using it to blow things up to fit your view of what I'm saying. Feel free to stay there with that mindset and miss things, I'm not gonna further try and explain things to you especially when I already mentioned a diversified approach (yeah, that includes everything from fine tuning product distribution to physical action figure offerings). Like I previously said, if I went nitty gritty and comprehensive... I'd be doing somebody's else's job for them. I don't work for free and I'm not gonna lay down the foundry for blatant ranting and excessive critiscism especially when I don't know enough of what the current team is going through. The bottom line is this.... they don't want to do 3 3/4 at the moment... they are seemingly choosing to put all of there eggs in one basket. Otherwise they wouldn't of launched and invested so much in 6" Joe figures too. What I don't appreciate is being led on that 3 3/4 figures are going to be a thing and continually seeing vaporware or 5poa scraps. Huge point is, there isn't a excuse for closing down the line, vaporware, accepting 5 POA as the new standard when it's clear demand/desire is there for SA.... NOT even what you're saying with "focus on distribution" makes sense. The 6" line is being distributed/marketed just fine.... If you or anyone else is gonna point to the Star Wars Rogue One Hovertank.... that wasn't distribution.... it wasn't a kink in the current framework. That's just flat out sloppy work, work that somebody should of been on top of. How hard would it have been to include a pilot when you damn well know the thing was seen in the movie with 2 of them? How hard would it of been to make an additional pilot in the wave assortment available with a simultaneous release? It's also not as simple as pointing at hasbro either, the retailer/distributor putting out product to coincide with things that makes sense.... it's also on them too. I'm sorry, but that again boils down to..... somebody dropped the ball or it simply wasn't something they wanted to do. I don't buy this "distribution" is the bulk of the downfall explanation whatsoever. Distribution is more of a systemic thing, otherwise we'd be seeing alot more gooberish happenings with the 6" line.
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I'm sorry if you can't explain it in a way that makes sense I can't support it, neither will Hasbro. What I mean by focus on distribution is, actually have TVC figures on the shelf when they're supposed to be released. I went to Walmart the last four weeks, nothing, and before that it was nothing but skiff guard Lando. Something they should have gotten a year ago. So far I've only seen maybe 4 out of 14 waves hit stores and mostly Walmart. We can't talk with our wallet unless they fix this obvious problem. Even online retailers aren't meeting demand. If you don't pre-order then tough luck, even then you might not get it. It took 7 months to get my case of stormtroopers.
Like I said, ask Outer rim traders or any number of custom parts dealers, because they specialize in this niche market.
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So I'm suppose to lay out a FREE comprehensive plan because you don't get it? If you're not on board....dude, that's cool, but saying Hasbro wouldn't be on board either or understand.... is a bit presumptuous. And your theory is correct because...... your collecting needs aren't on the shelf at your local Walmart when its good timing for you? So it's somehow Hasbro's fault and NOT another enthusiast who beat you to it, NOT the buyer for Walmart who might have not ordered enough merch, NOT a scalper, and most certainly not a Walmart employ who had something else to stock, or part of said merchandise set aside for Walmart online, etc, etc, etc. And further more, because you were inconvenienced a month for items you were still able to procure.... is why distribution is failing? Distribution is failing because one avenue of acquistion.... pre orders, doesn't work for you? All because you don't understand the concept of accumulative effect? Please say I read wrong or am misunderstanding this.
What you described isn't distribution.... what you described is being on the ball with effective availability. I flat out don't understand how Hasbro has deep rooted control over that when you are dealing with a system that has a middle man involved. I can see your point if Hasbro had a direct sale model/approach currently that is in place. But like I said earlier, I'm butchering it, they create and deal with the manufacturing end in bulk..... then on to the distributors.... which eventually gets to us. They simply don't have alot of say what happens inbetween. Some of that...it's just part of life,... it happens. Other times.... I'll use my preorder experience with a online comic store as example. I preordered some autographed and special edition comics.... some of it was filled, some of it not so much. Later on by complete accident, I found the owner of the company selling some of what I preordered for a much higher market price because it was popular and speculative demand popped..... that wasn't distribution, that was a dirt bag move. By that same token, demand increased so much on several items, the company simply sent over what it had to online store owner because it underestimated product demand. It happens.... flat out part of the deal. As for 5POA being half of TVC, what's your point? At one point SA figures were 6.99 then repacks got upped in price..... 5POA started at 5.99 .... then increased as well. Everything you've said, other than the underlining "it's not my thing" doesn't hold alot of weight. Also nothing I mentioned excludes wanting them from cranking new figures either. That's your take on things, not mine. If they like the idea and it helps the 3 3/4 back into healthy production... great! If not..... oh well.
