Why The Empire 40th Anniversary Shutout For TVC Stings So Badly

Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. 2020 flat out sucked for Vintage Collection collectors. It was hopefully our rock bottom, and what spurred the community into action for what is now known simply as "The Campaign." But it was made even worse by the fact that we were effectively shut out of the celebration for the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, we got a repaint of Slave I, some Fan Channel repacks and the Carbon Freeze Chamber. The latter doesn't count for the spirit of this article because it came well after the celebration of the event in May of 2020.

Hasbro has acknowledged that The Vintage Collection is skewing toward an adult collector with at least a partial focus on the Original Trilogy. This is reinforced by the current "Finish the 96" campaign (which feels like it will stretch to 2083). Rogue One also gets a lot of attention in the Vintage Collection and the reason specifically cited is its OT adjacency. Suffice it to say, the Original Trilogy is important to the Vintage Collection and its collectors. Please note: We are not saying TVC should be exclusively, or even primarily, OT. Far from it! The line should be, and is, tilted toward popular new media. Nevertheless, the OT needs to have some sort of strong continual presence.

3.75" collectors were already smarting because we didn't get to participate in the fun of the 40th Anniversary of A New Hope by virtue of the fact that the line basically didn't exist (save for the Walmart exclusive boxed figures), but 2020 was even bigger. The Empire Strikes Back is the favorite movie of all time for many TVC collectors. 1980 to Original Trilogy fans is like 1986 to Mets fans. It will be reminisced in perpetuity. [Editor's Note: It's true. Mookie. Buckner - all of it. It's all true.]. May 2020 was a big deal to us.

The Vintage Collection is many things, one of which is the "nostalgia line." Part of that nostalgia is not just the card and packaging art. The experience also matters. Specifically, this is the brick and mortar experience. As I've written before, it doesn't take an army of psychologists to figure out that we're all trying to relive a little piece of our childhood with this hobby. For a great many of us, that means going into a store and seeing a new figure on the pegs. Both the Retro Collection and The Black Series had a sizable brick and mortar presence for the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Episode V. The Vintage Collection got absolutely nothing.

Hasbro, here's what you did: You threw a party. You hired our favorite band to play at it. You held the party at our favorite restaurant. You invited everyone we knew. And all Vintage Collection collectors could do was look through the window at all the fun. I'm not going to lie. Within the context of this hobby, it hurt.

There is another important anniversary coming up. 2023 is the 40th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi. It's my personal favorite Star Wars movie. Even though Empire is probably more universally beloved, no one can argue that Jedi is the most toyetic of the Original Trilogy movies. Hasbro, please do not kick us out of the club next time. Please make sure we get our invites.

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