Why You Are All Wrong About The Latest Fan Channel Wave

For the TL;DR crowd: Yes, this fan channel wave absolutely stinks out loud, but it's not because you don't want it. It's because it won't appeal to newer collectors.

Starting in 2019, Hasbro started introducing "Fan Channel" waves. Thus far, these have been figures that were previously released in the Vintage Collection and have been treated to Photo Real updates when applicable. Some of these updates have even compelled long time collectors to re-purchase these figures (raises hand), but that is a decidedly secondary intent of these releases. The primary intent serves a critical role.

If a line is to thrive, it must not cater to strictly the long term fans, even though that is what most readers of fan sites want. Why? Because the phrase "new long term fan" is an oxymoron. You can't attract new customers that way. Whether through death, quitting the hobby, banishment to the Phantom Zone, or becoming a minimalist zealot, the line's customer base will dwindle over time until it becomes unprofitable. You must constantly inject "new blood" into the hobby. The preferred way to do this is by making definitive updates to core characters (the Rogue One Stormtrooper is a good example of this), but another way is to give newer or lapsed collectors access to older figures without resorting to the secondary market. The secondary market can be intimidating to new collectors especially with something as long lived as the 3.75" Star Wars line.

Lack of access to key figures has reportedly sunk two previously healthy action figure lines, namely the Masters of the Universe and Playmates Simpsons lines. Masters of the Universe failed because potential new customers did not have easy access to He-Man or Skeletor figures because stores were filled with Stinkor and Faker. Likewise, while long term fans of the Playmates Simpsons line were beyond thrilled to get a Professor Stephen Hawking figure, newer customers desperately wanted the standard Bart Simpson figure which was long removed from stores. Both lines withered on the vine. Access to key figures through primary market means is critical to make sure a line can keep attracting new customers.

So when people are saying:

No one on any of the fan sites were requesting these figures be re-released.

It's almost entirely irrelevant. The Fan Channel is primarily targeted to customers who don't yet know the fan sites exist. Fan Site visitors are not the intended audience. It's a bit like saying that the Whopper is a stupid menu item because no one at McDonald's ever asked for one. So if that is your reason for hating on the most recently revealed Fan Channel wave of "Peasant" Anakin, Queen Amidala, the TIE Fighter Pilot, and Battle Droid, you're wrong. It's terrible for a completely different reason: none of these are really the type of "key" figures described above.

I feel like Hasbro's classification of characters is too coarse. Sure the name "Anakin Skywalker" represents a tier one character (or whatever Hasbro's internal designation is), but if that ropes in "Peasant" Anakin into the Fan Channel net, the categorization is far too broad. A non-action based tertiary wardrobe change of a main character is really on par with a background character. It's primary appeal is to the aforementioned long-term customer for whom these Fan Channel assortments are not intended. Meanwhile, a re-release of the VC13 Anakin Skywalker would have been a home run for this assortment. Likewise, the "post-Senate" Queen Amidala, which appears for exactly one chapter stop on the Phantom Menace Blu-Ray, is a niche figure and ill-suited to a "new customer" product offering. To reference back to the Simpsons line, this would be akin to Playmates re-issuing the "Sunday Best" Bart when the new blood was clamoring for the basic red t-shirt Bart. Just because "Bart Simpson" is on the nameplate does not mean it satisfies the market's pent up demand for a Bart Simpson figure.

I'm personally neutral on the two army builders. The 2012 release of the Battle Droid made it all the way to the 2013 TVC clearance in my area. I don't think it inspires rabid purchasing the way other army builders do, but at the 2020 production levels, I don't see it becoming a problematic pegwarmer. Ditto for the TIE Fighter Pilot, even though we all think the ankle-less Evolutions-based figure desperately needs an update. It will sell. The Evolutions-based Boba Fett figure stinks, but no one can keep that in stock. Of course, none of this has a huge impact if the Fan Channel, for once, stays in the Fan Channel. If this becomes now the FOURTH Fan Channel wave to invade Target and Walmart, brick and mortar could be in trouble, and more desirable product could be blocked.

Finally, having said all of this, repacks that would appeal to both new customers and long term collectors are not mutually exclusive. There's one in particular that should have been repacked in 2020, but that's a rant for another day.

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