If Dooku Is Fan Channel What Chance Would Luke Have At Main Line?

In yesterday's review of the VOTC - Luke Skywalker, the conversation naturally turned to discussing a potential new Vintage Collection Episode IV Luke. That prompted OG Banthaskuller, Sambuca, to make this comment:

If Dooku can't make it to retail, how can we expect Farm Luke to succeed there?

I was going to reply right there in the comments, but I realized that it would make good fodder for a an article. I doubt anyone reading this needs it, but here's a little background first. The Dooku that Sambuca is referring to is the upcoming Vintage Collection Count Dooku:


That figure will only be sold by Fan Channel outlets (plus Amazon). First it should be noted that Fan Channel outlets are retail. The spirit of the comment is really talking about brick and mortar (i.e. physical stores) versus e-tailers. To put an even finer point on it, we're really talking about Walmart and Target. So if the main villain from Episode II can't manage to cross Walmart's threshold, it's reasonable to suspect that Episode IV Luke might suffer the same fate and become relegated to Fan Channel. I ask you that the comments don't focus on the merits of Luke versus Dooku. That is far from the point of this discussion. It's a question of why one main character from old media isn't worthy of big box and another main character from main media might be.

DISCLAIMER: What follows is merely my speculation, but it is informed by time and hobby and various discussions I've had.

I strongly believe the issue isn't with Count Dooku. The issues is with the two big box retailers in two specific areas. I actually think this explains a lot about the shape of main line these days. The issues are:

• Big box has long institutional memories when they get burned.
• Behemoth companies paint with frustratingly broad brushes.

There have been two times in the past decade (plus) where brick and mortar retailers were burned by a glut of 3.75" Star Wars product. Most recently, they were burned by the 2018 launch wave. In 2012, they were burned by this:


I bet a lot of you can see where this is going. If we apply that broad brush I mentioned earlier, those two burns get distilled down to "ST" and "PT", which is about as granular as a big box toy purchaser would get. Guess what source is also in Count Dooku's Fan Channel wave. Finn is the first ST figure in the Vintage Collection since 2019. I firmly believe that the two big box retailers are a big driver of what sources go into main line and which ones do not. Conversely, brick and mortar knows how hot The Mandalorian is (was), they can't stop ordering Grogu product, and the OT is evergreen. Look at the first two main line wave for 2024. They are Mandalorian season 3 (with a Din Djarin and Grogu to boot) and OT with all immediately recognizable characters.

I have zero doubt that if Hasbro ever green lights a new Episode IV Luke that Walmart and Target will welcome it in their doors. I also think the diverging of brick and mortar and fan channel waves can be a good thing for the health of the line.

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