More TVC:  It’s Working (Part II)

Back on May 1st, we did a quick take on the state of the line, approximately 1 year after the community banded together to sign the "More TVC" Petition. We were pretty positive about things given what we knew up to that point about the rest of 2021 (with regard to annual output of 3.75" figures and toys). But now we pretty much know the entire lineup for the year, barring any surprises, so let's see how it compares to 2020.

This is just going to be a quick overview, and not a detailed breakdown of every figure classified by new sculpt, repaint, repack, etc. We know there's a mix. We know that a few figures are straight repacks and that some are minor upgrades/partial re-tools, while new characters might be repaints of existing molds or completely new toolings. This is just a look at basic figure/toy volume.



In 2020, the year that triggered The Petition, we got:

• 19 total newly numbered figures (VC164-VC182)
  
• 5 unnumbered figures (501st ARC Trooper Special 3-pack, 2 pack-ins with Falcon)
  
• 3 vehicles (Troop Transport, Slave I, GE Falcon<
  
• 1 Playset (Carbon Freeze Chamber)
  
• 9 re-released TVC figures (fan channel, etc.)

By the end of 2021, (not considering any pandemic-related delays) we will have:

• 24 total newly numbered figures, VC183-VC206. (Which would include Antoc Merrick, VC200?, Lando, IG-11, and Teebo) (up 26%)
  
• 4 unnumbered figures (Mando/Child/Jawa from Razor Crest and The Emperor from Throne Room)
  
• 1 vehicle (Blue Leader X-Wing)
  
• 1 playset (Tantive IV)
  
• 1 environment (Throne Room)
  
• 1 HasLab delivery (Razor Crest)
  
• 8 re-released TVC figures (fan channel)

That's a 26% jump in numbered figures. You could be one of those negative nellies that says, "But 26% of nothing is nothing." To you, I say, "Conditioner is bettah!" If this doesn't at least give you a tiny bit of hope, here's what we already know is coming through the first week of March, 2022:

• 16 numbered figures (including 5 new from the Mythrol wave, 6 from Tartakovsky CW wave, 4 from The Bad Batch pack, and 1 from the Nevarro playset)
  
• 1 playset (Nevarro Cantina)
  
• 2 re-released TVC figures (Echo Base Trooper, Republic Trooper)

That seems like a great start to 2022. If Hasbro manages to increase the output by another wave of 5-6 figures, or via a few store exclusives, we could see a similar percentage increase to we saw this year. And if Hasbro managed to do it one more time in 2023, we could be seeing between 35-40 numbered figures per year. Give or take, that about doubles the 2020 output. Add on to what seems like a commitment by Hasbro to continue to supply a few figures each year towards the Original 96 goal, as well as their clear emphasis on environmental playlets/dioramas, things are definitely moving in the right direction.

Does this mean things are perfect? Far from it. We can see that vehicles are a real sticking point, probably due to reluctance to accept the high price points. We're also missing the mini- and mid- sized vehicles and beasts that really kick up the world-building opportunities. There is clearly still work for Hasbro to do, but I think 2021 is definitely a clear sign that things are improving for 3.75" collectors, and early 2022 could be indicating an even bigger year.

---

comments powered by Disqus