Random Vintage Collection Thoughts For Friday 7/30

Posted by Chris on 07/30/21 at 07:05 AM Category: Vintage Collection

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These are all things that should be dedicated articles, but I'm too lazy, so here's three thoughts in bullet form.

Hasbro used to produce 1:6 figures. That's 12" to you and me. They made a lot of them as a matter of fact, and then they didn't. That domain fell to Sideshow. I honestly don't know what mechanism caused this. I don't know if Hasbro gave up the rights to that scale, or if they sub licensed it. All I know is that it happened. There's another product class that Hasbro used to make a lot of, that has slowed to a trickle today. Vehicles are virtually non-existent now, and the problem is reportedly that they don't fit the modern retail paradigm. It would be great if vehicles could be sub licensed to a direct to consumer company like Sideshow.

The latest round of Walmart exclusive LFL 50th Anniversary figures is sold out on the Walmart website. In fact all three waves are sold out now. The first wave consisting of the AT-ST Driver, Endor Leia and Paploo is even starting to command a mild premium on the secondary market. One of the world's largest retailers sold through their entire allotment, and there is still lingering demand. Once again Hasbro beancounters, GIVE THE BRAND TEAM A LARGER BUDGET FOR THE VINTAGE COLLECTION. The market is fully there again. There are so many perfectly safe figure candidates that it's hard to even call it a risk.

Hasbro, if your beancounters refuse to increase the budget, please, please, please give us an action figure based HasLab. I was just speaking to John Miko about this exact subject. When HasLab launched with the Sail Barge it felt like the platform was full of unrestrained possibilities. It was truly exciting. We could finally get things we always wanted (like the Barge), but couldn't fit anywhere in Hasbro's retail dependent model. It was followed up by the Razor Crest, which was an unmitigated success, but it didn't fall into the "always wanted" category for obvious reasons. It was brand new on the Star Wars scene. It lacked a little bit of the electricity that the Barge campaign generated. I can think of nothing that would ignite excitement that a multi-pack of all-new figures that most fans have mentally walled off into "never gonna happen" territory.