This Outrage Will Not Stand, I Demand A Collector Bake-Off!

I'm going to be honest that I was somewhat saddened as well as little bitter at what I saw at Target this past weekend. I was also a bit hungry, but that's my default state and had nothing to do with this particular circumstance. The Target exclusive TBS 6" Bespin Escape Leia is now on clearance for $6 (in some cases) with plenty of samples to choose from. As I've said a number of times, I have no problem with the 6" line. I have a problem with the way Hasbro treats it. My contention is that it is not a breadth line. It's a vertical line where the primary versions of core characters sell, and anything too far off that vertical fails to gain traction. My own observations certainly validate this. Mr. Nomadscout's observations validate this. Anecdotal? Sure, but if it walks like a duck...

Meanwhile, the Vintage Collection, by its very nature of world building, demands breadth. But as far as new figures go, all we're getting for the most part is a few core characters and the occasional trooper. Sure, we do get figures like Saelt-Marae which are outliers to that statement. By the way, how did that figure do from a sales standpoint? I contend that Hasbro has things completely backwards with respect to the two lines. We need script flippage, and we need it stat.

The Black Series Target exclusive Bespin Escape Leia eliminates most of the (conveniently unobservable) excuses we usually hear about the 6" line with respect to its poor brick and mortar performance which is absolutely observable. We hear that TBS is the scale of the younger, hipper generation who think brick and mortar shopping is for senior citizens who are not comfortable ordering their Epsom salt from "the Amazon on the internet". We're told Sixers do their shopping online. We're told online sales are fantastic even though no one other than those respective e-tailers have any true visibility into those sales. We're told the archaic brick and mortar retail pattern is irrelevant to TBS. First, if true, GOOD. Make the 6" line an online exclusive, if that's the case. Second, that actually doesn't apply here. Target was the only retailer and brick and mortar stores fulfill the online orders. So online and in-store purchases are effectively the same from an inventory standpoint. If one retail avenue does well, they all do well. The "we shop online" excuse doesn't fly here.

But none of this will convince anyone on either side of the debate. Well, nothing will convince Sixers and their "all your anecdotes are anomalous" mindset. But maybe we can convince Hasbro. I propose, nay DEMAND, a bake off. Apples to apples. Release a Vintage Collection Bespin Escape Leia as a Target exclusive. If there are widespread reports of it hitting 75% clearance, I will relent on my stance that Hasbro has things backwards.

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