Why 3.75” Scale Is Dead For Kids, But All Hope Is Not Lost.

The days of kids en mass collecting 3.75" Star Wars "toys" are so far in the rear view mirror that it's not funny.  It's a ghost that must be given up in our community.  It has absolutely nothing to do with TVC's uber articulation and the assumed corresponding high price point, and no amount of "nerfed" limited articulation budget line will remedy that.  We will get to the reasoning of this in a bit, but for now, put it out of your head completely.  It’s a nonstarter. Kids are never coming back to 3.75".   I know this pains a great many members of the hobby because it's presumed this spells doom for the line as no future generations will collect it.  I'm here to tell you, however, this is not the case, but first we need to discuss why 3.75" is dead for younger fans. 

It's the economy vehicles, stupid.  Think back to when you were young and the world seemed new.  One of the reasons many of us fell in love with the Kenner Star Wars line was the vehicles.  Being able to have the Millennium Falcon in your home was borderline mind blowing.  The diversity of the characters and the ability to collect "the world" via vehicles might be the two pillars upon which the vintage Kenner line became a literal cultural phenomenon.  This case held true for the generation following the “OG” collectors, and even more so. The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, and The Clone Wars lines were actually better than the vintage Kenner line in terms of breadth of characters and world-building vehicles.

No matter how inexpensive Hasbro could make the figures, the price point for vehicles would simply not be in line with household budgets for toys.  And I'm not talking about ultra detailed vehicles like the Vintage Collection Imperial Assault Tank.  Even if the detailing were dumbed down, the price would still come in too high for most toy-buying parents.  The last time Hasbro tried to produce 3.75" vehicles at a family friendly price point, we got abominations such as THIS.  When Hasbro reversed course back to more expensive vehicles for The Last Jedi, the line tanked. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Hasbro invented the perfect solution with Mission Fleet. This is essentially a vehicle line where the figures are accessories. By reducing the scale of the figures, the ships come in at budget-friendly prices. The basic ships are $20 and the “big boys”, like the Razor Crest, clock in at a manageable $40. Off the top of my head, even less-than-TVC-quality 3.75” vehicles would come in at twice that, which is noncompetitive. At that price point you’re competing with the latest Chinpokomon game for the Mimtembo Swap. Mission Fleet is the kids line and will be so going forward for a long time because it makes the vehicles accessible via family toy budgets. I know we see a lot in stores, but that’s because they’re selling a lot. I was shocked at how many Mandalorian Speeder Bikes were in overstock at my local Walmart this past holiday season, and they all eventually sold.

But this is all good news. The scale does not matter. It’s the vehicle-mania that does. Look at us today. We’re not satisfied with re-releases of the vintage Kenner “toy” molds. We want higher fidelity replicas that are barely toys. That makes TVC the natural upgrade line for the Mission Fleet kids. When they transition into adult collectors, only one line will be able to scratch their itch for higher quality vehicles.

Mission Fleet to Vintage Collection is a natural progression path. I feel 3.75” will continue to be generational despite the lack of a kid line.

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