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I am glad folks are agruing their points here and not getting flamy. I think all the thoughts here are valid.
Do we need to be careful what we wish for with th 3.75" super articulated line? Although, if I had to choose between 5POA or the spotty vintage line we have now I don't know which way I would go. I know customizers can add arty to a 5POA Figure, but man with the technology at Hasbro's disposal I don't know why their figures don't moon walk in this day and age.
And yes, the Blank market is a niche market for sure. Still, we have seen some folks create some that are fantastic. H.A.C.K.S. anyone? I would love to see them try this rather than some new 3.75" statue line. And no I don't think its wrong for folks to buy parts from folks that will make them, but it sure is sad they have too.
So lets keep this going, and hopefully we can all talk out our utter frustration with what is still one of our favorite toy companies. And we all have to remember they as a business are never gonna totally see our point and we are never gonna totally see theirs either. Its not wrong to have passion about this as an art. Thats one of the reasons ISY was created, and look at the projects that have been shown here over the years. The artists here continually blow my mind with how cool and awesome and imaginative their stuff is. Hasbro is never gonna be able to compete at that level either just so we don't start down that road.
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Again, butchering things, my idea only adds another available option without taking anything away from what goes into production normally. Low risk, ...with the possibility of high reward. And again, no... I'm not purely advocating it as a parts ordering service either. Most of us love pizza, let's say your favorite place adds a take and bake option for a slightly lower price point. Nothing gets replaced, no reinvention of the wheel, same quality ingredients, same creation process but with a cut off point.... don't like take and bake? No big deal, go in and order as normal. In no way shape or form am I advocating they prioritize repacking and reselling old SA figures as option #1 . I was specific, if that's what they are going to do anyway, why not let us have more of a voice in the matter till new figures/improved figures come down the pipeline? At that point.... add the additional option (my idea) to the mix? That part was clearly explained in the beginning with simultaneous release.
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Tamer- I’m afraid those DePriest days are long gone. 🤔
Dax- Yes, I’ve made a figure or two lately.😉 I agree with just about everything you said. I agree that the market for these parts, although a niche market, is definitely there. That’s not the issue. Hasbro is the issue. 3.75” is on life support, and Hasbro put it there. Nothing that they’ve done suggests that this idea would be of interest to them; quite to the contrary. They want 3.75” to die. If it wasn’t a legacy line with 40+ years of history, it would already be gone. My question then is this: how do you or anyone else hope to convince them that the scale they want to kill is worth saving (in this case, with blanks & spare parts)? I wonder whether the current push for more NEW TVC will even be enough to sway them.
The size of the market for pieces/blanks is only part of the equation. Think also about all the figures Hasbro have released. How many would be available? How would they decide? Kit bashing is fun, but as you also know, not all keys peg into all sockets. What if the piece you bought didn’t fit? What if it broke during extraction/insertion? Can you imagine the headache returned blanks would cause? Would the company enjoy eating shipping costs for something so small? Hasbro would have to completely overhaul their articulation system if they were to market joints (e.g. arm pegs, knee pegs, ankle pegs) as interchangeable since currently the joint rotor & key are permanently attached to the limb. Is selling blank pieces really as simple and easy as it might seem?
Thanks for chiming in with the real reason you posted in the thread "My question then is this: how do you or anyone else hope to convince them that the scale they want to kill is worth saving" Would it be that hard to post this as your own topic? This is exactly why I'm not answering you or fully explaining it to the other guy. I find your reasoning (NOT your opinion) pointless.... For god's sake... you and other dude are not onboard.... we heard you the first time, lol. For the last time, you flat out miss the point and then you use it to back up your opinion without tangible numbers as to why it financially would be detrimental. Your "arguments" are stretching over to the ...omg, what if things are not interchangeable everybody is going to return them ....blah blah blah. Seriously? This is your argument/logic? A bunch of what if's linked together?.... since when did everything in the modern Star Wars line magically become universally interchangeable? This flat out stretches into something that's a Hasbro design team "should we build this feature(s) into the new line up".... I've already stated I don't need to go into the nitty gritty realm of the how to and what should/shouldn't happen. It's something that would be paramount to a full fledged project presentation.... I don't work for free bub. And please stop calling my idea "blanks and parts".... an entire unassembled figure with accessories and no paint is NOT a blank!
https://www.hlj.com/s-h-figuarts-body-chan-dx-set-2-solid-black-color-ver-bans60722
The link above.... is a blank.
