The Challenge With Vehicle Polls

As you are well aware, we're in the midst of the 2024 Last Figure Standing fan poll. Early next year, our friends from the SWTVC Instagram page will be running their March Madness poll. These two polls are different approaches to try to determine the community's most wanted figure. Polling for figures is a much more doable option since one of the vectors is instantly baked in. When I say that I really want a C-3PO figure, I'm also implicitly saying that I will pay $17 for it. If I say I want a Ninth Sister from Fallen Order/Jedi Survivor, I think we all understand that I'm talking about a $25 deluxe figure. The "what am I willing to pay" variable is understood.

Vehicles don't have this luxury. Recent vehicles have ranged from a price of $40 (Speeder Bikes) all the way up to $500 (The Ghost). Even within what we used to call the "mid-sized" vehicle class, the price points vary. Let's look at some recent examples:

• AT-ST: $90
• E-Wing: $100
• Anton Merrick's X-Wing: $105
• The Mandalorian's N-1: $132

Then we have things like Boba Fett's Starship that clocked in at $200. The only thing consistent about the price points is that they're inconsistent.

The price we're willing to pay is as critical of a component as the vehicle itself, and I believe the Black Series Rancor is the perfect cautionary tale. I know it wasn't a vehicle, but the same mechanics apply. Black Series fans wanted a Rancor. When Hasbro stealthily showed off the prototype at SDCC 2019, they asked fans if it was something they would be interested in. The response was positive. The problem is that they wanted a $150 Rancor and not a $300 one, but that aspect went unspoken. The analogy I made is that they wanted a home release of Dude, Where's My Car?, and would have been satisfied with a $15 DVD. But Hasbro delivered a $40 4K Steelbook instead. The result is that it failed to back.

The same thing applies to vehicles. We all have our own idea of what a given vehicle should be if made. Some people may be satisfied with THIS for a U-Wing. Others want something that would require HasLab to bring to market. If Hasbro either undershoots or overshoots the runway, sales are going to be impacted. So when we state our desire for a vehicle, we must also include the price point (and other requisites) in order for the request to be truly actionable. I'll kick of the festivities. I really want Darth Vader's TIE Advanced x1, and I would be willing to pay $125 for it so long as it comes with the flight stand similar to Mando's N-1.

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