The Vintage Collection Mando’s N1 Is A Confirmed Success, So What’s Next?

During the May the Fourth Livestream, Hasbro confirmed that the Vintage Collection Mandalorian's N1 Starfighter is a success. This is incredible news. I'd be lying if I said that price point didn't make me nervous at first, but the community stepped up in a huge way. As I previously discussed, I believe the market response is because Mando's N1 threads an incredibly small needle. First and foremost, The Mandalorian has definitely made its mark on the overall pop culture. I believe it's the lone "House of Mouse era Star Wars media to do so. It's the only Disney show or movie that I see constantly referenced outside of the Star Wars community. "This is the way" finds its way into everything from sportscasts to cooking shows. This indelible imprint on the overall culture is a key component.

Next is the fact that I feel the N1 has a foot in each of the legacy fan bases. Original Trilogy fans have taken to The Mandalorian due to its OT adjacency and overall "Starf Wars-y" feel. The fact that the ship is a Naboo N1 naturally tugs at the nostalgia strings of the Prequel Trilogy fans. This intersection of old, middle and new fanbases is uncanny, but it goes beyond that. Between the Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian season 3, Mando's N1 gets a lot of screen time. Contrast that with the Imperial Troop Transport, which was basically scene specific. The N1 is also the hero's conveyance with the most recognizable modern Star Wars character as its "copilot.” Finally, there's the price point of $132, which can be worked into most budgets.

This N1 had a massive amount going for it that translated to its retail success, but if Hasbro is looking for a followup, there is no other potential vehicle out there that threads this needle. In fact, I can't think of anything that I would bank on. I would love to get Vader's TIE Advanced X1, but unless that makes an appearance in new media, I think your market scope might be too narrow. I know that previous statement my seem to contradict my constant push for the OT main figures, but the market dynamics for vehicles and figures are completely different (this is no risk to the ANH heroes). The Mandalorian Gauntlet fighter-transport would have a ton going for it. It would intersect The Mandalorian and Clone Wars, but I can't possibly see Hasbro being able to do that vehicle justice in the $130 price range. The Sandcrawler crosses over between The Mandalorian and the Original Trilogy, but it suffers from lack of screen-time, and also price point.

Again, I can't think of a vehicle that could be done for around $100, and also bring in all facets of the Vintage Collection market the way Mando's N1 does. There's only one thing I would personally bank on, and it's not technically a vehicle. Also, it pains me to admit this because it's nowhere on my personal want list, but I think it could repeat a bit of the N1's success:


It's not a perfect answer. The Blurrg also suffers from the screen time issue, and what gives me extra pause is that Hasbro might have missed its relevance window.

Is there some vehicle out there that I'm missing? And I'm not asking for your personal want list. That's easy. Is there another vehicle you can think of, the retail success on which you would bet your job.

---

comments powered by Disqus