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With 5 POA it didn't have the effect on TVC like everyone thought, it was just independent. It was replaced by those GOA Figures, and we're not seeing 3.75 getting better. HACKS is set up for blanks, the parts are made to be interchangeable. Hasbro would have to start all over and have their parts not only to be interchangeable but easier to disassemble. They would have to reinvent the wheel. Very few parts can be swapped. I did an arm swap yesterday and it was not easy at all. Most heads don't swap easily. I either have to Dremel or use the hot glue technique. Also I go way out of my way not to have to paint figures, especially elbow joints, because of paint rub. I don't see the advantage of unpainted figures. If you want to repaint a figure you just paint over the existing paint. I don't see the advantage. 3.75 really is on it's last leg. That is why we have to improve the situation by letting Hasbro know 3.75 is worth keeping. Only way to do that is to buy more figures, but they make it nearly impossible. Once 3.75 is robust again, then I can see things like this happen, but right now TVC is on life support. You can't expect someone to run a marathon on life support. I'm not partial to TVC, the card goes in the trash, but I support it because it's better than the TBS Walmart exclusive. You do have to credit Walmart for saving the line for that brief period, because Hasbro wanted to end it right then and there. If you don't fix the root problem of a situation it'll only get worse. Logistics is the most important part of any business.
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With 5 POA it didn't have the effect on TVC like everyone thought, it was just independent. It was replaced by those GOA Figures, and we're not seeing 3.75 getting better. HACKS is set up for blanks, the parts are made to be interchangeable. Hasbro would have to start all over and have their parts not only to be interchangeable but easier to disassemble. They would have to reinvent the wheel. Very few parts can be swapped. I did an arm swap yesterday and it was not easy at all. Most heads don't swap easily. I either have to Dremel or use the hot glue technique. Also I go way out of my way not to have to paint figures, especially elbow joints, because of paint rub. I don't see the advantage of unpainted figures. If you want to repaint a figure you just paint over the existing paint. I don't see the advantage. 3.75 really is on it's last leg. That is why we have to improve the situation by letting Hasbro know 3.75 is worth keeping. Only way to do that is to buy more figures, but they make it nearly impossible. Once 3.75 is robust again, then I can see things like this happen, but right now TVC is on life support. You can't expect someone to run a marathon on life support. I'm not partial to TVC, the card goes in the trash, but I support it because it's better than the TBS Walmart exclusive. You do have to credit Walmart for saving the line for that brief period, because Hasbro wanted to end it right then and there. So , it's not looking good for 3.75, but there is hope, if Hasbro fixes their distribution problems they will see just how popular it is.
You do realize you just helped make my point? And no, they don't have to reinvent the wheel cause people have been hacking, painting, readjusting, making custom parts anyway. That's not gonna stop. When G.I. Joes stopped being interchangeable, people started adapting anyway. Just because you see things that way doesn't make it the only way. Also.... it's clear you and the other guy were looking for a "How do we save the 3 3/4 line thread" .....that's an apples and oranges topic. Go thread jack somebody's else's topic or go do what I suggested.... make your own thread cause one thing is pretty clear.... you say they need to fix distribution... yet you've given NOTHING in the way of showing you even know what that is. C'mon ... you claimed 7 months for a box of stormtroopers? And you put up with it? So therefore it's solely a "distribution" thing? Not believable, not for one bit. When Walmart did their exclusive star wars deal with Hasbro's Black Series that included 3 3/4, what evidence do you have that shows Walmart was it's savior? Do you have evidence of what their deal was? Do you have an understanding/know why some waves hit store shelves and some don't? Other than speculation, you've provided nothing concrete as to why that happens. I think the majority of your points are personal preference and more than a bit of saltiness over a bad experience, which you are entitled to. But show a little gumption and class, start your OWN thread with your OWN thoughts of how to save 3 3/4. I wasn't aiming for that road and already explained why. Don't come up in here with your rants when your true purpose was to target that particular agenda. If what you wrote was really what you were going for, then why not say "I think you may have something there if they stabilize the 3 3/4 inch line." Did you do that? No, instead its just a bunch talking out of both sides of your mouth. It's not my job to hand hold you through your hobby, and it isn't Hasbro's either. If you got treated poorly.... there's a multitude of things for you to do and ways to address it.
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I don't understand why you're so rude to anyone with constructive criticism. Go ahead send Hasbro a letter. Whatever I don't care. Make a petition, I'll even sign it, but if someone doesn't listen I don't bother speaking.
