Topic: Vintage 2010 Darth Vader

[night force cynic]

I'm done buying Vader figures altogether so I'll laugh maniacally to myself as I leave this one on the shelf in 6 months.   

[flaccideagle]

I'm only interested in a ANH version with ball-jointed neck that can look down, lightsaber hilt that can hang on the belt, and a wire cape.  I'll gladly buy that one.  Anything less is useless to me at this point, with all the great versions already available.

[Mando Commando]

Well, I haven't gotten my hands on a Vader yet (I've only been collecting hasbro for about 4 months), so I can't wait for this line.

[B.R. Steel]

Well, I haven't gotten my hands on a Vader yet (I've only been collecting hasbro for about 4 months), so I can't wait for this line.

This, naysayers  , is why we have to have at least one Vader figure in the line at all times.  People are just coming into this hobby.  These folks want at least a few of the basic characters.  Not sure if any of you out there remember the Simpson's line a while back; but it's been surmised by a lot of folks in the industry, not being able to find core characters is what killed the line.  Also, some of us need to ask ourselves, "What would piss us off even more?  The EXACT same figure over and over and over, or at LEAST something that was a bit different?"  Cantina or Jabba's court aliens don't make the line.  Yeah, I want them too and I buy every single one of them; but they just aren't the foundations for the line--core characters are.  And without them in the rotation, the line will die.  The thing that will chap my buttocks, however, is if Vader can be found concurrently in the Legends line along side this one. 

Oh, and here is a picture courtesy of jediinsider.com:

[Mike Cypress]

Well, I haven't gotten my hands on a Vader yet (I've only been collecting hasbro for about 4 months), so I can't wait for this line.

This, naysayers  , is why we have to have at least one Vader figure in the line at all times.  People are just coming into this hobby.  These folks want at least a few of the basic characters.  Not sure if any of you out there remember the Simpson's line a while back; but it's been surmised by a lot of folks in the industry, not being able to find core characters is what killed the line.  Also, some of us need to ask ourselves, "What would piss us off even more?  The EXACT same figure over and over and over, or at LEAST something that was a bit different?"  Cantina or Jabba's court aliens don't make the line.  Yeah, I want them too and I buy every single one of them; but they just aren't the foundations for the line--core characters are.  And without them in the rotation, the line will die.  The thing that will chap my buttocks, however, is if Vader can be found concurrently in the Legends line along side this one. 

Oh, and here is a picture courtesy of jediinsider.com:

Do you work for Hasbro?  I hear what you are saying, but quit standing up for them trying to recycle figures. If Dude wants a Vader, he  just needs to go to Wal-Mart and pick up a Vader from the Legacy collection that has been pegwarming for the past 2 years.

[B.R. Steel]

[/quote]


Do you work for Hasbro?  I hear what you are saying, but quit standing up for them trying to recycle figures. If Dude wants a Vader, he  just needs to go to Wal-Mart and pick up a Vader from the Legacy collection that has been pegwarming for the past 2 years.
[/quote]

LOL!  No.  And I do somewhat understand where you are coming from.  But having core characters in the line is a necessary evil for us guys who have been in the hobby for the long haul.  However I will say, I haven't seen a Vader from the Legacy Collection in my neck of the woods for months!  Seriously, months!     My area is clogged with Clone Wars and Legends.

[Mike Cypress]

If they would just come out with the Ultimate Vader. The one that everyone says wow! I haven't seen that one yet. Like I said before, my problem with the Vader's that they have come out with so far is the cape. They just haven't gotten it right. When they finally get Vader right, then I won't complain as much about them throwing a Vader in every wave and every other battle pack/comic pack.

[Cimter]

My problem with this is they should have nailed all the characters to the Ultimate Design by now, I don't object to them bringing out core characters, what I object to is them bringing out a core character then a couple of months down the line improving said character a little then another couple of months down the line improving it slightly more, before you know it you have at least 10 of the same figure with slight mods, that could and should have been done to it the first time.

Prime example of this is the Clone Wars Jedi figures, why couldn't we not have got this articulation on the originals instead of having to buy the same figure again with better articulation now.

[B.R. Steel]

I agree with both you guys--it would be nice if they just gave us an ultimate version and stop with the baby-step upgrades.  It would solve what seems to be an issue with a growing number of people.  I got the impression in one of Hasbro's Q&A sessions that they purposefully hold back on some core characters so as to offer something "new" with each release.  Sounds an awful lot like sandbagging.   

This "sandbagging" strategy might make sense, even if annoying to most, if your biggest consumer "demographic" was the collector.  But Hasbro has told us that, "No, kids make up the bulk of their consumer base."  Sure, I think kids want the best version of a character too; but they don't chase these variations like some collectors do.  Between a totally new character and an upgrade to a character a kid already owns, most kids are going to go with a totally new one. 

I also can't help but remember how the vintage Darth Vader from the 70s and 80s was pretty much the same throughout the entire run (I'm not counting the double telescoping saber) and I'd say that line thrived for a good 7-8 years.

What I'm getting at is Hasbro looks to be contradicting themselves on how they approach these core characters and who they say their primary consumers are.  The toy re-launch happened 15 years ago and the line survived through longer stretches without some sort of movie or other media event.  Kids don't keep the line alive in these dead periods--1986 proved that.  (I say that assuming there wasn't nearly as big as a collecting community back then as there is now.)  So collectors must be buying more today than Hasbro thinks or wants to admit.  If so, it's time to stop the small incremental steps and give the ultimate.  It's kind of like flirting with a woman.  Sure it's fun in the beginning, but if it never actually leads anywhere you just get bored, disinterested or ticked off.

[ClonePrototype]

I no longer have a Vader, as I sold all my figures a couple of years back, I'm only just starting to collect again. So I'm really happy there'll be a Vader available. But I would still prefer a Vader with a ball jointed, one piece head.

[B.R. Steel]

Well I picked up this figure because, if you've seen many of my posts, you know how easily I get lured into buying YET ANOTHER DARTH VADER.

It'll come as no surprise to most of you, if you're only interested in an ultimate version at this point, or the separate neck brace piece does nothing for you, this figure is the easiest pass of Wave I.  Man, they could have at least done the MOC community the courtesy of making the cardback say simply "Star Wars" (or even "Return of the Jedi") to help differentiate from the last vintage release of Vader.  (It would have made me feel better too.)  I realize it's ESB's anniversary; but varying the cardback might have added a bit more value for some folks.