My Ranking Of 3.75” Pack-In Accessories

Posted by Chris on 02/27/24 at 07:05 AM Category: The 3.75” Line

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First up, we need to get one thing out of the way: pack-ins are different from accessories. Pack-ins, for lack of a better word, are gimmicks which may or may not interact with the figure (usually not). Accessories are something designed to interact with the figure in universe. That bold part differentiates figure stands. They interact with the figure, but they are not "in universe" (i.e. we never saw Han Solo nailed to a plank with his name on it in the movies). Finally, pack-ins are consistent among all figures in the line whereas accessories are specific to the characters. Every Thirtieth Anniversary Collection figure came with a coin, but only certain characters came with lightsabers.

I should note that the actual greatest pack-in is no pack-in, but with a full color glossy film out on the card surrounded by a silver race track. The Vintage Collection doesn't have pack-ins, but it's the number one 3.75" expression, and hopefully it will outlive my time in the hobby. Pack-ins, as stated above, are gimmicks to take our minds off the fact that the particular line look is not TVC (but they fail in that regard). This article is not anticipating a day when TVC rests and pack-ins return. It's intent it to look backwards at the history of the line. Finally, note that this is my list. I'm not trying to be objective. You will disagree with me.

We're going to go worst to first, so buckle up. I'm probably forgetting a pack-in or two. I don't care. These are the ones I want to talk about.

7. Mini-Holograms

What, in the name of all that's holy, were we supposed to do with these things? They're useless, but as collectors we can't bring ourselves to throw them out. If you were collecting The Saga Collection, you probably have a stash of these somewhere. The worst part is that they looked like gummy snacks, but you can't eat them. That's mean.

6. FlashBack Photos

The FlashBack Photos were like karate class. You tried it a couple of times, and then forgot about it for the rest of your life. The transitions ranged from boring to odd to plot spoiler. But, like the mini-holograms, you probably can't bring yourself to throw them away.

5. Force Files

We're finally leaving the "useless" territory for pack-ins, and getting to something that has some value. The Force Files provided a mini-bio for the associated figure. There were stats, characteristics and personal preferences. It was like a dating profile for the figure. Force Files were fun.

4b. CommTech Chips

The CommTech feature was a disaster. In age when lossless digital audio existed, Hasbro managed to create digitized sound bites that made the mini-phonographs in the vintage Kenner Imperial Troop Transport sound like a high fidelity sound system. BUT, the chips themselves could serve as figure stands which provided some utility, which leads us to...

4a. Figure Stands

The mini-holograms weren't the only pack-in for the Saga Collection. The figures also came with stands that had the character's name on them. They provided double utility. Your figures could stay upright, and it made sure you're never forget Sora Bulq's name. This style of stand would later return for the 2008 Thirtieth Anniversary Collection figures.

3. Freeze Frame Slides

Okay, this might be a little too high on the list. No one under the age of 80 owns a slide projector, and only six collectors sent away for the Hasbro slide viewer. Still, the slides are visible if you hold them up to the light, and it's cool getting a little film cell with your figure. Freeze Frames are probably this high on my list because I have extreme nostalgia for that particular line.

2. Build-a-Droid Parts

And here's the big upset. Build-a-Droids are considered the best pack-in by most of the community, and I love them too. It's just that I love something else more. The one down side to BADs is that if distribution were poor, you might not have been able to assemble all the necessary parts, or you were compelled to buy figures you didn't care about to build a droid that you did care about.

1. Collector Coins

I love the collector coins, and I don't care who knows about. If you so chose, they could form a completely separable collection to the figures. I think that's neat, and yes, the allure of the original Power of the Force coins plays heavily into this ranking.