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Do you honestly believe that your proposal that Hasbro sell unpainted, unassembled parts of 3.75” figures and the future existence of the 3.75” toy line are unrelated? That’s baffling.😂 No one came here to hijack your thread, and you are not doing yourself any favors with the tone you’ve assumed toward questions that I and others have raised about the viability of offering stormtrooper thighs. We all want the line to survive, but as history has shown, Hasbro have taken community suggestions like “get rid of five POA” meant to bolster 3.75” SA offerings and used them to decimate available product for the scale. If you can’t even entertain the possibility that focusing some of their energies on kit parts could potentially take valuable resources away from the creation of brand new figures, you’re kidding yourself.
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Lobbying/convincing Hasbro alone isn't the only way to generate interest. Every big company purchasing from Hasbro has it's buyers which at some point do the negotiation/purchasing.... they are the reps who are gonna fork over the capitol over to Hasbro, so they have some pull as to what's created and being sold. For example, when entertainment earth had the Mandalorian/Omega Squad Republic Commando Packs or when Costco had the Hasbro Transformers Optimus Prime with sword and 2 bonus mini transformers with it. Making a big push to influence the continuation of the 3 3/4 line and what avenues that can be explored to accomplish that end is a big topic in itself. That would involve some grassroots campaigning and rallying of the fanbase, some fact checking, letter writing, reasonable examples of product demand, etc. My suggestion with the unpainted/unassembled figures was never the one all be all savior of the line, nor was it intended to be. Are they linked like you said? Yes. Do I feel it could lend a hand in retaining 3 3/4 figures? For sure. Do I agree with you they would take away from development of new figures and justify some sort of automatic minimalization? No. Especially if it's well planned, carefully selected, and timed. Business wise and with how Chinese manufacturers commonly deal with things..... probably something else caused Hasbro to minimalize things as per your example. My best guest is this, the product wasn't selling fast, like the first two waves sold lackluster in stores which caused the retailer to go.... woa, sorry we just can't commit to more product it's just not moving off the shelves well. (In my neck of the woods, we never saw the first release of 6" Revan) That in turn has a ripple effect on orders/product planning that can trickle over into waves that may never see the light of day when reaching the masses. There are things such as market over saturation, over pricing one's product, god knows what going on behind the scenes, and the fact that while they do hit things out of the park.... they also make mistakes. So overall, the two topics are apples and oranges as to what specifics would be involved in bringing each to fruition. Not only that, but my suggestions for contributing to a game plan would be very different because of what would be involved.
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I don't want anyone here to get their feelings hurt. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Its ok to not have the same opinion. I am also thinking Dax's frustration is not with the folks posting here, but with Hasbro and getting product on the pegs we all want.
I also remember one Q and A where we did pose the question about making the figures more standard so we could swap things out here and there. They seemed like they were intrigued by the idea. Can you imagine how many figures would sell if they made a Stormtrooper or Mando with parts like this and then perhaps made some parts and accessory packs down the road to fit this line of figures? Now that would be a cool 3.75" line to try; just a blanks line where each figure in it could be torn apart and combined with figures from previous waves!
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The return of the Micronauts! Whenever interchangeability and 3 3/4 are mentioned together, those guys always pop into my head. Originally marketed in the US by Mego Corp. Doesn’t Hasbro own that property now?, as they were to be featured in a series of movies that Hasbro was to make based on their toy lines. Micronauts/transformers/gijoe/mask/rom/and another I can’t remember was the original list, a couple have been dropped since then, ROM and the other, I think
Were the Micronauts movie to be made and be a blockbuster, it’s corresponding toy line could be a hit. It would be a shame to launch a line of figures for that Movie if they weren’t 3 3/4.
I would prefer that the original Marvel comics storyline be implemented into any Micronauts movie but since Micronauts isn’t owned by Disney, yet, I doubt it would happen
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I don't want anyone here to get their feelings hurt. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Its ok to not have the same opinion. I am also thinking Dax's frustration is not with the folks posting here, but with Hasbro and getting product on the pegs we all want.
I also remember one Q and A where we did pose the question about making the figures more standard so we could swap things out here and there. They seemed like they were intrigued by the idea. Can you imagine how many figures would sell if they made a Stormtrooper or Mando with parts like this and then perhaps made some parts and accessory packs down the road to fit this line of figures? Now that would be a cool 3.75" line to try; just a blanks line where each figure in it could be torn apart and combined with figures from previous waves!
I think... we are ALL frustrated, I've gone back and reread the posts. Not knowing Aude and JDeck, I see now where there was both thinking out loud, passion in wanting to retain the line, and the fact we definately want forward thinking/product to be available to all of us. I just happen to feel that those legit concerns and opinions about keeping 3 3/4 in the line-up are deserving of a thread of its own. Cause it's a topic far bigger and inclusive than my one singular suggestion of tagging along customizable figures. For what it's worth I do apologize.