Topic: First Black Series HasLab Project

[Clonehead]

Should of been Oola and the Rancor keeper, carded numbered black series figures. That would of hit it out of the park for the backers, probably.
  Still no Razor Crest……sitting out in a seized container ship somewhere, possibly.
Don’t know about that one…

[Tamer]

About the same today. Man only 9 days left.

[Darth More]

This video by Can't Kill Chewie is so brilliatly on point that I just have to share it!

Star Wars Black Series Rancor Haslab Disaster! What Went Wrong?!

[Darth More]

Since Hasbro announced that Malakili will be added to the Rancor as uncarded pack-in figure, it's gaining backers back - I guess. I wonder why the Skystriker, which I think is much cooler than the Rancor, seems to only gather backers slowly as well.

[Tamer]

From the info on the page. I like this a lot better!

"We really appreciate all the feedback we’ve received in an effort to make the HasLab Rancor the best possible dream product. With that, we realize we can't leave the most dangerous creature, the rancor, roaming the galaxy without its keeper. We will be adding a fully newly-tooled Star Wars: The Black Series Malakili figure to the base offering, funding at 9K units. Uncarded and ready for action, Malakili comes with his unique gaffi stick inspired by Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. This figure is in active development, and we will share renders as part of our backer updates if the project successfully moves into production.

This final additional figure can ONLY be added if we hit our target threshold of 9K backers before the campaign deadline (December 6, 2021). Thank you for your help in shaping this product in real time!

Help us defeat the Rancor – you’re our only hope!"

[Tamer]

Going back up too.

I wonder why they didn't send out any emails yesterday? I guess I could have missed them?

[Clonehead]

Uncarded? Boo

Four days, I don’t think they are going to make it. Same with the sky striker. I think collectors balked at the pricing for both of these.

[JDeck]

I think they will probably extend it since the addition of rancor keeper was last minute. Even so I think a lot of people have already made up their minds.

[Tamer]

It is steadily climbing. I wonder if they will continue to let it run too as they announced the Keeper pretty late.

[Tamer]

Well it didn't make it!

Do you think that is the end for the Rancor?

[Clonehead]

Sky striker looks like it could squeeze by if a few more pull the trigger

Too bad about the rancor, bring on that rancor keeper!
Perhaps the beast will become some stores pricey exclusive someday.

[JDeck]

Yeah its a shame. It was within 500 short of getting backed.

     As an outside observer with no intrest in tbs at all, I think in the time between Patrick accidentally letting the rancor out of the bag and officially announcing the rancor, people speculated too much and expected a lot more for a lot less. There's no way they could meet those expectations.  People wanted oola, rancor keeper gigan, all brand new sculpts, as tiers. Doesn't work like that.  It was getting to the point people were hoping it would fail, which makes no sense to me. If you don't want it, don't buy it.

6 inch is starting to feel what 3.75 has been dealing with for many many years, with repacks, repaints, price increases and fewer accessories. I think the 6 inch fad has peaked.

It would be ironic if the Rancor keeper gets made. Then people will want the Rancor. If it didn't sell at $350 it won't sell at a minimum of $500 retail. People forget you aren't paying retail for haslabs, that's the wholesale price.

[Tamer]

Had this message in my inbox this morning. Feel a bit sad.

That being said, the more I looked at the Rancor the more I hated the design where the face meets the neck. I get the articulation folks would love that it would move a lot, but man to me it just looks bad. I would rather not have that arty for the face if it looks like that.

I do agree with JDeck that I think maybe this is the saturation point with the Black Series and perhaps they will see this and maybe try to do a 50/50 split now with offerings for the vintage collection and the Black Series.

So how long do you think it will be before we get a new Star Wars HasLab?

[JDeck]

  I'm seeing a lot of discontent among Black Series collectors. Up until recently, they've been pretty positive, now they sound like TVC collectors lol. 3.75 has gone through a lot of adversity, but it's collectors are still loyal to the line. I don't know if TBS will fair as well. My brother was the biggest tbs collector when it first started, but now he's pretty much stopped. 3.75 is the world building scale, for Star Wars at least, that's important. Vehicles playsets and obscure background characters sell.  I think 6" works best for Marvel and GI JOE, they're more character oriented. But yeah a 50/50 split would be fair at least. They have the capability of using the same sculpts for both scales now, so there's no excuse. They can double their money off the same sculpt.

[Darth More]

Here are some points that bug me beside the obvious: price tag and lack of creativity.

My main points to improve for future projects are:

Be prepared - have the final product ready by the time you reveal the new HasLab project, Hasbro.
C: I don't get why they decide to look unprofessional when they don't have to. Why don't they have a painted prototype ready to amaze thousands of fans to go full speed gathering backers right from the beginning on? It's been like that for all 3 STAR WARS projects so far. I'd rather go that extra mile and paint the prototype instead of taking the risk that I have to sink the entire project. The brand team seemed to have hesitated too long in my opinion. This project felt like being pushed into the schedule and the project seemed undone and not dedicated. I would've liked to know how tall the Rancor actually is. No I mean without his arms raised, just to know if it fits onto my shelves.

Provide some value - if Hasbro don't want to make their audience feel like they're biting on a cash grab, they should make up their minds in advance.
C: I mean offering the Rancor without daddy Malakili is like trying to sell the Skystriker without pilots, right?
Giran would be a nice stretch goal. If they claim $350 for just the Rancor, people deliberate about it's worth it. I don't know if it's possible for Hasbro to include 2 all-new figures with this project, but they'd release them in the main (P4) line anyway, right?
Oola is a different story with Di$ney being the new, obviously prude licensor.


Nine thousand - minimum amount of backers.
C: If I remember correctly, the Barge needed 5,000 and the Razor Crest at least 6,000 backers right?
I think it's not fair that the brand team or whoever it was at Hasbro decided to raise that number to at least 9k for the very first Black Series HasLab. They might have been slightly too enthusiastic towards their "bread and butter" line, which they think is The Black Series. Yes, I write this with my fullest malicious joy. Still I feel sorry for all fans who wanted this project to happen. This mismanagement could've easily affected 3.75" fans as well and did since 2012...

They should lower the minimum amount of backers and as JDeck already said, it was so close to happening. Less than 500 units away from 9k.

Lack of creativity - give us more than cardboard as a stretch goal!
C: The Gam Guard was nice! Salacious B. Crumb was nice (and a big middle finger to all TVC fans out there at the same time), Luke was nice and an all-new mold as well. The bones were nice, but a cardboard environment should have been part of the packaging right from the beginning. And the core project just didn't come with enough wow effect to make the product feel worth it from the beginning.
Sure, the packaging/cards is exclusive to HasLab. The coins were a nice tough as well. But Luke at 19,000 units was a little too euphoric, probably due to the stunning success of the TVC Razor Crest.

3 HasLab projects right before the Holiday Season. Seriously?
C: This is just a huge mismanagement by Hasbro. They cannot expect their long term fans to pre-pay all their bills for years i advance. I know the Pandemic has been extra expensive for everyone, but relying on the bills of your hard-working customers just isn't the way. Make a HasLab every 6 months or so.

I'm just glad I'm not a huge Black Series collector and didn't follow Hasbro's attempt to push collectors into the 6" line since 2013. I didn't like their treatment from the beginning on. Both scales shouldn't compete with each other. #BalanceTheScales